Premiership Team of the Season

A very exciting Premiership campaign has just ended and this is the perfect time for summing up. The next list consists of players who, in my opinion, marked the season but be free to make your comments regarding the players which you feel should make the Premiership Team of the Season. You will see some household names but also a couple of new players who really shone this season.

Goalkeeper: Mark Schwarzer (Fulham)

The Australian keeper arrived at Craven Cottage from Middlesbrough last summer and he continued with impressive performances which had made him one of the best Premiership keepers in recent years. With his commanding displays and just 34 conceded goals, which is the fourth best record in Premier League, he helped Fulham achieve a historic success and qualify for the Europa League. His contribution to the team has really been remarkable and that is why he is on this list.

Right-back: Glen Johnson (Portsmouth)

Even though his team had plenty of problems this season, Glen Johnson was largely impressive throughout the season and no wonder that Capello called him back to England squad. While very solid at the back, Johnson proved that he is also very good at going forward and he even played in midfield on few occasions. His versatility definitely helped Portsmouth avoid relegation and maybe it is time for him to join some of the big English clubs.

Centre-back: Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United)

Nemanja Vidic has been one of the most consistent performers this season and he became a real rock in the heart of United’s defence. Even though he was widely tipped to be voted Player of the Season, he missed out on the award, but that cannot diminish his contribution to Manchester’s impressive season which is the reason why he was voted the player of the year by both his teammates and the fans. The Serb is definitely the best centre-back in the World at the moment and Sir Alex Ferguson is certainly happy to have him.

Centre-back: Joleon Lescott (Everton)

Joleon Lescott has been remarkable this season, regardless of whether he was playing at centre-back or left-back, and together with Phil Jagielka he forms one of the best defensive partnerships in the Premier League. The towering centre-back was rock-solid at the back, while he also managed to score 4 league goals and thus helped his team win some precious points.

Left-back: Leighton Baines (Everton)

This may come as a surprise to some of you, especially as the young defender was not the part of Everton’s starting 11 at the start of the season. However, he stepped in when Joseph Yobo picked up an injury and kept his place in the team thanks to some remarkable performances. He was the part of one of the best defenses in the Premiership, whereas he managed to contribute in attack as well, by setting up no less than 7 goals. Baines has started to realize his potential and could become one of the leading left-backs in England.

Holding midfielder: Gareth Barry (Aston Villa)

Barry’s impressive performances are one of the reasons why Aston Villa entered the Champions League race in the first place and he has been an integral part of Martin O’Neill’s side. Barry had a very difficult job in every game as Villa have got so many attacking players but he did a great job in covering for the back line, while he also contributed to attack with 5 goals and 7 assists. Rafa Benitez is determined to bring the versatile midfielder this summer but Martin O’Neill is reluctant to sell.

Central midfielder: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

You can put his name in these kinds of lists even before the season starts as the odds are that Gerrard will have another outstanding season and that there will be no way to miss out on the selection. Steve G kept his team very close to Manchester United throughout the season and if it hadn’t been for his injury maybe the Reds would have finally won the title. 16 goals and 10 assists probably make him the most valuable player of the season.

Central midfielder: Steven Ireland (Manchester City)

Steven Ireland really stepped up the plate this season and he managed to become a real leader in midfield even though the club management brought a number of world-class players this season. Ireland was a real creative force for City as he was responsible for 18 scored goals, setting up 9 and scoring 9 himself. He is seen as one of the brightest talents in the Premiership and Giovanni Trapattoni is probably eagerly waiting for the day when Ireland will revive his international career.

Right forward: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

Wayne Rooney is simply a player every manager would wish for. He can play on either wing or as a centre forward and he is extremely dangerous for opposition defences from any of those positions. At the same time, he is doing a lot of defensive work, even when the boss doesn’t ask him to and he is simply one of the best premiership footballers at the moment.

Left forward: Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal)

Even though the Russian playmaker only took part in the second part of the league campaign and was constantly played out of position, he still managed to show more than his rivals did in the course of the whole season. He has shown a tremendous potential despite playing just 12 league games this season, and we can only wonder what would have happened if he had joined Arsenal last summer. The Russian scored 6 league goals and set up 7 more, which is a remarkable record considering that he only played 12 games.

Centre forward: Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea)

We have always known that he was a great player but his temperament often prevented him from showing all he’d got. Nevertheless, Anelka proved his reputation as a lethal finisher this season and he became Premier League top scorer with 19 goals to his tally. He played really well throughout the league campaign, regardless of the team’s style of play and this was a very successful season for Anelka.

Manager: Guus Hiddink (Chelsea)

The Dutch managers did wonders at Chelsea after replacing Luis Felipe Scolari and the job he has done in such a short time is really remarkable. He managed to restore player confidence very quickly and transformed the Blues into real attacking machinery. Hiddink built an excellent rapport with players and that was the basis of excellent results in the second part of the season.

Subs: Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United), Abdoulaye Faye (Stoke), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham), Tim Cahill (Everton), Ashley Young (Aston Villa) and Fernando Torres(Liverpool)

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