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Pick your 20 Man Premier League Squad
Published by Ian John on November 22, 2009
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Here’s a little game for you to consider as you while away the hours at work on Monday morning. Imagine a scenario where the Premier League has decided to introduce a new team. Team 21. Based in Ireland or Scotland. Now imagine that to make it fair on this team the powers that be have decided that they are allowed to select one player from each of the twenty Premier League teams. So 1 from Arsenal, 1 from Aston Villa, 1 from Everton, 1 from Man Utd, 1 from Chelsea and so on. To make a squad of 20 players.
Who would you pick?
It isn’t as easy as it sounds really. I mean with only one player from each team it really does cause you a few selection headaches. Steven Gerrard or Fernando Torres for example. Didier Drogba or Frank Lampard, or maybe someone else entirely? Ashley Young or Gabriel Agbonlahor? David Dunn or Chris Samba? To make matters worse you need to pick a proper squad. So you can’t have a squad of 1 goalkeeper, 2 defenders, 6 midfielders and 11 strikers. As such it has to be 2 goalkeepers and 7 defenders, 7 midfielders and 4 strikers, plus you have to have cover in all positions. So you need right and left backs as well as central defenders, wide midfielders and central ones. Perhaps a goalscoring striker and someone who can play as a secondary or withdrawn striker.
It really isn’t that easy but over the weekend, I pondered and pondered some more and came up with the following squad selection for Team 21. Can you do any better?
Goalkeepers (2) : Chris Kirkland (Wigan Athletic), David James (Portsmouth)
Defenders (7) : Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Brede Hangeland (Fulham), Gary Cahill (Bolton W), Chris Samba (Blackburn R), Ryan Shawcross (Stoke C), Stephen Carr (Birmingham C), Jody Craddock (Wolves)
Midfielders (7) : Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Wade Elliot (Burnley), Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Jimmy Bullard (Hull City), Tim Cahill (Everton), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham)
Attackers (4) : Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Darren Bent (Sunderland), Carlton Cole (West Ham), Emmanuel Adebayor (Man City)
There was a good deal of agonising over this squad too… Deciding who to pick at the big clubs was especially difficult.
Who would you pick for your 20 man squad for Team 21?
Image COurtesy of ***Vonbilly*** at flickr.com
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Naheem Charania on Fri, 27th Nov 2009 5:15 pm
Great squad. Torres instead of Captain Fantastic from Liverpool. Tamer Cohen would be my replacement for Gerrard, that’s how much credit I’m giving to Gerrard this season (injury and all!) Kenwyn Jones instead of Bent.
Goalies: Given (MCity) and Green (West Ham)
Defenders: Dunne (AVilla), Evra (MU), Ab Faye (Stoke), Baines (Everton), Craddock (WW), Samba (BRrovers), Mears (Burnley)
Mid: Fabregas (Arsenal), Tamer Cohen (Bolton), Dempsey (Fulham), Essien (Chelsea), Bowyer (Birmingham), Hunt (Hull), Lennon (Spurs)
Attack: Torres (Liverfool), Rodallega (Wigan), Kenwyn Jones (Sunderland), Dindane (Portsmouth)