I have to say that although I care very little about the winner of the PFA Player of the Year (as it matters not… what matters is winning matches), the award should most definitely not have gone to Ryan Giggs. I’m not saying this as a Liverpool supporter, either. I would say that if I supported Man U… which I wouldn’t, because hey, I’m not ridiculous. Honestly. How can a player who has played 2/3 of the games this season, scored ONE GOAL as an attacking player, and provided a mere 8 assists be considered better than his teammates on the list or even Steven Gerrard? HE WAS A BIT-PART PLAYER! That would be like giving Steve Bruce the manager of the year for guiding Wigan Athletic into mid-table mediocrity “just because he’s a likeable bloke who has done decently in management this season but has done well over the body of work in his career.” Absurdity at its highest.
The frustation stems from this: Giggs had never won the PFA Player of the Year (voted on by peers in the Football League). Since Man U has millions of supporters across the globe, and because they had several players already on the list, and because Ronaldo winning it three times in a row probably would end interest in the thing all together, Man U fans who play in the football league collectively came together and said, “Look. Giggsy has been a legend for us. We’ve been winning everything this year. Any one of our lads could win it. So let’s pick him… he deserves it for his lifelong (18 seasons) achievement.”
BULLS***! This is the 2008-2009 Player of the Year… and Giggs played in 24 matches. Gerrard played in more than that, and scored 12 more goals in the Premiership alone. The assists were probably similar, as well, and Gerrard’s overall importance to the cause was far higher than Giggs’. It isn’t that Giggs wasn’t helpful, it is that Giggs wasn’t a regular starter! How can the players not see this? This cheapens the award! You could even make a case that it was a JOKE to have Giggs on the list. Van Der Sar’s inclusion was made out that way… when you have two central defenders on the list, it is definitely difficult to justify a goalkeeper being on there. If that makes sense(which it should, mind you).
Personally, I felt that the award should go to either Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, or Gerrard. Ronaldo was out for too long and was too inconsistent. But Rio and Vidic were spectacular for United all season. And Gerrard has been magnificent for us. Those three choices were FAR MORE realistic to who has been the player of THIS FREAKING SEASON. Even if Lampard was on the list, I would have been okay with him winning. Honestly.
So stupid. So, so stupid.
The argument for granting Giggs the award really stands on shaky and uneven ground. You can’t logically make sense of it. And if we start giving awards out to people for lifetime achievements, then what happens to players who have a magical season? They get forgotten about and have nothing to show for it. Like Gerrard in 2006. If he wouldn’t have won that award, which he CLEARLY deserved, this year’s snub would have been far more difficult to swallow. The guy I feel the worst for here, though, is Rio Ferdinand… which is saying something because I cannot stand him. When Rio played, United were simply unbeatable. When he didn’t, they weren’t. Or when he was only partly fit, they could be taken down. If anyone was to win it this year, it probably should have been him. I would have taken Gerrard, too, naturally!
All and all, it is extremely disappointing to see awards being handed out undeservedly in a case of charity. I don’t care if Giggs has been good this season… he hasn’t been great. And it doesn’t matter that his career has been amazing- which it has- because that isn’t what the award is for.
Why do I even have to blog about this? It is so ridiculous!!! Ugh.
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