*Official* English Football Season 2012-13

[The Sean]

He should have won twice. He won the PFA award for all players, yet missed out on the youth PFA award to Fabregas, which is a bit stupid.

Yeah agreed - though perhaps the PFA thought the same player winning both the Player and Young Player awards two years in a row was a little unfair.

As for Giggsy, all these tributes are still overlooking his greatest achievement - being the only Premier League player ever to be referenced in The Simpsons.

 

[Cevno]

True in as much as the united championship winning sides always had a player who was 'better'

Early-mid 90s - Cantona
Late 90s - Keane
Early 00s - Keane, Scholes, Beckham, van Nistelrooy (not sold on all of them but)
Mid 00s - Ronaldo, Rooney
Now - Van Persie

That being side he's still been fundamental to most of those sides which means IMO he deserves to be applauded for his longevity

Btw no point anyone arguing with me about which players I've overlooked or the merits of those I've selected in those examples, more a means to an end to establish my point, didn't put heaps of thought into it

He was right up there with all of the bolded. It was personal preference who you preferred.

Say a bit like Xavi at Barcelona.

 

[Cevno]

Giggs, a great player, but definitely being overrated due to longevity. I don't think Giggs was ever considered the standout player in the league or even really in contention (top 3). I don't think there was even a time he was the best player in his own team. And during his youth the premier league was quite a way behind the rest of Europe. I'd definitely say Bale right now is getting plaudits Giggs never really got at a similar age.

Weird statement. Longevity in itself is a factor how a player is rated. Would you prefer someone like Ronaldinho who went and had 2 Alll time class seasons and then became just a good to mediocre player ?

Giggs debuted at 16 and was getting a lot of plaudits from his young days. See the comments made by players who played against him at the time. Then when he was 22 all of the others in that group came up and the plaudits were shared around as Keane/Cantona etc.. were also shining.

And as for Bale, he is getting more plaudits for 3 months because 1) He is scoring goals and spectacular ones at that which is more a winger's job these days while Giggs was more say a Mata who himself has been fantastic but not hyped up to that extent. 2) He is playing in a way more media saturated age so obviously being the best british player right now gets hyped up and 3) He is playing in a Tottenham side where he is the best player alongside more good players rather than world class ones and which is geared towards him doing his thing.

It's too early to even do that comparison.

 

[GIMH]

He was right up there with all of the bolded. It was personal preference who you preferred.

Say a bit like Xavi at Barcelona.

Yeah definitely not as clear cut as the Cantona/Ronaldo eras. However you take Keane out of those United sides and what happens? Arsenal do the double...

 

[GIMH]

ANyway, **** Giggs, Ian Goodison is captaining the mighty whites today, come on you whiiiiiiiiiiiites

 

[sledger]

G'wan Saints. Send crap 'Arry down.

 

[GIMH]

Bah.

 

[superkingdave]

Played our part.

 

[GIMH]

You'll play your part in us getting back to normal next week as well...

 

[Ikki]

Weird statement. Longevity in itself is a factor how a player is rated. Would you prefer someone like Ronaldinho who went and had 2 Alll time class seasons and then became just a good to mediocre player ?

It depends on the discussion, but Giggs seems to be getting rated higher for performing well despite his age. It is not as if in the last 5-6 years he has been one of the best players in the league...he clearly hasn't, and him winning the PFA award a few years back was basically a life-time achievement award.

Giggs was not a Mata - he's probably more a Mata now than when he was young. Giggs was a pure 4-4-2 winger which doesn't really exist anymore these days. And while Giggs was seen as a fantastic player in that side, he was not on the Keane/Cantona/Ronaldo level.

Giggs was considered one of the best players in his position (winger) during his youth, but he was basically never considered amongst the top handful of players in the world. That just never happened. The difference is Bale is frequently being considered. Longevity does say something about ability and we'll see how Bale's career ends up; but as of now he's hitting heights that I'd say are debatable for Giggs ever achieving at his peak. And who even knows if this is Bale's peak because he seems to be getting better.

tl;dr version: Bale looks a better player and is playing better than Giggs probably ever did; but whether he keeps that up is yet to be seen.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Tight at top and bottom of League 1. Gutted with todays result, getting stuffed by the gypos is too much to take. At least most of the other results went with us.

Stevenage are in trouble. Lost 6 in a row, 12 of last 13 and have 6 of the top 7 still to play. Ouch.

 

[GIMH]

That Suarez bloke, bloody hell

 

[Ikki]

That Suarez bloke, bloody hell

Should be frontrunner for PFA/FWA player of the year award right now.

And that's two brilliant performances from Coutinho now. Had my reservations, despite his obvious talent, since Inter were getting rid. But his play/vision for both assists was fantastic.

 

[GIMH]

Well it'd be hard to begrudge any of Van Persie, Suarez or Bale the top awards this season.

 

[The Sean]

Yeah hard to judge between the three, still too much football to be played to really make a call either way. Suarez has been blitzing low-ranked teams all season (not a bad trait, incidentally), doing so again today didn't really tell us anything new in that respect.

 

[Ikki]

Well, he's scored against City, Arsenal and Chelsea so he's no flat-track bully. For me it is between him and RVP (Bale, while good, hasn't been good all season like these two) and it depends if credence is given to United winning the title for those individual awards. I think in terms of just their own game, Suarez is the better player. He does a lot more with less help.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Actually I think if the season ended tomorrow I'd just about give it to Bale, but as The Sean said, there is still much football to be played and it's close between the three of them so I can see it going to any of the three.

 

[The Sean]

Given how the British papers are talking about Bale right now I reckon he'll win the FWA award - I think they've decided to back the great young British hope. A big performance in the derby tomorrow will only strengthen their case.

No idea how the players will vote though.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Tight at top and bottom of League 1. Gutted with todays result, getting stuffed by the gypos is too much to take. At least most of the other results went with us.

Stevenage are in trouble. Lost 6 in a row, 12 of last 13 and have 6 of the top 7 still to play. Ouch.

Wonder what the odds are on them asking Westley back...?

 

[Pothas]

Come on the Bees, not great today but 3 points is all that matters, we just might do this.