[Pat Murphy]

Spanish Debate: Who Is Barca's Player Of The Season?

To round off the current Liga season, Ewan Macdonald looks at the stand-out performers from the biggest clubs. Last week we looked at Real Madrid and Villarreal - today is FC Barcelona...

It's been yet another season without silverware for the blaugrana, and one that they'd most likely rather forget. Nonetheless, there have been a few bright spots: Bojan's rise to prominence was one, while the 6-0 thrashing of Valencia was another. Plus, they remain in the challenge for second place, so the season was not an unmitigated failure. Overall, though, excellent individual performances have been thin on the ground, and as such it might be a bit of a challenge to select who was their best player this season.

I've picked a few players, given below in alphabetical order. After that, I've compiled my own top three from the choices given. As always, you, the fan, can make up your own mind in the comments field below.

Let's get started. Bear in mind that this initial list is given in alphabetical order.

Andrés INIESTA

Perhaps the closest thing Barça have to a "Mr. Dependable" in an attacking sense, Iniesta is now in his fourth season as a first team regular. It's difficult to see him being dislodged now, and with six years left to run on his contract, he's here for the long term.

That's good news for the club as Iniesta is fast marking himself out as a naturally gifted midfielder. While it hasn't been the best of seasons for the Barcelona central line, the Albacete boy has excelled in practically every role he's been cast into. On a few occasions, around New Year mainly, he was perhaps the attacking influence on the team, too.

It's a fair amount of pressure on a guy that's only 23 years of age, but Iniesta, who appears to be the quiet sort, is delaing with it without difficulty or drama. Surely this will only continue.

Lionel MESSI

The young Argentina forms just one quarter of the Fantastic Four in terms of his physical person - less if we're going by height - but in a season in which Ronaldinho has been largely anonymous and Thierry Henry struggling, he is worth far more.

While his own campaign has for the second season running been struck by injury, he remains an incredibly positive influence up front, not least when he's given space in which to operate. True, he reacts badly to 'anti-football' and can drift out of games against such sides, but it's just as likely that a moment of magic can see him pull off a vital goal or assist.

The fact that he managed six strikse in the midst of Barça's ill-fated Champions League campaign, meanwhile, also speaks for itself.

Yaya TOURÉ

I previously named Touré as the best summer signing of the season not only for Barça but for Spain as a whole, and I stand by this assertion. Touré has come into what has been a cursed spot in the Barcelona midfield since Edmílson's fall from grace and converted it into one of their few positions that can well and truly be considered solid.

Eric Abidal and even Gabriel Milito have been accused of being unable to make the step up to Barça despite rising up from prestigious clubs - Lyon and Zaragoza - but Touré, who came from Lyon's junior Ligue 1 colleagues Monaco, has had no such difficulty. He has settled in with consummate ease and can be considered a must-pick next season should the blaugrana operate with one defensive midfielder or two.

Carles PUYOL

Barcelona's defence has come in for no end of criticism this year, but if one looks at the facts, the back line isn't as bad as first feared. In fact, the blaugrana have shipped just 33 goals so far in the Liga - fewer than any other side except champions Real Madrid. That's how many they conceded in 38 games last season, and it's not unimaginable that they'll end the campaign with the same total.

While Puyol has committed a few high-profile errors, he has overall been a steadying influence at the back. With the full-backs all too often posted missing, he has covered plenty of ground, and, as befits a captain, he's not often shy about organising things as he sees fit.

Victor VALDÉS

The much-maligned goalkeeper is not everyone's choice for number one at Camp Nou, and to be fair, there's a lot to be said for that point of view. But, like Puyol, a few errors aside he has overall been a reliable influence.

Few would say that he's on a par with Iker Casillas but, as Johan Cruyff pointed out, he's generally had less to do. And what he has done, he's done well the bulk of the time. There's a chance that he could usurp Andrés Palop as Spain's number three this summer based on his improvements this year: he's slightly more commanding in the box than he used to be.

His tendency to misjudge crosses is perhaps his greatest failing, but this, too, is on the wane, and as such Valdés can be considered not only a decent performer but also much-improved. The debate will rage on as to whether or not he is truly Barcelona standard, but he certainly marked himself out as a fine Liga goalkeeper this season, whatever happens.

My Vote: My vote goes to Andrés Iniesta. At times he has been almost the sole motivating force pushing Barcelona forward, and on most occasions - this Sunday aside - he has been conspicuous by his absence during times of injury.

While it is both true and correct that Barça have been criticised at times for being slow in the build-up, Iniesta has been perhaps one of the lesser offenders in these stakes. Indeed, even with the Spanish national side - one that currently plays a patient game - he has often been apt to drive forward at speed, and he's replicated such performances at club level, too.

The Albacete-born ace will feel that he can raise his game even further, and with a possible change in tactics in the offing for the new season, it will be exciting to see how he adapts his style for the challenges to come. For this season, though, his performances are worthy of admiration, and he is thus my FC Barcelona Player of the Year.

The Rest: Touré Yaya is in second place. The central midfield anchor role changed hands numerous times last season, with neither Edmílson nor Márquez truly making it their own. Yaya, however, is set to dominate this place for a while to come.

Of all the summer signings at Camp Nou his has far and away been the most successful, and although he's been accused of being slow on the ball, his considered approach and supreb defensive abilities more than make up for that.

Lionel Messi finishes third. In what has been a difficult campaign due to injury and the poor form of some of his cohorts, he has still been a respectable influence. It's all the more impressive when you consider that, yes, he's still 20 years old. Granted, he's been outscored by Samuel Eto'o and is matched by Bojan, but he's nonetheless probably been the best of all forwards.

As an aside, an honourable mention must go to Bojan Krkić, who, were it not for his having made more appearances as a sub than a starter, would probably be on this list. Samuel Eto'o may be top scorer, but he's been hesitant in the finish of late and is capable of far better. He is a great player, but this is not his year.

Ewan Macdonald, Goal.com

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