The best of the Blues...

The cream of Goodison over recent years
By Daniel Gregory 11/03/08

We will all have our views on who has worn the shirt with most pride, determination and most importantly ability. But from my short time watching Everton I have seen some truly fantastic players, and some awful players (Earl Barratt springs to mind).

I have picked this eleven on the above three categories, not just on pure ability, and have tried to forget the circumstances in which they left the club as this doesn't change the way they played for the club during their time at Goodison.

Anyway, here goes:
In goal there was only one option for me:
Neville Southall. What a keeper Big Nev was, and I only got to see him briefly, and at the end of his career when he was pilling on the pounds, and looking more and more like a bin man everyday. The 1995 FA Cup final should be looked back upon as the Neville Southall final, nothing was getting past him that day. An Everton great. Tim Howard would be my second choice, he has been terriffic in goal for Everton since he signed from Manchester United and I believe he has the potential to go on and create a Neville Southall style dynasty.

At the back: This was a lot tougher than picking a keeper. Everton have had some great defenders over the past 15 or so years, David Weir, Alan Stubbs, Andy Hinchcliffe, Craig Short, the list goes on and on, but four names stand out for me as an Evertonian:
Joleon Lescott has been nothing short of phenominal since David Moyes brought him in in 2006. He reads the game well, is good in the air and can play either centre back or left back with equal ability. He is a fantastic defender and in my opinion Everton's most valuable asset at the moment.
David Unsworth is another who I can only think of in a positive fashion. A player who wore his heart on his sleave and gave 110% everytime he turned out for Everton. Also chipped in with his penalties, free kicks and corners. He had a fantastic left foot on him and I for one was gutted when he left.
Joseph Yobo is a centre back and a half. I quite simply couldn't leave him out. I was close to going for Stubbs or Weir but Yobo has been absolutely quality since signing from Marseilles. He is strong, agile, reads the game well and is a natural leader. He can show a bit too much composure sometimes but that is one of his very few faults.
Dave Watson was born to be Everton captain and did the job fantastically for a number of years. I only saw a little bit of him but that goes to show how impressive he was. Another defender good in the air, as well as strong. Watson was a no nonsense centre back who challenged hard and played in a robust, no holds barred style.

Choosing the midfield was again tough, but four names almost immediately popped into my head. I have seen quality midfielders such as Anders Limpar, Olivier Dacourt, Lee Carsley and Graham Stuart, but no one could get close to these four:
Andrei Kanchelskis was probably the best winger I have ever seen play the game, up there with Ryan Giggs for me. He was nothing short of breathtaking at times and could beat players for fun. I do feel we sold him at the right time, and that he went for the right price, but he was one the best players I have ever seen at Goodison.
Mikel Arteta is the heartbeat of the current Everton side, and probably the best in terms of ability we have ever had at the club. Arteta can pass, dribble, shoot, tackle, take free kicks and corners, and isn't shy of a tackle or two. Fantastic player.
Tim Cahill had to be in the side for me. A box to box player who pops up at vital moments and scores vital goals. Good in the air for his size, and can play in a four man midfield or a five man and helo out the striker. For me, Cahill should be captain of the current Everton side.
Thomas Gravesen is another who had to be in the side for me. It was a close call between him and his look a like Lee Carsley, but Tommy gets the nod as he can expand on the tough tackling game more than Carsley can, and has more ability with the ball at his feet. Didn't quite work out for him at Real Madrid and hasn't been the same since but he was outstanding in his first spell at the club. Hasn't really had an adequate chance in his second spell at Goodison to break into the side and will probably move back to Celtic at the end of the season, but he gets in purely on his first spell, and the amount of running, and sheer work rate he would get through in 90 minutes.

Choosing two strikers was probably the hardest job. Well, one of them. One striker stands out from the rest of the team for me. He is for me Mr Everton and will always be my favourite Everton player.
Duncan Ferguson was Everton for me. He was unfortunate to play in some poor sides where the service was lacking, and he was used as nothing but a long ball tactic due to his aerial ability, which was second to none. I can't remember being so gutted about a player leaving like I was when Ruud Gullit signed him for Newcastle, and was so happy when he re-signed, and scored from the bench on his second debut. Ferguson will be remembered by many outside Goodison as a thug who went to jail for head butting an opponent while at Rangers, and who battered two burglars who attempted to rob his home, but he will be remembered for more than that by Evertonians. Ferguson gave goals, determination, heart and work rate, and in my view will never be replaced.
This last position gave me some trouble, I had this guy in mind for sheer ability, but thought I couldn't put him in due to the way he left the club. But as I said I would pick the team on merit and not on the circumstances in which they left the club, this lad has to get in.
Wayne Rooney isn't just the best player to play for Everton in the last decade, he is the best English player in that time too. I hated the way he left the club and am not his biggest fan, but he has been a breath of fresh air for a drab England side on occasions, and was excellent for Everton before he took a payday and left the club he said he would never leave. I had to put a picture of him in pain up to help with the stress of having to put him in the team.

My bench would consist of Tim Howard, Alan Stubbs, Lee Carsley, Olivier Dacourt and Yakubu. I was close to putting Stubbsy in at the back, and Yakubu up front but the side I have picked looks solid.

What do you think of the side, please feel free to comment.