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

[Andeva]

Excluding United players:

Petr Cech
K.Toure - Desailly - Kompany - A.Cole
Essien - Toure - Bale
Bergkamp
Drogba - Suarez

 

[El Jefe]

Cech - 04/05

Zabaleta - 12/13
Kompany - 11/12
Vidic - 08/09 & 10/11
Evra - 08/09

Ronaldo - 07/08
Scholes 02/03
Fabregas 07/08
Bale - 10/11 (not for the whole season but the peak he reached was unreal. Back when he was a proper winger)

Suarez - 13/14
Torres - 07/08

I think this 11 were well and truly world class in these seasons and apart from 2/3 would have been the best in the world their positions.

Good thread I must say and you could make like 3 of these teams that are just as good or better as the likes of Keane, Henry, RVN, RVP, Rio, Drogba, Shearer etc aren't included.

 

[Josep Dowling]

Schmeichel Snr

G Neville.....Ferdinand...Stam.....A.Cole

Makelele............Scholes

Ronaldo..........Gerrard.............Bale

Henry


Almost impossible task to be fair as so many players have had great season, even players like Teddy Sheringham. Didn't see Shearer at his peak but he should probably be in there. Evra, Robben, Suarez, RVN, Terry all just miss out. Anyone who thinks De Gea is better than Schmeichel is mad, uses his feet too much imo.

 

[harms]

I'm really amazed by how many people seem to ignore Cantona. As far as the individual importance to the title win goes I don't think that anyone can top his form in 1995/96 when he returned after the disqualification. When he scored in 6 consecutive games near the end of a season, 4 of which we won 1:0 and once drew 1:1...

And while Bergkamp is simply magnificent, I don't think that he can be picked ahead of Cantona when we consider the PL form (while on an international stage it's the other way around)

Suarez came close but he never won it (although Cantona didn't have his personal Norwich to boost up the stats)

 

[Rozay]

Schmeichel Snr

G Neville.....Ferdinand...Stam.....A.Cole

Makelele............Scholes

Ronaldo..........Gerrard.............Bale

Henry


Almost impossible task to be fair as so many players have had great season, even players like Teddy Sheringham. Didn't see Shearer at his peak but he should probably be in there. Evra, Robben, Suarez, RVN, Terry all just miss out. Anyone who thinks De Gea is better than Schmeichel is mad, uses his feet too much imo.

Think that's harsh. De Gea was very much in the running to be voted POTY a couple of seasons ago, and the workload he had to deal with compared to Schmeichel is vast.

Also, there is no discrimination against saving with your feet.

 

[Josep Dowling]

Think that's harsh. De Gea was very much in the running to be voted POTY a couple of seasons ago, and the workload he had to deal with compared to Schmeichel is vast.

Also, there is no discrimination against saving with your feet.

True maybe it is a nostalgia thing with Schmeichel as he was making saves to win titles. But the only reason DDG has won POTY two seasons in a row is because the rest of squad has been poor.

 

[Rozay]

True maybe it is a nostalgia thing with Schmeichel as he was making saves to win titles. But the only reason DDG has won POTY two seasons in a row is because the rest of squad has been poor.

I meant that DDG was a strong candidate to win the PL POTY, not just the United one. He was that good. A keeper has never been in contention for the top award like that I don't think.

 

[Jayvin]

I tried to apply the thoughts of tactical analysis, longevity, suitability between players etc. when picking the team and ended up selecting this crop.

I thought the whole point of the thread was to ignore longevity and go for players who had at least one brilliant season, regardless of how the rest of their career in the league went. That's why I said Scholes wouldn't be in my team, there are quite a few midfielders who had better single seasons than him, but very few (if any) who were as consistent over a long period.

 

[duffer]

I thought the whole point of the thread was to ignore longevity and go for players who had at least one brilliant season, regardless of how the rest of their career in the league went. That's why I said Scholes wouldn't be in my team, there are quite a few midfielders who had better single seasons than him, but very few (if any) who were as consistent over a long period.

Indeed. Otherwise it's yet another "pick your best ever Prem XI" thread.

 

[Rozay]

I thought the whole point of the thread was to ignore longevity and go for players who had at least one brilliant season, regardless of how the rest of their career in the league went. That's why I said Scholes wouldn't be in my team, there are quite a few midfielders who had better single seasons than him, but very few (if any) who were as consistent over a long period.

Indeed. Otherwise it's yet another "pick your best ever Prem XI" thread.

Yea that was what I had in mind. Forget time, a lot of PL greats didn't hit the heights that some others did albeit for a shorter period. Of course, some of the players suggested may have longevity too, but it's not a necessary criteria.

@duffer what are your views on Petrescu, and how close would he be to a PL team like this for you? I remember him being one of my favourite players as a kid and he was a real goal threat from right back too, but as a Chelsea fan, how do you remember him?

 

[unimaginative_name]

I thought the whole point of the thread was to ignore longevity and go for players who had at least one brilliant season, regardless of how the rest of their career in the league went. That's why I said Scholes wouldn't be in my team, there are quite a few midfielders who had better single seasons than him, but very few (if any) who were as consistent over a long period.

Oh, sorry, then I'm wrong, didn't properly read the OP. In that case my team is the following:

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

Irwin(93/94)------Rio(07/08)----Stam(98/99)--------Evra

-----------------------------Carrick(12/13)----------------------

---------------Lampard(05/06)-------Scholes(02/03)--------

Suarez(13/14)-------------Shearer----------Ronaldo(07/08)

 

[Isotope]

If it's about the absolute peak:

Henry -- Drogba -- C Ronaldo
Lampard
Makelele -- Alonso
A.Cole - Stam - Ferdinand - Zabaleta
Schmeichel​