Liverpool FC Forum

by **SupitsJonF** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 8:29 pm

I was reading an article on yahoo today and it brought up the idea of a premier league all-star game. I thought I personally wouldn't mind seeing one, but I wasn't sure what special rules to give it. A mid-season game that doesn't affect anything but TV-ratings, ticket sales, and pride would be a bad game to get injured in. Maybe a restriction on certain tackles. Here is what the AUTHOR OF THE ARTICLE (NOT MY VIEWS) on this game, and how he would do it.
Link

The concept: Fans vote for the best players in the Premier League, including representatives from each team. These players are divided into two teams (in this case, North and South), who play a showpiece exhibition match at Wembley.
Why? For fun, basically. Who wouldn't want to see two teams of the Premier League's best players going head-to-head? And with Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger in charge of their respective teams, there would be no shortage of a competitive edge. It would also be a fitting reward for players who have enjoyed a good season.
When? The Premier League could follow the example of baseball and basketball, and hold the event at the mid-point of the season. Many managers have called for a winter break, and a short hiatus to play the All-Star game in January might be welcomed. Alternatively, it could be played at the start of the season instead of the Community Shield, which has become an increasingly irrelevant event.
The teams: While the NBA pits the Eastern and Western Conferences against each other, our game focuses on the North-South divide.
On one side, we have 11 clubs to represent the North, and on the other the remaining nine make up the Midlands/South region.
North - Blackburn, Bolton, Everton, Hull, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Sunderland, Wigan.
Midlands/South - Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Fulham, Portsmouth, Stoke City, Tottenham, West Brom, West Ham.
Rules:
- Players are selected by the public based on a combination of form this season and overall reputation.
- Each squad consists of 20 players, including at least one from every club.
- Maximum of two players per club in a starting XI.
- If a player has moved, he represents his present club, although performances for both sides count towards his selection.
Eurosport-Yahoo!'s Premier League All-Star selections:
THE NORTH - Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United)
GK: Shay Given (Manchester City)
RB: Mario Melchiot (Wigan Athletic)
CB: Michael Turner (Hull City)
CB: Phil Jagielka (Everton)
LB: Stephen Warnock (Blackburn Rovers)
RM: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
CM: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool),
CM: Stephen Ireland (Manchester City)
LM: Mikel Arteta (Everton)
FW: Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
FW: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
Subs: Jussi Jaaskelainen (Bolton Wanderers), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Emanuel Pogatetz (Middlesbrough), Luis Antonio Valencia (Wigan Athletic), Javier Mascherano (Liverpool), Kieran Richardson (Sunderland), Tim Cahill (Everton), Michael Owen (Newcastle United), Robinho (Manchester City)
THE MIDLANDS/SOUTH - Manager: Arsene Wenger (Arsenal)
GK: Robert Green (West Ham United)
RB: Glen Johnson (Portsmouth)
CB: Brede Hangeland (Fulham)
CB: Matthew Upson (West Ham United)
LB: Gael Clichy (Arsenal)
CM: Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)
CM: Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
CM: Wilson Palacios (Tottenham Hotspur)
RW: Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa)
LW: Ashley Young (Aston Villa)
FW: Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea)
Subs: Brad Friedel (Aston Villa), Martin Laursen (Aston Villa), John Terry (Chelsea), Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), James Morrison (West Brom), Rory Delap (Stoke City), Mark Noble (West Ham United), Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur)

How would organize it? And if your against it, why?

by **dawson99** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 8:32 pm

just would never work, its too american. Plus, we have too many games already according to some. Stick with charity matches if needed but none of this all star bull... sorry that's my view

by **SupitsJonF** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 8:32 pm

dawson99 wrote:just would never work, its too american. Plus, we have too many games already according to some. Stick with charity matches if needed but none of this all star bull... sorry that's my view

The author was british, at least I think. UK.yahoo.com

by **dawson99** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 8:35 pm

LOL, ok, damn brits1 stay out of our game

by **account deleted by request** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 8:58 pm

When I was young they used to have an English league team against Scottish league team. Now with all the foreigners in our league I think maybe once a year an English league team against say an Italian or Spanish League team would have some interest.

Torres, Rooney and Drogba up front against Eto'o, Villa and Messi would be interesting

by **SupitsJonF** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 9:25 pm

s@int wrote:When I was young they used to have an English league team against Scottish league team. Now with all the foreigners in our league I think maybe once a year an English league team against say an Italian or Spanish League team would have some interest.

Torres, Rooney and Drogba up front against Eto'o, Villa and Messi would be interesting

Now that would be a much more exciting game. Would also have more competition to it as well.

And who keeps voting the last option, that was added as a joke you :censored:

by **Sabre** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 9:32 pm

Yeh, a selection of the Spanish league against the Premier league would be nice, double match, in Spain, Spanish League refferee standard, in England, Premiership refferee standard.

I'd put my money on the Premier League, but the Spanish league would have that Messi that outplays any Ronaldos or Cesc you throw at him, so it would be a risk.

Supits, in Spain or England it's difficult to do north and south things, because we usually hate our neighbours most.

by **SupitsJonF** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 9:44 pm

Sabre wrote:Yeh, a selection of the Spanish league against the Premier league would be nice, double match, in Spain, Spanish League refferee standard, in England, Premiership refferee standard.

I'd put my money on the Premier League, but the Spanish league would have that Messi that outplays any Ronaldos or Cesc you throw at him, so it would be a risk.

Supits, in Spain or England it's difficult to do north and south things, because we usually hate our neighbours most.

Yeah, we pretty much hated each other for a while too, damn confederates

.

I think a problem with the EPL vs La Liga game is how to get the players to actually play in it. Surely they could just turn down the opportunity, and some like Ronaldo wont even think about it without a cash incentive.
Or maybe I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure some players are all about the money and thats it.

by **Sabre** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 9:51 pm

Hmmm, the players tend to be competitive, and probably the Spanish guys in England would try to show the Iniestas that they made the right decission, while the Robbens and Henris would try to prove the opposite. I think there would be some tension in that game.

Of course the best option to coach the Premier League team would be Rafa Benitez (1), as any other option would be bonkers. He knows both leagues better than any other.

(1) No Mourinho, no.

by **JoeTerp** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:35 pm

I think there would be much more interest in Premier league vs. La Liga or even a 4 team with bundesliga and serie a. The most interesting players to watch would be foreigners who are only on decent club teams and from countries that aren't powerhouses either, and then all of a sudden see them playing with the most elite players in the world. Not really sure if such a player exists in any of these leagues that would be good enough to make the best XI. (maybe Wigan's Valencia). There should also be a limit of 2 players per team.

by **Bad Bob** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:47 pm

Could always follow the NHL (hockey) model and select two teams from all the players playing in the Prem:

1) a British Isles/Ireland team (eg. Gerrard, Rooney, Given, etc.)

vs.

2) a rest of the world team (eg. Torres, Berbatov, Masch etc.)

It might be an interesting match.

(In the NHL it's (or at least it used to be) North Americans v. Europeans in the All Star game.)

by **Sabre** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:51 pm

Bad Bob wrote:Could always follow the NHL (hockey) model and select two teams from all the players playing in the Prem:

1) a British Isles/Ireland team (eg. Gerrard, Rooney, Given, etc.)

vs.

2) a rest of the world team (eg. Torres, Berbatov, Masch etc.)

It might be an interesting match.

I also would find it interesting. Not sure that my interesting is the same that your interesting, but I'd find it interesting, yes.

by **account deleted by request** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:53 pm

Bad Bob wrote:Could always follow the NHL (hockey) model and select two teams from all the players playing in the Prem:

1) a British Isles/Ireland team (eg. Gerrard, Rooney, Given, etc.)

vs.

2) a rest of the world team (eg. Torres, Berbatov, Masch etc.)

It might be an interesting match.

(In the NHL it's (or at least it used to be) North Americans v. Europeans in the All Star game.)

I see Keane's on the fkn bench again Bob

by **Bad Bob** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:55 pm

Sabre wrote:
Bad Bob wrote:Could always follow the NHL (hockey) model and select two teams from all the players playing in the Prem:

1) a British Isles/Ireland team (eg. Gerrard, Rooney, Given, etc.)

vs.

2) a rest of the world team (eg. Torres, Berbatov, Masch etc.)

It might be an interesting match.

I also would find it interesting. Not sure that my interesting is the same that your interesting, but I'd find it interesting, yes.

Did you sense my ambivalence, mate?

My main problem with all-star games in contact sports--especially ones that are played midseason like hockey--is that no one wants to get hurt. So, inevitably what you get is some free-wheeling, high-scoring pantomime rather than a proper blood and thunder, "let's see who's best?" contest. Sure, all the goals would be fun to watch but it would feel gimmicky, IMO.

by **Bad Bob** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:57 pm

s@int wrote:
Bad Bob wrote:Could always follow the NHL (hockey) model and select two teams from all the players playing in the Prem:

1) a British Isles/Ireland team (eg. Gerrard, Rooney, Given, etc.)

vs.

2) a rest of the world team (eg. Torres, Berbatov, Masch etc.)

It might be an interesting match.

(In the NHL it's (or at least it used to be) North Americans v. Europeans in the All Star game.)

I see Keane's on the fkn bench again Bob

Thought about throwing his name in there but didn't want to derail the thread with more Keane arguments (although I see Mourinho has already been brought up! :angry:

).

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The premier league all-star game - North vs south

The premier league all-star game - North vs south

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