Player of the first year in 14 years: Katie Zelem! Congrats!

Grande

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So, it’s been a fantastic season for our glorius women, who won the division by a clear margin, and did surprisingly well in both cup, creating a few upsets on the way. They’ve been scoring scoring close to a hundred goals this year, with five players going into double digits.

Nominated for player of the year were playmaker Katie Zelem, left wing Leah Galton, and centre back Millie Turner.

I had expected Alex Greenwood to be a nominee, our captain who’se going to the WC with England. Lauren James was also a candidate, and would certainly win a women’s equivalent to Jimmy Murphy. Mollie Green and Kirsty Hanson were also possible candidates, while Jess Sigsworth and youngster Ella Toon leads our scorer chart with one match to go. Many candidates, but Katie Zelem the only winner of this years player of the year. Certainly a deserved one in my eyes, but what do ye other people think who have watched (or read) a bit?
 

Grande

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Siorac said:
I'm trying hard to make sense of the title.
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:lol:

This is the first year of football for women at United since 2005, when the Glazers closed down our previous team.

I probably better simplify the title!

Edit: or somebody who can better do it...

Player of the year for the women: Katie Zelem!
 

ivaldo

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rpitroda said:
:lol:

I read it three times and I’m still not sure what it means.

On topic though, think it’s great that our team has hit the ground running.
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I think I’ve worked it out! It’s been 14 years since we last had a women’s team, and therefore 14 years since we last had a player of the year. So this is the first winner in 14 years.

:cool:
 

jojojo

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Yep, it's been a while :smirk:

On the winner - I voted for Zelem. Her consistency and quality shone through all season, including in the games we played against WSL1 teams. A genuine controller of the midfield, good with setpieces, and a good judge of when to defend and when to attack.

But yes, the nice thing is that we had a lot of good options. From the youngest - Lauren James, who has so much talent and potential, but maybe needs a year or two more to become a top professional. To the oldest - Siobhan Chamberlain who scarcely made a mistake, and made some great saves.

I guess the surprising inclusion in the shortlist was Leah Galton. But the shortlist was chosen by the players, so I guess they know more about her story than we do. Her career in the US had a lot of stop/starts due to injury, she scarcely played last year in Germany. I suspect she's had a tough year - but since Christmas, she's started to look really good.
 

Grande

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Yeah, it’s interesting with Leah Galton’s partly mysterious story. I’d have maybe expected Mollie Green as a nominee.

Katie Zelem is a brilliant kind of player, though. I’ve been really impressed with her cool and her eye for the right pass at the right time.
 

buchansleftleg

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I'm pleased Katie won- her absence from the team was notable recently in that we became more hectic and "push and run" without her on the pitch.

She provides great link-up play, can put her foot on the ball and distribute simply, make a killer pass or drive and shoot herself. Along with great talent at free kicks and dead ball situations I only have one criticism....why doesn't she have an equally talented brother that could do the same for the men's team please!
 

Grande

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buchansleftleg said:
I'm pleased Katie won- her absence from the team was notable recently in that we became more hectic and "push and run" without her on the pitch.

She provides great link-up play, can put her foot on the ball and distribute simply, make a killer pass or drive and shoot herself. Along with great talent at free kicks and dead ball situations I only have one criticism....why doesn't she have an equally talented brother that could do the same for the men's team please!
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In a way she is the opposite twin of Pogba: both are technical players in the heart of the attacking play, who left the club as youngsters to come back from Italy as young, accomplished players grown in stature. But a part from the obvious physical differences, Zelem was forced from the club, she didn’t choose to go on a free, and she didn’t cost 89m to get back. And were Pogba’s performance gets increasingly unstable the more the team needs him, Zelem will take control of the game and help the rest of the team into it when we struggle.

With all the depression around the men’s team, it’s a breath of fresh air to be able to appreciate the fairytale phoenix rise that the women has provided this season.
 
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