Player of the season

So the time of the year has approached where recently Spurs emailed me asking who my POTS is. This has without doubt been one of, if not the hardest year for me to decide who to choose. Usually there's a real stand out who just pips the rest - like Toby did last year - but this season has seen so many flourish.

Ultimately in the end it boiled down to two players - Jan and Big Vic. Reason being for me is that through the course of the whole season, those two have remained pretty much brilliant throughout and rarely suffered a dip in form, if at all. I opted to vote Jan, due to the fact that everyone acknowledges Toby as the best CB in the Prem so for Jan to (in my opinion) out perform him just showed the level he was at this season. When Toby was injured for a spell we were all worried but Jan was so immense that it made Toby's exclusion 'easier' to take.

I've done a poll of who I think are the main candidates for the award, though if you have a different choice then state in the comments

 

Definitely Big Vic for me. I presumed he'd be an under-study for Dier and worried about his disciplinary record, but he's been immense, not only defensively but also, increasingly, on the ball. I doubt that many of us thought the Dier-Dembele partnership needed an upgrade, but for my money he's provided that. A great piece of recruitment.

 

It is tough, you could make a case for many of those. Toby is the best Centre half in the division, especially over the last 2 years. Wanyama has been immense, improved a position we were already strong in. Eriksen over the last 2 months has been the best midfield player in the division, Alli has scored 21 goals this season. How many strikers have we had in the last 30 years do that, let alone a midfield player. And Kane is stretching the wonder one season for nearly 3 years now, his record is incredible. Walker and Rose have both been unplayable this year and the 3-4-3 shape has given us such license to attack that all our rivals (except Pool for some reason) have been unable to cope. If Danny had lasted the whole year, it would have been hard to look beyond him.

But in the end I agree (and have voted) with DH it is Jan. From being a good player, albeit a bit petulant, he has been our best defender this year. He's the most skilful Centre half I've seen live and has not had a dip in form all season. A tremendous season.

 

It's a toughie...ill be back with further thoughts on the matter after some prolonged thinking

 

Wanyama for me.
The defensive regime was already the bestest ... in the PL. Last season.
But to date we have conceded an impressive 10 goals FEWER.

And his performance in the NLD makes me believe that Pochettino can
develop a forward driving aspect to his game that we expect/demand from
Dembele.

 

Difficult to pick. What a marvellous predicament!

Toby - has simply been brilliant and consistent throughout the season, just as last year.

Alli - simply brilliant with huge potential but not quite there just yet to be worthy of player of the season.

Eriksen - fantastic but not consistent enough. I recall how awful he was before Xmas.

Wanyama - what a debut season. Fantastic at breaking up play and being a rock in front of defence. He can only get better.

Dembele - gets my vote as Player of the Season. His marauding runs are simply mersmirising. He is getting forward much more these days, rather than backward or sideways. Having Wanyama as a partner has freed him up to be more creative. He is simply unmovable and is impossible to nick the ball of him, but yet on occasions, he looks like a ballerina in moving the ball through the opposition teams. Take a look at the size of his thighs, he defies the laws of physics!

Every single player has performed and are worthy of being POTS, with the exception of a handful in the squad who I would be glad to see depart.

EDIT: I'd forgotten Verts! He has been immense this season, and I especially like his forward forays! I have rarely seen such skills from a CB. He would be a very close second to Dembele in my opinion.

 

Show ignored content? Hmm, I wonder if one of the wastes of blood and organs on my ignore list has suggested Sissoko?

 

Only Spurs fans here?

 

I guess somebody's quoting one of those organ banks in their sig then...

 

The problem IMHO with Kane/Alli/Toby is a "familiarity breeds contempt" issue.
They have all made themselves such consistently high standards such that what
would be POTY for many other teams just gets a nod from us.

 

The reason I opted not to choose Kane was because he's missed about 10+ Prem games and even though he's more or less been great in most, I think others have played more and remained brilliant.

Toby has been excellent again but I just feel Jan outdone him this season.

Alli was my third choice after Jan and Vic. To think that he's been involved in 32 goals (21 scored, 11 assisted) in 46 games and still can't get my vote just shows the level others have been at. I think his early season form - similar to Eriksen's - was a bit sketchy but he's come into his own from around December onwards. Incredible to think he's just 21.

 

I've gone for Victor Wanyama. Incredible that he's done so well in his first season at the club. I was very much in favour of his signing and as The Gooners mocked him and us with............Granit Xhaka (yes, him) I remember thinking "you mock this bloke at your peril."

He's been a beast all season. Apart from last season, he's never been sent off in his career. When he's on the pitch with Mousa against Chelsea, Kante runs and hides. If he could get 5 - 8 goals a season then he'd be on the radar of Real Madrid. He cost us £9m and is panning out to be the bargain of all time.

 

It's just brilliant that it's such a difficult choice. I went with Wanyama but it's close and several are up there. It's such a good team.

 

Poch went after him in his first season and finally got him this year. He obviously saw more in him than some having worked with him at Saints. I did think at the time it wasn't fair to demote Dier, he was superb last year, but hats off Wanyama is a class above. With better centre half option next year I'd like to see 3 players for the 2 positions (holding and right centre half) and a continuous rotation so Dier gets some time in his best position and Victor stays fit. The 3 could play 67% of games (Dier getting 33% of games in midfield and 33% in defence)

Edit: Victor looks like he could play the Dembele role to rest him as well. Seeing Dier and Wanyama would be a very strong midfield.

 

Vertongen for me...he went from being an out of control ego I could happily see being sold to an outstanding centre back with a great team ethic who is a pleasure to watch.

Most improved player is Trippier imho.

 

I think that a case could be made for any of the players listed to be player of the season. But as good as the individual parts have been, the team that they create with Hugo, Eric D, Danny, Ben, Kieran and Harry W has just been immense, I almost feel guilty picking one of them as being better than the rest.

But it’s a player of the year poll so choose one I will and my choice is Jan Vertonghen, I just think that he has been a model of consistency this season, most players have little hot and cold streaks and even our best players have had the odd misfire, but not Jan this season, in my opinion he has hardly put a foot wrong.

 

Neck and neck so far with five votes each for Big Vic and Jan. Dembele the only other player with an official vote so far.

 

So many good players this season, it's very hard to choose.

Dele has continued to improve and has been awarded young player of the year twice in a row.

Kane, despite 2 big injuries, looks to be finishing well up there with the top scorers in the league

Wanyama has been an an absolute rock and set such a good example of strong mentality to the team.

Eriksen has had his best season IMO. Recovered from a spell of poor form and has been uttterly sublime since.

Alderwiereld, solid as always. Consistently good performances and totally reliable.

Son has improved as the season has gone on and we've seen less of the "one of those games" performances from him. He's now become a reliable player to bang the goals in when we need them.

My vote has gone with vertonghen. He's had his best season this year, IMO. He's massively stepped up, been completely reliable and installed calmness throughout the team in every game he's played. He's been absolutely superb.

Huge shout out to Harry Winks who has also been a class act to watch, and despite his age, has offered the squad something different which has been so important on many occasions. I think if his injury hadn't occurred, we could be seeing him up there as a POTS option.

Well done to all the players, they've all played their part and been outstanding.

Except Sissoko.

 

Probably me, apologies, I've got a few quotes from Skiddy the stain, in my sig

 

The great Kyle Walker gets my vote.