Symbolic team of the first half of the season (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Yusi Jaaskelainen (Bolton)
Defenders: Stephen Finnan (Liverpool), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Taylor (Portsmouth)
Midfielders: Michael Esien (Chelsea), Francesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Forwards: Didier Drogba (Chelsea), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
Head coach: Alex Ferguson (Manchester United)
The positions of Esien, Drogba and Cristiano Ronaldo, each of which spends the most outstanding season in his life, require no explanation. If we were to compose the all-European symbolic team of the past segment of the season, all three would certainly be there. It is quite possible that Fabregas would have found a place in such a team, whose extraordinary playmaking talent blossoms before our eyes (9 assists in the current championship are the most). The brilliant game of Nemanja Vidic is already making pretty strain of imagination (or memory) to imagine (remember) the defense of “MJ” without him. Meanwhile, this defense today is definitely the strongest in the league. Without Jaaskelainen, Bolton would have 10 points less than they have now. And the Finn’s feat in Blackburn (two penalties taken at the end of the match, won as a result of 1-0) is the brightest goalkeeper show of the season so far. Close to their design capacity, Rooney, Lampard and Terry play.
The most difficult thing is with the extreme defenders: Patrice Evra and Ashley Cole have completely mastered this position by winter and, quite possibly, will claim a place in the symbolic team at the end of the championship. In the meantime, we note the reliability of Steve Finnan and the universalism of Matthew Taylor. And, of course, his crazy punch from the left.
Second team (3-4-3)
Goalkeeper: Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United)
Defenders: Kolo Toure (Arsenal), Ledley King (Tottenham Hotspur), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United)
Midfielders: Gilberto Silva (Arsenal), Ryan Giggs (Manchester United), Joy Barton (Manchester City), Robin van Persie (Arsenal)
Forwards: Dimitar Berbatov (Tottenham Hotspur), Dirk Kate (Liverpool), Nicolas Anelka (Bolton)
Head Coach: Sam Allardyce (Bolton)
Speaking of the second row of stars of the season, it is worth noting the abundance of cool central defenders (which is typical for England) and center forwards (which does not always happen). Given the latter, Robin van Persie even had to “look for a place in the midfield.” All three forwards included in the symbolic team are players who moved to England only last summer and managed to become the main striking force of their new teams immediately. The brightest moments were Dimitar Berbatov (5 goals, 7 assists, hundreds of martial arts won), who, at the last stage of the championship of England, was one of the most versatile center forwards of our time. Separately, we note Joy Barton, who from Frank Lampard for the Poor is turning into a leader of the City and one of the most interesting British midfielders in front of his eyes. And also - Gilberto Silva, the pivotal figure of Arsenal and the most productive defensive midfielder of the championship.
Season Opening Team (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Phil Jagielka (Sheffield United)
Defenders: Mika Richards (Manchester City), Joleon Lescott (Everton), Johan Jura (Arsenal), Daniel Agger ( Liverpool )
Midfielders: Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham Hotspur), David Bentley ( Blackburn ), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur)
Forwards: Kevin Doyle (Reading), Nwanquo Canu (Portsmouth)
Head coach: Steve Koppel (Reading)
The passed segment of the season did not open new goalkeeper names - minus, perhaps, one. Sheffield midfielder Phil Jagielka (pictured left) in Saturday's match against Arsenal took a goal after the injury to Patrick Kenny and did little that was possible in the current English season - he kept the goal dry against the Gunners' attack. And he did it with such ostentatious composure that today, it is possible, he will sew a goalkeeper's sweater in Sheffield. In the inclusion of the Portsmouth veteran Nwanquo Kanu in the discovery team, if there was an element of irony, it is also insignificant. How not to call the discovery of a man who scored more goals this season (9) than the previous three combined (8)? Introducing, in fact, the new footballer.
National team of disappointments (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: Robert Green (West Ham)
Defenders: Fabio Aurelio (Liverpool), Khalid Bularuz (Chelsea), Kieran Richardson (Manchester United), Andre Oyer (Blackburn)
Midfielders: Sean Wright-Philips (Chelsea), Damien Duff (Newcastle), Albert Luke (Newcastle)
Forwards: Andrey Shevchenko (Chelsea), Carlos Tevez (West Ham), James Beatty (Everton)
Head coach: Alan Pardew (at the start of the season - West Ham, now Charlton )
The start of the English career for Holland defenders Bularuz and Oyer was clearly not given up - although both will probably be given a chance to correct their first impressions. To play in their positions at Chelsea and Blackburn is now all the same especially no one. Richardson seems to be completely stuck in the forever-promising category. And well-known to Benitez from Valencia, Fabio Aurelio showed himself even weaker at the beginning of his Liverpool career than Mauricio Pellegrino and Fernando Morientes, who had once followed the same route (and then departed back home).
Attacking midfielders and attackers were even more disappointing. Philips, Duff, Luke, Tevez and Beatty scored only 3 goals in 60 games of the current championship at all. Andrei Shevchenko scored the same amount alone, but, alas, he also could not get away from getting into the team of disappointments. 30 million pounds spent on the best football player in Europe 2004, London “Chelsea” will be remembered more than once.
"Extra people." The team of the most famous benchmen (3-4-3)
Goalkeeper: Andres Isakson (Manchester City)
Defenders: Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), Stefan Anshaw (Blackburn), Andy O'Brien (Portsmouth)
Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (West Ham), Fabio Rochemback (Middlesbrough), Julio Baptista (Arsenal), Edgar Davids (Tottenham)
Forwards: Ahmed Mido (Tottenham Hotspur), Massimo Maccarone (Middlesbrough), Francis Jeffers (Blackburn)