Player / team of the season

THERE is no doubting his contribution to the game over the years, but that Ryan Giggs walked away with the PFA Footballer of the Year award smacks of sentimentality. Even more puzzling, is how a player can win such a prestigious award after starting only 12 games for his club.

There are a few players out there who have every right to be slightly annoyed at being overlooked, namely Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Nemanja Vidic. The PFA Team of the Year was also an eyebrow-raiser, with the likes of Patrice Evra and Nicholas Anelka among the selected players.

In a season where there have been very few stand-out performers, my selection below will no doubt provoke widespread debate as well….hopefully anyway.

(4-4-1-1) Manager: David Moyes

Given; Johnson, Vidic, Jagielka, Cole; Lennon, Lampard, Ireland, Gerrard; Cahill; Torres

Top brass know sweet FA

IS it really asking too much for the clueless buffoons running the national game to put the people who make it what it is, the fans, first just once? Of course it is. That is why both Chelsea and Everton have been awarded a paltry 25,000 tickets apiece for the FA Cup Final at Wembley on May 30.

That’s right, 25,000. Now, I’m no Carol Vorderman, but by my reckoning, in a stadium that holds 90,000, that leaves 40,000 tickets to go to…who exactly? Chelsea have 27,000 season-ticket holders, so straight away, 2,000 supporters will miss out, not to mention the fans who can’t actually afford to go every week, but still frequent Stamford Bridge as often as possible, whilst for Everton, who’s average gate is around the 40,000 mark, the game represents the club’s biggest match since they lifted the trophy in 1995; again, there will be at least 15,000 unhappy scousers.

And to think, the FA have announced that this year they will be clamping down on ticket touts. See, that’s what happens when you hand tickets out to any Tom, Dick and Harry with a briefcase in his hand. They get greedy, and because they don’t have any interest in the outcome of the game, they sell their tickets….to the touts.

Everton go weak at the knees

ALEX FERGUSON has inevitably come in for some stick following his decision to rest a number of key players in yesterday’s FA Cup semi-final defeat to Everton. Let’s get one thing straight though. The United side which ended the game was a weakened side to the one which beat Porto last week. However, it was not weak; far from it, in fact. With Ferdinand and Vidic at the back, Anderson and Scholes in midfield, and Berbatov and Tevez up front, that side was more than capable of getting a result.

How about giving Everton a bit of credit instead? David Moyes has worked wonders at Goodison on a shoestring, and no team deserves its moment in the spotlight more. We constantly hear the top four harping on about injury problems, but try playing with an attacking midfielder (Tim Cahill) as a lone front man for two months, which is what Everton had to do.

Elsewhere in the side, Phil Jagielka has blossomed into one of the country’s most promising centre backs, whilst Marouane Fellaini and Steven Pienaar have exceeded all expectations. With talented youngsters such as Jack Rodwell following the likes of Leon Osman and James Vaughan into the first team, the future certainly looks bright.

After eliminating both Liverpool and Aston Villa, as well as United, on their way to Wembley, the toffee men have certainly done it the hard way, and a victory over Chelsea on May 30 would surely give the club the belief that they can break into the top four next season.

Lamps still shining brightly

ANOTHER man of the match performance from Frank Lampard in Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal at the weekend, following his brace in the Champions League epic with Liverpool last Tuesday, but why should we be surprised?

Lampard continues to dominate games, and there is so much more to him than just scoring goals from midfield. He won every 50/50 at Wembley, before setting up Didier Drogba’s winner, and Cesc Fabregas will seldom have such an ineffective afternoon.

Lampard is the heartbeat of this Chelsea side; when he plays well, they usually win, and as the weeks go by, the fact he is not even on the shortlist for the PFA Footballer of the Year award seems all the more scandalous.

Home is where the heart is

WHEN the season begins, newly promoted teams have one aim, and one aim only; survival. The easiest way for them to achieve that is by picking up as many points as possible at home.

Teams such as West Brom, Hull City and Stoke City know that they are not going to win many games away from home. True, Hull did manage to buck the trend at the start of the season, but that was very unusual, and since January, they have reverted to type.

All the plaudits, therefore, should go to Tony Pulis and his Stoke side that have picked up 32 of their 37 points at the Britannia Stadium. The atmosphere and noise levels inside the ground can be intimidating for the opposition, and it is no coincidence that many teams have struggled there this season.

Many neutral observers have criticised Stoke’s style of play, but why? If Liverpool or Chelsea win a game 1-0 courtesy of a scrappy goal they are praised for winning ugly. Stoke have mastered the art of grinding out results, and for that, they should be credited. That is why they will be playing Premiership football again next season.

Big Sam may have the last laugh

THERE is only one man who knows whether or not Rafael Benitez intended to disrespect Sam Allardyce and Blackburn Rovers, and that’s Benitez himself. The jury is out on that one and, quite frankly, the incident has been blown out of all proportion.

However, if the Liverpool manager was being arrogant, you wonder why. Out of the FA Cup, out of the Champions League, and with an uphill struggle to win the Premiership, Rafa could be about to finish a third season in a row without a trophy.

If Manchester United manage to hang on and clinch the title, the biggest party of all could well be taking place in Blackburn.

Let the games commence

TWO mouth-watering Champions League semi-final’s take place next week, and both games look set to go to the wire.

Chelsea must score in Barcelona, but after putting three past Liverpool at Anfield, that is certainly not beyond them, particularly with Didier Drogba in such scintillating form. The problem for Guus Hiddink’s men will be keeping them out at the other end, and the loss of Ashley Cole for the first leg is a blow.

In the all-English clash, both United and Arsenal will have added incentive to reach Rome after losing in the FA Cup semi-final’s, but the fact the holders are still fighting for the Premiership might just swing the tie in Arsenal’s favour.

With the second leg to be played at the Emirates, Arsenal will certainly fancy their chances, and having not won a trophy since 2005, Arsene Wenger’s side know that the time has come to deliver.