Arsenal have bagged a double brace in individual awards this year with 4 Arsenal players named to the PFA Team of the Year(p). Fabregas(p), Clichy(p), Sagna(p), and the much maligned Adebayor(p) were all chosen by their peers to be included in the team of the year’s starting XI.
This is a tremendous honor for Arsenal and for the players. Look closely at the team makeup; no other team has as many players in the starting XI as Arsenal, with Man U second at 3 players. Clearly, from a players perspective, Arsenal were one of the strongest teams this season.
From an individual perspective each of those players has had a fantastic year. But none more so than Cesc Fabregas who was singled out by his peers as “Young Player of the Year”. I think there isn’t a single Arsenal fan who could complain about his season so far this year. Statistically, he has 13 goals and 21 assists in all competitions and in the link above I compare that to Ronaldo, who, when he was just 20 years old, had a mere 7 goals and 6 assists in all competitions. But more than just stats, Fabregas, at 20 years old, is the heart of this Arsenal team — which he proved at the San Siro when he added Kaka’s scalp to his growing collection of midfield legends he has bested one-on-one. So, congrats, young man, you deserve it.
At this point in the season, all Arsenal fans should sit back and raise a hand to the team and the hard work they have put in this season. Just, if you don’t mind, clap a little louder for these special 4 players.
28 Responses to “PFA Team of the Year/Young Player of the Year Awards”
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April 30th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
i hope fabregas stays at arsenal for the rest of his career. he will be the one that arsenal will build around and soon enough he will be the star of Spain. Also France seem to be in pretty good hands with clichy and sagna as the two best wingbacks in the premier league. And of course Adebayor - as much shit as fans and critics have given him over some of his games, he has absolutely outstanding for being the replacement for henry. Well done to all four! Hope we can build on this for next year!
April 30th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
the good thing is that all four still have enormous potential to be even much better.
adebayor can look to be up there with drogba in a year or two.
fabregas is STILL just 20…
clichy is 22 and is in just his second starting season.
sagna is awesome already and in a year he would even be better.
and if u add walcott and bendy and even a fit RvP in there - it looks good.
however the likes of hleb, gallas and especially toure have reached their ceiling. what we see now is what we will always get.
May 1st, 2008 at 4:57 am
Keith edelman’s gone…its on arsenal.com. First DD now this…wtf is going on?????
May 1st, 2008 at 9:48 am
Congratualtions to those 4. They have been amazing and given plenty to the Arsenal side this year. Especially Cesc, he is currently one of the best CM in the world.
I do hope they all improve next year. And I do hope they stay @ Arsenal for a long long time.
May 1st, 2008 at 10:33 am
RvP is crocked again. Arsenal.com says he will miss the Everton game as a precaution. We all know what that means.
May 1st, 2008 at 10:44 am
Jesus. Edelman is loyal to the current board, and instrumental in us getting the propr financing needed for the new stadium, highbury square apartments, and our sporships. He’s always maintained that Arsenal is healthy and don’t need outside cash.
I hope didn’t get fired by PHW because maybe (hard to imagine) Edleman taking a u-turn and now suggesting we should sellout to the Russians.
And If Flamini or Hleb leaves, well i bet they will use this as an excuse!
May 1st, 2008 at 10:52 am
I hope the board issues a statement soon saying that this changes nothing. Did KE hold any shares by any chance? No I think. It does say he’s gonna stay another 12 months and wasn’t fired like DD; so maybe the “new challenge” bit is true. Sadly though..its another of the old school which is gone. The signs are not good at all - I think we’ll be gone by 2010 if this continues.
May 1st, 2008 at 10:52 am
And I’m fed up of RVP and his injuries as well…tbf.
May 1st, 2008 at 11:25 am
Should be an interesting offseason! We are about a month away from all those crap transfer rumors starting up.
With regards to Toure, I’m going to go back to something I have mentioned on this site before. I would really like to see Arsene give him a run with Fabregas in CM these remaining two games. I’d really like to see what he can do
May 1st, 2008 at 11:33 am
GoonerRob, that is a great idea to have Toure back in his original position. It would give us that strength a more height needed at the position and have Sendy at the back- he isn’t that pacey but the other back 3 are and he has the height we need there. Plus AW should put Eboue back at full back where he belongs. AW can also put Diaby at holding CM (if fit) as that is his natural position also (and talk about height!!!).
May 1st, 2008 at 11:57 am
Agreed, I think Diaby (if he can consistently play well) would be worth a look. It just doesn’t make sense to spend money on another CM, especially because we wouldn’t be bringing in any money from Flamini’s departure. I’d rather see Arsene use that money for a central defender or two. With all the turmoil going on at City, could this be AW’s chance to get Micah Richards? Oops, there I go with those crap transfer rumors!
May 1st, 2008 at 12:10 pm
What do you wanna bet RvP plays in every game of Holland’s Euro 2008 campaign?
May 1st, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Great call USGunner…..I found myself thinking the same thing the other day. Then he will return to London and…….
May 1st, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Edelman leaves, apparently we are the third richest club in the world behind United and Madrid?
And… we have made higher profits in the last few years than ever before.
He has done his job well… setting Arsenal up on the right road financially, for sure.
We don’t spend it, so its just making some people very rich.
Why not sell Fabregas now to Barcelona… when he’s at his ZENITH.
Maybe we could get 30 million for him… and that will help finance the stadium and put more money into the coffers.
May 1st, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Mazza: “Fabregas, bless him, is still a bit one paced and weak in the trench situations”
All I can say to that is:
Maradona, bless him, was a little too short to play the target man role
Pele, bless him, was a little too selfish in looking for glory to contribute as a playmaker.
Oh I could go on and on but it is no longer interesting reading stuff like the above.
As for Edelman, what is the fuss? The doom-mongers were saying we would implode this season because Dein, the most important Arsenal man in the world ever, had left. Sometimes a corporation needs new direction. When you are trying to build a stadium, sell houses, keep a team competitive, finance it all and keep costs down, you need a certain type of CEO. When you have done all of that, you may need someone else to take you to a new level.
May 1st, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Agree Irishgunner, Edelman is a professional not a lifer like many of the Board, he has been at Arsenal 8 years, he moves on to a new challenge or potentially he wants a less stressful role….who knows which he doesn’t look that young. He has managed Arsenal through a very critical period. His moving on is the ebbs and flows of business.
LDE…..I second your thoughts on RvP. Out as a ‘precautionary measure’, LOL.
I’m ‘over it’. As long as Wenger takes a suitable ‘precautionary measure’ in the summer to mitigate the RvP/Rosicky circus. With a ‘thin’ and ‘emerging’ squad these 2 are a liability. Jettison or cover.
May 1st, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Yes, Irishgunner, you could go on and on making incredibly stupid and irrelevant points or you keep burying your head in the sand over the weaknesses of our team, something in which you seem to excel.
Maradona was not a central midfielder, neither was Pele. Fabregas is a midfielder. And part of a midfielders requirement is to defend passing lanes and fight for loose balls when other team puts on the pressure. This is still a weakness of Fabregas’ game and probably always will be, Having a player who flourishes in these departments who can partner Fabs is necessary so we do not get continually overrun when the game descends from a ‘gentlemen’s game’ to a game where ‘dark arts’ are used. Chelsea and United adept in both scenarios.
Grow a football brain and you might just comprehend that. Or maybe not.
May 1st, 2008 at 6:49 pm
I for one have always thought Cesc was a bit overrated and he seems to hold a special place in the heart of the fans which makes him immune to criticism.
However, for a 20 year old he has shown maturity beyond his age and has performed at the highest level under pressure packed situations. Like all the other great ones he is like fine wine, he will mature and improve with age.
It would be most difficult to find another 20 year old in football with his maturity, desire, heart, tenacity and skills and accomplishments. Athough different in style he is certainly up there with the Messi’s of the footballing world.
Like Ade, Clichy, Sagna, RVP, Walcott and Bendtner, Ces is still honing his craft and if we keep the nucleus of this squad together we may possibly end up with the greatest club side of all time. As with everything else, only time will tell.
May 1st, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Fabregas has over 20 assists this season. He is the highest “assister” in Spain, England or Italy for the last two seasons.
He has scored 13 goals this season as well.
He is not naturally big, but he is a goddamn fighter, great heart, great desire and great SKILL. His slight size is easily forgiven - his talent overwhelms that.
He is no pussy like Hleb.
May 1st, 2008 at 8:12 pm
No actually Hleb is a hard-working fighter who gets stuck in all the time and dispossesses players consistently when he tracks back. Like he did in Milan before he passed to Fabregas for his goal. It’s a facet of his game that gets no mention.
Yet another BS criticism of him that has no foundation.