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SoccerNews team of the year 2008

Graham Fisher in Editorial, General Soccer News 29 Dec 2008

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As we approach the end of the year it is worth putting together a team of 2008. It is a very subjective choice and I would be surprised if any of us totally agreed on the best eleven players to put in the SoccerNews representative side, but I’ll have a go at making the selection and you can all shoot me down in flames and tell me why I have got it so horribly wrong!

In goal

In goal, there are a few decent candidates. Chelsea’s Petr Cech was really good but won nothing and made a mistake that cost his country dearly at Euro 2008. Without him, we need to look at keepers that won things.

Pepe Reine won the Golden Gloves award, but remained as second choice behind Casillas for Spain. Van Der Sar wan the Premier League and the Champions League and Iker Casillas won La Liga and the European Championships.

It’s a tough choice but Casillas gets my vote.

Back four

The back four has no end of contenders. Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra from Manchester United’s double winning side are all worthy of a place in the squad as are John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho from Chelsea’s nearly double winning side.

Sagna and Clichy at Arsenal made many ‘team of the season’ selections last Summer and Bosingwa at Chelsea might make quite a few at the end of this season.

Maicon at Inter, Daniel Alves at Carles Puyol at Barcelona and Sergio Ramos at Real Madrid are all screaming for selection as is Philipp Lahm from Bayern Munich.

That list is only scratching the surface. Chiellini had a great Euro 2008 and it seems very strange to select a list of the world’s great defenders without nominating anyone from Italy, the home of the magnificent defender.

Anyway, my back four looks like this:

Ramos, Ferdinand, Puyol, Lahm.

Midfield

Into the midfield and I am sure there was some fellow at Manchester United who did quite well this year! Yes, it would be a strange selection if we weren’t to include the Portuguese wing wizardry of Cristiano Ronaldo. Forty-two goals, fantastic skill and tricks and the ability to produce Olympic style tumbling at the faintest of touches make him an automatic choice!

Strangely, after winning the double, it is difficult to think that any of the other Manchester United midfielders that would be nominated in this category. Carrick, Anderson, Scholes, Hargreaves, Nani, Giggs all played their part, but none of them stood out enough to make this squad.

At Chelsea, Lampard, Ballack and Essien were all excellent for their club and Essien may well have made this team if he hadn’t been injured for most of this season so far.

For Liverpool, Mascherano and Gerrard were superb and at Arsenal, Cesc Fabregas came of age.

Pirlo and Gattuso continued to produce the goods at the ageing Milan side and Frank Ribery has developed into the world class player at Bayern Munich that we all thought he would as an under twenty-one international.

The European Championship winning midfield of Barcelona’s Xavi and Iniesta and Villarreal’s Marcos Senna probably all deserve to be in the team, but are difficult to accommodate in my rigid English 4-4-2 system!

Other players who could have made the squad include Wesley Sneijder, Kaka and Quaresma.

It’s a very, very tough choice but I’m going with the following:

Ronaldo, Senna, Xavi, Ribery.

Strikers

The strikers sort of pick themselves. I know that Lionel Messi isn’t a striker but give him a free role playing off the main striker and he will be more effective than anyone else in the world.

The main striker is probably between the two Spaniards who led their country to European glory. Fernando Torres and David Villa.

Many other strikers deserve a mention. Benzema, Rooney, Tevez, Drogba, Ibrahimovich, Klose, Arshavin and even the evergreen Ruud Van Nistelrooy.

For me though there are only two names for the team. Messi and Torres.

So there we have the SoccerNews representative team:

Casillas

Ramos, Ferdinand, Puyol, Lahm

Ronaldo, Senna, Xavi, Ribery

Torres, Messi

It’s not a bad line-up! Over to you. What would you change?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Graham Fisher


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  • Dumbass

    0 0

    GK-Sebastien Frey

    RB-Glen Johnson
    CB-Giorgio Chiellini
    CB-Philiphe Mexes
    LWB-Gael Clichy

    RWM-Lionel Messi
    CDM-Daniele De Rossi
    CAM-Francesco Totti
    LWM-Andrei Arshavin

    CF-Lukas Podolski
    ST-Dimitar Berbatov

    Reservers:

    Sergio Asenjo

    Daniel Agger
    Gareth Bale
    Gerrard Pique
    Patrick Owomoyela

    Andres Iniesta
    David Silva
    Samir Nasri
    Luis Nani

    Eduardo
    Hulk

  • Glen

    0 0

    Dude, whats Gallas’ name doing there? He dosen’t even deserve to be in the team.

  • Luke K.

    0 0

    GK- I. Casillas -Real Madrid-
    (P. Cech -Chelsea-)

    LB- D. Alves – Barcelona-
    (S. Ramos- Real Madrid-)

    CB- J. Terry – Chelsea
    ( W. Gallas- Arsenal-)

    CB- C. Puyol – Barcelona
    ( N. Vidic – Manchester United-)

    RB- P. Evra – Manchester United-
    ( G. Zambrotta – AC Milan)

    LW- F. Ribery – Bayern Munich
    ( Xavi- Barcelona)

    CM- C. Fabregas- Arsenal
    ( S. Gerrard – Liverpool)

    CM- F. Lampard- Chelsea
    (M. Senna- Villareal)

    RW- C. Ronaldo – Manchester United
    ( Kaka- AC Milan)

    S- F. Torres – Liverpool-
    ( D. Villa – Valencia)

    S- L. Messi – Barcelona
    ( S. Aguero -Atletico Madrid)

  • Taiwo Bolaji

    0 0

    Ur team of d year can’t compete for any honour. For you to have left Lampard out of the team is absolutely bul***t. Evra is d best left back in 2008 no doubt. My team of the yr;
    CASILAS;
    S.RAMOS, CARVALHO, VIDIC, EVRA
    LAMPARD,XAVI, SENNA
    RONALDO, TORESS, MESSI.
    Gerrard, mascherano, essien, cech, fabregas,van nistelrooy, arshavin, all in my subtitute bench. SIR ALEX is the coach of my team.

  • Glen

    0 0

    Well said, Jason

  • Jazzy

    0 0

    I think Ramos is an excellent choice. He is just outstanding for Real Madrid this season and played a very important role in Spain’s Euro 2008 campaign. I still think that Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard should have been in the squad. Not to forget, Wesley Sneijder would be an amazing addition to this team.

  • Jason

    0 0

    for Ronaldo to not be on anyone’s team of ’08 is just ignorant. Even if you don’t like the guy, he had a phenominal year. Patrick seems a little biased of Arsenal with Fabregas over Fabregas over Ronaldo and Sagna in the back. To even put Henry anywhere close to a starting XI is ridiculous. He had a decent year but it wasn’t great. You can’t go on a player’s career in the BEST OF 2008 XI. come on now. And Arsene as coach?! He wouldn’t know what to do with all the experienced players and finish 4th in all competitions as usual. Then go around the world buying 12-15 year olds to try and replace as the new XI.

    Casillas/Van der Sar (only allowed 22 goals in Premier League and had CL winning save)
    Alves Ferdinand Puyol Lahm
    Ronaldo Gerrard/Lampard Xavi Ribery
    Messi Torres

  • Glen

    0 0

    This team obviously looks great but i think there should be a few ammendments. Ramos for Daniel Alves, cos he has been great all season throughout. Ferdinand deserves the starting berth in Centre Back, but i think Vidic deserves it too. So its either one of them partnering Puyol. As for left back, they got it all wrong. Lahm is a very inconsistent performer as i realised, so i believe its gotta be either evra or clichy. This would be a 4-3-3 formation, and in the three man-midfield its Gerrard Essien and Xavi. This team is very attack-minded, so i’d put Essien in as the holding midfielder. Senna or Essien, i’d rather choose Essien. As for the forwards, its Messi Torres Ronaldo. No question about that. So this is how the team would look like.

    Casilias

    Alves Ferdinand/Vidic Puyol Evra/Clichy

    Essien

    Gerrard Xavi

    Ronaldo Torres Messi

  • Fabian sanmoesngat

    0 0

    It is actually hard to say who should be in the team of 2008. There are a lot of good players who played very good football and has given everthing they have. I think that the team you have chosen is a excellent one. But i personally still have a different team in mind. First of all i would choose for the 4-3-3 formation. In the goal i would have to make a choise between iker casillas and edwin van de sar. Casillas has won the spanish titel and the european cup. Van de sar has won the premier league, the champions league and the world club championship. Van de sar was excellent at the world club championship. So i will choose for van de sar in the goal.
    At the back i would put daniel alves who played excellent for his former club sevilla and now barcelona. In the center of the defense i will put vidic instead of ferdinand. I think Vidic has played better than ferdinand. And not only has vidic defended good, he has also scored a few important goals for manchester united.And of course the team can not be complete without my team captain carles puyol. At left back i agree with you to put sergio ramos.
    At midfield it is very difficult to make a choise. I have chosen for a attacking midfield. i will put xavi, steven gerrard and arshavin. I think that arshavin deserves to be in the team of 2008. I think everyone should agree on that. He has played excellent for his club and country.
    At front i will have to go with cristiano ronaldo at the left flank and lionel messi at the right. And to complete the team i will put david villa at the center.
    This was mine choice for the team of 2008. But i think that any choice can be the team of 2008. Because eleven excellent players still does not mean a excellent TEAM.

  • pressrelease420

    0 0

    ramos shouldnt make it man… he gets beat then cuts his man down. zambrotta is better than ramos and he wouldnt make the squad. really surprised you mentioned sagna and clichy as potentials, you have a thing for tempermental inexperienced youth? terry should be in there, for ferdinand. gerrard for senna… i’ll go out on a limb and say maybe even valencia’s joaquin could make it. but seriously…ramos is not the best wing back in the world right now.

  • igo

    0 0

    i think soccernews.com’s squad seems too attacking , sounds awesome but xavi and senna wouldn’t be enough to do all devensive midfield work , also what would it be xavi’s role here since ribery ronaldo and messi are players that want the ball always with them. my squad would be:
    casillas – alves – ferdinand – puyol/terry – evra – senna – xavi – gerrard – ronaldo(no position for him , he can play anywhere he wants) – torres – villa
    subs: ramos , essien , sneijder , ribery , messi
    manager: ferguson

  • Patrick

    0 0

    —————–Casillas—————
    Sagna—-Terry——Puyol——Dani Alves
    —–Xavi——-Senna———-Gerrard
    ——Messi—————Fabregas—–
    —————–Villa——————-

    Subs: Henry, Ramos, Iniesta, Essien, Ribery, Cech
    Manager: Arsene Wenger

  • Dylan

    0 0

    I’m surprised how much I agree with this roster. Personally, Ferdinand just doesn’t do it for me. Also, I’d put in Gerrard in for Senna, but other wise that looks like the team for me.

  • Mexy

    0 0

    Also arshavin could replace ribery or gerrard for his great Euro 08 showing. Or at least make the substitute team.

  • Mexy

    0 0

    I think your team should have substitutes as well as a coach and play 4 3 3 with messi and ronaldo on both wings and senna xavi and gerrard in the 3 man midfield. The rest is okay.

  • Tayo

    0 0

    Where is my Fabregas?

  • Tayo

    0 0

    Where is my Fabregas?

  • Mexy

    0 0

    I think your team should have substitutes as well as a coach and play 4 3 3 with messi and ronaldo on both wings and senna xavi and gerrard in the 3 man midfield. The rest is okay.

  • Mexy

    0 0

    Also arshavin could replace ribery or gerrard for his great Euro 08 showing. Or at least make the substitute team.

  • Dylan

    0 0

    I’m surprised how much I agree with this roster. Personally, Ferdinand just doesn’t do it for me. Also, I’d put in Gerrard in for Senna, but other wise that looks like the team for me.

  • Patrick

    0 0

    —————–Casillas—————
    Sagna—-Terry——Puyol——Dani Alves
    —–Xavi——-Senna———-Gerrard
    ——Messi—————Fabregas—–
    —————–Villa——————-

    Subs: Henry, Ramos, Iniesta, Essien, Ribery, Cech
    Manager: Arsene Wenger

  • igo

    0 0

    i think soccernews.com’s squad seems too attacking , sounds awesome but xavi and senna wouldn’t be enough to do all devensive midfield work , also what would it be xavi’s role here since ribery ronaldo and messi are players that want the ball always with them. my squad would be:
    casillas – alves – ferdinand – puyol/terry – evra – senna – xavi – gerrard – ronaldo(no position for him , he can play anywhere he wants) – torres – villa
    subs: ramos , essien , sneijder , ribery , messi
    manager: ferguson

  • pressrelease420

    0 0

    ramos shouldnt make it man… he gets beat then cuts his man down. zambrotta is better than ramos and he wouldnt make the squad. really surprised you mentioned sagna and clichy as potentials, you have a thing for tempermental inexperienced youth? terry should be in there, for ferdinand. gerrard for senna… i’ll go out on a limb and say maybe even valencia’s joaquin could make it. but seriously…ramos is not the best wing back in the world right now.

  • Fabian sanmoesngat

    0 0

    It is actually hard to say who should be in the team of 2008. There are a lot of good players who played very good football and has given everthing they have. I think that the team you have chosen is a excellent one. But i personally still have a different team in mind. First of all i would choose for the 4-3-3 formation. In the goal i would have to make a choise between iker casillas and edwin van de sar. Casillas has won the spanish titel and the european cup. Van de sar has won the premier league, the champions league and the world club championship. Van de sar was excellent at the world club championship. So i will choose for van de sar in the goal.
    At the back i would put daniel alves who played excellent for his former club sevilla and now barcelona. In the center of the defense i will put vidic instead of ferdinand. I think Vidic has played better than ferdinand. And not only has vidic defended good, he has also scored a few important goals for manchester united.And of course the team can not be complete without my team captain carles puyol. At left back i agree with you to put sergio ramos.
    At midfield it is very difficult to make a choise. I have chosen for a attacking midfield. i will put xavi, steven gerrard and arshavin. I think that arshavin deserves to be in the team of 2008. I think everyone should agree on that. He has played excellent for his club and country.
    At front i will have to go with cristiano ronaldo at the left flank and lionel messi at the right. And to complete the team i will put david villa at the center.
    This was mine choice for the team of 2008. But i think that any choice can be the team of 2008. Because eleven excellent players still does not mean a excellent TEAM.

  • Glen

    0 0

    This team obviously looks great but i think there should be a few ammendments. Ramos for Daniel Alves, cos he has been great all season throughout. Ferdinand deserves the starting berth in Centre Back, but i think Vidic deserves it too. So its either one of them partnering Puyol. As for left back, they got it all wrong. Lahm is a very inconsistent performer as i realised, so i believe its gotta be either evra or clichy. This would be a 4-3-3 formation, and in the three man-midfield its Gerrard Essien and Xavi. This team is very attack-minded, so i’d put Essien in as the holding midfielder. Senna or Essien, i’d rather choose Essien. As for the forwards, its Messi Torres Ronaldo. No question about that. So this is how the team would look like.

    Casilias

    Alves Ferdinand/Vidic Puyol Evra/Clichy

    Essien

    Gerrard Xavi

    Ronaldo Torres Messi

  • Jason

    0 0

    for Ronaldo to not be on anyone’s team of ’08 is just ignorant. Even if you don’t like the guy, he had a phenominal year. Patrick seems a little biased of Arsenal with Fabregas over Fabregas over Ronaldo and Sagna in the back. To even put Henry anywhere close to a starting XI is ridiculous. He had a decent year but it wasn’t great. You can’t go on a player’s career in the BEST OF 2008 XI. come on now. And Arsene as coach?! He wouldn’t know what to do with all the experienced players and finish 4th in all competitions as usual. Then go around the world buying 12-15 year olds to try and replace as the new XI.

    Casillas/Van der Sar (only allowed 22 goals in Premier League and had CL winning save)
    Alves Ferdinand Puyol Lahm
    Ronaldo Gerrard/Lampard Xavi Ribery
    Messi Torres

  • Jazzy

    0 0

    I think Ramos is an excellent choice. He is just outstanding for Real Madrid this season and played a very important role in Spain’s Euro 2008 campaign. I still think that Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard should have been in the squad. Not to forget, Wesley Sneijder would be an amazing addition to this team.

  • Glen

    0 0

    Well said, Jason

  • Taiwo Bolaji

    0 0

    Ur team of d year can’t compete for any honour. For you to have left Lampard out of the team is absolutely bul***t. Evra is d best left back in 2008 no doubt. My team of the yr;
    CASILAS;
    S.RAMOS, CARVALHO, VIDIC, EVRA
    LAMPARD,XAVI, SENNA
    RONALDO, TORESS, MESSI.
    Gerrard, mascherano, essien, cech, fabregas,van nistelrooy, arshavin, all in my subtitute bench. SIR ALEX is the coach of my team.

  • Luke K.

    0 0

    GK- I. Casillas -Real Madrid-
    (P. Cech -Chelsea-)

    LB- D. Alves – Barcelona-
    (S. Ramos- Real Madrid-)

    CB- J. Terry – Chelsea
    ( W. Gallas- Arsenal-)

    CB- C. Puyol – Barcelona
    ( N. Vidic – Manchester United-)

    RB- P. Evra – Manchester United-
    ( G. Zambrotta – AC Milan)

    LW- F. Ribery – Bayern Munich
    ( Xavi- Barcelona)

    CM- C. Fabregas- Arsenal
    ( S. Gerrard – Liverpool)

    CM- F. Lampard- Chelsea
    (M. Senna- Villareal)

    RW- C. Ronaldo – Manchester United
    ( Kaka- AC Milan)

    S- F. Torres – Liverpool-
    ( D. Villa – Valencia)

    S- L. Messi – Barcelona
    ( S. Aguero -Atletico Madrid)

  • Glen

    0 0

    Dude, whats Gallas’ name doing there? He dosen’t even deserve to be in the team.

  • Dumbass

    0 0

    GK-Sebastien Frey

    RB-Glen Johnson
    CB-Giorgio Chiellini
    CB-Philiphe Mexes
    LWB-Gael Clichy

    RWM-Lionel Messi
    CDM-Daniele De Rossi
    CAM-Francesco Totti
    LWM-Andrei Arshavin

    CF-Lukas Podolski
    ST-Dimitar Berbatov

    Reservers:

    Sergio Asenjo

    Daniel Agger
    Gareth Bale
    Gerrard Pique
    Patrick Owomoyela

    Andres Iniesta
    David Silva
    Samir Nasri
    Luis Nani

    Eduardo
    Hulk

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