And the nominees are...

It's been a busy few weeks in the world of cinema, it's always the same this time of year. In the past month or so the silver screen has seen esteemed awards, in the shape of Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Oscars, go to the likes of Ben Affleck, Adele, Christopher Waltz, Daniel Day-Lewis, Emmanuelle Riva, Jennifer Lawrence and Ang Lee, to name but a few.

In football it's always a busy few weeks, recently we've had a slew of F.A cup shocks, fantastic Champions League games, some absolute 'thronkers', to borrow a phrase from Football Focus' Dan Walker, and of course the very first 'Pulled off at Half Time' Podcast, featuring me. But many people seem to have mixed up football's busy period with that of cinema with many starting to speculate on who will be this season's "Player of the Year." The confusion has come after yet another wonderful performance, and goals, from Gareth Bale against West Ham United on Monday. Added to the fact that the voting slips for football's end of season awards come out famously early, although not this early, and you've got a myriad of speculation.

It's clearly too early to be considering player of the year with many pivotal moments to come in the next 11 games. Now, obviously, I'm not suggesting the player who performs best in the next 11 games should win the award I simply mean the 'run in' may tip the scales towards one of the contenders.

All this got me thinking, in this mini season of 11 games who is the player who will be the most important?

And the nominations are...
In alphabetical order

Gareth Bale
The Welshman has been almost unstoppable recently, his 2 free kicks at home against Lyon and his top class goal against West Ham amongst his many match winning performances for Spurs, but the winger will have to keep up his current form if Spurs are to clinch a top 4 spot, with 2nd still up for grabs. The North London side have the hardest of run ins with home matches against Southampton and Sunderland the only 'easy' games on a list that includes the North London derby and away trips to Liverpool, Swansea, Chelsea and Stoke. Ironically a good end to the season for Bale may propel his side into the Champions League but may make the likes of Real Madrid more determined to stop him playing for Spurs next season.

Christian Benteke
Aston Villa have been absolutely awful for most of this season, with performances against Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United being some of the few exceptions (though they only won one of those matches), and find themselves in the relegation zone during Paul Lambert's first season in charge. Villa's young side have missed the experience of club captain Stylian Petrov, battling against leukaemia, and so their only hope of survival falls to the young Belgian striker Benteke who has so far bagged himself 15 goals.

Jussi Jaaskelainen
It seems odd that I would include a 'keeper' for a team seemingly on the way to mid-table obscurity on this list but the 'Hammers' are in a run that certainly suggests relegation form, winning twice and losing 8 times since beating surprisingly beating Chelsea on December 1st. If Jaaskelainen can continue his form from Monday's match against Spurs, as well as call on his previous experience of relegation fights with Bolton, then West Ham should be okay.

Arouna Kone
"Shock as Wigan win in late February" was never going to be a headline as Wigan brushed aside 10 man Reading at the weekend, after all the Latics are well known for their sudden revivals in the last third of the season. Roberto Martinez, and Paul Jewell before him, has become well versed in keeping his Wigan team in the Premier League, often on the last day of the season. The difference between this season and previous ones is Kone, a genuine match winning goal scorer, and the man who may well keep the 'Pie Eaters' up before their last day encounter with Aston Villa.

Wojciech Szczesny
The second goalkeeper on the list, and player who's name I looked at about 8 times before typing it correctly, Arsenal's custodian will be more important to his side's battle to be in the top 4 than the likes of Walcott, Podolski and Giroud. The 'Gunners' will always score goals but it is not so certain that they will stop them going in. The Pole is so important because Arsenal's other choices have had so little football and because the defence in front of him can be so shaky. In Szczseny can find his best form then Arsene Wenger's team could still pick up a trophy this season (I know and you know 4th place isn't a trophy but apparently Arsene doesn't).

John Terry 
Love him or hate him, and I loathe him, it's difficult to reject the importance of John Terry to Chelsea football club on the pitch, and in the dug out. "Captain, Leader, Legend" Terry has plenty of influence in the 'Blues' dressing room, which he's showed by helping get rid of Andre Villas Boas and guiding Roberto Di Matteo through his managerial stint to win the Champions League, and with the dressing room in current disarray he is the only man who can pull it together. 'J.T' is also important on the pitch which has become more and more evident during his run on the sideline through injury. Terry could be the man who performs miracles and leads Chelsea into the top 4 and F.A cup success- although he won't be able to get Fernando Torres to score.

And the winner is...

Yeah right, don't get ahead of yourself!