Tuesday 26 May 2009

TLDORC May Awards

The last month of the season was a microcosm of it in its entirey; two comfortable home wins, two rather tepid away defeats.

Blackburn (h) 3-1
Manchester United (a) 0-2
Spurs (a) 1-2
Bolton Wanderers (h) 1-0

Player of the Month

No obvious winner really. There were only a few stand-out performances, and no obvious winner as there had been before. It could have gone to a few players: Nigel de Jong, Nedum Onuoha, Shay Given or Stephen Ireland. But for his consistent quality, home and away, it's going to Nedum Onuoha again - as he becomes only the second person to win the TLDORC Player of the Month more than once this season (Ireland has an unprecedented four awards.) This was the month where Onuoha was rumoured to be close to an England call-up - which never materialised, and a new three year deal - which may well in the summer.

Individual performance and goal of the month

One of the most pleasing things to come from this rather anti-climactic end of the season:
Valeri Bozhinov's first competitive goal for City. We signed him in summer 2007, and in both Augusts since he has suffered terrible long term injuries; cruciate knee ligaments in the derby in '07 and then a torn Achilles at Villa Park on opening day '08. Having made his return at the Boleyn Ground in March - the site of his first and third debuts for City - he worked his way slowly back to full fitness. And on 16 May he finally reached the mountain-top, volleying in Benjani's header to score his first goal for the club. Who knows where he'll be in the pecking order next season - I've got no idea - but wherever he is, I'm sure this will always be a special moment for him. It certainly was for us.

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