Team Moyes

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. You are gathered here as 11 of the most talented young fake online football managers in this country. Over the coming weeks I will be laying on a series of football-related tasks, all of which are designed to test your football knowledge, historical understanding, and creativity.

Which brings me on to the first task. I'm going to split you into two teams - Team Fergie and Team Moyes - and the first task is quite simple. You have to pick a 23-man squad that would compete in the English Premier League.

To select your squad, I will allow you to pick one player from each Premier League team, plus 3 players from another English league (any of the Championship, League One or League Two).

To clarify, you may select just one player from each team for your squad.

The team with the best squad (in my eyes) will win, and from the losing team, one of you will be fired.

Team Moyes
sodhat
Zebs
Afro Viva
GSC
Olly

Right, here we are.

Who can I count on to be active before I divide ze tasks?

So wassgornon then Soddy

Alright then.

Few things we need to decide imo, firstly what kind of football we want to play so we can decide how to balance our squad.

Might also be worth everybody nominating the 3 best players from each PL club.

Also I'd nominate Julio Cesar from QPR as 1 of our 3 non PL players.

James McCarthy would be another for me

Sako from Wolves worth a mention.

Good shout

I'd think the squad needs to be balanced as 3GKs 8 defenders, 8 midfielders and 5 forwards.

If we accept Julio Cesar as 1 GK, then we can probably worry about keepers last. In fact they could probably make up all of our lower league contingent...

What I need from all of you:

A defender, midfielder and forward from each Prem side.

ZZZ/Viva - you both do the current top 10
Olly/GSC - you do the current bottom 10

I will help with the bottom 10 because I assume there is more crap there. And by bottom 10 I mean as it stands today 19th August (i.e. pre Newcastle/City)

Everyone clear?

Squad harmony is important too I think, so having 3 roughly equal keepers is a no no for example

Yes, I agree. We want a balanced squad rather than a team of Odemwingies.

First things first though, let's generate a pool of names.

City
Vincent Kompany
David Silva
Aguero

Newcastle
Coloccini
Hatem Ben Arfa
Loic Remy

Palace
Gabbidon  
Williams
Murray

Stoke
Ryan Shawcross
Wilson Palacios(?)
Jon Walters(?)

Sunderland
Wes Brown (?)
Giacherrini
Steven Fletcher

West brom
Gareth McAuley
Yacob
Odemwingie Anelka

Arsenal
Koscielny
Cazorla
Walcott

Cardiff
Caulker
Medel
Cornelius

Hull
Davies
Aluko
Graham

Swansea
Ashley Williams
Michu
Wilfred Bony

Man City - Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero
Newcastle - Fabricio Coloccini, Yohan Cabaye, Papiss Cisse
Crystal Palace - Danny Gabiddon, Mile Jedinak, Aaron Wilbraham
Stoke City - Ryan Shawcross, Steven N'Zonzi, Kenwyne Jones
Sunderland - Carlos Cuellar, Giaccherini, Jozy Altidore
West Brom - Garath McAuley, Claudio Yacob, Shane Long
Arsenal - Laurent Koscielny, Santi Cazorla, Olivier Giroud
Cardiff - Steven Caulker, Gary Medel, Nicky Maynard
Hull - Ahmed Elmohamody, Robbie Brady, Danny Graham
Swansea - Ashley Williams, Michu, Wilfred Bony

Also do we want a versatile squad with a player for each role and be very susceptible to injury, or a squad of specialised positions with a lack of a plan B.

We'll want versatility to some degree but it doesn't have to come at the expense of quality.

Olly - I am going to ignore that you put Wilbraham on that list.

I'll do mine now

I think for Palace I'd have to nominate Jonathan Williams. Palaces squad is somewhat lacking in quality, so better to pick up a quality prospect from them imo.

Tom Pope!!!

Looked good did Williams

I think if we're having to take a Palace player it has to be between him, Speroni, or Jelinak.

As you say, we can pick up young keepers from the lower leagues. I went Williams purely on the basis hes 10 years younger than Jedinak.

Some more players of interest from the lower leagues

Lansbury
Guedioura
Kelvin Wilson
Abdi
Troy Deeney
Tom Ince
Keiron Trippier
Charlie Austin
Joey Barton
Kasper Schmeichel
Anthony Knockaert
Chris Wood
Jeffrey Schlupp
ALF
Alex McCarthy
Sam Byram
Will Hughes

What are me & Viva doing?
Top 3 players from the top 10 clubs as the tables stands today p[rior to Man C vs New?

Does it matter if defender and midfielder are central or wide position?

Yes

No

GSC wrote:Some more players of interest from the lower leagues

Lansbury
Guedioura
Kelvin Wilson
Abdi
Troy Deeney
Tom Ince
Keiron Trippier
Charlie Austin
Joey Barton
Kasper Schmeichel
Anthony Knockaert
Chris Wood
Jeffrey Schlupp
ALF
Alex McCarthy
Sam Byram
Will Hughes

You missed Tom Pope off

Tbh, I missed quite a few off. Thats from the top of my head. Could do half the Crewe squad

Viva, tell me when your ready to post your list, Ill post mine too then we can pick & merge them together.

Just a point, I think the best was to do this Soddy is list all PL teams & pick the top players, then filter the list down & pick "best" squad.

firstly what kind of football we want to play so we can decide how to balance our squad.

The task is: "You have to pick a 23-man squad that would compete in the English Premier League"
nothing about play style, just a good competitive squad list.

Yeah but picking a team that will gel and play well together will compete better no?

Im ready to post mine in 3 mins.

Man Utd: Rio, Carrick, RVP
Villa: Vlaar, Westwood, Benteke
Chelsea: Terry,Mata, Torres
WHU: Reid, Diame, Carroll
Fulham: Hanglelaand, Sidwell, Berbatov
Liverpool: Agger, Gerrard, Suarez
Southampton: Hoovield, Schnidler, Osvaldo
Spurs" Vertonghen, Bale, Soldado
Everton: Baines, Felliani, Kone
Norwich: Basong, Snidgrass, Wolfswinkel

I'd have Ivanovic or A Cole over Terry but other than that I don't see anything too wrong with Viva's list

GSC wrote:Yeah but picking a team that will gel and play well together will compete better no?

That is true GSC but top quality players can do that as natural.
Making a shortlist from each PL team, picking the best seems like the quickest & easiest method of forming our squad.

Think we should stick the world class players RVP, Suarez, Bale and Mata?

Aye, my interpretation of it was to build a squad that has quality, depth and harmony.

My list of teams best players.
Man Utd: RVP, Rooney, Vidic, Carrick
Villa: Vlaar, Agbonlahor,Benteke
Chelsea: Mata, Hazard, Luiz
WHU: Nolan, Diame, Joe Cole
Fulham: Riether, Taarabt, Berbatov
Liverpool: Agger, Gerrard, Suarez, Coutinho, José Enrique (LB options for us)
Southampton: Lovren, Wanyama, Lambert, (Osvaldo yet to play)
Spurs: Vertonghen, Bale, Soldado, Paulino
Everton: Coleman, Baines, Felliani
Norwich: Martin, Snodgrass, Wolfswinkel

GSC wrote:Aye, my interpretation of it was to build a squad that has quality, depth and harmony.

Ok, my interpretation was just pick a best squad.

Lets go with your interpretation as its thinking outside the box as opposed to my straight forward thinking.
Depth will be important. I dont think players gelling will be as important, if our starting line up is filled with quality players they will preform.

Chucked this together quickly

GK:
Julio Cesar (QPR)
Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester)
Karl Darlow (Forest  )

DEF:
Kompany (Man City) (C)
Shawcross (Stoke)
Koscielny (Arsenal)
Baines (Everton)
Shaw (Southampton)
Rangel (Swansea)
Dawson (WBA)


MID:
Bale (Spurs)
Mata (Chelsea)
Diame (West Ham)
Medel (Cardiff)
Ruiz (Fulham)
Brady (Hull)
Williams (Palace)
Cabaye (Newcastle)

ATT:
RVP (Man Utd)
Suarez (Liverpool)
Benteke (Villa)
Hooper (Norwich)
Altidore (Sunderland)

Alternatively swap Kompany for Zabaleta and Rangel for Williams

I'll catch up with all of this later on during the football I suspect. I am in the midst of a mental breakdown at work. So. Many. Maths.

GSC wrote:Alternatively swap Kompany for Zabaleta and Rangel for Williams

I'd swap Bassong for Dawson and Hooper for Long/Anelka

GSC wrote:Alternatively swap Kompany for Zabaleta and Rangel for Williams

Or keep Williams in, put Riether in at RB & you free up a Man City player.

Although Kompnay would be my preference. Silva is good but Mata better, Aguero hasnt been prolific due to injuries so on last season RVP & Suarez better options

Hmm, just playing around with a squad, first XI lines up as

Not a fan of Rangel at RB, would much rather have Zabaleta there and Williams CB

Aye I preferred that. Though Shawcross might pip Williams to play with Koscielny.

Shawcross and Koscielny would be a better pairing I would think also

Not about today after 11

I dont think Shawcross should be added/considered after Stokes last season & mark hughes being manager this season they will conceed goal. He cant be considered one of the best options available.
IMO im opposed to Shawcross but I will support the Team Leaders decision.

I prefer Shawcross to Williams.

OI OI LADS

Really should aim to have this finished tomorrow

Yo team we have till tomorrow to get it done.

Well this is clearly everybody else's fault but mine.

Sack everyone!!!