<p style="text-align: justify;">The Barclay's Premier League season was full of outstanding performances, moments of brilliance, moments which made a mockery of football, and of course, the controversies. In a ten-month long season, there is a lot which goes unnoticed or is forgotten, and there is a lot which needs to be rewarded.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Here are some traditional, and some not-so-traditional categories to remind you of the season gone by...</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><em>Best manager of the season</em></strong> </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Alex McLeish not only managed to keep Birmingham up this season, but has also secured a top half finish for the newly promoted side. Carlo Ancelotti has secured Chelsea's first ever double, but with a team of superstars, that was well expected from him. The award, however, goes to a twitchy <strong>Harry Redknapp</strong> for finally breaking into the top four and earning Tottenham a first crack at the Champions League...qualifiers.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em><span style="color: #ff0000;">Survival act of the season</span></em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">It is no mean feat to relegate two teams in the same season and still have a job. Eat your heart out, Jose! <strong>Brian Laws</strong> is the real miracle man.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 0px none currentColor;" src="http://cdn.picapp.com/ftp/Images/0/9/0/a/Football__Burnley_2a3f.jpg?adImageId=12993710&imageId=8746665" border="0" alt="Football - Burnley v Tottenham Hotspur Barclays Premier League" width="300" height="350" /> <em>Brian's laws of football didn't quite work.. </em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em><span style="color: #ff0000;">Goal of the season</span></em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Thierry's cheekyness, Xabi's audacity and Becks' execution - <strong>Maynor Figueroa</strong>'s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgnkVswxkws&feature=related" target="_blank">long-range wonder</a> to catch Stoke keeper Sorensen out is head and shoulders above every goal this season. Ashley Cole's Bergkamp-esque strike against Sunderland, Danny Rose's debut screamer against the Gunners and Cesc Fabregas's solo effort against Spurs were unlucky to miss out.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">Best celebration of the season</span></strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The direction, the team-spirit, the humour and the stage - <strong>Jimmy Bullard</strong>'s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pcGwaspitM&feature=related" target="_blank">famous mockery</a> of his own manager, at the very place he and his team-mates received a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao-x7_7g0PA" target="_blank">public rollicking one season ago</a>, was up there with the best celebrations in football history.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em><span style="color: #ff0000;">Best impersonation of a football player</span></em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Andriy Voronin</strong> - you were fooled, weren’t you? Unfortunately for Liverpool, so was the man at the helm. With looks befitting a porn star, Voronin couldn't find first base at Liverpool.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em><span style="color: #ff0000;">Fastest sprint of the season</span></em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">No, not Lennon or Theo! This was a close contest between two men who play at the opposite ends of the field. Wayne Rooney's seventy-yard sprint to finish off an attack he began in Arsenal's half at the Emirates was spectacular. The award, however, goes to <strong>Pepe Reina</strong>'s goal-to-goal dash to celebrate in front of the Kop. It took less than ten seconds and two camera angle changes for him to climb all over goalscorer Ngog, after he had scored against United. No other Liverpool player was in sight.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em><span style="color: #ff0000;">Most ground covered on the touchline</span></em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">At times, <strong>Alberto Aquilani</strong> was like a neglected teenage girl doing everything possible to gain some attention. By Iain Dowie’s standards, he is pretty sexy as well. Unfortunately, a certain Spaniard has higher standards.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em><span style="color: #ff0000;">Worst use of technology</span> </em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Ex-Hull manager <strong>Phil Brown</strong> preferred wearing a headset on the touchline to presumably communicate with the bench, instead of turning around and opening his mouth. Clearly, there was nobody listening at the other end. Phil lost his job and Hull were relegated.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 0px none currentColor;" src="http://cdn.picapp.com/ftp/Images/5/f/3/8/be.JPG?adImageId=12993671&imageId=3165658" border="0" alt="Football - Hull City v Sunderland Barclays Premier League" width="300" height="350" /> <em>Phil Brown - always on-line</em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em><span style="color: #ff0000;">Best missus grabber</span> </em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>John Terry. </strong>Contact Wayne Bridge.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em><span style="color: #ff0000;">Most influential merchandise</span></em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">With a Liverpool crest on its heart, the <strong>beach ball</strong> sent Reina the wrong way to score the winner at the Stadium of Light. It also has the best goals-to-shots ratio in the league. BB for England!<strong><em><span style="color: #ff0000;"> </span></em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em><span style="color: #ff0000;">Best Scouser of the season</span></em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">A gentle reminder to United supporters who indulge themselves in anti-scouser chants. <strong>Wayne Rooney</strong> is a scouser - ironical, isn't it?</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">Biggest debt of the season</span></strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>David Bentley</strong> gets this one for <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVIh9Yc4SWo&feature=related" target="_blank">ruining his manager's three thousand pound suit</a> in a post-match interview cum celebration at the Eastlands. The debt will be doubled if Tottenham don't reach the group stages of the Champions League.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">Bulls eye of the season</span></strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The accuracy of <strong>Lukasz Fabianski</strong>'s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev3SLg7qzAQ&feature=related" target="_blank">drop on Bramble's head</a> would have made stealth fighter plans develop an inferiority complex. Somehow, Wenger wasn't proud of this talent in his youngster.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><em>Overrated goal of the season</em></strong> </span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Chelsea owns this category. The world has gone gaga over goals which didn't go according to plan. Drogba's opening day mis-directed cross in injury time gave Chelsea a victory over Hull - verdict: audacious! At Bolton, Deco and Lampard attempted to combine but Lampard's back flick fortuitously found Drogba - verdict: simply stunning! But our winner comes from the visit of Stoke City, when <strong>Frank Lampard</strong> attempted to hook back a wonderful Hutchison cross, only to find the ball nestling in the far corner - verdict: Best player on the planet!</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 0px none currentColor;" src="http://cdn.picapp.com/ftp/Images/8/6/6/d/Chelsea_vs_Stoke_fd0e.jpg?adImageId=12993943&imageId=8625582" border="0" alt="Chelsea vs Stoke City" width="350" height="350" /> Frankly, was it intentional?</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">Worst performance in a supporting role</span></strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">When<strong> Dimitar Berbatov</strong> was taken off at White Hart Lane, it energized Wayne Rooney into a completely different player. Rooney ran the Spurs defence ragged on his own, scored a fabulous goal beating both center backs and a ten-man United looked more likely to score.<strong> </strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">Best Chelsea hammering</span></strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">There is a wonderful symmetry to this - 7-0 against Stoke, <a href="http://www.footytube.com/video/chelsea-aston-villa-7-1-38057" target="_blank">7-1 against Villa</a> and 7-2 against Sunderland before routing Wigan 8-0 on the final day. A rampant Chelsea washed their hands with all off these opponents in some style at Stamford Bridge. But our winner is the <strong>Aston Villa </strong>hammering. Why? For the statement of intent, for making a mockery of the best defense in the league and for 'devastating' the overly-dramatic Martin O'Neill.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">Best impression of Mark Hughes</span></strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Roberto Mancini</strong> - The City boss hardly proved to be an improvement on Mark Hughes both, in terms of managerial abilities and in terms of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JM0niOycb0&feature=PlayList&p=5B6B6C23C95ED819&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=57" target="_blank">'losing the plot'</a>.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em><span style="color: #ff0000;">Best London bus analogy</span></em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Arsenal</strong>'s two quick-fire goals at the end of the first half after a long wait <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/8330353.stm" target="_blank">against bitter rivals Tottenham</a> were a commentator's delight. The phrase<em> 'Just like the London buses.....' </em>came into perfect use all across the world in this London derby. After Cesc embarrassed the Spurs defense, Tottenham's players were praying for an actual London bus to help them escape Harry's wrath at half-time.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">Best backpass of the season</span></strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Steven Gerrard and Carlton Cole fought a close battle. Gerrard's through ball to Drogba was a dream for conspiracy writers and possibly the most vital moment of the season. However, the way <strong>Carlton Cole</strong> sliced open his own defense by passing it to none other than the Upton Park villain Jermaine Defoe, it was a nightmare of the highest order for a Hammers' supporter. The West Ham striker duly picks up this award.<em><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;"> </span></strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em><span style="color: #ff0000;">Best welcome to Manchester</span></em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The noisy neighbours made some real noise! <strong>Carlos Tevez</strong> and the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTUp5hzIXH4" target="_blank">story of the bill-board</a> that generated massive media hype, debates, discussions, press conferences and rants across the world. Manc humour at it's very best! However, that was the only laugh they got against their city rivals throughout the season.<em><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;"> </span></strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em><span style="color: #ff0000;">'Gotham Knight' of the season</span></em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Didier Drogba</strong> transforms overnight from a petulant seven-year old to become the world's best striker to save the London Bridge. However, he was exposed on the last day of the season.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">Wuss of the season</span></strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Robinho</strong> - couldn't cut it in the premier league, went back home and forgot to take Lucas with him. Good for nothing, Brazilians!</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 0px none currentColor;" src="http://cdn.picapp.com/ftp/Images/5/7/3/b/Football__Scunthorpe_d102.jpg?adImageId=12994006&imageId=7642315" border="0" alt="Football - Scunthorpe United v Manchester City FA Cup Fourth Round" width="300" height="350" /> <em>"Off you go, son"</em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>'The Great Escape' of the season</strong></span></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Leading by a goal in the 89th minute of a Manchester derby and playing in the last line of defence, <strong>Rio Ferdinand</strong> attempted a fancy scoop over Petrov, only to surrender possession and find himself chasing Craig Bellamy like his life was at stake, because it was. Fortunately for Rio, the hair-dryer treatment or Fergie's personalized version - <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/one-in-the-eye-for-becks-ferguson-admits-he-put-the-boot-in-597993.html" target="_blank">'the boot treatment'</a> - wasn't called for, because of Owen's 'Fergie time' bail-out.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em><span style="color: #ff0000;">Worst Nani impression</span></em></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Nani 2009/10</strong> - from failed skills to exquisite dribbling, from picking poor choices to brilliant decision making and from wasteful attempts at goal to top-class finishes, where is the real Nani and what did United do with him?</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">Ugly moment of the season</span></strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Iain Dowie.</strong> <a href="http://totallylookslike.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/iain-dowie-totally-looks-like-sloth.jpg" target="_blank">Just ugly.</a></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><em>Rafa's 'facht' of the season</em></strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">27,000. This fact was repeated by him the most number of times this season - eight times - in a single interview. In the most dreadful and bizarre use of sarcasm, <strong>Rafael Benitez</strong> decided to repeat the attendance at the Britannia Stadium to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlgZDoW4S8o" target="_blank">attack the referee in a post-match interview</a>, to deflect away from his own team's shortcomings. Step aside Kevin Keegan, there is a new showman in town!</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">Hope you enjoyed it. Until next season then...</p>