Simon's Favorite 11 (#10-11)
Strikers: These were the two most difficult positions for me to choose. As you may guess from my earlier comments, I’m a very defensive-minded person when it comes to football. I think I played as a striker for 15 minutes of one game. I’ve played in goal more often than I’ve played as a forward. To me, all strikers look the same. That being said, I realize how critical a striker is to his team, even if I feel his role can be overstated at times. Casual football fans always gravitate toward the flashy forward or the consistent scorer. Wayne Rooney, for example, is a rare footballer whose name is fairly well-known in Canada. I adore Wayne Rooney and I do think he’s fantastic, but he is not hands-down the best striker in the world right now, and he is not the best player in the world. Still, his name is better-known than that of Ruud van Nistelrooij, who plays for the same team as Rooney and scored more goals than him this year.
The striker can be seen as the icing on the cake, but as a fullback I prefer to regard strikers as parasitic lampreys that feed off the hard work of others and contribute almost nothing to the team. Unfortunately, the small, one-dimensional service they do provide is absolutely critical for any successful football club, and as a result I had to make my choices quite carefully. As much as I tend to badmouth strikers, I really do like an awful lot of them, and I ultimately chose players I thought would best fit into my team rather than the two strikers I just happen to like the best.
Thierry Henry: As an English Man U fan, it may come as a shock that I want a French striker who plays for the Arsenal on my squad. Of course, the feeling of surprise may dwindle a bit upon the realization of just who Thierry Henry is. This guy has been hailed by some of the greatest players ever as the most technically gifted striker in history. People are taken aback by his technical skill, but it is his artistic flair that will be remembered long after he is gone. The best analogy I can think of is that of the prodigal violinist. You go to a concert and marvel at the precision of his playing, you admire the mastery he has over his craft. When you leave, however, you’re talking about the brief instant when he did something, often faintly and almost beyond perception, which you know no one else in the world could do. That is Thierry Henry. You could put a thousand kids through a rigorous training program and a lot of them will come out with technical skills rivaling those of Henry. Not a single one will possess the almost indescribable quality that makes Henry so special. He plays every game with the intention of being remembered for doing something no one else has done. He is the only 3-time FWA Footballer of the Year. A Thierry Henry exhibit should be opened in the Louvre. He is the champagne of football. He is, however, a delicate genius, and can be prone to sulking. As brilliant as Henry is, he’s akin to the kid who picks up his ball and walks home as soon as he starts to lose. My next choice ensures that Henry would never dare give up when playing for the Shoon 11.
Here is Thierry Henry. It really should be set to something by Mozart.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mJIi4upQLWo&search=thierry%20henry
Eric Cantona: If Thierry Henry is champagne, Eric Cantona is grog. Another fabulous Frenchman, Cantona has scored a few lovely goals in his time, but he is one of those few strikers who bring more than goal-scoring prowess into the game. This man galvanized Manchester United in the early 1990s. His inspirational play led to 1-0 wins that should have been 3-0 losses. He refused to have a bad game, and he refused to let his players have one either. This guy was intense. He was once suspended for tearing off his shirt in anger after being substituted. He criticized France’s coaching staff and was banned from international play for a year. He kicked a fan. This guy would scare Thierry Henry into producing a masterpiece every single match. Cantona also claims that he and Ryan Giggs share a telepathic bond, and I’d like to see how that bond manifests itself in my team. He is an excellent header of the ball and abhors diving in all its forms. The most important aspect of Eric Cantona’s game is his attitude, an attitude I try to keep every time I play football or any other sport. This attitude is summed up by Cantona’s famous quote, a quote I will leave you with, having finally formed my all-time favorite team.
“I don’t play against a particular team. I play against the idea of losing.”
Eric:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dpBd04pl2S8&search=eric%20cantona
As a final pair of statistics, my team (based on birthplace) consists of 3 Englishmen, 2 Frenchmen, 1 Canadian, 1 Welshman, 1 Irishman, 1 Brazilian, 1 German, and 1 Dane. I am not a national fan-boy. I am, however, a Man U fan-boy, as 5 of my players are current or former Red Devils.
The striker can be seen as the icing on the cake, but as a fullback I prefer to regard strikers as parasitic lampreys that feed off the hard work of others and contribute almost nothing to the team. Unfortunately, the small, one-dimensional service they do provide is absolutely critical for any successful football club, and as a result I had to make my choices quite carefully. As much as I tend to badmouth strikers, I really do like an awful lot of them, and I ultimately chose players I thought would best fit into my team rather than the two strikers I just happen to like the best.
Thierry Henry: As an English Man U fan, it may come as a shock that I want a French striker who plays for the Arsenal on my squad. Of course, the feeling of surprise may dwindle a bit upon the realization of just who Thierry Henry is. This guy has been hailed by some of the greatest players ever as the most technically gifted striker in history. People are taken aback by his technical skill, but it is his artistic flair that will be remembered long after he is gone. The best analogy I can think of is that of the prodigal violinist. You go to a concert and marvel at the precision of his playing, you admire the mastery he has over his craft. When you leave, however, you’re talking about the brief instant when he did something, often faintly and almost beyond perception, which you know no one else in the world could do. That is Thierry Henry. You could put a thousand kids through a rigorous training program and a lot of them will come out with technical skills rivaling those of Henry. Not a single one will possess the almost indescribable quality that makes Henry so special. He plays every game with the intention of being remembered for doing something no one else has done. He is the only 3-time FWA Footballer of the Year. A Thierry Henry exhibit should be opened in the Louvre. He is the champagne of football. He is, however, a delicate genius, and can be prone to sulking. As brilliant as Henry is, he’s akin to the kid who picks up his ball and walks home as soon as he starts to lose. My next choice ensures that Henry would never dare give up when playing for the Shoon 11.
Here is Thierry Henry. It really should be set to something by Mozart.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mJIi4upQLWo&search=thierry%20henry
Eric Cantona: If Thierry Henry is champagne, Eric Cantona is grog. Another fabulous Frenchman, Cantona has scored a few lovely goals in his time, but he is one of those few strikers who bring more than goal-scoring prowess into the game. This man galvanized Manchester United in the early 1990s. His inspirational play led to 1-0 wins that should have been 3-0 losses. He refused to have a bad game, and he refused to let his players have one either. This guy was intense. He was once suspended for tearing off his shirt in anger after being substituted. He criticized France’s coaching staff and was banned from international play for a year. He kicked a fan. This guy would scare Thierry Henry into producing a masterpiece every single match. Cantona also claims that he and Ryan Giggs share a telepathic bond, and I’d like to see how that bond manifests itself in my team. He is an excellent header of the ball and abhors diving in all its forms. The most important aspect of Eric Cantona’s game is his attitude, an attitude I try to keep every time I play football or any other sport. This attitude is summed up by Cantona’s famous quote, a quote I will leave you with, having finally formed my all-time favorite team.
“I don’t play against a particular team. I play against the idea of losing.”
Eric:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dpBd04pl2S8&search=eric%20cantona
As a final pair of statistics, my team (based on birthplace) consists of 3 Englishmen, 2 Frenchmen, 1 Canadian, 1 Welshman, 1 Irishman, 1 Brazilian, 1 German, and 1 Dane. I am not a national fan-boy. I am, however, a Man U fan-boy, as 5 of my players are current or former Red Devils.
posted by Simon at 10:59 AM
1 Comments:
I'd either have Rooney with Henry/Fowler, because Rooney is a link-up or I'd have Ronaldinho with Owen because Owen is one of the best runners off the ball and Ronaldinho sees passes before they are possible.
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