Source: Team_Talk
Man Utd v Prem All Stars: Pick your team
Rio Ferdinand suggested a Manchester United v Premier League All Star XI match on Tuesday, and Simon Wilkes invites you to pick your team.[LNB] We're pretty hot on Twitter here at TEAMtalk Towers and follow a string of Premier League footballers as they tweet about their antics.[LNB]So you can imagine our delight when Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand, a prolific 'Tweeter' with well over a million followers, came up with the idea of a 'League champions vs premierleagueallstarteam' match while on tour in the USA on Tuesday morning.[LNB]His throw-away suggestion was trending worldwide within hours and sparked a massive response among his many followers and fans.[LNB]So we'd thought we'd join the debate, coming up with our own All Star team we feel could take on United before inviting you, our loyal army of readers, to do the same.[LNB]To narrow the pool of options, you can only choose your starting XI from current Premier League players - and we're discounting stars unlikely to be playing in England's top tier next season, meaning Carlos Tevez is not available.[LNB]We'll match United's 4-4-2 formation so ask you to do the same.[LNB]TEAMtalk's All Star Premier League XI:[LNB]Goalkeeper: Pepe Reina.[LNB]Joe Hart is unlucky not to get the number one jersey but we've plumped for consistency and experience.[LNB]Defence: Branislav Ivanovic, Brede Hangeland, Vincent Kompany (c), Leighton Baines.[LNB]Bacary Sagna pushed hard for the right-back slot but we've gone for Ivanovic's better physical presence and goal-scoring threat. [LNB]Baines beats England star Ashley Cole to the left-back role after a fine season for the Toffees. [LNB]And at centre-back we're pairing Manchester City's Player of the Season Kompany, who takes the armband for us, with giant defender Hangeland, with Robert Huth and John Terry narrowly missing out to the man who was the backbone of Fulham's eighth-placed finish.[LNB]Midfield: Jermaine Pennant, Jack Wilshere, Charlie Adam, Luka Modric.[LNB]Samir Nasri, Rafael van der Vaart and Gareth Bale were all pushing hard for inclusion in our midfield - but they all faded badly in the second half of the season so we've gone for men who delivered the goods time and again.[LNB]Manchester City star Yaya Toure is unlucky to miss out following a fantastic debut season in England - but we want our boys to play the 'Holloway way' and entertain you, so he is overlooked on this occasion.[LNB]It's Wilshere's job to stick the boot in and get the ball to midfield mate Adam, who will be given licence to spray the ball around for our front two and widemen Pennant and Modric. [LNB]Pennant gets in ahead of Joey Barton to give us some width on the right flank, while Modric will be given the freedom to roam forward off the left in support of our strikers, who are...[LNB]Forwards: Luis Suarez, Robin van Persie. [LNB]Suarez only arrived on the Premier League stage in January, but what an entrance he made, scoring on his debut against Stoke and going on to bewitch defenders up and down the land with his dazzling footwork, eye for goal and blistering turn of pace.[LNB]Arsenal's season could and would have been a lot different if flying Dutchman van Persie had been fit for the full season - and his stunning goal-scoring record away from home and sweet left foot means he was one of the first names on our team sheet.[LNB]That's our selection, now choose yours through our 'add comment facility' and we might even pool a TEAMtalk Fans' XI and tweet it to Rio.
