Premier League - Team of the week: Tasty Torres

Eurosport - Mon, 16 Mar 21:22:00 2009

A trio of Liverpool players, led by Fernando Torres, make it into our team of the week while three of Manchester United's number are included in the flops XI. So no surprises there, then.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 Premier League Liverpool Fernando Torres - 0

HOW IT WORKS

We tot up the marks out of 10 awarded in five national newspapers - The Sun, The Mirror, The Mail, The Times and The Guardian - to create a total out of 50. 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

Torres deservedly leads the line after his supreme goalscoring performance at Old Trafford while Liverpool team-mates Steven Gerrard and Fabio Aurelio - both of whom also found the back of the net in the 4-1 rout of the champions - join him in this week's elite selection.

Michael Essien's return to fitness and form has been rewarded by his inclusion alongside Gerrard in midfield, while Andrei Arshavin takes his rightful place in the side after proving just why Arsenal wanted him so badly with a superbly taken goal against Blackburn. Portmsouth's Niko Kranjcar completes the midfield.

At the back, Titus Bramble makes a rare appearance after a towering display for Wigan against Sunderland while Tottenham's Jonathan Woodgate joins him in the heart of defence. And a second Pompey player makes it into our XI, Glen Johnson filling the right-back slot.

Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland may not have kept a clean sheet at the Stadium of Light, but the shot-stopper did enough to win his place in between the sticks while Fulham marksman Andrew Jonhson completes the line-up after setting the Cottagers on their way to victory over Bolton.

Team of the Week (4-4-2)

GK: Chris Kirkland (Wigan) - 37

RB: Glen Johnson (Portsmouth) - 36

CB: Titus Bramble (Wigan) - 41

CB: Jonathan Woodgate (Tottenham) - 40

LB: Fabio Aurelio (Liverpool) - 37

RM: Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal) - 41

CM: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) - 40

CM: Michael Essien (Chelsea) - 38

LM: Niko Kranjcar (Portsmouth) - 38

FW: Andrew Johnson (Fulham) - 39

FW: Fernando Torres (Liverpool) - 43

FLOPS OF THE WEEK (4-4-2)

Considering they shipped four goals at home, it comes as no surprise to see Edwin Van der Sar and Nemanja Vidic included in the duds XI. Indeed, Vidic's performance was so bad it warrants the individual title of flop of the week, although that has to be shared with the equally slipshod Andy O'Brien of Bolton.

Danny Simpson - owned by United - joins them in the rather shaky looking back line after the Blackburn full-back was given a torrid time by Theo Walcott at the Emirates. Didier Zokora, who was awful against Aston Villa, makes up the numbers in the middle of the park.

Anderson completes the trio of United misfits while Bolton's Gavin McCann and the red-carded Mathew Bates line up alongside him.

At least United fans can take comfort in the fact that two of their cross-town rivals - Manchester City pair Elano and Robinho - were just as rubbish over the weekend.

Stoke City striker Mamady Sidibe completes the rogues gallery for this week.

GK: Edwin Van der Sar (Manchester United) - 25

RB: Didier Zokora (Tottenham) - 20

CB: Andy O'Brien (Bolton) - 17

CB: Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United) - 17

LB: Danny Simpson (Blackburn) - 24

RM: Gavin McCann (Bolton) - 22

CM: Anderson (Manchester United) - 22

CM: Mathew Bates (Middlesbrough) - 23

LM: Elano (Manchester City) - 23

FW: Robinho (Manchester City) - 21

FW: Mamady Sidibe (Stoke City) - 23

TEAM OF THE SEASON (minimum 14 starts)

The team of the season stays the same this week, with Patrice Evra and Wayne Rooney hanging on to their places despite low marks after the mauling at Old Trafford.

GK: Shay Given (Manchester City) - 34.25 average

RB: Glen Johnson (Portsmouth) - 32.45

CB: Michael Turner (Hull) - 33.61

CB: Martin Laursen (Aston Villa) - 33.84

LB: Patrice Evra (Manchester United) - 32.15

RM: Antonio Valencia (Wigan Athletic) - 33.54

CM: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) - 35.00

CM: Frank Lampard (Chelsea) - 34.93

LM: Ashley Young (Aston Villa) - 33.39

FW: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) - 34.21

FW: Craig Bellamy (Manchester City) - 33.32

FLOPS OF THE SEASON (minimum 13 starts)

Scott Carson wrestles the goalkeeping position off Heurelho Gomes in the flops of the season and Blackburn's El-Hadji Diouf, fresh from winding up Manuel Almunia, dislodges David Bentley. Tottenham are still represented though, with Roman Pavlyuchenko and Darren Bent still leading the line, despite both improving their scores this week.

GK: Scott Carson (West Brom) - 29.78

RB: Pascal Chimbonda (Tottenham Hotspur) - 28.64

CB: Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle) - 28.52

CB: Abdoulaye Meite (West Bromwich Albion) - 27.86

LB: Jose Enrique (Newcastle United) - 26.68

RM: El-Hadji Diouf (Blackburn) - 28.64

CM: Zoltan Gera (Fulham) - 28.53

CM: Amdy Faye (Stoke City) - 27.47

LM: Chris Brunt (West Bromwich Albion) - 28.00

FW: Roman Pavlyuchenko (Tottenham Hotspur) - 27.28

FW: Darren Bent (Tottenham Hotspur) - 28.25

Eurosport

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  1. me and cha dont agree that colocinni shud be in FLOPS­
    and Anelka shud be in there as he has 15 pl goals­ ....
    weeeeeeeeep
    rangers 4 LEAGUE !!!!!

    From deangersfan, on Mon 23 Mar 11:47AM

  2. The thing is liverpool have nothing to prove been there­ got the t shirt we are always going to be up at the top­ or near enough its the quality of play thats good to­ watch every football fan has to appreciate a good game­ we are on a winning streak again and we get knocked by­ people sad cant please everyone

    From simmo, on Mon 23 Mar 10:29AM

  3. 100 well the ref stole another one from you, only 9­ more thieves left in the year I guess

    From a hay, on Mon 23 Mar 6:13AM

  4. 100. Well what a surprise, yet another Man Scum­ supporter who can't admit defeat. You all obviously­ get it off the whiney manager of yours. 1-4 at home for­ a "world class" team is by no stretch of the­ imagination a good result. Maybe you might get the­ smallest amount of respect when you wake up and realise­ that maybe sometimes your team can't always be­ "the best". At least all us red scoucers will­ admit when we've played badly and don't­ actually abandon our team 12 whole minutes before the­ 90 are up!!!
    LIVERPOOL - You'll NEVER Walk Alone

    From collier.emma, on Sun 22 Mar 3:13PM

  5. clichy needs to be in

    From james.w.hulbert, on Sun 22 Mar 12:56PM

  6. liverpool

    From Kielan, on Sat 21 Mar 7:35PM

  7. you mancs make me laugh..... Liverpool have a great­ week... Hammer you lot.... and still you go on about­ how great you are.... Without the help of various­ referee's in the country you wouldnt be sat where­ you are now.... thats not class, its being gifted the­ title..... Fergurson cant help himself but whinge like­ a baby when things go against you..... But one thing­ the rest of the prem knows is this..... utd win­ titles... yes..... but they have a damn site more help­ than any other club in the country...... FACT!!!! Is­ that classed as winning??????????? i dont think­ soooo!!!!

    From stelford26, on Sat 21 Mar 3:12PM

  8. I think Tottenham's Aaron Lennon and­­ Liverpool's Fernando Torres should be in the team­ of the season­ !

    From Vik T, on Fri 20 Mar 10:51PM

  9. I think Tottenham's Aaron Lennon and­ Liverpool's Fernando Torres should be in the season­ !

    From Vik T, on Fri 20 Mar 10:50PM

  10. p.jones, your a half wit !

    From jwkirby, on Fri 20 Mar 7:45PM
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    the lot of you are a bunch of childish wa@£$%s !­ especially you cockneys ,kopites and manks ! ha ha!

    From p.jones054, on Fri 20 Mar 4:50PM

  12. the lot of you are a bunch of childish wa@£$%s !­ especially you cockneys ,kopites and manks ! ha ha!

    From p.jones054, on Fri 20 Mar 4:49PM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    So the scousers play two half decent games and they are­ classed as world beaters by the media, United fans are­ used to this, if the status quo returns at weekend Rafa­ will get pelters for not performing consistently.

    From jwkirby, on Thu 19 Mar 6:46PM

  14. In reply to that northern @#$% alextheodossiadis get­ your f*cking facts straight the premier league has only­ been going since 1992 so how the f*ck can you of won 35­ of them. Typical DUMB northern @#$% who cant count!!!

    From willy, on Wed 18 Mar 4:54PM

  15. I THINK ANELKA SHUD BE IN THE TEAM OF THE WEEK COZ HE­ HAS SO MANY GOALS
    HE IS THE TOP SCORER FOR THE PREM­ AND THAT IS GOOD ENOUGH TO GET IN IT.
    also why isnt­ Arshavin in this? i know he has only played a few­ matches but he is fantastic
    CMON RANGERS
    CMON CHELSEA

    From deanpanton, on Wed 18 Mar 1:41PM

  16. All you Londoners are so wishful, you obviously­­ can't see that the teams from the North are so­ much­ better than the teams from the south. Hull went­ and­ f*cked up arsenal so did liverpool on­ chelsea...twice.­ Utd also f*cked Chelsea,Fulham, West­ Ham and Spurs up. Look at the league­ positions too.­ Man u-1st Liverpool-3rd Everton-6th­ Wigan-7th whereas­ Chelsea-2nd Arsenal-4th Fulham-8th (Villa counts for­ no-one as they are in midlands). History too, Utd and­ Liverpool have 8 (soon­ to be 9) champions leagues and­ 35 (soon to be 36)­ premier leagues between them­ whereas Arsenal and­ Chelsea have 0 champions leagues­ and 16 prems between­ them. The stats are overwhelming.­ Also us boys on the­ mersey are much more physical than­ you p.uffs down in London.­

    COME ON THE NORTH!!!!!­ (AND UTD!!!!)

    From alextheodossiadis, on Tue 17 Mar 9:53PM

  17. 102 remember this number 14 02 09 1-4. And you aint won­ nothing yet either, and i include that pointless, who­ the hell are the other teams, world club cup!! See you­ in the champs league hopefully.. for at least 80 mins­ anyway by which time you'll all have gone home..­ AGAIN !

    From liledad, on Tue 17 Mar 7:21PM

  18. fergie says he's gonna bring new faces 2 old­ trafford, TEVEZ wants 1st choice of 1 lmfao YNWA

    From mark, on Tue 17 Mar 6:56PM

  19. Recently I found a hot club -- Seekingtall Co m --­ just­ for sexy tall gals and guys to find their­ romance. Come­ on, tall singles. Don't miss your­ love.

    From nancyigk03, on Tue 17 Mar 4:34PM

  20. Just keep remembering the local Samaritan's­ helpline all you Liverfool fans out there - 0151 10 10­ 10 (won nothing, wone nothing, won nothing) !!

    From Ian M, on Tue 17 Mar 1:35PM
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