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The party line will be that no award matters other than the Premier League trophy, and that's probably the way it should be. As impressive as the individuals have been in the 2013-2014 season for Liverpool, there's been nobody more important than the collective, and that's the reason Brendan Rodgers' squad are four wins away from the league title. Time and again, it's about we and us and team, with I an afterthought.
And yet this Liverpool team are full of individual talent and promise--Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling have come on in leaps and bounds after smaller improvements last season, Jon Flanagan's emerged as a reliable left-back, and Philippe Coutinho's worked his way through a somewhat turbulent season to find his form during the season's most important stretch.
Three have stood out among the rest, however, and today they've been included on the PFA Player of the Year shortlist. Each of Luis Suarez, Steven Gerrard, and Daniel Sturridge have sparkled in their own right this season, and while Eden Hazard, Yaya Toure, and Adam Lallana would be worthy winners in any other season, it's hard to see past a Liverpool player taking home the honor.
Gerrard's campaign hasn't been a wholly smooth one; his partnership with Lucas in a two-man midfield stuttered, and after an injury layoff his transition to a deeper-lying role looked destined to fail. He's come on in leaps and bounds over the course of the last two months, however, and he's emerged as a central figure in Liverpool's title challenge with a number of key goals and assists from set pieces.
Sturridge led Liverpool to three straight 1-0 wins to start the season, and since that time he's combined to great effect with Suarez to lead the Premier League in goals. The Uruguayan likely has the edge given the shinier numbers and consistency, but Sturridge has been a revelation in his first full season on Merseyside. The English forward joins Sterling on the shortlist for Young Player of the Year along with Hazard, Ross Barkley, Luke Shaw, and Aaron Ramsey.
