PFA Player of the Year Award 2013

              Last night marked the prestigious PFA Awards for the 2012/2013 Premier League season. Firstly, congratulations must go to Gareth Bale for winning both the PFA Player of the Year, and the PFA Young Player of the Year. Secondly, I was unsettled by the booing that greeted Luis Suarez’s name at the ceremony last night. As the audience was made up of his peers, it shocks me a little that they lacked the necessary class to simply ignore the situation. Furthermore, it reinforces the implicit argument, by the FA’s punishment, that biting someone is worse than racism. No players booed Suarez after the Evra affair, but now he has bitten someone (again), he deserves booing? I think not. This lack of professional courtesy, along with the recent controversy over Reginald D. Hunter’s jokes, has slightly detracted from what I believe is a deserving winner.

 

                Nevertheless, there appears to be significant debate over whether Bale did deserve this award. Having spent the morning trawling through BBC Sport’s comment section on the article (I know I’m sad!) many comments have been raised that suggest that either Robin van Persie or Luis Suarez would have been more deserving recipients. I am aware that much of what is written on these comment sections is entirely biased, and often offensive (until moderators remove it), and fans will naturally support the player for their own team. However, a few interesting points were raised, which I believe merit some discussion and examination. Firstly, one of the most overused phrases when describing Gareth Bale in this comment section was ‘a model professional’, something which was simultaneously used to castigate Luis Suarez’s chances. This prompted numerous responses from angry (and I suspect Liverpool) fans, stating that the idea of Bale as a ‘model professional’ is laughable due to his habit for diving. To me, they are arguing from a rather indefensible position. Whilst, personally, I believe that diving is one of the greatest sins of the modern game, it can be stamped out by tougher officiating. It is also simply an example of one professional attempting to gain an unfair advantage. However, both Bale and Suarez have been found guilty of this offence. Racism, and what can only be described as ABH, on the other hand, cannot be so easily eliminated. Neither are they simply an occupational hazard of having 22 highly competitive players in one place. Whilst I take the point about Bale not being a ‘model professional’, I would go a step further. I would eradicate that phrase from the dictionary when attempting to describe the actions and personality of a footballer. However, in my opinion, Bale’s misdemeanours are far slighter than those of Luis Suarez. As this award is voted for by their peers, clearly the players thought so too. I agree that personality should not be the sole determining factor, but it should definitely contribute. The winner of the award supposedly represents the best of football. Therefore, players will vote based partially on their abilities, and partially on their personalities.

 

                Secondly, arguments have been raised regarding Gareth Bale’s statistics. As he happens not to be either the Premier League’s top goalscorer, or top creator (I refuse to use the word assist on the grounds that it is an Americanism), he is apparently unworthy to win the award. Once again, these arguments completely miss the point. Firstly, you can spin statistics to say whatever you want. Gareth Bale happens to be the joint top scorer on goals scored away from home, if that really matters. Secondly, his position should be taken into account. As both Luis Suarez and Robin van Persie are centre forwards (i.e. it is their primary job to score goals, and lots of them), one should expect them to be towards the business end of the goal charts. Bale, as a winger/attacking midfielder, should not be judged to the same standard. The fact that he, at time of publishing, is only 6 goals behind van Persie and 4 behind Suarez, is impressive. The only statistic that I believe Bale lacks on is as a creator, as he remains several behind both van Persie (8) and Suarez (5), despite being in a seemingly beneficial position on the pitch. Those arguing for Suarez on the basis of statistics clearly have either not read them properly, or have spun them to their own advantage, as he trails in almost every one. As for Robin van Persie, in terms of statistics he is difficult to argue with. However, this brings me nicely to my third point. I believe consistency and moments of genius are key in determining the victor. Robin van Persie, whilst he undoubtedly has had moments of brilliance this season, went missing from the turn of the year until a few weeks ago. That is not the sign of a player destined for an award. Gareth Bale, on the other hand, began writing headlines from November onwards, and I believe has been the most consistent player this season. Timing, unfortunately, is an element in this process, and Bale appears to have picked his moment to come good to perfection.

 

                Finally, the most childish argument of them all, of ‘British-bias’ towards Bale. I was unsure whether to even include this, but I thought it so easy to shoot down I couldn’t resist. The fact that 4 of the 6 candidates to win the award this year were non-British, and that this is not untypical of most years, implies that there is no such thing. There are several British names that could have been included, if such a thing existed. Leighton Baines, Rio Ferdinand, both of whom were put into the PFA’s Team of the Year, but omitted from the nominees. The idea of a ‘British-bias’ is ridiculous, especially when you consider it is voted for by the players, most of whom, as it is regularly commented upon, are not British! This argument appears nothing more than the whining of the sore loser.

 

                So well done to Gareth Bale, overall a deserving winner. Fortunate in some respects, and I do wish he would stop diving, but a genuinely great footballer. With these awards, he joins a very exclusive list of multiple winners, and of players to have won both awards in the same season. If he progresses the same way as the last one, a Mr Ronaldo, then the rest of the Premier League will have serious problems.