Source: Manchester_EveningNews
Manchester's ultimate dream team
MANCHESTER?S dream team would be a nightmare for Carlos Tevez. The Argentine striker couldn?t even hold down a regular first team place when he was at Old Trafford, so would stand little chance of doing so in a side combined of United and City. Indeed, the £25m man would have a job just getting on the bench with Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen, Craig Bellamy and Roque Santa Cruz all vying for places in the squad. If that?s the talent that didn?t make the cut, how about those that did? A forward trio of Wayne Rooney, Emmanuel Adebayor and Robinho would have the perfect mixture of power, technique, mobility and goals. With Adebayor as the pinnacle and Rooney and Robinho dropping off or stretching the play out wide, they would be impossible to contain. The trio scored a combined 48 goals between them last season, with Rooney and Adebayor already looking like bettering their totals of 17 and 16 respectively with explosive starts to this term. To accommodate a three-pronged attack, Manchester?s dream team would have to deploy a three-man midfield. I?ve gone for an attacking engine room but one filled with players willing to put in a shift, like Ryan Giggs and Stevie Ireland. Still there will be a lot of onus on the only recognised enforcer in Darren Fletcher, who just gets the nod over Gareth Barry. It was a close call between the two, with Fletcher just edging it having established himself as a top-class box-to-box midfielder. Click here to see City reporter Stuart Brennan's selection His performances against Arsenal in last season?s Champions League semi-final is all the evidence you need to prove that he deserves a place. Right now, it is difficult to imagine anyone other than Chelsea in the Premier League not finding a first-team place for Fletcher. Owen Hargreaves would be another shout for the anchor role ? but much would depend on the England midfielder?s ability to recover from career-threatening double knee surgery. What the midfield lacks in muscle it more than makes up for in technique and creativity. With Giggs and Ireland, it is full of invention and goals ? and, crucially, the ability to retain possession. The back four has to be United?s. Sir Alex Ferguson?s hat-trick of Premier League titles and back-to-back Champions League finals has been built on the rock solid central defensive partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. It is hard to see either Kolo Toure or Joleon Lescott breaking up that partnership - especially given their shaky start to the season. Patrice Evra has proved himself Europe?s finest left back and offers plenty of attacking threat on the left, which will be needed with the lack of width in the midfield. On the right, it was a tough choice between Wes Brown and Rafael da Silva. Like Evra, Rafael?s attacking qualities would be a big bonus - but Brown?s greater sense of his defensive responsibilities gives him the edge. And behind them there was only one choice. With Ben Foster struggling to prove he is the man to succeed Edwin van der Sar with some shaky displays this season, Shay Given is an absolute shoo-in. The former Newcastle goalkeeper stands alongside Petr Cech as the best in the Premier League and how Ferguson must be kicking himself that he didn?t make a move for him when Mark Hughes did. James Robson's team: Shay Given, Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Wes Brown, Darren Fletcher, Ryan Giggs, Stephen Ireland, Robinho, Emmanuel Adebayor and Wayne Rooney. Agree with the team? Have your say. Click here to see City reporter Stuart Brennan's selection [LNB]
