[Mark]

TEAMtalk's EPL Team of the Year

With the end of the season fast approaching, TEAMtalk's top guns have cast their votes and come up with their Premier League Team of the Year.

teamtalk.com wrote:



GK: David James (Portsmouth)

Fast approaching his 38th birthday yet still something of an enigma. Part of a defence that has broken the club record for most clean sheets in a season and reached the FA Cup final, James was the only player from outside of the 'Big Four' nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award. There may still be watch-through-the-fingers moments like his ill-judged challenge on Nicolas Anelka in England's friendly with France, but our team were impressed enough for James to see off Blackburn's Brad Friedel and Edwin van der Sar of Manchester United.



RB: Bacary Sagna (Arsenal)

Players with outlandish hairstyles need to be good. And Sagna is. Signed from Auxerre last summer as a relative unknown, the Frenchman has slotted into the Arsenal back four so effortlessly former Gunner Alan Smith noted it was "as if settling down in a new country and adjusting to the Premier League were nothing more taxing than buying a baguette". Just about the complete modern-day full-back, he is strong defensively and more than simply comfortable coming forward. It's been asked before and it'll be asked again, but where does Arsene Wenger dig them up from?



CB: Nemanja Vidic (Man Utd)

Vidic is the sort of player who draws admiring glances from defenders from days gone by. His chalk-and-cheese partnership with the more cultured Rio Ferdinand has been the best in the Premier League this year and, at 26, Vidic could well have his best days ahead of him. With admirable disregard for his personal safety, the Serbian appears to live by the motto 'thou shall not pass' and his mistakes are rarer than hen's teeth, making him the most-selected central defender in the team.



CB: Rio Ferdinand (Man Utd)

In the PFA Team of the Year for three of the last four seasons, yet this has unquestionably been his best campaign at Old Trafford. Gone are the concentration lapses that blighted him earlier in his career as Ferdinand has developed into the 'Rolls Royce' defender everyone hoped he would. Hotly tipped to be the next permanent England captain, his partnership with Vidic has been the bedrock on which United's season has been built and there are few strikers who can say they have got the better of him this term.



LB: Joleon Lescott (Everton)

The first of two differences between our team and the PFA version, Lescott's versatility (he was selected in both central defence and left-back) saw him edge out both PFA incumbent Gael Clichy and another strong contender in Manchester United's Patrice Evra. The best goalscoring defender in the Premier League, Lescott is solid as a rock at the back and almost wasted at his 'primary' position of centre-back, where his forays forward are limited to set-pieces. Sure to add to his five England caps in the years to come.



RM: Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd)

Again named as the PFA and Football Writers' Player of the Year and perhaps the best player in the world right now (though Lionel Messi's display at Old Trafford last month blew that debate wide open). His goal tally is Lineker-esque, his heading out of the Les Ferdinand textbook and his set-pieces an almost gravity-defying hybrid of bend and power. That combination made him a no-brainer of a selection - he was the only player to make every starting XI submitted by our team of writers.



CM: Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)

The PFA Young Player of the Year, Fabregas has had another stellar season in the centre of Arsenal's midfield and despite his youth has already been highlighted as a potential Gunners captain for next season. Whether that would limit his effectiveness is the subject of conjecture, but the Spaniard has handled everything thrown at him so far without his performance level dipping. Three trophyless seasons for Arsenal have seen links with Barcelona and Real Madrid crank up; should a move come to fruition, Fabregas' loss would be a huge blow not just for the Gunners but for the Premier League as a whole.



CM: Gareth Barry (Aston Villa)

Something of a surprise selection given his close friend Steven Gerrard was not only in the PFA team but also shortlisted for their Player of the Year award, but Barry's performances for Aston Villa saw him secure two more votes to partner Fabregas in central midfield. One of the most consistent players in the top flight this season, Barry has become a mainstay in the England squad with Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez watching his progress with interest with a view to making a big-money summer swoop. Perhaps not the most eye-catching of players, but reliability is a much undervalued trait.



LM: Ashley Young (Aston Villa)

More than a few eyebrows were raised when Martin O'Neill agreed to spend £8million (potentially rising to over £9.5m) for Young 18 months ago but already that looks money well spent. Young's 17 assists are the most in the top flight, while he has also chipped in with seven goals along the way. His first two appearances for England capped a superb season for the 22-year-old.



CF: Fernando Torres (Liverpool)

You have to wonder whether Sir Alex Ferguson regrets not following up his long-term interest in Torres. Twenty-plus goals in a debut Premier League season (30-plus overall) is excellent by anyone's standards, and Torres has only just turned 24. Liverpool fans will lament the fact the goals have only been enough for them to finish fourth again, but 'El Nino' has blown into England in sensational fashion. Just one of our panel overlooked his claims for a starting spot, though he did feature among their substitutes.



CF: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal)

Torres may well have drawn plenty of headlines for his astonishing debut season in England (and rightly so) but Adebayor has actually outscored him in the Premier League. The Togo frontman scored in nine successive games between late December and early February to fire the Gunners to the top of the table and it was no coincidence his poorest spell of the season coincided with Arsenal drawing four straight league games late in the campaign. A class act, it was no surprise to see AC Milan linked with him last month.



Subs:


Brad Friedel (Blackburn)

"Brad stands comparison to any of the keepers that I was fortunate to play with, such as Peter Schmeichel and Neville Southall." Mark Hughes may have been overegging the pudding slightly when he referred to Friedel in such glowing terms, but the American is a class act and ran James very close.


Patrice Evra (Man Utd)

Like Friedel, Evra missed out on a place in the team by just one vote yet there are some who believe there is no finer left-back in Europe. Committed in the tackle and also a key tool in United's swashbuckling attacking style, Evra has won over the doubters who watched his Red Devils debut in horror.


Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

A contender for the PFA Player of the Year award but only deemed worthy of a place on our substitutes' bench

- and even then only after edging out Mathieu Flamini of Arsenal. Freed from the right-sided role he has filled in recent seasons, Gerrard formed a brilliant attacking partnership with Torres.


David Bentley (Blackburn)

One of three Blackburn players to make our substitutes' bench, Bentley's stock has risen to such an extent he is reportedly a £15million target for both Chelsea and Liverpool this summer. Seen as the natural successor to David Beckham at England level, Bentley looks to have the world at his feet.


Roque Santa Cruz (Blackburn)

Few players can have enjoyed better debut seasons in the Premier League than Santa Cruz. Sadly for him he was outscored by both Adebayor and (fellow newcomer) Torres, yet his efforts in a Blackburn side that are clearly weaker than Arsenal and Liverpool mean his inclusion in this squad is merited.




No complaines from me, i'll question a little bit Barry's position into the team but thats all.


You guys what do you'll think about the team ?

[TeKnIcIaN]

Personally, I think Adebayor is a wanker but that's strictly a personal assessment - he is still a good footballer overall - despite the fact that he's a wanker and I don't like him much.

Overall, I don't have much of a problem with the team except for one major ommission: Patrice Evra. Evra is the left back sent from God in my opinion. Could Lescott have kept a lid on Lionel Messi like Evra did? I don't think so. He's been solid at the back (I can't think of when he committed his last error by the way) and he's dangerous going forward - the dude is awesome! Plus, I thought Lescott was a central defender anyway. Mind you, at least they didn't decide to pick that wanker Clichy instead.

[Torque]

I also agree that Evra should have been there instead of Lescott.

I guess Adebayor was voted thanks to his very good performances in the first half of the league matches.

Gerrard? You've got to be joking! Carrick, dickheads, Carrick!!!

[GocartMozart]

It can't be an all united taem to be fair. The real thing that I noticed is the absense of Chel$ki players, specifically at right back, or what ever you call his position.