The EPL Offside End of Season Awards 2010

So its time, we face the final curtain. Chelsea inched closer to the Premier League title over the weekend with a win against Liverpool, and know that a win against Wigan next Weekend will see them crowned Champions (albeit with the lowest title winning score in years).

So it seems a good time to look back on the season and hand out some entirely fictional, and at times arbitrary awards to the good bad and ugly of a Premier League season that has seen the big four get competitive, a top tier side go into administration and an English side in a European Final.

Best Player: Wayne Rooney
Other candidates: Didier Drogba, Carlos Tevez, Cesc Fabregas

Rooney has been a class above all season. At the start of the year we wondered how much of a void Ronaldo would leave as he finally flew over to Madrid, but Rooney has made sure the void has been minimilised by stepping up his goal count and influence on the team. When Ronaldo was playing he sometimes drifted out wide and backwards in search of the ball, but this season he has been sublime as United’s premier goal-getter, which has been vital as Berbatov has refused to step up and Owen has been a shadow of his previous self.

Team of the Year: Fulham
Other candidates: Birmingham, Chelsea, Man United

At the start of the season it would have been a struggle to imagine that Fulham would have been the Premier League’s representative in a European Final, and its kudos to the continues rejuvination of Fulham that they are. They’ve had some absolutely fantastic moments on the way and fully deserve their big day in the sun.

Manager of the Year: Roy Hodgson
Other Candidates: Carlo Ancelotti, Alex McLeish, Alex Ferguson

Go back a couple of years. Fulham were going to be relegated. They bought in Hodgson in an emergency move to try and save the club. Somehow they survived. 12 Months Later they finished in a Europa League spot. 12 months later they are in the final of the Europa League. He’s amazing.

Biggest Dissapointment of the Season: Liverpool
Other Candidates: No relegation battle, Arsenal’s title run, Portsmouth

Liverpool, you confuse me. Before last season I thought you might fall out of the top four, and what did you do? Finish 2nd, losing out on a title that you should have won. This season I predicted that’d inspire you on to a good title run. And you’re just about in the Europa League.

The Newcastle United Carcrash Award: Portsmouth

Portsmouth. I predicted that despite a tough start to the season, they’d be saved in January by some monied madman and bring to club just out of the relegation zone. But they were far too mismanaged for that and slumped instead into administration.

And yet they still made it to the FA Cup final. God I love football.

The Henrik Larsson award for brilliant cameo: Landon Donovan

Could he cut it, we asked, when he signed for Everton in a David-Beckham-esque mid-season move. Yes he could came the resounding answer. So much so that Everton were desperate to keep hold of him beyond the agreed loan. He made America a much scarier opposition at the World Cup if nothing else.

The Shevchenko Award for Big Signing Who Never Plays: Alberto Aquilani

I’m sure he plays football, I seem remember him at Roma. Maybe i’m imagining things though.

The Most Bizarre Story of the Season: Sol Campbell

He started the season signing for Notts County (then under the wing of Sven), before leaving promptly and playing half a season at Arsenal instead. None of these things seemed very likely at all a year ago.

Some Related Premier League Posts:

Category: Player Awards