The
votes are in and have been counted so now it's time to wave goodbye to
the 2012-13 season by reliving all the best and worst of the last 12
months. The season may not be one that we look back on with any
particular fondness, but there are nonetheless moments which stand
out, whether for good or for bad, and we celebrate them all in the
TBFUTH Awards 2013!
Player of the Season
Winner:
Jake Wright
Percentage
of Vote: 91%
For
many of Oxford United's players, this season has been a disappointing
one. Influential stars have been absent through injury for large
parts of the season, while others have frustratingly struggled for
form. But one player has stood head and shoulders above the rest to
claim this year's TBFUTH
Player of the Season Award
with a staggering 91% of the vote. I'm referring, of course, to
captain Jake Wright, whose title was never in any doubt after a
fantastic season. Wright has led by example this season, his passion
and pride evident in both good times and bad and with so many
important players missing (both literally and figuratively) his
contribution to the cause was all the more noticeable.
Goal of the Season
Winner:
Andy Whing v Rochdale (20/04/13)
Percentage
of Vote: 44%
There
are not many people who would have believed this time last year that
we would be awarding the 2013 TBFUTH
Goal of the Season Award
to Andy Whing – but that's exactly what's happened! Whing is often
praised for his bulldog spirit and his ferocious playing style, but
spectacular overhead kicks are not typically part of his repertoire,
so it was particularly surprising to see him pull off such a feat to
open the scoring against Rochdale. There have been other excellent
goals scored this season (Tom Craddock's effort away at Wycombe was a
close contender) but the sheer novelty of seeing such a piece of
skill pulled off by the usually agricultural Andy Whing elevates this
one above the rest.
Most Inspired Signing
Winner:
Sean Rigg
Percentage
of Vote: 86%
Admittedly,
transfer activity over the last past 12 months has been rather
limited, but there are few who could deny that Sean Rigg has proven
himself to be a valuable asset this season and worthy winner of the
TBFUTH
Most Inspired Signing Award.
After signing from Port Vale during
the summer,
Rigg has impressed tremendously on the right wing this season, his
pace and ball control terrorizing opposition defences – and he's
contributed a few goals as well. And with Chris Wilder favouring a
4-4-2 formation for the latter half of the season (a change from his
previous 4-3-3 favourite) Rigg became an even more important player
for United due to the increased need for an out-and-out winger. More
than anyone Rigg will have been disappointed with the way this season
has gone for Oxford, especially as he watches his former Vale
team-mates celebrate promotion to League One. But if that fires him
up even more next season, we could have plenty more reasons to be
singing Rigg's praises next season.
Worst Signing
Winner:
Justin Richards
Percentage
of Vote: 62%
When
it was first announced that Justin Richards was signing on loan from
Burton at the start of January, I'll admit that I had my doubts. But
in the handful of appearances he made in January he looked to be a
good signing, putting himself about and holding the ball up well. His
loan deal was made permanent on transfer deadline day but just when
it was looking as if Richards might have a more long-term future at
the club the inevitable happened: just a couple of weeks after
signing permanently for the club he was ruled out for the rest of the
season thanks to a torn
cruciate ligament.
He played a grand total of two matches following his permanent
signing. As a result, the club was left paying wages for the rest of
the season to yet another player who would be unable to play and so
as a result – through no particular fault of his own – Justin Richards has
the dubious honour of 'winning' the TBFUTH
Worst Signing Award.
Best Loanee
Winner:
Johnny Mullins
Percentage
of Vote: 75%
Rotherham
fans were left perplexed by Steve Evans' decision to loan us Johnny
Mullins – and it soon became easy to see why. Mullins was little
short of a revelation during his all-too-brief spell at the Kassam,
earning him the TBFUTH
Best Loanee Award.
As imperious as Jake Wright has been this season, the other place in
central defence has proven to be a more difficult role to fill, with
Michael Duberry absent for most of the season and Michael Raynes
struggling to find his feet following his arrival last summer. But
Mullins was able to slot in alongside Wright almost instantly,
shoring up a porous defence and notching a couple of goals himself
during his time at the club. Unfortunately, after just eight games
Mullins was recalled to Rotherham, making 30 more appearances for the
Millers to help them to promotion.
Worst Loanee
Winner:
Daniel Boateng
Percentage
of Vote: 44%
20-year-old
Daniel Boateng arrived at the club in the summer on a six-month loan
from Arsenal. However, his impact at the club was minimal, being
restricted to just two league appearances and a few cup cameos in
which he played almost no part. By October he had played his last
game for Oxford, Chris Wilder choosing to look elsewhere for his
defensive options and in January Boateng was quietly ushered back to
Arsenal. Boateng was not a spectacular failure, but as with his
fellow loanee Sean McGinty (who ran Boateng very close in the vote)
he impressed no-one and quickly – mercifully – vanished from the
memory. Unfortunately for him, not quite enough to avoid the ignominy
of 'winning' the 2013 TBFUTH
Worst Loanee Award.
Best Team Performance
Winner:
Bradford
Away
Percentage
of Vote: 44%
On
Tuesday 8th
January Bradford City shocked Premier League Aston Villa with a
comprehensive 3-1 victory in the home leg of their League Cup
semi-final. But just a matter of days later they were humbled on
their home turf thanks to an excellent Oxford display. The hosts were
understandably confident in the opening stages and took an early
lead, but United fought back valiantly and levelled the scores with a
thunderous effort from Sean Rigg. Oxford continued to attack their
tiring opponents and finally got their just desserts in the final
minute of the game as Peter Leven slotted home a penalty to bring the
points back home and cap an impressive eight-game unbeaten run in the
league – but most importantly, of course, winning the TBFUTH
Best Team Performance Award!
Worst Team Performance
Winner:
Rotherham
Home
Percentage
of Vote: 52%
This
was possibly the most abject Oxford performance in recent memory and
fully deserves its TBFUTH
Worst Team Performance Award.
We came into the game on the back of a four game unbeaten run which
included back-to-back victories over Gillingham and Port Vale and
expectations were understandably high that we could complete a treble
over the league's top three. Instead the fans were treated to our
heaviest ever defeat at the Kassam Stadium thanks to 15 first-half
minutes of madness, to go in 4-0 down at the break in front of a
stunned home crowd. After such an appalling first-half display there
was little to cheer for the loyal fans who remained and even with the
match effectively over as a contest a shell-shocked Oxford seemed
more determined not to concede any further goals in the second half
than to restore any pride by scoring themselves, allowing Rotherham
to coast to the easiest away victory they are ever likely to earn.
Best Moment
Winner:
Alfie Potter's goal v Swindon
Percentage
of Vote: 65%
Last
season's rare double over Swindon was a sweet experience for Oxford,
but bragging rights were placed firmly in the balance once again when
the two clubs were drawn together in the first
round of the JPT.
In their customary fashion League One Swindon – beaten finalists
the previous season – believed they already had the tie in the bag.
But they were left humiliated as they once again failed to break down
a stout United defence, capping it all with a sublime piece of comedy
defending
as Darren Ward and Aden Flint collided to allow Alfie Potter in to
deal the fatal blow in the dying minutes of the game, sparking
pandemonium in the East Stand as supporters who usually couldn't give
a stuff about the Trophy went delirious with joy. There haven't been
too many moments to savour in the last 12 months, but this was
definitely one and the obvious choice for the TBFUTH
Best Moment Award.
Worst Moment
Winner:
Rotherham's fourth first-half goal
Percentage
of Vote: 45%
We've
already discussed this miserable night, but this was one moment which
stood out above the rest to win the TBFUTH
Worst Moment Award. Heavy
defeats have been fortunately relatively uncommon in recent years and
home thrashings have been even less frequent. But to find ourselves
4-0 down at half-time is a situation which Oxford fans have not had
to endure since for decades. What's worse is that barely 15 minutes
before Ben Pringle netted Rotherham's fourth the sides had been level
and Oxford had been more than holding their own. It was a remarkable
and rather pitiful collapse and the fourth goal was as weak a piece
of defending as we're likely to see in our lifetimes with several
defenders being effortlessly pulled out of position to deal with a
lone threat, allowing Pringle the freedom of the six-yard box to slot
home.
Best Opposition Goal
Winner:
Calvin Zola (Burton)
Percentage
of Vote: 62%
There
have been a few contenders for the TBFUTH
Best Opposition Goal Award,
so it was always going to be a special effort which won it. On a day
when we were thoroughly outclassed by a rampant Burton side,
everything just seemed to fall into place for the hosts. Take, for
example, Calvin
Zola's opener.
Receiving the ball 25 yards out and with his back to goal, he
controlled it with his chest before volleying spectacularly on the
turn. Most weeks such an audacious effort would likely have skewed
off at an angle or sailed hopelessly high and wide. Not this one,
though. It arrowed into the back of the net, leaving Ryan Clarke
little more than a spectator. A rare effort indeed.
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