CL Chasing XI

I've selected an XI from the five teams competing for those last two CL spots; United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs & Southampton.

GK: De Gea
LB: Moreno
CB: Koscielny
CB: Vertonghen
RB: Clyne
CM: Ramsey
CM: Schneiderlin
LWF: Sanchez
CAM: Ozil
RWF: Di Maria
CF: Rooney

Subs: Lloris, Sakho, Debuchy, Wilshere, Eriksen, Sterling, Van Persie

Lots of competition for places, so much so that the likes of Falcao, Mata, Cazorla, Sturridge, Kane, Walcott, Ox & Coutinho didn't even make the bench. Picked subs to cover a variety of positions, instead of just including the best players.

CF was particularly difficult, with Rooney, RVP, Falcao, Kane & Sturridge all competing for 1 starting spot & 1 seat on the bench.

I'll let someone else dissect that but Ramsey, Schneiderlin, Ozil and Di Maria are awful choices.

Sense your picking players on name & not form this season

Ramsey - must be joking
di Maria - embarrassing
Sakho - that the donkey who can't control, pass or run with a ball.
Ozil - hardly seen him this season
Moreno - I'd probably go for Gibbs
ROONEY - as a CF, he's played about two games, I'd go with KANE

My choice

De Gea
Gibbs
Koscielny
Vertonghan or Fonte
Clyne
Sanchez
Coutinho
Erikson
Cazorla
KANE
Giroud. Rooney hasn't played CF as well as Giroud

John wrote:
My choice

De Gea
Gibbs
Koscielny
Vertonghan or Fonte
Clyne
Sanchez
Coutinho
Erikson
Cazorla
KANE
Giroud. Rooney hasn't played CF as well as Giroud

Can't argue with that really. Not sure what makemesmile was thinking with his side

Giroud. John. Can someone make sure this thread never goes anywhere. And that that post is quoted every page

Lol. I know

Just had to be Giroud over Rooney to partner Kane. Giroud, although limited in ability is key to how Arsenal work & getting that top 4. Essentially, Rooney has been in midfield all season, so shouldn't be chosen.

To dissect that a little, Gibbs Vertonghen and Giroud are possibly not first choice, or at least with Jan they haven't been for the whole season. However, the other options are so poor that either Vertonghen or Koscielny (in a defence that has still had its embarrassing moment)

De Gea
Clyne
Fonte
Vertonghen
Bertrand
Carrick (even in only 13 league appearances he's so far the best outfield player at United that he takes a slot)
Cazorla
Sanchez
Eriksen
Sterling
Kane

Rooney doesnt make the team because he hasnt played consistently up top but it should be noted that hes done alright in a role that he was filling as a team man and has also remained sharp up top.

Coutinho could make his way in but his rise has come lately. Henderson the same for me, whilst Coquelin has been important to Arsenal looking better recently.

Blind and Ashley Young would both be close too.

Lloris, Schneiderlin, Rose (who I hate but has been better than Gibbs)

Tadic and Pelle have dropped off, Alderweireld has been better than expected, as have Mason and Bentaleb. Emre Can would play if it were a back three.

I can see that many of my selections were controversial. I wasn't basing it just on this season, it's more of an overall assessment, taking this season into account but also a player's past accomplishments & age.

For example, Di Maria has been in poor form but he's only 27 and could easily recapture his best form - he's also got 8 PL assists in 19 games so he's not doing too badly. Ozil is only 26 and has actually been very good since returning from injury - 4 assists & 2 goals in last 6 PL games.

Coutinho hasn't been great at all. His stats are worse than Ozil's:

2014-15 PL

Coutinho
25 games
4 goals
4 assists
36 chances created
80% pass completion

Ozil
12 games
3 goals
5 assists
33 chances created
87% pass completion

Schneiderlin is a quality MF and there's no real standout DM on any of these teams - although Coquelin's defensive stats are excellent.

De Gea

Koscielny
Fonte
Vertonghen

Sterling
Cazorla
Henderson
Gibbs

Sanchez
Eriksen

Kane

Going on the Liverpool 3-4-3 formation, just because that allowed me to fit in the players I want, and that would be fairly balanced.

makemesmile wrote:I can see that many of my selections were controversial. I wasn't basing it just on this season, it's more of an overall assessment, taking this season into account but also a player's past accomplishments & age.

For example, Di Maria has been in poor form but he's only 27 and could easily recapture his best form - he's also got 8 PL assists in 19 games so he's not doing too badly. Ozil is only 26 and has actually been very good since returning from injury - 4 assists & 2 goals in last 6 PL games.

Coutinho hasn't been great at all. His stats are worse than Ozil's:

2014-15 PL

Coutinho
25 games
4 goals
4 assists
36 chances created
80% pass completion

Ozil
12 games
3 goals
5 assists
33 chances created
87% pass completion

Schneiderlin is a quality MF and there's no real standout DM on any of these teams - although Coquelin's defensive stats are excellent.

Coutinho has however been in superb form since Christmas, so on form you'd be foolish to take Ozil over him.

That is such a Socal post, trying to suggest Ozil has been better than Coutinho based on nothing other than stats, i'll openly admit to hating Liverpool as much as any Man United fan but he's been top class in the past couple of months.

Find the Gibbs picks a little baffling, he cant even make Arsenal's first choice side at the moment.

Couldn't think of anybody better right now and he was doing really well for the first half of the season. Bertrand is doing well but he's too defensive to be in that position. None of the teams play with natural wide players either. Ashley Young was a possibility.

You did pick Carrick, who whilst not in the team for different reasons, still hasn't played much but you've picked him as the best for that particular role.

Actually, I've picked him because his performances when he has played have just been so much better than anyone else in that role. Only Matic touches Carrick in that role in the league, and United are 20 times better when Carrick plays.

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Actually, I've picked him because his performances when he has played have just been so much better than anyone else in that role. Only Matic touches Carrick in that role in the league, and United are 20 times better when Carrick plays.

Exactly, and I can't think of anybody who could play that wing back role, who has played better than Gibbs this season.

Bertrand probably could, Young would probably be a better choice too, even Rose on form, I suppose its cos no one else but Liverpool play that system so really theres a bit of guesswork

Yeah Young came into my thinking, but he also hasn't been a regular in the side, and with Sterling on one side, went for a more defensive option on the left. Bertrand is probably a bit too defensive. Definitely not Danny Rose, surprised you've mentioned him, think he's had an awful season, been a constant weak link in Spurs' side and wouldn't be surprised if they got a replacement in for him in the summer. Probably not considering he's been keeping Ben Davies out of the side, but I don't rate Rose at all.

I dont like Rose, but he is playing in a defence that I probably slightly prefer overall in a team where its about using so much energy. And he's probably been a bit better than Gibbs, who is out of the team for the awful Monreal currently

Ozil has been great since coming back from injury, Coutinho is a very good player, Ozil is better, had another cracking performance against West Ham.

I'm including Man City players, as after yesterday there's an outside chance they'll miss out on the top four.

De Gea

Clyne
Fonte
Vertonghen
Bertrand



Schneiderlin
Henderson

Silva
Cazorla
Sanchez

Kane

Subs: Lloris, Eriksen, Coutinho, Giroud, Aguero, Zabaleta, Koscielny