Ritchie glee at PFA team selection - but is two Town players enough? (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)
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Ritchie glee at PFA team selection - but is two Town players enough?
6:00am Tuesday 24th April 2012 in Sport By Andy Warren
SURPRISE: Matt Ritchie
SWINDON midfielder Matt Ritchie is surprised he and Paul Caddis are the only two Town players to be named in the League Two team of the year.
The select 11 was announced at the PFA Awards on Sunday night, and while Caddis and Ritchie are the only two players from a side which can wrap up the title on Saturday, four Torquay players were named in the team.
Ritchie was proud to have been recognised by his peers along with Caddis and close friend Marlon Pack of Cheltenham, but was surprised he is not joined by more of his Robins teammates.
“We have been brilliant all season and I believe we are the best team, so I am a little surprised there are not more of us in the team because we have some outstanding players.
“It is great to be named alongside Paul as well because I think we play well together, and it is good for Marlon too because he has done well all season.”
Ritchie returned from injury to take his place in the starting line up at Gillingham on Saturday, and was pleased to be back in the team to help in their quest to win the League Two title.
“I am not quite 100 per cent yet, but I am getting there and the only way you get fit is by playing games,” he said.
“It is great to be back in the team at a time when we will hopefully be celebrating, because we have worked hard for it all season.
“All season we were the favourites to go up which maybe has made it hard for us, but now we want to go on and win the title.
“We have been brilliant all season and we will be looking to beat Port Vale in front of a full County Ground, which will be a brilliant achievement for us.”
Interim chairman Jeremy Wray was proud to see Ritchie and Caddis named in the team, but was also surprised there were not more Swindon players recognised.
“Matt and Paul have been brilliant for us, there is no doubting that. They are far and away the best right sided combination in the league, and it is great for everyone at the club,” he said.
“But I think some players like Alan McCormack and Wes Foderingham in goal can count themselves a little unlucky to have not been named in the team.
“They have been brilliant for us all season and helped us earn our exceptional defensive record, so I think we are a little unlucky not to have more.
“But I think this shows that we are not a team of individuals, and our success has come from the fact we work hard for each other to get results.
“I also think Paul Benson is unlucky not to make it, but I suppose in the case of him and Wes it may be that they have not been with us the whole season.”
Comments(17)
Stickshaker
says...
7:59am Tue 24 Apr 12
London Red
says...
8:25am Tue 24 Apr 12
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If it is purely votes are in Jan and therefore, certain players would be in it now but not then - then move the vote!
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Easter would be a better time as the vast majority of the season would have been played
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McLoed has been cack since Jan
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Barnett doesn't even play in L2
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Where ate any Southend players? Have been there or there abouts all year and went on a 17 game unbeaten run!
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How Fooders is not in is ridiculous - most clean sheets and least conceeded but not the best keeper??????
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Fodders
Caddis McFadzen Macca Jacobson
Rithie Ferry Pack Hall
Benson Garnell
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That would be more like the best team in L2!!!!
International Robin2
says...
8:25am Tue 24 Apr 12
ShearerShearer
says...
8:44am Tue 24 Apr 12
International Robin2 wrote:He hasn't played a full season and he has as many clean sheets as Olejnik.
Might be because the PFA got confused with Alan Mc's actual position... Midfield or defence haha. As for Wes, I'd put my money on that the reason is that he hasn't played the full season..
We also have the best defensive home record in the ENTIRE football league, hmmmm
town4life85
says...
9:54am Tue 24 Apr 12
London Red
says...
10:40am Tue 24 Apr 12
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He was also signed early doors in Jan - so every knew he would be about at the time of the vote!
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I also don't care what Barnett did before he left - he is not a L2 player and therefore, should not be counted
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Simple solution - take 3rd place forward from Jan vote!
Pewsham Red
says...
11:07am Tue 24 Apr 12
I don't think we can look at this list and say that any of the players don't deserve their place, but for me, the only other town player that should/could have been included was McCormack.
I don't think Benson should be in the PFA team - he has scored goals, that is granted, but most have been from two yards. He has been great for us as he has been scoring but I don't imagine many other players look at him and say 'wow, what a top class player'.
I also suspect we have used a lot more players than sides like Torquay who have probably had to play pretty much the same team all season and so perhaps they are more likely to stand out.
town4life85
says...
11:53am Tue 24 Apr 12
London Red wrote:i agree with you its stupid the way its done and i think cause Wes was on loan that went against us and Barnett was a Crawley player when the vote was done, there is an up roar about it in every league, like ched evans for league 1, only 1 player from reading in the championship and parker and bale in the prem one. it is wrong but what can you do :)
Wes joined us in October - and then kept 5 clean sheets in a row in his first 5 and then goodness knows how many after AFC away game until he signed perm in Jan
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He was also signed early doors in Jan - so every knew he would be about at the time of the vote!
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I also don't care what Barnett did before he left - he is not a L2 player and therefore, should not be counted
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Simple solution - take 3rd place forward from Jan vote!
alcazares
says...
12:47pm Tue 24 Apr 12
Roger_Smart
says...
1:05pm Tue 24 Apr 12
town4life85 wrote:Oh I see great idea .... well why don't we just move the whole voting thing to mid-october. Then we will get to know who team of the year is much earlier and that will be much more convenient.
morning chaps, just want to clear this whole PFA thing up, the votes are done in January, a few ppl are saying why fodders or benson arent in well the answers pretty simple really! barnett is in there due to his success before he left we didnt have benson or fodders really before then. hope this clears it up.
mrclick
says...
1:08pm Tue 24 Apr 12
alcazares wrote:spot on
It is the first time since 1996 that we have had anybody in the PFA team, so its a good achievement.
mustard red
says...
1:11pm Tue 24 Apr 12
alcazares wrote:Great post Alcazares. I had to double check this, but you are spot on. Not one player even got in the team when we won promotion with Luggy.
It is the first time since 1996 that we have had anybody in the PFA team, so its a good achievement.
As you say, it really is a good achievement this year.
Oi Den!
says...
2:48pm Tue 24 Apr 12
adje
says...
6:26pm Tue 24 Apr 12
swidonpremiership
says...
7:21pm Tue 24 Apr 12
If they were in charge of the general election we would still be waiting to hear if Maggie Thatcher was to be the first women Prime Minister !!!!
Roger_Smart
says...
10:16pm Tue 24 Apr 12
swidonpremiership wrote:If they were in charge of this web site we would still have an image up with the title 'Fans could be kept out of Gillingham game' .....hey wait a minute!!!!!
It takes the PFA 3 months to count the votes ?????? If they were in charge of the general election we would still be waiting to hear if Maggie Thatcher was to be the first women Prime Minister !!!!
Kevinkog says...
7:04am Tue 24 Apr 12