Chris Sutton's Dream Team

This is from his bio, it's his dream 11 drawn from players he played with.

TIM FLOWERS

DIDIER AGATHE
Bit of a surprise this, I thought, and maybe a bit of a blow for Dan Petrescu! Chris said: The right side of defence isn't his favourite position, he would have preferred to play one up. But...he played against Ronaldinhio when he was at the height of his powers at Barca and didn't give the player a sniff that night. It was a brilliant defensive display. Ronaldinhio used to make top players looks stupid, he was that good. He also had great games against Ajak, Juve, Stuttgart. That's the level where the best players are judged...the fastest player i've ever played with and a good trainer.

JOHAN MJALLBY
...solid, aggressive, knew where to stand and never got flustered...an absolute winner, his desire was second to none...an "over my dead body" attitude.

MARCEL DESSAILLY

JACKIE McNAMARA
Bit of a shock for Graham Le Saux perhaps? Sutton had a personal problem with Le Saux, which perhaps helps to explain this choice. Not that Jackie Mac wasn't in that class, and he was maybe my favourite player from that Celtic team. Chris said: Reliable, made good decisions. He read the game very well. An intelligent footballer who always got forwad at the right times...selfless, attitude of the highest standard...a master of the scissor tackle...an intelligent guy and a bit of a pretty boy but in fact he could be really horrible when he needed to be...I fell out with him a couple of times...one time during a training session he threatened to snap me in two...i kept my mouth shut after that(!).

RUEL FOX

STAN PETROV
No room for Lambert, Lennon, McKinlay, Sherwood or Wise, but Petrov makes it in. Chris holds him in really, really high regard: When you talk about quality midfielders, Stan is the man...when I joined Celtic this chubby Bulgarian right-back had to get the bus to training because he was on such a low wage! He was a good passer of the bal and was fantastic at getting on the half-turn and then having the power to drive away...his awareness with and without the ball was fantastic, as was the timing of his runs. Scored many crucial goals...progressed from a chubby kid to a leader.

IAN CROOK

LUBO MORAVCIK
No Alan Thompson or Jason Wilcox and this seems to be the position that troubled Chris the most. His explanation: Lubo had it all. I couldn't leave a player of his quality out of this side. HIs right foot was unbelievable and his left foot was sublime. Scored amazing goals. Technically as good as any footballer I have ever seen...we missed his abilities when he left.

GEORGE WEAH

HENRIK LARSSON
The greatest footballer I played with. Focused, a brilliant pro. His only thought was about going out to annihilate the opposition. When I stood with Henrik in the tunnel, I felt we had a chance of winning the game, regardless of how good the opposition was supposed to be. I never got the impression he was nervous. The goal that stands out for me was the chip over Stean Klos when we beat Rangers 6-2. I don't know any other plyaer, and I mean this, that would have had the audacity to chip Klos from there, especially with the ball actually running away from him. Incredible confidence and talent. I was lucky tohave played with him.


Thoughts?

 

Mostly former team mates of his at us, Blackburn, Chelsea and Norwich. George Weah ahead of Tommy Johnson?

 

Picking two from Weah, Shearer and Larsson must have been tough.

All these players are players he played with, it's a first eleven of guys he played with.

 

What no Sutton?:icon_mrgreen:

 

Suprised with George weah considering who partnered him at Blackburn

 

I don't think he likes him.

 

I am surprised to see Weah included instead of Shearer. It says a lot about us as a club that a man who won the Premiership considers us to be 'his' club, he always strikes me as being a Celtic supporter, and I've no doubt that if he could pick one club who he would play for again, it would definitely be us.
Though personally I would have Boruc as goalie in this team :icon_mrgreen:

 

It's worth remembering that Weah was world and European player of the year in '95. He arguably scaled heights that Shearer didn't quite manage. I'd personally go for Shearer, but nothing wrong with picking Weah I don't think.

Having said that, alba is write, the two didn't like eachother, and Sutton still blames Shearer for his being dropped from Blackburn's starting line up in his second last season. I think he's right, too.

 

After Lenny wins 5 in a row. Larsson, Sutton and Lubo could come in to take us to 10 :icon_mrgreen:

 

Despite how lethal SAS were together at Blackburn, it has been well documented that the two did not exactly get on all that well together.

 

Weah was amazing.

Great list and good to hear all the stuff he said about the hoops. Never thought that about mcnamara though.... Vicious wee * eh?

 

Celtic aside, Ruel Fox and Ian Crook?

 

He is probably mates with them plus they played together in that Norwich side that famously beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in Germany.

 

That Norwich was one of the best in England that year (finished second or third) having led the Premiership for most of that year. Their best players will definitely be up there.

The Man U that won the title that season was the Man U of McLair, Kanchelskis, Giggs, Hughes etc. Pushing them was an acheivment.

 

Fantastic line-up in there day.

Slightly off topic:

Having read this bio it has opened my eyes up to what his family have been through with there son during his time in Scotland & what a sneeky worm Alan Shearer may have been.

A must read to those who havent already done so.

Big respect to Sutty

 

Amazing lineup! Would pick Boyd infront of Larsson, but Sutton never played with this legend

 

Just imagine the team Larsson could pick from the players he played with

Douglas
Balde Mjallby Valgaeren
Agathe Lennon Petrov Lambert Thompson
Larsson Sutton

BENCH: Van der Sar, Puyol, Xavi, Giggs, Ronaldinho, Rooney, Eto'o
​

 

That would be a good team to see. I like Suttons thoughts on Mjallby and Larsson's atttiudes: 'over my dead body' and 'annihilate the opposition'. Thats what i like to see from players.

 

It's a good team he's picked. I'd have maybe chosen Alan Thompson and Lenny over Crooks and Fox, but still a quality line up!!

 

I got the book for Christmas, I'm looking forward to reading it.