With the season nearing it's climax and the player of the year awards up for grabs Shane Long is the front runner.

The Ugly Inside poll for player of the year is obviously a lot smaller than the poll conducted by the Daily Echo which since it's inception in the mid 1970's was the the official club player of the year award till Nicola Cortese banned the paper from St Mary's a few years ago.

However both polls are very similar in their voting in that Shane Long is way out in front in what is turning into a two horse race.

In our poll Long has 50% of the vote with Virgil Van Dijk in second place with 36%, the only other player to register anything of note is Steven Davis with 12%. The other 2% is split between 3 players.

On the Echo website the results are similar, Long is enjoying 46% with VVW on 38% Steven Davis has 5%, Sadio Mane and Fraser Forster 3% each, Ryan Bertrand & Jose Fonte 2%, Pelle has 1% with the final player that the Echo nominated, Victor Wanyama, not appearing to have received a single vote.

So unless there is a big swing in the final days then Shane Long looks set to deservedly win the award, it is a pity really that the vote isn't shared as Virgil Van Dijk would be equally deserving and I'm sure that many Saints supporters found it difficult to decide between them

That in itself is an anomaly in that most years there is a stand alone winner polling 75% + of the voting.

The Ugly Inside poll is of course the most prestigious of the polls, the winner will win either a top of the range Bentley, or failing being able to persuade a Bentley dealer to donate one as a prize, a Northam Soul T Shirt.

To vote in the Ugly Inside poll click on the link below.

http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/southampton/members/!/polls/1369/who-shoul

Photo: Action Images

saintandy11 added 13:59 - May 7 I think that the fact the voting is tighter is a good reflection on the strength of our squad. We are no longer reliant on 1 quality player to get us out of the brown stuff but have quality players across the board
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