The poisonous spat between Rafael Benítez and Sir Alex Ferguson raises hopes that there could be a classic run-in to the season, but the domestic campaign continues to lack one notable ingredient. If there is someone out there who intends to become Footballer of the Year, could he please make himself known immediately.

A couple of stunning goals, a few match-winning performances on the bounce, or simply staying fit and rating 8 out of 10 for a month or two — it would not take much for someone to announce himself as Footballer of the Year-elect in a season so notable for the absence of outstanding contenders that the question “Who would you vote for tomorrow?” drew blank looks and lots of head-scratching around a dinner table the other evening.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s acceptance in Zurich yesterday of the Fifa World Player of the Year award emphasised only a falling away of standards. The Manchester United winger showed some signs against Chelsea on Sunday of his best form returning and an unprecedented hat-trick of both Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) and Football Writers’ Association (FWA) honours cannot be ruled out, but he is still playing catch-up after injury and also all that distracting footsie with Real Madrid.

There are few clues to be found in the scoring charts. Nicolas Anelka leads with 14 Barclays Premier League goals but the old moper cannot even make the Chelsea starting XI. Robinho, in second place, has been, like Manchester City, far too inconsistent. Amr Zaki has been a great find for Wigan Athletic but Footballer of the Year, truly?

Put on the spot, a Premier League manager and a top-flight player volunteered the name of Ashley Young yesterday. Yet while Young has impressed with his goals and dashing runs, many Aston Villa fans would argue that Martin Laursen is their player of a fine season.

There are a few months, and plenty of big games, ahead for the established stars to step forward. We will easily be persuaded should Fernando Torres return from injury to spur Liverpool towards the title. Likewise Steven Gerrard, although that rather depends on events in the courtroom as well as the pitch.

Time yet, too, for Wayne Rooney to build on his twin resurgence as a match-winner for United and England and for Rio Ferdinand to recover from back spasms and return to the spine of the defending European champions.

But, with a diversity of candidates, there is also the possibility of a repeat of 1998-99, when the awards system was brought into disrepute by victory in both individual prizes, from players and journalists, for David Ginola; scorer of three goals in 30 league games for Tottenham Hotspur and one from a stupendous individual run in the FA Cup against Barnsley.

Ginola could be unstoppable on a good-hair day but this was, of course, the treble season. Embarrassingly, the polls closed weeks in advance of United’s historic feat — the deadline was subsequently pushed back — and the votes for United stars were split. The anomaly of Ginola seems even more jarring when you consider that neither the PFA nor FWA prize has found its way into the home of Ryan Giggs, the United winger.

It was little consolation for the writers that the players had found themselves in the same mess, and Ferguson, the United manager, was certainly not buying any excuses. “David f***ing Ginola!?” he said some months later to a group of reporters. “And youse lot expect me to take you seriously.” With 1999 in mind, perhaps we need to get our heads together before Jimmy Bullard is dusting down his tuxedo.

Sort out criteria for Ryder cup job

In most sports, towards the end of a glittering career, you might expect a dinner in your honour and a nice engraved memento. In European golf, you get the Ryder Cup captaincy.