By Chris Burton Last updated: 29th April 2008
The 2007-08 season is drawing to a close and the skysports.com team have been making their selections from another thrilling campaign.
Over the coming weeks, our journalists will be picking from a range of categories. We'll also be giving you the chance to comment on our choices as well as selecting your own team of the season.
Our readers' choices will be revealed as part of a special Sky Sports end-of-season review entitled Premier League - Team of the Season to be broadcast at 6pm on 14th May on Sky Sports 1.
Ahead of the PFA Player of the Year ceremony, reporter Chris Burton reveals his selections.
Ronaldo: First name on the teamsheet
Despite the continued abject failings of the national team, I have found room for no less than five English players in my team of the year.
The first of the quintet fills in between the sticks, with Portsmouth's irrepressible keeper David James enjoying a fine season down on the South Coast. The England international may not be to everyone's taste, but there can be no denying that he is a top class performer when he has his head screwed on.
It will then come as no surprise that the tightest defence in the top flight this season has two representatives in my back four. Manchester United have looked solid throughout the 2007/08 campaign and much of the credit for that must go to the ever-reliable Rio Ferdinand. The former Leeds and West Ham man has been a colossus at times, and both United and England look weaker when he is unavailable.
The other Red Devils star to be handed a role in the side is Patrice Evra. Having initially taken time to settle at Old Trafford, the French full-back appears to have found his feet in England and has become a classy operator in both halves of the field. While Evra provides an attacking threat down the left, Glen Johnson will fulfill a similar role on the opposite flank. The Portsmouth defender has rediscovered his confidence, and form, since moving to Fratton Park and his consistent displays have been rewarded with a recall to the international set-up.
The final member of the backline, and the fourth Englishman, is Everton's free-scoring centre-half Joleon Lescott. The former Wolves star has adjusted well to life in the Premier League since his step up in 2006 and has become an integral part of the Toffees starting XI, as well as a regular member of the national squad.
Moving into midfield, there was only ever one man who could fill the number 7 jersey. Cristiano Ronaldo has been a revelation, again, and could now rightfully claim to be the best player on the planet. Virtually unplayable at times, no team would be complete without the Manchester United winger. The Portuguese superstar would then be ably supported in tearing open opposition defences by Everton's Mikel Arteta. The Spanish playmaker has become the heartbeat of the Toffees' attacking unit and is often at the centre of much of the Blues' best work.
With bags of tricks on the wings, the centre contains the steel. Liverpool's inspirational captain Steven Gerrard appears to churn out outstanding performances year on year and has led by example once again, while Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas has fulfilled his considerable potential sooner than anyone could have imagined.
As if the goal threat provided from midfield is not enough, my two strikers have also found the target with unerring regularity this season. Fernando Torres has proven to be the deadly hit man the Anfield faithful have been crying out for, and the Spaniard will only get better while Emmanuel Adebayor has stepped out of Thierry Henry's considerable shadow at Arsenal to lead the young Gunners' forward line.
Scoring over 30 goals in a season would be a remarkable achievement for any striker, but to do it from the wing is simply sensational. The Portuguese trickster is already destined to go down in Old Trafford folklore, but every football supporter in the country must be hoping that he continues to ignore the overtures of Real Madrid.
The age old mantle of 'great players don't make great managers' certainly does not apply to Ince. A combative midfielder in his playing days, the Guv'nor has adjusted to life in management with ease. Having guided Macclesfield to League Two safety last season, Ince has now led MK Dons back out of the basement division and into League One. Not happy to just settle for promotion though, he also guided the Dons to Johnstone's Paint Trophy success in a memorable first Wembley visit for the club. Unsurprisingly, with the success has come attention from a host of clubs higher up the league ladder and it would appear to only be a matter of time before Ince moves on to bigger and better things.
After seeing Kasper Schmeichel handed the No. 1 jersey by Sven Goran Eriksson at the start of the season, Hart must have thought that he was destined for a bit-part role this season. However, he quickly staked a claim for a starting berth of his own and has been a virtual ever present since. He is also the first choice for England's U21 side at present and is already being discussed as the long-term solution to this country's goalkeeping crisis.
Much was made of the Spaniard's failure to score 20 league goals in a season for former club Atletico Madrid when he arrived on these shores, but the Liverpool striker has silenced those critics in spectacular fashion. Quick, good in the air and a lethal finisher, Torres has all the attributes to become a star on the world stage for years to come.
Following in the footsteps of Mateja Kezman and Andriy Shevchenko, Pizarro is the latest high-profile striker to flop at Stamford Bridge. The Peruvian arrived with a good pedigree having enjoyed considerable success with Bayern Munich, but has looked woefully short of match fitness and could find himself on the move again this summer. I understand that he arrived at the Blues on a free transfer and that the club had nothing to lose by signing him but for an international forward, who earns a reported £2.5million a year, he has been a big disappointment.
The final installment of a highly anticipated trilogy between the two sides provided more entertainment in 90 minutes than the previous two games had combined. With a place in the last four of the UEFA Champions League up for the grabs, the match swung from end to end, with the result not made certain until the dying seconds. Emmanuel Adebayor had appeared to have booked the Gunners a semi-final date when he levelled the game up at 2-2 with only six minutes remaining, but just 60 seconds later Steven Gerrard rifled home a penalty to break Arsenal hearts, and Ryan Babel rubbed salt into their wounds with a fourth deep into stoppage time.
I may be pushing my luck slightly here, but three seasons is far too long for two-time European Cup winners to be languishing in the pit of League One. With a play-off place already secured, automatic promotion remains a realistic possibility and this could well be the year that Forest's resurgence finally takes off. I appreciate that I am biased, but the club deserves to be strutting their stuff at a higher level and clawing their way back into the second tier could prove to be the catalyst for a climb back into the big time.
As a Forest supporter, I must also admit that it would have been impossible not to have taken some pleasure from Derby's top flight troubles this season. But I'm sure that even the most ardent of Rams supporters would welcome the return of a derby date with Forest next season.
This summer's European Championships will not feel the same without England in attendance, but ultimately there can be no complaints. We were simply not good enough, and Steve McLaren's dismal tenure as national coach must now act as the wake up call the country needs to ensure that such failings are not allowed to happen again. On a more positive note, at least there will be no penalty shoot-out heartache to spoil our summer this year!
A drab affair at the Riverside in November was brought screaming to life when the England international unleashed an absolute thunderbolt seven minutes into the second-half. After squandering numerous opportunities to clear their lines, Spurs were eventually made to pay when Boro midfielder Gary O'Neill laid the ball off for Young to bury an unstoppable 30-yard drive past a stranded Paul Robinson.
| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Saturday 16th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 12:45 | Arsenal vs West Brom |
| 15:00 | Aston Villa vs Man City |
| 15:00 | Bolton vs Stoke |
| 15:00 | Everton vs Blackburn |
| 15:00 | Hull vs Fulham |
| 15:00 | Middlesbrough vs Tottenham |
| 15:00 | West Ham vs Wigan |
| 17:30 | Sunderland vs Liverpool |
| Sunday 17th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 13:30 | Chelsea vs Portsmouth |
| 16:00 | Man Utd vs Newcastle |
| Saturday 23rd August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Blackburn vs Hull |
| 15:00 | Liverpool vs Middlesbrough |
| 15:00 | Newcastle vs Bolton |
| 15:00 | Stoke vs Aston Villa |
| 15:00 | Tottenham vs Sunderland |
| 15:00 | West Brom vs Everton |
| 17:30 | Fulham vs Arsenal |
| Sunday 24th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 13:30 | Wigan vs Chelsea |
| 16:00 | Man City vs West Ham |
| Monday 25th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 20:00 | Portsmouth vs Man Utd |
| Time | Result |
|---|---|
| Sunday 11th May | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Middlesbrough 8 - 1 Man City | |
| Everton 3 - 1 Newcastle | |
| West Ham 2 - 2 Aston Villa | |
| Portsmouth 0 - 1 Fulham | |
| Derby 0 - 4 Reading | |
| Sunderland 0 - 1 Arsenal | |
| Wigan 0 - 2 Man Utd | |
| Birmingham 4 - 1 Blackburn | |
| Tottenham 0 - 2 Liverpool | |
| Chelsea 1 - 1 Bolton | |
| Monday 5th May | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Newcastle 0 - 2 Chelsea | |
| Sunday 4th May | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Liverpool 1 - 0 Man City | |
| Arsenal 1 - 0 Everton | |
| Saturday 3rd May | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Bolton 2 - 0 Sunderland | |
| Fulham 2 - 0 Birmingham | |
| Reading 0 - 1 Tottenham | |
| Middlesbrough 2 - 0 Portsmouth | |
| Blackburn 3 - 1 Derby | |
| Aston Villa 0 - 2 Wigan | |
| Man Utd 4 - 1 West Ham | |
£20,000 worth of prizes up for grabs - It's totally FREE and if you register by 1st August you could win £500!!
In the wake of Euro 2008, skysports.com ponders whether England are an underachieving team.
Reece Killworth salutes Fernando Torres after his goal won Euro 2008 for Spain.
£20,000 worth of prizes up for grabs - It's totally FREE and if you register by 1st August you could win £500!!
In the wake of Euro 2008, skysports.com ponders whether England are an underachieving team.
Reece Killworth salutes Fernando Torres after his goal won Euro 2008 for Spain.
Players' wives and girlfriends have been adding a touch of glamour to games at Euro 2008.
Comments
Adam Whyte (Arsenal fan) says...
Sagna for Johnson, Clichy for Evra - Arsenal full backs actually rampage up the pitch and cover far more ground than any others. Gerrard is resting on his laurels only 11 league goals. Both Flamini and Essien deserve it more than him. Petrov could have got in there if he kept up early season form. The rest is perfect well done to chelsea tonight.
Posted 00:48 1st May 2008
Ingham Walker says...
Sagna instead of Johnson - A must. Kirkland instead of James. Vidic for Lescott. Mascherano for Gerrard. If Megson gets Bolton out of relegation , surely he must be manager of the year. You Sky Pundits are so one sided it unbelievable
Posted 03:33 29th April 2008
Liam H says...
Agree with James, Johnson, Evra, Ferdinand, Ronaldo, Fabregas, Gerrard, Torres and Adebayor. Would replace Lescott with Carragher and Arteta for Downing. Best goal - Luke Young against Tottenham. A real beauty and I was there!!!
Posted 22:11 28th April 2008
Sean O'mara (Manchester United fan) says...
I have no arguments over the choice of keeper (regretably) and pretty much the midfield and strike force but to include Johnson and Lescott is beyond me. I think they have had distinctly average seasons although i think Lescott's goals have hidden this. I generally feel that if they were not English they would not be held in such high esteem. These positions without a doubt should go to Sagna and Vidic. I think as a Man Utd fan a special mention should go to Anderson. He's still got a long way to go but is showing great potential.
Posted 15:35 28th April 2008
Tom Barker (Arsenal fan) says...
Manager of the year has to go to Graham Taylor of Hereford. One of the favourites to go down at the beggining of the season and no money to deal with; to go on to get automatic promotion two years after promotion from the conference is a huge huge achievement, and as far as I can see is incomparitable to any other achievement from a manager and team in the leagues.
Posted 14:13 28th April 2008
Mohamed Sheikh (Arsenal fan) says...
Where is Gael clichy he has been more consistent than Evra and has put in a 100% effort level in every game especially the game at old trafford even though we were losing he tried his best and didnt give up. Also where is Ashley he has been a sensation this season and giving many assists to his team mates. Finally, i am not the biggest fan of Manchester Utd but Nemanja Vidic should definetely be there instead of Rio Ferdinand.
Posted 13:37 28th April 2008
Phil Round (Aston Villa fan) says...
What??? Steven Gerrard??? How did he get in the team of the year??? Unbelieveable!! He has done nothing all season! He's just stood out again in a dyer Liverpool side! Bar torres of course! Rubbish! Where's Gareth Barry? Consistly quality for two seasons and get nothing! Rubbish! Everybody is too biased to the big teams! Support your local team!!!
Posted 11:59 28th April 2008
Kelsey Smith (Chelsea fan) says...
This just proves how hated chelsea are, joint top in the league , without many, many players throughout the season and still not one player in the team. What a joke. Carvalho is better than Rio and Vidic and Lescott put together.
Posted 09:44 28th April 2008
Anthony Thomas (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...
I think people are wrong about sagna. He hasnt done anything special this season compared to glen johnson. But the you look at Middlesbrough's luke young. He has has a superb season. People dont notice the smaller clubs. And then for arteta being in the squad. Thats where you need either david bentley, ashley young, or even stewart downing! up front instead of adebayor should be santa cruz. bargain of the season!!
Posted 07:56 28th April 2008
Tyler Drake (Arsenal fan) says...
Agree with everything except Sagna's exclusion. How can ANYONE (especially you traitorous Arsenal fans) say that Adebayor doesn't deserve to be there? You can't argue with 27 goals in a season(So far) ?
Posted 03:44 28th April 2008
Nuno António (Arsenal fan) says...
Where's Ricardo Carvalho...? Martin Petrov anyone? Mmm Vidic, Sagna, Friedel... too many to mention!
Posted 02:09 28th April 2008
Joel Polson (Manchester United fan) says...
I would have included Sagna over Johnson and possibly Vidic over Evra with Lescott switching to the left (he does seem to play there quite a bit). The real baffling selection to me is Mikel Arteta. Sure he's an outstanding player, but he hasn't had his best season by any stretch. Ashley Young should start on the left. David Bentley also deserves a mention but I'm not sure how you'd accommodate him with Ronaldo and Young in there...
Posted 01:52 28th April 2008
Sheraz Rahman (Liverpool fan) says...
Fairly good team but i dont understand why Ashley Young got replaced by Arteta. Arteta has been good but not his best, as for Young, he has been exceptional and has been the best left winger for the premiership this season. Also for his age he is fantastic, and a good candidate for the young player of the season. Another aspect i will like to consider is that Jamie Carragher has been brilliant this season and should replace Joleon Lescott. (why did they change the team of the season?!)
Posted 01:01 28th April 2008
Jason Brown (Manchester United fan) says...
Norshad Islam (Arsenal fan) says... What happened to Gael Clichy for the team of the season? Maybe because Evra is number one a much better player and number two has played consistently better all season?
Posted 23:25 27th April 2008
Matt Hall (West Ham United fan) says...
How on earth are people even questioning the fact that Gerrard is in the team?!
Posted 23:14 27th April 2008
Ciaran Smith (Arsenal fan) says...
Yes, as an Arsenal fan I have to agree with a few people here. Adebayor doesn't deserve to be on the list, He scores 1 goal for every 10 chances he has. Roque Santa Cruz is a clinical finisher and should be up there with Torres. However where is Bakary Sagna!?! The guy has been amazing for Arsenal this season, our best player in my opinion, very consistant, never put a foot wrong. Also Clichy has been world class this year apart from his late flop against Birmingham, best left back France have. Although Evra/Abidal can be number 1 choice for France for all I care, keeps Clichy fresh for us! For all the people calling for Barry in the list, ok he has had his best season but he's no Cesc Fabregas! Also surprised nobody has mentioned Richard Dunne he'd get my vote over Jolean Lescott anyday, although Lescotts scoring ability probably got him his pick in the team.
Posted 23:01 27th April 2008
Ross Anderson (Middlesbrough fan) says...
Got to love all these Arsenal fans moaning over Sagna not being picked. While Glen Johnson and Sagna both have the same seasonal stats. PLD 29, Scored 1 and Assisted 10, Sagna has been a lot less impressive going forward and attacking, his only shot on target being the goal he scored. While Glen Johnson has been AS solid defensively and a lot better supporting the attack with 10 shots on target. Sagna's cross completion is worse than Johnson's also, so he deserves to be in there over Sagna. And whoever suggested Gael Clichu in the team needs to find another sport.
Posted 22:34 27th April 2008
James Vickers (Arsenal fan) says...
Obviously Sagna needs to be there instead of Glen Johnson, he has been hugely underated. Essien should be the holding player along side Cesc, Gerrard has been a second striker this season! I also have to say Adebaor should be on 50 goals if he didnt need so many chances to score! It kills me to say it but I would put Berbatov in there. This team would still win everything though!
Posted 22:33 27th April 2008
Shiv Radia (Liverpool fan) says...
Gerrard definetly deserves that place. He's scored more than Rooney this season and has been phenominal in supporting Torres. He's been extremely inspirational to the team and without a doubt deserves it. I can't believe how many people think Gerrard doesn't deserve that place. It outstands me.
Posted 22:17 27th April 2008
Shaun Brunton (Newcastle United fan) says...
I agree with Sagna over Johnson, thats definately a bit of an injustice. Its hard to pick apart the midfield because all 4 are top quality and have had great seasons, but I would say any one out of Bentley, Barry or Young should be in there ahead of Arteta. I also think that it would be a close call between Rooney and Adebayor to partner Torres. But for me 4-5-1 with Johnson, Arteta and Adebayor replaced by Sagna, Barry and Bentley would be the final choice.
Posted 22:04 27th April 2008
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