Yesterday, I selected my worst ever Premier League XI, but today I thought I would try to do the very opposite and look at who would make the starting line-up for the best possible team.
I will play four-four-two and I challenge any side to try to live with this one!
There have been some truly great keepers over the Premiership years. Currently, Petr Cech, Shay Given, Brad Friedel, David James, Pepe Reine and Edwin van der Sar certainly all deserve a mention.
David Seaman was one of the best and there are others who rarely put a foot wrong.
However, the best of the best and probably the best keeper I have ever seen was the ‘Great Dane’ Peter Schmeichel.
In the current Premiership we have the likes of Sagna, Terry, Ferdinand, Vidic, Carvalho, Cole, Evra, Clichy and Carragher, who would all feel they were worthy of a place in the team.
In the past, Gary Neville, Jaap Stam, Tony Adams, Martin Keown, Lee Dixon, Nigel Winterburn, Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister and many, many others would all be there or thereabouts.
For me, the star back four would have to include that absolute model of consistency, who seems to be hated by all but Manchester United fans despite being an absolute rock for England, Gary Neville.
In the middle, at his very best I would include the man who overcame the duel problems of alcohol and the nickname of ‘Donkey’, Tony Adams. Alongside him I would play Jaap Stam, who for one season was undoubtedly the best in the world.
Left back is not an easy selection but the Ashley Cole of a couple of seasons ago, was probably as good as there has been.
What a fantastic choice of players we are faced with here! I don’t think any two people would choose the same four names as there are any number of candidates who could happily be included.
Let’s look at the candidates just from ‘the big four’. Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, Michael Ballack, Claude Makelele, Arjen Robben, Steve Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Patrick Vierra, Emmanuel Petit, Cesc Fabrigas, Marc Overmars and many others. Add to them the likes of Jay Jay Okacha, David Ginola, Mikel Arteta and Elano.
There are literally hundreds of possibilities and I haven’t even mentioned Robbie Savage!
Nobody has reached the heights that Cristiano Ronaldo reached last season so he is a given. Nobody has reached the consistent heights of Ryan Giggs so he is another given. The central two are more difficult. The two I have chosen have been picked on the basis of just how crucial they have been to the success of their team’s. Arsenal without Patrick Vierra were a shadow of the side and Liverpool without Steven Gerrard still are.
We have to include the all time record scorer Alan Shearer. Actually, I can’t really think of any reasons not to include him. He was pretty close to being the perfect centre-forward.
Having said that, the selection of Alan Shearer gives us a problem. That leaves only one striking position vacant. Who should have it? Thierry Henry, Ruud Van Nistelroy, Gianfranco Zola, Ian Wright, Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, Eric Cantona, Denis Bergkamp, Paulo Di Canio, Andy Cole or one of the current crop of Drogba, Anelka, Van Persie, Adabayor, Torres, Robinho, Rooney or Berbatov?
Despite the very strong claims of everyone I have listed, together with the many I have no doubt failed to mention, I cannot select anyone other than the Thierry Henry of three seasons ago.
Whilst Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger, George Graham and others would think they might be worth consideration, like him or loathe him, it cannot be anyone other than Sir Alex Ferguson.
What a line-up that is!
Schmeichel
Neville, Adams, Stam, Cole
Ronaldo, Vierra, Gerrard, Giggs
Shearer, Henry
Manager – Sir Alex Ferguson
Your suggestions for other potential candidates would be welcomed.
The best premier league side is
van der sar
sagna terry vidic clichy
ronaldo fabregas gerrad beckham
henry rooney
The best premier league eleven are:
cech of a few seasons ago
nevile, carragher, vidic, evra
ronaldo, gerrard, essien, giggs
rooney and torres.
4.4.2 formation
4-4-2 & Manager.
VanDerSar
Sagna Terry Adams Vidic
Ronaldo Lampard Gerrard Giggs
Henry Torres
ALEX FERGUSON!
The best team is MAN UNITED.
The best premiership eleven are Petr Cesc, G. neville, Jaap Stam, Tony Adams, A.Cole, Ronaldo, Gerald, Essien, Shearer and Henry. Sir Alex Fegurson
The best premiership eleven are Petr Cesc, Wes Brown, Jaap Stam, Tony Adams, A.Cole, Ronaldo, Gerald, Essien, Shearer and Henry. Sir Alex Fegurson
The best eleven consist Petr Cesc, G.Neville, stam, Terry, A.Cole, C.Ronaldo, Gerrard, Lampard, Giggs, Shearer nd Henry
the best team is Man United.
best eleven, edwin van der sar, ronaldo, cole, lampard, gerrard, giggs, anelka, vidic, roooooooooooooooonaaaaaaaaaaaaay, alex ferguson (manager), and terry.
i’d like to see an all-star team from each major league in the world, and have a competition sort of like the World Clup tournament.
Its a no brainer!
Schmeichel
Neville / Adams / Terry / Cole
Ronaldo / Giggs / Keane / Gerrard
Shearer / Cantona
Gotta say guys im no Man U fan but the success speaks for itself. What you’ve got to remember sometimes its not the indivdual but the team thats great. For instance Kaka had he gone to City woudln’t have won anything on his own. And thats why we should all pay homage to the Great Sir Alex Ferguson. The other thing you may have noticed with most of the players I have chosen they have been loyal players who have grown in a club rather than maove every 5 minutes.
Some strange picks here. Gerrard ahead of Keane? When Keane dominated him every time he went up against him? No mention of Denis Irwin with everything he’s won at United?
Here is my XI:
Schmeichel
Neville Ferdinand Adams Irwin
Ronaldo Gerrard Keane (c) Giggs
Henry Shearer
no offense, gerry.. i’ve just havent seen any keane magic, except for 3 gols in 2 games. whenever liverpool comes to mind, i think of gerrard, kuyt and torres. roy keane is hardly in that picture…
of course, im an american who is faithful to the beautiful game of FOOTBALL( not soccer) and to the team my mother’s side of the family supported from the day it was formed to the day they die( though those supporters came to U.S. in 1900), manchester united.
here’s a new plan then..
van der sar
cole, lampard, neville, vidic, ronaldo, roooooooooooooooonay, gerrard… uh keane, giggs, terry, and (manager) alex ferguson.
i’d like to say again that each big league in the world should have an all star team of their best players, and compete for a kind of World All-stars Cup.
I don’t remember Gerrard having an impact on games against United when Keane was about..
Schmeichel
G. Neville Stam Adams Irwin
Ronaldo Scholes Keane Giggs
Cantona Shearer
some peoples choices can’t be serious
i’d say
schmeichel
neville adams ferdinand irwin
beckham keane gerrard giggs
henry shearer
I can take my best XI to be;
Schmeichel
Bacary Sagna J. Terry T. Adams(C) G.Clichy
M. Essien
Gerrard C. Fabregas R. Giggs
T. Henry A. Shearer
With Arsene Wenger at the touchline it is my best. I have left out Ronaldo because he does not believe in reality. He can make your team look bad in case things are toughening especially against tough opponent. He likes diving even where needn’t be. Gerrard, Fabregas, and Essien are another set which doesn’t give up. They undertake to fight for the team upto the last minute.The latter can fall back in case a team being attacked violently unlike Ronaldo. Giggs is a class apart. Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer are another pair you can’t survive in attacking. The full backs have pace and ability to overlap and fall back. Centre backs are intelligent.
The best formation is:
Cech
Bosingwa terry vidic evra
Ronaldo lampard gerrard robben
Henry shearer.
What I can only change in my former is maybe David Seaman for Peter Schmeichel reason being open for what he did while still on pitch. Bosingwa and Robben nothing much to let them qualify. Lampard is very good but doesn’t fit in a team which plays flairful entertaining football.
i’m seein sense from graham… i agree with his formation now… just replace henry with rooney… i mean, he’s just as good, and that means both Man united and England have an excellent striker there… duh, myself.
henry is a good striker from what i’ve seen but that aint enough 4 me really, i’ve seen a lot more rooney magic— ever since he was at everton— than henry magic.
sorry bout that but its jes the way i’ve seen it, and the way i believe it.
The best 11:
SUBS:
Schmeichei Cech
Petrescu
Irwin Staam Adams Pearce Keane
Scoles
Vieira Ronaldo
Beckham Giggs Zola
Ginola Le Tissier Henry
Shearer
Schmeichel
Irwin/Staam/Adams/Pearce
Vieira
Beckham/Ginola/Le Tissier/Giggs
Shearer
SUBS
Cech
Petrescu
Gerrard
Scholes
Ronaldo
Henry
Zola
D best eleven ever in EPL is sea man, sagna, adams, vidic, evra, walcot, veira, fabregas, giggs, torres, and king henry. Subs includes alumina, gary, calvalho, kneow, arsenal’s ashery cole, beckham, flamini, schools, pires, shearer, nistelroy.
evryone’s including subs now.
not bad, but we’re talkin bout the startin 11, excludin subs.
Some of this comments make me laugh.Well,4 me,not too good with defence selection.
With migfield,how can u leave Keane who is a living legend in favour o Viera who is not?Giggs record(11 trouphies) speaks 4 him.How can u drop Ronaldo,the only EPL player to win world best?,Gerrad is outsatnding.Henry’s goal record was just broken by Ronaldo(Winger),Shearer’s record is still there.Thus;
Keane,Gerrad,Ronaldo,Giggs,Henry and Shearer.All time best team is Man U(4 winning the treble),Coach is the only Sir in the coaching world
My best eleven, this is completely based on the consistency levels they showed while playing at the top league.
Manager: Alex Ferguson
Schmeichel
Neville, Adams, Stam, Irwin
Beckham, Keane, Giggs
Gerrard
Shearer Henry
now, if i were to include subs, these would be
Seaman
Ferdinand
Terry
Scholes
Lampard/ Veira/Ronaldo-only one as all three are and were vital but not as effective or consistant as scholes, keane or gerrard
V Rooy
Ole gunner
i kept out the likes of
Zola- didnt score enough goals
Rooney- not old enough just yet to show how truly good and consistant he can be
Cech- only had 2-2&1/2 consistant seasons
Fabregas- same as rooney
A. Cole- not as influential as Irwin
Schmeichel
neville, terry, adams, irwin
ronaldo, viera, le tissier, giggs,
henry, bergkamp
mourinho manager
rooney hasn’t proven enough to take out henry, I’m too lazy to scroll up and see who said that rooney has provided more magic, but that’s just plain wrong.
in all the teams that have been picked i find it shocking that no one has mentioned ian rush,one of the best strikers in the premier league evemy team would be schmiechel clichy terry carragher neville ronaldo gerrard viera torres henry and RUSH
me bad taylor, i said i’ve just seen more rooney magic then henry ok? my fault i havent truly become a football addict until b4 this season..
i havta say this…henry…is the best striker evey to play in the prem mayb even in england….beter than rush…charlie george…..shearer…..zola…..cantona….bergkamp…..the english have just voted him the best ever import and thats some title2hav…..and i must agree…..im a scouse fan but even now in spain he’s startin to find his old boots again on the wing….king henry i salute you
Don’t forget Bryan Robson played in the premier league he get’s my nod just ahead of Keane (who is also brilliant) but I believe the team should be
Schmeichel
G.Neville Ferdinand Desailly Pearce
Ronaldo Scholes Robson Giggs
Henry Shearer
but then it could just as easily be
Cesc
Sagna Stam Adams Evra
Beckham Viera Gerrard Ginola
Cantona Torres
best team of current players in the premiership and current form would for me be: –
Cesc
Sagna Ferdinand Vidic Evra
Ronaldo Gerrard Scholes J.Cole
Torres Drogba
The best 11 ever are (Van Der Sar,Neivile,Ferdinand,Vidic,Evra,Ronaldo,Scholes,Carrick,Giggs,Rooney(c),Van Neistleroy with coach Sir Alex Fergusen)
I don’t believe at all in what Haile Posted. He clearly showed that he is a Man utd lover but not a soccer lover. Because if you are a soccer lover, you can’t take the best XI to be the team man utd squad which squad was ripped by Liverpool recently and still punished by Fulham. If you can’t include Alan Shearer or Henry Thiery on your team, then it’s not an all time premiership squad. You have Giggs on the team and you take Rooney to be your Captain? But it’s not an Insult I’m just stating what I can rely on if I’m to promote my “Premier League.”
really haile, thats a bit tooooooooooo much of Man U on the team.
I am a MU fan but i honestly think players from other teams should be on the premier team too.
here’s mine:
Coach Alex Ferguson.
GK: Edwin van der sar/ Peter Schmiechal
FBs: Evra, clichy, cole, and carragher.
MFs: Ronaldo, scholes, gerrard, and giggs
Attackers: Henry/ Rooney ( I’m sorry but i jes see more rooney than henry, but i know the frenchie can beat rooney though it would be close), and of course Alan Shearer, possibly the greatest English player Ive ever seen.
have 2 say im no english football fan but 1st i only knew english football b4 being introduced 2 what i call real football juss look at de way chelsea played against Barca it removes all de there 2 de title world most beautiful game ,obviously bcoz of de overdose and too much coverage most people only know de EPL possibly if it had been a european dream team i bet only 1 o 2 players frm ths overrated leaugue wld have made it not taking away their recent sucess in de UCL obviously due 2 boring game tactics(chelsea) nw 4 my best 11 i stronly believe subs must b incorporated
gks schmeichel he was juss de best no doubt his sub wld be seaman van der sar are nt far off bt cech & de rest are far off standards
defense sagna,stam,campell,a.cole plyrs lyk ferdinand,vidic,evra are far off bt neville i don thnk he desrves even 2 b mentioned &carragher i won’t say a thing
midfield( i think i have a headache)ronaldo(nt my fav bt must admitt scoring 42 goals in one season is nt a joke) giggs(my childhood idol),viera\makelele,gerrard plyrs lyk beckham,lampard,overmars,petit,scholes,keane,zola are vry close if nt equaly good bt plyrs lyk essien,j.cole its too early 2 induct them bcoz they are some off de standard set by these greats
forwards henry, shearer u also have ian rush, ian wright,cole,fowler,owen,ruud,berkamp so i don understand y someone wld choose rooney at dis moment bcoz plyrs lyk robinho, anelka,yakubu,drogba, adebayor ,torres wld b far better picks rooooooooooooney has sill a long way 2 gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
coach i wld take mourinho no offense to wenger,ferguson harry redknappy wld also b a great considering he manages low profiles sides
lets get de best 11 of major leagues and compile de 11 ever
Schmeichel
Neville Terry Adams Irwin
Ronaldo Keane Gerrard Overmars
Shearer Henry
Subs:
Seaman
Carragher
Vidic
Giggs
Vieira
Lampard
Bergkamp
edwin van der sar
evra, clichy, a. cole, and terry
ronaldo, gerrard, scholes, and lampard
henry, and shearer
subs:
schmiechal, cech
vidic, sagna, neville, adams, and ferdinand
giggs,beckham, keane, and maybe fabregas
rooney( i mean cum on he is very good, even though he aitn been round for that long) and bergkamp
Best XI ever hmmm…
GK: Schmeichel
Def: Neville, Terry, Charragher, Cole
Mid: Ronaldo, Gerrard, Lampard, Giggs
Str: Rooney/Bergkamp?, Shearer/Cantona?
Subs?
GK: Cech/Van Der Saar?
Def:Ferdinand, Irwin
Mid: Keane, Viera
Str: Torres, Owen
As a liverpool fan, it is hard to choose this as the starting XI with the majority being Man Utd players.. but I see this as the best team.. I believe that bergkamp produced many many fantastic goals in his many years of playing premier league football and deserves acclaim for doing so, but Rooney is a gulf of class like no other striker so can’t decide between them. Also, I was torn between Shearer and Cantona.. both very good all round in their day. I chose the defence because all four of the players manage to get their team out of trouble whenever I’ve seen them play and for their passion in the game. The midfield has good old fashioned English grit with a bit of skill from ronaldo, a good blend of fighting spirit and unequaled skill. The Premier League best XI has to be mostly english without question.
As my name suggests i am a true barca supporter from head to toe and i am very offened that messi isnt on that list. i am happy that henry is but i believe that messi is much better than henry and can produce more goals than henry so i suggest ADDING MESSI TO THAT LIST!!!
all these suggestions are great but the real problem is would these people work well together as a team? they all have skill but what next…???
lads your heads up ur ass-brad ur talking abt rooney for henry…with henry been a king among kings still preforming at the top…stil mentioned at the worlds top 5 short list this past 5 years and looks like many more…..honestly…more assits more goals more skill more style plus who would you rather your money on in front off goal,one on one,long distace,free kick,peno….goals that r eye candy and r frequent more than wayne rooney……brad i suggest u thing again….you r talking abt a possible united ledgend an a proper ledgend…..maybe im wrong in beter he’ll fit into a team beter but no way is he a beter player…..nothing is he beating him on not even header’s henrys worst assit……anyways king henry take a bow…..brad hang ur head in shame no way could you have watch the prem….rooney doesnt even topell cantona fredinad wright r shearer,an bergkamp never even mind the king…….sorry but i get piss talking abt some who has done it an is still doing it an a chap starting to do it
silver i hate to admit it but u have a strong point
silver $$, ur ridiculous attempt to insult me has failed spectacularly. If u think my head is hangin, ur wrong cuz my head has been flung back, with me laughin till the tears come. seriously, grow up and dont insult peple, it jes lowers u in other peples eyes.
In case u havent notice, u fat bish, i put rooney as a sub, and henry as one of the startin eleven. ur attempt to make me think again has failed even worse than ur insult. rooney deserves to be on the subs list, not the startin lineup, as evryone should know. he deserves to at least be that.
And if u think rooney doesnt deserve to be so much as a sub, u night as well commit sucide and have ur dick shoved into ur mouth. u need to look at his early performances, and his current performances, or go back to football school.
that way u can relearn what a growin talent is(as i think thats what rooney is) and stop bein such a jackass retard.
sorry i got so harsh but sometimes thats the only way u can be to other people.
and if their is anyone to get on to is the Barca fan, as he clearly doesnt know that messi has never so much as dreamed of leavin to the premiership.
Guys lets stop fighting after all soccer is just a game lets just on one thing not considerin the team each and everyone of us supports,lets face the fact that the current Man U team is the best ever,no manager has ever produced a taem like dis in the english premier league.To prove this Man U will beat Barca on Wednesday.i respect Sir ALEX i respect Man U.Man U FOREVER
Hold on Eric. I agree with u i mean football is only a game- the worlds best though.
but even though i am a MU fan, i dont think they are THE BEST, they are ONE OF THE BEST.
this is off topic though…… crap!
You must be a teacher by proffesion and you wanna use your taeching skills were they don belong.I have met pple like you before they are always right and they know everything,wat gives you the ryt to judge wat i wrote.thats wat i see and if you contradict juss state your points and i will state mine by so doing we will come to an agreement one day rather than just critisising.Grow up bro.I got my own reasons why i call it the best team ever.May be you didnt understand i meant to say my first eleven is Man U team as a whole including SIR ALEX AS THEIR MANAGER
Tryin to insult me, huh?
Ahhh well , still off the point……
Your first eleven is MU, with Manager as Fergie the Great. Not bad to hear a true MU fan, but the entire MU first eleven cant be the English top eleven, there has to be a few from other teams as well, especially Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal.
I dont wanna be a teacher, by the way. I wanna be a Pro football player in MLS.
crap off point gain…..
But a good few of the MU team is on the best Premier team, and Fergie…. when u get down to it, hes the best.
Barca Fan you are on the wrong discussion its the best priemier league team ever not la Liga until the discussion reads the best La Liga team ever then you can come back.
Right u are CxTntd.