EPL Best XI of Week 1: New Signings Rule the Slate
Posted 18 Aug 2008 at 10:51 PM by Breton Bonnette
Updated 19 Aug 2008 at 08:33 AM by Breton Bonnette
Updated 19 Aug 2008 at 08:33 AM by Breton Bonnette
SHAY GIVEN (Newcastle - GK)
1st Selection
The sheer quality of saves gives him the Best XI nod for this week. When Given faced shots, he didn't face flubs. He faced hard-driven, point blank rockets. Somehow, he parried them away. Darren Fletcher's equalizer was the one that got away - the kind of shot he was saving all night, a 5-yard, point blank rocket. But it wasn't meant to be (in fact, physically I'm not sure how he saved the first couple point blankers). At least, Given allowed the Magpies to move on from the 6-0 drubbing they took last year. Some of the first impressions we got from players might be deceiving, but if there's one thing for sure, it's that Shay Given is going be the heart of Newcastle's defense day-in and day-out.
FABRICIO COLOCCINI (Newcastle - D)
1st Selection
The central partnership of Coloccini and Steven Taylor kept Manchester United at bay. Darren Fletcher's goal for United was scored when one part of the duo - Taylor - was off on the sideline waiting to be ushered back on. The Argentinian just recently signed for the Magpies and instantly brought his big game experience with him the Newcastle backline. Shay Given came up big a couple times against Wayne Rooney and Fraizer Campbell, but for the most part Coloccini really limited Rooney to a lot less than he was used to. Kevin Keegan already has big expectations for the pairing of Coloccini and Taylor and the tempering of United's offense was one step closer to his standards.
GRETAR STEINSSON (Bolton - D)
1st Selection
The Bolton back line looked surprisingly solid, although much of it had to do with how the momentum of the game (oh, and the fact they were playing recently promoted squad Stoke City). Defensive prowess was not the highlight of Steinsson's game however and it certainly didn't solely put him in the Best XI. The Icelandic international fired a brilliant shot to start Bolton's run of three goals on Stoke. The shot was unbelievable, but it doesn't change the fact I see Bolton in the last 3 spots 37 matches from now.
JOSE BOSINGWA (Chelsea - D)
1st Selection
Where's this guy get the energy? Bosingwa was all over the place in Chelsea's 4-0 thrashing of Portsmouth. All of these debuts and Bosingwa's was definitely the class of the new EPL defenders. Bosingwa was able to get up the right side to launch a cross that found Nicolas Anelka for the game's second goal. If Chelsea can continue getting this kind of production from its fullbacks (Bosingwa and Ashley Cole), it will be the Blues year. Bosingwa had very little to deal with on the other end as the long anticipated Crouch-Defoe duo misfired for the most part. What the Portuguese international had to deal with, he did so admirably, already showing he has the potential to live up to his expectations and price tag this year.
READER'S SELECTIONS: John Terry (Chelsea), Ricardo Carvalho (D)
STEWART DOWNING (Middlesbrough - M)
1st Selection
I still don't quite understand how Downing has remained at Teeside this long, especially after years of transfer speculation. Downing raided the left flank repeatedly, rifling the shot that eventually fell to defender David Wheater for the go-ahead goal. The winger provided the service that kept the Hotspur's defense on their heels and the spark needed to ensure Tottenham another mediocre start to the season. Downing's set pieces also gave problems to Tottenham's defense, but that's what you get when you have target strikers like Mido and Alves to fire at. The service is going to have to continue free-flowing all year in order for Boro to crack the top 10.
DECO (Chelsea - M)
1st Selection
It's really easy to say that a seasoned veteran like Deco should come in and adapt right away to a new league, new team, etc., but rarely does a debut ever match that expectation. Deco's did, however, as he patrolled and led the Blues midfield - even cracking a long range shot that caught Pompey keeper David James off guard and solidified a Chelsea domination. Deco's first game had some flaws, but he looked at home in the Chelsea midfield.
WILSON PALACIOS (Wigan - M)
1st Selection
Yea, the Latics lost to West Ham, but Palacios - as he did last year - really caught my eye in this match-up. You could definitely make out why Manchester United would have expressed any sort of interest in him. The 24-year old Honduran, along with Antonio Valencia, has impressed since coming to the EPL. The Latics had 27 shots against West Ham, but the Hammers inflicted damage early taking advantage of a listless Wigan squad for the first 15 minutes. Palacios was a big part of the resurgence after those first 15 minutes (in which West Ham scored twice). He kept West Ham guessing and with better finishing, this could have been a completely different game. Both Palacios and knew loan signing Amr Zaki, based on their season debut (though how much can you base off of that?), could keep Wigan away from the dreaded relegation zone this year.
SAMIR NASRI (Arsenal - M)
1st Selection
Nice debut if you score a goal within the first 5 minutes of donning the Arsenal jersey of EPL play. The Gunners dominated, but West Brom still held tall throughout - weathering a storm of 26 shots. Nasri was an integral part in Wenger's relentless offensive pressure. He looked the veteran amongst the young midfield of Nasri, Denilson, and Walcott, embracing the playmaking role. The $25 million man was the only real encouraging part of Wenger's set-up as Arsenal seemed to cruise control through the Baggie threat.
ASHLEY YOUNG (Aston Villa - M)
1st Selection
Snubbed from Fabio Capello's English call-ups for this week's international friendly, Young took it upon himself - just like his teammate Agbonlahor - to show Capello what he would in fact be missing. Gareth Barry, who captained the midfield for Villa, had one hell of a game but Young was simply unstoppable on the flanks, providing service on two Villa's 4 goals.
READER'S SELECTION: Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle)
GABRIEL AGBONLAHOR (Aston Villa - F)
1st Selection
See the "Four Star" Weekend Review for more on his season debut. Gabby was lights out, wreaking major havoc on the flanks and even giving Micah Richards a run for his money. Probably the easiest pick of this week's squad.
FERNANDO TORRES (Liverpool - F)
1st Selection
Overall, it wasn't the greatest performance from El Nino, but it's amazing how all this kid needs is ONE opening. And that's exactly what happened. The Euro 2008 champion was ultimately non-existent until he managed to turn a ball on net, only to watch his teammate and new strike partner, Robbie Keane, accidentally block his shot. He's in this week's XI purely because of his ability to change a game on the dime, especially a fast-paced, scrappy one like this one vs. Sunderland. Torres will now have to turn his thoughts to strengthening his partnership with Keane as it has yet to
look as dangerous as first expected.
READER'S SELECTION: Dean Ashton (West Ham United, 2g vs. Wigan)
Who would you put on the bench? Replace? Anyone else impress you in the first weekend...?
1st Selection
The sheer quality of saves gives him the Best XI nod for this week. When Given faced shots, he didn't face flubs. He faced hard-driven, point blank rockets. Somehow, he parried them away. Darren Fletcher's equalizer was the one that got away - the kind of shot he was saving all night, a 5-yard, point blank rocket. But it wasn't meant to be (in fact, physically I'm not sure how he saved the first couple point blankers). At least, Given allowed the Magpies to move on from the 6-0 drubbing they took last year. Some of the first impressions we got from players might be deceiving, but if there's one thing for sure, it's that Shay Given is going be the heart of Newcastle's defense day-in and day-out.
FABRICIO COLOCCINI (Newcastle - D)
1st Selection
The central partnership of Coloccini and Steven Taylor kept Manchester United at bay. Darren Fletcher's goal for United was scored when one part of the duo - Taylor - was off on the sideline waiting to be ushered back on. The Argentinian just recently signed for the Magpies and instantly brought his big game experience with him the Newcastle backline. Shay Given came up big a couple times against Wayne Rooney and Fraizer Campbell, but for the most part Coloccini really limited Rooney to a lot less than he was used to. Kevin Keegan already has big expectations for the pairing of Coloccini and Taylor and the tempering of United's offense was one step closer to his standards.
GRETAR STEINSSON (Bolton - D)
1st Selection
The Bolton back line looked surprisingly solid, although much of it had to do with how the momentum of the game (oh, and the fact they were playing recently promoted squad Stoke City). Defensive prowess was not the highlight of Steinsson's game however and it certainly didn't solely put him in the Best XI. The Icelandic international fired a brilliant shot to start Bolton's run of three goals on Stoke. The shot was unbelievable, but it doesn't change the fact I see Bolton in the last 3 spots 37 matches from now.
JOSE BOSINGWA (Chelsea - D)
1st Selection
Where's this guy get the energy? Bosingwa was all over the place in Chelsea's 4-0 thrashing of Portsmouth. All of these debuts and Bosingwa's was definitely the class of the new EPL defenders. Bosingwa was able to get up the right side to launch a cross that found Nicolas Anelka for the game's second goal. If Chelsea can continue getting this kind of production from its fullbacks (Bosingwa and Ashley Cole), it will be the Blues year. Bosingwa had very little to deal with on the other end as the long anticipated Crouch-Defoe duo misfired for the most part. What the Portuguese international had to deal with, he did so admirably, already showing he has the potential to live up to his expectations and price tag this year.
READER'S SELECTIONS: John Terry (Chelsea), Ricardo Carvalho (D)
STEWART DOWNING (Middlesbrough - M)
1st Selection
I still don't quite understand how Downing has remained at Teeside this long, especially after years of transfer speculation. Downing raided the left flank repeatedly, rifling the shot that eventually fell to defender David Wheater for the go-ahead goal. The winger provided the service that kept the Hotspur's defense on their heels and the spark needed to ensure Tottenham another mediocre start to the season. Downing's set pieces also gave problems to Tottenham's defense, but that's what you get when you have target strikers like Mido and Alves to fire at. The service is going to have to continue free-flowing all year in order for Boro to crack the top 10.
DECO (Chelsea - M)
1st Selection
It's really easy to say that a seasoned veteran like Deco should come in and adapt right away to a new league, new team, etc., but rarely does a debut ever match that expectation. Deco's did, however, as he patrolled and led the Blues midfield - even cracking a long range shot that caught Pompey keeper David James off guard and solidified a Chelsea domination. Deco's first game had some flaws, but he looked at home in the Chelsea midfield.
WILSON PALACIOS (Wigan - M)
1st Selection
Yea, the Latics lost to West Ham, but Palacios - as he did last year - really caught my eye in this match-up. You could definitely make out why Manchester United would have expressed any sort of interest in him. The 24-year old Honduran, along with Antonio Valencia, has impressed since coming to the EPL. The Latics had 27 shots against West Ham, but the Hammers inflicted damage early taking advantage of a listless Wigan squad for the first 15 minutes. Palacios was a big part of the resurgence after those first 15 minutes (in which West Ham scored twice). He kept West Ham guessing and with better finishing, this could have been a completely different game. Both Palacios and knew loan signing Amr Zaki, based on their season debut (though how much can you base off of that?), could keep Wigan away from the dreaded relegation zone this year.
SAMIR NASRI (Arsenal - M)
1st Selection
Nice debut if you score a goal within the first 5 minutes of donning the Arsenal jersey of EPL play. The Gunners dominated, but West Brom still held tall throughout - weathering a storm of 26 shots. Nasri was an integral part in Wenger's relentless offensive pressure. He looked the veteran amongst the young midfield of Nasri, Denilson, and Walcott, embracing the playmaking role. The $25 million man was the only real encouraging part of Wenger's set-up as Arsenal seemed to cruise control through the Baggie threat.
ASHLEY YOUNG (Aston Villa - M)
1st Selection
Snubbed from Fabio Capello's English call-ups for this week's international friendly, Young took it upon himself - just like his teammate Agbonlahor - to show Capello what he would in fact be missing. Gareth Barry, who captained the midfield for Villa, had one hell of a game but Young was simply unstoppable on the flanks, providing service on two Villa's 4 goals.
READER'S SELECTION: Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle)
GABRIEL AGBONLAHOR (Aston Villa - F)
1st Selection
See the "Four Star" Weekend Review for more on his season debut. Gabby was lights out, wreaking major havoc on the flanks and even giving Micah Richards a run for his money. Probably the easiest pick of this week's squad.
FERNANDO TORRES (Liverpool - F)
1st Selection
Overall, it wasn't the greatest performance from El Nino, but it's amazing how all this kid needs is ONE opening. And that's exactly what happened. The Euro 2008 champion was ultimately non-existent until he managed to turn a ball on net, only to watch his teammate and new strike partner, Robbie Keane, accidentally block his shot. He's in this week's XI purely because of his ability to change a game on the dime, especially a fast-paced, scrappy one like this one vs. Sunderland. Torres will now have to turn his thoughts to strengthening his partnership with Keane as it has yet to
look as dangerous as first expected.
READER'S SELECTION: Dean Ashton (West Ham United, 2g vs. Wigan)
Who would you put on the bench? Replace? Anyone else impress you in the first weekend...?
Total Comments 3
Comments
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Ashton should be in over Torres.
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Posted 19 Aug 2008 at 04:10 AM by billgrant88
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The thing I hate about these things, is when people insist on putting together a team (instead of the best XI regardless of position) and then put together a laughable grouping of players who would ship 5+ goals a game if asked to take the field together. Bosingwa in a 3 man backline? Palacios as a holding midfielder?
That said, I can't see how Jonas Gutierez doesn't make this list when two other Newcastle players did as he was, for my money, the clear MOTM. Also, I don't think Terry would be out of place here, the ease at which he and Carvalho handled the Crouch/Defoe partnership should be disconcerting to Portsmouth fans and perhaps a reminder of why these players were shipped out by more ambitious teams (Tottenham and Liverpool). |
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Posted 19 Aug 2008 at 07:47 AM by B Rock
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Well, it's not meant to be a tactical formation. Hell, this team isn't playing for anything...this is just a way of highlighting the ups of the week. And where does it say Wilson Palacios will be put in holding midfield?
As for your thoughts, they are right on...I think Gutierrez looked fantastic against United. Caused a load of trouble for Vidic. The only guy I would consider replacing him with is Downing, but he looked pretty good himself - maybe even the MOTM for Boro. As for Chelsea's backline, I think anyone of those guys deserved it - Carvalho, Terry, and even Ashley Cole. Cole and Bosingwa mostly for their offensive exploits and your definitely right, Terry and Carvalho gave Crouch and Defoe no more than a little sniff on goal. As for the Best XI, I like doing these only cause it's an easy to sum up the weekend (hitting on high points and players) without having to do a full-fledged match recap. |
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Posted 19 Aug 2008 at 08:30 AM by Breton Bonnette
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