Bellerin overlooked for YPOTY

Yesterday the shortlists for Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year were released and, as is customary, fans from all clubs exploded with fury at one of their players being overlooked for one or more others they feel are less deserving. We are no different.

How did Bellerin not get on that list? By almost every measure he has been the best right-back in the league this season and he's only 20 years old. It's a farce. By the Premier League's own measurements he has been the second best defender, not just right back, in the league this season - just behind Alderweireld. Bellerin is the blueprint modern fullback. He can defend, an area he improves in daily, and he can attack.

However, it's not just Bellerin's ommission that I take issue with, it's also the why. If you look at the shortlist there is plenty to gripe about for many clubs. Lukaku, Barkley, Coutinho, Butland, Kane and Alli.

Firstly, I think these votes are incorrectly named. It's really player of the season and that causes problems because players who finish the season strongly or win a trophy are more likely to get votes. That isn't fair when you consider that other players might actually have performed much better in a poorer team. For example, Lukaku, despite cooling off recently, has almost matched Kane for goals yet has played in a far inferior team. Surely that is more impressive?

Also, think of Özil in the main category whose creativity has not waned by his numbers have through no fault of his own. Had Arsenal been able to finish their dinner for the past 3 months he could easily be on 25 assists and no-one could claim he had not had a standout season. An individual award could be determined by the inadequacy of a team. There's an irony to that.

Barkley has 8 goals and 7 assists this season which for a 22 year old playing in a mid-table side is pretty decent and possibly deserves a mention but how did Coutinho get in? 7 goals and 5 assists is a pretty average return and on top of that he's the oldest player in the category. Were this held after his birthday in June you would have to question whether he would get a nomination in the main category. I don't think he would and putting him in the young player category feels a little like someone is desperate to get a Liverpool player on the card. Especially when you think of all the excellent young players who have outperformed their much older colleagues he has stopped being shortlisted.

You could make the argument that Coutinho is still 23 and technically a young player so therefore his return is just as impressive as Barkley's. Also that the bar for impressiveness is lower for the young player's category. If that is the case why is Kane on both shortlists? As with seasons past, this feels like the nominations are being engineered so a certain player wins something. Kane is unlikely to win the main vote with Vardy and Mahrez on fire all season and close to completing the greatest fairytale in the history of the league. He will probably win the young player's award though, with team-mate Alli his greatest competition.

I don't believe you should be in both categories. If you have played so well that you are considered a nominee for Player of the Year then you shouldn't be considered a Young Player of the Year even if you are under 23.

Looking at this as objectively and fairly as I can I believe there are two players on that list who shouldn't be there. Coutinho doesn't warrant it in my opinion and Kane shouldn't be on both. That would have left room for Bellerin and Martial who are the two most obvious ommissions. The Young Player of the Year award, with the current shortlist, is almost guaranteed to go to Kane but a shortlist of Lukaku, Barkley, Martial, Bellerin, Alli and Butland would be much closer and therefore much fairer.

Alli would probably win it as he has been outstanding this season but Lukaku would possibly get a large chunk of Kane's votes for his scoring exploits, Martial would hold his own and I would hope that Bellerin would also do well.

Individual awards are never as important as team ones but as long as they exist then more should be done to make them fair. Firstly, they should take place after the season has ended and be for that season, not the year. Secondly, players should not be shortlisted in both categories. I think it's fair to consider them for both categories to avoid controversy but if they get in the main one they shouldn't get in the YP one. Thirdly, I think the age should be lowered to 21 or 22. Some players aged 23 have played for 3-5 years and that gives them a huge advantage over their fellow young players.

Bellerin is improving with every game and next season he'll be even better than this - if he doesn't make it on the shortlist next season we'll have definitive proof that these awards are a load of old tosh.

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