As for the Postman's "Christmas Question", I'd have to say that Man U's Cristiano Ronaldo has been the best player of the season so far.
At the World Cup in Germany, he was starting to fulfil the promise he had made when he arrived at Man U.
Mentally, he has made stunning progress in the face of adversity and hateful boos from fans all over. Technically, his timing - when it comes to releasing the ball while on his stepover runs - has improved greatly, making him less predictable.
And after comparing him with Chelsea's 28-year-old Didier Drogba, I feel that Ronaldo, at 21, will clean up his "diving" act eventually.
So, the Postman's Christmas Question of the Week: Who do you think is the best player in the EPL season so far, and why?
Reply to this question by 3pm on Monday (18 Dec) in not more than 200 words.
Post your views now by clicking on "comments" below my sign-off here or e-mail The New Paper's sports desk under the title "Christmas Question".
Click right link for an cut & paste text word counter if needed.
At your service,
Ernest Luis
The Postman
The New Paper
Word Count
Blog Archive
-
►
2007
(38)
- ► 05/20 - 05/27 (2)
- ► 04/01 - 04/08 (2)
- ► 03/25 - 04/01 (2)
- ► 03/11 - 03/18 (2)
- ► 03/04 - 03/11 (2)
- ► 02/25 - 03/04 (2)
- ► 02/11 - 02/18 (2)
- ► 02/04 - 02/11 (2)
- ► 01/28 - 02/04 (3)
- ► 01/21 - 01/28 (2)
About Me
- Ernest Luis
- We cover sports for The New Paper, a Singapore daily which is best known for its sports coverage. Interested in views from Singaporeans and others around the world on world and local football, as well as other sports as they write to The Postman? Welcome! (Readers' views here do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, The New Paper)
Site Stats
19 comments:
The best player so far has to be Portsmouth's goalkeeper David James. Except for one or two occassional errors (like the one against reading which resulted in a goal), James is in the best form of his life. As they say, goalkeepers usually reach their peak form at around 30 years old or so. At the age of 36, the former spice-boy, James has gone through the experience, so playing under no real pressure at Portsmouth seems to be getting the best out of the former England goalkeeper.
However, we must say James' form is also helped by the fact that Linvoy Primus and Sol Campbell are forming a good partnership in front of him. It is quite surprising for them to gel so well despite playing for the first time together this season. But when the opponents get past the two centre-backs, James will be there to do his acrobatic saves. In the match with Porsmouth lost 1-0 to Newcastle, Newcastle could have easily won 3-0 or 4-0 if not for James.
Hopefully, James' form will continue and we may even see him in an England jersey soon. But firstly, he must keep his concentration level at an all-time high and avoid making those occassional blunders, which have resulted in the nickname, David "Calamity James".
This question could be interpreted in many ways, and i would perfer by first going into the best players in the different departments.
Based on performances so far.
Best GK: David James
Best Def (irregardless of position): Nemanja Vidic
Best Mid: Christiano Ronaldo
Best Striker: Didier Drogba
The best player for me so far would be between Ronaldo and Drogba, and my vote goes to Drogba.
Why? Simply for the stunning goals that we have seen from him this season. This season, we really have seen a few delightful performances from him that justifies his 24 mil move.
Perhaps all this was a result of the imminent pressure he felt when Sheva arrived initially. Feeling a need to pull up his socks and improve from sub-par performances, he had cleaned up his act a little, diving lesser and scoring more. Goals worth mentioning include those against Liverpool and Barcelona.
However, he can sure improve with his gamesmanship, after the fracas at the Arsenal game. That was simply not worth doing, and it warrant him a yellow card.
In the overall context, he deserved to be the EPL top perfomer at this point of the season.
Its ironic here that the 2 of the best footballers in EPL so far are also 2 of the best(worst,some might said)divers without their diving kit on and that is Drogba and Ronaldo.
However my choice will not be either one of them.My vote will goes to Man Utd's Vidic.
After making a false start when he joined Devils in the Jan transfer window last season with an unfit body and still yet to adapt,we saw a Vidic running around the pitch like a headless chicken.This season we saw the adapted version of Vidic that urged Sir Alex to sign him up.Simply rock solid and commanding in defence,and even scoring some goals with his towering headers.With him around,it could well as well compensate for the lapses of concentration in his more illustrious partner,Rio.Since Cannavaro can win the European Footballer of The Year,I don't see why Vida can't.
Ronaldo comes a close second for being so determined to beat off the boo-boys after the World Cup and coming up with such consistent great performances under such scrutniy circumstances surely need one of great mental strength.If not for his tendency to "falling on the ground" so easily,he could have easily be my player of the season.
Cheers
The best player in the EPL this season have to be C.Ronaldo.All his dribbling and skills this season are working so fine compared to his last two seasons.Man U have him to thank if they become this year champion.Sure, Drogba might have score some wonders goals but not to forget Ronaldo can also scores goal plus his assist is a bouns. If he stay fit for the rest of this season, plus keep up his perfermonces, he would surely bag the EPL player of the year award
The best EPL player so far has to be Drogba.
Drogba is in great form this season, scoring 15 and still counting. Some of the improvised goals scored are simply breathtaking and requires utmost concentration from the much-maligned striker. Minus his goals, Chelsea could possibly be 12 points behind Man U, out of the title race.
Drogba has not shunned away from his critics, but remained undaunted by the prospect of increasing competition in the striking department and improved tremedously to become the standard bearer for the team. Strong on the ball, lethal strikes, predatory instincts, pace, strength, competitiveness nature are some of the qualities developed by the Chelsea goal-machine, Drogba.
Following his superb performances this season, he was rewarded with a new four year contract. Of course, he is not perfect. The uglier side of Drogba's game re-surfaced during the Arsenal game when he responded threatrically to Lehmman's 'pat'. Nonetheless, his excellant showing has been backed up by the Actim Index which showed that Drogba has been the op performer for the majority of the 06/07 EPL season. In my humble opinion, he deserves to be crowned as the best EPL player so far for this season.
I agree with Eric's comments. I too feel Vidic is the best player so far who should be mentioned in the same breath as Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ever since he made THAT tackle last season and paving the way for Rooney to score, when United beat Arsenal 2-0 at Old Trafford, he's gone on to greater heights and showing what a snip he was at 7 million pounds.
Perfect positioning, crunching but fair tackles, excellent heading abilities and coolness in the face of adversity, he reminds me of Gary Pallister, Franco Baresi and Laurent Blanc.
Plus he's turning into a goalscoring defender of late. His goals against Benfica and Wigan have proved extremely crucial as they have set United up on the road to victory.
Nothing but pure inspiration. He has even made Ferdinand look a better player than we know he already is...
Its definitely Cristiano Ronaldo for me. After going through what he went through at the World Cup and returning to become a hatred figure in England, he has emerged as a much more mature player this season. He has by far been the most influential in Man Utd's rise to the top this season. His talent was never in doubt but this season he has combined his eye for goal along with the ability to pick the right and early pass in his performances this season. At times one really wonder how he manages to gather the stamina and sprint down the touchline in the 80+ min of the game while playing in almost all games this season for both club and country.
He may have been subjected to scrutiny for his alleged dives this season. But as statistics as shown, he's the most fouled player in the EPL. His latest controversy against Boro has put him in the spotlight though. But with the momentum he was travelling at, it can be understandable why he fell upon challenged by the keeper. With players like G.Neville in the team to guide him along, his diving antics have been reduced. Unlike Drogba, who fell after a slight push by Lehmann in the Arsenal game. I admit Drogba has improved as compared to last season but he has been anonymous in certain games whereas Ronaldo has shone in almost all.
Thus, the best player so far has to be Ronaldo.
There are a few candidates worth mentioning for Player of the season.
Drogba has been in imperious form after a poor 1st season. Who can forget that wonderful swivel and volley against Liverpool? With 9 goals in 17 games in the EPL, he is finally showing the form that made Chelsea forked out £24 million and is now part of Jose’s “Untouchables”.
Gilberto Silva provides the calming influence and consistency in an otherwise young but erratic Arsenal team. He is to Arsenal what Makelele is to Chelsea. Rarely does he waste a pass or shirk a tackle. This was clearly evident against Chelsea when he superbly shielded his backline against a formidable opponent.
But if I have to choose, Ronaldo is the man of the moment. Ronaldo has been impressive this season. After the shenanigans at the World Cup, he had a point to prove. With a newfound maturity, he has become much more effective by improving every aspect of his game. Not only is he creating goals but scoring them as well. Yet he continues to entertain us with his audacious flicks, free-kicks and mazy dribbles. On his day, defenders simply cannot cope with his pace, skills and mobility.
Kanu? Anyone?
Louis Saha and C.Ronaldo have been scoring a lot for Manchester United this season.However,its Ronaldo's way of controlling the ball that is amazing and inspiring.He shows his skills and tricks openly on the field.
He is good at bringing the ball forward and passing it to the penalty area at either rooney or saha.He is playing at his best form this season.However,he needs to be more careful not to dive a lot or he might get a yellow card.
Apart from C.Ronaldo, Steven Gerrad is also playing at his best form. He has been an active midfielder and he pass the ball to whoever is near the goal area. I think C.Ronaldo is the best player in the EPL seasom so far as he keeps improving the way he play and control the ball each week.
-Diyana,13
This is the guy that has made diving an art. This season, many times we needed television replays to detect his dives. Referees do not have that luxury. Ronaldo creates and scores. The pace at which he sprints off at each attack is unbelievable. The most amazing part is that he can do all the feints, step overs, flicks which running at top speed. This season, he has been doing it with greater effect and consistently. He indeed has the potential to become a legend at Old Trafford. But to call him the best so early in the season, I disagree.
Take Ronaldo away from the team, Man U can still function with a bit of 'hiccups'. Take Drogba away from Chelsea, the team virtually becomes impotent. He is Chelsea's most likely source of goals this season. This was the same guy who was crucified by the press and who contemplated returning to Marseille during the close season. Without him, Chelsea can kiss goodbye to the league title so early in the season.
Clean up his game, Ronaldo can possibly be the best player to grace EPL in the 21st century. The ingredients are all there. But for now, my vote goes to Drogba, simply for how he carries the team's title aspiration on his shoulders at times.
Its rare defenders and keepers get voted the best player in any league but Cannavaro has shown it can be done.
Certainly Vidic has been impressive. A goal-scoring defender is certainly a valuable asset to have in any team. His formidable partnership at the heart of defence with Ferdinand is one of the reasons why United is flying at the moment. His no-nonsense all action style compliments Ferdinand's ball playing skills. Truly, a great signing by Ferguson.
And who knew "Calamity" James could prove to be such a stubborn barrier for teams? His natural ability was never in doubt but now, he has added consistency and unerring concentration to his game. Many a times, his saves has kept Pompey in matches and he is now showing the kind of form that compliments his athleticism. Another of Redknapp's wily gambles that has paid off.
Their performances do deserved a mention and they should be part of the Team of the Season. But for player of the season so far? That remains to be seen.
Many people are choosing between Drogba and Ronaldo. But strangely you can say, I'm going for Mathew Taylot of Portsmouth. He has been one of the most consistent player in the Premiership right now. Helping pompey to get a draw against Villa and a wonderstrike against Everton last week. If you ask Mr Harry Rednapp how he thinks about Taylor, he'll tell you:" He's one of my untouchable."
If you ask me why not Drogba or Ronaldo, I'll say its because of their diving capabilities. Diving has really spoil the whole game and they don't deserve to be the best player even though they scored great goals.
Drogba's brilliant 35 yard goal against Everton sums up his performances this season. Just when you think that the goals Drogba scored against Liverpool and Barca was awesome, how's the Everton one another entry as contender for goal of the season? Expect more stunning goals from him this season as Chelsea slogs out with Man U for the league title. Like I mentioned earlier, without Drogba, Chelsea will not be in contention for the league title this season. He is the reason why Chelsea fans believe that the EPL trophy can grace Stamford Bridge for the third year running.
After seeing this question yesterday, I already settled on choosing Drogba for my best player of the season so far. But the funny thing was, while watching the Chelsea match against Everton after that, I was wondering how I would justify my choice... when the man himself suddenly gave me my answer in the 87th minute…
So here it is, it isn't just to do with the fact that Drogba has been scoring, or that Drogba has been playing brilliantly this season. It is also to do with the fact that Drogba's matchwinners have been making all the difference in terms of results. Even if Chelsea is performing at only 6 out of 10 compared to the other team at 8 out of 10, Drogba suddenly produces a moment worth 20 out of 10 to turn the entire scoreline around. His goals against Liverpool and Everton weren't just brilliant goals. They were also brilliant MATCHWINNERS.
Of course, there have been other players who have been playing superbly, David James and Matt Taylor at Portsmouth included. But when I see Drogba's goal against Everton, I was reminded of how despite being in a team full of stars, Drogba's star can still shine brighter than all the rest and is making all the difference. Yes, his theatrics against Arsenal means he still has to clean up his act. But for that one moment against Everton, I somehow totally forgot about that, while blown away by that moment of sheer brilliance.
Didier Drogba. Not only is he the best player so far, he is also the most improved.
Gone are the days of his diving antics. He has brought his playing to a higher level. He cleaned up his play cheating act and improved so much on his techniques and controlling. To sum it all, I have gone from asking “what are you doing!” last season to “how did you do it?” now. A brilliant performance so far this season.
Moreover, it was he who won the game alone for Chelsea so many times by creating something out of nothing with his trademark turn-and-blast goals. To shine among his famed and talented team-mates is not an easy feat. This shows how deserving he is for player of the season.
Furthermore, Drogba has shown maturity with his strong teamwork (e.g.: drop as far back to the penalty box to defend when needed) and initiative in making peace with referees and other players. Until Ronaldo learns that individuality does not win the game and the meaning of sportsmanship, he will never be a serious contender for Drogba for all his fanciful dribbling and good-timed stopovers.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the majority's favourite, is out of my picture. True, he is highly entertaining. I admire his will in giving 100% effort amidst the away fans booing him off. However, his diving antics is the rotten apple that ruin his whole basket.
I'm a Chelsea fan and I can't think of a Chelsea player that is better than this man. Didier Drogba comes close but it doesn't take Inspector Clouseau to realize that he and Cristiano have one thing in common -they dive too often. I was checking the official F.A. Premier League Actim Stats and this player is leading the player rankings. Statistics don't lie. The best thing I like about this player is he's like an Energizer battery. He would chase for the ball when most players think it is a lost cause while playing as a striker! His excellent ball control and sharpness in front of goal earns him the distinction as the new Golden Boy of England. This season, he has been behaving well on and off the pitch. Maybe Coleen McLoughlin has been cooling him down in her own special way. He is Wayne Rooney.
We are know what Drogba is capable of from his days at Marseille and it's only a matter of time when he replicates that form at Chelsea. In this season, Drogba has been spectacular. Even when he is not scoring, he is back defending. This is what makes him a prize possession of Mourinho and you can see why Mourinho was chasing after him since Porto days.
Any critiques from last season has been disperse with his goals this seasons. 16 goals and still counting. 30 goals has become a possibility for him. He is truly the most improved player in the Chelsea star-studded squad. If he is worthy to be the best player of EPL this season so far, I can't think of a better person to receive the honor?
What I meant was, "if he is not worthy..."
Post a Comment