Howard Jagielka Cahill Yakubu (the on form one) Osman (the on form one)
Carsley Hibbert and Donovan

4-2-3-1 With Cahill arriving late and acting as a recycling midfielder rather than a ball winner. Bit of aerial ability ahead of the back four as well.

Martyn
Hibbert-Jagielka-Lescott-Baines
Fellaini-Cahill
Arteta-Rooney-Pienaar
Jelavic

I pretty much agree with this:

Martyn
Hibbert-Jagielka-Lescott-Baines
Fellaini-Cahill
Arteta-Rooney-Pienaar
Jelavic

Although a pre achilles injury Yakubu would edge out Jelavic.

Would be a Champions League team..if only we could have them all at once :D

Lescott just pips Distin for his decent goal return and Jagielka's consistency over a number of years just outdoes Heitinga. I think Jelavic will work his way in over the next couple of years, providing we keep him.

Espen Baardsen
Lars Jacobsen, Li Wei Feng, Per Kroldrup, Guillame Plessis
Andy van der Meyde, Le Tie, Juliano Rodrigo, Segundo Castillo,
Scott Spencer, Francis Jeffers
Subs: Richard Wright, Ibrahim Saeed, Philippe Senderos, Matteo Ferrari, Anderson da Silva, Jo Alves, Simon Davies

Some tough decisions actually - Baardsen over Wright will be controversial. Kroldrup gets in ahead of Saeed as at least he played a game (0-4 away at Villa) whereas I don't think Saeed ever got off the bench.

I might otherwise put Rooney instead of Cahill. But like, James 911, I hardly think of him as one of ours, especially the way he forced his own exit after barely two years ato the club.

And I would agree with him. We have seen the Big Fella develop from prospect to the genuine article. There are many excellent midfielders in Europe - he's one of them.

Leighton picks himself as a creative, attacking player who, incidentally, has recently become a good defender too - Hibbo's still doing it the other way round. But some of my best moments watching football have been seeing, Pienaar, Fellaini and Baines worming their way through two lines of defenders. I won't say a bit like Barcelona, but I just did.

And in the Moyes era, there has to be an honorable mention for Marcus Bent. The one. As in 4-5-1, the loneliest man in football. He did trojan work for us as we once more became a team to be reckoned with. Nicica Jelavic has all of his qualities - plus quite a lot more - but we wouldn't be where we are now without the effort Marcus put in for us.

Also I will never forgive AVDM for the brilliant cross he put on for Gosling to score against the shite in the FA Cup. Terrible career at Everton lit up by one moment I will never, ever forget.

Martyn

Lescott
Heitinga
Baines

Donovan
Fellaini
Cahill
Arteta
Pienaar

Rooney
Jelavic

Champions League material...

Donovan ________Fellaini___Gravesen ______Pienaar

_______________________Cahill______________________
_______________________Rooney

Neville
Heitinga
Lescott
Baines

Carsley
Fellaini

Arteta
Cahill
Pienaar

Jelavic

Howard, Jagielka, Hibbert, Donovan, Rooney, Osman, Yakubu

Watson
Heitinga
Lescott
Baines

Arteta
Gravesen
Fellaini
Pienaar

Rooney
Ferguson

Martyn
Neville Jagielka Lescott Baines
Arteta Carsley Felliani Pienaar
Rooney
Jelavic

Subs from Howard Neville Valente Unsworth Jagielka Distin Yobo Stubbs Weir Gravesen Osman Bent Yakubu Johnson Jelavic Ferguson

The ball playing skills from back to front.... The potential of that 11 is ridiculous.

Martyn
Baines
Lescott
Arteta
Pienaar
Fellaini
Rooney

My other four would be

Neville (captain)
Heitinga
Donovan
Cahill

My highly adaptive side morphs into many different formations to cut through sides at will. I see you're still with 4-4-2, radical man. Must be great still watching football in black and white. Go on, Jon, think of more than just the missionary position.

Even I could win something with that team.

Here's a thought, though. Try picking a best Walter Smith eleven and look at what he had to work with. The man who suggested Moyes to Kenwright has been the most under rated figure at Goodison Park in thirty years.

I would suggest that Walter Smith kept Everton afloat in times that were much more testing than those faced by David Moyes. In my opinion, Walter Smith was the most important Evertonian since Harry Catterick. He saw us through the darkest days in the history of our club.

Is Lescott playing right sided centre half?!?! Baines, insanely, left sided centre half?!?! Donovan wing back!!!

All good players you've tried to cram in there but its a bit mad old bean!!

.....for a short period he was the complete midfielder, no-one could touch him. Then Madrid called.

Plenty of centre halfs, Richard Gough was IMMENSE in his first season, Marco(!), Michael Ball, Dunne, Stubbs, Unsy for pens, Weir who was around £250k?

You got the Hutch, although Kendall took him and Walter did bomb him out disgracefully, something going on there like he was our best player and we got about £2 million, badly treated was the Hutch.

The Kevin Campbell & Jeffers, partnership, The Rad. The Big Man. John Collins should provoke some debate, it never really happened for me, his best days had gone.

Not forgetting Pembo, naturally.

I fucking hated Paul Gerrard.

Martyn
Baines Heitinga Lescott Neville
Fellaini Arteta
Donovan Rooney Pienaar
Jelavic

Relative to what they achieved with us:

Martyn
Baines Jagielka Lescott (best partnership I've seen for the club) Neville
Fellaini Carsley
Pienaar Cahill Arteta
Yakubu (year 1)

Tony Hibbert has played more European games for EFC than anyone else. Colin Harvey should have done. Peter Reid should have done. History was against them. But Hibbo holds the record, and that says loads about the Moyes years. No trophies we know, but we haven't given up yet.

So DM's Everton is more like a Volvo than a Ferrari, and with all the riches of Araby I doubt that it would be very different. But there are some great names in this thread, and they have produced some great times for us in the last ten years. In Moyes we trust, and at the moment my heart belongs to Jelavic. If he really is our future, we have a good one.

ps - Hibbo's first goal has to be the one that sends the RS into terminal decline. We can then all queue up for his second testimonial.

..........................Myhre
Watson Gough Ball Unsworth
Hutchison Gravesen Dacourt Barmby
.................Ferguson Campbell

Bench: Howard Neville Jagielka Hibbert Osman Donovan Jelavic

Mick - my seat in the Paddock gives me a perfect view of Baines' attacking skills and Hibbo's defensive skills. Tricky, pacy wingers, they come and you think OMG, then they have to get past eye on the ball, mobile and quick full back. Not many scores from that position.

He's a model pro - bricks and mortar. OK, I wish he was Fred Astaire as well. Would Gary Stevens - who played in what became a very great team - have done better?

The great thing about Hibbo is that as an old pro he is still improving. We don't see that too often.

Howard
Neville Jagielka Lescott Baines
Donovan Arteta Fellaini Pienaar
Cahill
Saha

Hibbo Jags Lescott Baines

Felli

Donovan Arteta Pienaar

Cahill

Yak

I think Rooney did not suit the lone stirker role in our system and Yak 1st year was king.
Jelavic only play 4 months for us and still has to prove he can keep his consistency.

Don't know if Rooney can fit in the 'Cahill' role, but the 'Cahill' role is what make Cahill legend.

In this team, everyone but Hibbo can score. If we need attack, Lescott and Felli can add extra aerial threat to opponent; in corner and free kick, we have Baines and Arteta.

And I think Donovan is the best right midfield in Moyes era, he never let us down.
The Pienaar - Baines left side is awesome too.

I cant believe that I am saying this but Jelavic has only played 16 games ( I think) which is kinda disrespecatble to the likes of Big Dunc, Campbell who battled for the blues over all the calandar seasons living off scraps in poorer sides. I also think Rooney is not worthy of a mention, more yellows than goals and a talented lad who sold his soul.

Midfield is very competitive in this selection, the intricate passing and occasional flair of the likes of Felliani, Arteta and Cahill or the robust no nonesense approach of Gravesen and Carsley, width has always seemed to be a quality we have lacked throughout Moyes reign a part from Pienaar and dare I say Blomquist who felt the full force of Moyes authority in his opening few games as manager.

Defence has very little debates with Jags and Lescott flanked either side Hibbert and Baines.

Which leaves the last position of a GK, blessed with two good keepers but I think Howard gets the nod due to coming to Everton with his best years still ahead off him.

Good loan players that have made a good impact could easily become a second Everton XI with McBride ,Landan Arteta and Pienaar featuring (shit boss is in the office trying look busy better go)

" yes boss got that report just printing it off now"

I remember watching him at Villa park once.. He shielded the ball, beat 3 players, looked up, saw no-one (because he was playing with a load of shite), turned again, looked up again,.. still no-one, gave up and hoofed it towards the corner flag!

Great player in a shocking side. However I seem to remember we had 10 men that day though so I should go easy on the lads.

Great thread btw

My real Moyes team..

Martyn
Hibbert Jags Lescott Baines
Fella
Donovan Arteta Pienarr
Rooney
Jelavić

Perhaps a post on which right back we should get in to fill Hibbo's place. The lad in the academy is doin well but I cant remeber his name.

One pre-Moyes player I would always have is Kanchelskis.

Aside from that this is roughly my team

Martyn
Hibbert Jags Lescott Baines
Fellaini Donovan Arteta Pienar
Cahill
Jelaviæ

Similar to Chris Davies, but I never could warm to Rooney

Martyn
Heitinga Lescott Baines.
Donovan Arteta Fellaini Pienaar Cahill
Rooney Jelavic

Hibbert, Heitinga, Lescott, Baines

Donovan, Fellaini, Cahill, Arteta

Rooney

Jelavic

GK: Howard
RB: Hibbert
LB: Baines
CB: Heitinga
CB: Jagielka
RM: Osman
LM: Pienaar - fingers crossed
CM: Fellaini
CM: Gibson
AM: Naismith
CF: Jelavic

Subs
Mucha
Distin
Rodwell
Barkley
Neville
Junior
Vellios

Its clear Rooney is better than Jelavic and Yakubu as players now and over the past few years. But was Rooney better than them when he was at Everton? Not at all in my opinion.

So my team would be,

Martyn
Watson, Jagielka, Lescott, Baines
Arteta, Fellaini, Carsley, Pienaar
Cahill
Yakubu

People seem to forget Yakubu before his injury was awesome, over 20 goals a season. I hope Jelavic can do the same next season.

Carsley over Gravesen and Osman because he has been so consistent, more so than Osman.

It means putting Arteta on the right flank, which might be a bit of a waste but in a side of htis quality it makes sense. I remember him and Pienaar regularly swapping flanks one season when we had Carsley in the middle doing the grafting, It worked very well.

Over the years we have had many players who were brought just to be covers. Senderos, Mucha, Lars Jacobsen, Van de Meyde, Castillo, Graveson(2007-2008), Lucas Neill and Nuno Valente all had few playing time, but added valuable depth to an injury-prone squad. But one player who really stood out as the best in this mix must be Valente. He wasn't 100% fit when he came to everton. He was class at Porto, so I was happy that Moyes brought him to Everton and made him compete with Naysmith play left-back when we had two players called Lescott and Baines still fighting for the left flank. He didn't had any star-studded performance, but mostly decent games, but he stuck to the task. Most importantly, during his final season, he starred in two high-scoring matches. The 7-1 massacre of Sunderland and the 6-1 uefa win over SK Brann clearly states the importance of him. And thanks to Chris for giving credit to Valente.

Subs: Howard Neville Gravesen Cahill Yakubu

Martyn
Neville Jags Lescott Baines
Fellaini Arteta
Donovan Cahill Piennar
Jelavich

Subs- Howard, Yakubu, Saha (when on form) Distin, Coleman

I know Donovan was only with us for 2 short periods, but i've included him simply because he's exactly the type of player we'd need in that position- pacy, clever and can pick a pass. If we'd had him full time he would have been a quality player for us. I doubt many of you would disagree with the rest of the team, with the possible exception of neville at RB. Lescott gets in ahead of Distin because him and Jags were a fantastic partnership, and he had the added value of scoring goals too.

Neville
Jagielka
Lescott
Baines

Donovan
Arteta
Pienaar

Rooney

Jelavic

Martyn.
Hibbert, Jagielka, Heitinga, Baines.
Arteta, Osman, Fellaini, Pienaar.
Rooney.
Jelavic.

His life was made a living hell by the obvious crowd who couldn't bare the fact we had a Top Top young talent who loved the Blues and thus carried out a slander and intimidation game on the kid, scumbags do that stuff to each other, and Everton having the kind of talent that would have made Nobhead Fowler look like a GK and a crap one became all too much for them, I think he did the right thing and we all still wait in for the day when we are looking over our shoulder's that them once more, times are better now though and I hope they keep progressing. COYBB!!!

His life was made a living hell by the obvious crowd who couldn't bare the fact we had a Top Top young talent who loved the Blues and thus carried out a slander and intimidation game on the kid. Scumbags do that stuff to each other, and Everton having the kind of talent that would have made Nobhead Fowler look like a GK and a crap one became all too much for them.

I think he did the right thing and we all still wait in for the day when we are looking over our shoulders at them once more. times are better now though and I hope they keep progressing. COYBB!!!

Martyn,
Neill,
Valente,
Duffy,
Stubbs,

Gibson,
Arteta,
Donovan,
Pienaar,

Cahill,
Saha

Donovan---------Fellaini-----------Arteta----------Pienaar

------------------------------Cahill------------------------------
-----------------------------Jelavic----------------------------

Subs: Howard, Hibbert, Osman, Yakubu, Coleman

Howard,
Neville,
Baines,
Lescott,
Jagielka,

Fellaini,
Heitnga,
Bilyaletdinov,
Johnson,

Jelavic,
Yakubu,

Subs (i.e. the only other players in this category):
Yobo,
Distin,
, Krøldrup,
Davies,
Beattie,

It is fairly clear from here that Moyes spends the big money he has mostly on CBs DMs, or CFs – essentially the spine of a team.

Now there is a Moyes dream team to go fearfully into the caldron of Old Trafford / Anfield / Stamford Bridge / The Emirates and hold out for a 0-0...

...but I like Ossie by and large, so I'll refrain!

Simonsen
O'Connor
Ball
Matterazzi
Krøldrup
Barmby
Williamson
Nyarko

Branch
Bakayoko
Jeffers

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck... just sayin'.

Andy Van de Meyder
Simon Davies
Diniyar Bilyaletdinov

My line up was not a 4-4-2 but instead a 'fluid' 4-5-1 which could turn into an attacking 4-1-3-1 with attacking fullbacks.

I'm not watching in black and white but to carry on the analogy, I'd say you're sat watching the game with your novelty 3D glasses on.