Team of the Season so far (November 2012)

It's quite early on, but though it'd be interesting if we create Teams of the Season so far and then look back at the end of the season and see if what we'd consider our team of the season to be now is similar.

---------------Brad Friedel----------

Jenkinson---Shawcross----Coloccini----Baines


------------------Mikel--------------------

-------Mata---------------Fellaini


Suarez----------------------------Sterling

--------------Van Persie-------------

If you want to call me up on any of those selections, feel free.

Agree with most of your team Crimey. Possibly Rafael at right back though as he has been awesome this season so far and along with Van persie is one of Uniteds few outstanding players so far to get them where they are. Think Oscar also deserves a place, however Im not sure who would be dropped for him.

Oscar has been playing much better in the Champions League than he has in the Premier League and I think Mata has actually outshone both him and Hazard. To include him I'd take out Sterling, but I think Sterling has been slightly better than Oscar.

Right back was probably the hardest choice, I considered Rafael, Ivanovic and Johnson but felt that Rafael had a few stand out performances at the start of the year but I'm not convinced he is solid enough defensively, Ivanovic has been okay, but I have a feeling he'll lose his place soon to Azpilicueta. Johnson has been playing well, but at left back so I didn't think he deserved the right back spot. I'm not a huge fan of Jenkinson, I think he is very raw, but he has played well, but doubt he'll be in the team of the season at the end of the year, mainly because Arsenal appear to be losing steam already and Sagna will take his place.

I do not agree with Mikel Crimey. I would also think Berbatov must be close to making the side

Wouldn't have Mikel or Sterling in there.

Grant Holt V2 wrote:I do not agree with Mikel Crimey. I would also think Berbatov must be close to making the side

Berbatov was close, but Suarez has carried Liverpool this year and Van Persie has been clinical for United proving doubters wrong.

I think Mikel has been really good this year, I have never been a fan of him but his role in this Chelsea side is perfect, he allows the four sometimes five attacking players ahead of him to really flourish.

Crimey wrote:

Grant Holt V2 wrote:I do not agree with Mikel Crimey. I would also think Berbatov must be close to making the side

Berbatov was close, but Suarez has carried Liverpool this year and Van Persie has been clinical for United proving doubters wrong.

I think Mikel has been really good this year, I have never been a fan of him but his role in this Chelsea side is perfect, he allows the four sometimes five attacking players ahead of him to really flourish.

He was bought as a Makelele understudy and has this year finally started to produce. Don't like the player though, dirty bar steward in the tackle.

Crimey,

Nice team. Id go Colemam for Jenkinson. Michu for Sterling. YaYa Toure for Mikel.

Coleman is a decent option, not convinced right back is his natural position though, not as a full back anyway. He always strikes me as a wing back and looks like he has to hold himself back to play further back.

Michu is a good shout, although he also faded after a bright start and tried to fit into some kind of formation so not sure Michu would be able to go on the wing.

Toure has been pretty poor this year I think, he hasn't produced any of his usual displays this year and has often looked lazy and disinterested which is very out of character but he was far from my thoughts for team of the season so far.

Toure, to me, is the best in the PL by far in his position, and while i agree that he is not in top form, i think if you compare him and Mikel this season, Yaya is playing better..................

John Cregan wrote:Toure, to me, is the best in the PL by far in his position, and while i agree that he is not in top form, i think if you compare him and Mikel this season, Yaya is playing better..................

Don't get me wrong, I think Toure is a fantastic player, but not only is he not on top form this season he hasn't even been good, never mind great. Manchester City haven't looked better with him in their side, where as I've been impressed with Mikel this year after years of being useless because his anchoring of the midfield has allowed the attacking midfield trio in front of him to flourish.

--------------Schwarzer--------------

Ivanovic---Reid---Olsson---Baines

-----------Fellaini---Noble-----------

---Mata-------Nolan-------Pienaar--

------------------RVP-------------------

Subs: Jaaskelainen, Rafael, Coloccini, Ramires, Cazorla, Suarez, Ba

I think Mikel only looks any good when Ramires is in there doing all the hard work Mikel doesn't want to do.

Only players from City worth a mention to me are Dzeko n Zabaleta. Chelsea could have had Hazard in this too but he hasnt been as good recently.

United have had periods carried by RVP, whilst Rafael is proving himself. Hernandez is the only other who is having a notably good campaign, impact player.

Everton, West Brom and West Ham have been most impressive this season. All so strong collectively, I think West Brom have proved the best team as a whole, without outstanding individuals.

No 'keeper really stands out, I think Schwarzer has proved Arsenal should have bought him two season ago, if not a long time before. Jaaskelainen is statistically the best keeper I think.

No Liverpool player deserves it with their position, although Suarez lately is close.

I think Mikel only looks any good when Ramires is in there doing all the hard work Mikel doesn't want to do.

I agree that Mikel looks better with Ramires beside him, rather than Frank Lampard or Raul Meireles, but I don't think that takes away from Mikel, I think it's just stating the obvious that Ramires is a better player to play with than either of those two. I think they have different roles in the team, Mikel isn't the kind of midfielder who will win the ball and then drive 50 yards up the pitch, Ramires can do that, Mikel's role is one of shielding the defence and allowing the other creative players to do their thing. I've seen plenty of times this season where Mikel has made an excellent tackle or forced their attacking move into poor positions and this allowed a Chelsea attack to start. To turn it on its head, I think Ramires looks better when he plays with Mikel as well as the other way around. They compliment each other in the way a good central midfield partnership shood.

suprised nobody has mentioned de gea at all, other than one high profile mistake think he's been good this season, his shot stopping has been fantastic. still think he's susceptable under high balls but only really cost us once so far.

for me fellaini and nolan are certs for me, both playing for "smaller" clubs both massive influences on both teams having a great start to the season.

i agree with jenkinson, rafael has cost us defensively still this season. nothing really apparent but take bales goal against us for instance, he just switched off and stopped tracking bale, then bale picks it up and burns rio and everybody picks on rio

another cert for me is evans, never thought i would say it but for me he's been the best cb in the prem this season. he's been solid as a rock for us. were top of the league with many of our defenders missing and evans has stepped up.

I think Evra has really looked like his old self for the last few games which is good to see but I doubt it will last. Valencia has been phenomenal too.

I hate Suarez with a passion but boy is he a good player. I don't believe he's an out-and-out goalscorer though (in the hole player might suit him more?) but he's got tekkers.

My team:


Special mentions to Hernandez and Dzeko for being Super-Subs (although I'd be starting Chicharito, he'll get a game at the weekend though due to Rooney's injury). Cech has looked decent too, as has Evra which I mentioned. Adam La-la-la-lana has impressed greatly but perhaps has gone off the boil a bit.

GK:Friedel

RB:Ivanovic
CB:Colocinni
CB:Olsson
LB:Baines

DM:Yacob
CM:Fellaini
CM:Mata

RW:Suarez
CF:Van Persie
LW:Sterling

Maybe a bit of West Brom bias with Yacob in there but he is a superb player, I saw Mikel today and he wasn't a patch on Claudio.

No Mulumbu Mat?

The Special Juan wrote:No Mulumbu Mat?

I couldn't fit him in anywhere!