Bernardo Silva won’t win the PFA Player of the Year this season. Just like he wasn’t part of the conversation last year, or the year before that.
The closest the Portuguese schemer got to being considered the very best player in the English top-flight was in 2018/19 when he made the final shortlist.
2018/19. That was the season when Manchester City went head-to-head with Liverpool for ten months straight, eventually pipping their rivals by a single point and, not coincidentally, that was also the season when Silva was absolutely, mind-blowingly incredible each and every week.
He averaged 11.90km per 90. He bewitched and bamboozled opponents with impish dribbling. He pressed ferociously, never allowing a player in possession to draw breath.
He contributed a direct goal involvement every other game despite being played in five different positions. He was cute and combative, vivacious and vital. His flicks and tricks alone made him a joy to behold and they were a miniscule part of his game.
Had he played for Liverpool they would have comfortably won the league. That’s how influential he was on the direction of that year’s title.
Still, at least he made the shortlist.
That sounds snippy, even bitter, but it’s really not meant to be, not when its acknowledged why the 29-year-old has consistently been overlooked for individual honours since crossing the channel from Monaco in 2017.
It’s because we, the public, and the football industry at large, prefer our award winners to be ten out of ten at one thing. A trait we can hang our hat on. A skill-set we can easily identify with that particular brilliant player.
Take Kevin De Bruyne, Silva’s team-mate and a two-time PFA winner. For him it’s creation. Whether he is whipping in a devilish delivery from out wide or pinging a forty-yard through-pass for a forward to hare after, the Belgian’s game is built on creativity and he is unparalleled in that regard.
Take Mo Salah and his explosive runs that typically end in a goal. Or N’Golo Kante, another previous winner, and his endless energy. Twelve months earlier, Riyad Mahrez was acclaimed for his unrivalled trickery.
Bar Salah’s attributes, Bernardo Silva is exceptional at all of these traits but for each he is eight out of ten. Every week, without fail. Indeed, there is not another player around who is eight out of ten at a greater number of traits.
And that just confuses people.
It presumably confuses opponents too, when this slight, teeny player out-hustles them, a dervish of scrappiness and zeal, and then, when the ball is won, transforms instantly into a skilful winger. His hobnail boots become ballet shoes and with a dip of his shoulder he’s off.
Put simply, and to probably understate it considerably, Bernardo Silva is two players rolled into one. In truth, it’s probably three or four.
Knowing what they had, and how immensely difficult it would be to replace him, Manchester City fought tooth and nail to keep Silva last summer, with the player yearning for sunnier climes and Barcelona chasing his signature.
When he vowed to stay the relief from the club, and the fan-base, was palpable.
That’s because with him in the side, City’s Premier League odds will always be that bit shorter. With him in the side, this extraordinary creation is always that much better.
Besides, they would have had to ask for two transfer fees, minimum.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
