The TEN Premier League players that exceeded pre-season expectation
A look at ten players that have excelled in the Premier League this season; this list is a mixture of players that have come through the youth systems to inspired signings for cut-price fees.
My list includes a look at the Liverpool youth system, a defender that could prove to be vital to England’s future success, a Nigerian striker that has excelled, two stars of Blackpool’s season, a player that performances for Wolves earned him England recognition, a Spanish left back and a Chelsea striker that has excelled on-loan at a different Premier League club.
There are of course plenty of players who could of made my list but haven’t. In terms of clarification the key is in the title and also through transfer fees. For example I was toying with the idea of including Andy Carroll and in some ways he fits the criteria perfectly and probably would have made the list had he remained at Newcastle – but I just felt his £35m January transfer meant It didn’t feel right to include him. Another player that I thought about including was Kevin Nolan and he fits the criteria – but I just wasn’t comfortable with including him because then the list would have included three players that started their season with Newcastle. I also thought of including Sandro at Tottenham but felt his significant transfer fee meant any success should not be a surprise. However, he has done well to adept to English football so quickly. And finally Van Dar Vaart but I felt he was too established as a player to be considered a surprise.
Click on Martin Kelly below to unveil the top 10
Agree or disagree with my list then why not join the conversation on Twitter and explain why.
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what a stupid list…where’s jack wilshere the YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR?
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Tom Jones Reply:
May 17th, 2011 at 4:19 pm
his pre-season expectations were high, he’s been good, but hasn’t exceeded them – that’s pretty much impossible when you’re touted as England’s next big thing!
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Bam Reply:
May 17th, 2011 at 6:09 pm
Must b n arse*al fan, can’t even comprehend simple English.
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Cheick Tiote
Demba Ba
???? D:/
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Wilshere has had a great season, but not entirely unexpected.
Kyle Walker and Sandro, however, had very little and no PL experience respectively before this season.
And yet Spearing gets in before them? I’d agree with much of the list though.
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Spearing and Kelly? Cobblers; they played really well against spurs, didn’t they? Have they featured since the start? No.
Spearing’s lucky not to have been sent off and he’s only in there because pool spunked all their money on forwards and Gerrard’s injured.
Kelly? Who cares, once kenneth throws his toys out in the summer, he’ll be allowed to cane the money on some EU bloke and kelly will be a long-forgotten footnote.
Youth policy at liverpool is a joke; the only reason some of the Addams Family got to play is because of the lack of depth in the squad.
How many ‘youth’ players have the pool borught up through the ranks in the last ten years? Gerrard and Carragher. Mellor, anyone?
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ste ash Reply:
May 19th, 2011 at 3:33 pm
You seem to be very quick to judge liverpools youth set-up (toffee nose). when u couldn@t find a decent enough forward in ur youth teams to put in when u had no 1st teamers. Kelly will be playing for England soon as will 5-6 others in future. U just p*$$£d off coz u gotta sell any half decent young players to pay the wages for the rest of ur ordinary players
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