December is awards season so the Cutter is dutifully donning its least smelliest tux, printing up some fancy invites and hosting a virtual ceremony to celebrate the best of 2011.
Ladies and gents, welcome to the inaugural Daisies! (If you could make a fanfare noise as you read that last bit it would be much appreciated)
The 2011 Daisies has six different categories and we will be running one per day this week. Simply click on your favourite on the link provided on the homepage and the votes will be collated. The winners will be announced on Dec 28th and each will be sent a £20 meat voucher for Aldi.
We begin with one of the most closely contested awards – the Premier League goal of 2011….
Carlos Tevez v Stoke City 17th May 2011
The scabby-necked striker (in both senses) may now be as popular as an AIDS-infected prostitute but that doesn’t diminish the utter genius of this strike for which the word ‘Boom’ was invented. Like Pippa Middleton this is best viewed from the rear where the full splendour of the curve is most prominent. For bend and pace it rivals that of the other Carlos – Roberto – and his wonder goal against France in 1997. The Brazilians physics-defying strike had scientists stroking their beards. This one too deserves to be studied in time and again.
Wayne Rooney v Man City 12th February 2011
An acrobatic ‘worldy’ fit to win any derby game or a schoolyard ‘shinner’. You decide. Either way there can be no doubt of Shrek’s intentions and when it looks this good does it matter that the ball actually comes off his pad rather than boot? For us the most impressive aspect is Rooney’s footwork as the ball is swung over by Nani. His subtle readjustments and his quick thinking improvisation is the real benchmark of genius here perhaps moreso than even the execution.
Raul Meireles (for Liverpool) v Wolves
A cross between a dipping beauty and a good old-fashioned welly the Portuguese midfielder shows a finesse that belies his hardman persona to unleash an absolute cracker. From the moment it leaves the Wolves’ defenders head Meireles never takes his eye off the ball dropping from the sky; he has the awareness to know where the goal is and instead concentrates entirely on connecting sweetly and almost placing it – as daft as that sounds considering the venom behind the shot – beyond the stranded keeper. It is artistry at its very best.
Jermaine Beckford (for Everton) v Chelsea
Beckford had a rough ride at Goodison and struggled to make an impact at the highest level. Here though he displays beyond any doubt that he does possess the required pedigree. Firstly his ambition and single-mindedness should be applauded, especially against a defence as imposing as Chelsea’s. From the edge of his own penalty area the now-Leicester striker has only one thought in his mind – to run right through the heart of the opposition. Admittedly he encounters a fair amount of luck along the way but then again so did George Weah all those years back for a similar individual effort that took in most of the pitch. And that goal has gone down in legend.
What is important is that after getting the breaks – and perhaps pushing it a touch too far with just Cech to beat – he has the composure nay cockyness to finish with such cool aplomb.
Robin Van Persie v Everton
This recent cracker is included as much for the pin-perfect dink from Song that means the Dutchman barely has to break his stride to score a contender for goal of this season. Van Persie’s economy of movement is sublime – he knows that he merely needs to guide it home and resists the temptation to showboat. That it brushes the post adds a final varnish to a genuine wonder goal. That Van Persie’s predecessor Henry rises to applaud the effort makes it truly iconic.
