In this age of wall to wall football on TV, I think it’s always good to reflect on the players who you have enjoyed watching. Careers go by in a flash even when football is on TV everyday. In my mind the greatest players ever will be the ones who played when I was a kid. It’s only natural. Now that I have my own little boy, I can’t wait to find out who he will admire. Different people find beauty in different aspects of the game. I’m more of a lover of a crunching tackle and funny own goal than watching Arsenal in full flow. I have more interest in the relegation battle than the Champions League. I enjoy skilful play, but usually if it is produced by a flawed genius wasting his talents at a club beneath his ability.
So many people have done Greatest Premier League XI’s that they can be a little dull as teams of megastars are hastily cobbled together with discussion based on whether Bergkamp or Rooney should partner Henry. I say this as a warning to you all because I have taken absolutely no pleasure from the careers of Rio Ferdinand or John Terry. My greatest Premier League team won’t have Lampard, Gerrard, Rooney or Henry! It is a team unique to me, full of people that I enjoyed watching.
Qualification for my team is based on two principles.
1. Players must have completed a season in the Premier League.
2. Players can’t have a Premier League winners medal.
Formation: (4-4-2 obviously)
Oggy – A king amongst keepers
Goalkeeper: Steve Ogrizovic – My theory on goalkeepers is simple. You need a big, fearless, terrifying brute of a man in goal. If I was to suddenly become Dr Frankenstein and be required to build my own goalkeeper, I would simply copy Steve Ogrizovic. Playing behind a defence that was invariably useless, Oggy managed to keep the Sky Blues safe from relegation year after year. He had all the skills required by a top keeper, good shot stopping, command of the area etc, but the thing that really stood out for me was his bravery. I remember watching him play in a game at Highbury where he broke his nose (for about the 20th time). The physio ran on with a bit of ice and a towel, Oggy wiped away the blood and then took his position to defend the corner. There are various reasons for the sad demise of Coventry City, but the lack of Steve Ogrizovic in goal probably played a part too.
Defence: Rob Jones, Gary Mabbutt, Phillipe Albert, Stuart Pearce
Rob Jones was the kind of right back I like. His game was based on consistency and reliability, until injury started to ravage him. The best fact about Rob Jones was that he didn’t score in 185 games for Liverpool. Quite right too. Right backs shouldn’t be scoring, unless they have a Ray Stewart like ability from the spot. Admittedly I do have some slight concerns over his ability when things get tough, because instead of choosing to fight Andy Melville for the Welsh shirt, he took the easy option of playing for England!
Gary Mabbutt
Gary Mabbutt represents the good old days when players playing 400+ league games for a club was still fairly common. Mabbutt overcame both diabetes and a lack of height to become one of the best defenders in the top flight. He was the type of whole hearted centre half that John Terry likes to think he is. Mabbutt’s ability to read the game meant that he could deal with taller forwards quite comfortably, and time spent in midfield earlier in his career enabled him to be comfortable on the ball too. He would be my captain too. He was a player who commanded respect automatically, without feeling the need to shout at referees or settle petty fallouts with career ending tackles. Gary Mabbutt would have done anything to get success for Spurs, and when they did get some silverware you could see how much it meant. I don’t think a captain has ever hoisted the FA Cup for as long as he did in 1991!
I can’t even remember if Philippe Albert was a brilliant defender or not now. I know he played alongside Darren Peacock and the team still did OK, so that would suggest that he must have been amazing. . I don’t recall Newcastle doing much defending at all at the time, but he represented Belgium in the World Cup, so I’m just going to assume he was a competent defender. He gets in my team for two reasons: That chip over Peter Schmeichel, and his brilliant Rupert the Bear song by the Newcastle fans!
Stuart Pearce needs no introduction to anyone. Largely seen as a hero to England fans for his slightly scary celebration after banishing his shoot out demons, he is respected by me for a small incident towards the end of his career. Winding down his career at West Ham he went in for a typically combative challenge. He ended up injured and marched off the pitch by the medical staff despite insisting he could play on. I can still imagine the conversation now…. Pearce “It’s ok, I’ll run it off”, Physio ” Stuart, you have broken your leg.”
Midfield: Ruel Fox, Matthew Le Tissier, Barry Horne, David Ginola
Ruel Fox models THAT Norwich shirt!
I’ve always been a fan of having two genuine wide men in the team. This stems from my own playing days as a wide man (not anymore as my legs have gone and I trot about doing a Makelele!), and a love of Chris Waddle in the pre Premier League days. Ruel Fox was a fast, tricky winger, with the ability to deliver quality crosses and chip in with the occasional goal or two. His best performances came in a Norwich shirt, (as part of the team that challenged for the title in 92/93) and it is this stage of his career that I remember so fondly.
Matthew Le Tissier was a footballing genius. He must have been, because I despise his club with the type of unique hatred that only occurs in sport and, from what I’ve seen on TV, I don’t particularly like him as a person either. Yet despite all of this, between 1992 and 1996 I would always watch Southampton play, because he would always do something out of the ordinary. Infact, for 2 seasons he single handedly kept his team up, allowing Francis Benali another undeserved season in the top flight. For anyone not old enough to remember, search the internet for his goals against Newcastle and Blackburn.
I’d stick David Ginola on the left, like Spurs did in the late 90′s (Remember when he ripped through the Barnsley defence in 99?). You know with Ginola that you will get mistakes, sulks and petulance but when he was good he was unplayable. You know that he won’t give an easy pass if he could beat 2 men first before giving the pass. All of these little flaws are worth it though because he was great to watch. Cruyff called him the best player in the World and he won the PFA Player of the Year award when playing for a fairly average Spurs. I’m sure I remember one game for Spurs, v Liverpool, when Ginola became so frustrated with his teammates that he just didn’t pass them the ball. Unsurprisingly, the Frenchman scored and Spurs got a draw.
My midfield is fairly lightweight, and the three players selected so far need someone with no attacking mindset. They need someone to win the ball for them. As a former captain of my national team I can forgive Barry Horne for a certain career move he made because of the talent he had for a particular aspect of the game. Unbelievably, for a man with a first class degree in Chemistry, Horne was one of the toughest tacklers to ever play in the Premier League. Tackling is a skill that is slowly leaving the game, but I maintain that a beautifully timed crunching tackle is as pleasing on the eye as anything Cristiano Ronaldo can do. Any team needs someone to win the ball, and Barry Horne was truly superb at doing that.
Attack: Duncan Ferguson, Gianfranco Zola
Big Dunc in standard pumped up mode
To me, the pairing up front should always be a big man /little man combination. Whether these two could have actually formed a working partnership I don’t know, but in theory they would be an absolute nightmare to defend against. Big Dunc is probably most well known for getting sent to jail for his behaviour on the pitch, but ask any Evertonian and they will tell you that the big man could play. 69 Premier League goals in a career ravaged by numerous injuries suggests he could. Always seen as the hard man of the game, this detracts from his skills with the ball,where he was superb in the air and holding the ball up, and a decent goals / game ratio.. Yes, he would get sent off every now and again, but the plus points outweigh that.
Upfront with the archetypal big man is the greatest little man. Zola was a brilliant player to watch. My words are not good enough to do him justice. I shall simply say backheel volley v Norwich, because that is enough!
Ian Marshall, Peter Ndlovu and Bryan Gunn can sit on the (3 subs only) bench.
