Spanish Debate: Who Is Real Madrid's Player Of The Season?

Selecting just one player from the champions-elect is no easy task, so it's worth thinking about it. As such, I've picked a few players, given below in alphabetical order. After that, I've compiled my own top three from the choices given. As always, you, the fan, can make up your own mind in the comments field below.

Let's get started. Bear in mind that this initial list is given in alphabetical order.

Iker CASILLAS

"Saint Iker." It's not like religious connotations are at all rare in football lore - every team has their own 'God' among the fans - but with Iker Casillas there is the hint that the 'keeper really has been touched by divine providence.

From his boyhood days as a trainee from Móstoles to the summit of the Spanish Primera Liga, there is absolutely no questioning his ability, and for all Bernd Schuster's talk of Real Madrid having the 'best defence in the world' among their squad of 25, it is really Casillas who keeps it going.

His command of his area is improving year on year, his shot-stopping ability is superb, and he makes far fewer errors than most when coming off his line. Indeed, assuming that my memory's up to scratch, I can count the number of mistakes that Iker's made this season on one hand with room to spare.

His consistency is key: at crucial points this season, he's had no shortage of action. While other table-topping teams often see their goalies relegated to the status of mere spectator, Casillas has seldom had a quiet game. This was particularly true just after the New Year; while Barcelona were busy chopping the gap down at the top of the table to just a couple of points, Iker was ensuring that the blaugrana couldn't quite overtake the leaders. Emblematic of this was his showing against Real Zaragoza at the Bernabéu: faced with a 75-minute onslaught from the oddly effervescent Aragonese, he almost single-handedly kept his side in the game until such a time as the attack clicked into gear. With this done, Real Madrid emerged as narrow winners.

From that moment on it was clear that not only would Madrid grind out the championship, but that Iker would be absolutely integral to their doing so.

Fernando GAGO

Gago hasn't had the whole season to prove himself, and even now he isn't an undisputed number one figure at Chamartín, but for me he is a dark horse for some kind of recognition this season.

Perhaps 'most improved' or 'most versatile' would work better than 'player of the year' for the young Argentine. He has been called upon to carry out a jack-of-all-trades role in the midfield this season, and after a shaky start to his defensive duties, he's come into form extremely well. As well as being able to pick an attacking pass, his ability at breaking up play has improved greatly, as has his general confidence.

It's no mean feat to keep the ever-changing Madrid midfield ticking over, and with Mamadou Diarra now falling out of favour - somewhat unjustly, I think, but that's another topic entirely - he has no shortage of defensive duties to deal with. But seldom does he appear fazed by his responsibilities, and for that he deserves applause.

Sergio RAMOS

Probably the first outfield name on the teamsheet each week, Ramos may be just 22, but he defends with the panache of someone who's been doing it for years. Whether in the middle or at right back, he is a dominant, imposing, rock-like figure - a stand-out in every sense.

Although it's perhaps easy to be confident when you have the likes of Iker Casillas behind you, it's very rare to see Ramos feel that he cannot mark or otherwise deal with his direct opponent, and for this reason he's an attacker's worst nightmare. It's little wonder that he's already a fully-fledged Spanish international.

The one detrimental factor to his game is his disciplinary record. A combination of what we'll politely call 'youthful exuberance',a fiery temper, and responsibilities that involve the occasional crunching tackle have seen him pick up three sets of double-bookings. For someone so mature in his actual play, to be let down in this way is not ideal, but it's clearly something that he can fix in time. When he does, maybe then he can truly earn the tag world-class.

RAÚL

The captain won't be kept down. Columnists and detractors eagerly penned a premature obituary for his playing career as he hit poor form around 18 months ago, but this season he's recovered to such an extent that he's on the verge of a Spanish national team recall, although whether or not he actually receives it is anyone's guess.

In any case, the skipper has hit 17 goals this season in the Liga in 33 starts and one substitute appearance, rendering him the club's top scorer. Last season's hotshot, Ruud van Nistelrooy, has of course been laid up with injury of late, giving Raúl a huge opportunity to overtake him, but it would be wrong to mark their relationship out as adverserial. Indeed, the pair cut a mean strikeforce, which is just as well considering the apparent lack of options available to Bernd Schuster up front.

How long he can keep hit going for - he's almost 31 - remains to be seen, but there's no doubting that he has shown himself to be a renaissance man this season, and in no small measure is he responsible for the champions' defence of their title.

ROBINHO

Had the player of the season been decided around November, Robinho would have topped many lists. The Brazilian, who had yet to really show his true worth since his 2005 signing, came of age at the start of the current campaign, running the show from the left flank with a series of amazing attacking displays. Notable matches include

When injured, Madrid missed him, but thankfully his problems weren't too severe; after a brief spell on the sidelines, he marked his return with a

Yet his form has not lasted the entire season. He's been in and out of the lineup of late as rumours of off-field problems continue to circulate; the last month has seen his performances dip severely. The Robinho who lurched around the pitch during the narrow win over Murcia is barely recognisable to the one who wowed so much last winter.

Still, there's plenty more time for the winger to regain his form: a full pre-season could well see him return to his best, but be prepared for plenty more transfer rumours between now and then.



These, for my money, are the top five. There are plenty more honourable mentions: I think it wise to recognise the work of Arjen Robben, Gabriel Heinze and Pepe, for example. They've all overcome difficult beginnings and injuries to make their mark on the squad. Ruud van Nistelrooy's contribution would have been greater but for his own injury woes, too.

Nonetheless, for me there can only be one true player of the year.

My Vote: There can only be one and, for me, it's got to be Iker Casillas for all the reasons given above. The likes of Johan Cruyff may feel that Victor Valdés is just as good, and he may not be everyone's favourite, but in my view he has been the true difference between Madrid and the opposition this season.

Yesterday's penalty save against Athletic, while hardly season-changing stuff, was a huge reminder of just how capable, confident and essential he is. He's already on the verge of greatness, and when Gigi Buffon retires, it's hard to see how he can be anything but the world's number one goalkeeper.

It's perhaps a bit ironic that, in a season in which Real Madrid were supposed to return to the attacking days of yore, with the likes of Robinho, Robben and Guti running the show, it is the man between the sticks who has proved the most decisive, but that's not to be taken as a slight against the midfield and forwards by any means. Instead, it is testament to "Saint Iker" - the best goalkeeper in Spain and Real Madrid's player of the year.

The Rest: If compelled to pick a second and third, I'd give Raúl the silver medal and Sergio Ramos the third. Some may take issue with this, but I feel that Raúl has shown simply enormous amounts of character to silence his doubters over the last year and a half, and return to tremendous form. Even with Ruud van Nistelrooy out he's been able to keep the front line ticking over; his early goals have more than once saved Real Madrid from nervous finishes.

Sergio Ramos has been unlucky in many ways. With the defensive line changing so much over the course of the season, he's found himself moved around and often given two roles in one as Schuster seeks to keep things together at the back. And while I noted his disciplinary issues above, it's arguable that his reputation precedes him, and he's treated as a "marked man" by referees - not the easiest tag to overcome when your position requires a bit of rough-and-tumble. Should he be able to overcome these difficulties then he'll almost certainly be a candidate for undisputed player of the year next time - this year, a tiny hint of immaturity and misfortune see him behind the top two in my eyes.

No doubt you have your own thoughts on who has really be the defining factor in Real Madrid's season, so why not discuss it with your fellow fans below?

Later this week and next, look out for more articles in this series - not least that involving FC Barcelona...

Ewan Macdonald, Goal.com

 

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