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Premiership Player Draft - Picks Only
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22-10-2008 12:25AM#1
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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
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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.0 -
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.
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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...
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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 :
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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.0 -
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!) 0 -
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!0 -
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.0 -
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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 side0 -
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.
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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.
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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.0 -
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 one0 -
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.0 -
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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=WBtQJf0sxtc0 -
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.0 -
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.
Steven Gerard is my first round pick.0 -
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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.0 -
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." '0 -
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 goals0 -
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 defence0 -
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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."0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drScL8q956o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZcJnWVKDks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoJrifFjYo0
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