Premiership Team of the Season

So then, after a large number of page views on my idea for a bloggers team of the year, I was absolutely inundated with one reply. OK, so maybe it won’t happen this year then, but nonetheless here is my personal Premiership team of the season:

GK - Joe Hart
It’s no easy feat to get yourself ahead in the pecking order when your positional rival is a one Shay Given, but that is what Joe Hart has done this season, proving himself as club and international number one. A tall, commanding figure, Hart is an excellent shot stopper with superb reflexes and knows how to spread his 6’ 3” frame in one on one situations. A key figure in Man City’s qualification for Champions League football next season.

DR - Rafael
Gaining more first team action than his twin brother, Rafael has excelled at right back this season. Not quite Sir Alex’s first choice yet, but you can largely put that down to injury, it really won’t be long before Rafael is one of the best full backs in England.

DC - Robert Huth
At 6’ 3” and nearly 14st, Robert Huth is not the most agile of defenders, but a commanding presence at the back he is. Known as “the Berlin brick wall” in his native Germany, the former Chelsea man has been a rock at the back for Stoke and an instrumental figure in the clubs success at establishing themselves as a Premiership side. A total of nine goals this season prove his aerial prowess and just how dangerous he can be from set pieces.

DC - Vincent Kompany
When a footballer who plays in the same position as you joins the club, you always fear for your starting line up spot. Kompany need not have worried. Mainly playing as a holding midfielder since his move from Hamburg, this season he has been moved to his more preferred position of centre back, following the arrival of a number of new midfielders to Eastlands. This has allowed him to finally show the Premiership what he is really about, a powerful centre back that deserves this position in my side.

DL - Leighton Baines
Another attacking full back that has really come into his own over the past few seasons, Baines has not only established himself as Everton’s number one left back but he’s also forced himself into Fabio Capello’s England plans. An impressive season saw him named Everton’s players player of the year.

MR - Nani
Pace, trickery, an eye for goal. Remind you of anyone? With each passing season Nani is showing the Man Utd faithful that he is a worthy replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo. OK, he will never score the same amount of goals that his fellow countryman did, but as a menace and a creator, he is everything that Ronaldo once was in a red shirt. Another great season sees Nani take up the right sided role in my team of the season.

MC - Scott Parker
The leading light in an otherwise faltering side. Captain fantastic is sure to be leaving in the summer, with a whole host of Premiership clubs likely to be queuing for his signature. Always an admirer of Parker, I’ve never understood why he hasn’t earned more England caps, particularly recently with Capello’s insistence on using the “pretend” holding midfielder Gareth Barry.

MC - Rafael Van Der Vaart
Anyone who knows football will have known what Van Der Vaart could do before his switch to White Hart Lane. Never a managers favourite in Madrid, the Dutchman has almost been a revelation since his move, forming an excellent working relationship with striker Peter Crouch. Playing in the hole, he has brought the creative spark that Tottenham oh so needed, chipping in with his fair share of goals along the way.

ML - David Silva
It’s questionable as to whether Silva is actually a left midfielder, with Mancini this season using him much further up the pitch as a more AML with inside forward duties. Nevertheless, he has been playing on the left flank so that’s where he features here for me. As with Van Der Vaart, he has been the creative spark that Man City needed, cutting in from the wing with his quick feet and the vision and ability to pick out the right pass at the right time, often playing creator to Tevez and Dzeko.

S - Carlos Tevez
It really doesn’t take a genius to figure out why Tevez is in this side. One of the best strikers in the world, the Argentinean just seems to go from strength to strength. His work rate is admirable, but his quality whilst on the ball is nothing short of fantastic. Joint top goal scorer with Dimitar Berbatov, he is the only Man City player to reach double figures. Without him, it’s hard to see how Man City could still have qualified for the Champions League.

S - Javier Hernandez
A superb first season in English football for Chicharito. Signing from Guadalajara for a mere £6m - bargain of the season? - the Mexican has scored 20 goals, with 13 coming in the Premiership. He is quick, seemingly comfortable with both feet, and for a little man is surprisingly good in the air. A typical poacher, Hernandez’s value has shot up after his extraordinary season.