Newcastle United represented in Championship Team of the Year.

Posted on April 26th, 2010 | 66 Comments |

Part of the Fab four!
Part of the Fab four!
It’s that time of the season where awards start getting dished out, both to recognise personal achievements and team achievements throughout the season.

We have already had Kevin Nolan named as the Championship Player of the Year, but last night it was time to announce the PFA Championship Team of the Year. The PFA awards were held at a glittering ceremony in London, and whilst Wayne Rooney must be pleased to have walked of with the PFA Player of the Year award, it doesn’t really interest me so much. What does interest me is the Championship Team of the year, which turns out features four players from Newcastle United this season. They are Fabricio Coloccini (as pictured), Jose Enrique, Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll.

Again it’s just another sign of a great season and whilst it must be nice to recieve recognition, it has to be somewhat expected after the manner in which we ended up winning the league and promotion back to the Premier League, which looks more comfortable now than it possibly was when we were in the midst of the season.

So how did these players get picked to represent Newcastle in the Team of the Year? What puts them above the likes of Jonas Gutierrez and Steve Harper? Here I will hvae a quick run through of their respective seasons.

Fabricio Coloccini: Possibly the player with the most question marks surrounding him; Would he still be with us? Would he spit the dummy? What would his attitude be like? Could he handle the physical side of the game more and cut out the mistakes?

He has answered all of those questions, making 36 appearances and scoring 2 goals in the process. A first class attitude has been on display from him all season. Has a point to prove next season, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he does just that.

Jose Enrique: The best left back in the division without doubt, and the player with possibly the least amount of questions surrounding him with regards to peformance and attitude. Cleary loves the club and has recieved regular adulation from the stands in his 34 appearances. Of course, who can forget the scenes of joy when he managed to grab is first goal for the club against Nottingham Forest? One of the defining images of the season in my opinion.

Kevin Nolan: Still has his doubters, but nobody can deny that his 17 league goals in 44 appearances this season have contributed immensely to the team claiming the title. It’s not only his goals that have been important either. Over the course of the season, Kevin has emerged as a real leader and spokesman for the team on and off the pitch. Will surely be captain next year, his experience of 272 Premier League appearances could prove vital for us.

Andy Carroll: You get allsorts from Andy Carroll. The passion of playing for his local team, controversy, goals and superb link up play. The last two in that list have both improved dramatically over the course of the season and it now seems that Carroll could be realising some of his potential as a player. You would have to think that if he can keep himself clear of trouble the he can go on to establish himself as a Premier League striker after his 17 league goals in 38 appearances this season.

I personally feel that the four selected have every right to be in the Team of the Year, and wonder why players like Steve Harper and Jonas Gutierrez were left out after their excellent respective seasons.

Here is the PFA Championship Team of the Year in full:

Camp (Nottingham Forest), Gunter (Nottingham Forest), Coloccini (Newcastle United), Williams (Swansea), Enrique (Newcastle United), Dorrans (West Brom), Whittingham (Cardiff), Nolan (Newcastle United), Adam (Blackpool), Carroll (Newcastle United), Chopra (Cardiff).

NUFCBlog Author: toonsy toonsy has written 643 articles on this blog.

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Posted on by toonsy in category: Andy Carroll and Awards and Fabricio Coloccini and Jose Enrique and Kevin Nolan and Thoughts and reflections and Toonsy , with tags: , , , ,
Comment on this post

66 Responses

  1. I’m also suprised jonas and harper arnt there, but am even more suprised to see that chopra is.

  2. I think that Loverboy should have been there too as his goal/game ratio is better than Chopra too, plus he did it whilst losing his father, which is no mean feat!!

  3. I think a lot of it is trying to balance it up whilst recognising our efforts.

    I dont think Camp has been any better than Harper, but it would be fairer to put Camp is as an example, to make the team a bit more open to the rest of the division.

  4. Harper
    gunter. Williamson. Colo. Jose

    routledge. Nolan. Guthrie. Jonas

    Lovenkrands Carroll.

    That looks about right to me :)

  5. jay jay – To be fair, I’d put that Charlie Adam in there, and you have to find a place for Graham Dorrans.

    If Steven Taylor had stayed fit the I would expect he would have made it in.

  6. Agree toonsy, Taylor would have made it in, my team was a bit tongue in cheek mate. Was gonna put leon best in there :)

  7. Leon Best came 2nd in the PFA Player of the Year mate. He just got pipped by Rooney ;)

  8. Agree .. have to say I think Xisco should be in there for his vital 28 minutes vs Sheff we’d earlier in the season ;)

  9. About right I think, only Jonas could have any complaints.

    Camp is a good keeper and there’s probably only a rizla between them. Harper has let his standards drop recently too.

  11. I think the FA have to avoid too many players from one team in there, and I suspect that’s got as much to do with Jonas and Harps’ absence as anything.

    Still – four is not bad!

    BTW, for anyone who hasn’t seen them, the pics of the locker room party on the .cock site are excellent; love the one of Nolan and the exploding champagne with Carroll in the foreground. Quality pic.

  12. Why is Harper not in there?
    & Lovenkrands & Jonas?
    Oh! we can’t have too many Newcastle players in there, even if they are the best.
    What a pile of Bullsh.
    dorrens would be in there only to dive & get pens, then take ’em.

  13. I know we are Newcastle supporters but we have to be fair.
    Just because Jonas had a good season doesn’t mean he deserves to be in the team of the year.
    He was competing with Peter Whittingham who has scored 20 and created 10 goals this season. Far more than Jonas.
    Dorrans, Adam and Nolan all deserved to be there ahead of him too.

    I’d have loved us to get Gunter instead of Simpson…

    Harper also had far less saves to make than Camp, much like giving Cech at Chelsea the goalkeeper award is pathetic because he hardly needs to make a save all season. As apposed to Given when he played for us who had to save 5 or 6 blinders a game…
    The goalkeeper award will generally go to a weaker team.
    So I say they got it pretty spot on, expept for Chopra. Carroll derserved it more.

  14. If Williamson had been with us all season, he woulda been in there too.
    Same with Routledge.

    & i just wanna send a shout out for Guthrie, who has come on leaps & bounds, especially since being layed centraly, & deserves more plaudits than he’s been getting.
    ;)

  21. Sorry…but they just can’t have a goalkeeper called Camp – you can’t make saves with a limp wrist….;)

    Mind, Sunderland still hold the “worst name for a player” award with Burnt Arse…..

  24. Here, here, here UTD111,
    :)

    I thought that numb nuts on sky was called ‘andy totally gay’ though.
    :)

  25. I see Hughton said we need to follow the Wigan model for the PL.

    So that’s Arsenal, Villa and now Wigan! Give it a bit and we’ll be looking at Burnley’s model.

    So we are now following a club that has an average attendance of less than 20,000 and spends about £10m per year on incoming transfers then sell all their best players to survive.

    Not too sure why 52,000 supporters should turn up next season and continue to buy all the merchandise if it’s only going to get us in a similar position to Wigan.

    Can we really not generate more transfer funds than Wigan??

    Cannot wait – The future is indeed bright!

  26. I think you may be taking that ever so slightly out of context there Stuart.
    & wigan even get 20k turning out, do they?
    :)

    Dount MA will wanna follow DW either.
    Probably bullsh hey?
    ;)

  28. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    April 26, 2010 at 11:13 am

    That’s why I put ‘less then 20,000’.

  29. Anyone else find it hilarious that a 24 year old won PFA Young Player Of The Year?

    How did Fabregas not win? two years younger, Less appearances, more goals, more assists, captains his club…PFA is a joke and clearly has no credibility whatsoever

  33. How’d the match/ anniversary dilemma resolve itself Stuart?

    Take it all went swimmingly and an good evening was enjoyed by all?

  34. El Toro,
    who won young player?
    I agree btw, 24 is canny auld.
    clothbutt(fabric-ass) shoulda won.
    :)

  37. OMG,(just found out el toro)
    no way is milner young player of the year!
    How the hell?
    He’s better than Fabregas?
    What a jingoistic vote.
    Pathetic.

  39. if we get the right players who can supple andy carrol he will have a field day in this league! the defenders are going backwards in the prem no 1 can defend any more in the air not 1 defender in that league will be able to handle him. keep saying this the prem is going backwards becasue the standard of players isnt all that good if manu players like giggs scholls and neville can still hack it against so called top players then people have got to release the standard is not that good.

  40. lesh says:
    April 26, 2010 at 11:35 am

    I was reasonably restrained at the match – But I got a bit tipsy in the evening.

    Enjoyed it though and I would recommend six at the Baltic.

  41. I think the (sweet) fa changed the name of the award to:
    The “young, slowly developing, over the last 8(count ’em-8) years, but based on adding all his goals, assists & teams he’s played for, player of the, almost, decade, that plays for england, in a WC year, player of the year award”.
    It’s got a catching ring to it, hasn’t it?
    :)

  42. Think Asim has a point there.

    I read an article somewhere that said much the same thing about the lost art if defending in the Premier League. Hopefully it’s still lost when we play them all next year.

  43. ~ El Toro ~ says:
    April 26, 2010 at 12:34 pm

    “Lesh

    Seriously, mate. I have decided to go for yet another name change.”

    You’ll still get called Spyro by me ;)

  44. Aye toonsy,
    i think asim has a point too.
    But having said that, therefore: How can the championship team of the season have anyone in the defense that don’t play for NUFC or SCFC as they have the best defensive records, easily?
    ;)

  46. Toonsy
    What`s your problem with Best? yeah I realise he has`nt scored, does that make him a bad player.
    How many starts has he had ?
    Have you actually watched him, I have noticed a pack mentality approch to certain players on this blog, it`s a “give a dog a bad name”and it sticks.
    The same attitude has been used against Shola, Butt and Smith,even Given (he hoofs it up the pitch) mostly by people who know jack shit about the game.
    So lighten up, criticism when deserved, sure, but for the sake of joining in with kna nowt clowns, nah1

  47. El Toro’s a bit of an iffy name at the mo Dragonera, Spyro or whatever.

    Didn’t you know that Spain’s most charimatic and popular bullfighter – Jose Tomas – is in intensive care having been badly injured by El Toro!

    I’d be keeping me head down and yet another name change might be advisable?

    Stuart….. glad you and all had a good Saturday, without incident.

  49. Hey lesh,
    any ‘bull-worrier’ should be gauged for fun.
    Down with animal murder for kicks.

    chuck,
    i’m with you on ganging up on players mate.
    Give Best a chance.
    ;)

  50. Chuck,

    There’s a pack mentality when it comes to Strolla because he’s sh1t!

    He’ll be a good Championship player from some team.

    How many chances does one man get…

  51. Doesn’t Shola have the best scoring stats this term?
    Games/minutes played-goals scored?
    What does that say about the other strikers then, if you apply that ‘logic'(?)?

  52. touche clint, Shola’s goals return compared to game time this year has been sensational- a ratio I think is overlooked by the fact that he’s not very graceful on the ball and falls over a lot! He’s got 11 goals in very few starts, so fair play to the lad.
    Though I would sell him this summer, as I think we’d get a handsome fee from a championship club as they’ll now know he can do the business at this level.

  53. CLiNT,

    It says that our other strikers might not be good enough I guess. We know Shola has had 10 yrs to prove himself and he hasn’t.

    It also shows that Shola is a good Championship player.

    If we give Carroll half the chances Shola’s had we’ll be in a position to make an informed opinion on him too.

  54. Chuck says:
    April 26, 2010 at 2:51 pm

    “Toonsy
    What`s your problem with Best? yeah I realise he has`nt scored, does that make him a bad player.
    How many starts has he had ?
    Have you actually watched him, I have noticed a pack mentality approch to certain players on this blog, it`s a “give a dog a bad name”and it sticks.”

    No problem with Best really to be hinest, I think he has been unlucky not to score, especially in games I have seen him in. His work off the ball is good aswell, something the TV doesn’t give justification to.

    Plus, if you are seriously suggesting that you took my Leon Best 2nd in PFA Player of the Year behind Rooney comment seriously then I’m lost for words. It was clearly tongue in cheek, highlighted by the ;) after it.

  55. Chuck says:
    April 26, 2010 at 3:26 pm
    How about, El Momo, El Burro, El Pendejo, El Estupedo.
    El Cabroncito…………

    Chuck, howsabout…..

    El Loaloaloalonahwhatsgoinonerethen?

  56. random bit of transfer info- gourcuff to united, 20 mil. They couldn’t get silva and didn’t wanna pay 40 mil for di maria. Don’t usually talk about stuff like this but have heard it from one or two sources today already. Would like to see him in the prem, milan are complete mugs for letting him go- if anyone needs young talent like that it’s milan. Heard another rumour yesterday that Cabaye was house-hunting in Newcastle, I’d love us to get him! I reckon Hughton’s being quiet on transfers and playing them down cos he’s got one or two up his sleave. In hughton we trust eh lads!

  57. Anyone on here who’s heading to QPR? Any thoughts on where for pre- and post-match booze? Shedloads of us heading there, so should be a good night if we can get us all in the same place.

    Tickets schmickets – just head down anyway, I say.

  58. Stuart,
    Ameobi has actually proved that he can score in the prem, champs league, against barca, uefa cup, championship etc.
    Not bad for a waster, hey?
    The lad has had a few injuries & at unfortunate times too.

    & Carroll’s already got through a few chances & has a few outstanding ones coming up too, if you know what i mean.
    Not bad for a young ‘un, hey?
    :)
    Ta for the response devon.
    ;)

  59. devonmag – I think the only thing all our signings will have in common will be that the press won’t have seen them coming!

    Unfortunately, that means that you can probably forget about Cabaye and all the other names we’re linked with in the next few months.

    I totally trust CH and co to get it right. Really exciting times, and I’m honestly looking forward to a season where mid-table mediocrity will be a good result!

    Funny ol’ game, eh?

  60. I also think Shola has done alright when given the chance – remember he’s spent 8 of those 10 years behind Big Al and whoever’s bought in to partner him – the way things were in the ‘trophy signings’ days.

    The reasons he gets knocked are that he sometimes just doesn’t appear to put the effort in, he falls over (dives) a lot, and looks like a horse getting shot when he tries anything energetic.

    I like the lad and want to keep him. Let’s not forget that it’s team spirit that got us here, and every player sold and replaced eats into that spirit.

  61. yes lads but feck this sentimentality crap…if we go on a bad losing run next season it will go out the window and these lads will once again look disinterested (ie ameobi)….he is quite a likeable lad off the pitch but he just doesn ever seem to work hard enough on it. he is out for half the season most seasons, something which doesnt look like ever changing…he is a championship player and could do very well for another team. we should try get a few million quid out of him because ashley will most likely short change us in that department so we should take what we can get with a player who will most likely play about 10-15 games and get 3 or 4 goals

  62. Whumpie says:
    April 26, 2010 at 5:32 pm

    So you’re saying we should keep Ameobi just because we have a good team spririt – Just in case we replace him with someone who doesn’t fit in with the spirit?

    Well if that’s the way you wanna go, we’ll not let anyone go or bring anyone in. Just in case they upset the team.

    That’s pretty stupid if you ask me – I would hope Hughton would do enough homework on transfer targets and knows their personality.

  63. Oh and this ‘brilliant team spirit’ everyone goes on about helps, but it’s not the be all and end all – Look at Pompey, brilliant team spirit but they would have gone down regardless of admin.

    Still need quality, and if that quality doesn’t want to go ten pin bowling with his team mates then that’s his choice – We shouldn’t be turning him down because of that.

  64. Stuart,
    of course we need to strengthen & that nearly always means add quality.
    But team spirit cannot be underestimated, it can take you a long way. If everyone’s pulling in the same direction it can make all the difference.
    Look at the difference between last seasons disjointed bunch & this seasons ‘team’.

  65. Aye CLiNT, team spirit is very important but so is attracting the calibre of player.

    For the last 5 or so years we have been battered by teams who, on paper, have inferior squads to us but show more guts, determination and team spirit than us and get the result they deserve against us. Wigan, Stoke, Fulham, Bolton, Hull. All ‘worse’ than us but regularly got results against us.

    Team spirit can’t be bought, and whilst it isn’t everything, it sure gives us a head start, as Roy Keane said after the game on Saturday.