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Team of the Decade


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As we're approaching 2020, I thought it'd be interesting to do a set of "of the decade" discussions.  The oneBoro Team of the Decade - who makes your starting 11 based on players who have made an appearance for us during the last 10 years?

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Manager: Aitor Karanka
Assistant: Tony Mowbray

GK:

Darren Randolph
Dimi
Victor Valdes

DR:

Emilio Nsue
Cyrus Christie

DL:

George Friend
Fabio

CB:

Ben Gibson
Rhys Williams
Daniel Ayala
Calum Chambers

MC:

Marten de Roon
Grant Leadbitter
Barry Robson
Adam Clayton

AMR:

Stuani
Traore

AML:

Stewart Downing
Adomah

AMC:

Gaston Ramirez
Lee Tomlin

ST:

Britt Assombalonga
Patrick Bamford
Alvaro Negredo

Starting XI:

Randolph - Best keeper since Schwarzer.

Nsue - Fantastic in promotion season.

Friend - No one has come close in terms of longevity at the club. Best LB in 15/16 season.

Ayala
Gibson - Fantastic partnership in the Championship.

Leadbitter - Leader during the Karanka years.

Robson - Bright spark in the dark days under Strachan and Mowbray.

Traore - Grew under Pulis and sold for a record fee.

Adomah - Divided opinion but was an important player during promotion and play-off season.

Ramirez - The difference between play-offs and promotion.

Bamford - Superb in his first spell at the club.

Super Sub: Cristian Stuani - Played on the RW when his talent was probably more suited to a centre forward role, scored vital goals and none more so than the memorable one against Brighton.

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   Manager: Aitor Karanka

             Randolph

Nsue Gibson Chambers Friend 

               De Roon Robson

Adomar.        Gaston.            Traore

                    Negredo

Subs 

Valdes

Ayala

Leadbitter

Bamford

Stuani

Kike

 

 

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 Manager - Aitor Karanka

                 Randolph

Nsue     Ayala     Gibson     Friend

            Clayton    Leadbitter

Traore                                  Gaston

                   Bamford

               Assombalonga

Subs. Dimi, Fabio, Robson, Tomlin, Adomah, Stuani, Negredo

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To be awkward, because, well, I am awkward, I decided not to include the Premier League season.  Being honest about it, Negredo is easily the best forward from this decade in terms of quality.  Even players like Chambers, Fischer, Espinosa, would probably walk into many of the teams we fielded over the decade.  Given that many of those players did bugger all really, I don't want to pick them so it's Championship players only.

               Randolph

Fabio  Ayala Gibson Friend

         Clayton Leadbitter

                 Robson

Adomah                Ramirez

                Bamford

 

It was tougher than I thought really.  GK was easy enough for me as it was really between Randolph and Given and Randolph has been pretty much our best, most consistent player since he signed for us. 

Right back was a toughy.  I don't think any of them were especially good for any length of time.  I almost snuck Rhys Williams in there to get him into the side but he wasn't that good as a right back so I didn't.  Hoyte, McMahon, Varga, Fredericks, Kalas, Nsue, Christie, Fabio, Shotton, Howson.  In the end I cheated slightly and selected Fabio as I think he was probably the better player out of that lot.  Nsue probably should have been chosen though as he played more games.  Central defenders speak for themselves.  Maybe could have looked at Williams here because when he was fit, healthy and on top of his game, he was a good player or Wheater before he left but they are not in the same class as that partnership was for us.  Friend is obvious at left back, great value signing and played for a lot of the decade.

In midfield, I was a big fan of Robson and would have liked to see him playing in better sides.  I think he'd have done ok for Karanka for example.  But you also have to respect the job that Leadbitter and Clayton did as well so I ended up selecting all three.  I didn't think that the likes of Arca, Butterfield, Whitehead, Bailey, McEachran or the more recent lot had done enough to get into the side.

The attacking players were a bit tricky as well.  Adomah I would say is the easiest choice as he did well for us over 3 seasons.  Bamford is the best striker I've seen playing for us in the Championship so would have to select him ahead of Lita, McDonald, Emnes, Juke, Nugent, Assombalonga etc.  I didn't like selecting Ramirez as he only had a 6 month spell with us in the Championship and I think he's a *** but he did have a big impact in that time and he was a good player.  I suppose Tomlin, Traore, and one or two others might have cause to grumble about not being selected but I feel Ramirez had a bigger impact than them.

I reckon that team gets promoted fairly comfortably.

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