Secondly we want a functional team with a proper system. None of this playing 3 at the back rubbish to accommodate all of the good centre backs - football management is about tough decision making which is why Graham Taylor and Steve Claridge are both now pundits. And most importantly we want to right the wrong of choosing 90's talismen over the true greats of the Noughties. Like it not this is our generation and its not being flooded by 90's nostalgia, although admittedly that would make a very fun game as well.
First of all the system. Tactics in the Noughties differ in two distinct ways to that that had gone before. The emergence of the 'Makelele role' inspired of course by the famous holding midfielder of Los Galactico's Real Madrid with his move to Ranieri's framework for Mourinho's great Chelsea team of 2004-07 in 2003. This will let us re-live one of the biggest debates of the noughties in the classic 'Gerrard-Lampard' feud and their supposed inability to play together in central midfield.
Secondly the utilisation of a role that we know thanks to Pro Evolution Soccer as the 'Second Striker' or on Football Manager as 'Deep Lying Forward.' This position was inspired by Bergkamp's successful partnerships behind Wright, Anelka and Henry with his unique brand of skill and finess complimented the main bread-winners speed and finishing ability in a way never seen before in a league which was build on partnerships such as Shearer-Sutton, Rush-Aldridge, Fowler-Collymore, and Cole-Yorke at the turn of the century. This is going to give us a real headache but we're sticking to our guns and using the Noughties systems.
Number 1.
Names such as Van der Sar, Lehmann and Cech were bound to be thrown around of course. David James has stacked his own claim as a goalkeeping great on several occasions before ruining them all with an act of lunacy on the international stage. One man stands alone for this post. A man who has kept goal superbly behind a host of disastrous defences since 1997 for Newcastle United and the Republic of Ireland before his move in 2009 to moneybags Manchester City. Named in the Premiership team of the season in 2002 and 2006 - Given's consistency as a great shot stopper and a fiersome organiser in a testiment to his reputation.
Number 1. Shay Given.
Number 2.
We want a tradition English style full back who people only openly rate as a great player when he isn't present. Eboue and Lauren of Arsenal don't quite fit that bill and this position was the only flaw in Chelsea's great sides meaning the answer is obvious. A mancunian through and through who has experienced success at every level of club football with the Old Trafford side. A defender who has adapted his game from a bombing overlapping right back to an assured defensive stalwart for his beloved United.
Number 2- Gary Neville.
Number 3.
Left backs of our era have been a little different to the right backs. Whereas the 90's was epitomised by the engine of Cafu to the elegance of Maldini on the other side before the ferocious Roberto Carlos burst onto the scene making left back the new fashionably attacking position. We're rooting for an athletic full back who knows no bounds at either end of the pitch. The only left back I have ever seen contain our number 7. Step forward Ashley Cole.
Number 3. Ashley Cole
Number 4.
Well we said that this had to be done and there are a few candidates for this role. The symbol of the 'Makelele' role Claude himself is limited in comparison to our choice of Number 4. Unfortunately Roy Keane saw his greatest day in 1999 by numbing Zidane in the Del Alpi and guiding United to the historic final at the Nou Camp with a sensational showing. No we need a man who saw his career go up in lights during this decade. How about a man who led his side to a bit of an unbeaten run? A man who led his side to a Premiership title in which his side were not beaten once in their awesome campaign? The only man I have ever seen play one twos from the half-way line into the area and apply a composed finish. This is no ordinary holding midfielder. This is a leader, a titan and unfortunately a Frenchman.
Number 5.
We want our number 5 to be a footballing centre half. More in the mould of a Beckenbauer to a Baresi. Well Ricardo Carvalho has had his moments and in our opinion he's a much bigger reason behind John Terry's success than the media give him credit for. A man who single-handedly quelled England's attack during the 2006 World Cup. But its not quite enough unfortunately Ricardo. You won your European title with Porto not with our very own Manchester United. A man who until recently was never questioned. A man who in 2002 drove England clear of Argentina's potent attack and is definitely not as people try to say now carried my Nemanja Vidic. Look what happens to Vidic when our Number 5 isn't playing!
Number 5. Rio Ferdinand
Number 6.
Now we want a partner for Rio who puts his head in ridiculous places. How about his European title winning partner Nemanja Vidic? How about his opposite number during that final, England captain and leader of Mourinho's Chelsea, John Terry. Maybe a fantastic centre half whose unrivalled determination led to a passionate European Cup in 2005, pathed the way to a consecutive final in 2006 and has unfortunately for you Jamie Carragher never been enough for you to win this league therefore I'm afraid you've been pipped to the post as well. What made the noughties great for English football? Was John Terry involved in it? No he wasn't. Now if I recall Neville, Cole and Rio all played in a rather decent match in 2001 together. Quite a good result for England actually. Can't for the life of me think who was playing centre back with them? Wait a second was it the man who led Arsenal's unbeatable defence without the support of a consistent partner? Was it the man who took Pompey to FA Cup glory in 2008? The man who scored in the European Cup final of 2007, the World Cup of 2002, the European Championships of 2004 in which he was robbed of his lawful header and many more. Rio certainly isn't going to be nestling headers into the net from corners is he. Sol Campbell however, is.
Number 6. Sol Campbell
Number 7.
There's been a few good right wingers who have given a good number of left backs a vast array of different headaches over this decade. The emergence of the raw athletic speed dynamo comes in the form of Aaron Lennon and Theo Walcott - while the good old clever, tricky customer is personified by the likes of James Milner and Joe Cole. We've also seen a few prolific goal scorers from this position with Freddie Ljungberg gaining a reputation for scoring important goals with his timely surges into the area. The question is what do you get if you combine each of these qualities? A right winger who can terrify with his pace, humiliate with his trickery and put defences to the sword with his deadly finishing. In 2009 he became the most expensive footballer on the globe as Real Madrid paid a record fee of £80m to prize him away from Old Trafford where he scored 84 goals in a 6 year stint. Love him or loathe him Cristiano Ronaldo is a genius of our time and his exploits have not been rivalled by any other. He won the league, the cup, and the Champions League with United and he'll do it again with Madrid.
Number 7. Cristiano Ronaldo
Number 8.
Steven Gerrard can't have a bad shout for the number that has been his own at Anfield during this last decade. Neither surely can Paul Scholes who exorcised the demons of missing out in the 99 Nou Camp Final by featuring in United's victory in Moscow over Chelsea. However it is the man who we believe to have been the linchpin of the Chelsea side who were defeated in the 2008 final and continues to maintain his astonishing goalscoring record from his drifting midfield birth. Despite being undully hailed by his Sky Sports pundit and cousin Jamie Redknapp as some kind of mythical God - its hard to imagine another midfielder with the passing range, shooting prowess and perfect timing of his untrackable runs of Frank Lampard. Lampard has been major in every Chelsea side of this decade and ultimately proved his qualities as a leader with an astonishing performance against Liverpool in the Champions League Quarter Final of 2009 where he outshone his opposite number scoring 2 goals in an emotional encounter. Chelsea's 5th top goalscorer of all time - not bad for a midfielder who is still very much a goal threat in every game he plays.
Number 8- Frank Lampard
Number 9- We were oh so tempted to part with our policy of a typical noughties style but we've stuck to our guns and are going to fulfil the criteria. The man to do it isn't half bad. A unique talent in every way with the poise of Bergkamp, the strength of Hasslebaink, and the aggressive edge of England's greatest number 9 in our eyes Alan Shearer. He captured the imagination of the noughties generation in 2003 with his wonder strike against the unbeatable Arsenal side at the age of only 17. Since then he has been the driving force at the spearhead of every England attack and has complimented some of the finest players of the decade whilst winning the league and European title with Manchester United. A man who can only really be summed up as a 'boy who made it' whose honesty had won over the football loving world. Once a blue and always a red,
Number 10- A man who probably due to his own awkwardness has never actually worn this number. A man who has seen off competition from fellow marksmen his entire career to break records all over the world. He stormed the Premier League, he dethroned Ian Wright, has held the World Cup, has enjoyed the European Championship and in 2009 he finally held the ever elusive European Cup. Thierry Henry has achieved everything in football which is was sets him apart from other great noughties strikers such as Michael Owen and Ruud van Nistelrooy. Although it sticks in the throat to pick him as his last contribution to the noughties decade was to cheat Ireland out of a World Cup place it would be ridiculous not to recognise the outrageous exploits of a trully unreal striker.
Number 10- Thierry Henry
Number 11- It would be wrong not to briefly mention the elegant Robert Pires and the improvisational Joe Cole in this next slot. However these greats of the game do not compare with our choice on the left wing. A man who has scored in every single Premiership season. A man who after his magical solo effort which teed up the United treble of 99 it becomes hard to imagine that he could have ever made the noughties his best decade. Well 70 goals from the left wing, 5 Premier League titles, 3 domestic cups and of course that memorable European Cup victory of Moscow 2008 says that Ryan Wilson certainly has. He has successfully adapted his style from the speed demon, dribble wizard who every left footed kid in Britain wished to emulate during the late 90's to a mature, devilish midfielder whose educated left foot and model professionalism is greatly owed.
Number 11- Ryan Giggs.
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