Player of the year: David Bentley. The former Arsenal star always had the ability but he's added an end product to his game this season. How can Steve McClaren keep overlooking him for England?

Young player: Matt Derbyshire has surpassed all expectations since his promotion to the first team last December. Nine goals in 30 appearances was an amazing return for a player who was playing in the North West Counties League not so long ago.

Best individual performance: Brad Friedel's penalty saving heroics at Bramall Lane. To save one is special; two is superhuman.

Best team performance: The 0-0 draw at The Emirates. Rovers became the first English side to record a clean sheet at Arsenal's palatial new home.

Best chant: The Blackburn End to Lucas Neill: "We're going to Wembley, you're going to Burnley...." to the tune of La Donna E Mobile from Verdi's Opera Rigoletto' Best exchange: At Christopher Samba's first press conference, a journalist desperate to get a quirky line asks the towering 6ft 5in defender: "Do you have any nicknames?"

"Yes," replied the Congo international. "Chris..!"

Best game: Red Bull Salzburg 2 Rovers 2.

Worst game: Portsmouth 3 Rovers 0. A long way to go for nothing.

Worst divers: 1) John Terry 2) Carlos Tevez 3) El Hadji Diouf Best bit of business: Buying Benni McCarthy for £2.5 million. Went on to become Rovers' most prolific scorer in a Premiership season since Alan Shearer. Say no more Worst mistake: Assistant referee Jim Devine signalling Bobby Zamora's goal' had crossed the line in the 2-1 defeat to West Ham. He should have gone to Specsavers.

Best atmosphere: Old Trafford for the FA Cup semi-final. Rovers might have lost the game but they beat Chelsea in the song contest.

Goal of the season: For sheer drama, McCarthy's last-gasp winner against Arsenal; for sheer quality, Tugay's stunning strikes against Basel and Tottenham Substitution of the season: Any involving Tugay. The midfield maestro has turned the act of being substituted into an art form. He took so long to leave the pitch on the last day against Reading, he almost started a riot Best away ground: The Emirates Stadium. The pre-match spread in the press room was like something you'd see on the QE2 Best European trip: Wisla Krakow. Has the biggest square in Europe, containing over a hundred bars and restaurants. Oh yes, and beer was 50p a pint, too.

Scariest experience in a foreign taxi: Going through a McDonalds drive-thru' in a ropey district of Krakow in the small hours of the morning Best marketing campaign: Jockey's Boxer-shorts for coming up with David Bentley's lucky pants Most colourful quote: Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho on Chelsea's injury-ravaged squad after Ashley Cole gets injured against Blackburn "It is like having a blanket that is too small for the bed. You pull the blanket up to keep your chest warm and your feet stick out. You pull it down to keep your feet warm and your chest gets cold. I cannot buy a bigger blanket because the supermarket is closed. But I am content because the blanket is cashmere. It is no ordinary blanket."

Most bizarre moment: Seeing Dirk Benedict - aka Face from the A-team - in the press room at Stamford Bridge watching Mourinho's press conference Funniest moment: The American pilot who thought he was flying the Blackburn Rockets' out to Rotterdam for a UEFA Cup tie with Feyenoord Most tedious transfer story: The whole Lucas Neill saga. Even Mark Hughes got bored of all the questions about the Aussie's future in the end.

Most irritating goal celebration: Lucas Neill cupping his ear towards the Blackburn End after scoring the winner against Nancy.

Save of the season: Brad Friedel's double save to deny Thierry Henry and Justin Hoyte in the closing stages of Rovers' 0-0 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates Most petulant act: Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas taunting Mark Hughes with his You used to play for Barcelona didn't you? Well that wasn't Barcelona football' comment Best put down: Mark Hughes to Fabregas..."I thought he should have shown more respect to someone who has played in more FA Cup finals than he has." Ouch.

Worst loser: Arsenal striker Julio Baptista shortly after his side's defeat at Ewood in the FA Cup...

"The teams from the north of England are terrible. When we play them I have counted their centre-backs booting up to 30 long balls upfield per game.

"I am lucky to be with Arsenal, as they are a team that likes to play proper football."

aneild@the-lt.co.uk