Carragher & Neville select best player, manager, goal of season

Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher failed to agree when it came to selecting their picks of the season during Monday Night Football.

The Sky Sports pundits were tasked with selecting their best player, manager, goal and young player of the season, as well as the stand-out player to watch out for next term during the final edition of Monday Night Football of the campaign.

The debate started with the player award, with both backing Chelsea players. Neville chose N’Golo Kante, while Carragher went for Eden Hazard.

“I think he’s the best player in the league,” Carragher said of the Belgian. “There’s no doubt he had a massive drop off last season.

“I think that [you have to pick] a player who gets you off the edge of your seat, I’ve gone for Hazard.”

Neville disagreed, saying that Kante is “just a huge influence on this Chelsea team”. He added: “I saw the way they celebrated with him on Friday night.

“They threw him up in the air, along with a number of other players in fairness, and it just seemed to be a thank you – I think they realised the job he’s done.”

 

Manager of the Season

The discussion then turned to the managerial award, with Carragher tipping champion Antonio Conte, and Neville backing Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Carragher hardly had to explain his reasoning, but Neville said of his Pochettino choice: “At the start of the season I thought Tottenham would dip and go backwards purely because of playing in the Champions League.

“The squad and lack of investment compared to others. For Mauricio Pochettino to achieve what he’s done this year, to get them into second and beat their overall record for points in the Premier League, is an outstanding managerial achievement.”

 

Goal of the Season

Andy Carroll: Scores screamer against Palace

Elsewhere, Carragher chose Andy Carroll’s stunning bicycle kick against Crystal Palace in January as his goal of the season, while Neville favoured Olivier Giroud’s scorpion kick against the same side in the same month. Poor Wayne Hennessey.

 

Young Player of the Season

Carragher then selected Dele Alli as his stand-out young player of the season, while Neville opted for Manchester City winger Leroy Sane instead.

“The emerging player for me this year is Sane, I think he could be exceptional,” he said.

Carragher chose Kante as his signing of the season, while Neville backed Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. And for the final award – the player to watch out for next season – the former Liverpool man backed City’s Gabriel Jesus. Neville, perhaps bizarelly, chose David Luiz.