No room for Gordon as Isak up for award
AS shortlists go, this one is pretty impressive. The Premier League have revealed their nominees for this season’s Young Player of the Year award and to say it’s strong would be something of an understatement.
Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak is rightly among the candidates, rubbing shoulders with the elite of Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer and more. No arguments there, of course.
The list for player of the season bears an uncanny similarity, with Isak, Haaland, Palmer, Foden joined by Declan Rice, Virgil van Dijk, Martin Odegaard and Ollie Watkins.
But surely there’s a name missing from at least one of the lists. Has there been some sort of clerical error?
Anthony Gordon’s absence from the list is a glaring oversight after an incredible season for the Magpies forward.
Of course there has to be a limit, or course we’re biased and of course the players shortlisted have all had hugely impressive seasons. But if Kobbie Manoo’s 20 Premier League appearances have warranted a place in the list then Gordon’s 10 goals and 10 assists at the very highest level surely earns him a spot.
Gordon, like Mainoo, has broken into the England squad this season, impressing on his debut against Brazil and a cameo role against Belgium. After last summer’s European U21 Championship success for his country – he was named player of the tournament no less – he has stepped things up a gear for Newcastle.
His goals have come against some of the best too – Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United. He’s no flat-track bully.
You could argue that no one has done more for United all season. He has been consistency personified, and not just seven-out-of-ten consistency, he’s performing at the very highest level, week in, week out. He has a huge future ahead of him, with a place in Gareth Southgate’s squad for this summer’s Euros looking likely, and a key role still to play in Newcastle’s push for a European spot.
Gordon is hugely motivated and has spoken of his drive to succeed already this season. Maybe this ‘snub’ will spur him on to even greater achievements – and that can only be a good thing for Newcastle United.