Check it Out: Rae Morris - Unguarded

Monday 27 May 2013

My Premier League Team of The Season 2012/13

Team of the Season

Jussi Jaaskelianen - Made the most saves of any keeper with 166 and helped his team to 11 clean sheets.

Leighton Baines - Finished the season with most most accurate crosses (46) of any player in the league and excelled both attacking and defensively. Finished the season with 5 goals and 5 assists, and averaged 2.4 tackles and 3.1 key passes per game.

Phil Jagielka - Last season Fabricio Coloccini and  Vincent Komapny were the unanimous choice for CB pairing but this year has been lacking in real stand-out defenders. Jagielka was solid at the heart of the Everton defence that kept 11 clean sheets and only conceded 40 goals.

Jan Vertonghen - His form dropped towards the end of the season but the Belgian showed his versatility  with 4 goals and 3 assists while averaging the second most tackles per game of an CB with 3.1.

Glen Johnson - Much criticised for his defensive failings throughout his career but after an impressive Euro 2012 for England the 28 year old has become a mainstay of a Liverpool side that kept a league's second best 16 clean sheets. Along with Jose Enrique, Johnson forms one of the best full back partnerships in the league.

Juan Mata - No-one could argue against the Spaniard's inclusion. With 12 goals and 12 assists Mata was the heartbeat of every Chelsea attack and remained consistent throughout the entire season.

Santi Cazorla - Another Spaniard who controlled the tempo of his team. Cazorla finished with 11 goals and 12 assists - one of only four players to record double digits in each (Rooney and Walcott the other two). He averaged 65 passer per game (PL's 5th best).

Michael Carrick - A player who almost never gave the ball away, Carrick was finally given the recognition he has deserved over the years, winning Man Utd's player of the year over Robin van Persie. The midfielder averaged 77 passes per game at 88% accuracy.

Gareth Bale - My player of the year. Bale scored 9 goals from outside the box this season (more than any player in Europe in the past 4 seasons) and if there ever was a case of a one man team Bale was it for Tottenham. The Welshman contributing to 26 of their 72 points with 21 goals from midfield after making the transition from  winger to a more central role throughout his career.


Robin van Persie - The decider in the title race? Robin van Persie's 26 goals certainly helped Man Utd to title number 20. The striker proving the difference when it mattered.

Luis Suarez - Much has been made of some of his pathetic on and off field antics but on football ability alone Suarez has to be on the list. 23 goals and 5 assists in 33 games helped Liverpool to a 7th placed finish.


Manager - Sir Alex Ferguson - No other contender, after seeing his side lose on the final day of last season Sir Alex made sure there was no repeat this year, the signing of van Persie obviously helped but you could argue it wasn't Man Utd's strongest ever squad and their manager was the difference.



Subs

Simon Mignolet - Unlucky to miss out on the starting line-up. The Sunderland keeper kept  his team in games single-handedly at times and made a league second best 149 saves.

Matt Lowton - An integral part of Villa's starting 11, Lowton took a while to settle but a string of excellent defensive performances capped off with a wonder goal vs Stoke gave him some well deserved recognition. Finished the season with over 100 interceptions, one of only two players to do so.

Pablo Zabaleta - The Argentine right-back finished the season with the most tackles per game of any defender (3.8) whilst also averaging 44 passes and helped his side to a league high 18 clean sheets.

Steven Gerrard - Another solid all round season for the Liverpool captain, 9 goals and 9 assists plus 2.4 tackles and over 66 successful passes per game.

Michu - 18 goals for £2m is quite some investment, the attacking midfielder was pushed forward by Michael Laudrup and helped Swansea to their first major piece of silverware. A promised Spain call up from Vincent Del Bosque still awaits.

Chrisitan Benteke - Aston Villa's season would have been a whole lot bleaker without the Belgian's presence up front. 19 goals in 33 appearances, the striker's strength was unplayable at times. Unlucky to miss out on the first 11.

Romelu Lukaku - 17 league goals in 35 appearances but with 15 of those from the bench Lukaku had the highest strike rate of any player worth a goal every 118 minutes. 


Other Mentions - Theo Walcott, Eden Hazard, and Frank Lampard all deserve credit too.



Goal of the season

Leighton Baines vs Newcastle - An unstoppable bullet of a free-kick from 35 yards out.

Robin van Persie vs Aston Villa - An unbelievable first time volley from Wayne Rooney's quarterback pass.

Loic Remy vs Wigan - A first time swerving side footed striker form outside the box. Ridiculous technique and accuracy at such pace.