Stephen Ireland has missed out on winning this season's PFA Young Player of the Year award.Ashley Young of Aston Villa took the prize at the Sunday night's ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, beating off competition from Gabriel Agbonlahor, Jonny Evans, Aaron Lennon and Rafael da Silva as well as Stephen.
Peter Barnes remains the only City player to take the award, back in 1976, but Stephen can content himself with not just the nomination but magnificent season that has brought him 14 goals and widespread praise from players and pundits alike.
I'm still stunned that Ireland hasn't landed this award, and cannot see any justification for Ashley Young beating him to it.
I know as City fans we have the benefit of seeing Ireland at close quarters, but apart from a mid season spell of half a dozen games where he went slightly off the boil, he has been superb for us all season - and far more consistent over the whole season than Young, who for me has disappeared since Villa went off the boil after an excellent season until then.
It does seem a classic example of the problem of voting for these awards so early in the season, and a terrible snub for a player, who, in my mind should have been on the shortlist for the overall player of the year award.