Premiership Player Draft - Picks Only

LuckyLloyd

Order:

Frisbee
Wreck
whatawaster
eagle eye
Mr.Nice Guy
wardie
gonzovision
Xavi6
Tauren
titan18
janets on clubs
NekkidBibleMan
Necronomicon
Eirebear
Bubs101
Melion
Iago
LuckyLloyd
bohsman
ditpoker
shoutman
Trippie
mayordenis
RasTa

Remember that we will alternate the order ABBAABBA. So, Frisbee picks 1, 48, 72, 73, 97 and so on. If you are confused on this, take a look at the spreadsheet linked below.

Rules:

- You can only take players who participated in at least 40 premiership games during their career (this means that one season wonders are excluded from consideration - a player will need to be on a squad for more than one season);

- The player is assessed on the basis of how good he was during his period in the premiership only. Therefore, if you selected Edgar Davids or Youri Djorkaeff for example - you would be getting the Spurs and Bolton versions respectively - not the guys who destroyed European football at Juve and Inter during their primes;

- Selection order was randomly decided by a draw from a hat and will proceed as per the explanation above;

- Clock expires on a drafter after 24 hrs. After that time, the next player on the list will be allowed to go and it will up to the skipped player to post a pick in the draft thread at their earliest convenience;

- When someone has completed a pick, they should pm the next in line to inform them that it is their turn;

- The Draft thread is for picks only and should be left uncluttered. There will be a separate thread for discussion of picks;

- People are obliged to go to google images and put up a photo of the player they are selecting and provide some sort of spiel as to why they are drafting them at that time;

- After each participant has selected eleven players they are obliged to put one final post in the draft thread which provides a final formation and discusses the tactics that would be ideally employed in an imaginary game;

Spreadsheet:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pk8foo3LvvC0HCBY1Vf1OKw

I will update it as the process progresses.

PLEASE DO NOT POST IN THIS THREAD UNLESS YOU ARE MAKING A PICK.

Frisbee, you are on the clock.


Endgame Knockout Stages:

Round 1 Thread

Frisbee

My First pick is Peter Schmeichel.
My first reason for picking him was that I figured all the top goalies would go quickly and no-one's gonna with this without a good keeper in front of the onion sack.
Also in my opinion he has to be one of the best if not the best keepers to grace the EPL since it's founding.
He helped lead united to winning the EPL in 1992/93, 1993/94, 1995/96, 1996–97, and 1998/99, The FA Cup in 1994, 1996 and 1999, The Charity Shield in 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1997 and the Champions League in 1999.

All in all he was a world class player, and seemingly a genuinely nice guy.

(Some of his more noteable appearances also include being a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing and The Weakest Link )

Wreck

Roy Keane - Nottm Forest 1992-93, Man Utd 1993-05

In a preimership career that spanned 13 years, Keane was the dominant player of his generation. A complete midfielder, fantastic engine, tough in the tackle, prudent and effective in his passing and clinical in front of goal. His undeniable ability was more than matched by his commitment and desire to win. His sheer force of personality set him above all others. Won seven preimership trophies, captain fantastic for his club, he sometimes overstepped the mark, but for many people (myself included), the greatest player the priemership has ever seen. Absolute legend, and the first name on my teamsheet.

whatawaster

Pick No. 3 - Thierry Henry



My number 1 pick went at number 2, but i'm more than happy to build my team around this guy. I figure my team is going to have a lot of average to good players in it, and since i won't get to pick again until 40-something, i need at least one proven match winner. And there have been none better than Thierry in that regard.

174 premier league goals in 254 games speaks for itself. He also notched up 77 assists in that time, so he's worth, on average, a goal a game to my side. He's strong, quick, skillful and clinical. He leads by example, and what an example.

eagle eye

I'm a Blackburn Rovers fan and some people might think this is biased but its got nothing to do with the fact that he played for Rovers.
Alan Shearer scored 260 premiership goals in 11 seasons in the Premier League. He was head and shoulders above anyone else as far as goalscoring on a consistent basis is concerned. The fact that he did not play for one of the top four and managed this feat makes it all the more amazing. While Blackburn were a top club for a couple of years, he then went on to Newcastle United and continued to score goals right up until his retirement in 2006. He was also a leader on the pitch and inspired others around him to play above themselves. I think the greatest example of this was Chris Sutton who was superb as his strike partner but his career went downhill fast after Shearer went to Newcastle.
Shearer was not the fastest player, he was not the tallest player but he could score with both feet and he could head a ball better than anybody I've ever seen play the game.
I would say that Alan Shearer and the three players picked above were the four most dominant players in the history of the Premier League to date.

I decided to stick in these two for those who enjoyed Shearer. The first one is a collection and the second one is a goal I'll never forget which happened in an ordinary Premier League game.

Mr.Nice Guy

My turn and my first pick shall be...Dennis Bergkamp!



When you talk about the greatest foreign players to have ever graced the Premiership it's surely impossible to leave out this guy. I would have to say Bergkamp, for me, is probably the classiest footballer I've ever seen. There are plenty of top footballers for me to choose from at this stage of the game but I feel compelled to go with Bergkamp as he is the type of player who can win a match with a moment of brilliance. He's someone you can build a team around.

Bergkamp had everything you want in an attacking player. Vision, balance, strength, technique, composure, intelligence, class and fantastic finishing ability. He was also a proven winner having helped Arsenal to three Premiership titles, four FA Cups, as well as picking up the Player's Player of the Year and Football Writers Player of the Year awards in 1998. The fact that Thierry Henry rates him as the best partner he has ever played with is a testament to Berkamp's quality.

Have a look at this outstanding video of the Dutchman and remind yourself of what a magical player he was...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drScL8q956o

wardie

It really pains me as I wanted Henry or Bergkamp but with them gone I have to go for Eric. A great player even if he did play for Utd.



He helped United to four Premier League titles in the five years he was at Old Trafford. He was also voted Manchester United's Player of the Century in 2001, some feat considering some of the names to have played there.

Here are some of his goals :

Gonzovision

Right my first pick is the little Italian Gianfranco Zola. This guy to me as a Chelsea fan is an absolute legend. Zola joined Chelsea in 1996. He scored 89 goals in 249 appearances. In 1997 he won the league cup, cup winners cup and super cup. An amazing free kick taker and scorer of fantastic goals. One of the best players to grace the Premiership.

Xavi6

Anyone who denies Manchester United a trophy is alright in my book, and that is exactly what David Seaman did in my earliest memory of him as he saved Peter Schmeichel's penalty to win the 1993 Charity Shield.

Seaman played 405 games for Arsenal between 1990 and 2003, most of them in the Premier League, and he was a star. During that time he won 3 league titles (2 Premierships), 4 FA Cup and a League Cup, winning admirers along the way.

His undoubted talent was typified during his final year at Arsenal when he produced what Schmeichel described at the time as "the best save I've ever seen" in the FA Cup semi final against Sheffield United. Paul Peschisolido's effort looked to be in the net when Seaman somehow sprung to his right and clawed the ball out in mid air. A truely astonishing save.

At European and international level he was also a star. He saved a number of penalties on England's run to the semi final of Euro '96, played in two World Cup Finals (1998 and 2002), and also picked up a Cup Winners' Cup medal in 1994. (We won't talk about Nayim!)

The fact that he chose to wind up his career at City only further enhances my respect for the guy. An absolute legend and a fantastic goalkeeper (still not sure about that ponytail though! )

Mitch Connor

Going for goals with my first pick - and with Shearer gone i was only left with Ruud!

Nearly 100 goals in 150 games for United is a fantastic record, and is a worthy first pick imo. Always did well in the premiership, with 2 goals on his debut so i'd hope he'd hit the ground running for my side too!

titan18

The quiet man of the Manchester United midfield for the last decade, Scholes has been the creative genius behind many title winning seasons at United.He's been regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world for over a decade due to his sublime passing and attitude to the game.This is despite his horrible tackling.

Idu

Robbie Fowler

Controversial pick maybe but I want goals in my team and during the mid nineties there was nobody as lethal as the man affectionatly know as "God".

83 league goals in a four season spell is enough to get him into my side

And a legend to boot. Good for the dressing room and can provide cheap accomodation for the rest of the side

Dont be at yourself

Matt Le Tissier

From God, to Le God.

To be honest, I'm a little shocked he hasn't been snapped up already. That in itself kind of sums up Le Tissier's career. Undoubtedly the most technically-gifted English player to ever play in the Premiership, he bizarrely never made it on the international stage (8 caps, no goals), and he spent his entire career at unfashionable Southampton, where he scored league 162 goals in 443 appearances. That's a goal every 2.5 games, playing from midfield in a team often challenged with avoiding relegation.

He was also the finest penalty taker to ever grace the Premiership, missing only a single spot-kick in his entire career. He scored 48 from the spot in all competitions.

It's not spot-kicks he'll be remembered for though. Le Tissier had a penchant for the spectacular, and frequently featured in Goal of the Month and Season competitions. He had the uncanny ability to pick the ball up 40 yards from goal, saunter forward and smack a screamer into the top corner with either foot.

If Le Tissier were born Argentinian or Italian, or if he was in his prime now, there is no doubt to me that he would be rated amongst the best players in the world.

Here's his top ten goals.

Necronomicon

For my first pick, I'm glad to take the greatest winger ever to grace the Premier League. Ryan Giggs is Manchester United's record appearance holder, appearing for the Reds no less than 767 times. It was fitting that he equalled Sir Bobby Charlton's record by scoring the winner against Wigan last season, in the game which clinched United's 10th Premiership trophy - all of which Giggs has medals to show for. He then surpassed that record in a memorable night in Moscow, helping United to the Champion's League with the winning penalty. He is the most decorated player in the club's history, with 20 major honours.

When the curtain closes on Giggs' career, he'll be remembered for his mesmerizing runs up and down the left wing. But in recent years, he naturally lost a couple of yards of pace. This didn't make him any less an integral part of the United team; his versatility and football intelligence allowed him to adapt his game and take up a more central role.

He'll most likely be remembered for that goal against Arsenal in the FA Cup, which helped United to the historic Treble. The following is a short tribute video that the BBC produced on Giggs, which of course includes that memorable goal.

Legend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZcJnWVKDks

Eirebear

I'm also gonna go with goals for my first pick.

Growing up i was lucky to have witnessed the phenomenal goalscoring exploits of a certain Allistair McCoist, unfortunately this is Premiership Picks so he is not included in the criteria.

Fear not though, because England had its own version around the same time, step forward Mr Ian Wright (wright wright).

113 goals in 213 premiership games puts Wrighty at number 10 in the overall premiership goalscoring charts, no one can argue with a goalscoring record like that.
The charismatic Wright is a bit of a Marmite character off the field, but no one can doubt his passion for the game and his love of Arsenal.

This passion, skill and ability to lift the fans with a smile is something that no team can do without.

Bubs101

Chrstiano "V7per" Ronaldo

Can't believe all the way down at number 15 I'm still getting my first choice.Necromicon said he was picking the best winger in the history of the league, I heartily disagree . He's the man who's been inarguably the best player in the premiership for the last two years and was the best player in the world last season (at least in the top two depending on which side of Messi vs. Ronaldo you take) which is something that's very hard to say about most players in the draft so far and at his peak he's only 23. He's one of only 3 premiership players to win the Golden Shoe and he did it with the highest total of goals at a time when the standard of the Premiership is at it's highest. Dangerous in the air, with both feet and lethal from set plays

He is 1/3 on to be the winner of the Ballon D'or this year which would make him only the second winner from the premiership, this after coming 2nd last year. He may be a wanker, but he's a brilliant one

Melion

No point in scoring 4 goals if you're going to concede 5 at the other end so my first pick is Shay Given. Consistently regarded as the best keeper in the premiership, would be regarded much higher if he had joined a top team when he had the chance. He is IMO the reason Newcastle are even still in the premiership. Started out at Blackburn as an understudy to Tim Flowers but his move to Newcastle was the real start of his career. Still only young in goalkeeper years, maybe we havent seen the best of him yet. And hopefully he does finally make the big move he deserves.

Iago

Arguably the best passer of a ball in his generation and maybe in history, whether you love him or hate him you can't afford to omit David Beckham from your team. His proficiency from dead ball situations and his exceptional range of passing is matched by his doggedness and determination to succeed and as such he inspires those around him to play that little bit better.

Worth at least 30 goals a season to any team both from goals he scores himself and the chances he creates for his team mates, at his peak there's no fan in the world who wouldn't have killed to have him with their squad. Captain of his country and a player who has won almost every major award possible in the game, he will never be forgotten for the role he played in helping United win the treble in '99, including the two corners he dispatched with his usual clinical style in the Champions League Final that year.

For any doubters left, watch the video below and accept that Beckham is a genius...

LuckyLloyd

Round 1, Pick 18:

Patrick Vieira



Pretty sick that Vieira falls to me - considering that he is the only man to captain a team which was unbeaten for an entire premiership schedule. In short, after Keane, he is the second best player available imo.

People may be inclined to remember the times he was owned by Keane in the premiership (Keane's two goal Man of the match performance in Highbury in 1999; or the infamous tunnel incident at Highbury in 2005) and it would be fair to say that during his time in the premiership Keane had his number. It would also be true to say that Wenger made a good decision in getting rid of him when he did - the writing clearly being on the wall during the 2004 / 5 season as he began his descent down the wrong side of footballing peak. Aside from games against Keane or that last year though? Vieira just destroyed everyone. For seven years, he performed incredibly as an integral part of a team providing the only realistic challenge to Manchester United's hegemony in the premiership - from the double winning season alongside Petit in 1998 to his leadership of the unbeaten campaign in 2004.



Vieira was a phenomenal athlete first and foremost. Combining good natural size and strength with deceptive pace and a great motor - he was able to cover a lot of ground between the boxes; shake up the opposition in the tackle and be a big factor at set pieces. Vieira was also comfortable on the ball. While his range of passing maybe wasn't top class, he possessed excellent technique and could pose a threat to the opposition with his forceful dribbling and ability to link up around the box with Arsenal's short pass and move style. Overall, he gave Arsenal much needed steel and competitiveness during his prime. His tenaciousness and athleticism were vital for them when they didn't have the ball - his tendency to be a little more direct than his colleagues extremely key when they did have it. The fact that Wenger and Arsenal have won nothing since his departure is maybe the clearest indication of how reliant they were upon him to bring a necessary edge and roughness to their end product.

I think he is a wonderful starting point to any team. He gives me a great base to build around. He'll make me better in all facets of the game and make it easier for those around him to perform to their best. Now that I have a good competitive core, I am very flexible with my next few picks and can just take the best talent available.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBtQJf0sxtc

ditpoker

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Pallister



If you were picking a premiership all-star eleven, the temptation is to start with the goalscorers like Henry/Shearer etc, but to build a solid squad you start from the back. The first choice is gone, peter schmeichel, in the first round of this draft - great pick - so you gotta get the next best thing, Gary P. He is everything you want from a centre back! Big in the air, great in a tackle, definately happy to have him as my first pick.

shoutman

Round 1, Pick 20

Steven Gerard



I am delighted to be able to draft Liverpool's Steven Gerard as my first round pick.

Steven Gerard is without doubt a quality midfielder, time and time again popping up with those ridiculously well timed goals that make him a hero to so many.

Suited best in a box to box role, he is a tireless worker, a great leader and has a wicked right boot as so many Premiership and international keepers can attest to.

In the past eight years he has many accolades to his name. Including PFA young player of the year and PFA fans player of the year in 2000/2001. His real breakout year into the premiership, during this year he played 33 premiership matches scoring 7 goals and no doubt contributing to countless others.

Things went on the up and up for Gerard delighting fans and managers alike.


In my opinion he can not be overlooked when saying that he is one of the premierships greatest stars. (Yes I said that)

In the past seven seasons he has been in the PFA team of the year a whopping six times, also winning the Players player of the year and Uefa Club footballer of the year.
A true world great he also was selected in the Eufa team of the year (3 times) and in the FIFPro XI (twice).

In my opinion one of Steven Gerards greatest assests is his ability to pull it out when it really matters. He is a big game player who consistantly and constantly plays his best when it really matters.

This can be seen most notably in his crowning achievement, orchastrating that phenomenal comeback in the Champions League final victory over AC Milan.

In the final he deservadly picked up the man of the match award, repeating the feat of cup final MOM awards the following year in the FA cup final.

There are well documented flaws in Gerards charachter, the well publicised contract debacle did not show him in the best late.
That said there is no doubt he is a true professional, a quality footballer and a decent person as well.
The following extract is taken from Wikipidia:
"On 1 October 2007, Gerrard was involved in a low-speed accident in Southport when the car he was driving hit a ten-year-old bicyclist, who had suddenly shot into the street and cut off his path. He later visited the boy in the hospital and presented him with a pair of boots signed by the boy's favourite player, Wayne Rooney, after which he stayed to sign autographs for other young patients."

Truely a nice guy.
A great player who will without doubt go down as one of Liverpools finest, the fact that he also had a trial with united probably makes it all the better for the Liverpool Fans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoJrifFjYo0

Steven Gerard is my first round pick.

Trippie

Wayne Rooney

He's the last player left that offers something that no one else can in my opinion. While Ronaldo has gotten all the plaudits I still think Rooney is more integral to the current united team than the greasy one. While he may not be as athlethic he is certianly a better footballer and the type of player that if he does lose a yard of pace it wont effect him too much. He doesnt score as many or create as many but offers a much more overall performance with his tracking back and willingness to graft and do the boring stuff.

Now that he is being played in is favourite number 10 spot he is banging the goals in and hopefully it continues.

mayordenis

Robert Pirès

The quintessential "Foreign players need time to adapt" spokesman. Taking a year of harsh Criticism and following it up with a player of the year title and 5 season of terrorising defences.
189 Premier League appearances with 62 goals. The man was a genius and I think anyone could argue the point that he was as technically gifted as any player who has played in the league.

RasTa

Round 1, Pick 23

Michael Essien



I wanted to start my first 11 with a powerhouse in midfield and who better then Essien. The other two have gone so I had to add who I think is the best and could match either Keane or Viera on their day.

Jose can describe him much better then I could

'"Essien is a great player. He can play every position in midfield. Where he is perfect in choices. In football, the most difficult thing is to choose well, and in every situation he chooses well. He presses, stays in position, passes long, passes short, first touch, two touches. He controls the pace of the game, fast or slow. He is midfield multifunctional, he is dynamic and strong. The boy has incredible physical power, he is super resistant with great speed and unending tactical abilities." '

RasTa

Round 2, Pick 1

Michael Owen



This is actually my first pick but I can't pick a Pool player first. Anyway for Premiership quality this little fecker has it all.

Between 1996-2001 he had 214 appearances for Liverpool and scored 118 goals. For Newcastle he has played 49 times and scored 21 goals.

Whilst playing for Liverpool between 97-98 to 03-04 he scored average of 22.4 goals per season. Only once did he score under 19 goals for Liverpool in that span.

He was also Ballon d'Or winner in 2001
7th All Time in Premiership goals

mayordenis

Sol Campbell



This man is the complete defender, for physicality he can't be matched, he reads the game like none other and has showing incredible mental resolve to come back from what appeared to be severe personal issues.
Class act. Delighted to have him marshall my defence

Trippie

Cesc Fabregas

I've really struggled with this pick, I have had at least 4 different names down for this on numerous occasions. Everyone from outstanding goal scorers to rock solid defensive players to the more creative midfielders. In the end though I have gone for Cesc because I think that he would compliment Rooney the best. No doubt I will get the chance to get a goal every other game type forward later on and there is abundance of decent defenders to pick from which I hope to get next chance.

The reason I have gone for him is that he had probably the biggest boots to step into in the last few years with the departure of Viera. Not only did he step into these but he has excelled in his own way. His passing range and overall midfield play is second to none. Now while he doesnt have that same steel that Keane had or the box to box ability of Gerrard I believe that a partnership with Rooney would be one of the best starting points for a team to add onto. With the two of them I thnk that I could manage quite well with some less than stellar players in the team.

shoutman

Round 2, Pick 4
Paul McGrath



Undoubtedly Paul McGraths' best football was almost past him when the Premier league replaced the old division one in 1992, however it was in this season that he showed some of his best defensive work to date, landing him with the coveted players player of the year award for that season. There is no better acolade then to be voted the best player in the league by your opponents.

Yes, he has had his problems. Alcoholism hit him hard and his dodgy knees kept him out for long periods at a time.
However on his day he was without doubt one of the best defenders in the world, and some would argue of all time. Pace to burn, strength of a bear and an incredible ability to read the game meant that McGrath ticked all the boxes for a quality defender.

The Villa fan's voted him Player of the Century, and Eamon Dumphy said he was one of Irelands top three ever players, the other two being Giles and Keane.

One Villa fan posting on a popular aston villa forum about McGrath stated:
“For me the supreme McGrath moment came against QPR at Villa Park. Their forward was through, one on one with Nigel Spink. There's no way McGrath can get a tackle in without giving away a penalty. Except that he does, and not only does he stop the attack but he comes out with the ball and lays it off for a Villa player, McGrath clenches his fist, you can see him muttering ‘yesss’ to himself, knowing the bit of magic he'd brought off. And as one, the crowd, both Villa and Rangers supporters, rise to acclaim something special.”

He could keep the world at bay, and constantly marked players right out of the game.

For me he would be at least a twenty goal a season striker, as he kept all twenty goal a season strikers away from his own net.

An outstanding athlete and on his day possibly the worlds greatest defender.

I'll leave big Jack to say the rest "Paul McGrath is one of the all-time greats," the Republic of Ireland manager once said of his star player. "Someone to compare with Bobby Moore."

ditpoker

Round 2 Pick 5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Bruce



A face like a bag of spanners but I've completed my dream centre back pairing, Bruce and Pallister, cant really get much better than that. You can have all you high class continental centre backs, but when the going gets tough you want the old style, hardcore, no flair, no charisma bruisers at the back! Bruce and Pallister, easily the most successful defensive partnership in the premiership. How this man was never capped for england i dont know! I picked pallister cos i picked bruce and i picked bruce cos i picked pallister. I have to get bonus points for unity!!!

I have my eyes on a particular left and right back to complete my back four of solid gold.

LuckyLloyd

Round 2, Pick 6:

Marcel Desailly



Marcel Desailly is quite simply one of the greatest center - halves to have played in European football over the past two decades. He should be on the shortlist for any pan European XI since the 1994 world cup.

It is very important to forget his final season at Chelsea when he suffered a sharp decline in his physical abilities. That decline culminated in a miserable performance away against Monaco in the 2004 champions league semi - final. A performance that was made all the worse by the infamous comments on his race that Ron Atkinson made in the ITV studios after the game.

What people should instead focus on is his first three seasons in England when he was dominant. At the end of his first two years in England he impressively marshaled the French defense to the European Championship - an indication of just how good he was at the time.

Desailly possessed amazing physical tools and a great understanding of the positional requirements of the role. In the early part of his career (when he played in the best league around at the time) he was more commonly used as a destructive force in central midfield and this experience contributed to his above average use of possession from the back. Desailly amounted to a player who was brave, strong, fast and smart - and ultimately very, very tough to get the better of.



An argument of whether he was a better central defender than some of the guys who will go in the next 20 picks is moot. I think most could agree it's close, and I am delighted to take the Desailly who turned up in England to build my back line around.

Iago

Draft Round 2 Pick 7:

There can have been few players so underestimated in premier league history than this man. It seems to have occured again right here in this thread, while a good case can be made for almost all the picks to date it's really hard to understand how we've made it to pick number 30 without him being chosen.

So lets look at his statistics so..

In 433 league games in his career, he has scored 229 goals. 197 of these in the premier league.

He has played 37 FA Cup games and scored 15 goals.

He has played 25 League Cup games and scored 20 goals.

He has played 60 European games and scored 25 goals.

by any standards, that's an impressive record. With David Beckham providing the ammunition I've no doubt that goals would flow freely.

Ladies and gentlemen I give you Andrew Cole

bohsman

Meh, Missed out on Gerrard and then second choice Cole thanks to being stuck working the weekend.

Ill go with Psycho Stuart Pearce. Tough tackling defender that always gave 110%.

bohsman

Ill put John Terry in alongside him, like him or hate him he is another fantastic center half and is a strong leader for the team. Pearce and Terry wont take much **** from the likes of Ronaldo.

Bubs101

Gary Neville


An essential part of both of Man Utds great teams and the man chosen to take over as captain from Keane, Gary Neville is the greatest right back in Premiership history. An intelligent player who is really solid at the back he is one of only 8 players to make over 500 appearances for United and is 8th on the all time capped list for England with 85 caps. He held his position at right back in the most dominant team in the Premiership consistently for 12 years (until injury ruled him out). He has won so many honours that there's no point of listing them here and is one of the most consistent players in Premiership history. Solid as a rock

As much as I hate drafting a team of ****, to get two guys who are pretty much unchallenged as the best in their position is too hard to pass up. Also, barring maybe one other player, I think the drop off in quality in right backs will be the biggest so I'd rather get it out of the way now

Melion

Round 2 Pick 8

760 Senior Games
289 Goals
51 England Caps
11 England Goals

3 Premier League titles
1 FA Cup
1 Champions League
1 Intercontinental Cup

I present to you Teddy Sheringham


Im amazed that people have over-looked this genius until this far. I would have thought a must have for any team looking for an outlet for an out and out striker alongside him. Criminally under-rated until he made his big move to Man United and finally got the recognition and medals that his talent deserved. Formed a lethal partnership at international level with Alan Shearer but it was at Man United where he will be most remembered.

Totally changed the way strikers were seen in the premiership IMO. Totally different to anything that had come before him, the intelligence he showed on the pitch had never been seen and rarely seen since.

Thats why its my pleasure to have him as a striker on my team.

Eirebear

Not many players would have managed to survive the transition made from "Boring Boring Arsenal" of the early to mid 90's to the free flowing attack minded team under Arsene Wenger.
One of the least likely candidates would have been Tony Adams, yet despite addiction problems off the pitch, Adams shrugged off his "donkey" label to make that impressive leap.

Always reliable, never wasted a ball and very little got past him.

The captain of my team.

Necronomicon

I went for flair with my last pick, but I believe it's time to start building a strong back-bone to my team. To that end, I've picked Jaap Stam.

I pondered over this pick for a while, wondering if I should pick a player who only had three seasons in the Premiership - but I don't think it's necessarily the longevity of a player's spell that's important, but how they did in that time; and there's no doubting that in those three seasons Stam was a rock and an integral part of a successful United defence. The honours he won in that regretfully short period of time were three Premierships, an FA Cup, Intercontinental Cup and Champion's League.

Arriving from PSV in 1998, Stam quickly became a fan-favourite and played a vital role in helping United to secure the Treble. In that season, and the following, he was voted the best player in the Champion's League.

His departure was surrounded in controversy, with speculation that revelations in his autobiography angered SAF, while the United manager himself said the offer from Lazio was simply too good to turn down. Whatever the truth, there's no doubt that in his peak he was a monster.



Ps, hope Boardsies can forgive the fact he made his professional debut for FC Zwolle

Dont be at yourself

Yikes! As luck would have it, my next pick was going to be a defensive heavyweight - until Adams and Stam were swallowed up just before me!

Instead, I give you: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink



One of the all-time greatest strikers in the Premiership. He had great power, strength, pace and a real eye for goal. Despite being something of a journey-man, with largely forgettable spells as Charlton and Middlesboro, he still managed 128 Premier League goals, putting him comfortably in the top-ten all time scorers in the competition.

He started off in England at Leeds, where he scored 23 goals in his debut season, and finished top scorer with 21 in his next season. This phenomenal introduction to English football eventually earned him a big money move to Chelsea (via Spain!), where he immediately regained his crown as top scorer in the league, with 23 goals. Oh, and he did the same again the following season too.

When it comes down to it, there aren't many strikers who can claim a record like Jimmy-Floyd. 20 goal-a-season strikers are gold-dust, and yet he did it year-in, year-out, and in inferior teams to many other lauded strikers.

Some stats from his prime:

Leeds 97/98: 33 games 16 goals
Leeds 98/99: 36 games 18 goals
Chelsea 00/01: 35 games 23 goals
Chelsea 01/02: 35 games 23 goals

Idu

Every team needs a leader on and off the pitch and in my book there were none better than Gary Speed



Over 800 club appearances with over 100 goals
Captain of three of his four top flight clubs
Captain of Wales

Sure there were flashier players available but I want my team built around a solid foundation in the middle of the park and Speed epitomises that for me. Add to that the fact that he could play too and pop up with a vital goal when you really needed it.

My captain

titan18

Denis Irwin

What a fine servant to United Irwin was. He was something of an invisible man in his ten years at United, but that's merely a testament to his amazing reliability – he never seemed to make mistakes or miss a game or get injured or complain to the ref. He was a dependable workhorse of the highest order and a very talented full-back with it.

Mitch Connor

I want goals from my midfield, and Frank Lampard is going to provide them



There are players I would have prefered in my midfield, but they have been taken already!

However, he is a man that just plays so consistently. The amount of goals he gets is incredable, and the amount of games he plays is also incredable.

A worthy pick i reckon.

Xavi6

With Shearer already gone, I've chosen the other half of one of the most prolific partnerships the Premierships has seen.



Les Ferdinand is a member of the 100 Premiership goals club and was an absolute legend at every club he played for.

His best spell was probably at Newcastle where he banged in 41 goals in just 68 games, and came within a whisker of a league title in 1996.

He also averaged pretty much a goal every two games for QPR and had decent spells at Leicester and Spurs amongst others, and scored the league's 10,000th goal in 2001.

Deserved far more of an international career than the 17 games and 5 goals he got. Ferdinand goes in the team because his ability to score goals with his feet and head and would be good enough to spearhead any attack. A great player.

wardie

I need a dominant midfielder and putting club allegiances aside I have gone for Paul Ince.



During the first three years of the premiership, Ince was the main player in the utd midfield . I think he was the best box to box midfielder in the league until Keane came thru.

Gonzovision

This former MAN U striker was born in Tobago on November 3, 1971. He plays for Trinidad and Tobago national football team. In his short career in MAN U he led the club to its three successive Premiership title, F.A. Cup and UEFA Champions league. Yorke scored 47 goals for MAN U. Before joining Sunderland he played for Sydney F.C

Mr.Nice Guy

"Rio has matured into his role at the club and has shown, when needed, what a great captain and leader he can be." - Sir Alex Ferguson

I went for class in my first round pick when I selected Dennis Bergkamp, and I had class in mind again as I turned my attention towards my defence. My pick for this round is none other than the great...Rio Ferdinand!



Quite frankly I'm astonished that Ferdinand has lasted this long and I was crossing my fingers that he would make it until my turn. For me when you talk about the top 5 Premiership defenders you have to include this man. He has consistently been one of the great defenders, not just in England but in the world.

A member of the 2002 PFA Team of the Year with Leeds, he has gone on on to make the team a further three times with Manchester United in 2005, 2007 and most recently in 2008. He was almost an ever-present in the United team that won the title last season making 35 league appearances as the side conceded just 22 goals. He also played a massive contribution in helping United win the European Cup, a feat which has seen him make this year's FIFPro World XI.

Ferdinand has shown plenty of character to come back from his ban for missing a drug test (an excessive ban in my view), and having read his book it seems that he had a lot of enemies within the FA who sought to make an example out of him. His response to this has been to become an integral part in the England side and he's used his ability to put those troubled days behind him.

Rio Ferdinand has everything you'd want in a defender. Intelligence, heart, pace, drive, tenacity and a cool head. He is a true leader and someone I can rely upon to keep things in check at the back. Here's a good video showcasing his talents...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpRgOKL3M6g

His CV already makes for an impressive read with three Premiership titles, a European Cup medal, three FA Cup medals as well as a League Cup medal, and he is still determined to win more. I'm very pleased to have someone like Rio marshalling my team at the back.

eagle eye

I got the pm to let me know it was my pick, basically I spent ages checking the picks up and down to make sure this man had not been picked already.

I'm amazed that he has come this far down the draft. Claude Makelele is the engine for my team. He has been magnificent throughout his career, he stops attacks and then sets up his own team. I couldn't have a better player at the base of my midfield.
Makelele stopped the best teams in the world from getting forward and set up attacks for his own team, a magnificent tackler and passer he oozed class in the most difficult and toughest job in football.
2 English Premier League titles, 2 La Liga titles, 1 Champions League and 1 French Ligue 1 title are a fitting tribute along with many other cup successes for a player who played the holding role better than anyone I have ever seen in the Premier League. He was crucial to Chelsea's success throughout his time in the Premier League as he was in La Liga with Real Madrid.
He joined Chelsea in 2003 for 16.8 million. This was the end of a dominant period for Real Madrid in La Liga and some of the comments below show what kind of thoughts other players had of him.

On Makelele's sale and Beckhams purchase Zizou had this to say
'Why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you are losing the entire engine?'
Ferando Hierro the Real Madrid Captain during their golden years had the following to say recently,
'I think Claude has this kind of gift - he's been the best player in the team for years but people just don't notice him, don't notice what he does. But you ask anyone at Real Madrid during the years we were talking about and they will tell you he was the best player at Real. We all knew, the players all knew he was the most important. The loss of Makélélé was the beginning of the end for Los Galacticos... You can see that it was also the beginning of a new dawn for Chelsea. He was the base, the key and I think he is the same to Chelsea now.'
Patrick Viera also praised Claude,
"He knows just where to be to stop the danger. In my opinion, he is vital."
Frank Lampard had this to say
"but when I heard Zidane say that I was interested to know what he meant. In the last five years, I've found out. He's an absolute dream to play with, especially if you're an attacking midfield player. He's one of the greatest midfield players in the world, he has been for a long time, and all of us players know exactly why."

A great article from the Independent on Claude [EMAIL="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/doing-a-makelele--so-good-they-named-it-after-him-437647.html"]here[/EMAIL]

I am delighted to get Claude Makelele and this sets my team up beautifully at this early stage.

whatawaster

Round 2, Pick No 22.

Steve McManaman. Footballer, model, cartoon character, Nicole Kidman lookie-likey.









At his best, he was as good if not better than Giggs in my opinion. He is 2nd in the premierships all-time assists per game played - just behind Beckham. He is Liverpool's all-time leading goal-maker. He was also named on the Premier League's team of the year four years in a row between 94 and 98. He may have played in Liverpool teams of varying quality, but he was an almost constant threat, and both Owen and Fowler have a lot to thank him for regarding their goal tallies.

He went on to even better things at Madrid and played an integral role in their two Champions League wins and is probably the most succesful British player to have played overseas.

Although his England career was not what it should have been, he shone at Euro 96' and was named by none other than Pele as the tournament's top player.

He also had a penchant for the spectacular goal:

A tremendous player. He'd easily make my all-time premiership XI. Comfortable on the right, but perhaps best in a free role, Shaggy will tremendous addition to my side.

Wreck

Round 2 Pick 23

Freddie Ljungberg, 241 Premiership Apps, 48 goals. 2 League titles, 3 FA Cups



Well what can be said about Freddie? An absolute Arsenal legend and one of my favorite players of all time. Scoring on his premiership debut against Man Utd was always going to make him a cult hero, but it is for his unbelievable goal-scoring form during the 2001-02 double winning season for which he will be best remembered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgjGpk_k_vk

Hardworking, reliable, versatile, excellent on the ball and with a great eye for goal, Ljungberg was an extremely intelligent footballer who always seemed to pop up in the right place at the right time. His versatility meant was played all across the midfield, or as a second striker in the Bergkamp role, and he always performed at 100 per cent, doing what ever job was asked of him to a very high standard. A integral part of the unbeaten Arsenal team of 03/04, he was a fantastic servant to the club until persistent injuries led to his leaving. Also immortalised in one of the catchiest football chants ever sung in the Premiership:D A great player, and a fantastic addition to my team at this early stage.

Frisbee

My next Pick is the mighty Dion Dublin.
He was picked up by United in 1992 after some good displays with Cambridge United where he scored 52 goals in 152 games.
However his spell with United was unsucessful after he missed out on most of the 92/93 season after breaking his leg. When he finally recovered he was kept out of the team by the excellence of Eric Cantone and only bagged 2 goals in the 12 appearances he made.
His move to Coventry in 1994 reinvigorated his career and he scored 61 goals for them in 145 appearances.
During his first season he equalled the Coventry City record for most goals in a top division season with 23 goals in all competitions and he was joint top scorer in the Premier League that season.
In 1998 he moved from Coventry to Aston Villa and in only his second game scored a hat-trick against Southampton.
In December 1999, during his second season at Villa he suffered a broken neck during a game against Sheffield Wednesday. The operation forced him to have a plate put into his neck to hold several vertebrae together.
He made his return to the Villa first season in April 2000 and capped it by putting Villa through to their first ever FA Cup Final by scoring a penalty.
He ultimately went on to play for Leicster in the Championship, Celtic (with whom he won the SPL and Scottish League Cup), before returning to Norwich in 2006.

He is a member of the 100 Premier Leage Goals Club with a total of 111 goals.

He Last match was for Norwich against Sheffield Wednesday on the 4th May 2008. This match brought in 36,208 fans, the record attendance for a Championship game that season. He was applauded off the pitch by both sets of fans, both teams and by referee Mark Clattenburg.

Without a doubt one of the all time greats.
A class act with a nose for goal. The Epitomy of a Number 9. A man who's four England Caps does not reflect the man.

(And sure if I'm under the cosh I can always throw in at Centre Back to mix things up )

RasTa

Round 3

Pick 1

Marc Overmars



No time for much of a story, cut and paste.

He is best known as a right-footed left-winger, although he is able to use both his feet with equal precision and power. Known for his speed, Overmars' nicknames included "the Roadrunner" or simply "meep-meep."

100 games for Arsenal with 25 goals and countless assists.

Just watch this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7myb3Q3dYM

mayordenis

Jürgen Klinsmann

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%BCrgen_Klinsmann



On of the best players to have played in the premiership simple as. While a player who may of gone under the radar for another round or so I feel with Overmars being stolen in the last pick before mine that I had to act now to get the man I wanted.
With Pires Supplying the ammunition Klinsmann would deliver.