PFA nominations spring up a surprise

The trade union for professional footballers in England, Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), has unveiled its nominations for the 2012-13 Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards. The usual names are there, but the exceptional performers are not. Somehow, I feel that the PFA has let football fans down again. The six players nominated for the main award are Gareth Bale (Tottenham), Juan Mata (Chelsea), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Luis Suarez (Liverpool), and Robin van Persie (Manchester United). Both Bale and Hazard have also been nominated for the Young Player of the Year award, with Christian Benteke (Aston Villa), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United), Romelu Lukaku (West Brom), and Jack Wilshere (Arsenal) completing the list. Before moving on, I think its important to point out that I support Newcastle United - and because of our dreadful 2012-13 campaign none of the Toon players deserve to be anywhere near the two lists. However, as I neutral, I take issue with some of the selections. There is evidently a pro-Manchester United bias in both lists because the Red Devils' are on the verge of clinching their 20th Premier League title. However, PFA could have been fairer in their final selections. I think Van Persie and Carrick are shoe-ins for the top six list, but Welbeck, as a striker has the worst minutes-per-goal ratio in the Premier League this season. His nomination by PFA, is simply down to him playing for the Old Trafford club, which is the exact reason why he is consistently selected for Roy Hodgson's England. The glaringly obvious omission from the main award list is Swansea's 27-year-old Spanish striker, Michu. The former Rayo Vallecano frontman has been nothing short of sensational since his arrival to the Premier League, having scored 17 goals in the league, and helped the Welsh club to their first major trophy, the League Cup. Personally, I think it’s ridiculous that Michu was overlooked. On a similar note, there is no place for Arsenal's brilliant Spaniard Santi Cazorla, or Everton's reliable left-back Leighton Baines; but Cazorla's teammate Jack Wilshere makes the young player list. I really don't get this one. The Englishman has played 20 games this year, and only has four assists to show for it. The likes of Matija Nastasic at Manchester City, and Southampton's Luke Shaw have every right to feel aggrieved. Both have been superb for their respective clubs and their exemption is a crying shame. In terms of the winner, I think Liverpool's Luis Suarez will win the main award, and Gareth Bale is pretty much head and shoulders above his fellow nominees in the second category. Suarez is the leading goal scorer in the Premier League this season with 22 goals and has really carried the Anfield club this season. His quality, in a team full of average players, has shone through since his arrival of Merseyside. For the same reason, Bale should win the young player award, because he has been a breath of fresh air for the North London club over the last nine months. I think both players will leave their clubs in the summer for a bigger stage and rightly so.