by Sam Todd

Created on: May 23, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Newcastle United's returning "messiah" Kevin Keegan had claimed that "This league is in danger of becoming one of the most boring but great leagues in the world." He may have been referring to the increasingly predictable dominance of the "big four", but the climax to this Premier League season was one of the most dramatic for many a year.

It began with Sunderland showing the top four aspirations of Tottenham Hotspur to be no more than a pipe dream, and finished with Ryan Giggs winning the title for Manchester United in the match where he equalled Sir Bobby Charlton's record of appearances.

Both Manchester United and Chelsea went into the final day level on points at the top, with only goal difference separating the two, with a three-way stand-off at the bottom between Fulham, Reading and Birmingham City.

Not many previous campaigns spring to mind in terms of things being this close - the "up for grabs" season of 1989 when Arsenal beat Liverpool - literally - to the old First Division title on goal difference, and the 1994/95 season, when Blackburn Rovers and Manchester United were virtually neck-a-neck for the championship, stand out. Like this season, the latter also had survival decided on the final day, with Aston Villa pulling away from Crystal Palace.

So, in the style of the Oscars - appropriately so given the attempts of Didier Drogba and Co to win best actor with their diving antics - here are the winners and losers of the 2008 season.

Best Player:
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United): The United defence might be the unsung heroes at Old Trafford, but you can't ignore 42 strikes in all competitions, countless assists and match winning performances, and all from midfield to boot. Still needs to find more consistency on the big occasions - an excellent display in the Champions League final followed two no-shows against Barcelona in the same tournament.

Other Nominees:
Fernando Torres (Liverpool): The Kop ended the term 11 points behind champions United - and they would have been even further behind without the mercurial Spaniard, whose tally of 24 goals was a record for an overseas debutant in the Premier League era.

Tim Cahill (Everton): Sometimes a player's influence can be seen when absent; the Toffees were in contention of overhauling Liverpool until Cahill's metatarsal injury ruled him out of the end-of-season run-in.

Best Player in a Supporting Role:
Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United): Helped enormously by the presence of Vidic, Ferdinand was the lynchpin

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