As EPL, the best football league in world is half way through the season of 2019-20, I was looking at the season's performance so far. It’s almost two different classes there – Liverpool and rest of the pack. EPL had always been extremely competitive but with inflow of almost unlimited riches from top to bottom, these days every EPL club has a deep, deep pocket. They can hire/fire top class managers, buy/keep star players even for relegation battle, when few years back these Managers/players would have resigned/submitted transfer requests. For example, Wilfred Zaha is at CPalace for few years now, when he can go to almost every club or league. In this context what Liverpool has achieved this season so far (more precisely calendar year of 2019), is almost unreal – they are the stand out team for this season (year), without any doubt.
I was more interested about individuals – the best players of EPL this year. In a 4-2-3-1 formation, who are the best players to fit in? Personally, I like double pivot 4-2-3-1 formation most, because it’s the most fluid and dynamic system. It needs the most technically skilled all-round players to master the formation, but at it’s best, this formation allows a perfect balance between attack, defense and possession. This is my best XI for EPL at half-way stage
1. GK: Schmeichel (Leicester City). I was stuck between him & Ederson, until later one made a blunder.
2. RB: TAA (Liverpool)
4. CB: VVD (Liverpool)
5. CB: Fikayo Tomori (Chelsea). This one was a tough call – there are few others in contention, but over the course this guy has performed consistently, and he has been instrumental in Chelsea punching above weight. Matip, Sounchu, Schar, Evans, Coady, Ake also has performed well at CB, but I go for the young Canadian.
3. LB: Robertson (Liverpool). This is very close call again. There had been few excellent wing-backs this season – definitely Wan Bissaka and Ricardo Pereira, but both of them are RBs and I don’t think right now there is a better RB in world than TAA in 4-2-3-1 system (may be not the best defender, but as overlapping WB, he is a contender for EPL player of the season), and I won’t play a RB as make-shift LB, so Wan Bissaka misses out. Chilwell is probably the next best in line as LB.
6. DM: Fabinho (Liverpool)
8. DM: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester). This one was really tight pick – there had been so many top quality DM/CM this year that picking Fabinho’s partner was really tough. Few other close picks were Chelsea pair of Kante & Jorginho, Villa's McGinn, L'pool's Henderson, Spurs' Sissoko, MCity's Farnandinho, Arsenal's Goundouse, ….. but I am looking for more of a box to box running DM (CM), to link the play for 90 minutes as I’ll play Fabinho to cover the back line and attack with wing-backs – Ndidi is better than Henderson for a B2B midfielder for sure, while others are not runners. He had been the power dynamo for Leicester this year and has played every minute of EPL that he was in squad till last game. Tough call, but for a surprising reason both Chelsea Managers have used Kante as running mid-fielder to fit in Jorginho as DM and Kante isn't comfortable in that role, otherwise Kante-Fabinho is the best pairing for the 2s of 4-2-3-1.
10. AM: KDB (MCity) – probably the 2nd best player in EPL right now and he’ll break the EPL assist record one day for sure. I don’t think in that central AM role for a 4-2-3-1, there is any better player in world than KDB. At his best Ozil could have challenged, but not now. Erikson has faded away while Alli is just not that good.
11. LW: Sadio (Liverpool) – simply the best player of EPL this season and he’ll win Ballon d Oorr next December, if Liverpool makes the CL SF at least (along with EPL title). His work rate is unbelievable and his contribution is like Messi of Barca – for a team leading the table by 13 points (with a game in hand), this guy has direct/indirect contribution in almost 50% of the goals, and no one presses the back line like him. Only players in that role I’ll say better in last 20 years were probably Henry & CR07. Son, Rashford, Silva has been great, but no one can beat Sadio for that left-attacker’s role, not even close.
7. RW: Bernardo Silva (MCity). Another tough call – it was really tight between Silva, Mo & Raheem, but eventually I went for the outstanding skilled MCity player because they are still 3rd on the table despite terrible form for an injury hit squad, still they are runaway 2nd best in league because of these two guys I have picked.
9. CF: Vardy (Leicester). Without a shadow of doubt, I rate JV as the best No. 9 of EPL right now – the ultimate target man for arrow-shaped attack. His work rate is excellent, he holds on to ball long, can play 1-2 with all 3 attackers surrounding him, doesn’t go down easily, doesn’t get off-side much and most importantly he scores vital goals. He has been instrumental alone for at least 10-12 points for Rogers this season. He is not the best guy as part of an attacking pair (4-4-2, which Southgate uses mostly, or 5-3-2/3-5-2) and Southgate will pick Kane as his premier striker, hence Verdy won’t be a start for England, but for Leicester, he is irreplaceable. It’s almost like Henry – two different players for Arsenal and France. For a highly skilled, compact mid-field dominated team like France of 1998-2006, Henry was never more than an excellent player (actually Pires & Ribery were better for France!!!), but in Wenger’s formation, he was arguably the best player of EPL era for his speed, all-round skills and vision; Vardy is something similar – his legacy won’t be justified by England shirt. Aguero, Kane, Firmino, Auba are definitely better skilled CF than Vardy, but I’ll pick him in this squad to be the target man for 3 of the best creative players in world surrounding him.
Captain: In a football game, probably most useless honor, but still I need one to convey the message and to argue with officials – my man is Virgil, the best CB in contemporary world, that too officially.
Manager: Klopp – who else?
Just for the honor, this’ll be my 2nd XI:
1. Ederson
2. Wan-Bissaka
4. Caglar Soyuncu
5. Matip
3. Chilwell
6. Kante
8. Pogba. Still, the best player for MU and whatever I have seen him in play this season, he looks a different class in that MU line-up. It didn’t work at MU for some reason, but at 26 he has already achieved more than rest of entire MU squad and not every day Real, PSG & Juve cues for one player.
10. David Silva – tough call, but though he has lost a bit of pace, still D Silva is a wonderful playmaker, just ahead of Ozil & Eriksen, even now. Bobby Firmino isn’t a No. 10, rather a false 9, doesn’t make the cut.
11. Mo. It could have been Son as well, I went for the Liverpool player)
7. Sterling
9. Auba. Kane just misses out by a whisker, while Aguero needs more minutes to beat Auba. Tammy Abraham is still too young. While former Liverpool kid Inggs has been exceptional for relegation battler Saints, but Auba is at different class in terms of skills.
Captain: Pogba
Manager: BRogers
I was more interested about individuals – the best players of EPL this year. In a 4-2-3-1 formation, who are the best players to fit in? Personally, I like double pivot 4-2-3-1 formation most, because it’s the most fluid and dynamic system. It needs the most technically skilled all-round players to master the formation, but at it’s best, this formation allows a perfect balance between attack, defense and possession. This is my best XI for EPL at half-way stage
1. GK: Schmeichel (Leicester City). I was stuck between him & Ederson, until later one made a blunder.
2. RB: TAA (Liverpool)
4. CB: VVD (Liverpool)
5. CB: Fikayo Tomori (Chelsea). This one was a tough call – there are few others in contention, but over the course this guy has performed consistently, and he has been instrumental in Chelsea punching above weight. Matip, Sounchu, Schar, Evans, Coady, Ake also has performed well at CB, but I go for the young Canadian.
3. LB: Robertson (Liverpool). This is very close call again. There had been few excellent wing-backs this season – definitely Wan Bissaka and Ricardo Pereira, but both of them are RBs and I don’t think right now there is a better RB in world than TAA in 4-2-3-1 system (may be not the best defender, but as overlapping WB, he is a contender for EPL player of the season), and I won’t play a RB as make-shift LB, so Wan Bissaka misses out. Chilwell is probably the next best in line as LB.
6. DM: Fabinho (Liverpool)
8. DM: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester). This one was really tight pick – there had been so many top quality DM/CM this year that picking Fabinho’s partner was really tough. Few other close picks were Chelsea pair of Kante & Jorginho, Villa's McGinn, L'pool's Henderson, Spurs' Sissoko, MCity's Farnandinho, Arsenal's Goundouse, ….. but I am looking for more of a box to box running DM (CM), to link the play for 90 minutes as I’ll play Fabinho to cover the back line and attack with wing-backs – Ndidi is better than Henderson for a B2B midfielder for sure, while others are not runners. He had been the power dynamo for Leicester this year and has played every minute of EPL that he was in squad till last game. Tough call, but for a surprising reason both Chelsea Managers have used Kante as running mid-fielder to fit in Jorginho as DM and Kante isn't comfortable in that role, otherwise Kante-Fabinho is the best pairing for the 2s of 4-2-3-1.
10. AM: KDB (MCity) – probably the 2nd best player in EPL right now and he’ll break the EPL assist record one day for sure. I don’t think in that central AM role for a 4-2-3-1, there is any better player in world than KDB. At his best Ozil could have challenged, but not now. Erikson has faded away while Alli is just not that good.
11. LW: Sadio (Liverpool) – simply the best player of EPL this season and he’ll win Ballon d Oorr next December, if Liverpool makes the CL SF at least (along with EPL title). His work rate is unbelievable and his contribution is like Messi of Barca – for a team leading the table by 13 points (with a game in hand), this guy has direct/indirect contribution in almost 50% of the goals, and no one presses the back line like him. Only players in that role I’ll say better in last 20 years were probably Henry & CR07. Son, Rashford, Silva has been great, but no one can beat Sadio for that left-attacker’s role, not even close.
7. RW: Bernardo Silva (MCity). Another tough call – it was really tight between Silva, Mo & Raheem, but eventually I went for the outstanding skilled MCity player because they are still 3rd on the table despite terrible form for an injury hit squad, still they are runaway 2nd best in league because of these two guys I have picked.
9. CF: Vardy (Leicester). Without a shadow of doubt, I rate JV as the best No. 9 of EPL right now – the ultimate target man for arrow-shaped attack. His work rate is excellent, he holds on to ball long, can play 1-2 with all 3 attackers surrounding him, doesn’t go down easily, doesn’t get off-side much and most importantly he scores vital goals. He has been instrumental alone for at least 10-12 points for Rogers this season. He is not the best guy as part of an attacking pair (4-4-2, which Southgate uses mostly, or 5-3-2/3-5-2) and Southgate will pick Kane as his premier striker, hence Verdy won’t be a start for England, but for Leicester, he is irreplaceable. It’s almost like Henry – two different players for Arsenal and France. For a highly skilled, compact mid-field dominated team like France of 1998-2006, Henry was never more than an excellent player (actually Pires & Ribery were better for France!!!), but in Wenger’s formation, he was arguably the best player of EPL era for his speed, all-round skills and vision; Vardy is something similar – his legacy won’t be justified by England shirt. Aguero, Kane, Firmino, Auba are definitely better skilled CF than Vardy, but I’ll pick him in this squad to be the target man for 3 of the best creative players in world surrounding him.
Captain: In a football game, probably most useless honor, but still I need one to convey the message and to argue with officials – my man is Virgil, the best CB in contemporary world, that too officially.
Manager: Klopp – who else?
Just for the honor, this’ll be my 2nd XI:
1. Ederson
2. Wan-Bissaka
4. Caglar Soyuncu
5. Matip
3. Chilwell
6. Kante
8. Pogba. Still, the best player for MU and whatever I have seen him in play this season, he looks a different class in that MU line-up. It didn’t work at MU for some reason, but at 26 he has already achieved more than rest of entire MU squad and not every day Real, PSG & Juve cues for one player.
10. David Silva – tough call, but though he has lost a bit of pace, still D Silva is a wonderful playmaker, just ahead of Ozil & Eriksen, even now. Bobby Firmino isn’t a No. 10, rather a false 9, doesn’t make the cut.
11. Mo. It could have been Son as well, I went for the Liverpool player)
7. Sterling
9. Auba. Kane just misses out by a whisker, while Aguero needs more minutes to beat Auba. Tammy Abraham is still too young. While former Liverpool kid Inggs has been exceptional for relegation battler Saints, but Auba is at different class in terms of skills.
Captain: Pogba
Manager: BRogers
