And the Nominees Are…
The club have put forward five candidates for Aston Villa supporters to vote as their Player of the Year. To be honest, MOMS has largely ignored the award the past few seasons due to the general state of the team. Also, it’s tended to stretch credibility at times, remember when Stephen Ireland won it?
Considering the recent reintroduction of proper football at Villa Park, the award is actually an interesting proposition once again.
Conor Hourihane, Tammy Abraham, Jack Grealish, John McGinn and Glenn Whelan, the five players nominated by the club, all have their merits, but it’s fair to say, it’s an odd season to judge players in.
Until the team’s recent 10-game winning run, they were aimlessly sitting in mid-table looking to play out a deadwood season.
So, will supporters vote for the players that have helped turn the team around in that 10-game spell? More than likely.
Recent Wonders
That would lead fans to look at the contribution of Jack Grealish and Glenn Whelan, who have both made excellent contributions in that time. As has Tyrone Mings, who didn’t make the five-man shortlist.
There’s no doubt the return of Grealish, after missing almost a third of the season, has helped inspire a dramatic turnaround of fortune and he has lived up to his new captaincy role very well.
He’s added goals to his game and will no doubt be the favourite to win, although some fans will look to vote for the whole season, rather than the current winning run.
Overall Consistency
When looking at the season as a whole and overall consistency, there’s no doubt that even when results weren’t great, Tammy Abraham’s goals have kept the pulse of Villa’s season alive.
His 25-goal haul is certainly one of the season’s highlights and the Chelsea loan player should have a big part to play in the play-offs. Abraham has also made the second highest amount of starts for the team.
TOP 10 #AVFC players with the most starts this season:
— My Old Man Said (@oldmansaid) April 23, 2019
1. John McGinn – 38
2. Tammy Abraham – 37
3. Alan Hutton – 32
4. Conor Hourihane – 31
4. Ahmed El Mohamady – 31
6. Jack Grealish – 30
7. James Chester – 28
8. Neil Taylor – 26
9. Anwar El Ghazi – 24
10. Orlan Nyland – 23 pic.twitter.com/xQ3WtrVZrd
Conor Hourihane has come in for some criticism in some quarters, and although a wild card to actually win the award, his key stats once again come up trumps.
Hourihane’s seven goals is the highest total after Villa’s strikers Abraham (25) and Kodjia (8), while he’s Villa’s top assist man with 10. He’s also played the third most amount of minutes of any Villa player, with 2905 minutes being made up of his 31 starts and 10 substitute appearances, which total up to make him the Villa player with the most appearances this season (41).
Hourihane has one more goal and assist than John McGinn, who will no doubt be a front-runner for the Supporter’s Player of the Year.
MOMS’ Choice
From his outstanding volley against Sheffield Wednesday to his relentless hustle and fantastic ball-winning and shielding, McGinn has been a joy to watch.
Despite picking up a two-match suspension this season, the ex-Hibs midfielder has made more starts than any other Villa player, making him Mr Consistent, in a season Villa have been ravaged by injuries.
In the recent 10-game winning streak, McGinn has certainly helped get the team over the line at times and was an inspiration during the 10-men fightback at Rotherham.
Certainly, he’d be MOMS’s choice for the award.
Who’s your vote going to?
You can access the club’s voting page below:
Aston Villa Supporter’s Player of the Year – VOTE HERE
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