Pies' Premiership Team of the Season

Pies' Premiership Team of the Season

Unlike most people, we actually wait until the end of the season to do our 'team of the season'. Makes sense, don't you think? Anyhoo, here's our selection for the best XI in 2006/07 (fitting neatly into a time-honoured 4-4-2 formation):

GK: JOSE REINA (Liverpool)
Pepe still flaps at the odd cross like a giant baby bird, but we'll forgive him the odd discretion (all keepers make mistakes, simple as that). Reina is still young for a keeper (just 24, although he looks more like 34) and improving all the time. He's had a great season, behind a constantly changing back four, and the fact fans now take it for granted that Liverpool concede hardly any goals is a testimony to his effectiveness as a shot-stopper.
Honourable mention: David James (Portsmouth). A renaissance season for Jamo. Nothing calamitous about his form these days.

RB: STEVE FINNAN (Liverpool)
Finnan gets the Denis Irwin award for invisible brilliance and robotic reliability. Stevie F (does he even have a nickname or his own chant?) never finds himself in the spotlight because of dalliances with WAGs or merky japes with Rio and I imagine that's just how he likes it. No, Finnan is far too busy tackling wingers, defending corners, making overlapping runs and putting in crosses.
Honourable mention: Michael Essien (Chelsea) Just because you can't give Essien enough honourable mentions - he looks class wherever he plays.

LB: NICKY SHOREY (Reading)
It's a shame that Reading couldn't quite get into Europe, but they've had a cracking season nonetheless. No one epitomises the club's success better than Shorey, a superior journeyman who has played in all four divisions. His form this season has been a revelation. Steve McLaren won't give Shorey a chance because he plays for an unfashionable club, but Steve Coppell knows better.
Honourable mention: Patrice Evra (Man Utd) Does make mistakes, but has the pace to recover. And boy is he fun to watch going forward.

CB: RICARDO CARVALHO (Chelsea)
Carvalho has been Chelsea's best defender by a mile this season, and he also found the time to waltz out of defence and score goals/play defence-splitting passes. If he was English we'd rave about him and compare him endlessly to Bobby Moore - but he's Portuguese and has bad hair and his head's a bit too small for his body, so obviously that doesn't happen.
Honourable mention: Rio Ferdinand (Man Utd) For all his extra-curricular merking activity, Rio has been terrific this season.

CB: JOLEON LESCOTT (Everton)
'The biggest compliment you can pay him is that he has never looked out of place once, and having to play at left-back for so long has just underlined that.' So says David Moyes, Lescott's gaffer, and who are we to argue? Lescott was recently called up to the England 'B' squad but he has the talent to go all the way to the full senior squad. He was also voted Player's Player of the Year by his team-mates. And he looks like a Bond villain. What's not to like?
Honourable mention: Nemanja Vidic (Man Utd) Has added some much-needed granite to Man U's defence.

MF: MICHAEL ESSIEN (Chelsea)
A rock wherever he plays, Essien is the embodiment of the perfect modern midfielder - in the eyes of managers, if not fans. I'm pretty sure all Premiership bosses would choose to poach Essien above any other player in Chelsea's rich squad, even Drogba - Essien is strong, can run and tackle all day, knows when to play it simple, is good going forward and chips in with crucial goals. And he's improved his discipline no end - just five yellow cards in the Premiership this season.
Honourable mention: Gilberto Silva (Arsenal) Not many bright spots for Arsenal this season, but Gilberto has had a good campaign and deserves a mention. He doesn't rant and rave but he's a quietly effective leader. He also scored 11 goals in all competitions, way more than he's managed in England until now.

MF: MIKEL ARTETA (Everton)
Everton's player of the season gets much less of the spotlight than compatriots Cesc Fabregas and Xabi Alonso, but he had a better season than either and was the key to Everton securing a Uefa Cup place. Bigger clubs than Everton will be looking very closely at the little Spaniard this summer, although it seems likely that he will commit to Goodison soon.
Honourable mention: Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal) Started the season brilliantly but looked tired in 2007. Still young though - his potential is scary.

MF: PAUL SCHOLES (Man Utd)
My favourite player to watch in the whole Premiership shows no sign of losing his magic touch. This season the ginger ninja had his best campaign in years. And at 32 he still has a couple more years left in him. Still a shit tackler though.
Honourable mention: Frank Lampard (Chelsea) Yes I know we're all supposed to hate him and point and snigger and shout 'Oi, Fat Frank!' but come on, he scored 11 goals and had 11 assists at the heart of a team that was, until quite recently, in the running for four trophies. Still a mystery to me why everyone hates him so much.

MF: CRISTIANO RONALDO (Man Utd)
PFA Player of the Year, PFA Young Player of the Year, PFA Fans' Player of the Year, Barclays Player of the Season, Football Writers' Player of the Year, Man Utd's Players' Player of the Year… you get the picture.
Honourable mention: Gary Speed (Bolton) The evergreen Speed keeps on going - he truly is the Premiership's original Duracell bunny. He'll be 38 this September and probably has one more season in him, although don't be surprised if he's still playing in the top flight at 40.

CF: DIDIER DROGBA (Chelsea)
The best centre forward in the Premiership tormented central defenders all season, although he should cut out the theatrics if he wants to be loved by fans. Without Drogba's goals, Chelsea would have struggled to finish above Arsenal and Liverpool in the league.
Honourable mention: Benni McCarthy (Blackburn) Adjusted to the Prem in no time at all. Could he be playing alongside Drogba at the Bridge next season?

CF: DIMITAR BERBATOV (Spurs)
Spurs were a hell of a lot of fun to watch this season and that's mostly down to this man, who seemed to get stronger and stronger as the season wore on. Can Spurs hang on to him though? I'm sure Man Utd fans would love to see him in a red shirt next season.
Honourable mention: Carlos Tevez (West Ham) Fair play to Tevez for almost single-handedly dragging West Ham out of the relegation mire.

Manchester United's Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville lift the Barclays Premiership trophy at Old Trafford

Manchester United's Ryan Giggs (centre left) and Gary Neville lift the Barclays Premiership trophy after the final-day defeat by West Ham United at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson set his sights on winning his tenth title next season after Manchester United were presented with the Premiership trophy following the final whistle at Old Trafford.

A 1-0 defeat to West Ham on the day could do little to subdue an ecstatic home support as The Red Devils held the league trophy aloft for the first time in four seasons.

Rather than resting on his laurels after again proving his critics wrong, the wily old Scot is already looking forward to ushering in a new era of United dominance at the summit of English football.

"When you see it [the trophy] in your hands, you know you have really achieved it, and it is a fantastic day for us," Ferguson told Sky Sports.

"Why not [win it again]? We have got a young squad, it will be a big test to win it again.

"Winning is a fantastic elixir of life, it gives you something extra and I think they will go on and do better next year."

Carlos Tevez's goal for West Ham ensured that the London club held onto their Premiership status, but Ferguson refused to let defeat on the final day of the season cloud a campaign that has seen his side win the league in style.

"It's a fantastic occasion, it's a fantastic achievement by the players and by the club and I'm delighted about it," Ferguson continued.

"Losing does take a bit off it, but it doesn't take away from the fact that we are the best team in the country and we have played the best football."

One Step Closer To The Premiership!

One Step Closer To The Premiership!

After a good win in the Manchester derby today, it looks as though Manchester united will finally secure the Premiership title and take over the role as reigning champions from Chelsea. The Red Devils won 1-0 today as a result of Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty after he was brought down by Michael Ball in the area.

Although Manchester United have to play Chelsea on Wednesday, the title comes back to Old Trafford if Chelsea do not get a result against Arsenal tomorr. I think it is fair to assume that we can start celebrating now!

Ronaldo rises as new devil in red

Ronaldo rises as new devil in red By Clive Tyldesley

When David Pleat remarked that Cristiano Ronaldo had been "compared to the incomparable George Best", we all knew what he meant. Sometimes, malapropisms say it better than anything. Ronaldo and Best are as unique as one another, and yet both belong on the same pedestal. Manchester United happen to believe they both belong at Old Trafford too.

Hands on approach: Roma's Marco Cassetti grabs Cristiano Ronaldo
My esteemed co-commentator for Tuesday night's sacking of Rome also noted that the Glazer family "could get the debt down in one fell swoop" by selling Ronaldo. Yesterday United's American uncles sanctioned a new five-year contract for the club's prize asset. The absentee landlords are going to become popular if they're not careful.

Ronaldo and Best are the essence of what United try to stand for. Dashing, daring, devils in red. The sculptor commissioned by the club to create a statue of Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton may do well to sketch Ronaldo for future reference. The message to Real Madrid, Barcelona and any other suitors could not be clearer. The future is rosy red.

Nine months ago it looked like Ronaldo's United career would not last another five minutes, never mind five years. His infamous World Cup wink was as good as a nod towards the exit. The country rallied around Wayne Rooney and blamed Ronaldo for everything but the weather. How could the two play together again? Ask Roma how they play now.

Sir Alex Ferguson was never going to let a bit of national hysteria get in the way of his plans. Ronaldo was too good to lose. Sir Matt Busby forgave Best his trespasses, now Ferguson has defended Ronaldo to the hilt. A kind of trust has grown between manager and player, a bond Ronaldo is happy to sign up to.

advertisementThe sense of security that comes from having someone like Ferguson in your corner has helped protect Ronaldo from the jeers and jibes of the World Cup fall-out. His game is maturing. There are signs of him passing more and falling less. At least one of the Footballer of the Year awards is likely to land in Ronaldo's hands, though the wager he has won with his manager over his goals tally for the season will probably mean more to him.

Ferguson says Ronaldo shares Best's courage in keeping taking on defenders however often he is kicked. In the closing stages of Tuesday's epic, Roma full-back Marco Cassetti grabbed Ronaldo round the waist and hauled him back in an admission of defeat. Minutes later, defender Philippe Mexes took a vengeful kick at the winger's shins. It was a reprisal of the kind that Middlesbrough's George Boateng had in mind when he said: "One day someone will hurt him properly."

However much we delight in film of Best tormenting opponents, the truth is that many old-school defenders wanted to point him in the direction of the local hospital. Ronaldo's sauce is of the same flavour. Sweet and sour. What looks cheeky to the red army under the Old Trafford floodlights looks like a red rag to the poor full-back caught in Ronaldo's headlights.

There is a fine line between teasing and taunting fellow professionals. Too much ducking and diving costs you respect. United fans hail Ronaldo with a song that actually rejoices in last summer's triumph over England. They have always adored him, but now others are learning to admire him.

Ronaldo is most likely the best match-winner in world football. At 22, he has played in a European Championship final and a World Cup semi. He carries the ball faster than most players run without it. He is tall and strong in the mould of the modern footballer, he can score with headers and free-kicks and he moves his team forward almost every time he receives the ball. I'm told he's even good-looking. United have invested with their heads, not their hearts.

Ronaldo heads PFA award nominees

Ronaldo heads PFA award nominees

By Martin Smith

Ronaldo is one of six players nominated for the PFA award. Reflecting Manchester United's marauding season to date, elder statesmen Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes are also nominated. Representatives of the other members of the Premiership elite - Chelsea's Didier Drogba, Steven Gerrard of Liverpool and Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas -complete the list.
Ronaldo, who is the outstanding favourite, returned to Old Trafford in July to the displeasure of the nation, fuelled by a rabid media campaign, after he was accused of playing a significant part in the sending-off of Wayne Rooney as England departed the World Cup at the quarter-final stage against Portugal. It looked at one stage as if Ronaldo would be forced to leave the Premiership.

Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the PFA, said: "This season was a big test for him, both of his temperament and his ability to rise above the abuse he received after the incident with Wayne Rooney, and he has passed with flying colours in every department. I was not sure after the World Cup if things would get back to normal at Old Trafford, but Cristiano has shown great maturity and proved himself to be a top, top player."

Much of the credit must go to Sir Alex Ferguson, his manager, who had managed to get Eric Cantona back on track a decade earlier, and who persuaded Ronaldo not only to stay but also to become one of the game's biggest draws. The showboating show pony of the past has transformed into a thoroughbred who can harness his box of tricks within a team ethic.

advertisement"He has still got the tricks," Taylor said, "and, if he was to perform them on the stage at the London Palladium, you would have to stand up and applaud. For him to be able to perform them on a football field, at full speed with everything going on around him, makes it all the more remarkable."

Drogba also came back from Germany last summer with something to prove. He had struggled to impose himself on Premiership defences in his first two seasons at Chelsea, only showing occasional flashes of what was to come. This season, however, he has scored 30 goals to keep Chelsea challenging for Premiership, FA Cup and Champions League honours, as well as winning the Carling Cup in February.

"What I have liked about Didier this season is the way he has committed himself to the Chelsea cause and how he has maintained such excellent form, even when Chelsea have been going through a sticky time," Taylor said.

Like Ronaldo, Fabregas has also been nominated for the Young Player of the Year award alongside Rooney, Kevin Doyle, of Reading, Tottenham's Aaron Lennon and Micah Richards, of Manchester City.

"Fabregas is usually at the heart of every [Arsenal] move," Taylor said. "He is going to be a player for all seasons if he keeps going the way he is."


PFA Player of the Year Nominees:
Didier Drogba (Chelsea), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes (all Manchester United)

Young player nominees:
Kevin Doyle (Reading), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham), Micah Richards (Manchester City), Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)