EPL Team of the Year 2009 - Left Midfield

The Volt

Given that it looks like a 4-4-2 is being voted for, it looks like we'll be picking the best right sided, left sided and two best central players, then two strikers. While we quarrell over how to sort the centre out (ie one dm and one am) lets get the wingers out of the way shall we?

Happy Xmas to all by the way and thanks to all who have contributed.

Average-Ro

No poll?

The Volt

Duff

Average-Ro wrote: »

No poll?

takes me a while to think of all the left mids mate

The Volt

Duff

I've gone for Steven Pienaar. (Yes I'm an Everton fan)

While Aston Villa and Young had their off-spell towards the back end of last season, Pienaar was firing Everton up the table. He formed a fantastic partnership with Baines and the two of them were our biggest attacking threat with the absence of Arteta. This season he's already showing world class capabilities, like he did in the Confederations Cup and I can only hope we pin him down to a new deal. He's also a massively influential player for us who drives the attack forward. His work rate in phenomenal and has fabulous ball control. A shoe in IMO, I just hope Moyes keeps him on the left instead of Bilyaletdinov.

UpTheSlashers

M. Taylor

Young

The Volt

Duff

UpTheSlashers wrote: »

Young

Obvious choice but wrong IMO. Villa's dreadful slump towards the end of 08/09 seems destined to be forgotten here. Pienaar ftw.

OPENROAD

Young

Nasri.

The Volt

Duff

OPENROAD wrote: »

Nasri.

Any particular reason other than your colours

Morzadec

Riera

While Giggs' contributions in the last year gave been overrated in my opinion, he is still the standout name on that list. Not really too many names jumping out at me from it though...

Hank_Jones

Riera

I went for Giggs although is he really a left midfielder still?

Thought he played more in the middle these days.

Doesn't matter, he deserves to be in the team anyway.

The Volt

Duff

Seriously what on earth characterizes Giggs as the best EPL left back of 2009? Nasri, Young, Pienaar and Malouda all performed well in that role, a role he doesn't even consistently appear in anymore.

Xavi6

Craig Bellamy ftw

Helix

UpTheSlashers wrote: »

Young

hes played about 5 good games on the left wing this year

looking a far better player in the fluid 3 where he can play left right or middle

Jazzy

Stanislas

went for lil' niko

SlickRic

Riera

unfortunately it probably should be Giggs.

not too many stand out there; with Pienaar the only real competition. Young has been average enough in 2009, and shouldn't have won that Young Player of the Year Award.

Average-Ro

Voltwad wrote: »

takes me a while to think of all the left mids mate

Sorry, no pressure:D

everdead.ie

No modric? I voted for him(other) tbh as he just gets better and better

The Volt

Duff

everdead.ie wrote: »

No modric? I voted for him(other) tbh as he just gets better and better

I thought about putting him in the poll but I noticed he played CM a lot especially when Kranjcar came in

The Volt

Duff

SlickRic wrote: »

unfortunately it probably should be Giggs.

not too many stand out there; with Pienaar the only real competition. Young has been average enough in 2009, and shouldn't have won that Young Player of the Year Award.

Completely disagree. Malouda was like a new signing when Hiddink came in although he's only featured bit part this season. Pienaar, for reasons I already stated. Kranjcar, solid for Spurs and Pompey, I think N'Zogbia stood out for Wigan and Taylor at Bolton too. I think it's narrow minded and downright lazy to pick Giggs.

No offence.

PHB

M. Taylor

No real stand out candidates in this position to be honest. Nobody's really made it their own. Giggs I guess, and he has played LW most of the time, putting in some good performances, but lots of poor ones aswell I think. Young is a good bet, but he was poor towards the end of last season. I went with Young anyway though.

curry-muff

Riera

Giggs surely, the only standout left mid of 2009.

greendom

Pienaar

Voltwad wrote: »

Completely disagree. Malouda was like a new signing when Hiddink came in although he's only featured bit part this season. Pienaar, for reasons I already stated. Kranjcar, solid for Spurs and Pompey, I think N'Zogbia stood out for Wigan and Taylor at Bolton too. I think it's narrow minded and downright lazy to pick Giggs.

No offence.

Agree with much with what you said and especially Malouda. Not sure what the guy needs to do to get a regular berth in the Chelsea line-up

Fuzzy_Dunlop

M. Taylor

OPENROAD wrote: »

Nasri.

Nah man. At the very end of last season i was really impressed with his performances, but tbh most of the time he hasn't met his expectations this year. I fully expect him to really come into his own in the future but not quite yet imo.

There aren't too many really quality choices here. However I went with Young because he seems to able to offer the necessary abilities you expect from a winger(pace, crossing ability/set plays, goals) and on a fairly consistent basis, even if he doesn't play the LW position every game.

SlickRic

Riera

Voltwad wrote: »

Completely disagree. Malouda was like a new signing when Hiddink came in although he's only featured bit part this season. Pienaar, for reasons I already stated. Kranjcar, solid for Spurs and Pompey, I think N'Zogbia stood out for Wigan and Taylor at Bolton too. I think it's narrow minded and downright lazy to pick Giggs.

No offence.

none taken.

malouda - no. too inconsistent. he improved massively under Hiddink, but still wasn't consistent enough to warrant winning.

kranjcar - ha, just no. he phoned it in for Pompey for most of last season, and has only started playing well since moving. not enough to win it imo.

n'zogbia - you're having a laugh? calling inconsistent is kind. he's probably Wigan's most talented player, but he disappears far too often, and can be very lazy. i do like him, but nowhere near winning the category.

taylor - not quite in the running. though he can hit a dead ball well, and did pop up with the odd goal last year, and is one of Bolton's better players. he's just not consistent enough to be player of the year on the left side.

you can't just give this to people who play kind of well in mediocre teams (in reference to the last 2 there).

pienaar, as i said, is the only other one i can see who can rival Giggs.

unfortunately for him he's been injured recently, which doesn't help his cause. he really stepped up after the injury to arteta, granted, and he's definitely in the running.

i didn't think Giggs deserved POTY last year, but he did play very well when he played. and what's tipped it in his favour is his form at the start of this season, which has been truly sensational. his assist count is impressive, as well as his general play being so composed.

it hurts to say all this about Giggs by the way, because i really thought he was going to fade away at the start of last season.

The Volt

Duff

Well Pienaar missed 5 or 6 games through injury and that's it. Giggs can barely play two games in a week anymore. Just because a player plays for a mediocre team it shouldn't rule them out of the running. In Taylor's case, more often than not he's playing against a team with far more talent than his own. If inconsistency is your reasoning for not voting in Malouda, I would argue like PHB, that Giggs had a handful of poor performances as well.

SlickRic

Riera

Voltwad wrote: »

Well Pienaar missed 5 or 6 games through injury and that's it. Giggs can barely play two games in a week anymore. Just because a player plays for a mediocre team it shouldn't rule them out of the running. In Taylor's case, more often than not he's playing against a team with far more talent than his own. If inconsistency is your reasoning for not voting in Malouda, I would argue like PHB, that he had a handful of poor performances as well.

and as you'll see, i don't disagree with Pienaar's merits for being chosen.

Giggs did have a bad few games. i just feel overall it tips slightly in Giggs' favour. that's all.

they should be the clear top 2.

x PyRo

Young

No Arshavin ?. Plays on the left wing for Arsenal most of the time.

Feeky Magee

Riera

Sir Ryan Giggs, by a country mile.

whatawaster

Benayoun

Headshot

whatawaster wrote: »

Benayoun

Thats a right good one, he gets my vote

therokerroar

Riera

I've gone for Giggs on this one, I can't deny that he will end up winning this one and rightly so IMO.

Oh and I honestly can't recall the last time Steed Malbranque played on the left side of midfield for us, infact, I guarantee he hasn't for Sunderland or any of his previous clubs.

He's a right midfielder or occasionally he plays off the front man but Kieron Richardson and Andy Reid are the left wingers.

Andy Reid was a surprise ommision from the list for me, considering Dunne seems to be getting a place in this team on the back of a decent opening to this season it seems strange not to include Reid.

Holsten

M. Taylor

Yossi.

But since he isn't there, Young.

Pepe LeFrits

Should be Arshavin. He's played 95% of his games this year on the left.

Pepe LeFrits

Nasri shouldn't be on the poll either btw, I suspect you could count on one hand the number of games he's played on the left in 2009. Since Arshavin arrived he's played on the right or in the centre.

Royale with Cheese

Yeah I was thinking Arshavin. Not out and out left wing like in a 4-4-2 formation, but this is probably as close to the position he actually plays.

d22ontour

No Nani ?

Looks like Giggs will win it so voted other , Nani...

PHB

M. Taylor

Shoot, I wish to change my vote to Arshavin I didn't think of him as a left winger, more of a left wing forward. Same with Robinho I guess.