During the UEFA Champions League Group Stage draw this evening, Rio Ferdinand was once again upstaged by John Terry, this time, for the European Club Defender of the Year award. Nemanja Vidic was also in the running.
Then there was Petr Cech beating Edwin Van der Sar to the goalkeeping award, followed by Frank Lampard scooping the midfielder of the award, beating Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard and Cesc Fabregas.
What’s going on?
Cech has suffered his dodgiest season yet as a Chelsea player, in contrast to Edwin Van der Sar who has just enjoyed arguably his best season with the club. The fact that United conceded fewer goals, in both the league and Champions League with Edwin in goal, as well as it being Van der Sar who made the penalty save that won the European Cup, has been overlooked, clearly.
Frank Lampard scored some important goals for Chelsea and whilst a joke for England, there is no denying he is effective for the blues. Paul Scholes’ absence for several months of the season, despite his screamer against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final, could have cost him.
The most baffling of all the awards has to be John Terry though, who certainly hasn’t played at the standard of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic is the season just gone. Surely even the most devout Chelsea fan would struggle to argue that.
The fact that better players were upstaged by Chelsea players couldn’t have anything to do with United having an important game to play tomorrow, could it? Whilst Ronaldo made an appearance, scooping the forward and overall player of the season awards, he is injured, and will be at the match tomorrow as a spectator. Attending a glitzy awards show the evening before the European Super Cup match isn’t what you’d call ideal preparation, and something no doubt the manager would forbid, even if it meant costing his players awards. He’s got his eyes on a bigger prize for tomorrow.
The winners of the awards were used to help with the draw so a no-show from the winning players would be fairly embarrassing. I wouldn’t put it past the organisers to award players who they knew would show up, as surely that can be the only reasonable explanation so many Chelsea players were awarded for their contribution to a season where they won nothing, and United were Champions.
edit. This award isn’t to be confused with the European Player of the Year! The Chelsea fans were getting rather giddy, so I felt it best to rule out any further confusion to save embarrassment.
At a push I can see why Lampard got the nod – he was good in the Champs Lge, but Terry and Cech?!?!
Edwin and Rio outclassed them completely. I think Rio’s performances against Roma and Barcelona were probably the stand-out performances of the whole competition.
Let them keep there meaningless individual awards. Our players can keep there European cup winners medals.
I still can’t believe it. John Terry…I mean, what did he really do last season? Rio and Vida are probably the best defenders in the world right now and Rio had an amazing season last year. But still Terry wins despite missing the penalty and all that.
I think that Roman had something to do with it.
Still, Rio lifted the CL-trophy, Terry went from the arena crying…
your a one man tean and it appears eveybody but utd fans realise it
Hahahahaha. The best managers in the WORLD voted these players as the best in their positions. I rather value their opinion then a manc site with their obvious bias. pathetic
Vava – so when our “one man” missed his penalty, why did we win the European Cup?
Answers on a postcard kids.
And JT, this isn’t European Player of the Year, you clown, it’s just some UEFA award. Crikey. Sorry, unless you consider Fred Rutten, Gordan Strachan, Manolo Jiménez and Ernesto Valverde as the best managers in the World
you can all fuck off,they won them end of,terry is the best defender in the world,cech is by far the best keeper,and lamps is the best midfielder,end of
I think people voted on reputation as I agree that Cech is, overall, better than Van Der Sar. But when you look at how well they played last year, surely it has to be Edwin. That’s the only idea I can think of; they know that Cech is better than Van Der Sar and voted accordingly, not bothering to remember than Van Der Sar was, possibly, the best goalie in Europe last year.
Carvalho should have won defender of the year, not Terry, Rio or Vidic. Cech, Ronaldo and Lampard got the awards they deserved.
get over it you muppets,they won them,end of. they are voted for by managers,not you lot,thank god
bah! JT was a staunch stallion at the back despite missing most games. Cech was outstanding in the CL too last season. Lamps is undoubtedly the best midfielder in the world. His goals and assists just wow! u. 20 goals and 14 assists from just 31 starts last season. He is something else
there must be a lot of full swiss bank accounts after that crap annoucement of rentboy terry getting best defender!!!, unfuckingbelievable!!!!….and cech best keeper!!!, they had to beat shit teams to get to final for christs sake, and if scholesy wasnt injured, he would have easily got best midfielder….c’mon rentboys, show us yar medals!!!!!!!!!!!!!
cech pulled off some world class saves against torres, ronaldo and rooney….while for edwin, rio and vidic did all the dirty work that is why cech deserves it
Scotty, what part of you makes you think John Terry is a rentboy? He is Chelsea through out. Schoolboy, academy product. We are proud we have him around.
Fucking hilarious seeing all you numbnuts going crazy with these mickeymouse awards!
hahaha..greedy fucking manc numbnuts!
livid for edwin.. what wasters, man. cech over edwin is a fucking laugh.
Ravenous – well his dad is a red and he grew up following United, so you’re right, he’s not rentboy by blood.
JT was a Man Utd support growing up. Chelsea through and through my arse. And better than Rio? No chance. Rio is more of a player and more of a man that JT. My feelings on that little thug have been made very clear here and elsewhere.
Essien is better than Lampard. Unfortunately his extraordinary versatility has worked against him. Lampard could be replaced but without Essien Chelsea are fucked. I’d have given the award to Fabregas myself but Lampard isn’t even the best midfielder in his own team.
Maybe Cech is deserving of his award. I think technically he is the best in the world, and he’s got a good ten to fifteen years ahead of him, but last season was below par. I don’t understand how Van der Sar’s achievements can be overlooked.
I suppose what I’m saying is that I pretty much agree with Scott.
I’ve already lost all faith in the World Player of The Year and now this…
The only way I can see Cech beating VDS is if the voting was based on reputation.
Lampard I can understand, he had a good season and is a terrific player for Chelsea.
But I can’t think of any way, any logic, that would explain Terry winning it. Rio was the best defender in the world last year, and I don’t think anyone can argue with that.
What’s funny is that we had the best defensive record and somehow Chelsea win the goalkeeper and defender awards… Not to mention the teams they had to play! Olympiakos, Fenerbache and Liverpool while we had Lyon, Roma and Barcelona.
Shame…
Individual awards don’t really matter!!
It is all about winners medals!
awwwww don’t cry MANURE don’t cry!!! AWWWWWW
Who’s crying?
Not us
Scott, thats class!
Scott – that should end all arguments
The award ceremony is such a predictable non-event. Predicatable nominees and winners. Boring boring boring. Get on with the draw. Thats why everyone is watching. No one wants to hear the sycophantic blabberings of the presenters or the lame exception speeches about being part of a great team. And why did the UEFA chief executive have to explain all the rules in such detail in his slow. monotone. voice.
You lot would probably say rooney is united thru and thru but he grew up supporting everton and i doubt giggs supported united as a kid. My point is who gives a fuck who he went for as a kid its irrelevant. By the way Chelsea deserved all the awards. Drogba shoulda got best forward :]
giggs did support united as a kid you halfwit
Wow, The Chelsea fans on this blog must all reside in the Land of Delusion. Cech is constantly getting injured since his head injury. Though he’s still a great goalie…best goalie of last season? I don’t think so. Then there’s lampy…I’ve never been a fan of Lampard since his Ham days but out of Cech and Terry, he is their best player. Then there’s the slippery when wet Jonny boy. For some reason, Terry reminds me of Robert Mugabe. He’s an Ego-Maniac who thinks the world of himself. Best Defender? Shit mate. I’m speechless. But at least I know that the Real winner’s go home to Champions League WINNERS medals!
Rentboys used their overpaid dough to pay the UEFA. You gotta be kidding for Lampard, Terry and Cech to win those awards. They paid for that alright but they can never pay for the real price, Champs League Trophy.
We weren’t the ones who cried pathetically like Terry does, instead there were tears of joy by winning the double. Heck, we even beat you rentboys in terms of scoring and defending.
So, Lamppost, Berry and Tech can keep their awards. As long as that will keep them not to cry anymore. See the resemblance of lil’ kids getting their lollipops?
I’d say Casillas is the best goalkeeper in the world, Rio best defender, Ronaldo best midfielder and Torres the best forward.
Who gives a fuck about which player wins which award. We’ve just won the double! No body is going to remember that Fat Frank was named the best midfielder in europe in a year or two. But united grabbing the double to mark the 50 year anniversery from munich and 40 year anniversery from our first european cup will be remembered forever. As a bonus Ryan Giggs became the player to play most games ever for Man U in the CL final, can it get any bettter?
It will be nice though, to see a united player be crowned the best player in the world at the end of the year…
Terry got the award, simply, as they knew he’d just start crying again if he didn’t, same reason he got England armband, cos he’s a soft, little girl who cries when things don’t go his way. Still, I’d rather have a Champions league winners medal………
TERRY = THUG, CUNT, RACIST, SPITTING CRY BABY HOOLIGAN
LAMPARD = FAT JOKER, THE MOST OVVERATED PLAYER IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD..ONE DIMENSIONAL AND 100 SHOTS A GAME…..look at his shots to goals ratio…then it’ll tell you the real truth
CECH = BUTTER FINGERS
AWARDS = HENCE A JOKE
Does anyone care???? While they’re winning some second rate awards, Fletcher and O’Shea have more CL medals than the entire Chelsea midfield combinded, lol