As the season draws to a conclusion and Liverpool are still (arguably) in with a shot at Champions League football, Reds fans will look back at the second half of the season and wonder what might’ve been. If only we’d had the foresight, or the benefit of hindsight, we may have been looking at a title run-in over the next 6 games. It hasn’t been a vintage season by Liverpool’s recent standards but then, it hasn’t been one by anybody’s standards. However, the past few months have offered some positives for us so it is probably a good time to look back at the players who have shone most for Liverpool this season.
From the back, the choices are obvious and given the poor defensive performance this season, there’s really only one candidate; only one man that has kept his head and not let himself dip while those around him struggled: Pepe Reina. The man is already a legend at Liverpool, and if a season was to go by without him being a candidate for Liverpool’s PoS, then you will know that it is a good indication that the Reds have suffered badly throughout. So it perhaps a big thanks to him that we didn’t find ourselves in a worse position before there was a change in management in January. Having played 44 games this season, he has still managed to keep 17 clean sheets and made over 100 saves.
Through to midfield and we have 2 surprise candidates: Lucas Leiva and Raul Meireles. Surprising because back in September, Lucas was still a ‘liability’, a joke and had been pushed toward the exit before the new manager had even had a chance to assess him. Luckily for Liverpool, he opted to stay and has gone on to have his best season in a Red shirt by a mile. He has grown in stature, matured to a level close to the world-class destroyer that was Javier Mascherano. And while he may not quite be there yet, the hopes are high for Lucas and he may well one day be on a par with the great Argentine. Having played 39 games this season, he has contributed only 1 goal and 1 assist. Some detractors may point to this as an example of how little he has improved and in all honesty, it is a side of his game that needs improvement but that is not what he is there for. What he does do is break down the opposition and keep things moving and tidy in the middle. And this he does with great authority and energy; making numerous tackles and with one of the highest pass-completion rates in the league, Lucas is a standout candidate for the PoS.
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As for Meireles, the past few weeks have seen him seemingly winding down as the season draws to a close. But I suspect that is less to do with complacency and more to do with his energy levels dropping drastically as who comes to the end of a very hard first season in the most physically brutal league in Europe. The first couple of months saw Raul flit in and out of games but he soon got his head and his body around what was required to make it in the Premier League and before we knew it he was emerging to control games and have a positive effect on the Reds passing and rhythm. The highlight of the Portuguese international’s season came during the absence of the captain for a number of weeks when he was given his preferred role in the centre of midfield, where he excelled, contributing goals and assists and dominating midfield. Unfortunately for Meireles (and perhaps also Liverpool?), once fit Gerrard was slotted straight back in and his form dipped slightly. Next season will be the important one for Meireles in as much as he will be scrutinized much more having already bedded in and that whoever is managing the club by next August will have to find a way to accommodate him in a packed midfield. Meireles enter the last six games of the season having played 36 games, with 5 goals and 5 assists.
Closing out the candidates is a man that many would never consider standout material for the PoS: Dirk Kuyt. He has probably as many detractors as Lucas; dividing opinions in the way only Marmite can. But this season Dirk has risen, time and time again, when others have kept their heads below the firing line, and delivered the important goals when it mattered. For his tirelessness and near mythical work rate, Kuyt puts a lot of his younger and more illustrious team mates to shame. With 35 games under his belt this season, he has chipped in with 11 goals and 5 assists. It is also worth pointing out that he is Liverpool current top-scorer this season.
In conclusion, there is really only one winner in my mind; he has proved time and again this season that he has a spirit and a backbone – and some pretty huge cojones, if you’re Mexican – that would make a Spartan proud and has a rapidly improving game that will only mature, like a good wine, with age: Lucas Leiva. Who do you think should be given the honour?
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how can it be Lucas, yes he has got better but he never contributes towards any goals. It has got to be Meireles who dragged us through many games and stepped up when we needed someone to.
i understand where you’re coming from, but lucas is a holding player. meireles has invariably been played further forward therefore he will naturally get more goals and assists. it’s naive to suggest that a player is more important because of their position.
david n’gog has got a few relatively important goals this season. is he better than agger/carra? i’ll let you answer that one…
no he isn’t, I was trying to say that I have enjoyed watching Meireles play more this season than Lucas so I think he should get it. He has better distribution, better shooting, more pace etc, which makes him a better all round player. The only thing I think Lucas has done better is tracking players and getting into better positions defensively. Meireles has also helped out at the back though and had cleared some shots off the line if i remember right!
ARE YOU JOCKING meireles is no were near as good as lucas lucas amazing much better than meireles he was only good for a few weeks and been crap for the rest luca for the past to years is one of the most consistantly good players i now
Lucas has got to be player of the season. He has got his head down and risen to the challenge. He is still a young player but he has become one of our key players. The club wanted to sign him to a long term contract and I’m sure Kenny knows what he’s doing. Also played 10 times for brazil and is now a regular can’t be bad. I think he will get better and better.
Suarez!
Lucas all the way by a mile..easily the most constant performer in the team this season. A players player. If people can’t see what he brings to the team and not to mention the way he has worked so hard to improve his game over the last two seasons then they haven’t got a clue about football. He will only get better and could be a future captain in the years to come.
Yep, Lucas has been the most consistent player in this season – whether we were battling against relegation, or in good runs of form his levels of performance were exactly the same. Just goes to show how negligible his impact is on the team eh!
What i have seen this season, pepe reina should be the player of the season, he made lot of wonderful and important saves to still give us a hope of europe..he is really important and he showed it against Arsenal.