Post by Mike Giggs' Munchies on Apr 27, 2013 14:42:51 GMT -5
As the 21st season of the PL comes to a close, I was wondering what everyone would put for their PL best XI. Thought we could do 2 each, one for our club and one for the PL as a whole. Can be done on both talent and longevity. Here's mine (I'm slightly biased to 97 onwards as I remember nothing beforehand):
Manchester United PL XI:
1. Peter Schmeichel
No brainer. Best PL 'keeper ever and one of the greatest of all time.
2. Gary Neville
Great RB, and a great leader. However, come back in 5 years time and I reckon Rafa might just have this spot.
3. Dennis Irwin
Phil Neville wasn't as good (nor was Heinze), meaning Evra is his only real challenger. Evra loses it for his huge drop in form last season, although he deserves credit for pulling himself up this season, and in 2007/8 he just edged Ashley Cole to be the world's best LB IMO. Take nothing away from Irwin though; he was class in his day.
4. Nemanja Vidic
Amazing CB; hopefully he'll get back to his best soon (he's already closer than people think IMO).
5. Rio Ferdinand
He's been well worth his transfer fee, which is saying something at £30m. Had injury troubles but his partnership with Vida was amazing, and he's been great this season despite what the critics say. If Pique had stayed at United he wouldn't have broken through until Vidic's injury in 2011, that says it all.
6. Roy Keane
Inspirational leader and great tackler. A travesty he never got the CL winners medal he deserves (ok, so he got one in '99, but neither he nor Scholes count those so I shan't either).
7. Cristiano Ronaldo
Beckham is my joint all-time favourite player with Scholes, but Ronaldo is more talented. The only midfielder here not to play in '99.
8. Paul Scholes
"Best CM of the past 20 years" (Xavi) and "one of the most complete players ever" (Zidane).
9. Eric Cantona
An icon of the club. His talent was supreme, matched only by his temper. He lifted the team in the way few can, and rightly deserves this spot.
10. Wayne Rooney
Often maligned unfairly IMO, and I always think we look worse off without Wayne. I can't think of another player where the gap between his best and his worst is so large, but his years of service (with many more to come IMO) seal this spot.
11. Ryan Giggs
Simply spectacular.
Bench
Edwin van Der Sar - amazing GK, and a serious challenger to Schmeichel. I honestly believe DDG can be as good as both of these gks, but he isn't there yet.
Patrice Evra - was the best in the world at one point (07/08).
Jaap Stam - the only player Fergie has ever admitted to regretting selling. A fine CB.
David Beckham - the most talented player on this bench and incredibly unlucky not to start; I toyed with putting CR7 up top to fit him in, but ultimately he and Ronaldo were both right wingers and Ronaldo was more talented.
Dwight Yorke - fantastic striker who just shades it past his partner onto the bench.
Ruud van Nistelrooy - like with Neville/Rafa, come back in 3-5 years and this could be RVP. But for now one season isn't enough, and Ruud had a fantastic goalscoring record. Its a huge shame for him that his time came during a transitional period; he deserved more trophies with us.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - the ultimate super sub and the ultimate top bloke (although Chicharito is challenging him on both fronts). He makes it ahead of strikers who made the team ahead of him in '99, purely because of his super sub abilities and place in United folklore.
Manager - Sir Alex Ferguson
Of course. Not that I have any choice from the PL era anyway.
Star Player - Cristiano Ronaldo
My heart wanted to give this to Scholes, and I'd certainly place him #2, but Ronaldo was just phenomenal.
All Time PL XI:
1. Peter Schmeichel
Top class.
2. Gary Neville
Probably the weakest position on the pitch, but still pretty strong.
3. Ashely Cole
Yes, I said Evra was better in 07/08, and he was, but overall Cole has been the better LB (but clearly not the better person).
4. Nemanja Vidic
Best CB of the PL era imo.
5. Tony Adams
"1-0 to the Arsenal" is one of the most famous English football chants, and it owes a lot to this man.
6. Roy Keane
Clear battle between him and Viera, but Keane had more success and was a shade better imo. Crap pundit though.
7. Cristiano Ronaldo
An incredible talent than no team has been able to contain, either at United or Madrid.
8. Paul Scholes
"If I played with Paul Scholes I would've scored a lot more goals" (Pele).
9. Thierry Henry
An Arsenal icon and rightly so. Spectacular player and very close to the best the PL has seen.
10. Alan Shearer
Top goalscorer in PL history obviously deserves this spot. My money is on Rooney breaking his record and taking his spot before he hangs up his boots.
11. Ryan Giggs
Did you really expect me to leave him out?
Bench
David Seaman- see what I said about Tony Adams.
Rio Ferdinand- better than John Terry.
Steven Gerrard- unlucky not to make the team, but he's not as good as Scholes and the team needs Keane more than Gerrard.
Frank Lampard- a great player but Gerrard would get in ahead of him (and he just sneaks in ahead of Viera).
David Beckham - again, very unlucky not to make the team.
Eric Cantona- edges out some top class strikers, who may well have been as talented, but few made the impact Eric did.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - yes, there are better players that I've left out, but I defy you to find someone you'd rather have come on in the 85th minute to score an equaliser.
Manager - Sir Alex Ferguson
The greatest manager of all time.
Star Player - Cristiano Ronaldo
The best player the PL has ever seen.
For the record, here are the teams given at the 20 PL Seasons awards:
Experts XI: Schmeichel; G Neville, Adams, Ferdinand, A Cole; Ronaldo, Roy Keane, Scholes, Giggs; Shearer, Henry.
Public XI: Schmeichel; G Neville, Adams, Vidic, A Cole; Ronaldo, Gerrard, Scholes, Giggs; Shearer, Henry.
Manchester United PL XI:
1. Peter Schmeichel
No brainer. Best PL 'keeper ever and one of the greatest of all time.
2. Gary Neville
Great RB, and a great leader. However, come back in 5 years time and I reckon Rafa might just have this spot.
3. Dennis Irwin
Phil Neville wasn't as good (nor was Heinze), meaning Evra is his only real challenger. Evra loses it for his huge drop in form last season, although he deserves credit for pulling himself up this season, and in 2007/8 he just edged Ashley Cole to be the world's best LB IMO. Take nothing away from Irwin though; he was class in his day.
4. Nemanja Vidic
Amazing CB; hopefully he'll get back to his best soon (he's already closer than people think IMO).
5. Rio Ferdinand
He's been well worth his transfer fee, which is saying something at £30m. Had injury troubles but his partnership with Vida was amazing, and he's been great this season despite what the critics say. If Pique had stayed at United he wouldn't have broken through until Vidic's injury in 2011, that says it all.
6. Roy Keane
Inspirational leader and great tackler. A travesty he never got the CL winners medal he deserves (ok, so he got one in '99, but neither he nor Scholes count those so I shan't either).
7. Cristiano Ronaldo
Beckham is my joint all-time favourite player with Scholes, but Ronaldo is more talented. The only midfielder here not to play in '99.
8. Paul Scholes
"Best CM of the past 20 years" (Xavi) and "one of the most complete players ever" (Zidane).
9. Eric Cantona
An icon of the club. His talent was supreme, matched only by his temper. He lifted the team in the way few can, and rightly deserves this spot.
10. Wayne Rooney
Often maligned unfairly IMO, and I always think we look worse off without Wayne. I can't think of another player where the gap between his best and his worst is so large, but his years of service (with many more to come IMO) seal this spot.
11. Ryan Giggs
Simply spectacular.
Bench
Edwin van Der Sar - amazing GK, and a serious challenger to Schmeichel. I honestly believe DDG can be as good as both of these gks, but he isn't there yet.
Patrice Evra - was the best in the world at one point (07/08).
Jaap Stam - the only player Fergie has ever admitted to regretting selling. A fine CB.
David Beckham - the most talented player on this bench and incredibly unlucky not to start; I toyed with putting CR7 up top to fit him in, but ultimately he and Ronaldo were both right wingers and Ronaldo was more talented.
Dwight Yorke - fantastic striker who just shades it past his partner onto the bench.
Ruud van Nistelrooy - like with Neville/Rafa, come back in 3-5 years and this could be RVP. But for now one season isn't enough, and Ruud had a fantastic goalscoring record. Its a huge shame for him that his time came during a transitional period; he deserved more trophies with us.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - the ultimate super sub and the ultimate top bloke (although Chicharito is challenging him on both fronts). He makes it ahead of strikers who made the team ahead of him in '99, purely because of his super sub abilities and place in United folklore.
Manager - Sir Alex Ferguson
Of course. Not that I have any choice from the PL era anyway.
Star Player - Cristiano Ronaldo
My heart wanted to give this to Scholes, and I'd certainly place him #2, but Ronaldo was just phenomenal.
All Time PL XI:
1. Peter Schmeichel
Top class.
2. Gary Neville
Probably the weakest position on the pitch, but still pretty strong.
3. Ashely Cole
Yes, I said Evra was better in 07/08, and he was, but overall Cole has been the better LB (but clearly not the better person).
4. Nemanja Vidic
Best CB of the PL era imo.
5. Tony Adams
"1-0 to the Arsenal" is one of the most famous English football chants, and it owes a lot to this man.
6. Roy Keane
Clear battle between him and Viera, but Keane had more success and was a shade better imo. Crap pundit though.
7. Cristiano Ronaldo
An incredible talent than no team has been able to contain, either at United or Madrid.
8. Paul Scholes
"If I played with Paul Scholes I would've scored a lot more goals" (Pele).
9. Thierry Henry
An Arsenal icon and rightly so. Spectacular player and very close to the best the PL has seen.
10. Alan Shearer
Top goalscorer in PL history obviously deserves this spot. My money is on Rooney breaking his record and taking his spot before he hangs up his boots.
11. Ryan Giggs
Did you really expect me to leave him out?
Bench
David Seaman- see what I said about Tony Adams.
Rio Ferdinand- better than John Terry.
Steven Gerrard- unlucky not to make the team, but he's not as good as Scholes and the team needs Keane more than Gerrard.
Frank Lampard- a great player but Gerrard would get in ahead of him (and he just sneaks in ahead of Viera).
David Beckham - again, very unlucky not to make the team.
Eric Cantona- edges out some top class strikers, who may well have been as talented, but few made the impact Eric did.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - yes, there are better players that I've left out, but I defy you to find someone you'd rather have come on in the 85th minute to score an equaliser.
Manager - Sir Alex Ferguson
The greatest manager of all time.
Star Player - Cristiano Ronaldo
The best player the PL has ever seen.
For the record, here are the teams given at the 20 PL Seasons awards:
Experts XI: Schmeichel; G Neville, Adams, Ferdinand, A Cole; Ronaldo, Roy Keane, Scholes, Giggs; Shearer, Henry.
Public XI: Schmeichel; G Neville, Adams, Vidic, A Cole; Ronaldo, Gerrard, Scholes, Giggs; Shearer, Henry.
