PFA Division 1 team of the Year

[susie b 0]

Have just woken up and read the Div. 1 team of the year on Ceefax. First up - a HUGE well done to Greeno and Malky for making it in. We were the only team to get two representatives, which is right and proper, I think. (Have a look at it on p. 306 and play spot the Binner!!!) Just seems a bit wrong to me that someone else who has had a massive influence in more of our games than not isn''t there. I know Koumas is a talented player but he has blown hot and cold over the season and has, several times, been dropped to their bench because of this, and he has had spells out due to injury - not his fault, I know, but it does seem as if he is the token West Brom player in the list from a team that''s done well, with few, if any, outstanding individuals. As this is, I believe, voted for by the players themselves I can only imagine why Hucks isn''t there, but I''m sure this will not bother the man himself in the slightest. As for Gabbidon in the list...I''m sure he must have had a decent season overall, but the 4-1 win over Cardiff here in December doesn''t help me come to terms with his selection either! Anyway, if anyone else has any thoughts about the team it will be interesting to read them...so write away!

[olster 0]

Good call about gabbidon he looked poor to me but then again so did earnshaw. i heard he was interesting the likes of liverpool and from the battering cardiff took at Norwich was hard to see him being a class above any other defenders in this division including Fleming.

Then again who can stop huckerby.

[ZLF 334]

Well done to Greeno and Malky for making the divisional team - true recognition for some excellent performances through the season.

As far as the other defenders are concerned I would have thought that Gaardsoe (promoted team, team as good defensively as city and their best player) would have been chosen ahead of Gabbidon. However I know a couple of players (not city) who confirm that as well as form a lot of votes go to mates & many refuse to vote for players that they simply dont like, no matter how good they have been. ( I once got a call asking me for a right back nomination as he couldnt recall anyone decent - and he plays left midfield!) Is that why Gaddion was in & Gaardsoe not? At least it seems our acheivements are respected by fellow players & the Baggies style is not liked.

It is hard to argue with Arca, any of the midfielders (Koumas does have class and played well in the games against us) or with the number of goals scored by Earnshaw or Johnson but it does seem strange that Hux contribution has been overlooked despite being the most marked player in the league. I suspect that his diving reputation counted against him...

Anyway - I am not that worried coz

WE ARE PREMIER LEAGUE!

[olster 0]

Come on zippers Gaardsoe could never be in there he is ex ip***t he he

[DumbleDelia is Magic 0]

I''m absolutely delighted that Greeno and Mackay have made it in. Both have been superb. It must be a bit disappointing for Hucks as he deserves to be there, but Earnshaw and Johnson have been outstanding and scored goals for fun.

[susie b 0]

Interesting points so far. Agree that Gaardsoe has been better than Gabbidon overall, but obviously the players have seen things differently. Surely Flem was equally as good as Gaardsoe over the season, if not better? (Was Gaardsoe injured for a spell? Perhaps that influenced some decisions). Apologies for an error in my first post though. Cardiff have got two players in the team as well as ourselves. I can see why Earnshaw made it - even though he was kept very quiet at FCR, but Gabbidon still remains a mystery to me, I''m afraid! Johnson''s clearly there as the division''s top scorer...and definitely not for that dreadful burger-munching routine he performs after scoring!

[Jonzey 0]

I''m confused, perplexed and bamboozled by how Hucks isn''t in this team!? How can he be overlooked? Very very bizarre, it''s as if he was just too much of an obvious choice. Very few players can ever have had such a positive influence on the league. I bet Merson was in it the other year when Portsmouth won it.
Maybe it''s Hucks'' love with the turf which counted against him, he does have a tendancy to wind opponents up.

He''s gonna pee over many premiership defences next season, so let''s not worry too much.

[ZLF 334]

Yes - Gaardsoe is an ex-binner but look at the binners defence with and without him, and how few goals the baggies have conceeded this year - as few as us. Surely the best defenders are from the clubs that conceed the fewest goals, and despite their very obvious shortcomings WBA are good at defending, with Gaardsoe their best defender.

I love the fact that Gaardsoe was sold for footballing reasons - he obviously liked to defend which didnt fit in with Potato Heads plans...

Hux does remain a mystery though...

[DumbleDelia is Magic 0]

Jonzey,

I know to us City fans the Huck has been a god this year. He''s turned our season around and his performances have been magnificent. But if you look at the Division as a whole he hasn''t scored that many. It would have been hard not to include players like Johnson and Earnshaw simply because they have scored stacks of goals. I would have loved Hucks to be there as he thoroughly deserves it but the PFA must have gone on goals alone.

[Ayrton Twigge 0]

Frankly, I am amazed too that Hucks isn''t there.

When looking at his contribution of goals AND assists, and the difference he made to what was an average team when he arrived. There aren''t many better.

I smell some resentment - and perhaps Hucks is a little too vocal direct to the refs - for good reason usually - but nevertheless counts against him by the suits.

As long as we know, then thats all that matters.

[Paradox 0]

But whats to say Hucks won''t get Player of the Year?

Who else desrves it more?

[Jonzey 0]

DumbledeliaIsMagic,

Maybe you''re right, but I watch alot of Footie and it''s so rare to see the quality of Hucks in the first division. There''s probably only a couple of players to even get close to matching him. They''ve chosen two very good strikers, look at Earnshaws hat-trick for Wales against the Scots. But it could be argued Hucks is as much of a midfielder as a striker, and he pees all over the four selected. His influenece is far superior than any of the other midfielder/attackers, it shouldn''t only be about goals either.

Hucks for Nationwide Player of the year definitely.

p.s what is your nickname all about?

[TWEETY PIE 0]

Maybe not technically the right thread,but why not look at this team as potential transfer targets for next season,.Some i believe are out of reach ie Earnshaw but most would give their right arm to be in the prem and most are the right age with good resale prospects to the big boys maybe later in their careers.I also believe if this team played in the prem they just might win more than they lose.

[Pape Diop 0]

anyone else find it odd that mackay got in rather than fleming?only reason i can think of is flemo does go about his work solidly but doesnt tend to be noticed!
fleming for player of the season!

[Pincer 0]

I sat here reading all the replies to this thread and thought "Is anyone actually going to ask the question, why on earth isn''t Fleming in the team?". Ulf, you stole my thunder. I''d like to know who actually picked this team because I don''t believe too much thought or investigation has gone into some of the selections. It looks like players have been chosen purely on reputation and how many goals they''ve scored. I''m really chuffed for Malky but if you canvassed the people who watch our team every week and asked, "Malky or Fleming?" I would have thought it would be about 80-20 in favour of Fleming. I just believe Malky is a bigger personality which is why he was picked. And, as most other people have already mentioned, how Hucks isn''t in the team is beyond me. Ok Andy Reid is a very good player and will move for to a Premiership club very soon but has he had a better season than Huckerby? I''d very much doubt it. Reid hasn''t spearheaded Forrest onto promotion, look what Hucks has done for us.

I know this team doesn''t really mean anything but if they are going to do this every year I just wish the panel would do a little bit more investigation.

[DumbleDelia is Magic 0]

Fair point Jonzey. Imagine a Huckerby Earnshaw partnership!! That would be almost orgasmic!! The nickname stems from a copy of Y''Army from earlier in the season. They did a Harry Potter spoof called "Nigel Potter and the Order of the Freebie". Think it came out just at the beginning of the season. In the spoof it had Delia who was Dumbledelia. I added the "is magic" on the end as thought it had a ring to it!

[Pape Diop 0]

Pincer each player playing in the division gets to pick their team i think dont quote me on it but i am pretty sure it is like pfa player of the year where all pros pick their player of the year!on that reason i guess mackay is better known than king fleming!
Challenge for all posters can anyone remember fleming haveing a bad match? thats a real trivia question.