Phew. After a jampacked holiday schedule that came fast and furious, fans and players alike now get a chance to catch their breath as the next round of games doesn’t come until the 12th. The Carling Cup semifinals and the 3rd Round of the FA Cup will have to tide everyone over until then and there should be some pretty good games in both competitions.I came out with a “Best of” list for the year 2007 the day after Christmas and got some interesting feedback on that. That list encompassed everything in the 2006-2007 season and what we’ve seen thus far in the ’07-’08 season, but my next endeavor is to hand out midseason awards for this year. I know it’s not exactly the halfway point in the season as teams have played either 20 or 21 league games, but I’ve always looked at midseason as the turn of the new year and that time has come.So, without further ado, here are my midseason awards for the 2007-2008 Barclays Premier League season:
Most Outstanding Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Most Valuable Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Striker: Nicholas Anelka (Bolton)
Best Midfielder: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Center Back: Jamie Carragher (Liverpool)
Best Full Back: Gaël Clichy (Arsenal)
Best Summer Signing: Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
Worst Summer Signing: Florent Malouda (Chelsea)
Most Improved Team: Manchester City
Least Improved Team: Newcastle
Biggest Surprise (Team; Best): Manchester City
Biggest Surprise (Player; Best): Roque Santa Cruz (Blackburn)
Biggest Surprise (Team; Worst): Tottenham
Biggest Surprise (Player; Worst): Darren Bent (Tottenham)
Best Goal: Sebastian Larsson (Birmingham); vs. Tottenham (12/02)
Best Manager: Martin O’Neill (Aston Villa)
Worst Manager: Sam Allardyce (Newcastle)
Best Match: Chelsea-4, Aston Villa-4 (12/26)
