Yesterday, I selected my worst ever Premier League XI, but today I thought I would try to do the very opposite and look at who would make the starting line-up for the best possible team.
I will play four-four-two and I challenge any side to try to live with this one!
There have been some truly great keepers over the Premiership years. Currently, Petr Cech, Shay Given, Brad Friedel, David James, Pepe Reine and Edwin van der Sar certainly all deserve a mention.
David Seaman was one of the best and there are others who rarely put a foot wrong.
However, the best of the best and probably the best keeper I have ever seen was the ‘Great Dane’ Peter Schmeichel.
In the current Premiership we have the likes of Sagna, Terry, Ferdinand, Vidic, Carvalho, Cole, Evra, Clichy and Carragher, who would all feel they were worthy of a place in the team.
In the past, Gary Neville, Jaap Stam, Tony Adams, Martin Keown, Lee Dixon, Nigel Winterburn, Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister and many, many others would all be there or thereabouts.
For me, the star back four would have to include that absolute model of consistency, who seems to be hated by all but Manchester United fans despite being an absolute rock for England, Gary Neville.
In the middle, at his very best I would include the man who overcame the duel problems of alcohol and the nickname of ‘Donkey’, Tony Adams. Alongside him I would play Jaap Stam, who for one season was undoubtedly the best in the world.
Left back is not an easy selection but the Ashley Cole of a couple of seasons ago, was probably as good as there has been.
What a fantastic choice of players we are faced with here! I don’t think any two people would choose the same four names as there are any number of candidates who could happily be included.
Let’s look at the candidates just from ‘the big four’. Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, Michael Ballack, Claude Makelele, Arjen Robben, Steve Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Patrick Vierra, Emmanuel Petit, Cesc Fabrigas, Marc Overmars and many others. Add to them the likes of Jay Jay Okacha, David Ginola, Mikel Arteta and Elano.
There are literally hundreds of possibilities and I haven’t even mentioned Robbie Savage!
Nobody has reached the heights that Cristiano Ronaldo reached last season so he is a given. Nobody has reached the consistent heights of Ryan Giggs so he is another given. The central two are more difficult. The two I have chosen have been picked on the basis of just how crucial they have been to the success of their team’s. Arsenal without Patrick Vierra were a shadow of the side and Liverpool without Steven Gerrard still are.
We have to include the all time record scorer Alan Shearer. Actually, I can’t really think of any reasons not to include him. He was pretty close to being the perfect centre-forward.
Having said that, the selection of Alan Shearer gives us a problem. That leaves only one striking position vacant. Who should have it? Thierry Henry, Ruud Van Nistelroy, Gianfranco Zola, Ian Wright, Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, Eric Cantona, Denis Bergkamp, Paulo Di Canio, Andy Cole or one of the current crop of Drogba, Anelka, Van Persie, Adabayor, Torres, Robinho, Rooney or Berbatov?
Despite the very strong claims of everyone I have listed, together with the many I have no doubt failed to mention, I cannot select anyone other than the Thierry Henry of three seasons ago.
Whilst Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger, George Graham and others would think they might be worth consideration, like him or loathe him, it cannot be anyone other than Sir Alex Ferguson.
What a line-up that is!
Schmeichel
Neville, Adams, Stam, Cole
Ronaldo, Vierra, Gerrard, Giggs
Shearer, Henry
Manager – Sir Alex Ferguson
Your suggestions for other potential candidates would be welcomed.
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