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This was a conversation, overheard at Jamborino headquaters earlier this morning...Me: We really need a left-back, word on the street is that some other managers are complaining there's a lack of quality full backs.Chairman: They've got to be kidding you, right?Me: No, I don't think so.Chairman: Well, what qualities do you think you need from this player?Me: Hmmm.... I'd say lightning pace, great tackling abilities, a very hard worker and someone who's been in the form of their lives for the last couple of seasons... I'd like them to have been chosen for the PFA Team of the Year too!Chairman: You're talking about Gael Clichy you moron... sign him up quick!Me: Yes boss.My 11th pick - GAEL CLICHYclichy_633567255678593750.jpgWhat a pick... I was looking through some of the teams of the early-mid nineties, scouting left backs.. when I stumbled accross the current Arsenal squad list. It was then that I realized that Gael Clichy smokes any of my other possible choices that I could have made.Currently being courted by many big European clubs (AC Milan to name just one), it's no wonder... because he is World Class.pace.jpgIt was Cashley Cole's departure in 2005 that paved the way for Clichy's rise (you don't think Wenger would have sold Cole unless he realized he had someone equally, if not a whole lot better than Cole, do you?)Honours:WinnerPremier League: 2003–04FA Community Shield: 2004–05FA Cup: 2004–05Runner-upChampions League: 2005–06Premier League: 2004–05Member of PFA Team of the Year: 2007–08Clichy is the perfect choice alongside the rock solid Vidic and Stam, providing pace AND stability... he'll work very well with Giggsy down the left flank too.*********************************************************Team name: Real JamborinoNickname: El InvincibalesFounded: 2009Ground: Gold StaffordManager: Sir James DChairman: Ron Atkinson (obv)Fantasy League position: 1st every time.1st XI:<<<<<<<<<Van der Sar>>>>>>>>>>>>><<Dixon____ Stam ____ Vidic _____ Clichy>><<<<Alonso____ Hamann _____ Giggs>>>><<<<<<< Zola _____ Cantona >>>>>>>> <<<<<<<<<<Torres>>>>>>>>>>>>

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The final signing for the 1st XI for "The paddys" is a Premiership winner. He is the one and only Colin Hendry0,,10303~331480,00.jpgMy token Scottish player in the squad, Colin Hendry was an integral part of Blackburn's Premiership winning side of 1994-95. He was unbeatable in the air and a goal threat as well. He was one of the best defender in the formative years of the Premiership and was also Scotland's captain at the 1998 World Cup. I think he adds some physical depth to my squad.<<<<<<Friedel>>>>>>>>Cole Terry Hendry NevilleRonaldo Fàbregas Makélélé Kewell<<<<<<Bergkamp>>>>>><<<<<<Van Nistelrooy>>>4-4-1-1

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Round 11- Magnus Hedmen_1023517_hedman300.jpg_39307063_hedman_300.jpghe was ridiculously under rated, mostly because he played for a side that was crap. Essentially he single handedly kept Coventry up for five years until they finally went down for the first time in 32 years. A class keeper that was prevented from getting more caps for sweden because of the ageless Tomas Ravelli. HedmanFinnan Radebe Keown PsychoKanchelskis Keane Le Tissier Robben Wright Rooneyand with that, Somerset Rovers starting XI is set. The board wanted me to set out with an attacking side and I gladly agreed. Hard nosed defending will form the spine and I also have some quality Free Kick takers

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Round 11, Pick 6 - Pick #76 OVERALL The penultimate pick of the draft... One spot left to fill on my team, and that is left-back. There are several left-backs I could pick right now that'd I'd be happy with, but I've decided to pick the one whose had the most success in his career. For my final pick... Graeme Le Saux GraemeLeSaux_750628.jpg A player who won the league with Blackburn in 1995, and finished runner-up with them the year before. Le Saux played 41 games of 42 in the 1993-94 season (Blackburn finished 2nd) and played 39 games of 42 in the 1994-95 season (Blackburn finished 1st). This shows that Le Saux was ever-present in a Premiership winning team. Le Saux didn't play as many games in the following two seasons (mainly due to injury) and subsequently, Blackburn's finising position in the Premiership dropped dramatically. In total, Le Saux played 129 games for Blackburn, scored 7 goals, and contributed 21 assists. _39318071_lesaux_get245.jpg In 1997, Le Saux returned to Chelsea, with whom he spent 6 seasons with (1 EPL season) in the 80s and 90s. He become the most expensive defender in England when Chelsea payed £5million to secure his services. Le Saux played a total of 140 games in his second spell at Chelsea and scored 4 goals. He also contributed an impressive 41 assists. Le Saux spent two years at Southampton at the end of his career and made 44 apps, scored 1 goal, and made 9 assists. Le Saux will slot in a left-back in my team. I find it's a nice touch that Le Saux and Duff will be operating on my left-side, both of which made their names with Blackburn and Chelsea, but never played together. Le Saux job is pretty simple - be a good left-back. Appearances: 327 Goals: 12 Assists: 72 Honours:

  • Premier League: 1994-1995
  • League Cup 1998
  • UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1998

My Team (still no name!): -----------------Henry---------Sheringham--------------- -------------------------Scholes------------------------- Duff----------------------------------------Ljungberg -------------------------Essien------------------ Le Saux----Ferdinand----Pallister----Petrescu -------------------------Given---------------

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ANd the final pick for the Team selection...Currently the longest serving Gunner, known for his pace, strength and positional adaptability, this player was dubbed by the Italian press "The African Fabio Cannavaro", that model of consistency:Kolo ToureKoloToure_633567238341718750.jpgReuniting the formidable pairing of Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure from the undefeated Arsenal side a few years back, Toure has more recently anchored the Gunners as a central defender with Philippe Senderos and William Gallas. Equally capable of defending and mounting a swift counter attack, he can move seamlessly and effectively into a midfield position to help govern the flow of the attack, releasing the wingers for deeper runs.I am extremely pleased to have Toure on my squad, as he gives us almost complete balance between defense and offense, providing speed, muscle and consistency. A model two-way player and, I think, my youngest...Here is a quote from his Wiki page:"Touré is known for his pace and power, which enables him to force weaker attackers off the ball and to keep up with pacy strikers. He possesses good marking ability and most of his tackles are well timed which has contributed to his relatively good disciplinary record.His attacking instincts have enabled him to score a few goals. At times, if he finds space, he will shoot from long range, if he does go forward. He also takes long range free kicks occasionally.Touré has recently contributed to the team in a more attacking form. This was shown as he picked out Emmanuel Adebayor with a great ball against Reading on April 19 2008, who then promptly opened the scoring after some great control. He followed up the feat with another good 35-yard long ball over the top against Derby County on April 27 2008, which Robin van Persie converted for the second goal of the match."HonoursASEC MimosasCôte d'Ivoire Premier Division: 2001, 2002 ArsenalFA Premier League: 2003-04 FA Cup: 2003, 2005 FA Community Shield: 2002, 2004 InternationalAfrican Cup of Nations: runner-up in 2006Mercury Rangers (current squad selection)---------------Seaman-----------------Campbell---Toure---Southgate---IrwinBecks-----Barry-----Silva-----McAllister-------Shearer-------Owen----------

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Here is my initial Team Overview post. Be kind...I'm Canadian and didn't grow up with football. Indeed, I had a lot of reading to do during this exercise and I have truly enjoyed it. I think I've made some excellent selections, but it's almost hard not to with the wealth of talent that has played in the BPL.Anyway, here goes...Mercury RangersCaptain – Gareth SouthgateVice-Captain – Gareth BarryPosition/Jersey number/Name/Appearances/Goals/Assists / EPL medalsG (#0) - Seaman 344 (141 CLEAN SHEETS)/0 Goals/9 Assists / 2 EPL medalsCB (#6) - Campbell 477/20/26 / 2 EPL medalsRB (#5) – Toure 219/9/11 / 1 EPL medalCB (#3) - Southgate 426/17/30LB (#4) - Irwin 328/18/47 / 7 EPL medalsRM (#23) - Beckham 265/62/152 / 6 EPL medalsCM/DM (#19) - Silva 170/17/11 / 1 EPL medalCM/DM (#7) – Barry 358/40/73LM (#11) - McAllister 325/50/83S/F (#9) - Shearer 441/260/122 / 1 EPL medalS/F (#10) - Owen 281/144/59 Formation(s):4-4-2 (starting formation)3-3-2-2 (Toure rotates forward, Silva and Barry fall back)5-3-2 (Barry falls back)4-3-3 (McAllister or Beckham rotate forward)4-5-1 (Owen rotates into midfield; wingers attack more)3-2-3-2 ...etcetera...determined by game flow/statusPosition AnalysisGoaltender - “Safe Hands”, need I say more?Defense – All of my defensive players are capable of pinching into the middle and off toward the sidelines. Discipline and capable zone and man-to-man coverage exists at all defensive spots. While Campbell, Southgate and Irwin lock things down, Toure gives this defense lots of extra speed, allowing for double coverages on opposing strikers and a quick counter attack. Barry adds extra coverage and another outlet to midfield.Midfield – A solid mix of offense and defense allows for a variety of attacks and a vigorous, efficient defense. Two of the best dead ball/set-piece players the EPL has ever seen will create some magic coming off free kicks and corners, while two of the finest DM's control the passing lanes and break up any quick counter attacks.Striker/Forward – Combining for over 400 EPL goals, Shearer and Owen both have fine strike rates of under 2 and also rank #1 and #4 respectively in career hat tricks. Their unerring sense of where the goalposts are make them a fearsome duo in the opponent's box and their ability to create opportunities and make space for their other teammates enhance the overall scoring threat of this team. Overall – This team may not be the most decorated squad in the league, but they may very well be the most experienced and disciplined. Combine those two aspects with creativity, flexibilty, adaptability, speed, a dead ball/set piece game that is second to none and two of the most deadly strikers in EPL history and I think you have a top contender. This team will not only score lots of goals, but it will keep the ball out of its own net and give the opposition fits by breaking up their attack flow. Look for this team to be possession oriented and patient while it looks for opportunities to exploit free kick and corner attempts.Set Piece – David Beckham, Gary McAllisterPenalties - ShearerStatistics3290 matches played, average of 299 per man637 goals scored, average of 58 per man448 assists (assist tracking doesn't seem to be accurate?), average of just under 41 per man20 EPL medals714 International Caps6 League Cups18 FA Cups1 World Cup (Gilberto Silva)3 Champions League titlesSeveral other titles, including UEFA Cups, Cup Winners Cups, Community and Charity Shield Cups

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Team Name: AFC RinswunFormation: 4 - 4 - 2GK - 1. Peter SchmeichelRB - 23. Jamie CarragherLB - 3. Nigel WinterburnCB - 6. Tony AdamsCB - 5. Frank LeboeufRW - 7. Robert PiresLW - 14. David GinolaCM - 4. Patrick VieiraCM - 8. Frank LampardST - 9. Robbie FowlerST - 18. Jurgen KlinsmannTactics:My team will set up in a 442 formation, with the two central midfielders key to the teams fluid transition between defence and attack. The two centre midfielders will be encouraged to get box to box, with Lampard instructed to be the more attacking of the two - given free reign to make his trade mark late runs into the box. Vieira will be given license to get forward when appropriate but not if it puts the team at risk of counter attack.Lampard and Vieira will drop deep when the opposition have the ball to protect the back 4 who will line up fairly narrow and be instructed to hold a line when the opposition have the ball, encouraging the opposition to get crosses in from higher on the pitch rather than the byline - this is due to the superior heading and marking ability of our centre backs who we believe will be able to counter any striker in the air. The knock downs will then be cleared up by the central midfield pair and the fullbacks. Outlet passes will be short to the wingers were possible but if that is not an option, we will be looking to play the ball long into the feet of Klinsmann.We will be looking to counter attack as much as possible, primarily down the wings where we expect Ginola and Pires to remain fairly wide and look to pick up the ball and take on their defender as often as they can. We will be looking to get crosses aimed in at the near post for Fowler to snoop around or around the penalty spot for Klinsmann to win battles in the air or for Lampard with a late run. The wingers also have free reign to cut inside if they feel they can exploit the defence to create a goal scoring option for themselves.Free kicks will be taken by Lampard with the occasional Ginola strike to mix it up, with corners taken by Lampard and Pires depending on the side of the pitch. Penalties will be taken by Klinsmann as Germans dont miss penalties. The side will be skippered by Tony Adams - one of the greatest leaders in Premiership history. Assistant captain will be Jamie Carragher. Caps, Premiership Appearances, Titles, etc:My team has made a total of 2993 premiership appearances or equivalent of 272 appearances each. They combined for 449 premiership goals.My players racked up a total of 686 international appearances (average of 62 each) and 103 international goals. Between them they managed to win 15 premier league titles, 21 FA Cups, 4 Champions League titles, 3 Cup Winners Cups and 2 Uefa Cups.Why I picked who I picked:When building my team, i wanted to pick a spine of players who were winners first and foremore, loyal to the core, leaders and guys willing to put their bodies on the line for the club. I went through each position and selected players in key areas - defence, midfield and goal - who i thought met those criteria in Peter Schmeichel, Tony Adams, Jamie Carragher, Frank Lampard and Patrick Vieira. These are the kinda of guys you want to be on the field in the tough situations in big games, guys fans love and look upto and who other players draw inspiration from.Once i had drafted in this core, i wanted to bring to team some flair and attacking prowess so chose some of the most skillful, exciting wingers the Premiership has ever seen and a pair of strikers with geniune goal scoring instincts and who i felt would compliment each other nicely. These are the kind of players needed to cause problems for the opposition players, and are guys who need no second invitation to put the ball in the back of the net.Overall, i think i have picked a balance squad who would be very tough to break down and who would trouble and opposition going forward. It is a team full of experience, winners and leaders and i fully believe they would pull together as the best team of any picked and end up atop the FCP Premier League.

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Overall thoughts: I really enjoyed the draft as a whole. I thought so much about different players and the different attributes they could provide to my team. I set out initially to pick a solid core of players - namely, a great striker, two great centre-midfielders and two great centre-backs. Looking back on it, I'm not sure if this was the best approach. Usually in these drafts, there'll be 15+ managers, meaning that your team will definitely have one or two weak spots. But since there was only seven of us, the weakest player in your team is going to be the 7th best player in his position in the history of the Premiership. Basically, what I'm trying to say is, my last pick was Graeme Le Saux. You would be hard pressed to say he is a "weakness" in any team. So instead of trying to build a solid core, it may be more beneficial to try to snap up as many "best in their position" players as you can. All that being said, even if that was my approach, I can't really see many of my picks differing. I was also obsessed about picking a team that would work well together. If you were to ask me who was a better striker, Michael Owen or Teddy Sheringham, I would pretty much answer Michael Owen straight away. But it was a team I was picking, not just the 11 best players. I really feel guys like Henry, Sheringham, Ljungberg and Scholes will work well together. At the other end of the pitch, I am confident that my central-defence partnership of Gary Pallister and Rio Ferdinand will keep most strikers quiet. The one attribute I tried to keep constant throughout the whole team was work-rate. Pace, power, skill, passing etc. are all important, but for me, the number one most important thing is a player's work rate. I feel I have picked a team that will work very hard and fight for every ball. Even the attacking players, guys like Duff, Ljungberg and Scholes, are incredibly hard working. You'd struggle to find two wingers who track back and help out their full-backs more than Ljungberg and Duff. Also, I am happy with the leaders in my team. Players like Given, Le Saux, Ferdinand, Pallister, Essien, Henry, all these guys are leaders and they will lead by example. All in all, I am very happy with how this draft worked out. I'd also like to thank the fellow managers for their contributions and especially for the speed of the picks. It was great that the draft moved along so swiftly and there was very little waiting around.TBDFC3-1.jpgTeam name: TBD F.C. (the best damn football club) Nicknames: The Titans, the shamrock express, The Belly Dancers Manager: Jam-Fly Round by round: Round 1 - Pick # 2 - Thierry Henry - Henry is probably my favourite ever Premiership player. Roy Keane is the only other player I would even consider picking ahead of Henry. I felt no striker had the qualities of Henry (the way he can play like a midfielder, but still score as many goals as the likes of Nistelrooy and Shearer), that is why I chose him ahead of Keane. Keane is obviously is head and shoulders above the rest also, but I felt a world class striker and a great central midfielder was a better choice than a great striker and world class central midfielder. Round 2 - Pick # 13 - Paul Scholes - I admittedly made a tactical error here. I thought I had pick #13 and pick #16 (I in fact had #13 and #20), I was planning on picking Scholes and Gerrard and felt that with only two picks to be made in between my picks, there was a great chance I'd get both. Alas, I picked Scholes first and then Gerrard was snapped up 2 picks later. If I was aware at the time I could only get one, I would have picked Gerrard. Even so, I still think Scholes is one of the best players to ever play in the Premiership, and when it comes to attacking-midfielders, he's probably the best. Round 3 - Pick #20 - Shay Given - The 2nd best 'keeper to ever play in the Premiership imho. I had not planned on picking a goalie this early, but the fact that 3 other goalies had been selected already prompted this pick. I am very happy to have Given as my keeper. Round 4 - Pick # 23 - Rio Ferdinand - Probably my best value pick. The best centre-back to play in the Premiership. Ferdinand has pace, power, tackling, passing, leadership, determination, everything. He is about as close to the perfect centre-half as you can get imo. He is the first centre-back picked and I think justly so. Adams, Campbell, Terry, Stam were all great centre-backs, but I'd still prefer to have Rio in my team. Round 5 - Pick # 30 - Teddy Sheringham - Other than Bergkamp, Sheringham is just about the perfect strike partner for Henry. Being able to get a Premiership legend at this stage is great value imo. Round 6 - Pick # 41 - Gary Pallister - I received a little bit of criticism for this pick. Pallister probably wouldn't be my first choice partner for Rio, but given that Campbell, Stam, Vidic, Terry, Keown, Adams, Desailly and Carragher had all been choosen, I think Pallister was just about the best centre-half still available. I do think that because Ferdinand is so quick and pacy, I can afford to pick Pallister. If I had someone like Sol Campbell for example, I would not have choosen Pallister. But since I did have Ferdinand, I felt it was a waste not to pick a player so good at defending. Round 7 - Pick # 48 - Michael Essien - Truth be told, the only reason I had not picked Essien earlier was because I had picked him in another fantasy draft, and I wanted a change. The fact I could wait until the 7th round, and still get Essien is amazing. When it comes to midfield generals, only Vieira and Keane are better than Essien imo. Hamann, Ince and Fabregas were all picked before Essien, and I believe Essien is a superior footballer to those players. Definitely one of my best value picks. Round 8 - Pick # 51 - Freddie Ljungberg - Another great value pick imo. After Ronaldo, Pires and Giggs, there's not really any other winger that is truly better than Ljungberg. Round 9 - Pick # 58 - Dan Petrescu - Jamie Carragher would be my first choise right-back, but my second choice would be Petrescu. I'm happy to get my second choice in round 9. Round 10 - Pick # 70 - Damien Duff - I had a feeling Duff would be overlooked, so I felt it was safe to leave him until the last few rounds. I still believe that on his day, Duff would challenge any winger in the world. He is a bit of a sentimental pick due to his Irishness and whatnot, but I still feel confident that Duff is a good pick. Round 11 - Pick # 76 - Graeme Le Saux - For my final round pick, I had to choose a left-back. My first choice of Denis Irwin was taken very early, and my second and third choices of Evra and Ashley Cole were also taken. There were a few other left-backs I was considering - Staunton, Silvinho, Bridge, Harte - but at the end of the day, Le Saux was the obvious choice. A consistent left-back who has great spells with both Blackburn and Chelsea. I was happy to pick Le Saux to round out my team. TACTICS: Formation: Primarily, my formation will be a diamond 4-4-2. Defence: Le Saux, Ferdinand, Pallister and Petrescu will act as the solid back four. Their jobs don't stray too much from the jobs of the normal back-four, stop the other team from scoring! Ferdinand will mark the quick, skillful centre-forward, while Pallister will mark the big, strong target man. The full-backs primary job is to defend. However, they will be allowed push forward some bit. Petrescu will get forward a little more often than Le Saux, because I plan to have Ljungberg drifting infield moreso than Duff. Midfield: My midfield will be Duff, Scholes, Essien and Ljungberg. Duff will act as an out-and-out left winger. I feel this is Duff's best position, and I want to get the very best out of him. Ljungberg will be on the right side of midfield, but will have a little more creative license and will drift infield a little more. Should Ljungberg drift infield, it will allow Petrescu attack and fill out on the right wing. In the centre, Essien and Scholes will be the heartbeat of the team. They will control the tempo. Both players are absolutely tremendous passers of the ball, and I feel most of my attacks will be initiated by these two guys. Essien will have a slightly more defensive role, but I still hope for Scholes to do his fair share of work, and also for Essien to contribute to his fair share of attacks. It will not be a simple case of defensive midfielder and attacking midfielder, but Scholes will have the slightly more advanced positioning, while Essien will be more deep-lying. Attack: Thierry Henry will be my main scoring man, and Teddy Sheringham will be my second striker/centre-forward player. Sheringham's job is relatively simple, provide Henry with the highest quality of balls and take any chances that come his way. There will be alot of passes coming in from midfield from the likes of Duff, Ljungberg, Scholes and Essien, so it will be Sheringham's job to best use these passes. Sheringham is a very clever player and is an expert at finding holes, so I'm sure he'll do well. Technically, Henry's main job is to score the goals. But since it is Henry, we all know how much more he will contribute. I'll put it simply, Henry's job, is, to be Henry. Style: Primarily, I want my team to be a passing team. Every player in my team, starting with the full-backs, is a great passer of the ball. Le Saux and Petrescu are both very comfortable on the ball, and well able to pick out a pass. Essien is a player that is capable of turning defence in attack in an instant. He does this with his intelligent passing. Essien also knows when to slow down the passing, and take it easy for a while. Scholes is probably the best passer the Premiership has ever seen, 'nuff said there. Ljungberg and Duff are both wingers that are comfortable attacking down the byline and swinging in crosses, but even moreso, they like to cut inside. With Duff and Ljungberg cutting inside, that means that Scholes, Henry and Sheringham are available to be picked out by the winger. Also, Duff and Ljungberg are both comfortable playing on either wing, this gives them the ability to switch wings mid-match - an absolute nightmare for defenders to deal with. Henry and Sheringham are both very comfortable on the ball also. This means that either Henry or Sheringham can easily drop back into midfield and act as a fifth man. Ljungberg and Scholes are also very comfortable shooting, so they can fill in as strikers if need be. Overall, the team flows brilliantly, and it allows players to switch positions constantly, making it impossible for the opposition to mark accurately. With passing and movement, I'm sure my team will be able to carve open any defence. When it comes to defending against the opposition, I think my team is well prepared. We have an extrememly solid back four, a super-man of a keeper, and a very hard-working midfield. Duff and Ljungberg both work really, really hard. One of the main reason I picked them was because of their work rate and their determination to help out their full-backs. Michael Essien is obviously like a wall and will do everything in his power to stop him from passing you. Scholes may not be able to tackle to save his life, but he will still work hard and put his body on the line when needed, and at the end of the day that's all that can be asked. Overall, I feel my team is very solid in all areas. Free Kicks: Thierry Henry will take most of my close range free-kicks. Scholes, Sheringham, Petrescu and Duff will all take the odd kick. Corner Kicks: Duff will take most of the corners from either side. Le Saux is also capable of taking corners also if need be. Penalties: Paul Scholes will be my penalty taker. Some will be surprised that I have not choosen Henry, but I actually feel Scholes is more reliable. Team Statistics: Given 364 apps/0 goals (93 clean sheets)/12 assistsPetrescu 215/24/49Le Saux 327/12/72Ferdinand 388/10/14Pallister 261/9/19Ljungberg 241/48/53Duff 252/39/70Essien 96/11/12Scholes 410/97/120Henry 254/174/144Sheringham 418/147/118Total Apearances: 3,227Total Goals: 571Total Assists: 683293.36 appearances per player, on average. Average amount of games to score one goal:Duff 6.49Ljungberg 5.02Scholes 4.27Sheringham 2.84Henry 1.46Average amount of games to make one assist:Ljungberg 4.55Le Saux 4.54Petrescu 4.39Duff 3.61Sheringham 3.54Scholes 3.42Henry 1.76Premiership medals: 26Players with medal: 9Players with multiple medals: 8Most medals: Paul Scholes (8)PFA Team of the Year selections: 18Players selected: 7Players with multiple selections: 4Most selections: Thierry Henry (6) PFA Player of the year winners: 4 (Pallister '92, Sheringham '01, Henry '03+'04)

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Your Mum's AthleticNickname: The SlagsDirector of Football: Lewis J. BeerManager: TBAStadium: St. Lewis' ParkGK: #1 Petr Cech. For 2 or 3 seasons the best goalkeeper in the World. And your hard pushed to find one better today. A two time Premiership winner and holder of the second longest clean-sheet record in Premiership history (1025 minutes) as well as the record for least goals conceded in a season (15) and most clean sheets in a season (25). Cech also won the FA Cup in 2007. The Czech Republic's established #1 he has 68 caps.RB: #2 Markus Babbel. Measured against the others in this team Babbel only played a handful of games but in that short period was adored by the Liverpool faithful for his willingness to bomb forward and his uncomprising nature. His career was tragically cut short by Guillain-Barre Syndrome and the Premiership was robbed of a genuine talent. But no matter how short his stay in England the ability of the man cannot be denied. Babbel won 51 caps for Germany.CB: #5 William Gallas. A mainstay in two of the "Big Four"'s starting XI. Gallas won 2 Premiership titles in his time with Chelsea and was awarded the captain's armband after less than 1 year with Arsenal. Twice named to the PFA team of the year, Gallas has amassed 70 caps for France.CB: #6 Marcel Desailly. Vice-captain. Already a legend before he arrived in England, Desailly was immediately taken to the hearts of Chelsea supporters when he arrived in 1998 until he departed in 2004, in which time he won back-to-back FA cups in '99 and 2000. While a Chelsea player Desailly was part of the all-conquering France side that won the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000. He retired with 116 caps to his name.LB: #3 Patrice Evra. Another 2-time Premiership winner, Evra is the undisputed number 1 LB for France, with who he has 16 caps. Evra was named into last season's team of the year and is one of the first names on the team-sheet in the quintuple chasing Manchester United of this year.RW: #7 Steve Macmanaman. Macmanaman's English career highlight was an FA Cup in 1992. Macmanaman would win 37 caps for England over his career. For which he was known for spell-binding runs and setting up many goals for Liverpool's strikers at the time including Robbie Fowler and Ian Rush. In 1996 Macmanaman set up more goals than anyone else in the Premiership.CM: #4 Paul Ince. 2-time winner of both the Premiership and FA Cup. Ince is the ball winner in this team allowing the guys in front of him free-reign without having to worry about adequate protection. Ince is an iron-willed player and a natural leader on the pitch. Ince won 53 caps for England.CM #8 Steven Gerrard. Captain. Talisman of the current Liverpool side for the last decade. Gerrard has 72 caps for England and has won the FA Cup twice. Gerrard has been voted into the PFA team of the year 6 times and was PFA Players player of the year in 2006. The definition of big game player Gerrard is one of few active players today who can reasonably claim the monikor "world-class".LW: #11 Marc Overmars. Another player with a relatively short spell in England Overmars was a threat everytime he stepped on the pitch with his lightning pace and eye for goal and was equally effective on the left or right wing. Overmars won the Premiership and FA Cup during his time with Arsenal. He would end his career with 86 caps for Holland.CF: #10 Mark Hughes. A genuine legend of the game. Mark Hughes best days were with Manchester United where he won 2 Premierships and 1 FA Cup (in the Premiership era). He would also win an FA Cup during a stint with Chelsea. Tactically very versatile Hughes could play with anyone as a support or main striker. Scorer of some key goals for Manchester United Hughes would finish his career with 72 caps for Wales.CF: #9 Andy Cole. The Premiership's second highest goalscorer with 187 goals. Cole has won everything the English game has to offer including 5 Premierships and 2 FA Cups. Cole was voted PFA young player of the year in 1994 while at Newcastle. Cole played 15 times for England.Free kicks and corners - Steven Gerrard. Macmanaman and Overmars can also whip corners in if necessary.Penalties - Steven Gerrard.Combined Honours:Premierships - 16FA Cups - 13International Caps - 656World Cups - 1European Championships - 2YMA play a 4-4-2 diamond system with 2 outright goalscorers in Cole and Hughes. This formation sees Ince sit deep and Gerrard higher, allowing Gerrard more freedom and Ince to do the ball winning. The wingers are encouraged to get forward and supply the front 2 with crosses. Overmars is free to cut inside to try to get on the score sheet. Full-backs also have the ability to get up and down the pitch without leaving the defence comprimised. The all-French centre backs have great knowledge of the game and supply the perfect cover for Cech. YMA have no glaring weakness and have an international in every position and will provide every team with a truly stern task with this perfectly balanced squad.

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Team Overview/General Thoughts:This was a very fun and interesting draft in many ways and there's a very high % of subjectivity, of course. Most of the 'controversial' picks, imo, are when you pick someone who is currently still playing or is still relatively young. For me, this was picking players like Torres, Vidic and Clichy over players who have already had a full career.I think I made some mistakes in my selection... I was considering picking a right winger (all of whom have been picked by others), but I selected Zola because I rate him extremely highly and loved watching him play so I just wanted him in my team basically, so I picked him. I've changed my formation to adapt, but there's no real width on the right which is a weakness.I picked Hamann over Makelele and I missed out on all of the truly great midfield engines, who you really need in any genuine 'super elite' Premiership team... Players such as Scholes, Keane, Vieira, Gerrard, Lampard etc... Like I said, I could have made up for that really, by picking Makelele (a guy who you can really build a team around, just like they did at Real Madrid), but I messed up. I'll have Hamann/Alonso playing in a more defensive midfield holding role, both being able to get forward and support counter attacking moves to support the more attacking players.I'm happy with my central defensive partnership, not sure how that could be improved too much... maybe picking someone else over Vidic, like Adams who has had a full career, but that's subjective. In an ideal world, I'd have Giggs playing exclusively as a left winger, but moving him slightly inside is not a major problem... that's also a matter of opinion, in fact I was watching an interview with him recently and he said himself that he thinks he can be more effective playing inside... so I'm ok with him being there. He'll still have the freedom to roam, and drift out wide if needed.I personally think Cantona and Torres will work very well together, I'm surprised at any criticism there, I have to say. Actually I think Torres is similar to Mark Hughes in many ways - both use their quick turn of pace well, let defenders get close to them, so they can quick turn to get a shot away, both good in the air and generally very intelligent footballers who can work with many strike partners, never mind a genius like Cantona.So, here's my picks in order:Round 1 - Ryan Giggs:He's my joint favourite player ever and I have always loved the way he plays. Apart from that, I was thinking that in an all time Premiership draft, maybe the most succesful player ever would be a good choice... although, if we were to do this again I might pick Scholes first, so that I could have a player to 'run' the team from midfield. I think I was in two minds about the best way to go about things at this stage.Round 2 - Eric Cantona:I'll always admit that I rate Cantona higher than many others (maybe non-United fans). He basically transformed United in my opinion, into what we are today. He'd be my captain, because I'd like to think that my other picks would respect him greatly... I wanted someone to control my attacking optoions.Round 3 - Fernando Torres:Torres has impressed me so much in his 50+ games for Liverpool. Of course, Henry, Shearer, Cole, Fowler, Owen and a whole host of others have far more impressive resumes and have scored tonnes more goals, but this was just a personal 'feel' pick. I really would pick Torres over anyone else, apart from Henry/Shearer. In an ALL TIME Premiership draft, there's a strong argument that he should be nowhere near, but I rate him higher than all but two, so I went with it.Round 4 - Jaap Stam:I wanted to make sure I picked a defender who I really wanted, because I had already picked 3 attacking players, so I went for Stam. He wasn't at United for as long as he should have been, but when he was here, he won almost everything he could have and he was a real rock and leader of other defenders.Round 5- Gianfranco Zola:Maybe I should have picked a true right winger here, but I liked the idea of the Zola linking up with Cantona and Torres so much, I followed my wish! Round 6 - Nemanja Vidic:With him being still available at this stage, I couldn't resist picking him. He's been such a solid centre back since he joined United, and gets forward scoring with his head too. Brave and committed and I wanted to cement his place so I could have a solid partnership at the back.Round 7 - Dietmar Hamann:I should have picked Makelele here, or possibly Essien. But Hamann is still quality and will have a playmaker role in my team... also an option for set pieces.Round 8 - Xabi Alonso:With the absence of some midfielders who I've already mentioned, I was fairly pleased to pick Alonso here... his range of passing is very good, he's reliable and also a good option at set pieces.Round 9 - Lee Dixon:After most people had already picked their right back, I was happy to get Dixon. He was part of a great Arsenal defence for years, and also gives a slight attacking option down the right flank, in the absence of a true right winger.Round 10 - Edwin Van Der Sar:Maybe it's just me, but I clearly rate VDS higher than most here. I think he's definately top 4, maybe even the 2nd best option to pick as a goalkeeper in this type of draft.Round 11 - Gael Clichy:Many of my choices for LB had gone, so I went for someone who I think has a very bright future ahead of him. I like that he has pace, along with strong defensive capabilities.Tactics:We'll be playing in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Alonso/Hamann filling the defensive midfield roles. I think this provides us with enough stability, considering the strength of my defence... along with attacking options. I think there's lots of goals in this team, even though I have only one MAIN striker.---I'll finish this later, MU-Porto are on soon!!

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SUBS PICKS - ROUND 1, PICK 1 - #78 OVERALL OK, I figured that in my starting line-up, I rely on Henry for alot of my goals. Should Henry get injured, I need someone who can replace him and bang in the goals. I also lack a truly great header of the ball. For these reasons, I choose one of the greatest strikers to play in the Premiership... (Sir) Les Ferdinand _40610570_newferdy270.jpg A great scoring record of a goal every 2.35 games. He is the 5th all time top goal scorer in the Premier League (with 149 goals). He had his best spells with QPR and Newcastle, and later played for Tottenham, West Ham, Leicester City and Bolton. He is also cousins with my captain so I thought that was a nice touch!

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EDIT - So that Jam-Fly doesn't go into melt down with his OCD - my tactics are roughly 4-5-1 (i'll add a whole lot more later) - so that i don't have to write the whole Solskjaer thing again i'll cut and paste it when my sub pick comes up. I'm still constructing my team tactics but to keep things running smoothly I'll pick my first sub. I had a few players in mind but when I saw this baby face assasin was still available I snapped him up in a minute - He is of course Ole Gunnar Solskjær.OleST140809_600x518.jpgHe was a great player and stated probably more games than people realise but Solskjær has the repuatation of being one the best subsitutes in the history of the Premier League. For a time it seemed if Man United were behind all they needed to do was bring on the magic Norweigan and he would save them with a late goal. Indeed his two most mermorable appearances came from the bench, both in the same season. Firstly against Notts Forrest he arrived on the pitch with Man U already winning 4-1 and with only 10 mins remaining. Obviously a ploy to save the energy of the player replaced? Not quite as he went on to score 4 goals in those 10 minutes and helping to create the biggest away win in the history of the Premier League. Secondly and of much greater importance he came on as a sub against Bayern Munich in the Champions League Final of 1999. With Man U trailing 1-0 going into injury time they scored twice before the final whistle with Solskjær scoring the winning goal to complete the impossible comeback. Key StatsPremier League Winner - 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07 (6)European Cup Winner - 1998-99FA Cup Winner - 1998-99, 2003-04Subs BenchOle Gunnar Solskjær

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I'm pretty happy with my 1st XI, because I think it has a good balance of strong attacking, flair and extravagence, along with defensive stability.For my first substitute then, I'd like someone who can act as something of a utility player... someone who is intelligent enough as a footballer to be able to play a role which he is needed to (to an extremely high level), when asked by the manager.1st Sub: Eidur Gudjohnsen3364536.jpgHis main recognized role is as a attacking midfielder, or support striker... but as he displayed in the most succesful period of his career (at Chelsea), he can be played in a deeper midfield role, utilizing his great vision and awareness. Mourinho also regularly deployed Gudjohnsen as a central-midfielder and as a right or left winger.Therefore, he is a great pick for my team in particular... if I feel I need some extra width on the right, I'd be happy to take off Zola and put Gudjohnsen on the right. He can cover for Giggs if needed (injuries/suspensions), and of course can be brought on as an extra attacking option alongside Torres. He has a deadly finish and scored some spectacular goals (especially from a technical point of view) whilst in the Premier League. If I need to change tactics late in a game, I can bring Gudjohnsen back deeper into more of a holding role too... perfect really!On a personal level, I thought it was a shame he was sold to Barcelona (well.. especially because he was linked with Man Utd) because I genuinely enjoyed watching him play. Don't worry, he'll get enough games here at Real Jamborino... I don't plan on wasting his talent!Honours:FA Premier League: 2004-05, 2005-06FA Cup: 2002 (runner-up)Football League Cup: 2005FA Community Shield: 2000, 2005

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subs 1- Dwight Yorkedwightyorkelarge.jpghow he's still available is far beyond me. He won't be a straight sub as I'll figure out a way to put him in a rotation of some sort. This is the kind of player that you figure out a way to get him on the pitch and worry about the rest later

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My first sub pick...The last guy available with 5+ Premiership medals, the former ManU go-to defensive midfielder before Paul Scholes developed and a further firm defensive influence on my team:Nicky ButtNickyButt_468x412.jpgOne of only 4 players who have played every Premier League season (Sol Campbell, Ryan Giggs and David James are the others), Butt was first paired with Roy Keane in ManU midfield after the departure of Paul Ince. As mentioned, once Scholes developed into the midfield, Butt saw his playing time reduced somewhat and eventually left for Newcastle U. Although he has lost some form over the past few years, in his prime Nicky Butt was as fine a defensive midfielder as the Premiership had seen.Playing honoursManchester United Premier League Winner (6): 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-03 Runner-up (3): 1994-95, 1997-98 FA Cup Winner (3): 1995-96, 1998-99, 2003-04 FA Youth Cup Winner (1): 1991-92 Football League Cup Runner-up (1): 2002-03 FA Community Shield Winner (3): 1996, 1997, 2003 Runner-up (4): 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 UEFA Champions League Winner (1): 1998-99 UEFA Super Cup Runner-up (1): 1999 Intercontinental Cup Winner (1): 1999 Newcastle United Intertoto Cup Winner (1): 2006 Mr. Butt will bolster the defensive unit. Possible scenarios include subbing for one of the wingers or subbing for Toure (with Barry moving into centre-back slot). Butt could conceivably start for the squad at times, allowing for some attacking subs later in the match, should my team somehow be outscored...

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Say what you like about him but you can't argue with this guy's ability. Monsieur Didier Drogba. A top notch striker averaging a goal every 2 games for Chelsea and certainly a scorer of vital goals for the blues. He would be a key player in any 1st XI so to have him on the bench is a great luxury.drogba3.jpgBest of DD

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Kicking off Rd 2 of the Super Subs, the #8 all-time goal scorer in Premiership history...Jimmy Floyd Hasselbainkhasselbaink.jpgViewed by some as an oddball and equally capable of deciding a match or disappearing completely, I've decided to take a chance on this old warhorse. His best seasons were in Chelsea, but he had a couple of fine ones in Leeds and led the Premiership in scoring in 1998-99 (3 way tie) and 2000-01 (outright). Jimmy will make the Mercury Rangers scoring power that much more effective and concentrated doses of Hasselbaink in the mid and late stages of a match will force opponents to concentrate on defense even if they are already losing. 23 Int'l caps for Holland and a Community Sheild title, along with several runner-up medals, are the extent of Hasselbaink's honours, but he will add a dangerous freewheeling component to my team.

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I figured the 24 hr rule came into play here..My next pick will be one of the classiest centre-backs in the worldRicardo CarvalhoRicardo_Carvalho_484114a.jpgMr. Consistency. The Portugeeser is probably the smartest defender in the world at the moment. He is superb at tackling and marking.n He can sense danger and he stops anything before it even starts. His positioning is world class and he never looks flustered.Carvalho will push Pallister very hard for a place in the starting 11. Regardless of who starts, I know that should one of my centre-backs get injured, I'll have an absolutely world class replacement.Squad:GivenLe SauxPetrescuPallisterR.FerdinandCarvalhoDuffLjungbergEssienScholesHenrySheringhamL.Ferdinand

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My 2nd sub pick is the very excellent Mikel Arteta400x400_mikelartetanew.jpgSigned by Everton in 2005, Arteta is probably the best midfielder currently playing in the Premiership who doesn't play for one of the big 4. Arteta is a skillful player is noted for his dribbling skill and his eye for goal. He has been recognised as Skysports.com Midfielder of the year in 2007 and Everton's player of the Year in 2006 and 2007.

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I had to double, triple check that my next pick wasn't already taken... I assumed he was. However, it seems I've grabbed myself a great signing, a guy who would walk straight into 99% of teams in the world right now... Robin van Persievandm0710468x539xx0.jpgTo have van Persie on the bench is a major coup, and gives me serious options. I can revert to more of a classic 4-4-2 up front with Torres, dropping Cantona a little further back into midfield alongside Alonso or Hamann and stick either Zola or Gudjohnsen on the right. Alternatively, I can use him in a straight swap for Cantona, or play him on the left as a replacement for Giggs.Robin_Van_Persie.jpgVan Persie has scored some sweet goals during his time at Arsenal and like many Dutch players is technically magnificent.

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He may have a girl's hair cut and a softcore pornstar's name but he was one tasty footballer. Adding another World Cup winner to YMA. Emmanuel Petit.PETIT_Emmanuel_19981108_GH_L.jpgA key player for 3 seasons with Arsenal including the famous double winning season of 1998 are enough to include Petit in this squad. Petit will be an ideal sub for Ince as the deep midfielder and would be an excellent foil for Gerrard.

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2nd sub pick- Nigel martyn_40050977_martyn300_afp.jpghe's actually gonna be my starting keeper. I figure I'll take a former england keeper right now as there is plenty of value with only 7 of us drafting, so I'm gonna make sure I nab someone I should've taken before

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I'll jump the gun on Rinswun here, but only because he can go ahead and make his Rd 2 and 3 picks immediately. Also, it's been a little over 24 hours, so...Here's the pick that will shock and amaze you, as well as defy logic and strike fear into the hearts of you, my honoured opponents:Steed Malbranquesteed-malbranque.jpgAble to play midfield and act as a winger, Steed's ability to attack and his tireless, aggressive pace will add even more flexibility to my squad. Able to provide balls (in more ways than one) to the strikers, he is capable of scoring on his own, should the space offer itself. After a solid spell at Fulham, two seasons with Hotspur, Steed is now with Sunderland and is currently leading that team in assists. Plus he has a cool-ass name.

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