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Riyad Mahrez lost out to Leicester City team-mate Jamie Vardy for the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award on Monday. Adam Bate explains why Mahrez got his vote… Everyone loves a winger. David Ginola and Gareth Bale were both rewarded with the FWA Footballer of the Year award. Riyad Mahrez wont be joining them just yet, but hes already set to do what those two did not do - propel his team to a Premier League title. Vardy wins FWA award Jamie Vardy named Football Writers Association Footballer of the Year for 2015/16. The numbers tell some of the story. Mahrez has scored 17 goals and provided 11 assists, putting him level with Jamie Vardy as the most effective player in the Premier League. Its difficult to overstate his importance to the team. Champions need flair as well as functionality. Even Watford have a dogged defence, having conceded the same amount of goals as the Foxes as recently as February. But they didnt have a Mahrez.In a team full of heroes, he still stands out. Both Vardy and NGolo Kante have been integral but Leicester have actually coped without them. Without Mahrez on the pitch in this seasons Premier League, they have conceded twice as many goals as theyve scored. Mahrez impact Player Dribbles Player Clear chances created Wilfried Zaha 127 Mesut Ozil 26 Riyad Mahrez 117 Riyad Mahrez 17 Ross Barkley 111 Dimitri Payet 13 He ranks in the top two in the Premier League for dribbles and clear-cut chances created. Hes twisted and hes turned. Hes sold the dummies and the defenders have just kept buying them. Hes been fun to watch and given the impression it was even more fun to play.I was a street footballer, he told Sky Sports recently. Every day, I was on the street dribbling, doing skills. I wasnt in an academy till I was 19. The lung-busting hunger of Vardy might be more conspicuous but Mahrez has his own story too.Perhaps the journey from Sarcelles - a dangerous ghetto, according to the man himself - doesnt evoke the same everyman qualities for English audiences, but it should. Mahrez battled for an amateur contract in Frances fourth tier. A trial at St Mirren didnt work out. Jamie Redknapp highlighted Mahrezs all-round game after the 4-0 win over Swansea As recently as 2014, one month shy of his 23rd birthday, he was with Le Havre in the French second division. Those spindly limbs didnt convince everyone of their capacity to cope in tougher conditions but Leicesters technical scouts looked at the stats and took a chance.Nigel Pearson trusted his talent but Mahrez was still an unused substitute on numerous occasions last season - most notably in the April win at Burnley that lifted Leicester out of the bottom three. Hes a more effective player now and that owes much to his dedication to improve.In the wake of Mahrezs PFA Player of the Year award, manager Claudio Ranieri said: I am very proud because Riyad is a very humble man. He asks every time, What can I do to improve? That is fantastic. He is a genius, our light. Mahrez has found a unique role for himself in Claudio Ranieris team In a recent interview with LEquipe, Mahrez spoke of the headaches brought about by Claudio Ranieris attention to detail on the tactical work. The instincts of the street footballer remain. I want so much be that player, the player who improvises, he admitted. But hes worked at it.Its been reflected in his efforts. While the compact team shape has been a feature of Leicesters success and theres a beauty in the simplicity of the roles of many within the line-up, the onus is on Mahrez to do something different. He has to pick his moments to gamble. Mahrez scored in a 3-1 win away to Manchester City in February We know hes a wide player, Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports. But the amount of times he finds himself between the lines, hes not just a headless chicken going in there. Its being in there and being decisive at the right time. Thats understanding. Thats reading the game.More often than not hes read it right. Mahrez scored in the first three games of the season - a brace against Sunderland, the winner versus West Ham and what turned out to be a significant late equaliser at home to Tottenham. Those goals alone were worth five points.By March, his goals had earned the team 20 points - and it wouldve been four more but for a couple of penalty misses. During the run-in, there were fine finishes in 1-0 wins over Watford and Crystal Palace. A brief dip followed but Mahrez has done it when it mattered. Needing to deliver with Vardy suspended, Mahrez opened the scoring against Swansea, settling the nerves and leaving Leicester on the brink. There was no goal against Manchester United on Sunday but his second-half dribbling relieved the pressure nevertheless.You were wondering whod step up, said Carragher of that win over Swansea. There was no need. Mahrez has been the decisive figure at the decisive time in the team of the season. Maybe even bigger things await, but this will always be his year - Leicesters year. He deserves every award going. Also See: Vardy wins FWA award Souness in awe of Leicester WATCH: Did Leicester get lucky? WATCH: LVG, Ranieri respect Cheap Nike Air Max 270 . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda. Nike Air Max 270 Sale . According the Toronto Star, a knee injury will keep Sundin out of the lineup, which includes former teammates Gary Roberts, Darcy Tucker, Tie Domi and Curtis Joseph. https://www.cheapnikeairmax270china.us/ . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off. Fake Nike Air Max 270 . -- New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis is retiring after a 16-year career to become the goalie coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Clearance Nike Air Max 270 . Now, correct me if Im wrong but I saw one official distinctly pointing at the net indicating a good goal but after an inconclusive review they overturned the goal. Shouldnt the ruling on the ice (good goal) stand after an inconclusive review? Why was this overturned? James Veaudry Pembroke, ON -- Hey Kerry, Youll get a lot of these, but why was the Montreal goal against Nashville Saturday night overturned? Eller puts the puck on net and the on ice ruling from the ref behind the net is a Montreal goal. SAN FRANCISCO -- After three straight wins, including consecutive starts in which he threw five scoreless innings, Matt Cain lost his command Friday night and the San Francisco Giants lost in their return home from a nine-game road trip.Cain (4-7) allowed five runs and 11 hits in four-plus innings, including home runs by Mark Trumbo and Chris Davis, and the Giants lost 5-2 to the Baltimore Orioles in a game between teams fighting for division leads.I just got pitches back on the plate a little bit more today, Cain said. I got the heaters on the plate and they didnt miss them.Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Cain didnt have his good fastball command.A lot of them came back over the plate, Bochy said. Theyre a good hitting ball club with a lot of power. They took advantage of him. He just didnt have his good command. So that was pretty much the story. He got a lot of balls up.In just his sixth career start, Dylan Bundy relied on mental strength more than physical dominance to pitch the Orioles back into first place in the AL East.Bundy allowed one run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings, Trumbo regained the major league lead with his 33rd home run and Zach Britton notched his 36th save.Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Bundy (6-3) didnt have a good feel for his curveball and it was good seeing him compete and fight through it.Bundy acknowledged he didnt have command of his pitches at points and refused to blame it on a cool night in San Francisco, with the temperature in the 50s.Weather is the easy excuse, but it was just that you cant have your best stuff every time, Bundy said. You just got to focus a little more, get the ball over the plate and let them get themselves out.Trumbos two-run homer in the third inning traveled an estimated 441 feet, landing near the back of the stands in left field. Earlier Friday, Torontos Edwin Encarnacion hit his 32nd home run to tie Trumbo for the MLB lead.Trumbo said he hadnt known that Encarnacion had homered, and said it was way too early to worry about whos leading the majors in homers.The win matters, I dont care about the other stuff, he said.The Orioles win, coupled with the Blue Jays 5-3 home loss to Houston, moved Baltimore back into first place by a half-game over Toronto. The Giants retained their one-game lead in the NL West over the Los Angeles Dodgers, whho lost 5-1 at home to Pittsburgh.ddddddddddddDavis led off the fifth with his 24th homer of the season for the Orioles, who are 4-4 on a 10-game road trip that ends Sunday in San Francisco. Matt Wieters and Adam Jones had RBI in the Orioles two-run second.Denard Span drove in San Franciscos first run with a third-inning double. Brandon Belt added an RBI single in the ninth.Britton, who leads the AL in saves, has not blown a save this season, and hasnt allowed an earned run in his last 40 games.The Giants have lost eight of their last 10 interleague games.TRAINERS ROOMOrioles: Showalter said RHP Darren ODay was sent home to Baltimore for tests after experiencing shoulder discomfort in Thursdays relief appearance at Oakland. ... Showalter said INF Steve Pearce, who has missed four games with an injured flexor tendon in his right arm, should be ready to return Saturday.Giants: Bochy said theres no date set for the return of RHP Cory Gearrin, who has made five relief appearances at Triple-A Sacramento while rehabbing from a right shoulder strain.BRONZED PERRYThe Giants will dedicate a nine-foot bronze statue to Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry on Saturday before their game against the Orioles. Fellow Giants Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal and Orlando Cepeda, all of whom already have statues outside AT&T Park, are expected to attend. Perry, 77, talking before Fridays game, as usual refused to say whether he ever doctored the ball during his 22-year MLB career.GIANTS HOMECOMINGThe Giants opened a 10-game homestand after finishing a 4-5 road trip to Philadelphia, Washington and Miami. Bochy said he was looking forward to having 15 of the teams next 18 games in San Francisco. Its important to have a good homestand and get back to who we are, he said. Weve been sputtering since the All-Star break.UP NEXTOrioles: Kevin Gausman (3-9, 4.02 ERA) starts Saturday against the Giants. He is tied for the team lead with quality starts in 60 percent of his 20 outings this season.Giants: Madison Bumgarner (10-7, 2.20) makes his 25th start of 2016 on Saturday. The Giants have lost his last five starts, including a 1-0 complete game defeat at Washington last Sunday. 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