A simple one this one... (and no, I'm not reading from Rio Ferdinand's school report)
If you had to pick one and only one player from each Premiership club, who would you choose?
Try to make a squad if you can (ie a 20 man squad containing at least 2 keepers, 4 or 5 defenders etc) but you dont have to if you don't want to.
Thats the kind people we are on 'Some People are on the Pitch'...
Here are my selection's, below which you find a template to use for your replies.
Arsenal - Fibre Glass
Aston Villa - Gareth Barry
Birmingham - Forsell
Blackburn - The Gamst
Bolton - Jaaskelainen
Chelsea - Michael Essien
Derby - Teale
Everton - Mikel Arteta
Fulham - Antii Niemi
Liverpool - Jamie Carragher
Manchester City - Micah Richards
Manchester Utd - Wayne Rooney
Middlesbrough - Jonathan Woodgate
Newcastle Utd - Michael Owen
Portsmouth - Matthew Taylor
Reading - Ingmarsson
Sunderland - Gordon the Keeper
Tottenham - Berbatov
West Ham - Mark Noble
Wigan - Scharner
Template:
Arsenal -
Aston Villa -
Birmingham -
Blackburn -
Bolton -
Chelsea -
Derby -
Everton -
Fulham -
Liverpool -
Manchester City -
Manchester Utd -
Middlesbrough -
Newcastle Utd -
Portsmouth -
Reading -
Sunderland -
Tottenham -
West Ham -
Wigan -
Arsenal - Cesc
ReplyDeleteAston Villa - Barry
Birmingham - Forssell
Blackburn - Bentley
Bolton - Anelka
Chelsea - Terry
Derby - Oakley
Everton - Lescott
Fulham - Dempsey
Liverpool - Gerrard
Manchester City - Richards
Manchester Utd - Vidic
Middlesbrough - Tuncay
Newcastle Utd - Martins
Portsmouth - James
Reading - Shorey
Sunderland - Gordon
Tottenham - Berbatov
West Ham - Ljungberg
Wigan - Sibierski
Arsenal - Arsene Wenger
ReplyDeleteAston Villa - Gabriel Agbonlahor
Birmingham - Johan Djourou
Blackburn - Roque Santa Cruz
Bolton - Nicolas Anelka
Chelsea - Fat Frank
Derby - Andy Todd
Everton - Tim Cahill
Fulham - Brian McBride
Liverpool - Jose Reina
Manchester City - Richard Dunne
Manchester Utd - Edwin van der Sar
Middlesbrough - Mido
Newcastle Utd - Charles N'Zogbia
Portsmouth - Sulley Muntari
Reading - Nicky Shorey
Sunderland - Craig Gordon
Tottenham - Dimitar Berbatov
West Ham - Lucas Neill
Wigan - Antoine Sibierski
Starting XI
van der Sar
Neill Dunne Carragher Shorey
N'Zogbia Lampard Cahill Sibierski
Berbatov Anelka
I know it doesn't work out 100% perfectly, but that'd be more effort than I'm willing to put in :)
Carragher instead of Gerrard, Smart? Fabregas rather than Van Persie? Just interested in your views, that's all...
ReplyDeleteQuite a few similarities with my own team (below) all round. Interesting choices.
Adam - you've gone for Arsene Wenger as your Arsenal choice! Do you hold him in that high esteem or were there no players that were good enough in your opinion?!?
OK, so here's my team then:
Arsenal - Van Persie
Aston Villa - Barry
Birmingham - Ridgewell
Blackburn - Friedel
Bolton - Anelka
Chelsea - Drogba
Derby - Oakley
Everton - Arteta
Fulham - Dempsey
Liverpool - Gerrard
Manchester City - Richards
Manchester Utd - Ronaldo
Middlesbrough - Downing
Newcastle Utd - Given
Portsmouth - Campbell
Reading - Shorey
Sunderland - Nosworthy
Tottenham - Berbatov
West Ham - Green
Wigan - Kilbane
...and my starting XI:
GK: Given
DF: Shorey, Richards, Campbell, Downing
MF: Ronaldo, Arteta, Gerrard, Barry
FW: Anelka, Drogba.
I would, without doubt, go for Fibre Glass over any Arsenal player and the underrated but ever reliable Jamie Carragher over Steve Gerrard anytime.
ReplyDeleteMy starting XI :
Bolton - Jaaskelainen
Liverpool - Jamie Carragher
Middlesbrough - Jonathan Woodgate
Manchester City - Micah Richards
Aston Villa - Gareth Barry
Chelsea - Michael Essien
Arsenal - Fibre Glass
Blackburn - The Gamst
Everton - Mikel Arteta
Tottenham - Berbatov
Newcastle Utd - Michael Owen
Subs:
Fulham - Antii Niemi
Derby - Teale
Manchester Utd - Wayne Rooney
Portsmouth - Matthew Taylor
Reading - Ingmarsson
Sunderland - Gordon the Keeper
West Ham - Mark Noble
Wigan - Scharner
Chris O -
ReplyDeleteA) STEWART DOWNING!??!?
and
B) AT LEFT BACK!??!?!?
Please tell me you had been on the sauce...
Well, I wanted to include a Manager, and Arsene is amongst the best in the world. Additionally, the class players at Arsenal can really thank him for turning them into the super-class players they are (Cesc, van Persie, Henry, etc). I wouldn't want anyone else managing a club (maybe Steve Coppell, but Arsene still wins).
ReplyDeletePlus, I couldn't actually choose any single Arsenal player! Their style depends so much on team interaction that no single player can dominate a game by himself like other clubs have (Drogba, Ronaldo, Gerrard, etc.). Henry could, but he left. Cesc is the quintessential playmaker, and Van Persie is capable of stunning feats of athleticism, but isn't a game dominator. Maybe the wrong rationalization for this type of thought exercise, but it's what I went with *shrug*.
I think the most interesting thing about this is who people pick from the 'smaller' clubs. The mega-stars from the top clubs are always obvious choices, but the Wigans and Middlesbroughs and Fulhams have some interesting results. I guess the flip side to that is that they could have one player far better than everyone else on the team, making him an obvious choice.
Smart -
ReplyDeleteDo you really have that much disdain for Birmingham that they couldn't even get someone onto your bench?
:)
It was only Liam Ridgewell, Adam
ReplyDeleteI didn't think anyone would miss him... honest...
Re: Smart/Stewart Downing:
ReplyDeleteWho said anything about him being at left back!??? I just listed him as a defender, that's all. You didn't even list a starting XI to begin with, but did I complain? OH no...
True what you say about Arsenal, Adam, but that's what could make it interesting this season. Many are saying that the players are happier because now they're not acting as Henry's support crew. They're now free to be treated as important in their own right. We shall see...
Quite right about the lesser clubs as well...
*clears throat*
ReplyDeleteAhem...
Chris O -
A) STEWART DOWNING!??!?
and
B) AS A DEFENDER??!?!?
Please tell me you had been on the sauce...
Is that the Stewart Downing who scored for Middlesbrough yesterday, Smart? Why yes! ;-)
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, it was an eventful day for my Premier League 'elite list' yesterday. Anelka scored for Bolton, Dempsey scored for Fulham, Berbatov scored for Tottenham, Green saved a penalty for West Ham and Kilbane got sent off for Wigan! How's that for a selection!
Ah yes, he scored - therefore he must be good... especially for a defender. Ere, you dont' pick the squad for Steve McLaren do you..? ;-)
ReplyDeleteAt least your XI provided some for of entertainment compared to my bunch of dullards!