It’s been an incredible season which has seen Germany become World Champions, Barcelona win the treble and Harry Redknapp finally questioned for his job performance. Over the next couple of weeks, Scottish Comedy FC’s writers are going to be recounting their top moments from an amazing season.
Who do you think is the Scotland National Team’s Player of the Year?
Shaun Maloney – Teddy Craig
Much as I love Ikechi Anya, the importance of Shaun Maloney’s goals in the matches against Ireland nudge him into place as my choice for Scotland’s Player of the Year.
His performances are all the more impressive given that he divided last season between an apocalyptically bad Wigan side and the upheaval of a move to the MLS.
He’s had an up and down career overall. Initially at Celtic it looked like he was going to be a really good player, then he actually was a really good player, then he went to Villa and wasn’t a really good player, then he came back to Celtic and looked like he was going to be a really good player but it didn’t quite happen like it had before, then he went to Wigan and showed he still was a really good player, then Wigan were dreadful, then he went to America… and now he’s a bona fide Scotland hero. At the age of 32.
Think how good he’ll be when he’s 40 and his career’s settled down into some kind of consistency.
Scott Brown – Daniel Downie
James McCarty, oh, wait, he’s my favourite Scotland player playing for another team – and only because the Tartan Army’s song about him is brilliant/still ringing in my ears from the weekend.
It seems bizarre to say – and probably is – that Scotland are blessed with central midfield talent at the moment but with Darren Fletcher, James McArthur, Scott Brown, James Morrison and Charlie Mulgrew – who was excellent in that position in the first game against Ireland, we have 4 or 5 players I’m more than happy to see playing in the centre of midfield.
It’s great to see Fletcher battle colitis and embody his manager by demonstrating life after Man United however since taking over the captaincy Brown has been excellent.
Energetic, tenacious, and with a passion that seems to have spread throughout the team he’s one of those player you’re delighted is in your team and opposition’s must hate playing against. The way the Irish, quite surprisingly, seemed to single him out in Dublin perhaps shows how important a player he is for us in that position, a position he’s made his own against some good competition.
McCarthy who…?
Steven Fletcher – Iain Todd
At the end of the 14/15 season Chelsea Manager Jose Mourinho said: “People talk about style and flair but what is that? Sometimes I ask myself about the future, and maybe the future of football is a beautiful, green grass carpet without goals, where the team with more ball possession wins the game.”
Football is about goals. It’s not about flair, style, hard work or dull 1-1 draws against Ireland.
Stephen Fletcher gets my vote. He scored a hat-trick for Scotland in the 6–1 European qualifier victory over Gibraltar. The first Scottish national team hat-trick since Colin Stein scored four against Cyprus in 1969.
Ikechi Anya – Michael Park, Eddie Cassidy & Andy Todd
I think Anya’s turned into the poster boy for a Scotland squad that finally believes in itself. Whether he’s always on top of his game or not, he’s usually looking to do something positive in the game and trying to change it.
He’s one of those players that you look at, standing alongside the likes of Hutton (who in fairness has been quite good recently) or Whittaker, and you think that the future’s bright for us rather than just the same plodding rubbish leading to inevitable crushing disappointment.
Plus he’s a bit of a laugh.
Undoubtedly every Scotland fan’s favourite player from Castlemilk who used to have an afro and attend Glenn Hoddle’s Soccer Academy in Spain.
Anya gets my vote as Scotland’s player of the season; an accolade he at least deserves for his equalising goal against newly crowned World Champions Germany in the Westfalenstadion.
Strachan is clearly trying to foster a club mentality within the national side and Anya has been the equivalent of a new signing since being unearthed from under a rock at Watford, showing pace, skill and an appetite to take men on. As a Celtic fan I’d be delighted if our rumoured interest in him is true. Can’t say fairer than that.
It has to be Ikechi Anya. Not only is he an electrifying player with an inspirational back story but he’s also the only Scotland player whose brother is one of the UK’s top GPs – and a rapper.
Chima Anya, was named one of “Five True Heroes of General Practice” by industry magazine Pulse — after releasing a rap slamming England’s health secretary.
Chima said he’s tried to convince Ikechi to join him in the studio but his brother was “too shy” to join in. It’s not too late though – there still time to persuade Ikechi to sing Scotland’s official Euro 2016 song after he helps us qualify!You can check out Chima’s song here:
