It’s that time of year again. Spring is upon us, bringing with it myriad reasons to rejoice; the clocks going forward, warmth, sunlight, Easter; and for those of a sporting persuasion, the climax of the English football season. The apex of nine months’ worth of Premier League football sees the heated debate between fans on various social media sites intensify. There is the Premier League title itself to be decided; the race for continental qualification is wide open; at the bottom of the league, the relegation trapdoor looms ominously beneath the shuffling feet of struggling teams, still yet to be opened. The destiny of the most coveted prize in club football, the Champions League, is still to be decided; and if that isn’t enough drama for you, the front runners in the marathon for promotion to the top flight are approaching the sprint finish. With all this still to play for, my question is this: why in god’s name are we currently fixated with the PFA Player of the Year Award?
The Player of the Year Award, prestigious as it may be, is a mere accompaniment to the football season; and yet it is seemingly the dominant topic of choice amongst football fans, and specifically Liverpool fans, across the internet. The question is, why? I don’t seem to remember us, as a fan-base, being this concerned when Steven Gerrard won in 2006, or when Fernando Torres didn’t in the years following. There are several factors that may have caused this sudden hike in interest. The zenith of Liverpool’s season, while far from irrelevant, sees them competing for no silverware and almost certainly incapable of achieving a top four finish. The Player’s Player of the Year, for which Luis Suarez is a leading candidate, is the final competition Liverpool are able to bring home to Anfield for another year. As such, it has become a rather tempestuous source of debate amongst Liverpool fans; anyone who even merely suggests that Suarez should not win the award is immediately met with vitriolic animosity. Michael Owen, upon disclosing via twitter how he had voted for Gareth Bale, was met with caustic abuse from the fans who once sang his name. The concept of having a personal opinion has become a redundant one; anyone expressing a view that does not conform with the majority is met with ridicule.
It will not surprise many people reading this when I say that I believe Luis Suarez should win the Player’s Player of the Year award. Naturally, I am in an incredibly biased position to be offering my view on the subject, as a Liverpool fan writing for a Liverpool website. Nevertheless, Suarez is considered by people far more knowledgeable and informed than myself, to be the rightful recipient of the award. A cursory glance at some fairly basic statistics would support this view.
Anyone who has watched even a minimal amount of English football over the past months will know that there are but three candidates for the accolade. Suarez, of course, is arguably the favourite, followed by Gareth Bale of Tottenham, very much British football’s brightest young hope. Finally, there is Robin van Persie, the Dutchman who has near enough single-handedly delivered Manchester United’s landmark twentieth title. Bale has amassed 17 Premier League goals this term, whilst van Persie currently sits on an impressive tally of 19. Both are inferior to Suarez however, who is comfortably in pole position for the Golden Boot on 22.
Robin van Persie has the advantage over Suarez in terms of assists, with 8 to the Uruguayan’s 4. Suarez is still one assist better off than Bale, despite playing in a more advanced role than the Spurs winger.
There is little to separate Bale and Suarez in terms of average rating; although both have a comfortable advantage over van Persie. However, the most compelling evidence supporting Suarez’s claim cannot be measured accurately in a statistic. What Suarez has achieved, he has done so in a far less gifted team than the other two candidates. Whilst Bale has been accused as being a one man team, Spurs also have Emmanuel Adebayor, Jermain Defoe and even Aaron Lennon to provide goals. Manchester United possess a wealth of attacking talent; Sir Alex Ferguson can call upon Danny Welbeck, Javier Hernandez or Wayne Rooney to provide goals if van Persie is unavailable.
By contrast, Luis Suarez has carried the Liverpool attack entirely by himself for large portions of the season, before the acquisitions of Sturridge and Coutinho. Suarez has not received the support Bale and van Persie have from team-mates; Liverpool do not cut open opposition and create chances as freely as United or Spurs. Despite this, Suarez still manages to lead the way, hauling his side into the upper reaches of the table through his sheer, unwavering desire to win. No other player in the Premier League has played with such passion, over such a sustained period of time, as Luis Suarez.
Liverpool’s number seven is the bookmaker’s favourite for the award, and rightly so – the man they call ‘El Pistolero’ has been peerless in his brilliance. Unlike Gareth Bale and Robin van Persie, who have shone in fits and starts, Suarez has maintained his form throughout the entire campaign.
Despite all evidence, there is still an ever-growing concern that Suarez will not see his considerable achievements recognised by the PFA after all. Many believe that Suarez’s controversial reputation and on-field antics will hinder him in the vote; that factors other than just his dazzling performances will be taken into account. There is the potential for the award to descend into a popularity contest, and Suarez’s odds would look much less favourable in that instance. There is also the obvious bias towards young, British players, that could give Bale a considerable advantage in the polling.
As well as believing that Luis Suarez should win the PFA Player’s Player of the Year Award, I am also fully aware that he may well not. And you know what? That doesn’t bother me one bit. It shouldn’t bother anyone. It most definitely won’t bother Luis Suarez. No league points are given for this accolade. It counts for little in the grand scale of things. To put it diplomatically; Suarez has never been one to strive for the popularity and respect of his fellow professionals. Winning the award would would mean nothing more to him than a minimal morale boost for the recognition, a nice night out, and a toothy grin for the cameras.
In short: as nice as it would be, I don’t feel that Luis Suarez, or anyone else for that matter, should be particularly irked if he fails to win the Player of the Year Award. Luis Suarez isn’t motivated by the plaudits he receives from his opponents, but by the praise he receives from his manager and team-mates. Most of all, he is motivated by his own desire, his relentless drive to fulfil his ambitions, and it is that that will stand him in far greater stead for seasons still to come.
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