PFA Player Of The Year: Bale heads up shortlist of nominees

 

The shortlist for the PFA Player of the Year has been announced, with Gareth Bale heading up a strong field of candidates...

 

Gareth Bale heads up a six man shortlist for the 2012-13 PFA Player of the Year award. The shortlist also contains Premier League top scorer Luis Suarez, Chelsea's Eden Hazard who gets a nod in his debut season alongside teammate Juan Mata and two Manchester United players in the shape of Robin van Persie and much underrated Michael Carrick who, at 31, receives his first appearance on the shortlist.

 

Gareth Bale is strong favourite to pick up the award, and was trading as low as 1.23 ahead of the announcement. Canny punters who laid their money down early were able to back him at a high price of 32.0 on Betfair, and that now looks a shrewd move given the form Bale has been in recently.

 

The Premier League's top scorer should always be worth a nod though, and Luis Suarez (who currently has 22 league goals this season, just ahead of Van Persie who notched his 21st at the weekend) is a worthy candidate also. His on-field antics are at times controversial, but this is a fine player who has arguably been the most consistent performer on the list. The Uruguayan has been matched at 44.0 to win the award.

 

Robin van Persie has taken to Manchester United like a duck to water and looks almost certain to be rewarded with his first ever Premier League title in his first season in the North West. The market doesn't think he'll get a PFA Player of the Year award to go along with it though despite him being there or thereabouts for the majority of the season. In fact, he's not been backed at anything over 10.0 on Betfair, but a barren patch in form which coincided with the voting may have just scuppered his chances.

 

Michael Carrick is well worth a nomination, and his inclusion on the list is a great recognition of the type of role he performs every week for Manchester United. His is the type of position that is unlikely to ever be rewarded with a Player of the Year award, but he is at least officially acknowledged for the first time in his career. He won't win, but a fifth Premier League title will no doubt provide ample salve to that particular wound.

 

The list is rounded up by two Chelsea players, Juan Mata and Eden Hazard. Mata has been outstanding for the majority of his time at Stamford Bridge and is hardly a surprising selection. Hazard, on the other hand, is a little more eyebrow-raising. At his best, he's a fine player capable of turning games and providing as well as scoring goals in abundance, but there have to be question marks over his consistency at this stage. Matched at a high of 70.0 on Betfair, he can't realistically be considered a contender to actually win the award this year.

 

The shortlist announcement is harsh on players like Christian Benteke and Michu who have both had excellent first seasons on these shores and bagged 32 league goals between them, but the award has a history of perhaps being slightly biased towards the larger clubs and that could go some way to explaining their omission.

 

Benteke can at least take solace from his inclusion in the Young Player of the Year shortlist, where he is joined by Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, Gareth Bale, Jack Wilshere and Danny Welbeck.

 

Please note: This market will not be re-opened, as the winner is already effectively known despite the announcement not being made until 28th April.

 

Bet HERE

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