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With the Premier League season heading into its final few matches, it’s that time of year when those who have impressed throughout the campaign are recognised as the individual accolades start to be dished out.

This week saw the announcement of the PFA player of the year nominations, with the six-man shortlist revealed the award. Harry Kane, Diego Costa, Eden Hazard, David de Gea and Philippe Coutinho are the names shortlisted for the prize, with each one having enjoyed hugely impressive campaigns for their respective clubs.

But aside from the main trophies, there are also 11 spots to be filled in the team of the year that, as ever, looks to be a difficult selection.

There’s sure to BE plenty of different opinions as to what would constitute the strongest team based on their form this season and although certain positions will cause disagreement, others are much simpler to fill.

And with this in mind, here is one possible team of the season to start the ball rolling Do you agree and if not what would be your choice?

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David de Gea

David de Gea has had another terrific season in the Manchester United goal and continues to get better and better.

His contribution to the team has been immense and some brilliant saves have proved the difference between winning and losing on numerous occasions.

Despite some clear defensive issues, United have the third best defensive record in the division, with the Spaniard playing a big part in helping achieve this feat.

Branislav Ivanovic

Chelsea surge to the Premier League title has once again been based on their defensive solidarity, having only conceded 26 goals this season.

But while Branislav Ivanovic has been an important part of their back four, his contribution at the other end of the filed has proved just as important.

Having been utilised at right-back for much of the campaign, the Serb has netted six goals this season, and were it not for crucial goals against Aston Villa and Burnley the Blues wouldn’t be sitting so comfortably.

John Terry

Like Ivanovic; John Terry has been pivotal to the success of Chelsea this season, and the skipper has shown no signs that he is finished playing at the top level just yet.

The 34-year-old has made an impressive 42 appearances this season, and as well as scoring six times he recently signed a new contract extension meaning he will remain at Stamford Bridge for another year at least.

Laurent Koscielny

Arsenal’s impressive run of good form has seen them emerge as favourites for second place and there have been signs in recent months that they have become a more defensively adept side after grinding out some important victories.

Laurent Koscielny is a big part of this and he has once again excelled at the centre of their defence to show why he is considered as one of the league’s best defenders.

Ryan Bertrand

Southampton have been the Premier League’s surprise package this season and could still secure a European spot for next season; an outstanding achievement given the comings and goings at St Mary’s last summer.

A strong defence has been the basis for their success and, with just 22 goals against them, they have the best defensive record in the top flight.

Left-back Ryan Bertrand has been one of their star performers and he certainly warrants a place in the team of the season after some assured displays.

Jordan Henderson

Probably the most controversial inclusion, but one that could be justified given the improvement Jordan Henderson has made once again this season.

The soon to be captain of Liverpool has proved he can adequately fill the void left by Steven Gerrard, and he has developed into one of the clubs most important players thanks to his superb energy levels in the middle of the park.

Henderson has also improved his tally in front of goal with seven to his name and is a player Liverpool will need to tie down to a contract in the near future.

Cesc Fabregas

Having gone off the boil in recent weeks, Cesc Fabregas proved his value once more with a late winner at QPR last weekend to inch Chelsea closer to the title.

But the Spaniard was in mesmerising form towards the beginning of the campaign and at times was playing a part in almost every goal as he gained assist after assist.

He’s arguably the best midfielder in the league and there’s certainly no questioning his inclusion in this team.

Alexis Sanchez

Arsenal pulled off one of the signings of the summer when they brought Alexis Sanchez to the Emirates from Barcelona, and his performances have certainly lived up to expectations.

The Chilean took no time to adapt to English football and with 20 goals to his name he hasn’t disappointed.

There’s no doubting Arsenal would not be in the position they find themselves in were it not for Sanchez, who scored some vital goals at a time when the side were not firing on all cylinders.

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Eden Hazard

The favourite to take the crown of PFA player of the year, Eden Hazard has taken his game to the next level and has to be considered as one of the world’s best players.

He has been the difference for Chelsea on a number of occasions and looks a threat almost every time he picks up the ball.

The winger has scored 18 goals already this season, and really has matured as a player who now delivers on a consistent basis.

Harry Kane

The rise of Harry Kane has been one of the stories of the season and having come from nowhere he has quickly become one of England’s hottest properties.

With problems upfront, Kane was thrust into the Tottenham team and hasn’t looked backed since netting an impressive 19 league goals and 29 in all competitions.

It’s remarkable to think where Spurs would be without him, but impressive performances have put him at the forefront to pick up the young player of the year award and make his inclusion in the team of the season somewhat inevitable.

Diego Costa

Despite his fair share of injury problems, Diego Costa has proven to be a great signing for Chelsea and could end the season with a golden boot to go alongside his Premier League winner’s medal.

Since arriving from Spain in the summer, Costa has caused headaches for plenty of defences this season and his 19 league goals have gone along way to ensuring Chelsea remain in the box set heading into the

England manager Roy Hodgson has said he has no concerns about striker Wayne Rooney’s disciplinary record.

Manchester United star has been sent off twice in his career with the national team, but his coach believes his attitude on the pitch has been generally good and will not treat him exceptionally.

The Manchester United striker was most recently sent off against Montenegro in a crucial game of the Euro 2012 qualifier, ultimately being banned for the two first games the Three Lions played in the tournament.

“His disciplinary record actually, ignoring that occasion [Montenegro] which he paid dearly for, has been very good”, Hodgson told Sky Sports.

“I will be speaking to all the players. Away matches at this level of football require a lot of discipline, not only tactical discipline but also mental”.

“But I won’t be singling out Wayne for that. He has not let me down as a player so I have no reason to doubt him”, he assured.

The England squad meets up on Monday to prepare World Cup qualifier game against San Marino and the 65 year-old does not expect to find any confidence problems in Rooney, despite having been left out in the crucial Champions League game against Real Madrid.

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“He’s scoring goals isn’t he? There’s no reason for his confidence to be fragile. He’s played so many games, he’s so experienced.” He concluded.

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Leeds United wished fan favourite Pablo Hernandez a happy birthday on Wednesday, and Leeds fans all know what his present should be.

Paul Heckingbottom’s miserable time as Leeds boss continued on Tuesday night as goals from Paul Gallagher, Sean Maguire and Alan Browne secured a 3-1 win for Preston North End at Deepdale.

Despite their frustrations with yet another poor result, fans are now more focused on next season than this one, with the club dangling in mid-table just waiting for the season to end.

While serious additions need to be made at Elland Road, keeping the quality they already have should be the first priority, and fans have been concerned over the length of Pablo Hernadez’s contract talks.

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The brilliant Spaniard has been far and away the best player at Elland Road this season, and fans were ecstatic when he entered talks over a new deal last month, but concerns have grown over the lack of concrete news on an extension.

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The club wished Hernandez a happy 33rd birthday on Wednesday, and everyone is saying the same thing – that his present should be a new contract!

Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

So even though the ghost of Danny Welbeck came back to haunt Old Trafford on Monday night, Manchester United were still right to let the player go. A simple misplaced pass by Antonio Valencia allowed the now Gunner to put the ball past goalkeeper David De Gea and as fate would have it, his goal is what has knocked United out of the FA Cup; the Red Devils’ last chance at silverware this term. It was a fairytale ending for Welbeck that night but as United and Arsenal both know, the England international is rarely a match winner!

He was well within his right to celebrate. He is a Gooner now and must focus on winning over the Arsenal faithful. Honestly the only contentious point clouding Welbeck’s departure was the price he left for. No, he was no legend at the club and although he didn’t fit the new-look United, not scoring enough goals for Louis van Gaal to keep him does not change the fact that he was still a promising young centre forward with experience at the highest levels. A paltry £16 million was akin to just giving him to one of our biggest rivals for free.

Welbeck has scored four times in the Premier League for Arsenal and though Arsene Wenger looks highly likely to have orchestrated another great escape this season with ten games to go and sitting pretty in third, it has not been down to any of Welbeck’s brilliance. Alexis Sanchez is the Gunners’ top scorer with 13 goals to his name and it is his eye for goal, not Welbeck’s which will surely see them play once more in the Champion’s League for the 18th consecutive season.

It is still a shame that a player who started his United career at the tender age of eight is now wearing the red shirt of Arsenal but like many of the players that Red Devils boss van Gaal cut loose last summer, Welbeck just didn’t fit the bill. Others will follow come the next window as LVG attempts to bring glory back to Old Trafford once again.

Following his departure, Manchester United have brought in Colombian Radamel Falcao on a year-long loan deal to take over his role up front. Falcao has obviously struggled and his time may also be permanently coming to an end so there is likely to be yet another incoming next season to produce the goals that both himself and ageing Robin van Persie have failed to provide. Only then once United have an in-form striker will Welbeck’s weaknesses be fully highlighted.

Over the last seven months with Arsenal, Welbeck has had his good days and his bad ones. Monday night is sure to rank quite highly on that list but in a season where others like Sanchez and Olivier Giroud, on ten goals, have completely overshadowed him, he’ll need to up his game or risk becoming surplus to requirements like poor Javier Hernandez is at Real Madrid.

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A striker will always be judged for how lethal he is in front of goal and Welbeck is not yet a player that strikes fear into defenders.

Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill believes his side were a little fortunate to escape their Premier League clash with Norwich with a 1-1 draw.

The Black Cats benefitted from a few controversial decisions, chief of which coming when Danny Rose appeared to handle a cross in the area.

Norwich were also reduced to ten men, with Mark Bunn receiving a red card in the first-half for a deliberate handball.

O’Neill revealed after the game that he felt his team benefitted from some overdue luck:

“Norwich will be disappointed, obviously, because that might turn the game a little bit.” He told Sky Sports.

“We might have got a little bit of luck as Danny Rose’s handball might have been in the penalty area.

“Not that we deserved much luck today, but there have been about seven penalty decisions which have gone against us in recent times.

“So perhaps that little bit of luck that we may not have deserved may have been due in our direction.”

Wes Hoolahan gave Norwich the lead after 26 minutes, poking in from close range following some good work from Kei Kamara.

Bunn then saw red following his handball, tilting the odds in Sunderland’s favour.

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They took advantage of their numerical superiority at the end of the opening period, as Craig Gardner powered a penalty kick past Lee Camp.

The North East club are just clear of the relegation scrap, but face some tricky up coming fixtures against the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle.

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During an interview with FootballUa, Shakhtar Donetsk manager Paulo Fonseca played down reports linking him with a move to Everton.

What’s the word?

Sam Allardyce was appointed as Ronald Koeman’s successor in November, and from the off, it was widely assumed that the experienced coach would not be at Goodison Park for the long haul.

The former England boss managed to steady the ship after the Toffees dropped towards the relegation zone, but a winless run of six Premier League matches across December and January resulted in some fans turning against Allardyce.

Fonseca recently emerged as a contender for the position, with numerous reports in the media linking the Shakhtar boss with a switch.

The Sun recently claimed that in order to fend off interest from the Merseyside outfit, the Ukraine-based club have offered their boss a salary of around £8m per year.

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However, in an interview with FootballUa, Fonseca has rubbished the rumour and has suggested that the majority of the speculation is wide of the mark.

“I can confirm that most of the stuff being said in the media about me is not true. This [£8m] offer is certainly one of the main examples. These kind of amounts are not true.”

Should Everton give up on Fonseca?

Whether the former Porto player is a top target for the Toffees remains to be seen, but perhaps majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri should rethink anyway.

There is no denying that Fonseca is a decent manager as he has managed to guide Shakhtar to the top of the Ukrainian Premier League with a six-point advantage over the rest of the pack.

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However, his lack of experience in the English game could be a concern, and if the Toffees want to be contending for European places, then they could do with someone who understands the demands of the Premier League.

On the other hand, Fonseca oversaw a victory over Manchester City in the Champions League, and even though his team did not progress into the quarter-finals, the manager has proven that he can cope with pressure and expectation.

In our weekly feature, Football FanCast will try to pick out the best value bets for the weekend’s football.

We will be picking out a match result, a both teams to score selection and a game with over/under 2.5 goals.

We are also looking for you to get involved, which of these do you think the best value bet is. Please vote on the poll below.

Remember always gamble responsibly and have fun…

Southampton v Burnley

Ronald Koeman’s side continue to confound their critics, proving them and the bookies wrong on a weekly basis.

With only nine games to go it seems inevitable they will finish in the top seven, a fabulous season. However, their charge for top four seems to have hit the rocks and while their defence is still proving miserly, they are struggling to score goals.

Games involving the Saints have had under 2.5 goals in 9 of their last 10 outings.

Their opponents this weekend are coming off the back of their result of the season –  humbling of the champions Manchester City. Sean Dyche has had his team playing with spirit all season and are still in with a chance of retaining their top flight status.

Their defensive performance against City proves they are up for a fight and will not just roll over against any side.

Back under 2.5 goals @ 17/20

Charlton Athletic v Reading

The Addicks have again found the kind of form that made them one of the early season pacemakers. Guy Luzon has led his new side to four wins in their last six games and are now targeting a top ten finish.

Their opponents this weekend are cup semi-finalists, Reading. Although their form in the cup has been impressive, their return to the second tier has been far from that. Still not clear of relegation with less than ten games to go, Steve Clarke has struggled to have the impact he would have desired.

Charlton won the reverse fixture at the Madejski 1-0 earlier in the season and with The Royals awful away record, with only four wins all season, Luzon’s men will fancy taking all three points.

Back Charlton @ 9/5

Sheffield United v Port Vale

Nigel Clough’s men are in the middle of a desperate run of form, no wins in the last five and they are in danger of dropping out of the top six altogether. However, even in this difficult run of form, United have continued to find the net, in each of their last 10 games, both teams have scored.

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Their visitors to Bramall Lane this weekend are Port Vale, they had managed to get themselves on the coat tails of the playoff race, but two disappointing results have probably left them with too much to do at this stage of the season.

Page’s men have scored at least once in their last five away games.

Back both teams to score @ evens

A £10 treble on all selections will return on average £95.

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Manchester United are set to step up their pursuit of Porto winger James Rodriguez, by offering Nani in exchange, according to reports from The Metro.

The Red Devils have been tracking the Colombian star, who has also been linked with Chelsea, for some time, and are believed to have made him one of their top summer targets.

Old Trafford chief Sir Alex Ferguson has reportedly contacted Porto recently to enquire as to their willingness to accept Nani as part of any deal.

The Portuguese wide man has struggled for first-team this season, with a public falling out with Fergie doing little to aid his chances of becoming a regular starter.

Although the club have insisted that he is still in their plans, they are said to be willing to allow him to leave.

Porto are believed to be far from keen to lose Rodriguez, but Fergie is hopeful that offering them a direct replacement may alter their stand point.

The 20-year-old South American is widely regarded as one of the finest talents in European football, and has been a key member of Porto’s first-team for some time, despite his youthful age.

AC Milan reportedly made a £20m offer for Rodriguez last summer, but his employers quickly knocked this back.

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United are also planning to axe Federico Macheda, Bebe and Patrice Evra this summer.

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Southampton Football Club posted pictures of Charlie Austin back on the training pitch via their official Twitter account on Tuesday, and Saints fans were quick to react to the news.

The 28-year-old has returned to action following a three-month lay-off with a hamstring injury he picked up in the 1-1 draw against Huddersfield Town in December, but he is still the south coast outfit’s top goalscorer with six goals – two more than anyone else.

With club-record signing Guido Carrillo failing to score in his opening nine appearances for the club – leaving the St Mary’s faithful unsure about how good he actually is – and a low-on-confidence Manolo Gabbiadini missing a penalty against Wigan Athletic in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Sunday, the striker could be in line to start the crucial relegation clash against West Ham United at the London Stadium on March 31 if he proves his fitness.

Southampton supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the update from the club, and while one described it as “absolutely superb news”, another said “please help us, Charlie”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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Fiorentina boss Vincenzo Montella has told Manchester United and Chelsea they must pay Juan Cuadrado’s £26.1million release clause to lure him away from the Serie A club, the Daily Star reports.

The Premier League duo have been heavily linked with a move for Cuadrado in the current transfer window, however with the deadline approaching must move quick with his buy-out clause expiring at the end of January,

The Blues have reportedly had a bid in the region of £20.6million for the Colombian rejected, while the Red Devils are preparing to exchange Adnan Januzaj in a potential swap deal.

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However Cuadrado’s manager Vincenzo Montella has claimed that the club will not settle for anything less than his buy-out clause, and that his star asset has never expressed his desire to leave the Viola.

“His situation is very easy. In his contract there is a release clause, and if another team pays this amount he can leave Fiorentina,” Montella told Sky Sports.

“He has never said that he wants to leave for Chelsea because he and I have not spoken about that situation.

“I think Chelsea have probably been in talks with his agent but I don’t know. His €35m release clause has to be paid if he is to leave.

“I hope Cuadrado stays at Fiorentina of course. His mind is clear he’s enjoying playing here, he’s a good guy and I think he will stay.

“He has the characteristics suited to English football because he’s fantastic in positive transitions and with Mourinho it could be perfect.”

The 26-year-old was one of his country’s stand-out players during Colombia’s march to the World Cup quarter finals back in the summer, and has continued his good form in this Serie A campaign scoring six goals and providing four assists in all competitions.

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