A united team which will no doubt divide Liverpool

May 16 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

YES folks, it’s that time of the year where the good football hacks of Post Sport sit down to decide on Merseyside’s team of the season.

And when plenty of readers then contact us wondering what planet we live on.

Similar to last year, there has been much to admire from both Liverpool and Everton with the heavyweight pair now firmly ensconced among the country’s leading clubs.

Rafael Benitez gained a goatee beard, lost an assistant and had to concentrate on training and coaching his team as the club’s owners did their best to make matters more difficult than necessary.

David Moyes, meanwhile, also lost his number two but remained clean-shaven and led Everton to lengthy runs in the Carling Cup and Europe.

There were fine individual performances over the course of the season, and here is an attempt to mould a team that represents the best of the city from 2007-08.

GOALKEEPER: Merseyside is blessed with two excellent goalkeepers. Tim Howard came within a whisker of breaking Neville Southall’s Everton record for the number of clean sheets in a Premier League campaign, but having won the Golden Gloves award for the third successive year, Pepe Reina gets the nod.

RIGHT-BACK: Tony Hibbert and Phil Neville alternated on the right side of defence for Everton with success, while at Liverpool age and injury caught up with Steve Finnan and Alvaro Arbeloa was inconsistent. Because there is no outstanding candidate, and the team is well covered in central defence, Jamie Carragher will fill the position.

CENTRE-BACK: Daniel Agger’s absence for much of the season was a major blow for Liverpool, although Sami Hyypia impressively rolled back the years before Martin Skrtel eventually proved the wisdom of his January purchase. However, from December onward, the Everton pairing of Joseph Yobo and Phil Jagielka have been hugely influential in ensuring no side conceded fewer Premier League goals than the Goodison outfit in 2008.

LEFT-BACK: For Liverpool, Fabio Aurelio, while eyecatching when on the field, spent too much time injured off it and John Arne Riise’s disappointing campaign was encapsulated by THAT mistake. An easy choice, then, to retain Joleon Lescott for his sound defensive displays and potent goal threat.

RIGHT MIDFIELD: Last year, Mikel Arteta was one of the first names in this team but an injury-hampered year means the Spanish schemer misses out this time. Both Liverpool and Everton struggled to find any consistent performer on the right flank, until workaholic Dirk Kuyt dug deep with a late-season revival and some crucial goals in Europe.

CENTRE MIDFIELD: Another area where there are plenty of options. Lee Carsley again demonstrated his under-rated value to Everton, ably assisted by Leon Osman, Phil Neville and, all too fleetingly, Tim Cahill. For Liverpool, Momo Sissoko slumped before being sold, Xabi Alonso worryingly under-whelmed for long periods and Lucas Leiva was finding his feet. It means the talismanic Steven Gerrard and tigerish Javier Mascherano dominate.

LEFT MIDFIELD: Last season, the paucity of contenders was such that Jermaine Pennant was selected on the left despite playing practically the entire campaign on the right. This time, Ryan Babel requires a much-needed kick up the backside to get him moving, with Leon Osman instead taking a richly-deserved place in this line-up.

STRIKERS: There can be few complaints with this forward pairing. Andrew Johnson and Peter Crouch, who made last year’s team, were too inconsistent or too out-of-favour to be considered. Victor Anichebe, James Vaughan and Andriy Voronin struggled for fitness and form for long stretches. But in any case, it’s impossible to look beyond the 54-goal pairing of Fernando Torres and Yakubu to lead the line.

SUBSTITUTES: Tim Howard has to make do with bench duty this time around, Martin Skrtel has shown promise for the future, Lee Carsley deserves to be included somewhere while Steven Pienaar and Ryan Babel provide attacking options.

LAST SEASON’S MERSEY XI: Tim Howard; Steve Finnan, Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger, Joleon Lescott; Mikel Arteta, Steven Gerrard, Lee Carsley, Jermaine Pennant; Andrew Johnson, Peter Crouch.

CHRISTOPHER BEESLEY’S MERSEY XI: Pepe Reina; Jamie Carragher, Joleon Lescott, Sami Hyypia, Phil Jagielka; Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano, Leon Osman, Steven Pienaar; Fernando Torres, Yakubu.

NICK SMITH’S MERSEY XI: Tim Howard; Phil Neville, Joleon Lescott, Phil Jagielka, Jamie Carragher; Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano, Tim Cahill, Ryan Babel; Fernando Torres, Yakubu.

CHRIS WRIGHT’S MERSEY XI: Pepe Reina; Jamie Carragher, Martin Skrtel, Phil Jagielka, Joleon Lescott; Leon Osman, Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano, Steven Pienaar; Fernando Torres, Yakubu.