UnitedNorge – En Manchester United-blogg

Ikke uventet så er Van der Sar og Vidic på nominasjonslista for årets spiller. I tillegg er Ronaldo nominert for hans innsats for Man United i fjor, og ex-red Gerard Pique har også kommet på den eksklusive lista. Det er også verdt å merke seg at den spilleren verdens beste fans (TM) mener er verdens beste spiss (TM) ikke nådde opp. Ikke uventet det heller. Vinnerne offentliggjøres fredag 27. august samtidig som gruppetrekninga for Champions League vil finne sted.

Under følger UEFAs beskrivelse av de tre kandidatene.

Van der Sar

The Dutchman showed that, at 38, he remains a formidable presence between the posts, exuding calm and assurance during United’s run of 1,334 minutes without conceding a Premier League goal. Those 14 clean sheets proved pivotal to their third successive domestic title and he was equally reliable in the UEFA Champions League, conceding just three goals in nine games from the group stage to the semi-finals, so ensuring the disappointment of United’s final defeat – his second at the Stadio Olimpico – would not detract from an impressive overall contribution.

Vidic

The powerful Serbian did as much as any player to retain United’s hold on the Premier League trophy, his partnership with Rio Ferdinand providing a redoubtable defensive barrier. He underlined his importance by ensuring Ferdinand’s absence was not felt during the team’s record run of 14 clean sheets in the domestic competition – when he was the only ever-present in United’s back four. “A fantastic performer” was Sir Alex Ferguson’s verdict on the hugely committed defender who was equally effective in Europe, where United conceded just six goals in 12 games en route to Rome.

Ronaldo

When it became clear Ronaldo was not repeating his 42-goal haul of 2007/08, one opponent was moved to utter that the Portuguese forward was only human after all. The next day Ronaldo replied with a stunning 40-metre goal at FC Porto to move Manchester United into the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. Another drive from an improbable distance followed against Arsenal FC in the last four – one of 25 goals last season – and though Rome marked a disappointing end to his United career, the 24-year-old had still earned a third Premier League winners’ medal to take with him to Spain.

Kilde: Uefa.com

Haakon Spillere, Trofeer årets spiller, champions league, Edwin Van der Sar, Nemanja Vidic, UEFA