Howaya folks,
Belated as it is (due mainly to an absolute balls of a week with work) this team of the season somehow feels a little more complete after last night’s game when United pretty much put the seal on a third title on the trot. For Liverpool fans, well it was kinda like the Shawshank Redemption in that it’s the hope that kills you. I also imagine a trip to Wigan to gain ultimate victory is a lot like the crawl through shit and piss that Andy Dufresne experienced during his escape to freedom. So, no end of parallels really.
Anyhoo, possible hate mail from Wigan folks aside, here’s my starting eleven of the season and, considering it’s pretty much how every side plays these days, it’ll have for be a four-four-one-one.
GK
Mark Schwarzer: I’d nearly have him the job simply because of the amount of Fantasy League points he’s gained my team this season but besides for that, in the real world he’s given Fulham’s back four plenty of confidence due to his outstanding form, and with the exception of the FA Cup defeat to United he’s been excellent whenever I watched him. Also, kudos for being an Aussie player and not being a fat money grabbing dick, ala Mark Viduka, Harry ‘Can we train tomorrow’ Kewell and Lucas Neill.
LB*
Stephen Warnock: One of the few Blackburn players who looked like they gave a shit the whole season long (what a shocker that Pederson started playing well when safety was nearly assured). He’s pushed Blackburn on forward from left back while saving their collective arses on lots of occasions so he deserves it.
RB
John O’Shea: He’s played all over the place for United this season and deserves to be on somebody’s team of the season. Considering his standing in the game, it’s fitting that this honour should come with a place on the team of the season of a drink-fuelled blog. Congrats Johnner, we always said you’d make it.
CB
Nemanja Vidic: Because he has to be in any team of the season, will be very interesting to see him line up against Torres next season. Could his capitulation to the Spaniard’s skills be his ‘Des Walker/Marc Overmars’ moment? Probably not, but it’ll be an intriguing match up anyway. Pretty much faultless otherwise this season and scored a big goal against Sunderland in injury time in the middle of winter when United weren’t exactly going all guns.
CB
Rio Ferdinand: Duck-billed brilliance. As soon as he was restored alongside Vidic they made United look pretty much unbeatable. The run of clean sheets midway through the season never would have happened without these two punters and while other central defenders have been good these two have been pretty much perfect for 95% of the time. As an added bonus, near faultless club form can only mean an international fuck up is just around the corner.
Left wing
Andrei Arshavin: He can’t understand why he’s playing on the left wing for Arsenal apparently, but I don’t care. Yes, I know he’s a late-comer to the season but frankly he’s been awesome nearly every time I’ve seen him play and has assumed a hugely important role in the way Arsenal put their side out. If Arsenal fans can have one major gripe with Arsene Wenger this year it’s not starting him against Chelsea in the FA Cup semi final. Shit singer though.
Centre mid
Xabi Alonso: For all the revisionists, go back 12 months and if you’d have asked most Liverpool supporters if they would swap Alonso for £15 million and get Gareth Barry for £18 million they would have gone for it. It was the wake up call Alonso needed and he’s been superb all year long. Solid beard action as well. Solid.
Centre mid
Danny Murphy: Absolutely brilliant every time I saw him play this year (and Fulham did seem to be on an inordinate amount of Super Sundays this season), his role in the side’s survival last year was overshadowed by the Cult of Bullard. No such issues this season. Absolute quality and still looks like ‘The Brain’ to Peter Crouch’s ‘Pinky’.
Right wing
Ronal…. , nah fuck it – Stephen Ireland: The Corkman has to be in there somewhere and, despite a poor showing on Sunday at Old Trafford he’s been City’s player of the season and while annoyingly he refuses to play for his country he can never, ever, ever be as annoying as the Portuguese prat from the second richest side in Manchester.
‘The hole’
Steven Gerrard: Blatantly obvious and I hate agreeing with Andy ‘only a little Scottish willy’ Gray but Gerrard has to get in the side.
Striker
Wayne Rooney: Fat balding git, great player though. Plus he’s played far more games than Torres so has to beat him to the award.
Supersub: Robinho: When he’s been up for it, the money grabbing team-name forgetting Brazilian has been fantastic and is just the man to bring on when this side is two to the good. Could organise a good Christmas party alongside Ferdinand as well. Probably.
‘Failed 11 on 08/09’ coming up in a few hours too…
Later folks, JJ
* Stephen Warnock was originally listed as a right back. I am an idiot. Think I was affected by the horrible memories of his terrible champions league performances for 'Pool a few years back. Onwards and upwards anyway.
3 comments:
Agree with nearly all your picks there J-meister(!) Sheasy has had a brilliant season, just like he had last year. In both campaigns he's been really solid and aggressive, something you could'nt accuse him of in the past....well done boy!
LUHR.
p.s.To keep your Shawshank Redemption theme going..would'nt it be good if Rafa blew his brains all over his office while watching United lift the Premiership Trophy??
Stephen Warnock is a left back. He was a left back at Liverpool. He has played in midfield half the time for Blackburn. But he has played the other half as a left back. He has played for england as a left back.
Also Hangeland should be ahead of one of Vidic/Ferdinand. My choice is Vidic who wouldn't get half the acclaim if he didn't get away with so many fouls.
Did I mention Warnock is a left back.
Haha!! Jesus chief I have no excuse, just a complete mental block after a shocking week of work when the only words I could associate with stephen warnock were, bizarrely, right back. How, I don't know.
Sure I'll edit and switch him with o'shea but stand by him being in the team anyway. Superb this year and think the 'half the season in midfield' argument is going a little overboard. The odd game here and there but half the season seems to be stretching it.
The hangeland hard on that yourself and a good few others have though still doesn't sway me, any fulham game I've seen this year has generally included an excellent performance from schwarzer and if hangeland was as good as people seem to think he is then schwarzer wouldn't have the ridiculous amount of fantasy league points he's got this year. Ferdinand and Vidic still get my vote, stephen warnock however gets a hasty edit and my sincere apologies. Should have got yer man fellaini in as well but I kinda hate everton so think that may have affected his chances!
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