Player of the Month Awards: September 2013

After a week of voting, Sportskeeda’s readers have decided who their Players of the Month for September 2013 are. Here are the winners:

Goalkeeper of the month: Pepe Reina, Napoli

The Spaniard played 5 crucial fixtures for his new side, including the all important tie against AC Milan, where he did what was thought to be impossible – he saved a Mario Balotelli penalty!

Apart from his heroics in Serie A, Reina was in top form in the Champions League, helping his side register a convincing 2-1 win over last season’s finalists, Borussia Dortmund.

For his standout performances in the month of September, Pepe Reina is our Goalkeeper of the Month.

Defender of the month: Diego Godin, Atletico Madrid

“Atletico make use of very compact defensive lines and are fast on the counter,” Porto’s coach Fonseca said ahead of this midweek’s Champions League clash between the two.

“The scenario I predict is that there will be very little space. Atletico Madrid’s defensive solidity and swift counter attacks give them the attributes of a classic ‘Italian side’.”

When viewed logically, it’s fairly easy to understand that to add the latter attribute you have to posses the former, and that’s where the likes of Diego Godin come in. And this was said without the knowledge that Godin would be instrumental in Atletico’s comeback, scoring a goal himself to bring the Spaniards back into the tie.

If you haven’t heard of it yet, Atletico Madrid seem to have finally arrived on the scene. They have matched Barcelona every step of the way so far, winning each of their first seven La Liga games. The wins included an outstanding display of team football where they tactically played Real off the field.

Every successful team needs a platform, a springboard which forms the spine of the team, enabling the men upfront to concentrate on their work. With Diego Godin running the rules at the heart of Atletico’s backline, that’s exactly what Godin and Co. at the back do for Atletico. Godin’s accomplishments certainly haven’t gone unnoticed, with the likes of Manchester City and Dortmund among others constantly being linked with the highly-rated Uruguayan.

With more than 30% of the votes, Diego Godin is our Defender of the Month for September.

Midfielder of the Month: Aaron Ramsey, Arsenal

If there is one player that has to be selected as the most improved player this season, it has to be Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey. His form in September has been comparable to the golden patch that Gareth Bale had last year, and while Ramsey’s goals haven’t quite been from as far out as Bale’s were, they certainly haven’t been random flukes.

The Welshman finally seems to have shrugged off the effects of his terrible injury, and seems all set to fulfil the potential attached to him when he first burst onto the scene. If he can keep things going like he did in September, scoring and assisting goals domestically as well as abroad, there is no reason why he won’t.

With an overwhelming majority, Aaron Ramsey is our Midfielder of the Month for September.

Striker of the month: Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid

In spite of no longer being the costliest player in the world, Ronaldo has simply gone about business as usual to re-establish why he is the undisputed star at Real. A barrage of goals in September, including a hat-trick against Galatasaray in the Champions League, have boosted his quest for the Golden Boot, and even the Golden Ball, perhaps, which is no longer in Messi’s hand.

The extent of Ancelotti’s dependence on the Portuguese star comes to light when we see that Ronaldo scored in every game of September, except for the one against Atletico. And that was when Real recorded their opening loss of the season, losing the derby 1–0.

With more than 40% of the votes, Cristiano Ronaldo is our Striker of the Month for September.