Premiership Player Draft - Picks Only

In a real rush today as i have to go in about 10 minutes

My final pick at centre back is Joeseph Yobo.





He is big, strong and athletic and one of the best centre back's left in the draft in my opinion. My team is now complete and all thats left to do is to decide on tactics and my final formation

To complete my line up I choose Craig Short.

I'm heading away for the next two days so will have to do a write up when I get back.

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Lehmann

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--Lauren----McGrath--Short----Le Saux---
Roy----gerard

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Barnes-Young

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Tevez

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drogba

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Luke Young slots in at right back to complete my line up, 12 years of premiership experience and capped for England, dubbed Mr Consistent by Charlton fans.

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Dudek
Pearce-- Terry (c) ---Johnsen

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L Young

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Gilberto

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Bowyer

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Di Matteo

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Sparky

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Saha.

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Yeboah

A solid defence as was needed to go with a central 4-3-3 formation but theres still goals coming from all over the pitch.

I may be completely missing him somewhere in the thread, but im kind of surprised that he hasnt been picked yet.

I dont have time for a proper write up at the minute but my last pick is Laurent Robert

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Niemi

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Petrescu

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Adams

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Weir

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Ball

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Savage

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Robert

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Cahill

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Waddle

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Crouch

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Wright

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Stig Inge Bjornebye

Solid defensively, with great technique and a genuine threat down the flank, I'm delighted to finish my team with the former Liverpool left-back.

He helped form one of the meanest Premiership defenses, and made it into the PFA team of the year in 96/97, which is no small achievement, considering his rivals in the position at the time.

Ian Taylor

I need a high energy midfielder to complete my team.I believe that Ian Taylor is the best left for this position.He was a good defensive midfielder who in his early years was a box-to-box midfielder.He never gave up and was never afraid going into a tackle.His attitude on the pitch made him a fan favourite at Villa Park.

Decided to complete my team with the addition of a flying winger who has around 400 professional league games under his belt - Keith Gillespie.




Gillespie was part of the golden generation at Manchester United in the early 90s so had a great pedigree. However with Andrei Kanchelskis ahead of him he struggled for game time at Old Trafford so joined Newcastle as part of Andy Cole deal in 1995.

Under Keegan he played some superb football as part of a free flowing team and finished runner up in the league twice as well as the FA Cup. He also enjoyed Champions League and Uefa Cup football.

After three and a half years at the Tyneside club he moved to Blackburn Rovers for 5 seasons and then on to Leicester City. He was part of the Sheffield United side which gained promotion to the top flight in 2006.

He currently has over 80 caps for Northern Ireland.


I think at this stage he is a solid pick considering he played with Warrne Barton on the right hand side for a few seasons. He is a direct winger who can also defend and I see him as being able to provide adequate ammunition for Ferdinand in the box.

Team -

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Seaman

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Barton

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Southgate

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Carvalho

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Ziege

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Dacourt

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Gillespie

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Berkovic

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Sinclair

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Ferdinand

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Collymore

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Vedran Corluka

One of the best right back currently playing the Premiership, Corluka is the final part of my team. A solid defender and good passer of the ball.

"Geremi was an important person and somebody we we miss very much." - Jose Mourinho



I'm pretty sure this guy is available! I'm going to wrap up what I hope you'll agree is the classiest team in the draft (;)) with a player who is equally adept at playing right-wing but who will be used as a right-back in my team...Geremi!

I feel Geremi represents good value at this late stage. He's got several seasons under his belt with Middlesbrough, Chelsea and Newcastle, he's a good distributor of the ball and is a proven winner from his time with Real Madrid and Mourinho's Chelsea. I also like the fact he can provide competition for my set-pieces...



With Geremi just behind Robben on my right flank I think he will provide plenty of threat for other teams in the draft and will balance that out with solid defensive displays.


My team in full:

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Defoe

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Bergkamp

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Zenden

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Petit

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Carrick

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Robben

Heinze----Ferdinand (c)----Brown

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Geremi

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Van Der Sar

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Pick 1: Dennis Bergkamp (FW)
Pick 2: Rio Ferdinand (CB)
Pick 3 Arjen Robben (LM/RM)
Pick 4: Manu Petit (CM)
Pick 5: Michael Carrick (CM)
Pick 6: Edwin Van Der Sar (GK)
Pick 7: Jermain Defoe (FW)
Pick 8: Wes Brown (CB/RB)
Pick 9: Gabriel Heinze (LB)
Pick 10: Boudewijn Zenden (LM)
Pick 11: Geremi (RB/RM)

That concludes my team selection, gentlemen. :cool:

I'm very pleased to be able to introduce to you fine people of the soccer forum my Premiership draft write-up. Firstly I'd like to say I enjoyed the game as well as the spirit of the contest so credit to Lloyd for overseeing everything. Hopefully the good nature of the game will continue. OK then without further ado may I present to you F.C. (First Class) Athletic, a team I hope you'll agree is the classiest, most stylish team of the draft.





Team Formation:

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Defoe

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Bergkamp

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Zenden

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Petit

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Carrick

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Robben

Heinze----Ferdinand (c)----Brown

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Geremi----

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Van Der Sar

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Right folks I'll break down my argument on why I feel my team is a worthy winner of the contest in three parts. Firstly, I'll explain my overall strategy and line of thinking, secondly I'll give a brief final explanation on why I picked the guys I did, and lastly, I'll give my overall assessment on the strengths and weaknesses of my team. By doing so I hope you'll be impressed with my efforts.

My strategy:

I enjoy good, attacking football as I'm sure you all do and I set out from the outset to mould a team that would have great passing and movement. I believed from the beginning that the core areas of all teams would be up front, central defence, central midfield and to a lesser extent on the wings. These are the areas where I feel more often than not games are won and lost.

I'll be brutally honest here - I think those people in the game who picked full backs and goalkeepers early on made a mistake. I don't see the benefit in choosing an outstanding full back or goalkeeper when, with a bit of patience, you could have gotten very good players in these areas later on. I felt confident I would get a good goalkeeper if I was patient. This turned out to be the case. I also feel I ended up with solid full-backs despite me picking them in the latter half of the draw.

I was keen to get myself a great, versatile winger early on who could play either flank as I believed this would give me greater scope later on when picking my second winger. For example, if you choose someone who works solely as a left winger you're forced later on choose a right-winger. However if like I did you go for a player like Robben who can work either flank (Duff was in my thoughts too some of you may recall), by adopting this strategy you are free to choose from a wider range of wingers from both flanks later on and you're not leaving yourself limited. I feel that was a smart strategy.

I think stategy-wise it was important to plan out the importance of not just the players you're thinking of, but also the positions themselves. I would argue I did well in this regard and I hope you'll agree!


Some final thoughts on my picks...


Pick 1: Dennis Bergkamp



I was fortunate in that I was given a fairly early pick in the first round. I can honestly say the only guy I would have wanted ahead of Bergkamp would have been Roy Keane. Bergkamp as I've said before on this board is one of my favourite players of the nineties and is a genuinely world-class player and a legend. I was delighted to get him and I feel he is a magical player that would grace any team.

Pick 2: Rio Ferdinand



Ferdinand in truth was a pretty easy pick for me for the second round. I felt I needed to pick a great defender as I planned on prioritising other areas in the next rounds. In Rio I got one of the most praised defenders in the Premiership. As I recall I was going to go with him or Carragher and would have been happy with either as both are leaders. I plumped for Ferdinand as I felt he was a classier option. He will be my team's captain.

Pick 3: Arjen Robben



Robben as I touched on above was the versatile winger I felt I needed and I'm very happy to have him. I'd say one of the most explosive, impactful wingers the Premiership has seen.

Pick 4: Emmanuel Petit



At this point I turned my attention towards central midfield and felt I needed a defensive-minded player who was also a good passer of the ball. Manu Petit certainly fit the bill as he provided a combatative presence in the middle and yet meant I didn't have to compromise class for brawn.

Pick 5: Michael Carrick



I'd decided on the type of midfield I wanted - one that would be built on good passing. I didn't feel I needed an 'attacking midfielder' as I believed in Bergkamp I had the best playmaker around. This pick, as I kind of expected, got a bit of criticism as Carrick is someone that seems to divide people. Personally I believe he does an underrated job at Man United and I think alongside Petit, Carrick would have a great partnership. I reckon they'd compliment each other well. The only other guy I had in my thoughts for this role was Alonso but I felt his dip in form last season for Liverpool meant Carrick was the better overall draft choice.

Pick 6: Edwin Van Der Sar



As I mentioned above I felt a bit of patience would lead to a good goalkeeper pick and I feel relative to the rounds, Edwin Van Der Sar was one of my better picks. To get a guy I consider a man for the big occasion at round 6 was very pleasing. I'd acknowledge he's had his shaky moments at times but I think overall he's been an outstanding success at United and the best goalkeeper since Schmeichel.

Pick 7: Jermain Defoe



At this point I felt I needed to act fast to ensure I had a true goal machine up front. Defoe was the logical choice. His stats speak for themselves and alongside Bergkamp I felt the two of them would pose a frightening threat.

Pick 8: Wes Brown



I regarded Brown as a really important pick. I was surprised he was left at round 8 as he can do a fine job in two positions. My only concern really was where I would play him but because as mentioned above I don't really rate the full-back positions as that significant, I felt more confident having him play alongside Rio.

Pick 9: Gabriel Heinze



Again, relative to the rounds this was probably one of my better picks. To get such a talented guy in the third-last round was a great bonus.

Pick 10: Boudewijn Zenden



Initially I had gone for Stewart Downing not realising the guy had been picked beforehand but I'm happy to end up with my second choice of Zenden. I think Downing would have provided a better crossing ability for me but I think in my team that's not really going to be that important. With my team I think wingers who can run at defenders and link up with the front men matters more so I think my two Dutch wingers provide a good threat for me.

Pick 11: Geremi



Right-back was the last slot I needed and other than Geremi I considered Abel Xavier and a few others but I felt Geremi was the smartest choice available to me as he is strong and a good distributor, plus he can provide some set-piece competition with Bergkamp. I also felt the Robben/Geremi partnership on the right was a nice Chelsea-style combination.

My overall thoughts:

Funnily enough when I look at this team I think this is the kind of team Giovanni Trapattoni would give his right arm to have. It strikes me as a formation and style similar to the current Irish one. The central midfielders in my team won't be asked to do anything too elaborate. Just keep things tight and distribute to the wings and forwards. I feel my defence and goalkeeper are as solid as any in the game. I also feel I have wingers who can cause problems, a legend in Bergkamp who can pull the strings and in Defoe, a goal machine who can take chances that come his way.

I see this team's major strength being in its passing play. I have players comfortable on the ball whose job would be to try and get it to the quicker, pacier players. I feel this is a team that won't leak many goals but will create many chances. I think that's a fair assessment when you look at the talent on show.

I also feel I have created a team of winners, something I spoke of often when making my picks. My back four and goalkeeper for example have all won the Premiership. In fact only two players in my team haven't won the league, Defoe and Zenden. Five of my eleven have won the Champions League. One of them has won a World Cup. So this is not a team that is going to panic if it encounters some difficulty.

What are my team's weaknesses? Well I think my main concern would probably be the defensive nature of my wingers. I'd be concerned that Zenden and Robben whilst good up front, wouldn't be thorough enough in getting back and helping out. I would hope that the full-backs behind them would be able to cover in such instances and that my deep-sitting central midfield would be able to deputise too. I believe they would.

Overall I think this is a team with enough class, resilience, tenacity and ingenuity to be able to provide a tough match-up for any team. I feel my team strikes the best balance in attack and defence. I feel it's able to cause problems for opposition back fours and yet able enough to fend off and deal with attacking threats. I guess that's up to others to determine though.

Well that about sums up my case and assuming you've read this far I thank you for your time and hope you've been suitably impressed. Cheers. :cool:

Had already posted this in the discussion thread but how and ever....

Team Name: Harchester City(cos United were sheeeeeeet)


Order Picked:
Fowler
Speed
Torres
Bosnich
Staunton
Van Persie
Mellberg
Danny Murphy
Carbone
Melchiot
Nelsen

Line Up:

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Bosnich

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Melchiot ---Mellberg --- Nelsen ----Staunton

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Murphy

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Speed

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Carbone

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Van Persie

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Torres

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Fowler

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Draft Summary:
It's fair to say that my team didn't shape up exactly as I had planned at the beginning of the draft. I believe I hindered myself in having a limit shortlist at the start of each round and as that would be whittled away I didnt take the time to look at other options available. That said I'm happy with both the shape and the players I did get and more importantly their ability to play the system that I want to employ.

A lot of people seem to be lamenting their decision to pick a goalkeeper early in the draft because of the amount of decent keepers available towards the end. I'm firmly in the opposite camp because while there were a few good goalkeepers picked towards the end I wouldnt describe any of them as great and great keepers win you points. Bosnich in his prime was a great keeper, certainly one of the best to ever grace the premiership. If it wasnt for his off field problems I believe he could have cemented his place in the United side and added to his medal haul in the process

My defence is the epitomy of solid and unspectacular which was necessary given the formation I want to play. Mellberg and Nelsen are tough, no nonsense defenders who are both good in the air and strong in the tackle. Both have decent pace too which allows them to make vital challenges against quicker forwards.

I will want my full backs to offer something going forward but not to the extent of an Evra or a Cole because I wont be asking too much defensively of RVP or Carbone. Melchiot and praticularly Staunton are good crossers of the ball and dont need to beat their man to whip in a cross from the by-line. Both have pace and while their forays forward wont be too aggressive this pace will allow them to get back into a defensive position quickly and to get a solid defensive unit organised quickly. Staunton, while I'm happy with him in my team,was definitely a poor pick for the 5th round but c'est la vie.

In the middle I wanted two players who can pick a pass but also get stuck in and win the ball that will be vital to allow my front players to be creative. Speed and Murphy are perfect for this role. Both are tenacious in the middle of the park and both can pick out a pass and get involved further up the field. Speed is also a great leader and will be my captain. He's also a handy threat from corners too but his real effect will be felt in the engine room and his overall leadership on the field.

Carbone and Van Persie are the aces up my sleeve and I will be looking to them to score goals, be creative and make chances for the front two. Both have question marks over them. Carbone because he can be erratic and Van Persie because he cant stay fit enough to really get into his stride. As I said when I picked him though he is a worthwhile gamble because he offers things that few players in the draft have. Guile, a lethal shot and a genuine left foot. I've lined them up to favour their stronger feet but as a manager I would be encouraging them to pop up anywhere across that line behind the front two, get on the ball and make things happen.

What you get from my front two is goals. Fowler in his pomp was the best natural finisher in the premiership and one of a rare breed of strikers who could score every type of goal. Left foot, right foot, head, you name it he used it to great effect in putting the ball in the net. A god on the red half of Merseyside and rightly so. Slowed in his later years but definitely a worthy first round pick.

Now my most contentious pick which seems to have split people. I was delighted that my pick happened to fall just as Torres passed his 40 PL game because I believe him to be one of the most awesome strikers I've seen. First Liverpool player to score 20 goals in a season since, ironically, Robbie Fowler, and broke the record for most goals in a debut season for a foreign player. Simply put the lad is a goalscorer and more than that he is a proper footballer. Pace to burn and an eye for a pass he complements Fowler perfectly I believe as they both have attributes the other is lacking but together they would be unbelievable. I believe they could form the kind of partnership that Torres enjoys with David Villa at International level and that hasnt been going too badly.

Now to the issue of his selection. Agreed he doesnt have a long career to judge from and as such its difficult to assess his long term affect on the league but judging from the sample we have seen so far I believe him to be an excellent third round pick for two reasons. Firstly he fits perfectly in with my team. When I picked Fowler I always had Torres in mind to partner him and secondly because I dont think he would have lasted any further and to my mind there was no striker taken after him that is as talented, skillful or had such an explosive effect on the premiership as Torres. For that reason I believe he fits the criteria needed to be considered a good pick and a great asset to my team

Team name: Naked Bible Men
Manager: NekkidBibleMan

Formation

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Sullivan
Carr-LeBouef-Scales-Bjornebye
----McAllister-Mascherano
--LeTissier-Juninho-Rosicky

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Hasselbaink

Selection strategy:
For me, the crucial positions in the early rounds were at the business end of the pitch. The Premiership has been awash with solid keepers, defenders and midfield bruisers, but for creativity and the spectacular, there is a small group of top class players, followed by a sharp drop to the next level. I decided I'd sort my full-backs out last, as their impact pales in significance to other positions, and also because of the relative wealth of quality in these positions.

I also decided on a formation before any picks were made. Most in the draft have gone for a 4-4-2, but I chose not to for a variety of reasons. A 4-2-3-1 demands only on striker (two top quality strikers were going to be difficult to secure), while the midfield is a flexible unit capable of accommodating players of various style and skill. By freeing my attacking three midfielders of defensive duties (and vice versa), I have been able to nullify potential drawbacks in picking certain players. Finally, I believe that a 4-2-3-1 is, with the right players, a much more effective formation when lining up against other teams of high-quality, as in this draft.

My picks, in order:

Round 1: Matt Le Tissier
One of the best players I've seen in my lifetime. He had astounding technique, a fantastic footballing brain and was a fantastic creative force. Any question marks over his defensive nous or workrate are nullified, as he is purely being deployed as an attacker.

Round 2: Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink
Given my formation, a strong, mobile target man was an obvious requirement. For me, there was no better player for the job than Hasselbaink. One of the all-time leading scorers in the Premiership, he regularly broke the 20-goals-a-season barrier, and did so in weaker teams than most. He was strong, quick and a great finisher. He was capable of scoring every kind of goal.

Round 3: Juninho
I think Juninho represents great value for the third round, considering his unquestionable impact on the Premiership. He'll slot in alongside Le Tissier, playing the typical Brazilian No. 10 role. Again, with no defensive responsibilities, the weak side of his game does not impact on my team.

Round 4: Gary McAllister (Captain)[/b]
Having gone for a lot of flair with my opening picks, I needed someone who was capable of steadying the boat and setting the tempo for my team. Combining a great engine with a vast array of passing, he
will be looked on to hold fort, and start my attacks from deep.

Round 5: Javier Mascherano
In my system, a player like Mascherano is a necessity. Unspectacular going forward, but crucial in winning the ball and breaking down attacks, his tireless industry will compliment McAllister's passing well in providing my midfield platform. On his day, he has shown he can keep even Kaka quiet, and with the quality of the opposition teams, his experience at the top level could be crucial.

Round 6: Frank LeBouef
By this stage, a lot of you had (surprisingly, to me) concentrated on building from the back, and so I was keen to get in somebody to keep me steady at the back. Frank LeBouef will lead by defense, and his no-nonsense approach to defending coupled with his comfort on the ball is a solid, if unspectacular, addition.

Round 7: Tomas Rosicky
A controversial one, but a necessity. Leaving left-wing to so late in the draw was, on hindsight, a mistake. There was a real lack of quality after the first few founds had gone, and the demands of my formation further limited me. There's no doubting Rosicky's ability, but there are obvious question marks over his fitness. Ironically, my alternative for the role was Patrick Berger, another Czech with a patchy fitness history!

Round 8: Neil Sullivan
With my attack and midfield complete, attention turned to my defense. It was a toss-up between choosing a central defender or a goalkeeper, but I think I chose wisely in Sullivan. A solid keeper with a wealth of experience, he won't cost a team points. He's also quite vocal, and will help marshall the defense.

Round 9: John Scales
I was keen for 'footballing' centre-halves, and John Scales is one. His record speaks for itself, and I think he was good value for the 9th round.

Round 10: Stephen Carr
In choosing to pick my full-backs in rounds 10 and 11, I wasn't expecting a player of Carr's ability to be available. My formation requires full-backs who aren't afraid to get forward, and Carr demonstrated at Spurs and Newcastle his ability to do just that.

Round 11: Stig Inge Bjornebye
My final pick was left-back, and again I chose a full-back who could get forward. Sometimes deployed as a wing-back by Liverpool, he was a fine crosser of the ball from deep. He also played alongside Scales in on the meanest defenses of the Premiership era.

Captain: Gary McAllister
Free-kicks: Juninho/Le Tiss/Gary Mc
Penalties: Le Tissier (obviously!)

Summary: I'm very happy with my team. In prioritizing my team's attack, I believe I have one of the strongest in the draft. Shrewd picks like LeBouef and Sullivan meant I secured a solid, if unspectacular, defense. Still, football is won by scoring goals, and my team is certainly set up to do that.

Strengths
- Creativity in attack
- Three attacking midfielders capable of the spectacular
- Solid defensive midfield unit

Weaknesses
- Unspectacular defense
- Fitness concerns with Rosicky and Carr