Best ever XI of PL players at their very best...

[Rozay]

So, I've seen many threads of all time PL XIs, but I think a players' peak is often overlooked when it is for a short period. Sometimes injuries, transfers, loss of direction curtail what was a very brief amazing level, which then gets overlooked.

I've changed the criteria to include peaks of a minimum of one season. Here's my team:


------------------- De Gea-----------------

--Petrescu--Ferdinand-- Desailly--Ashley Cole--

--Ronaldo---Toure---Gullit----Pires--

------Van Persie--------Suarez----------

Squad: Schmeichel, Zabaleta, Stam, Terry, Evra, Juninho, Gerrard, Keane, Robben, Henry, Ginola


Many of these players were not the best in PL history, but in my own opinion, I think they have all hit a level at some point, for at least a year, that hasn't been bettered. Some very great players have missed out, but I can't think of a single season where they were necessarily better than the best I have selected. Some of the selections are also just down to some personal nostalgia perhaps, of players I thought were great growing up.

 

[Frank Grimes]

So, I've seen many threads of all time PL XIs, but I think a players' peak is often overlooked when it is for a short period. Sometimes injuries, transfers, loss of direction curtail what was a very brief amazing level, which then gets overlooked.

I've changed the criteria to include peaks of a minimum of one season. Here's my team:


------------------- De Gea-----------------

--Petrescu--Ferdinand-- Desailly--Ashley Cole--

--Ronaldo---Toure---Gullit----Pires--

------Van Persie--------Suarez----------

Squad: Schmeichel, Zabaleta, Stam, Terry, Evra, Juninho, Gerrard, Keane, Robben, Henry, Ginola


Many of these players were not the best in PL history, but in my own opinion, I think they have all hit a level at some point, for at least a year, that hasn't been bettered. Some very great players have missed out, but I can't think of a single season where they were necessarily better than the best I have selected. Some of the selections are also just down to some personal nostalgia perhaps, of players I thought were great growing up.

Not a great team given the criteria.

 

[SteveTheRed]

Tough one, I think Vardy's season last year could get him in a few teams. Breaking the record for consecutive goals, 12 in 12, scored some outrageous goals last season (one against Liverpool). He was pretty unplayable at times and helped win his team the league, increasing his transfer value 10 fold.

 

[paulscholes18]

Great Dane
Sanga Stam Vidic Irwin
Keane Vieira Scholes
Ronaldo Henry Overmars

 

[DanClancy]

So, I've seen many threads of all time PL XIs, but I think a players' peak is often overlooked when it is for a short period. Sometimes injuries, transfers, loss of direction curtail what was a very brief amazing level, which then gets overlooked.

I've changed the criteria to include peaks of a minimum of one season. Here's my team:


------------------- De Gea-----------------

--Petrescu--Ferdinand-- Desailly--Ashley Cole--

--Ronaldo---Toure---Gullit----Pires--

------Van Persie--------Suarez----------

Squad: Schmeichel, Zabaleta, Stam, Terry, Evra, Juninho, Gerrard, Keane, Robben, Henry, Ginola


Many of these players were not the best in PL history, but in my own opinion, I think they have all hit a level at some point, for at least a year, that hasn't been bettered. Some very great players have missed out, but I can't think of a single season where they were necessarily better than the best I have selected. Some of the selections are also just down to some personal nostalgia perhaps, of players I thought were great growing up.

Gullit! You going back to when he was in Milan?

As for the keeper nobody will have a season like big Pete did in 95/96

 

[Couch potato 82]

De Gea
Carr Mcgrath Vidic Cole
Ronaldo Gerrard Keane Pires
Suarez Henry

 

[Klopper76]

Didn't Ljungberg have an incredible run in 01/02? Suarez, Henry and Ronaldo all seem like obvious ones.

Ferdinand and Vidic would be my CB's for their 07/08 form.

 

[Enigma_87]

Something like this. 4-4-2 naturally

-------------- Schmeichel-----------------

--Irwin--Ferdinand-- Desailly--Ashley Cole-

--Ronaldo---Keane---Scholes----Giggs--

------Shearer--------Henry----------

 

[Šjor Bepo]

Van Der Sar
G.Neville Ferdinand Vidic A.Cole
Beckham Keane Scholes Giggs
Bergkamp Henry
​

Combination of individual quality and great partnerships. Id just put peak Scholes(06 and above) next to Keane, if only they peaked at the same time....

 

[Lurpak99]

 

[Twigg]

I'm gonna assume an XI of players at their very best for one match

De Gea
G Neville - Ferdinand - Vidic - Cole
Toure, Keane, Silva
Suarez, Aguero, Ronaldo

Center backs were the hardest to pick for me, so I went with that duo naturally. I think that team is full of players who can win matches on their own on their day.

 

[BlueCelery]

Hazard Henry Ronaldo
Lampard Beckham Silva
Cole Terry Rio Zabaleta
Cech
​

Three former player of the years in attack. The guile and creativity of Hazard on the left to support a devastating duo of Henry & Hazard.

Midfield is balanced. Lampard being Lampard of course. Beckham in the DLP role where he could pick teams apart with his vision & range of passing. Silva completing the trio with his associative play, destabilizing defences with his dribbling & of course creativity .

Defence pretty much picks itself. Terry was close to unbeatable before his back injuries while Rio complements him because of his pace & reading of the game. Both were incredible passers of the ball & Terry will get you goals. Cole & Cech before the head injury are no brainers while Zabaleta is the best of an unspectacular bunch.

 

[sun_tzu]

..............Schmeichel.............
Irwin....Staam...Mcgrath....Cole
......Gerrard..Keane...Scholes....
....Ronaldo....Shearer...Henry....

 

[SteveJ]

I'd like to have seen Cantona and Bergkamp in the same team.

 

[RoadTrip]

I'd like to have seen Cantona and Bergkamp in the same team.

Both quite similar though. But actually in their case it would have probably led to something incredible unlike the Gerrard and Lampard shenanigans witnessed in the England team.

 

[elmo]

Schmeichel
Irwin Rio Vidic Evra
Keane Viera Scholes
Shearer Henry Ronaldo

 

[Invictus]

----------------------Schmeichel---------------------


-Irwin---------McGrath----------Vidić--------------Baines


----------------Keane-----------Kanté
--------------------
---Ronaldo-----------------------------------←Hazard-----
------------------------------
--------------------↑----------Henry
-----------------Suárez----------


Schmeichel: 1995/96
Irwin: 1990/91 (low on rightback options)...
McGrath: ~1993
Vidić: 2008/09
Baines: 2012-ish
Keane: 2000-ish
Kanté: 2015/16
Hazard: ~2014
Cristiano: 2006/2007
Henry: 2002/03
Suárez 2013/14

* Can't think of better peak players than Kanté to support the structure ahead of him, especially when Hazard reprises his auxiliary playmaker peak. That version of him + peak Keane...

 

[diarm]

Schmeichel
Irwin Stam Ferdinand Cole
Ronaldo Keane Scholes Bale
Bergkamp
Henry​

 

[Rozay]

Gullit! You going back to when he was in Milan?

As for the keeper nobody will have a season like big Pete did in 95/96

I remember Gullit being brilliant for a spell at Chelsea.

And I think over a short space, De Gea is the best I've seen. He's excelled in a poor team and reached an outrageous level in recent years.

 

[Rozay]

Surprised at the almost unanimous vote for Hazard. He'd be quite a way away for me. Ronaldo obviously picks himself on one side, but I think 2005 (I think) Arden Robben was better, Robert Pires was definitely better for me, as was David Ginola at his Spurs' best.

Juninho was on the bench for me, but he almost made the first XI for that season at Boro.

 

[Gio]

Schmeichel 95/96
Petrescu 97/98 Ferdinand 07/08 Terry 04/05 Cole 04/05
Keane 99/00 Vieira 00/01
Gerrard 05/06
Ronaldo 07/08 Suarez 13/14 Henry 02/03
​

 

[Harry190]

Our 99 squad. Perfect team.

 

[Frank Grimes]

Schmeichel 95/96
Petrescu 97/98 Ferdinand 07/08 Terry 04/05 Cole 04/05
Keane 99/00 Vieira 00/01
Gerrard 05/06
Ronaldo 07/08 Suarez 13/14 Henry 02/03
​

Vieira 01/02 instead of 00/01 maybe ?

 

[harms]

--------------- Schmeichel
?Petrescu? -- McGrath -- Vidic -- Cole
----------- Keane ------ Makelele ------
- Ronaldo ------ Cantona -------------
---------------- Suarez ------ Henry

Also in contention -
GK: Cech, De Gea, Van der Sar
Defence: G. Neville, Ferdinand, Terry, Evra
Midfield: Vieira, Scholes, Toure, Beckham, Lampard
Attack: Bale, Shearer, Bergkamp, van Persie

 

[Frank Grimes]

----------------------Schmeichel (95/96)-------------------
Ivanovic(14/15) Terry (04/05) Rio (07/08) Irwin (93/94)

Bale(12/13) Keane (99/00) Vieira (01/02) Ronaldo (07/08)

Shearer (94/95) Henry (03/04)

 

[Gio]

Vieira 01/02 instead of 00/01 maybe ?

Yeah probably. He was awarded PL Player of the Season in 2000/01, but his team were well behind United that year.

 

[Infordin]

Schmeichel

Zabaleta - Ferdinand - Terry - Cole

Scholes - Keane - Gerrard

Ronaldo - Suarez - Henry

 

[DJRED97]

Tough one, I think Vardy's season last year could get him in a few teams. Breaking the record for consecutive goals, 12 in 12, scored some outrageous goals last season (one against Liverpool). He was pretty unplayable at times and helped win his team the league, increasing his transfer value 10 fold.

LMAO. Jamie Vardy even being suggested in an all time Prem XI should get you an automatic ban, seriously, you're that wrong.

 

[Bwuk]

LMAO. Jamie Vardy even being suggested in an all time Prem XI should get you an automatic ban, seriously, you're that wrong.

It's not an all time prem 11 though is it?

De Gea
Ivanovic - Rio - Vidic - Evra
Kante - Scholes
Ronaldo - Yaya - Bale
Suarez​

Any of that front four can win a game out of nothing. Toss up between Gerrard and Yaya.

Kante will maybe raise eyebrows, but last season he was 10/10 every week.

 

[Rozay]

It's not an all time prem 11 though is it?

De Gea
Ivanovic - Rio - Vidic - Evra
Kante - Scholes
Ronaldo - Yaya - Bale
Suarez​

Any of that front four can win a game out of nothing. Toss up between Gerrard and Yaya.

Kante will maybe raise eyebrows, but last season he was 10/10 every week.

Kante raises no eyebrows, he was excellent last season. I still think his excellence is a bit contextualised though, and he wasn't as good as some of the great PL midfielders have been. I'd say that Vieira at his best was better.

 

[Rozay]

Seems most have gone for Vidic too. Not so sure about him. I think because he had a great partnership with Rio many have picked the pair, but for me, there have definitely been better defenders than Vida. John Terry in the season he won POTY was better than any Vidic season for me, as was Sol Campbell in his Arsenal Invincible year I think. Vincent Kompany at his PL best was also easily better than Vidic too.

Also, I'd like to change my Chelsea players at LB after further consideration- Gallas gets in over Cole. He had an excellent season at LB for Chelsea and was unbeatable one on one.

 

[P-Nut]

Schmikes
Zabaleta Ferdinand Terry Evra
Kante
Keane Viera
Yaya
Ronaldo Vardy

Can't leave out Kante and Vardy for me. Don't think 2 players have ever made such a massive difference to a team in PL history.

 

[Grylte]

Impossible....!
But quite surprising to see noone picking Zola.
The midfield is pretty much impossible to get everyone to agree on.
I do think Vidic' best season, was the best cb i've ever seen.
I'm not even going to try to pick a starting 11

 

[simonhch]

Eric Cantona plus 10

 

[POF]

Kante raises no eyebrows, he was excellent last season. I still think his excellence is a bit contextualised though, and he wasn't as good as some of the great PL midfielders have been. I'd say that Vieira at his best was better.

Vieira at his worst was better than Kante. Even though this thread encourages the inclusion of one season wonders there is just no comparison between the two.

Seems most have gone for Vidic too. Not so sure about him. I think because he had a great partnership with Rio many have picked the pair, but for me, there have definitely been better defenders than Vida. John Terry in the season he won POTY was better than any Vidic season for me, as was Sol Campbell in his Arsenal Invincible year I think. Vincent Kompany at his PL best was also easily better than Vidic too.

Also, I'd like to change my Chelsea players at LB after further consideration- Gallas gets in over Cole. He had an excellent season at LB for Chelsea and was unbeatable one on one.

Vidic is probably the main reason for the success of the post-Keane phase of the Fergie era. He transformed the defence from an utter shambles to the basis of multiple championship winning sides. Even in Ronaldo's best years, the success of the team was built on a top class defence.

I agree that one of the United defenders is overrated due to the success of the Vidic/Rio partnership but it's not Vidic.

 

[Green_Red]

My team is built on the premise that you can only be in the team of Permier League all time XI if you've lifted the trophy.

Schmiechel
A. Cole, Stam, Vidic, Irwin
Ronaldo, Scholes, Keane, Giggs
Bergkamp, Henry

Bench: Adams, Evra, Cantona, Ruud, Viera, Robben, VDS

Squad: Rio, Terry, Lampard, Pirez, Rooney, Cech, Ljundberg (need them pacey wingers!)

 

[Champagne Football]

-------------- Schmeichel-----------------

--Irwin--Ferdinand-- Adams--Ashley Cole-

--Ronaldo---Keane---Scholes----Giggs--

------Shearer--------Henry----------



Subs - Suarez, Gerrard, Lampard, Beckham, Vidic, Cech, Viera

 

[diarm]

Anyone not including Stam in a team of players at their peaks is off their rocker.

Rio, Vidic, Terry, Adams, McGrath were all superb defenders but Jaap led a defence that won the treble, beside Ronny Johnsen, Henning Berg and David May.

Not one of those names above could have managed what he did alongside those players.

 

[Jaybomb]

Vidic was the best CB in the world at one point.

 

[Jaybomb]

Anyone not including Stam in a team of players at their peaks is off their rocker.

Rio, Vidic, Terry, Adams, McGrath were all superb defenders but Jaap led a defence that won the treble, beside Ronny Johnsen, Henning Berg and David May.

Not one of those names above could have managed what he did alongside those players.

Baffles me that people don't mention him. He was miles better than that spoofer John Terry. Longevity and Englishness goes a long way I suppose.