Allison
TAA VVD* Robertson
Milner Henderson Wijnaldum
Salah Firmino Mane
*Don't need a second CB with big Virg
Annoying stuff aside, it does make sense to name your manager and say their best XI, since Guardiola and Klopp would have different choices in some positions, for instance.
Also to say who you would pick if you had to prepare for an international tournament, since in a month you wouldn't want 11 new players and would probably want to include the spine of a team (and consider ex-players like Reus for Klopp or multiple Barca and Bayern players for Pep) and then a couple adaptable types, Messi or other stars who fits them perfectly and could seamlessly come in.
For example, I'd probably have De Jong in a Guardiola team but not a Klopp one.
Using that latter stricture, with new players in bold, old players for that manager in italics and current players under him in regular type.
Team Klopp:
--Mane-Firmino--
Messi
----
Koke---
Gundogan----
---------
Kante---------
Robertson------------TAA
----
Koulibaly-Van Dijk---
-----------Allison---------
-Messi over Salah because he's better and it seemed like less trouble for the press than swapping out Firmino or Mane since I didn't like Cristiano or Mbappe as fits instead of them, but the fact I hesitated for second on this is testament to Salah and how good their front 3 is together. I briefly considered Griezmann or De Bruyne (be a great false 9) for Firmino or Mbappe for Mane but wanted to minimize changes with my midfield already so reinvented. Wouldn't quibble with either change though.
-Gundogan is my lone Klopp midfielder (had at least one great season for him). Koke is smart and runs all day, think he'd be a better version of Milner. Kante as a DM is always fine and he can cover lots of space and press.
-Back 5 I kept for harmony except with the rock solid Koulibaly in, but Pique or Varane in particular (he's a better version of a Gomez or Matip type) seem like solid choices.
Team Guardiola:
Neymar--
Aguero---
Messi--
---De Bruyne--BernardoSilva
-----------
De Jong---------
Alba----------------------
Kimmich
------
VanDijk--
Pique-------
--------
Ter Stegen---------
-Probably could have chosen a solid DM instead of De Jong like
Rodri, but that would be my plan B, with De Jong coming into midfield for De Bruyne or Bernardo Silva or hitting the bench himself
-
Lewandowski or Aguero I would actually decide based on the opponent's CBs and if they were playing a high line (Aguero) or parking the bus (Lewandowski)
-
Neymar over
Hazard might be the wrong choice, hell it probably is, but I guess I still think Neymar is the 2nd or 3rd best player in the world when healthy
-
Pique over Laporte was a tough call.
I think Sarri and Ten Hag are too close to Guardiola to be fun, so let's finish with...
Team Dyche:
--------Cristiano-Kane--------
Bale--------Koke---Kante----------Messi
Robertson-VanDijk-Godin-Kimmich
---------------Oblak--------------------
-I haven't seen Skriniar but wanted an aerially dominant defender so went with the aging Godin. Open to other good headers of the ball.
-When Messi quits because the football is shit and he's tired of being yelled at to cross the ball at the big men, I like Sancho or Dembele on the wing
-Wanted someone bigger than Koke or Kante but I couldn't leave Kante out of a defending deep midfield breaking up play and Koke has logged a lot of time under Simeone doing stuff like this in big games, also gives them a passer which Dyche seems to like from one spot.
-Cristiano first name on the teamsheet, even goes wide like Wood. Lewandowski edged out by Kane.
- Robertson
