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Originally Posted by Shadow Demon UK
I think it is partly sentimental but also based on his age, the high quality performances are coming from a 35 year old, he's putting players 10 years younger than him to shame in the 24 matches he's been involved in in the league this season. He may have only started 12 games but they have pretty much all been against big clubs in important games and they've all been top performances.
As for Lampard, the only reason i think he's not got a look in is because the vote was taken just after Christmas, he only really started performing after Christams imo so missed out. I don't think he would have won the top award but would have been close to getting in the team of the year.
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So Stoke, Hull, West Brom (twice), West Ham, Fulham, Blackburn and Portsmouth are big clubs in important games now? That's 8 of 12. I guess his player of the year quality is why he had to play the full 180 minutes against that world famous powerhouse West Bromwich Albion.
If that's the reason for Lampard not being chosen, then how on earth has Torres made the team of the year? He's been injured for a large portion of it and only returned after Christmas.
The team of the year and player of the year are a joke. For players like Ireland, Lampard, Alonso, Hangeland, Jagielka, Baines, Schwarzer, Laursen etc etc to not be mentioned is a travesty.
I think this sums it up nicely:
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The outrage of the PFA awards is not the victory for sentimentality but the omission of both Xabi Alonso and Frank Lampard from the nominations.
The Chelsea midfielder's consistency and longevity is phenomenal. The under-appreciation of his perseverance, commitment, fitness and hard work by his PFA peers is an inexcusable oversight that only serves to partially explain why, of the league's absolute elite, only Lampard has exceeded his natural talent. His success is the product of graft rather than craft and the revelation that the 19 or so saves made by Edwin van der Sar during Manchester United's run of clean sheets made a greater impression on his league peers is a depressing explanation for why the majority of Premier League footballers outside the big four are no better than average. They don't have to possess the outstanding talent of a Fernando Torres or a Cristiano Ronaldo, but they should at least be able to match and appreciate Lampard's dedication. Instead, they've opted to laud a player who has started just 12 league games.
It is equally disconcerting that the quality of Xabi Alonso's passing has been passed over. His nomination would have been a nod of encouragement to a facet of the game that should be encouraged and it is little wonder that England continue to struggle on a world stage when our nation's footballers cannot spot a class act at the top of his game - what a lucky escape Rafa Benitez had in the summer - when he is pulling the strings right under their noses.
Pete Gill - http://www.football365.com/story/0,1...246189,00.html
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