Pick your best 22 players - Part 8 (Season over - wooden spooners)

[kruddler]

Seems to be pretty consistent currently.

Somewhat of a surprise is the mass exclusion of Walker. I left him out of my team, but i didn't think so many others would as well.

[Lods]

Seems to be pretty consistent currently.

Somewhat of a surprise is the mass exclusion of Walker. I left him out of my team, but i didn't think so many others would as well.

I think that even though it's a best 22 people are choosing pretty much on current form.

[kruddler]

I think that even though it's a best 22 people are choosing pretty much on current form.

Thats what i hope to expose at the end of the year.

[Lods]

Point here though is...At his very best or even at about 80% of it Thomas would be in our starting 22....probably the same with Walker.
But they may never again reach that type of form.

On the other hand we may get someone upgraded off the rookie list that needs a few games to find his feet and by the end of the season is "the next Kouta".

Players that struggle under a game plan or allocated position may blossom under a change of plan or a move to a different position

So the best 22 is a fluid, flexible thing  and would change constantly throughout the year and across seasons.

It's a real "point in time" thing.

My choices now are quite different to the start of the year.

The best 22 indicated above is arguably our best 22 now.....it may (should) be different at the end of the year.

[cookie2]

Seems to be a fair degree of consensus here! Only really Walker and Thomas as marginal calls.

[DJC]

I think that even though it's a best 22 people are choosing pretty much on current form.

Isn't that how you pick a best 22?  If a player is out of form/injured, he wouldn't be in the best 22  ???

And that's what you're saying in your next comment 

[laj]

Seems to be pretty consistent currently.

Somewhat of a surprise is the mass exclusion of Walker. I left him out of my team, but i didn't think so many others would as well.

Picking the best 22 on fitness and form for this one. Thomas and Walker would be picked normally

[kruddler]

Point here though is...At his very best or even at about 80% of it Thomas would be in our starting 22....probably the same with Walker.
But they may never again reach that type of form.

On the other hand we may get someone upgraded off the rookie list that needs a few games to find his feet and by the end of the season is "the next Kouta".

Players that struggle under a game plan or allocated position may blossom under a change of plan or a move to a different position

So the best 22 is a fluid, flexible thing  and would change constantly throughout the year and across seasons.

It's a real "point in time" thing.

My choices now are quite different to the start of the year.

The best 22 indicated above is arguably our best 22 now.....it may (should) be different at the end of the year.

I want to show people that it is fluid. How fluid i'm not sure, we shall see at the end of the year.

There are always people who argue player x is CLEARLY in our best 22 and has been all year......perhaps not.

A couple of examples....
First poll...
Walker - 65 / 66 people had him best 22.
Jones - 41/66 votes
Graham - 8/66 votes
Armfield - 3/66 votes

Current poll...
Walker - 6/23
Jones - 0/23
Graham - 18/23
Armfield - 20/23


In retrospect we might find out that someone like Walker is carrying a terribly debilitating injury, which has affected his form.

I was also hoping to highlight during our worst periods that our best 22 was far from easy to select.

[Lods]

I was also hoping to highlight during our worst periods that our best 22 was far from easy to select.

That's a fair point....
When a team is performing poorly there are always folk calling for heads to roll or for fringe players to be given a chance.
At such a time you would get a large selection of players suggested as being in the top 22 and a big difference between poster's choices.

Contrast that with our improved form over the last month and the numbers contract to a core group... with not a lot of difference in people's choices.

[Mantis]

I have recently left Thomas out because of injury and suspect it will take him a while to come good again. It isn't as easy as I thought earlier when we had more passengers in the squad. Number one spot should go to Barker, but his name isn't on the list. ;D