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My Dream Team

Ian Symes - June 15, 2008 @ 2:22 pm

It’s always tricky when someone asks you to name your all-time Villa XI. OK, Paul McGrath is always first on the list, but after that it becomes more difficult. How much knowledge and experience could anyone have that qualifies them to name the best eleven players to have ever played for us? Unless you are over 134 years old, you can’t, so you rely on recent memory. But how far back should that stretch? I’d put half the European Cup winning team in my all-time eleven, but I simply don’t know how good they were. All I’ve got to go off is old videos and my dad’s anecdotes. To really know who’s good and who isn’t, you have to watch them week in week out…

So my dream team is based on players that I’ve seen play regularly since I started attending games in 1994, and only performances that I’ve experienced count towards the selection. For example, I saw Gordon Cowans play once or twice, but as I never saw him in his heyday, he won’t be troubling the list. Plus, I’m only taking into account their performances for Villa. Two examples just from the goalkeepers: Peter Schmeichel in his United days would be better than any keeper we’ve had, and David James has improved immeasurably since he left us. But both were in distinctly middling form for us, and so others are judged to be better.

And so without further ado, for your consideration, my Aston Villa Dream Team.

1. Mark Bosnich (GK)

While now most famous for indulging in threesomes with Dwight Yorke, taking cocaine and being sacked by Chelsea, and making slightly racist remarks to Nightshade in Celebrity Gladiators, Mark Bosnich was once a formiddable shot-stopper. Despite some dodgy moments – which have been characteristic of every Villa keeper I’ve seen – Bozzie was the most solid keeper we’ve had for a long time, and just the right man to take over from Nigel Spink.

He’d have made the starting eleven for the penalty saves against Tranmere alone, but Bozzie’s immediate decline upon leaving the Villa has written him even deeper into Villa folklore.

2. Mark Delaney (RB)

Poor old Mark Delaney. An unheralded signing that turned out to be perhaps John Gregory’s only piece of shrewd business, costing just £250,000 from Cardiff. He quickly made the right-back position his own, a post that had previously been filled with a succession of mediocre journeymen (Earl Barrett, Fernando Nelson, the convict Gary Charles). Unfortunately, the injury problems were present even in those early days, and it only got worse as time wore on. Delaney would be out for months at a time, before returning for every decreasing periods of health. That he retired last year at the age of 31 should have come as a shock, but it somehow… didn’t.

Nevertheless, his reliable, hard-working performances – where he looked equally comfortable in defence and going forward – have earned his place here in the starting XI.

3. Steve Staunton (LB)

A tough call in this position, with the ever-reliable and wrongly-maligned Alan Wright a keen contender. Stan’s performances in his first spell here would have been enough to challenge Wright’s place, but it was his eventually-successful return to Villa Park that tipped the balance. Hilariously being sent off for Liverpool for absolutely no reason at all on his return to Villa Park was what confirmed it.

Staunton was great in his first spell here, being the catalyst for many attacking opportunities and chipping in with some stunning goals. The scorcher at Old Trafford – hit so hard you can hear the post rattle on the TV footage – was probably the highlight. After a slow start, his second spell was pretty good too, with Stan providing reliable performances – especially at centre-back – at a time when the club were in the doldrums.

4. Gareth Southgate (CB)

Let’s forget the heartache surrounding his departure, and remember exactly why his transfer request hit us so hard. Southgate was signed as a mediocre midfielder, before Brian Little converted him into a world-class defender. In his first season, he was a huge part of the team that won the Coca-Cola Cup, and he started regularly for England in Euro 96. He did absolutely nothing of interest in the semi-final, obviously.

It was no surprise when he was appointed captain, and we were proud to have him lead us out on Cup Final day. The aftermath of that catastrophic game saw our skipper hand in a transfer request, but he eventually stayed for another season before being sold to Middlesbrough. Somewhat unexpectedly, it was this season that cemented his reputation with consistent, professional performances, which led to him winning back the crowd in a way that the likes of Ugo Ehiogu never managed. Some bitterness over the whole business remains, but nevertheless he’s still largely thought of fondly amongst Villa fans.

5. Paul McGrath (CB)

Oh lord, Paul McGrath. Our god. Our constant. Ask any Villa fan aged 15 or over to name their dream team, and Macca would be the first name on the list, every time. What else can be said? He was an alcoholic, he never trained, he couldn’t run, he had a dodgy knee and most of the time he played he was pissed. But there will never be a better defender playing for Villa in my lifetime. Because no matter who the opposition, no matter how much they technically outclassed him, Macca would always be in exactly the right place at exactly the right time.

I can’t recommend his autobiography, Back From The Brink, strongly enough. It’s unpleasant reading at times, but it offers a revelatory new perspective on the life of this deeply troubled man. It certainly made my suppressed memory of meeting him at Bodymoor Heath aged 10 and him reeking of booze return to the surface.

6. Gareth Barry (CM) [Captain]

I’m getting this one in now, because regardless of what happens over the next few weeks, I will always say this: other than Paul McGrath, Gareth Barry is the best player I’ve ever seen in a Villa shirt. I was there for his debut at Hillsborough in 1998, and we were aware before he even came on that he was something special. Forcing his way into the centre of defence alongside Southgate and Ehiogu is no mean feat, and that’s exactly what Barry did in his first few seasons. When the formation changed and Gareth lost his place, it was Graham Taylor who first tried him on the left wing. Barry was back and better than ever.

Over the next few years, this position evolved into the central midfield general we know and love today. Blessed with both defensive ability and natural flair going forward, Barry is vital at both ends of the field, and is a constant delight to watch. His apparent intelligence and composure also make him an excellent captain, and he currently stands at the very centre of our development – only just below Martin O’Neill and Randy Lerner in terms of importance. Oh God. Gareth, please don’t go.

7. Ian Taylor (CM)

Despite what Wikipedia might have you believe, there’s only one Ian Taylor. He may not have been the most gifted footballer we’ve ever had – although he was pretty good – but it’s hard to think of another player that’s more loved by the fans. It can’t hurt, of course, that he is one of the fans – always has been and always will be. We knew he cared, because his reactions were the same as ours. When he scored in the Coca-Cola Cup Final, he celebrated just as much as we did in the stands. Four years later, when we were heartbroken at Wembley, Taylor himself was flat out on the pitch, overcome with emotion. One of us.

In fact, since old age forced him to leave in 2003, he’s still putting in almost as many appearances at Villa Park, nowadays as a regular fan. The reaction was fantastic in the first derby game at St. Andrews when we all realised that Tayls was sat in the away end with the rest of us. And just look at the picture there – one of the best photos of all time – how can you not love the man?

8. Paul Merson (RM)

Although his best days were undoubtedly at Arsenal, Merse was still a formidable force during his time at the Villa, and was a huge part of the FA Cup team of 2000. It was his performance against Leeds in the fifth round in particular that set us on our way – a midfield performance so great, it outshadowed that of hat-trick scorer Benito Carbone. And despite his increasing age, and indeed his increasing arse, he didn’t half score some cracking goals, the last-minute chip against Everton being a firm favourite.

Times weren’t always great for Merse at Villa Park. Having two loud-mouth miserable sods at a club is never going to go smoothly, and there were times when his relationship with Gregory seemed irreconcilable. But he always pulled through, and you have to say that on his day, he gave Villa an attacking edge the likes of which we rarely see.

9. Dean Saunders (CF)

Deano was my very first footballing hero. After he scored twice in the Coca Cola Cup Final against United, I was taken to the next home game to be kitted out in a very baggy shirt with “DEANO 9″ on the back. I had pictures of him on my walls, and couldn’t believe my luck when I met him on the training ground for the first time. But why was this seven year old lad so impressed?

Well, he’s that sort of talisman striker who captures the imagination; the sort of role that John Carew is filling at the moment. While his strike rate was never prolific, he always seemed to find the net when it mattered. Not in a Milan Baros/Dalian Atkinson not-being-arsed-to-turn-up-for-ordinary-games way, more that he always gave it his all, but had a Roy of the Rovers-esque knack of making it pay off in the big games. For that alone, he makes my team.

10. Dwight Yorke (CF)

Possibly the first footballer in the world to be the subject of a commercially released cover of a Frank Sinatra song. After being spotted on a Caribbean beach by Graham Taylor, the kid who went on to be Doug Ellis’s biggest profit margin worked hard to refine his game and break his way into the Villa first time. After a couple of false dawns, it all paid off in the 1995-96 season, when Yorke played as an out-and-out striker and finished top scorer in a fourth-placed cup-winning season. His constant smile and his often extraordinary performances – such as the hat-trick he scored at St. James’s Park when we lost 4-3 – wrote him into Villa folklore.

Let’s try and forget the circumstances of his departure, amongst all of Gregory’s “if I had a gun, I’d have shot him” hyperbole. Forget that he played for the Blues, albeit briefly. Forget even that it was his filthy gametes that fertilised Jordan. During his time at Villa, he was bloody great; easily the finest goalscorer I’ve seen at the club.

11. Thomas Hitzlsperger (LM)

One to file under “why the fuck did we let him go?”. Der Hammer will mostly be remembered for his spectacular goals – including the last minute winner against West Brom – but it’s worth remembering that his overall game had much more to it than that; not being afraid to battle for the ball, but also a constant danger going forward. He was also famed for his hilarious Brummie/German accent when speaking English. Could have been one of Villa’s all-time greats.

But, for reasons known only to his stupid self, David O’Leary deemed Der Hammer surplus to requirements, and he went to Stuttgart on a free in 2005. Two years later, they won the Bundesliga, with Tommy starting 30 games and scoring the equaliser in the final title-winning game. Now a regular in the German squad, he’d no doubt waltz straight back into the Villa side nowadays. A great shame that we let him go.

A pretty formidable starting line-up, there. But gone are the days when you could win a title with 14 players, so we need some substitutes!

SUB. David James

Despite the best form of his career miraculously occurring in the last couple of seasons with Portsmouth, James makes our bench ahead of Encklemen, Schmeichel, Sorenson and Carson for being the most reliable of a pretty unreliable bunch. He’d nearly managed to shake off the Calamity tag when he cocked up in the Cup Final. While it wasn’t all his fault that we lost, it’s unfortunately that image that will forever be synonymous with his time at Villa. We’re glad that he’s doing so well now.

SUB. Olof Mellberg

It pains me greatly to leave The Viking out of the starting eleven, but there was only ever one place up for grabs in the centre of defence, and sentimentality had to be put aside for Southgate to take his place. But we’ll always love Olof, our defensive rock who at times had to carry the entire defence. Stuck with us through the bad times, and was invaluable in O’Neill’s first two seasons. Now he’s off to Juve, and we seem to love him even more. He’ll always be a Villan at heart.

SUB. James Milner

A controversial choice, this. But so many good players fell by the wayside in my selection process that Milner became the best candidate. I only saw Tony Daley for half a season, so my memories of him are clouded. Andy Townsend, Mark Draper, Lee Hendrie and the like only performed in dribs and drabs. So maybe Milner’s inclusion can be attributed to the fact that we only saw him at his best. He was truly great in his solitary season at Villa Park, a feat made all the more remarkable when you consider the rest of the team were absolutely shite. It’s a shame that Newcastle noticed, and a permanent deal couldn’t go through. We’d love to have him back.

SUB. Ashley Young

One of only two current players to make the sixteen, perhaps attributable to the fact that the key members of our squad are still just potentially excellent, rather than the finished article. The fact that Ashley Young is so great already – with plenty of work still to be done on his article – makes him rise to the top. His greatness was confirmed in the Chelsea game when, with the ball near the corner flag in the last minute – he decided to look for an opportunity, and found Gabby to make it 2-0. The season that followed only added to his appeal.

SUB. Dion Dublin

So many reasons as to why Dion is a Villa great. Scoring seven goals in his first three games is pretty good. Being the talisman for the 3-2 comeback against Arsenal certainly helped. Coming back from a broken neck to score the winning penalty in the FA Cup semi-final was special. Somehow transforming himself into a pretty decent centre-back was marvellous. But to top it all, not content with so many legendary achievements, Dion fulfilled the wishes of several million football fans when, in the pinnacle of his distinguished career… he headbutted Robbie Savage against the Blues. We love you, Dion.

And so we’re left with a pretty formidable line-up that, with all the players at the height of their powers, would shit all over any Premier League opposition. It may not compare favourably to dream teams of Man United, Arsenal and Liverpool over the same period, but nevertheless, these are sixteen players whose performances for Villa made me proud. And that’s what greatness is all about.

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