(Belated) Gunnerblog End of Season Awards 2008
9 comments August 14th, 2008
Football moves so so fast. And such have been the personal and professional demands placed on me this Summer, I’ve barely been able to keep up. As if you needed further proof of the sport’s terrifying velocity, the previous two winners of the Player of the Season award (Thierry Henry and Gilberto) have both since left the club.
It’s a bit of a disaster that this season has officially started and yet last season’s awards have not been dished out. However, I can assure you that these decisions were made far closer to May than we currently are.
Before we move on to the awards, a brief bit of site news. As has been absolutely clear this Summer, I haven’t had as much time for the blog as I would like. However, I hope that will change from this point on. It’s odd because the Summer is usually the busiest time for a football blog – those transfer rumours really pull in the hits – but I’ve quite enjoyed having a bit of a break from all that lie-mongering. I’d rather people were here reading about the matches themselves than a rumour we all know is too good to be true. The content should be returning to something like its usual standards, and The Guns are undergoing repair as we speak. Here’s to the start of the season, and on to the awards:
Player of the Season
My choice for Player of the Season will undoubtedly be considered controversial. Had I made it public a couple of weeks ago, it would have been even more hotly disputed. Despite the fact he’s spent most of the Summer trying to crowbar his way out of the club with exorbitant wage demands, I can’t look beyond the thirty-goal contribution of Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor.
Not that there weren’t other contenders. Despite his transformation into a goalscoring powerhouse, Adebayor was not our most improved player last season – that accolade belongs to Mathieu Flamini, who has since moved to AC Milan. Alongside Flamini, Cesc Fabregas was at times sublime, whilst Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy both offered defensive consistency and attacking threat.
But for me, Adebayor outstripped them all. Granted, he’s not perfect. Granted, he missed chances one would expect a Champions League calibre player to score. But he also scored thirty goals, some of them absolutely outstanding. In recent history, only Ian Wright and Thierry Henry have achieved that kind of figure in our colours. In a season in which Eduardo and Van Persie only featured intermittedly, Adebayor provided our attacking threat across the entire campaign.
His pace and power have enabled us to overcome the loss of Henry, not only by replacing Henry’s threat in behind the backline, but by giving us an additional threat from crosses and set-pieces.
Adebayor’s actions this Summer have alienated some of his most loyal fans, but his performances in pre-season suggest that (whatever his motivation) his focus is once more on scoring goals and winning football matches. It’s time to forget, if not forgive. If last season is anything to go by, we need him.
Young Player of the Season
In 2007, the Carling Cup Final team spawned several nominees for this award. However, last year the likes of Abou Diaby, Denilson, and Armand Traore did not push on as we might have hoped.
However, Arsenal wouldn’t be Arsenal without a few starlets shining. Theo Walcott is one obvious example – in the second half of the season he was in blistering form, culminating in ‘that run’ at Anfield. Alex Song, meanwhile, transformed from lamental midfielder to promising centre-half (yet in spite of Song’s impressive performances, I’m still amazed that Arsene did not move to sign a defender this Summer).
And yet there can be no surprise that Cesc Fabregas has retained this award. Arsenal.com’s Player of the Year, a nominee for PFA Player of the Year, and the PFA Young Player of the Year. Yet I’m sure he’ll store those awards in a kitchen cupboard to make room on his mantlepiece for the Gunnerblog Young Player of the Season trophy. A future Arsenal captain and footballing great, and the current heartbeat of this Arsenal side. After winning Euro 2008 with Spain, it’s time he tasted some domestic success with his beloved Gunners. There’s no time like the present.
Worst Player of the Season
Is it harsh? To pick someone out?
Do I care?
Not really.
I thought about giving this to Jens Lehmann, who entered the season as Number 1, but found himself on the bench and out of favour after just two calamitous games.
However, Lehmann was beaten by a better worse man. Ladies and gentlemen, Arsenal’s worst player of the 2007-08 season was: Emmanuel Eboue.
At the start of the season I was enthused about Eboue’s potential transformation into a winger. However, on reflection, this was more relief at the fact he wouldn’t be in defence than excitement at his attacking potential.
It’s not just that he’s not often very good at football. It’s also that he’s not often very good at not falling over, or not crying hysterically after every tackle. It’s horrible having a player of whom you are embarrassed. So Eboue, buck up your ideas, or prepare to lose your first-team place to one Theo Walcott.
Game of the Season
My my, there were a few. The game I enjoyed attending most was probably at White Hart Lane for our comprehensive 3-1 victory, including Adebayor’s Goal of the Season strike.
Yet the most dramatic,and therefore the winner in this category, was certainly the 3-2 win at Bolton, where we came from 2-0 down at half-time to snatch a victory that dragged us (briefly) back into the title race. It was a remarkable example of the mental strength our young side began to show last season, typified by gritty performances and late goals. We’ll need plenty of that this season if we’re not going to end up trophyless again.
Worst game of the Season
Last season we suffered two maulings at the hands of our major rivals, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. Had these not occurred in domestic cup competitions, they would undoubtedly reign supreme in this category. However, Arsene’s ambivalence towards the cups seems to be contageous, and therefore (in my eyes at least) these defeats pale in comparison to one particular Premier League encounter.
The game at Birmingham was a gut-wrenching encounter. First, Eduardo suffered his horrendous injury. The players were in shock, and it was no surprise that we fell behind before half-time.
In the second half, the players came out and fought for their stricken Croatian team-mate, with Theo Walcott scoring his first two league goals in a stirring comeback.
And then that penalty. And Gallas’ tantrum. And the equaliser. And the final whistle. It felt like we’d lost the league in the space of a minute, and in many ways perhaps we had. Even thinking about it now is making me feel sick. On to happier times…
Highlight of the Season
It has to be knocking out AC Milan. After failing to score in the first leg, many pundits said we would come a-cropper in the San Siro against Milan’s veterans. Instead, as so often with these Arsenal boys, we showed no fear and ran out 2-0 winners at the San Siro. It was not just the scoreline, but the manner in which victory was achieved. Flamini, Fabregas, and Hleb were in hypnotic form, with Cesc netting the opener before another Walcott cameo put the second on a plate for Adebayor. That pair also combined at Anfield, but sadly that goal was not to prove as vital.
Disappointment of the Season
Sorry Robin: it’s you. My expectations of Van Persie last season were astronomical. His pre-season goal against Inter Milan reminded me of how special he could be, and with Henry’s departure, I expected RVP to be the man to take on not just the goalscoring mantle, but the idolisation that goes with it. However, as is so often the case with the Dutchman, injuries clouded his extraordinary talent. Another season means another chance for Van Persie to show his worth. Technically, he is easily as gifted as Cristiano Ronaldo. Does he have the physical capacity to make a similar impact? I’m beginning to doubt it. Prove me wrong, Robin.
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Last season represented real progress for the team. After two seasons daudling along in fourth place, we transformed into genuine title contenders and ended just four points from the title. It’s remarkable to think that twelve months ago, most pundits predicted we would drop out of the top four to be replaced by Spurs. This season, similar predictions are coming out of Fleet Street, and one can see why. We’ve lost experienced squad members, and will be relying on teenagers like never before.
In spite of the changes in personnel, it’s vital we keep our forward momentum going. If Arsene signs the right central midfielder, and we can keep our front two fit, we can challenge again. If we want to keep the likes of Adebayor and Fabregas, we have to win something soon. Like I said earlier: there’s no time like the present.
