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Readers' Teams Of The year Previous Features 3 Next

LETTERS SPECIAL
TEAM OF THE YEAR
THE READERS FIGHT BACK


For some unaccountable reason, we published Danny Kelly's team of the season on Tuesday. In case you missed it,

Alex Manninger; Gary Neville, Martin Keown, Dion Dublin; Dennis Wise, Ray Parlour, Patrick Vieira, Marc Overmars, David Ginola; Dennis Bergkamp, Michael Owen

More sensibly, we asked what you thought of it. Thanks for all the replies here's a selection.


LONDON 8, STICKS 3

Eight players out of 11 from London teams? Come on Danny, get your arse out of the capital once in a while, you might be surprised that there are other teams out there...

And as for Jones of Southampton not even getting a mention in the goalkeeper's category, that has to be a joke. (I'm a Wednesday fan by the way so I've no axe to grind there - we definitely don't deserve any players in the team!)

My team:
Jones (Soton)
Neville G. (ManUre)
Walker (Wednesday) [OK, there's one]
Ferdinand (W Ham)
Vieira (Arse)
Giggs (ManUre)
Beckham (ManUre)
Boateng (Cov)
Poyet (Chelsea)
Owen (Pool)
Bergkamp (Arse)

Andy Hockley

Who won the Premiership? Who won the FA Cup? Who won the Coca Cola Cup? Who won the only European trophy won by a British club? Am I getting through here? It just happens to have been a really great season for the capital. Except Spurs. And Crystal Palace. And Fulham. - DK


GLAMOUR BOYS?

You're OK on the personnel Danny (quibbles - Adams is actually better than Keown, though not a romantic pick) but why three at the back? Is it a real conviction that this is the way to play (unlike Arsenal, Real Madrid and Juventus for example) or that you fancy the glamour of the midfielders?

Tom Kirby

No, I'm not particularly mad about back threes, but it was the only way I could get all those attackers into an XI. If I'd been forced to pick a team that would never get beaten (as opposed to the best XI players of the season), I'd have gone (in 5-4-1) for Seaman; G Neville, Adams, Keown, Campbell, Winterburn; Keane, Ince, Batty, Vieira; Shearer - DK


WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!

Hello

You'll have to write it again! David Beckham is much better than any player you put in midfield. Check how many goals he has (9) and assists (15) - now change it, and if you don't you know you're making a big mistake.

I Zilpert

David got weaker and weaker as the season progressed and his hair got floppier and floppier and blonder and blonder. He'd have to replace either my Dutchman or my Frenchman to get in the team. As Overmars demonstrated at Old Trafford and Wembley, he's just as much a matchwinner as Beckham, and without the mouth. Ginola, meanwhile, has been outstanding in a truly terrible Tottenham side. And with Bergkamp as well, we wouldn't miss Beckham's free kick skills. All that said, it's obvious that Beckham is England's best midfield hope for the World Cup.


TO THE POINT…

Dear Danny,

You're an idiot.

Regards,
Gary Murphy

You're only saying that because I've got an Irish name - DK.


OWEN TOO SELFISH

Great Team, one I would gladly cough up 400 quid a year to watch!

Arsenal were awesome in the second half on the season and deservedly had a lot of players in the Dream Team. (And I'm a fanatical Yido!)

A couple of comments:

1) Martin Keown
Has seen off Steve Bould who will be the first of the 'old boyz' to leave Arsenal.

I believe that his performances have been good, and if Adams and Keown are allowed to play together in the England defence I will be very, very happy. Sol is 'the best' but has had a poor season carrying the rest, sorry the lack, of the Spurs defence, and I think it would be damaging to Sol if he played when not at his best.

2) Michael Owen.
Fantastic player. Or is he ?

I have a problem with this young man. He has a head for goals and knows where the net is, but does he know that other players can be passed to within the 18 yard box?

Ask yourself a question. When did Robbie Fowler (a magnificent goalscorer) stop scoring?

Answer: When Owen got into the Liverpool first team.

If you play a lone striker, Owen is perfect. Pace, intelligent and a good finisher. Shame he does not use his intelligence to supply the ball. Shearer played with him for England and it was obvious that Shearer was not at all happy with the 'Glory Hunting' aspects of Young Michael Owen (as he seems to be known).

Be careful if you pick him Hodd. It could be a nail in your coffin.

Simon Cherry

It's been a hard season for Sol and how much longer will he put up with Ramon and co? You seem rather hard on Owen, though. No striker is more selfish than Shearer and that is exactly what strikers are supposed to be. He did create goals as well as score them for Liverpool when his teammates could keep up! And while he has been single-minded for England, as soon as he scored that personally vital first goal he then set up one of the best chances against Morocco for Gascoigne.



 
  BETTER BALANCE?

Your team is not bad, but I think I have a wonderful balance and class in my line-up. Please you could show this line-up in the newspaper with your view, because I have put a lot of research into producing this team.

1. D. Seaman
2. D. Beckham (wing back)
3. G. Le Saux (wing back)
4. S. Campbell (right centre back)
5. N. Dabizas (left centre back)
6. T. Adams (centre back)
7. D. Batty (centre midfield)
8. P. Gascoigne (right midfield)
9. A. Shearer
10. D. Bergkamp
11. M. Overmars (left midfield)

Gatenby

Hmmm. Three Newcastle players, plus a former one whose big contribution in England this season was giving away the ball for the first goal in the Coca Cola Cup Final. - DK


AN ARSENAL FAN WRITES

Danny Kelly's lost it,
Danny Kelly's lost it,
La la la la,
La la la la.

I think your obvious affection towards Spurs has coloured your judgement (and I know you put five Gooners in). I can't honestly think of a better team this season than Arsenal (yes, I am a Gooner). But in all honesty I'll have to let Gary Neville step in ahead of Dixon (only due to age) and replace Anelka or Wright with Owen (solely due to the fact that he's played more games).
But the rest of my team figures as Arsenal:

Seaman, Neville, Adams, Keown, Winterburn, Parlour, Vieira, Petit, Overmars, Bergkamp, Owen!!!!!!!!

Sorry for the biased view, but how can anyone argue??

Steve Collins

On the strength of the first half of the season. Brilliantly though Arsenal played from January until they had won the title, any team that loses twice to Liverpool can't be that good. - DK


SENT FROM COVENTRY?

4-4-2
Manager: Gordon Strachan

Schmeichel (Man Utd) - Has anybody ever beaten him in a one on one?

Neville. G (Man Utd) - Unspectacular but effective
Adams (Arsenal) - At his best unbeatable
Southgate (Aston Villa) - Villa were tight even when they played poorly
Le Saux (Chelsea) - Best of a bad left back lot

Petrescu (Chelsea) - Much underrated
Boateng (Coventry) - Workhorse for the midfield
Kewell (Leeds) - Gifted, gifted and gifted
Lazaridis (West Ham) - Would get up and down and possesses a terrific left foot

Huckerby (Coventry) - Most exciting player in the premier
Owen (Liverpool) - Second most exciting

Paul Beattock

It's very good, but it wouldn't get enough goals from midfield. Owen and Huckerby might be just too similar (perhaps Liverpool's problem with Owen and Fowler?) Oh, and Stan Lazaridis! - DK

THE LUCAS RADEBE FAN CLUB

Thank goodness you didn't mention our Lucas, who's been outstanding this year. The new Paul McGrath. Man to man perfection. Vision supreme. You'll never beat Radebe! (Unless you're Wolves)

My Dream XI:

Seaman, Kelly, Adams, Radebe, Winterburn, Batty, Huckerby, Parlour, Redfearn, Jimmy (Hasselbaink), Owen.

Cheers

Nif

Leeds were certainly one of the most improved teams in the division, but while I could swallow my pride and pick Arsenal players, I couldn't bring myself to pick a George Graham player. - DK

ANOTHER VOTE FOR ADAMS

Nah. Tony before Dublin anyday. PLUS Call me old and defensive, but I don't think three defenders is enough. Maybe with an anchor such as Petit, but if I had to choose three defenders to stop the opposition from scoring they would be Adams, Keown, Pallister.

Duncan Harris

I think Tony Adams has been the best defensive player in England since Liverpool lost the conveyor belt of Lawrenson, Hansen etc. The fact that he's actually got better is a credit to himself and Arsene Wenger and a sharp reminder to people like me to lay off the lager. - DK


SOME MINOR TINKERING

I thought your team was very good. I would only make a couple of changes. I agree about Wise, to my mind he is a much better bet than Batty, a fairly ordinary performer who will be lucky to survive the new tackling laws in the World Cup. My team would be :

Seaman; Neville G, Adams, Dublin; Wise, Parlour, Ince, Vieira, Overmars; Bergkamp, Sutton.

Best wishes

John McIntyre

Although he picked up after Christmas, Paul Ince really didn't have the kind of season at Liverpool he'd have hoped for in August. - DK


ACTUALLY, YOU'VE GOT IT RIGHT

Pretty well bang on! Dublin is the best defender in the England squad.

John Orr

Another satisfied customer! - DK

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