Picking an Alternative PFA Men's Players' Player of the Year Shortlist
The votes are in and now we know the nominees for this season’s PFA Player of the Year awards.
Four players—Eden Hazard, Harry Kane, David De Gea and Philippe Coutinho—are on the shortlist for both the Player and Young Player awards, with Diego Costa and Alexis Sanchez joining them on the former and Thibaut Courtois and Raheem Sterling on the latter.
All of the players on the shortlist have deservedly been nominated by their fellow professionals, but who else could we have seen on there?
Eliminating players who appeared on the Young Player list, here are the nominees for alternative PFA list.
Cesc Fabregas
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Something of a surprise omission from the "real" six was Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas, who perhaps paid the price for there being so many other worthy candidates at his club.
The ex-Arsenal man has seamlessly slipped back into Premier League life after moving back to the division from Barcelona in the summer, while he scored one of the Blues’ most important goals of the season with the late winner at Queens Park Rangers last Sunday.
It is as a creative force that Fabregas has really shone this season, though, with his 16 assists in the division making him by far and away the leader in that regard and already outshining the previous best in the Premier League over the past few seasons—Steven Gerrard with 13 in 2013/14, Juan Mata’s 12 in 2012/13 and David Silva’s 15 in 2011/12.
Indeed, no-one in the division has provided this many assists in a season since Fabregas himself registered 20 in the red and white of Arsenal in 2007/08.
(Source: ESPNFC.com)
Jose Fonte
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Whatever happens from now, Southampton’s performances under Ronald Koeman have been one of the stories of the Premier League season.
Tipped for relegation by some following the departures of some high-profile players in the summer, the Saints have soared instead, with much of that down to the performances of club captain Jose Fonte at the back.
A player who has risen up through the divisions at St Mary’s, the Portuguese international has been solid as a rock, a real leader for his team and an inspiration for a side which has included so many new faces.
Fonte featured in a Saints defence that conceded just five goals in their first 11 league matches of the season, while he’s missed just one match of a campaign that currently sees his side lie in sixth place in the table—just one place below a Liverpool side that signed three of their players last summer and one above Tottenham Hotspur, now managed by ex-Saints boss Mauricio Pochettino.
John Terry
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Performing the same role for champions-elect Chelsea has been skipper John Terry, who has been superb for the Londoners as they’ve taken residence at the top of the Premier League table.
Written off by many during what has been a hugely eventful career, Terry has bounced back and once again become the leader at the heart of Jose Mourinho’s defence—even popping up to score vital goals for his side including a strike in this season’s Capital One Cup final victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley.
Another trophy looks to be on the way in the coming weeks as Chelsea sit seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table, with the centre-back set to pick up his fourth league winners’ medal.
He’s been central to winning all of those, and there are plenty who’ll say that he’s never played better than he is right now.
Charlie Austin
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Scoring 17 Premier League goals during your first season at that level is a pretty impressive feat, but doing so when your team is stuck in the relegation zone makes it an incredible one.
Queens Park Rangers’ Charlie Austin has also managed four assists—the same amount as Philippe Coutinho and David Silva—to add to the cause for his side, who are scrapping away at the foot of the table and currently sit just two points below the safety of 17th place.
His goals and performances haven’t been enough to attract the attention of England boss Roy Hodgson just yet, but they have certainly proved that the Premier League is the right stage for him. Even if QPR are relegated, we’ll almost certainly see Austin—who has just two goals fewer than the division’s top scorers Sergio Aguero, Diego Costa and Harry Kane this season—in the division in 2015/16.
Nemanja Matic
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The destroyer who sits in front of Chelsea’s defence, the Serbian Nemanja Matic has seemingly redefined the defensive midfield role in the Premier League this season.
Combining a fantastic athleticism with a long stride and a seemingly limitless supply of energy, Matic has been a revelation at Chelsea ever since they re-signed him from Benfica in January 2014, three years after they let him go as part of the deal to sign David Luiz.
Matic plays in a role that is traditionally seen as one in which players go unnoticed as they get through the leg work for the benefit of their team, but it has been impossible to ignore him as Jose Mourinho’s side head toward the Premier League title.
Santi Cazorla
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Arsenal’s season has turned out to be rather more impressive than many anticipated, and while the dash and style of Alexis Sanchez might have dominated that effort, it is the craft and guile of Santi Cazorla which plenty of Gunners fans prefer to watch.
Often playing in a deeper role this season, Cazorla has been superb for Arsene Wenger’s side, scoring seven Premier League goals and providing eight assists along the way.
Playing football with a smile on his face, the little Spaniard has proven crucial as the Gunners have risen to second place in the league table and into the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where they’ll hope to complete back-to-back triumphs after Cazorla scored in their final victory over Hull City last May.
His game seems to have improved since then, and his team are getting the benefits of that.
