Premier League Best XI - All Time

[Dave]

So, I was out drinking the other night with a group of my friends and the conversation began about who would make a team of the best players to ever grace the English Premier League. Some of the positions seemed universally discursive, with none of us able to reach a final decision on a team. So I am wondering who would (or perhaps would not) make your English Premier League Best XI?

Here's mine:

GK - Petr Cech

LB - Ashley Cole
CB - Nemaja Vidic
CB - John Terry
RB - Gary Neville

LW - Ryan Giggs
CM - Frank Lampard
CM - Paul Scholes
RW - David Beckham

CF - Thierry Henry
CF - Alan Shearer

I think this team is as close to an answer as I am likely to get but my mind still struggles with leaving out some notable people. No room in there for great players like Rio Ferdinand, Gareth Bale, Christiano Ronaldo, Roy Keane, Tony Adams, Patrick Viera or Dennis Bergkamp. Still, I think it serves it's purpose by being full of strong players and a good mix technical skills and pace.

Any other entries?

 

[MCMG]

Steven Gerrard is someone who I just love to watch. I understand he never won the PL but it doesn't retract from his constant performances for Liverpool. He is a complete midfielder who has done pretty much everything in his career. The goals, assists, controlling of a game as well as his work rate. Moreover, he can still deliver on occasion to this day. I personally rate him higher than both Lampard and Scholes.

I'd also say Ronaldo should be in the team. Only at Henry at his peak comes close to being on par with this guy. He's a machine and has somehow gotten better since leaving England. I love Beckham but, Ronaldo ought to take his place in the team.

I'm undecided who would play upfront. Shearer's goal return is astonishing but, in terms of ability, he can't really match Suarez, Drogba or Bergkamp. Drogba had some impressive longevity too and the medals to back it up. I'm going to cop out and only just put in another midfielder

GK - Cech ( I didn't really see much of Schmeichel)

RB - Neville
CB - Ferdinand
CB - Terry
LB - Cole

RM - Ronaldo
CM - Gerrard
CM - Scholes
LM - Giggs

AM - Lampard

ST - Henry

 

[Alastor]

GK - Peter Schmeichel

LB- Ashley Cole
CB - Sol Campbell
CB - John Terry
RB - Gary Neville

LW - Ryan Giggs
CM - Roy Keane
CM - Patrick Vieira
RW - Cristiano Ronaldo

ST - Alan Shearer
ST - Thierry Henry

 

[future admin]

Shmeichel
Neville-----Carragher-------Campbell-----Cole
Ronaldo-----Gerrard-----Vieira-----Giggs
Henry-----Shearer​

Yes, I'm (more than) slightly biased towards Liverpool, All-Time premier league XI is always so hard to do, you've got Lampard, Scholes, Keane and so on missing out in the midfield, would've tried a 4-5-1 but it's slightly unorthodox when picking best XIs, not to mention one of Shearer & Henry would've gone missing!

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

GK: Edwin Van Der Sar

RB: Dan Petrescu
CB: John Terry
CB: Gary Pallister
CB: Tony Adams
LB: Dennis Irwin

CM: Steven Gerrard
CM: Patrick Viera
CM: Matt Le Tissier

CF: Alan Shearer
CF: Louis Suarez

 

[L@RISANO]

GK - Peter Schmeichel

LB- Ashley Cole
CB - Sol Campbell
CB - John Terry
RB - Gary Neville

LW - Ryan Giggs
CM - Roy Keane
CM - Patrick Vieira
RW - Cristiano Ronaldo

ST - Alan Shearer
ST - Thierry Henry

Sounds about right.

Only thing is that the RB position sticks out like a sore thumb. Neville wasn't a bad player, but I think there were quite a few guys in the position that were better than him from the other leagues(Cafu, Thuram, Zanetti, Zambrotta come to mind amongst others...).

 

[Alastor]

Sounds about right.

Only thing is that the RB position sticks out like a sore thumb. Neville wasn't a bad player, but I think there were quite a few guys in the position that were better than him from the other leagues(Cafu, Thuram, Zanetti, Zambrotta come to mind amongst others...).

Yeah. I was tempted to just name 3 defenders and add one more attacker like Cantona or Bergkamp. Not many notable RBs in the Premier League era, especially during Neville's time. The position has gotten better in recent years with Ivanovic, Coleman, Sagna and Zabeleta all being pretty good and probably better than Neville over the years.

 

[L@RISANO]

Yeah. I was tempted to just name 3 defenders and add one more attacker like Cantona or Bergkamp. Not many notable RBs in the Premier League era, especially during Neville's time. The position has gotten better in recent years with Ivanovic, Coleman, Sagna and Zabeleta all being pretty good and probably better than Neville over the years.

After checking again...I'd say that Tony Adams also has a shout at being CB in the team ahead of either guy picked.

 

[Alastor]

After checking again...I'd say that Tony Adams also has a shout at being CB in the team ahead of either guy picked.

All are great but I really can't put Adams ahead of either. The peak of either of them were better than the peak of Adams. Vidic/Ferdinand has a shout too.

 

[L@RISANO]

All are great but I really can't put Adams ahead of either. The peak of either of them were better than the peak of Adams. Vidic/Ferdinand has a shout too.

I'd say they all have a legit shout and neither were really better than the others. Personally I'd have Terry and Adams in the cb positions, with Sol missing out.

 

[Its Clobberin' Time]

GK - Peter Schmeichel

RB- Gary Neville
CB- Tony Adams
CB- John Terry
LB- Ashley Cole

MR- Cristiano Ronaldo
MC- Paul Scholes
MC-Patrick Vieira
ML- Ryan Giggs

ST- Thierry Henry
ST- Alan Shearer

Very decent team!!

 

[Miko]

Well this is hard;

GK - Schmeichel
RB - Neville
LB - Cole
CB - Ferdinand
CB - Terry
CDM - Hargreaves
CM - Scholes
CM - Lampard
RW - Ronaldo
LW - Suarez
ST - Shearer

 

[Hit with Dirty Deeds]

If playing a plain old 4-4-2. My premiership all star eleven would be....

1. Peter Schemeichel

2. Lee Dixon
3. Stuart Pearce
4. Tony Adams
5. Jaap Stam

11. Ryan Giggs
7. Christiano Ronaldo
6. Roy Keane
8. Paul Scholes

9. Eric Cantona
10. Tierry Henry



I realise two teams..Manchester United and Arsenal build the bulk of the squad,
This wasn't intentional when thinking the team up. So many other great players were omitted ( honourable mentions will follow ) but this is the best team with what I feel are the best players from premiere league history.

Honourable mentions

Cech, Van der Sar, Terry, Cole, Carr, Dicks, Pallister, Cambell, Ginola, Ince, Fabregas, Beckham, Bale, Parker, Asprilla, Shearer, Van Nistelrooy, Sheringham

 

[Stone Cold Tea]

This is one of lifes hardest questions and if you asked me this tomorrow I would probably have a different answer to today but lets give it a crack.

GK: Van Der Sar. Gets the nod just ahead of the big Dane Schmeichel
RB: Zabaleta. Has to be for me his consistency is immense
CB: Vidic and Ferdinand. They were the best CB pairing in the world their prime.
LB: Ashley Cole. One of the 'Golden Generations' actual world class players.
DM: Yaya Toure and Patrick Vieria: That's the game won seeing them 2 line up against you.
AMavid Silva: Because I cant think of anyone else right now.
RW: Ronaldo: You'd be stupid not to.
ST: Thierry Henry: oozes class on and off the pitch.
LW:Gareth Bale: He just never fails.

Now you can probably tell my age from this team selection and are wondering why theres no Cantona in there etc but I can't justify picking players I never really got to witness. Like I say tomorrow I could come and pick a completely different team but right now that's my ship and I'm sailing it.