Best Team of the Half-Decade

We've had half a decade of the 2010s, and the era of Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and David Beckham are over to be replaced with new stars but what would be the best XI made up of the players of the past five years?

Aguero - Suarez.

Terry arguably deserves it over Kos

What hurts Terry's claim for me is that 09/10 he was alright and this year he's been good, but the years in between he was on the wane and performing poorly, I think the managers were right to start phasing him out. Mourinho has managed to get the best out of him by structuring the team around him.

With central defenders not shining lately, I'd say Terry has had fewer poor games and more crucial performances than Koscielny.

I'd swap Terry for Koscielny, and Aguero for Suarez. Right back's probably the toughest position as I don't think there's a lot between Zabaleta and Ivanovic.

Cech

Ivanovic
Kompany
Terry
Baines

Silva
Yaya
Lampard
Hazard

Drogba
Aguero

CFCNick - This is the half-decade - Drogba scored 11 goals in 2011 & 5 league goals in 2012. He then left for China. Robin Van Persie scored 18 in 2011, 30 in 2012, 26 in 2013 & then 12 goals in 2014.

And Suarez scored 4 in 13 in 2011, 11 in 2012, 23 in 2013 and 31 in 2014. Drogba simply can't be considered. Even taking 09/10 season into account.

Crimey wrote:

De Gea

Zabaleta - Kompany - Koscielny - Baines

Silva - Toure - Modric - Bale

Van Persie - Suarez

I'd personally swap Modrid for Hazard, seeing as Hazard has been in the team of the year for the last three years, won the POTY this year & Modric left in 2012, so can only be considered for two years. Terry has had a rejuvenated year, although can see why you omitted him.

I've looked for alternative
2010 CB's of the year - Vermaelen & Dunne
2011 CB's of the year - Kompany & Vidic
2012 CB's of the year - Kompany & Coloccini
2013 CB's of the year - Vertonghan & Ferdinand
2014 CB's of the year - Kompany & Cahill
2015 CB's of the year - Terry & Cahill

Judging from that, you'd go with Kompany & Cahill

LiamB wrote:

Crimey wrote:

De Gea

Zabaleta - Kompany - Koscielny - Baines

Silva - Toure - Modric - Bale

Van Persie - Suarez

I'd personally swap Modrid for Hazard, seeing as Hazard has been in the team of the year for the last three years, won the POTY this year & Modric left in 2012, so can only be considered for two years.

Problem with Hazard is I was trying to keep a realistic balance in the team and just one central midfielder doesn't really do that. It does show how weak the pool of central midfielders have been since 2010 that I picked Modric with just two years of good play behind him. 

Between 2005-2010 you had Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes, Fabregas, Essien, Makelele, Alonso, Mascherano all practically in their prime.

De Gea

Zabaleta-Kompany-??????-Cole

Hazard-Toure-Carrick-Bale

Van Persie-Aguerro

The other centre back is a toss up between too many to choose one, Ferdinand, Kompany and Terry have both had a couple of good seasons in that time but have also had 3 seasons where they weren't much cop.

LiamB wrote:CFCNick - This is the half-decade - Drogba scored 11 goals in 2011 & 5 league goals in 2012. He then left for China. Robin Van Persie scored 18 in 2011, 30 in 2012, 26 in 2013 & then 12 goals in 2014.

Drogba won the golden boot in 2010. He also scored the winner in the FA Cup final and the equaliser, then winner, in the UCL final.

Crimey wrote:And Suarez scored 4 in 13 in 2011, 11 in 2012, 23 in 2013 and 31 in 2014. Drogba simply can't be considered. Even taking 09/10 season into account.

You can't just go on goals either though. It's the impact strikers have on the other teams game plan. Suarez has that, Drogba had it. RVP, nor Aguero, never really has.

You being serious with Drogba's one good season in this half decade (10-15), half of which doesn't count, seeing as it was in 2009.

RVP won the golden boot in 2012 & 2013, so that trumps your other point. Also, isn't this just a team based on Premier League performances & not counting other cup competitions?

Your point on strikers not being judged on goals is mind-boggling, seeing as that's what their job is. Also, how does Aguero ( golden boot this year) or RVP in his prime, not brown the pants of opposition defenders & effect their game plans & positioning.

Aguero doesnt have an impact on his team?! What the hell are you watching? Drogba being picked is a joke.

I would argue that Azpilicueta's two seasons have been as good from a full back as you'll see for some time

Aguerro worries me far more than Drogba ever did, not sure how RVP being the sole reason we won the title in 12\13 didn't impact on gameplans.

CFCNick wrote:

LiamB wrote:CFCNick - This is the half-decade - Drogba scored 11 goals in 2011 & 5 league goals in 2012. He then left for China. Robin Van Persie scored 18 in 2011, 30 in 2012, 26 in 2013 & then 12 goals in 2014.

Drogba won the golden boot in 2010. He also scored the winner in the FA Cup final and the equaliser, then winner, in the UCL final.

This is "Premier League Team" though, so you'd have to judge Drogba on his Premier League campaign, the 10/11 and 11/12 seasons were poor for him, even if in the latter he peformed in the cup competitions. 

It seems ridiculous that you suggest that Robin Van Persie, top goalscorer two seasons in a row, as well as third the season before, who was pretty much the main reason an average Manchester United side won the Premier League and arguably the world's best striker around 11/12, 12/13 had no effect on team's game-plan. 

You must realise that if you weren't a Chelsea fan that Drogba wouldn't even be an option. Of all the spots in the side, striker is probably the one with the most to choose from, but Drogba wouldn't be anywhere near the top of the list. I'd rank RVP, Suarez, Aguero, Rooney, Dzeko as all having better half-decades than Drogba, maybe even the likes of Lukaku, Demba Ba, and Olivier Giroud would come before him.

I'd go

De Gea

Ivanovic Kompany Terry Baines

Silva Toure Carrick Hazard

Van Persie Aguero

I've gone for those who've been playing and first choice for nearly all those five years, rather than guys who've played maybe two or three seasons, even if they weren't always the best there, hence Ivanovic ahead of Zaba, Terry as the second CB, Baines ahead of Cole, Carrick as CM, no Suarez. And I've broken that rule for Hazard, but it was between him and Bale, and they've both played about the same amount. Hazard just nicks it for me, I think he's a bit more consistent. I'll admit I'm biased though

Crimey wrote:

CFCNick wrote:

LiamB wrote:CFCNick - This is the half-decade - Drogba scored 11 goals in 2011 & 5 league goals in 2012. He then left for China. Robin Van Persie scored 18 in 2011, 30 in 2012, 26 in 2013 & then 12 goals in 2014.

Drogba won the golden boot in 2010. He also scored the winner in the FA Cup final and the equaliser, then winner, in the UCL final.

This is "Premier League Team" though, so you'd have to judge Drogba on his Premier League campaign, the 10/11 and 11/12 seasons were poor for him, even if in the latter he peformed in the cup competitions. 

It seems ridiculous that you suggest that Robin Van Persie, top goalscorer two seasons in a row, as well as third the season before, who was pretty much the main reason an average Manchester United side won the Premier League and arguably the world's best striker around 11/12, 12/13 had no effect on team's game-plan. 

You must realise that if you weren't a Chelsea fan that Drogba wouldn't even be an option. Of all the spots in the side, striker is probably the one with the most to choose from, but Drogba wouldn't be anywhere near the top of the list. I'd rank RVP, Suarez, Aguero, Rooney, Dzeko as all having better half-decades than Drogba, maybe even the likes of Lukaku, Demba Ba, and Olivier Giroud would come before him.

Going a bit further back to the whole last decade only three forwards have had me worried as a Manchester United fan and Drogba is not one of them, a big game player most definitely but didn't have the greatest consistency. The three being Henry, Torres and Aguero whereas RVP and Suarez I was always confident we could nulify.

For overall consistency Rooney is probably the one but I didn't want to make my team too Man United heavy so he missed out.

Van Persie- 96 in 148
Rooney- 79 in 150
Aguero- 79 in 118
Suarez- 69 in 110
Drogba- 20 in 86
Kane- 23 in 41

In Suarez' and Aguero's favour is that they had less time to adjust to the league like Rooney, RVP, Drogba and many other possibilities had between 10-15, almost everybody else had 5-6 years more experience in the Premier League.

Cech

Zabaletta
Kompany
Terry
Baines

Hazard
Toure
Silva

Suarez
Aguero
RVP

----------------------Hart----------------
--Ivanovic--Kompany--Terry--Baines--
---Silva-----Carrick---Gerrard---Hazard-
--------------------Rooney---------------
----------------------RVP-----------------

All of them are worthy of a place in this team. Its not all about what their stats show, sometimes you need to look into the extra detail about what impact they have had. I don't agree with the people that are saying that Drogba can't be in the team because he has only played in the Premier League for the 2/3 years, well, its only like me saying you can't pick Aguero/Suarez because they have only played in the Premier League for 3 years as well. Its about the impact that they have had.

No Suarez/Aguero because over 5 years, RVP has been better and Rooney has had a massive impact on United for the last decade, nevermind half a decade so he must be included.

The same goes for Carrick and Gerrard, their influence has been massive for both clubs, Lampard was close to making the list. I know it sounds hypocritical saying that you can't really use players that have played in the league for only a couple of seasons, but Hazard and Silva have made more effect than any other wingers I cant think of. Although, once again, Bale was close to making the list.

Ivanovic and Baines have been the most consistent full backs in the Premier League for the last 5 years, Coleman and Zabaleta were close for me though at RB. Terry, like Rooney, has been solid for a decade in his position and Kompany has also been a rock for City for the last 5 years as well. I don't understand people choosing De Gea, he has gradually improved over his 3 seasons, yes, but on the flip side, this has been by far his best year and his first year he was extremely dodgy and his second year was marginally better, but he has flourished recently. Hart has been by far and away the best goalkeeper for the last 5 years after breaking through with Birmingham in 2010.

I like the spine of my team as it has plenty of PL games and experience and quality under its belt. Good team.

Gerrard making the best team of the half decade

Rooney in instead of Aguero is equally baffling, it really is no contest between the two.

FootballLight wrote:

All of them are worthy of a place in this team. Its not all about what their stats show, sometimes you need to look into the extra detail about what impact they have had. I don't agree with the people that are saying that Drogba can't be in the team because he has only played in the Premier League for the 2/3 years, well, its only like me saying you can't pick Aguero/Suarez because they have only played in the Premier League for 3 years as well. Its about the impact that they have had.

No Suarez/Aguero because over 5 years, RVP has been better and Rooney has had a massive impact on United for the last decade, nevermind half a decade so he must be included.

.

No one saying that. People are arguing that Suarez and Aguero have been more effective in there time then Drogba.

Also the whole point of making it a team of the half-decade was so that the previous decade of the 2000s was ignored. I felt it was more clear which players made big impacts in the previous ten years, the likes of Henry, Bergkamp, Vieira, Gerrard, Keane, Scholes, Giggs, Beckham, Ronaldo were all players that were obvious stand outs with loads more in there as well. I think across the past five years, this simply hasn't been the case and I think it's kind of cheating to say they get in because they were good before those five years as well.

I think Gerrard has only had one stand out year in the past five and that was last year, the other years he wasn't close to his best or close to the best in the league. He hasn't ever been bad, but he certainly wasn't near any team of the years apart from last year.

Have you honestly made these teams without Shola Ameobi? First name on the sheet!

GK Cech
RB Zabeleta
CB Kompany 
CB Terry
LB Evra
RM Hazzard
LM Bale
CM Gerrard
CM Toure
ST Van Persie
ST Aguero

Good question.

For me, Hart is the keeper. There's not any one else who's done it at a top club for the full duration of the five years, with Cech losing his place to Courtois. Although De Gea has had a couple of excellent seasons and I would love to put him in, I can't.

Zabaleta at right back over Ivanovic, just. There's not really any other contenders. The centre back positions are tougher to decide. Kompany has to get the first slot despite his poor season last time out. Ferdinand and Terry have both had a top season in there, I wouldn't go with Gary Cahill myself, he's over-rated IMO. Koscielny is the one for me that has been excellent in an Arsenal shirt over a few years now, so he takes the other slot. Evra and Baines have had that consistency over the years, being the best two left backs in this timeframe, but Evra was in Italy and Baines had an average season, not really doing anything of note. Azpilacueta has been immense in his time at Chelsea, but Evra shades it for doing it over four of the five seasons.

Midfield and things get tougher. Former Tottenham stars Bale and Modric both would walk into a best team, but Modric was only in the Premier League till 2012. Then Silva and Toure, who are both integral to Man City and have remained their best players despite all of the players coming in. Carrick is an under-appreciated player at Man Utd and has been crucial to his side, I would love to have him there. Gerrard is someone who I think would have made it if we were doing something like 2007-12, but on his recent few seasons I can't justify putting him in there. Hazard for me has had two immense seasons, so he gets a place. You can't not have the best player in the league in your side. Other worthy mentions are Juan Mata, Frank Lampard, Santi Cazorla.

Picking two strikers is difficult, assuming the standard 4-4-2 is to be used. Rooney has been the main man at Man Utd in all this time, and Van Persie had two incredible seasons. Suarez and Aguero are the two best strikers on the planet right now so they have to considered, and for me, it's because of that they get in.

So, here's my line up, midfield being the most difficult point to choise.

-------------------Hart-------------------
Zabaleta---Kompany--Koscielny---Evra
-------------Toure-----Silva-------------
------Bale------------------Hazard------
------------Suarez----Aguero-----------

My Man Utd head says to put in Carrick and De Gea. Also it is a shame to leave out Modric.