You may have seen over the weekend that four Manchester United players were voted into the PFA Team of the Year.
Two of the four – Robin van Persie and Michael Carrick – were obvious picks.
Both players enjoyed fantastic seasons. RVP scored goals and impressed with his all-round performances with Carrick’s classy showings seeing him finally emerge from the shadow of Paul Scholes as a classy midfielder in his own-right, one who is finally being appreciated by fans in the United Kingdom and not just in Europe.
The other two United members of the PFA Team of the Year were David De Gea and Rio Ferdinand. Whilst both had excellent seasons, it would be fair to say that both in all fairness were surprise-inclusions in the eyes of the casual fan.
For starters Sunderland’s Simon Mignolet and Stoke City’s Asmir Begovic have had excellent seasons with both keepers being examples of players who in all fairness to their clubs have the ability to go on and play at a much higher level.
De Gea though has come of age this season. Yes overall he has probably made more mistakes than the two aforementioned stoppers, but his development and improvement this season has been exceptional. Plus he has been played a key role in a team that’s just won the league so you’d have to imagine that that fact would have been taken into account.
In his first season the Spaniard it would be fair to say wasn’t the best at dealing with crosses, some claimed that even Dracula was better. At the start of the year he looked just as clumsy and struggled early on against the likes of Everton, Fulham and Newcastle. Anders Lindegaard once again took over behind the sticks with the media claiming yet again that Sir Alex had lost ‘faith’ in the young keeper.
However after a short spell which saw the Danish international blamed for United’s home defeat to Spurs, De Gea came back into the team and held onto the gloves tighter than ever. With the defence beginning to settle too, the goals dried up.
A mistake against Southampton at home aside, De Gea’s second-half of the season was phenomenal. Whilst the clean-sheets and great saves were very pleasing to the eye, his distribution has improved even more and he is able to deal with crosses and the ugly-side of a goalkeeper’s game far better than ever before as was proved in his recent clash with Andy Carroll.
The suspect young keeper of 2 years ago would have stayed down on the floor for 2-3 minutes after being rammed inside a crowded-area from the powerful Newcastle lad. This David is very much a different man and he brushed himself up. Inside yes he may have been hurting and a bit taken back by Carroll’s horror of a challenge, but his body-language was perfect and he gave the impression of a man who just dusted himself down and said: ‘let’s get on with the game shall we lads’.
He will be even better next season and whilst there will be the odd mistake (after all every keeper makes them!) from time-to-time, De Gea emerged as a young man in goal this season, not as a young pretender.
Looking at Rio Ferdinand’s inclusion into the team, it goes to show once again what a great player he is. His doubters over the last have always claimed that he’s Injury-prone. Not based on this or last season. His partnership with Jonny Evans in the heart of defence this season has been exceptional and he has proved that if England does come calling that the national-team would be very much gaining from his services again.
Rio’s performances this year warrant him receiving a new-contract. Despite the development of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling and the continued rise of Evans, you simply cannot buy the experience and know-how that Rio brings to the table and whilst those three will certainly play more in the heart of defence next season, it would be unwise not to at least have the former England skipper’s experience to call upon, after all he is still one of the best defenders in the country.
By Adam Dennehey @ADennehey87
