Bluearmyfox28 Posted 14 April 2016 Posted 14 April 2016 Think id go with: De Gea Bellerin Alderweireld Morgan Monreal Mahrez Kante Drinkwater Payet Kane Vardy I would go with: Lloris Bellerin Morgan Alderweid Rose Mahrez Kante Payet Ozil Kane Vardy
AlgerianFox Posted 15 April 2016 Posted 15 April 2016 Riyad Mahrez should win PFA Player of the Year as the league's top attacker Ordinarily, the unveiling of the PFA Player of the Year shortlist prompts a howl of dissent, but not this time. In 2015-16, the six nominees made perfect sense: Premier League top scorers Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy, leading assist-maker Mesut Ozil, revelatory attacking midfield talents Dimitri Payet and Riyad Mahrez, and finally, the all-round midfield powerhouse N'Golo Kante. It was essentially six from seven; the only other who might have warranted a nomination was Spurs' Dele Alli, who will almost inevitably be compensated by triumphing in the Young Player of the Year award. In that sense, everyone is happy. No one else deserves inclusion. Some defenders have enjoyed excellent campaigns, including Tottenham's admirably composed Toby Alderweireld or the physically commanding Robert Huth of Leicester. But realistically, defenders don't win this award, and there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for that. Solid defending is largely about collective organisation: Leicester's fine defensive work owes much to the team's overall compactness, rather than individual brilliance. Meanwhile, Tottenham's goals against tally is low because the team's collective pressing has been sublime. Alderweireld and Huth have both been outstanding and would deserve a place at centre-back in a team of the season. In terms of individual impact, however, midfielders and attackers make the difference, and the player who has made the difference most frequently, and at the most important moments, has been Mahrez. This award is about the best player, rather than a player from the best team, but Leicester's title victory is so utterly remarkable that it would be unthinkable for one of their players not to triumph. Vardy has the rags-to-riches tale, while Kante is perhaps the more stereotypically English footballer: a driving, box-to-box midfielder with a great engine who is most immediately noticeable for his tackles, even if he boasts great technical quality too. Mahrez, though, has been in another world. Playing on the right of midfield in Leicester's 4-4-2 system, the Algerian is the most complete all-around attacker in the Premier League. There are three options in possession: dribbling, passing and shooting, and Mahrez has excelled in all three areas. He's the second-most prolific dribbler in the league, the joint-second most frequent assister in the league and the fifth-best scorer in the league. He has been almost impossible for opposition left-backs to stop, bamboozling illustrious defenders and scoring season-defining goals. From the opening game of the season, when he netted twice in a 4-2 victory over Sunderland, this has been a sensational campaign. There were two particularly notable Mahrez moments this season, partly because of the opposition he was dismantling. The first was his brilliant strike in a 2-1 victory over Chelsea shortly before Christmas, when he received the ball inside the box on the right and shifted Cesar Azpilicueta from the correct defensive position with a couple feints before majestically bending the ball past the towering figure of Thibaut Courtois. There was something incredibly authoritative about the way he outfoxed Azpilicueta, perhaps the league's most composed, disciplined full-back, the type of old-school defender who simply doesn't fall for elaborate tricks. But Mahrez fooled him easily, probably because he'd built a reputation as such a difficult opponent. How could Azpilicueta have been sent the wrong way when we all know Mahrez wants to cut inside onto his left foot? Well, because Mahrez was increasingly able to dribble the other way too. possible when players are genuinely fearless, unafraid of the consequences of a potential miss. It's something Mario Balotelli specializes in; his Euro 2012 semifinal strike against Germany, for example, was wellied into the top corner so convincingly because Balotelli wasn't fazed by the occasion. Mahrez did something similar, and that has been Leicester this season: not affected by the prospect of failure. "He is unbelievable," Claudio Ranieri said earlier this year. "Just like the Roadrunner ... beep, beep and then whoosh! He's gone. At the moment, everything he touches is gold!" Mahrez has suffered a couple disappointing moments, missing penalties against both Bournemouth and Aston Villa in January in two drawn games against bottom-half opposition that could, in theory, have cost Leicester the title. But Mahrez bounced back with some more impressive showings, and it's particularly notable that he has been capable of adjusting his game, even as opponents became aware of Leicester's genuine quality and started playing deep. This had been a genuine concern. "It is normal now, as everybody knows him better, that he will start to be a marked man," Ranieri said after Mahrez's early-season form. "But I think he is a very intelligent player, and he can get over these difficulties." So he has proved. It has inevitably been more difficult for Mahrez and Vardy, two counter-attacking players, to find space against opponents sitting deep. Vardy, in particular, has struggled relative to his record-breaking form in the autumn, including going seven games without a goal until his counter-attacking double last weekend at Sunderland. Mahrez's scoring form has slowed, but he has still proved a match-winner. His brilliant strike from the edge of the box against Watford last month showed individual magic, while he was man-of-the-match by a distance against Crystal Palace in mid-March, again finding the net. Both games finished 1-0, and when Vardy wasn't finding the net, Mahrez was. Vardy needs to be allowed space, but Mahrez can create it for himself. It's the reason he has outshined his teammate in recent weeks and therefore deserves this honour. Two of the previous four winners of this award (Robin van Persie and Eden Hazard) have slumped badly the next season, while another two (Luis Suarez and Gareth Bale) have moved to big Spanish clubs. Hopefully, neither will apply to Mahrez. The Premier League needs stars, and this season, Mahrez has been the brightest of them all. Michael Cox is the editor of Zonal Marking and a contributor to ESPN FC. http://www.espnfc.com/barclays-premier-league/23/blog/post/2850417/why-riyad-mahrez-should-win-pfa-player-of-the-year
kingcarr21 Posted 15 April 2016 Posted 15 April 2016 When is the winner announced? Think I saw somewhere it is announced 24th April. Could be wrong though
Bob Weasel Fox Posted 15 April 2016 Posted 15 April 2016 Announced next Sunday after Swansea gameHopefully Mahrez will score the winner then scoop the award
Sampson Posted 15 April 2016 Posted 15 April 2016 Have a feeling Payet will win this. Nah. He'll win the Footballer of the Year award. We all know how incredibly biased those things are towards West Ham.
AKCJ Posted 15 April 2016 Posted 15 April 2016 1) Kante 2) Mahrez 3) Vardy 4) Kane 5) Ozil 6) Payet IMO.
kingcarr21 Posted 15 April 2016 Posted 15 April 2016 Vardy Mahrez Kante Kane Payet Ozil That's my order. Keep changing my mind between Vardy and Mahrez to win it but i've decided it has to be Vardy. Not just with his story but the influence he has on the team with his workrate.
The_77 Posted 15 April 2016 Posted 15 April 2016 Riyad Mahrez should win PFA Player of the Year as the league's top attacker Ordinarily, the unveiling of the PFA Player of the Year shortlist prompts a howl of dissent, but not this time. In 2015-16, the six nominees made perfect sense: Premier League top scorers Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy, leading assist-maker Mesut Ozil, revelatory attacking midfield talents Dimitri Payet and Riyad Mahrez, and finally, the all-round midfield powerhouse N'Golo Kante. It was essentially six from seven; the only other who might have warranted a nomination was Spurs' Dele Alli, who will almost inevitably be compensated by triumphing in the Young Player of the Year award. In that sense, everyone is happy. No one else deserves inclusion. Some defenders have enjoyed excellent campaigns, including Tottenham's admirably composed Toby Alderweireld or the physically commanding Robert Huth of Leicester. But realistically, defenders don't win this award, and there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for that. Solid defending is largely about collective organisation: Leicester's fine defensive work owes much to the team's overall compactness, rather than individual brilliance. Meanwhile, Tottenham's goals against tally is low because the team's collective pressing has been sublime. Alderweireld and Huth have both been outstanding and would deserve a place at centre-back in a team of the season. In terms of individual impact, however, midfielders and attackers make the difference, and the player who has made the difference most frequently, and at the most important moments, has been Mahrez. This award is about the best player, rather than a player from the best team, but Leicester's title victory is so utterly remarkable that it would be unthinkable for one of their players not to triumph. Vardy has the rags-to-riches tale, while Kante is perhaps the more stereotypically English footballer: a driving, box-to-box midfielder with a great engine who is most immediately noticeable for his tackles, even if he boasts great technical quality too. Mahrez, though, has been in another world. Playing on the right of midfield in Leicester's 4-4-2 system, the Algerian is the most complete all-around attacker in the Premier League. There are three options in possession: dribbling, passing and shooting, and Mahrez has excelled in all three areas. He's the second-most prolific dribbler in the league, the joint-second most frequent assister in the league and the fifth-best scorer in the league. He has been almost impossible for opposition left-backs to stop, bamboozling illustrious defenders and scoring season-defining goals. From the opening game of the season, when he netted twice in a 4-2 victory over Sunderland, this has been a sensational campaign. There were two particularly notable Mahrez moments this season, partly because of the opposition he was dismantling. The first was his brilliant strike in a 2-1 victory over Chelsea shortly before Christmas, when he received the ball inside the box on the right and shifted Cesar Azpilicueta from the correct defensive position with a couple feints before majestically bending the ball past the towering figure of Thibaut Courtois. There was something incredibly authoritative about the way he outfoxed Azpilicueta, perhaps the league's most composed, disciplined full-back, the type of old-school defender who simply doesn't fall for elaborate tricks. But Mahrez fooled him easily, probably because he'd built a reputation as such a difficult opponent. How could Azpilicueta have been sent the wrong way when we all know Mahrez wants to cut inside onto his left foot? Well, because Mahrez was increasingly able to dribble the other way too. possible when players are genuinely fearless, unafraid of the consequences of a potential miss. It's something Mario Balotelli specializes in; his Euro 2012 semifinal strike against Germany, for example, was wellied into the top corner so convincingly because Balotelli wasn't fazed by the occasion. Mahrez did something similar, and that has been Leicester this season: not affected by the prospect of failure. "He is unbelievable," Claudio Ranieri said earlier this year. "Just like the Roadrunner ... beep, beep and then whoosh! He's gone. At the moment, everything he touches is gold!" Mahrez has suffered a couple disappointing moments, missing penalties against both Bournemouth and Aston Villa in January in two drawn games against bottom-half opposition that could, in theory, have cost Leicester the title. But Mahrez bounced back with some more impressive showings, and it's particularly notable that he has been capable of adjusting his game, even as opponents became aware of Leicester's genuine quality and started playing deep. This had been a genuine concern. "It is normal now, as everybody knows him better, that he will start to be a marked man," Ranieri said after Mahrez's early-season form. "But I think he is a very intelligent player, and he can get over these difficulties." So he has proved. It has inevitably been more difficult for Mahrez and Vardy, two counter-attacking players, to find space against opponents sitting deep. Vardy, in particular, has struggled relative to his record-breaking form in the autumn, including going seven games without a goal until his counter-attacking double last weekend at Sunderland. Mahrez's scoring form has slowed, but he has still proved a match-winner. His brilliant strike from the edge of the box against Watford last month showed individual magic, while he was man-of-the-match by a distance against Crystal Palace in mid-March, again finding the net. Both games finished 1-0, and when Vardy wasn't finding the net, Mahrez was. Vardy needs to be allowed space, but Mahrez can create it for himself. It's the reason he has outshined his teammate in recent weeks and therefore deserves this honour. Two of the previous four winners of this award (Robin van Persie and Eden Hazard) have slumped badly the next season, while another two (Luis Suarez and Gareth Bale) have moved to big Spanish clubs. Hopefully, neither will apply to Mahrez. The Premier League needs stars, and this season, Mahrez has been the brightest of them all. Michael Cox is the editor of Zonal Marking and a contributor to ESPN FC. http://www.espnfc.com/barclays-premier-league/23/blog/post/2850417/why-riyad-mahrez-should-win-pfa-player-of-the-year This article has the most ridiculous criticisms of Vardy. Haha
lcfc old boy Posted 15 April 2016 Posted 15 April 2016 kante for me,run run run run and still running in the 90th minute,a truely exceptional player who embodies everything about leicester city
potter3 Posted 15 April 2016 Posted 15 April 2016 I'd have Azpilicueta at LB personally. All I can think of when I hear Azpilicueta is this.
Socks Posted 15 April 2016 Posted 15 April 2016 They all deserve it I love the way Claudio refers to them as his 3 sons.... Overall though I want Vards to win it, his record breaking season and his goals for England & us is just an immense story
The Blur Posted 15 April 2016 Posted 15 April 2016 I feel Kante should win it as he is more consistent out of three though I think the winner is dependant on the interpretation of the award- is it about consistency or goal/assists that win matches?
biggs Posted 15 April 2016 Posted 15 April 2016 To be honest I could argue for any of the Leicester players above the others and to be fair I really don't think there is much between them. All 3 have been immense for us this year and without any one of them we would not likely be where we are today. Same could be said about our defense for that matter. Whoever wins it I just hope it's one of ours.
Fennec-Fox Posted 16 April 2016 Posted 16 April 2016 Can Mahrez be the first African ever to win the reward? historic for him and for Leicester: http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/leicester-ace-riyad-mahrez-backed-to-make-history-after-pfa-nomination-4125382
Grewks Posted 16 April 2016 Posted 16 April 2016 .............................Butland Bellerin....Huth.......................Morgan...Rose ..............Dier........................Kante Mahrez.............................................Payet .................Kane.................Vardy
Koke Posted 16 April 2016 Posted 16 April 2016 Can Mahrez be the first African ever to win the reward? historic for him and for Leicester: http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/leicester-ace-riyad-mahrez-backed-to-make-history-after-pfa-nomination-4125382 Had no idea that Drogba and Yaya Toure had never won it. Would love for Mahrez to win it and make history.
Fennec-Fox Posted 16 April 2016 Posted 16 April 2016 Had no idea that Drogba and Yaya Toure had never won it. Would love for Mahrez to win it and make history. Me neither, was kinda surprised... Yea would love him to have it.... Another reason why he should!
NotTheMarketLeader Posted 16 April 2016 Posted 16 April 2016 Kante for me - he's the player I fear us losing the most Agreed with I fear losing Kante the most, however the winner should be Vardy for me. Without him the team simply would not be able to play in the style that wins us games. Then there is his never say die attitude. He leads from the front in all senses and despite Mahrez's one off pieces of brilliance (quite a lot I accept), for me JV epitomises the team we have. The fact that Mahrez appears like he's looking to go in the summer and has some truly shocking performances when he's not brilliant, does count against him I have to confess, despite the magic he weaves.
sdb Posted 16 April 2016 Posted 16 April 2016 For Team of the Year I think only GK and LB are debatable really. Possibly a 2 out of 3 situation for CB positions but otherwise it surely picks itself?
waylander Posted 16 April 2016 Posted 16 April 2016 Hazard won it last year and mahrez has smashed what he did . They should just give a one of too the whole blooming team
Thracian Posted 16 April 2016 Posted 16 April 2016 Part of me would love to see Vardy, Mahrez and Kante given the award jointly because all three have been absolutely outstanding -along with a good few other members of our team who haven't been nominated because they are not necessarily so noticeable. But forced to pick one I'd chose Vardy. His story is pure sporting fairytale. Who can truly separate the goals, assists and interceptions, in Kante's case, in terms of value towards the best and most successful season in our history? I wouldn't even bother trying. But Vardy somehow captures the spirit of this unforgettable team - the team that has not only written its own name in lights around the world but given hope and example to all the makeweight teams with their own once seemingly daft dreams and aspirations. Kante's not quite that person - he's more like an energetic stealth bomber. Mahrez isn't either because alongside so many magic moments he's had games or part of games when he's looked a frustrating lightweight. Vardy has not just been a goalscorer and provider he's been a warrior, an absolutely irrepressible presence with his broken arm in its protective cover, his chasing of so many lost causer to the point turned even cool defenders into nervous wrecks and the incredible strength of his spirit that saw his skinny frame put even the biggest defenders on their backs when they challenged him shoulder to shoulder. No-one has carried the "Fearless" banner quite so high as Vardy. The man has been immense and deserves any accolade that comes along. .
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