SEASON AWARDS 2012 – 2013

This is taken from the accumulative weekly awards over the season!

TEAM: NORWICH CITY

Many will be as surprised as I was to see the name of this team. But taking the team of the week in the last two weeks elevated them to four awards. This was one award ahead of Swansea, Tottenham, Wigan and Liverpool in second place. In third with two awards came Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal and Southampton. In the end Reading were the only club not to win a team of the week award.

GOALKEEPER: JUUSI JAASKELAINEN (West Ham Utd)

Another somewhat surprising outcome to this season’s award. The West Ham keeper was out in front finishing the season with four awards. In second came Sunderland’s Mignolet, Fulham’s Schwarzer and Reading’s McCarthy with three awards. In third was Man City’s Hart, Wigan’s Al Habsi, Aston Villa’s Guzan and funny enough both Norwich keepers Ruddy and Bunn with two awards.

DEFENDER: SEBASTIEN BASSONG (Norwich City)

Norwich seemed very unspectacular throughout the season but these awards proves they had their moments. Bassong was the only defender to claim four awards to surprisingly take this. In second place was Everton defender Jakielka who stood alone with three awards. In third place came five defenders on two awards each. Stoke’s Shawcross, West Brom’s Olssen, Aston Villa’s Collins, Tottenham’s Vertonghen and Everton’s Baines.

MIDFIELDER: GARETH BALE (Tottenham)

I’m guessing there will be no surprises at the winner of this award. Bale was head and shoulders above the rest winning it with five awards for the season. All his awards coming in 2013. Behind him came Chelsea duo Hazard and Mata with three awards apiece. In third place was Everton’s Fellaini, Arsenal’s Gervinho and Swansea’s Michu with two awards in a category that had the most award winners.

FORWARD: LUIS SUAREZ (Liverpool)

The Liverpool striker was the easiest winner of any category, becoming the only player to win six awards. Surprisingly alone in second place came West Brom’s Lukaku, winning the weekly award on the last day to take his tally to three. Eight strikers came third with two awards. Torres, Van Persie, Defoe, Le Fondre, Rooney, Benteke, Carroll and Michu who became the first player to win more than one award in two different positions.

MANAGER: STEVE CLARKE (West Brom)

This was a close one as in the end, Clarke finished level with Everton’s David Moyes on five awards each. But I gave it to Clarke as it was his first season, and he took a club usually fighting for relegation into a comfortable mid table finish. But United fans will be happy to hear of Moyes’ achievements. Swansea’s Laudrup and surprisingly QPR’s Redknapp came second with three awards. In third on two awards came Pardew, Ferguson, Lambert and Villas-Boas.

UNSUNG HERO: MICHAEL CARRICK (Man Utd)

This was my toughest decision as four players ended up on two awards each. In the end and after a lot of consideration I gave it to the Manchester United man. He played a pivotal role in United winning the league, without really being noticed much. But his role was as, if not the most important as it gave security and freedom to the more expressive players to play. The three other players that finished on two awards were Liverpool’s Henderson, Everton’s Fellaini and Tottenham’s Sandro.

GAME: 1. WEST BROM 5-5 MAN UTD
              2. ARSENAL 7-3 NEWCASTLE
              3. MAN CITY 2-3 MAN UTD

We had to wait until he last day of the season and fittingly Sir Alex Ferguson’s last game of his career to get our game of the season. West Brom scored three goals in the last 10 minutes to rob Sir Alex of a final day victory. Arsenal and Newcastle’s thrilling 10 goal drama in the last game of 2012 came second, the game was 3-3 with 20 minutes to go. In third was the first Manchester derby which United typically won in stoppage time. Some might say it was the victory that gave United the edge to go on and win the title.

GOAL:  1. ROBIN VAN PERSIE 2nd (Man Utd) v Aston Villa 
              2. MATTHEW LOWTON (Aston Villa) v Stoke
              3. JERMAIN DEFOE 1st (Tottenham) v West Ham

Van Persie’s perfect, picture book volley takes this award for me. From Rooney’s long searching ball, dropping over this shoulder the Dutchman took it first time on the volley into the far corner. In second, Villa defender Lowton took everyone by surprise to score this 30 odd yard looping volley, after letting it drop off his chest. In third came Defoe with a goal from nothing that starting from just inside the half, he beat two players on the touch-line, then cut inside past another player to power home a shot from outside the box.

FOOL: HARRY REDKNAPP / QPR

Though there were loads of candidates including numerous referee’s, Luis Suarez, Peter Odemwingie and Brendan Rodgers who was up here on more than on occasion. Mr Redknapp was my decision. As I stated on the last weekly awards, he came in and defiantly guaranteed the club would stay up. He then blasted money spent by previous managers and over paid players, then bought Samba paying him an estimated one hundred thousand a week along with striker Remy. But when it was all said and done, QPR were relegated, finishing rock bottom a place lower than when Harry came into the club FOOL.