We said the previous MFXI was the penultimate one, but that was…well, it was a lie. This time it’s true, and just like the guys from The Sound of Football, Born Offside dedicated a podcast to picking their Favourite XI. So, thanks to Steve, Lee and Juwel for the podcast and this post.
You can also listen to the podcast [iTunes], visit the site and follow Born Offside on Twitter.
Previous Favourite XI: Ryan Keaney
Next Favourite XI: Narrow The Angle
When asked to pick our favourite eleven, the three of us never it expected it to be so difficult, especially when we needed to come to a compromise in our selections. We also never expected one of us to act like a child and throw his toys out of the pram when not getting his own way. Which is exactly what Lee did.
Picking from players we had only seen play live, not on TV or on highlights, made it more of a challenge, especially for Steve, who hadn’t seen top flight football for about five years. Steve opted to, as much as possible, select one Southampton player and one other for every position, while Juwel went for the best he had seen, and Lee went for West Ham United players only (and left out Marco Boogers).
Goalkeeper: Edwin Van Der Sar
It was between Antti Niemi, Ludek Miklosko and the veteran Dutchman. Steve went with Niemi assuming United fan Juwel would go for Schmeichel, and Lee began his policy of going with players that had played for West Ham, disregarding ability in many cases. However Juwel picked United’s current custodian Van Der Sar, who has won everything with Manchester United, as well as productive spells at Juventus and Ajax.
He was a unanimous choice, his success outweighing Niemi’s and Miklosko being the worst, by some way, of the three.
Defence: Rio Ferdinand, Michael Svensson, Slaven Bilic, Paolo Maldini
Everyone got their way in the back four, with Rio Ferdinand being picked across the board. Twitter’s biggest tweeter had played for both Lee and Juwel’s clubs and was Steve’s favourite ‘neutral defender’. It’s hard to argue with a group of people in their twenties that Ferdinand is one of the best players they have seen live.
Svensson and Bilic make it in as Steve’s favourite Southampton defender, and Lee’s favourite West Ham defender respectively. While not world beaters, both are adequate and impressed at their clubs.
Paolo Maldini made up the back four, being Juwel’s second choice (Steve also wanted to select Milan’s finest, but had only seen him train, and not play). The man who won everything during twenty years with AC Milan would also captain the side.
Midfield: Paul Scholes, Andrea Pirlo, Matt Le Tissier, Scott Parker
Scott Parker was the first of two compromises made to West Ham fan Lee. Hammer of the Year three times in a row, Parker has impressed for his club side this year, and forced his way into England recognition. Justifiable in some ways, but surely not at the expense of Patrick Vieira.
Steve entered Matt Le Tissier as a midfielder, partly down to his striker choice. There was no way this maverick could be left out. Lethal from the penalty spot, lethal anywhere within 35 yards of goal and a creative force for the team’s attack. Who wouldn’t enjoy watching the Channel Islander play?
Scholes and Pirlo, both Juwel’s choices, make up the midfield. Scholes has a great engine, good passing range and eye for goal, while Pirlo is a brilliant all round midfielder who has all the attributes a player in his position requires.
Our midfield wouldn’t provide much width, and Scott Parker would be the water carrier, but they would be great to watch.
Strikers: Marcelo Salas, Paolo Di Canio
Ruud Van Nistelrooy missed out amid an argument that soured the mood during selection. Salas, Steve’s choice, made the side. Steve saw him score a brace at Wembley as Chile beat England 2-0 back in 1998, and all three rated him having much of him in Channel 4′s Football Italia days, especially when he was at his best at Juventus.
Taking nothing away from the obvious ability that Di Canio had, Salas should be partnered by Ruud Van Nistelrooy. Di Canio was fantastic, a genius of a player who was always controversial and scored some blinding goals.
Van Nistelrooy was one of the best strikers the Premier League has ever seen, prolific wherever he has been and has a haul of trophies and medals that would make many players envious. But due to recording at 11.30pm, tiredness and hunger set in and Lee ground us down with petulance and childishness until we gave up and let him have his way.
Tags: Andrea Pirlo, Edwin van der Sar, Marcelo Salas, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Svensson, Paolo Di Canio, Paolo Maldini, Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand, Scott Parker, Slaven Bilic
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