Firstly, its a public vote, so for the love of God don’t complain to me if you don’t agree with something – Hell, I don’t agree with everything. Second, its noticeably less of a cosmopolitan team, in terms of which sides they came from this year. Last season’s XI featured players from a variety of clubs, but it seems this year, you only really thought two sides turned up.
Thirdly, its back to 4-4-2 this year after last years team dallied with 5 in midfield.

The Team of the Season, after the jump.

Van Der Saar - The Man United keeper started the season a little shakily but soon got into the rhythm of things, and became a part of United’s often unpenetrable back five. In the Premier League he kept a clean sheet record, and kept a number of clean sheets in the Champions League. Mind you, with that defence in front of him, it makes his job considerably easier. Still had to get the job done when he was called upon though, and he always did. He will be absolutely vital in Rome.
Best Moment: Any of United’s 4 clean sheets in the KO stages.

Patrice Evra – Still in from last year, the Man United left-back has again formed a vital part of that United back five. Great going forwards, but with a brilliant ability to stick back if he needs to keep tabs on someone (Theo who?) he’s become a certainty in United’s back line. He’ll be essential in Rome, when he’ll have someone else from this team to mark.
Best Moment: Again, its tough to look past the clean sheets, but he might have to have his best performance yet in the final.

Rio Ferdinand - It seems so long ago that Rio was a player with concentration issues who liked to get forward a touch too much. Now he’s one of the most skillful defenders in the world, a brilliant tackler and a United captain for years to come. He not only has the most uncanny ability to keep quality strikers out of entore games, but He also still gets forward, but he knows how to get back too. Between him and Vidic, they provide United with a whole other threat going forward.
Best Moment: Ibrahimwho?

Nemandja Vidic - Up from last years bench, Vidic has got better and better in his time and United, and ran away with the centre back’s poll. Him and Ferdinand look like an absolute wall at the back. Alot of complaints that he didn’t win any of the Premier League awards this season, but for certain, Vidic has been United’s most valuable player at home and in Europe, and there was no way he wasn’t going to make this team.
Best Moment: For all his defensive goodness, his goal against Inter in the opening minutes was crucial.

Daniel Alves: Lacklustre in the Semi-Final, and will miss the final, but despite that Alves still makes your team, which shows the striking impression he made in the earlier stages, where he reminded you of a young Roberto Carlos, who could actually defend.
Best Moment: pretty much all the group stage when there was talk of him being the best player in the world.

Lionel Messi – The top scorer in the Champions League so far, Lil Leo has been the heartbeat of a team many assume to be the best in the world. He’s only one game away from winning the next Ballon d’or too.
Best Moment Take your pick really. I’m going to go for his performance against Bayern in the first half of the Nou Camp. Sublime.

Andres Iniesta - Iniesta has got progressively more important to Barca as the Champions League has gone on. I think outside of Catalonia he was considered a bit inferior to his team-mate Xavi, but as the Champions League has gone on he has more than proved his ability. He can move wide when Barca need him too, he words incredibly hard whether Barca are one down, or four up. And he’s scored a quite important goal to put them where they are now.
Best Moment: The last minute goal against Chelsea, of course.

Xavi - Oooh Xavi’s a bit good isn’t he? Probably the best creative player in the world at the moment, Xavi can do anything, and his vision of passing is among the very best there has ever been. The way he can pick out a pass, set up a goal, or importantly, just keep Barca’s momentum up, he’s astounding. He never misplaces a pass either, he’s a big part of why they have so much possession in games. Barca, or Spain really wouldn’t have been the same without him.
Best Moment: Cut out 4 defenders with a single pass against Lyon. Four! Staggering.

Cristiano Ronaldo - Last years Best Player in The World is another who has looked better as the season has worn on. Started off with an injury which took time to get back from, but once he found his feet he was flying again. Scored in every round.
Best Moment: The screamer against Porto.

Fernando Torres – Last season’s loan striker is sharing the frontline this season, but he’s the only player who makes the starting XI who isn’t playing for either Barcelona or Manchester United. That alone shows his importance to Liverpool.
Best Moment: You know scoring against Real Madrid will have meant the world to him.

Wayne Rooney – Last season people started to question Rooney’s importance in the future of United, and indeed he started the season the wing. But Rooney always works incredibly hard, back tracking and playing all over the pitch, and has been rewarded with being Man United’s striker choice. He’s become talismanic to United, and he’ll almost certainly be at Old Trafford longer than some of his teammates. Not thinking of anyone in particular mind…
Best moment: Scored goals for fun in the group stage.

The Bench:

Pep Guardiola – In his first season he’s done it all, including shading out Sir Alex Ferguson in the manager polls. Sublime at home, after looking awkard in his opening game, In Europe he hasn’t put a foot wrong, producing a Barca side shorn of a few superstars (Ronaldinho, Deco, nearly Samuel Eto’o) and yet performing at a higher level that they were last season. And Sir Alex will surely have noticed the similarity between the celebrations of Pep against Chelsea, and Jose against United all those years ago.

Iker Casillas: His defence often left him with loads to do, but he often kept Real in matches. To suggest he’s worth his wait in gold to them, is a massive understatement. Extraordinary at stopping shots, He almost certainly is, the best goalkeeper in the world at the moment, and is going to be a massive part of Spain’s preparations for South Africa next year. Looking across this side, you wouldn’t exactly bet against the Spanish to repeat the feat of Euro 2008, would you?

Davide Santon: Controversial, as he is in mainly for his ability to keep CR7 quiet, the Inter wing back is a massive prospect for the future. He’s only played a handful of games for Inter Milan this season, but he is showing alot of promise. Even Ronaldo was singing his praises after the game with Manchester United, and that doesn’t happen every week.

Franck Ribery – The French midfielder might have suffered a bit in that drubbing at the Nou Camp, but he never gave up, and he had previously masterminded a brilliant performance against Sporting in the round before. Alot of people were talking about the game against Barca being a dress rehearsal for his eventual move to Catalonia in the summer, and judging on his performances in a very tough group, and then against Sporting, he would more than fit in at the Nou Camp.

Michael Carrick: Man United might have lamented the loss of Owen Hargreaves to injury this season, but Carrick has done really well on his own. His tackling and his range of passes only seem to get better.

Didier Drogba: He’ll be remembered for his foul-mouthed outburst after the Barca match, but Drogba was still a goalscoring machine in Europe. If he’d just put one of the chances away against Barca, he’d probably have made the starting XI.

Well all week the polls have been open so that you can decide who makes our Champions League team of the season.

Previously we’ve had votes for Goalkeepers, Centre halves, Wing Backs, Wingers and Central Mids. Today you get to pick who is going to lead the line in your team AND who is going to manage this team.

The Rules are – you get to pick one. Whoever gets the most votes gets in the team. If its a draw, I either rejig the formation, or have the deciding vote. If you pick Other you have to tell me in the comments for anything to come of it.

So can anyone break the United/Barca hegemony? Or will you all stick to your guns? Of course its up to you.

Will the experience of Sir Alex Ferguson win you over? Or will the impressive newcoming of Pep Guardiola be your choice? Will Guus Hiddink’s turning around of a falling apart Chelsea get your vote?

Who has been the best striker in this years Champions League?(opinion poll)

Who has been the best manager in the CL?(polls)

Still, if any position is going to break that hegemony its going to Winge….oh.

So will you go for the obvious twosome of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo? Or will one of the outside bets take your fancy?

Also a quick note, I wasn’t sure where to stick Thierry Henry. He plays in a wide position for Barca, but he’s clearly still a striker. Basically I’ve put him in, but if you think he should get in on the basis of being a striker, then wait till tomorrow and vote him by clicking “other” and putting his name in the comments.

Top two make the team of course, and third place makes the bench. In the event of a tie, I get the deciding vote (and contray to popular thought, it won’t automatically be for a Prem based player, it’ll be for whoever I genuinely think has been the best).

Anyway onwards to the voting booth. Who gets your nod?

Who has been the best Winger in this season’s Champions League(opinion polls)

So who will you go for? Will it be an all-Catalonia midfield? Will Lampard dragging Chelsea to the Semi Final be enough? Or will Gerrard have the momentum after his FWA win? Will you recall some of the exemplary performances in the group stages? Or just give it to Senna after his goal against Arsenal? It is, as it always is, up to you.

I don’t know that I need to recap the rules, but If I do, basically the players with the most votes make the team. If its a tie, I’ll either jig the formation or have the deciding vote.

Contray to the belief of some fans (see yesterdays comments) I don’t have a prejudice against any team, I’m just trying to give a balance of the whole tournament.

Anyway onwards to votewards!

Who has been the best CM in this seasons Champions League?(poll)

The rules, as ever, are very simple. the two wingbacks with the most votes will make the team of the year. You can pick Other but you have to tell me who in the comments. I won’t vote, unless its a draw, then I get the deciding vote. The poll closes when I deem it so (which will probably be the day after the strikers poll).

So who is going to make your team? Were Dani Alves early season performances enough to make you forget his game against Chelsea? Will their neutering of Messi be enough to get Bosingwa or Cole in the team? Do you want a Brazilian in the team enough to go for a certain Liverpool wingback (There were, controversially no Samba boys last time around) Will Sergio Ramos ability to be Real’s best attacking and smartest defensive threat be enough to grab him a place in the team? Have I forgotten someone really obvious? Its on you.

Below is the poll – choose wisely. Remember top two make it in, with one for the bench.

Who has been the best Wingback in this years CL?(ning polls)

Never the most glamourous of positions, defenders are of course vital to a succesful charge in Europe. Would Man United be in the final if it wasn’t Ferdinand and Vidic? Wouldn’t Barca’s beautiful football be wasted without a back line to back them up?

The rules, as yesterday are simple. You all vote for the players you’d like to see in this team. If you pick Other, you have to let me know in the comments who the Other is. I won’t vote unless its a tie, in which case I’ll have the deciding vote, assuming I can’t jig the formation to accomadate.

Top two players make the team, and the runner up gets to sit on the bench.

Who has been the best Centre-Half in this years CL?(blog polls)

The Rules are simple. Every day, I’ll run a poll on who has been the best player in each position. The best one will get voted in (or best two in some positions) and the runner(s) up will be on the bench. The formation will be dictated by the votes. Last year we went with 451 because the midfielders were tied on votes, and because Torres was so far ahead in the striker catagory.

You can vote for someone not listed, but if you click “Other” you have to state in the comments who you went for. If that player wins then they’ll get in the team. Easy eh?

I’m not going to vote, unless its a draw, and can’t be seperated by changing the formation. In which case I’ll have a deciding vote just to make things easier.

So we’ll kick off with Goalkeepers, who is going to be your pick? Are Reina and Cech tainted too much by that fateful 4-4? Was Casillas too let down by his back line to make it in? Will Van der Saar avenge last years narrow defeat? As ever, you decide.

Who has been the Best Goalkeeper in the Champions League 08/09(opinion polls)

Who will be your pick? Will your team be based primarilly on Euro 2008 (Arshavin, Fábregas, Xavi, Capdevila, Casillas), or will you looking at league form (Torres, Ibrahimovic, Ronaldo) or will the Champions League (Cech, Carvalho, Ferdinand, Lampard, Ronaldo again) be more important to you? Well, it is entirely up to you. Let us know in the comments who you pick though.

My team? I went for Casillas, Ramos, Ferdinand, Carvalho, Capdevila, Ronaldo, Xavi, Fábregas, Ribery, Messi, Torres. Though I really wanted to take Ibra.

Full team after the jump

Fifpro World Team of the Season 2007-8

Iker Casillas
Sergio Ramos
John Terry
Rio Ferdinand
Carlos Puyol
Steven Gerrard
Xavi
Ricky Kaka’
Leo Messi
Fernando Torres
Cristiano Ronaldo.

That midfield bothers me. Not really sure what Steven Gerrard has done to warrent being in there – he’s been good but one of the best three minfielders in the world? Don’t think so. Though he was voted into our Champions League Team of the Season. I’m not sure Kaka’ should make it either to be honest. Xavi however is a good call after his Euro’s performances – which might have got Andrei Arshavin a shout?

There’s also no left back. Ramos is a right back surely? Still, whatever.

Facts:

by Nation:

Spain 5
England 3
Brazil 1
Portugal 1
Argentina 1

By League

La Liga 5
EPL 5
Serie A 1

By Club
Barca 3
Man United 2
Liverpool 2
Real Madrid 2
Chelsea 1
AC MIlan 1

A couple of quick notes though, before I reveal the team. Originally I was going to post the team in a traditional 442 nature. But fate, and common sense have presented me with a 451 formation. This is for three reasons:

i) Pretty much all the successful clubs in the Champions League this season have played some varient on the 451 turning into 433.
ii) Our winning striker recieved 70% of the vote, so it was sort of fair he got in on his own
iii) The three winning central midfielders were all tied on the same number of votes, which would have been impossible to pick between them.

But for this reason, I’ve also included a bench, so you can mix and match the formations to your will. You also voted in a manager, and he would probably have something to say about the style of play. So without further ado, here we go.

Petr Cech

Goalkeepers were the tightest vote this year, with just one vote seperating the two which will play out the final in Moscow on Wednesday. But you just about voted in Chelsea’s Number One, who despite having freak injury after freak injury has been pretty assured in the Chelsea goal.

Best Moment: Recovering from a nightmare start against Valencia when Chelsea really looked on the ropes. Kept them in the match long enough that Drogba could eventually win it.

Michael Essien

There were more than a few raised eyebrows at the continual playing of Essien at Right-Back in the Champions League, but he has showed time and time again, he doesn’t actually have a position, he plays everywhere. His finest game was against Liverpool in the second leg semi final, where he was huge, and covered pretty much every blade of grass.

Best Moment: The who game against Liverpool, absolutely huge, even from Right Back.

Philippe Mexes

Supreme in the group stages, Mexes was a big factor in Roma becoming the last Italian team left in the tournament. The Frenchmen is still a bit player for his country, but how much longer can he be ignored?

Best Moment: His performance at Old Trafford in the group stage – it was eventually undone by a bit of Rooney class, but he was the main reason Roma didn’t suffer as they did the season before.

Rio Ferdinand

This year, with Vidic really finding his feet alongside him, Rio has matured into Man United’s best player. Alright so he isn’t Ronaldo, but his leadership and his ability to mark world-class players out of big matches (hello Samuel Eto’o) has been as important to Man United as Ronaldo’s goals.

Best Moment: Scoring in Kiev. Always the first to celebrate, it was his second goal in 2 weeks, after scoring for England just before.

Patrice Evra

Voted in ahead of the sentimental choice who sits on the bench, Evra has been an important part of the rock that is Man United’s defence. They’ve conceeded so few goals this season, and Evra never lets down his attacking duty either – he’s the perfect realisation of Man United’s current really-attacking-at-home-ultra-defensive-away policy.

Best Moment: The second leg against Barca. The first leg he was shown up a couple of times by Messi, lesser men would have crumbled, but after a few challenges in the second leg, even Messi looked a bit predictable at Old Trafford.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Not exactly a shocking choice at Right-wing, but Ronaldo has earned it. Top scorer in the Champions League so far this season, he is proving there is more to him than the tricks and flicks. He’s started getting goals at big moments to – ask Lyon or Roma.

Best Moment: Take your pick; the goal against Sporting with which he refused to celebrate, the free-kick in the reverse fixture, the scrappy goal against Lyon that saw United through, or the power-header in Rome.

Cesc Fabregas

I was saying at the begining of this season, that it needs to be a big year for the Catalonia Kid, and boy has Cesc delivered. He completely came of age this season and has been the heartbeat of a side that overachieved so much in the first half of the season, that when they didn’t win anything, it looked like a failure. Class.

Best Moment: He came of age brilliantly in the 7-0 win against Slavia Prague in the group stage but really it has to be scoring in the San Siro no doubt.

Danielle De Rossi

The heartbeat of the Roma side, De Rossi has matured into a true leader in the absence of often-injured fellow-Roman Francesco Totti. De Rossi was vital to Roma’s charge in the Champions League this season – holding together the midfield so that the more attacking players could get forward and play the beautiful football they do. The next Roy Keane for sure.
Best Moment: Playing with a fever, De Rossi was everywhere against Real. Roma would not have got through without his first leg performance.

Steven Gerrard

Despite having ‘The worst game i’ve ever had in a Liverpool shirt’ against Arsenal, that you still voted in Steven Gerrard is a testament to him. He has had a knack of getting goals at important times – witness the pen in front of the Kop in the Quarter Final – and he practically dragged Liverpool through the group stage kicking and screaming after they looked like they might face an early exit.

Best Moment: The goal against Inter which finally broke down the 10-men Inter defence.

Lionel Messi

Technically he plays Right-Wing as well, but he is left footed, and has been voted in so far ahead of the other contenders, its only fair he gets the second wing berth. The only competitor with Ronaldo for best footballer in the world, Lil Leo has been dazzling in the Champions League all season. Where Ronaldo couldn’t get into the game against Barca, Leo still shone at half-fitness in the first leg, beautifully doing Patrice Evra time and time again.

Best Moment: Single handedly destroying Celtic, particularly that 1-2 with Deco. Sublime.

Fernando Torres

It seems a lifetime ago that El Nino wasn’t guarenteed a place in Rafa’s constant rotational policy – but it was only the start of the season. Torres has established himself, so well, so quickly in the Liverpool side its like he’s been there forever. Regardless of which team you support, its tough to think of a better striker in the world at the minute. He’ll set Euro 2008 alight.

Best Moment: he scored a few great goals, but the one against Arsenal was too important to ignore.

The Bench

Edwin Van der Saar

May have just missed out on a starting position, but VDS has been the rock at the back of the Man United defence. There’s maybe been a small worry about his kicking, but his shot stopping has been astonishing all year. Will visit yet another Champions League final on Wednesday.
Best Moment: A great save against Messi stops Barca getting into the Semi Final.

Poalo Maldini

One of the best players to ever grace the game, Maldini has constantly been the best player in a lacklustre Milan side. In fact, he was voted best player on the park in the loss against Arsenal by both the English and the Italian press. He has been astounding. We might not ever see him in the Champions League again, even if he does put off retirement another year, and it would be an incredible shame.
Best Moment - Standing in his own penalty area, he has two Arsenal players running at him. Instead of just blasting the ball to safety, Maldini beautifully turns them both. Divine.

Nemanja Vidic

Rio’s centre-half partner has been a ten thousend-fold improvement on the player he was when he joined Man United last season – in fact its hard to believe its the same player. Has been an absolute rock.
Best Moment - How much United worried about his absence when he got injured in Rome was a real sign of how much he means to the club.

Mirko Vucinic

Who’d have thought even Roma fans would have voted Vuci in a year ago? Not I, but since Mirko moved to a wide position (in a move that made us all question Luciano Spalletti’s sanity) he’s been brilliant, and what’s more, he’s actually been scoring more goals than ever before.
Best Moment: His injury time goal against Real might have been meaningless on paper, but try telling him that.

Michael Ballack

Ballack’s new role in Avram’s wishbone midfield has been absolutely essential to Chelsea’s revival. Of course Avram would never get any credit in the press for such a thing, but he has given Ballack a new lease of life when it looked as though he’d forever be Frank Lampard’s back up. Essential.

Best Moment: The incredibly important goal in the second leg against Fener put Chelsea through.

Didier Drogba

The top scoring striker in this season’s Champions League, and the only player who can catch Ronaldo realistically on Wednesday, Drogba has constantly been a thorn in the side of opponents. For so long he just looked like the poor-man’s Eto’o (attitude and all) but now will command a much bigger transfer fee than his fellow African in the summer.

Best Moment: After suffering a week of Rafa Benitez calling him a diver, Drogba reacted in the best way imaginable, scoring against Liverpool and then sardonically sliding on the pitch ala Klinsmann.

Karim Benzema

The young Frenchman has spectacularly come of age this term. Its no wonder that every manager wants him in thier side, his move to the centre after awhile at wide has proved a revelation.
Best Moment: His goal against Man United putting Lyon 1-0 up.

Sir Alex Ferguson
Just beating out Zico’s brave leadership of Fenerbahce, you voted in Sir Alex Ferguson as the man to manage this team. Beautifully attacking at home, anything for a draw away, United have really been about Ferguson again this year – and he approaches his second Champions League final as the favourite to get another medal.
Best Moment: He got alot of stick for his defensive display at Camp Nou, but no doubt it worked – Its United who are in the final.

Some Stats about the team

By Team:

Man United have 5 in the squad 3 in the team
Chelsea 4 in the squad, 2 in the team
Roma have 3 in the squad 2 in the team
Liverpool have 2 in the team
Barcelona have 1 in the team
Arsenal have 1 in the team
AC milan have 1 in the squad
Lyon have 1 in the squad

By Nationality
France 3
Italy 2
Spain 2
Engalnd 2
Germany 1
Ivory Coast 1
Serbia 1
Montenegro 1
Argentina 1
Czech Rep 1
Portugal 1
Holland 1
Ghana 1

And there you have it. Thank you for reading, thank you to everyone who voted, and hopefully I’ll see you all here Next Season!

Roll on the Final.