Premier League - Team of the Week: Rooney, Terry clash

Eurosport - Mon, 01 Feb 11:48:00 2010

England talismans Wayne Rooney and John Terry vie for top billing in the Team of the Week.

Wayne Rooney and John Terry - 0

How it works

We take marks out of 10 awarded to Premier League players from a selection of six national newspapers - The Sun, Daily Star, Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, The Times and The Guardian - then create an average and round to the nearest half. The top player in each position will be rewarded with a spot in the Team of the Week, while the worst scorers will be named and shamed in our Flops XI.

TEAM OF THE WEEK

It's tough knowing where to start on this weekend's Team of the Week.

Do we open up with Wayne Rooney demonstrating yet again why he is probably the form striker in world football at the moment?

Or do we pick up on the fact that the England skipper ignored the salacious headlines about him doing the dirty on (a) Wayne Bridge and (b) his wife by putting in a sound performance and scoring a winner from defence for Chelsea?

Merely by asking the questions in that order means that we've gone for Rooney - and fair enough too because the universal nine out of 10 ratings for his showing against Arsenal left only one question: why did he only score nines?

In the headlines for finally delivering on promise - for the moment, at least - are Liverpool defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos and Manchester United winger Nani, while Gabriel Agbonlahor's two-goal haul for Aston Villa against Fulham reminded everyone how he played himself into the England squad.

There are a couple of other Manchester United faces as you'd expect after a drubbing of a fellow top-four side, while Birmingham keeper Joe Hart dons the goalie's gloves in a generally poor week for the men between the sticks.

And we'll wrap up with a special mention for Hull midfielder Tom Cairney, who reportedly lit up the pitch in the Tigers' 2-2 draw with Wolves.

Admittedly, playing a starring role in a Hull-Wolves clash in late January is not like scoring a hat-trick in a Champions League final; but considering that Cairney was making his first league start just a few days after his 19th birthday the lad deserves a hearty slap on the back.

Team of the week (4-4-2):

GK: Joe Hart (Birmingham) - 7

RB: Jamie Carragher (Liverpool) - 7

CB: John Terry (Chelsea) - 8

CB: Sotirios Kyrgiakos (Liverpool) - 7.5

LB: Patrice Evra (Manchester United) - 7

RM: Nani (Manchester United) - 8

CM: Tom Cairney (Hull) - 7.5

CM: Paul Scholes (Manchester United) - 7.5

LM: Michael Carrick (Manchester United) - 7.5

FW: Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa) - 8

FW: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) - 9

FLOPS OF THE WEEK

Arsenal's Manuel Almunia has been a regular in the Flops XI this season, and another bay day at the office in the 3-1 home defeat by United sees him both make the weekly side and break back into the Flops of the Season team down below.

At least he has company in the changing room of shame this week as four of his Gunners team-mates line up in front of him - and only the truly woeful showing of Portsmouth's Tal Ben Haim kept William Gallas from making it five. In an almost all-Arsenal midfield, Chelsea's Michael Ballack also starts.

Up front there were reprieves for the two lone strikers in West Ham's goalless draw with Blackburn, for while Frank Nouble and Nikola Kalinic respectively were both panned by the critics there was even more scorn poured upon Fulham's Erik Nevland and Wigan's Jason Scotland.

Flops XI (4-4-2):

GK: Manuel Almunia (Arsenal) - 3.5

RB: Ronald Zubar (Wolves) - 4.5

CB: Tal Ben Haim (Portsmouth) - 3.5

CB: Anthony Gardner (Hull) - 4.5

LB: Gael Clichy (Arsenal) - 4.5

RM: Tomas Rosicky (Arsenal) - 4.5

CM: Michael Ballack (Chelsea) - 4.5

CM: Denilson (Arsenal) - 4

LM: Samir Nasri (Arsenal) - 3.5

FW: Erik Nevland (Fulham) - 4.5

FW: Jason Scotland (Wigan) - 4.5

TEAM OF THE SEASON

There are a couple of new faces in the Team of the Season as the minimum starts condition moves up a notch, taking Blackburn's David Dunn and Arsenal's Robin van Persie out of the equation.

The resulting change sees two United players come into the team: Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney, with Rooney's recent form in particular so good that he would almost have dislodged Didier Drogba in any case.

For Giggs, the spot in the TOTS might not last long: he is now on the minimum of 12 starts. As things stand it looks likely that Aston Villa's James Milner or West Ham's Scott Parker will be in the side before too long.

Shay Given remains the best goalie in the league this season, but his stock is falling consistently.

Team of the season (minimum 12 starts):

GK: Shay Given (Manchester City) - 6.96

RB: Glen Johnson (Liverpool) - 6.57

CB: Richard Dunne (Aston Villa) - 7.04

CB: Roger Johnson (Birmingham City) - 6.92

LB: Ashley Cole (Chelsea) - 6.68

RM: Aaron Lennon (Tottenham) - 6.95

CM: Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal) - 7.10

CM: Ryan Giggs (Manchester United) - 6.94 - NEW ENTRY

LM: Craig Bellamy (Manchester City) - 7.23

FW: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) - 7.21 - NEW ENTRY

FW: Didier Drogba (Chelsea) - 7.23

FLOPS OF THE SEASON

Arsenal's Almunia is back in the Flops of the Season, displacing Marton Fulop of Sunderland.

Hull's Richard Garcia goes straight back out of the side courtesy of not playing against Wolves this weekend and falling below the 12-start threshold, leaving room for Portsmouth's Aaron Mokoena.

Mokoena's team-mate Marc Wilson is also back in the Flops as Jlloyd Samuel's replacement.

Up front there's a real tussle for places going on, with all the major contenders now managing to get themselves left on the bench long enough to miss out.

That means Aruna Dindane, James Beattie, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Jason Roberts are all spared the humiliation of a place, with Franco di Santo and Frederic Piquionne the two unlucky men.

Flops of the season (minimum 12 starts):

GK: Manuel Almunia (Arsenal) - 5.88 - NEW ENTRY

RB: Paul McShane (Hull) - 5.50

CB: Marc Wilson (Portsmouth) - 5.48 - NEW ENTRY

CB: Tal Ben Haim (Portsmouth) - 5.39

LB: Herita Ilunga (West Ham) - 5.51

RM: Greg Halford (Wolves) - 5.44

CM: Aaron Mokoena (Portsmouth) - 5.78 - NEW ENTRY

CM: Radoslav Kovac (West Ham) - 5.70

LM: El-Hadji Diouf (Blackburn) - 5.47

FW: Franco di Santo (Blackburn) - 5.48 - NEW ENTRY

FW: Frederic Piquionne (Portsmouth) - 5.83 - NEW ENTRY

Eurosport

Comment 12 - 31 of 31

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  1. Team of the season - No Patrice Evra? Get serious man.­ One of the best defenders this season. As far as­ I'm concerned, he is United's defence.

    From the_rogue_unknown, on Mon 8 Feb 16:52

  2. elsea fans are gay coolchie nackers

    From COSTEL,, on Mon 8 Feb 10:44

  3. i follow lfc but id rather let chelsea win than manu­ manu is gay

    From COSTEL,, on Mon 8 Feb 10:42

  4. i hate chelseas specially drogba he is a faker and i­ follow liverpool L.F.C 4life

    From COSTEL,, on Mon 8 Feb 10:40

  5. i think john terry needs a break so he can take in a­ drastic week for him.

    From sebastianvickers, on Mon 8 Feb 8:19

  6. Rooney is the best.

    From Minal, on Mon 8 Feb 5:13

  7. GO TERRY!!

    From L, on Fri 5 Feb 9:13

  8. who cares about this crap....Terry should be a man and­ resign.....ooops, hes not a man...he cried on the pitch­ once!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    From Paul, on Thu 4 Feb 15:05

  9. im a chelsea fan but im happy to see rooney and nani on­ team of the week both of them were playing good against­ arsenal and CHELSEA RULE­ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    From Michael, on Wed 3 Feb 8:31

  10. Team Wayne Rooney!!

    From Karolina, on Tue 2 Feb 17:21

  11. Team Lampard is what u should be saying

    From integrity, on Tue 2 Feb 9:39

  12. the team of the week is a joke all the players shoul be­ Arsenal, Chelsea and man u i meen no lampard! thats­ rediculous!

    From integrity, on Tue 2 Feb 9:37

  13. Comment #15, may I suggest a course in basic English­ Language as you seem incapable of stringing together a­ coherent statement which someone, somewhere will value.­ Furthermore, all teams lose games, its part of playing,­ just because a team loses to a "lesser" team­ doesn't make them @#$%. Get a life, and an English­ language GCSE, you tit.

    From luke.elliff, on Tue 2 Feb 9:33

  14. Team Rooney!!!!

    From anne lucila desiree, on Tue 2 Feb 9:20

  15. Almunia is a big minus for Arsenal. He doesn't cut­ the image of a big club goolkeeper. He faulted in Man­ U's match at OT and same yesterday. I think AW­ should think of using Vito or Fabianski for­ Arsenal's big games. Better still buy a new keeper,­ a MF enforcer and a big man upfront, not Bendtner.­ Thanks

    From rowland, on Tue 2 Feb 7:59

  16. it is unbelivebull 5 manu players on the list it is­ stupid

    From Jakup, on Tue 2 Feb 7:57

  17. These lists are all a bit silly really being based on­ ratings given by various hacks. It's a bit of fun­ though and gets folk talking and arguing.

    From John p, on Tue 2 Feb 7:45

  18. what of onuoha of city - flop of a lifetime?

    From Simeon, on Tue 2 Feb 7:40
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Dracula...
    Are you an idiot? Who cares how we(m-u fans)­ talk. The FACT is that we're second in the prem­ league and fighting for first. So last time i checked,­ that gives man-u fans the right to say whatever they­ want. If a team is successful, they will be talking­ &%$# to other teams. That's the fun of cheering­ for a team. And look at the other teams in the prem.­ They ALL lose a few games that they should have won.­ Chelsea Lost to Wigan in Sept. Arsenal tied Burnly­ earlier on. That's the game. Otherwise, they would­ just have Man City, Man Utd, Arsenal, and Chelsea play­ a few games against each other. What a season that­ would be.

    From Ryan, on Tue 2 Feb 7:38

  20. If Wayne and John had a baby together..how ugly would­ that be ??

    From RICHARD, on Tue 2 Feb 7:30
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