United women | best player vote

[jojojo]

At @top1whoisman suggestion I'm creating a couple of polls. One for "favourite player" and one for "best player".

To keep the list manageable I've basically just listed the current starting lineup - but I'm happy to add other names (as long as you plan to vote for them!) as the season goes on.

You can only choose one (it is "best" after all) but you can change your vote at any time.

 

[top1whoisman]

If you think about it position-wise and which of our players are the highest ranked player in their position, I think PTJ is the answer. The only one who is probably in the Top 10. She’s simply one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

Tooney & MLT are probably the next ones for me. They are perhaps in the top 20 in their respective positions. Followed by Terland, Miyazawa and Clinton.

 

[Eric_the_Red99]

Tooney is my favourite player, not just in the women’s team but of any player currently wearing United colours, but I think MLT is our most important, most consistently good player. Our defence has been the best in the league this season, and she’s been a big part of that

 

[Lobster11]

I'm gonna sit out the "best player" poll because it seems to much like comparing apples and oranges. (Do you folks use that expression in the UK?) I just don't know how choose the "best" among a keeper, a center-back, and an attacking mid (to use @top1whoisman's examples).

I'll be here for the "favorite" (oops, sorry: "favourite") player poll, though!

 

[jojojo]

I've gone with Ella because if I think about "memorable" moments she ranks top on my list. Not just a good player but a player who can turn into a great one when her team's under pressure.

In terms of how the world would rate them - I'm not quite sure. Hinata is exceptional and I'm hoping she'll be key to helping us make the jump to the next level. Maya, Phallon and Janssen are probably currently our most important players because they're at the heart of our defensive solidity. Rivière has massive potential. We're only just starting to see how good Terland could be for us. Most teams would jump at the chance to get Clinton. And so on...

I think what makes the best player vote intriguing is that while I actually see lots of very good players in our squad - I don't think we've got the kind of players that make other teams envious. Which is kind of why I go back to those memories of moments that made me jump on my feet and cheer.

 

[Lobster11]

I think what makes the best player vote intriguing is that while I actually see lots of very good players in our squad - I don't think we've got the kind of players that make other teams envious. Which is kind of why I go back to those memories of moments that made me jump on my feet and cheer.

This is one of things that I love about this team!

Just for giggles I looked up last year's Guardian list of "100 best female footballers in the world." Obviously it's now a different year, and say what you will about the source, but what I found illustrates the point: Nearly the entire starting XIs for Chelsea, Arsenal, and City feature in the list, whereas only 3 United players appear: Ella Toone, Hinata Miyazawa, and the since-departed Mary Earps. So there's that.

 

[Demon Barber]

I went for Janssen. I think she is so influential and has made a huge difference to the team. Plus, it's probably an unusual choice.

 

[Lobster11]

Another reason I find the question difficult to answer is that it depends on whether you mean right now, or this season, or considering their entire careers (perhaps including appearances with other clubs and international teams). Hinata Miyazawa made last year's "best 100" list presumably based on her international and pre-United career, not on the limited minutes she played for United; recently, however, she has become one of our best players. Dominique Janssen also became one of our best players later in the season, although earlier in the year she was a liability rather than an asset. Even the great Ella Toone wouldn't have received (m)any votes for best player in any poll take before the winter break. Early in the season Clinton looked like she was ready to compete for best player in the WSL, not just at United, but now recently she's starting most games on the bench.

 

[jojojo]

Another reason I find the question difficult to answer is that it depends on whether you mean right now, or this season, or considering their entire careers (perhaps including appearances with other clubs and international teams). Hinata Miyazawa made last year's "best 100" list presumably based on her international and pre-United career, not on the limited minutes she played for United; recently, however, she has become one of our best players. Dominique Janssen also became one of our best players later in the season, although earlier in the year she was a liability rather than an asset. Even the great Ella Toone wouldn't have received (m)any votes for best player in any poll take before the winter break. Early in the season Clinton looked like she was ready to compete for best player in the WSL, not just at United, but now recently she's starting most games on the bench.

I think that's the sneaky bit of @top1whoisman wanting a "best" player and a separate "favourite" player.

Just as sometimes the votes in the Ballon D'or for example are about the season and sometimes they're about the whole picture of the player, their past, their present, their best days - it's confusing. Some posters will see the current importance of the player to this team as being the issue, some will see things in terms of transfer value.

Personally I chose to think of it as a case of: "if you were assembling a team for the Earth v Mars match and you need to pick one United player - who would be the United player you'd pick?"

We can always take a crack at player of the season in May.

 

[Lobster11]

Personally I chose to think of it as a case of: "if you were assembling a team for the Earth v Mars match and you need to pick one United player - who would be the United player you'd pick?"

When you put it that way it's easy: I've now cast my vote for Ella Toone.

My only hesitation is that I wonder who is playing for Mars....

 

[AmarilloMike]

I've gone for Phallon here based on that already famous INEOS line of "best in class". Everyone, including the world award givers, thought Mary Earps was the best goalie. Phallon has been an upgrade, no question. Therefore, she is the best for me.

(Ok, I played in nets when I was a kid, largely because I couldn't run for toffee, so a bit of goalie's union sure, but still!)