your "this millenium" 3-5-2

Naka was never better than Thompson, absolutely no chance. I enjoyed Naka, I really did, but Thompson had so much more to his game. Naka had reasonable dribbling skills, an excellent left-peg and a very talented free kick taker. Thompson all of those attributes and more - he was strong, he was faster, he tracked back, he wouldn't get lost when you're away to Inverness on a tight pitch, he scored many, many more goals against them, scored goals to take us through to a European final, goals in the Champions League and, lastly, was more of a leader than Nakamura ever was for our team.

Lennon isn't overrated on here at all - I actually don't think I've ever read much on Lennon the player on here as opposed to Lennon the manager. Without Lennon in our side, our defence would have been ripped to shreds, especially in the 3-5-2 formation that accomodated players like Thompson, Petrov, sometimes Lambert and Agathe the freedom to roam forward. He was the perfect sweeper, excellent in the tackle and cleaned up everything - similar to Ledley's style of play, except less attack-minded. Lennon and Petrov are incomparable - Lennon was the catalyst for allowing people like Petrov to showcase their talents. Without him, the influence of the attacking midfield players would have been constrained due to having to defend more. You can't just write loads of good players down on paper and put all the flair players - it didn't and wouldn't work tactically.

 

Mines is close.

Boruc
Mjallby Stubbs Valgaeren
Moravcik Lennon Petrov Lambert Thompson
Larsson Sutton

I know I don't have anyone from today's team, but these guys were just amazing. Centre backs, solid. Midfield, Stan is one of the best box-to-box midfielders I've seen, Lambert oozed class and Lubo...well was just Lubo. And Thommo was just the ultimate hunskelper.
​

 

Boruc
Mjallby Stubbs Valgaeren
Moravcik Lennon Petrov Lambert Thompson
Larsson Sutton

Subs

Forster
Mulgrew
Agathe
Kayal
Nakamura
McGeady
Hartson

That team would give Barca a game at the Nou Camp, and they would win at Celtic Park.
​

 

Forster

Rogne Wilson Loovens
​

Matthews------------------- Mulgrew

Kayal

Brown---------
Stokes------------------- McCourt

Hooper​

 

Drooling at the thought of that team

 

Artur Boruc

Jackie McNamara
Chris Sutton
Johan Mjallby

Lubo Moravcik
Paul Lambert
Stiliyan Petrov
Neil Lennon
Alan Thompson

Henrik Larsson
John Hartson

Subs:
Douglas
Valgaeren
Balde
Agathe
McGeady
Bellamy
Nakamura

That is so difficult. I can't believe how people can possibly leave out Lambert, and McNamara too, but include Mulgrew and Kayal.
Had to include Hartson. Guy scored constantly in the big games. Couldn't leave Sutton out so had to include him at centre back where he was superb also. Left out Balde because he was a bombscare at times and cost us too many big games. Valgaeren was just a bit slow. Varga was good for us but if given the choice I'd probably still take Balde.

 

Fully agree with everything here. Thompson was a level above Nakamura I think. Not technically, but in terms of influence on the team, definitely. Never missing in the big games was Thompson, where as Nakamura would show up in about half.

 

​

 

3-5-2 cant have mcgeady in it because he cant defend...

 

check out how napoli play, as long as you have a destroyer like lennon to cover, you're fine playing wingers, thompson wasn't the best defender either

 

You must not watch him play for Ireland?

Boruc

Balde Mjallby Mulgrew

Mcgeady Petrov Lennon Kayal Nakamura

Larsson Hartson

 

Pretty crazy that Mulgrew is being named in some people's team of the millennium. Deemed not good enough at the start of last season, now some have him in their best 3 defenders of the last 11 years. Incredible turnaround, shows you just how well he has done

 

i didnt put all the flair players down on paper , i have two of the most combative hardest tackling midfielders in kayal and petrov . petrov was the best ball winner and biggest fighter in that team , him and kayal hussling and harrying in the middle of the park wouldnt allow other teams to breathe or get a rhythm going . Having Kayal and Petrov would make it a gritty midfield , with a good balance of falir with mcgeady , lubo and naka.

 

I just cannot believe how anyone can have Kayal over Paul Lambert. Kayal's been ripped apart on more than a few occasions in a Celtic jersey, and Paul Lambert is the guy who marked Zinedine Zidane out of a Champions League final, as well as making a midfield of Giggs, Scholes, Keane and Beckham look like schoolboys in the quarter finals in the same year. Kayal has limitations. Lambert had it all.

 

Boruc
Mjallby Balde Valgaeren
McGeady Petrov Lennon Moravcik Izaguirre
Larsson Sutton​

Tricky, hard to leave out Lambert, Agathe, Thompson, Naka, but that's what I would go with. Izzy over Thompson firstly because I think he would provide more in terms of defending and box to box play, not as good a final ball but as we saw last year is more than capable of getting up and down the park and getting crosses in. Also Thompson's set piece ability is not really necessary with Lubo in there. That's part of the reason I left Naka out as well.

 

Nice balance of the past and present:

 

If we had boruc or even Forster in goals with the team that got to the uefa cup final not only would we have won that game but we would have made serious inroads in the CL.

Boruc
Mjallby Balde Valgaeren
Moravcik Petrov Lennon Lambert Thompson
Sutton Larsson​

Possibly with agathe in there for moravcik for the more difficult the opponent, but undoubtedly a team filled with steel, creativity and deadly finishing.

 

Hmm whilst I agree with the sentiment that Boruc and Forster are superior to Douglas, I think people are far too harsh on him because of the final. Watch the game at Anfield and against Celta Vigo and you'll see how many times he kept us in the competition. People just forget that though.