If Carlsberg bought Newcastle United…

We’ve got Malcolm Macdonald and Les Ferdinand on the bench. That would have taken the worry out of that second half against Blackburn in the FA Cup 3rd round but of course they aren’t really current incumbents of the home dugout at St James’ Park (pity).

Like the team and the subs below they exist in my head, my cobbled together team of the best players I have seen at St James’ Park in my lifetime. No longer down with the kids (I had my 50th birthday cake last summer) but I’m too young to have seen the likes of Jackie Milburn in the flesh to give an obvious example of my very simple rule. It sounds easy but it isn’t.

I’ve offended myself by leaving Malcolm Macdonald and Terry Hibbit out of the team (the memory of the latter hitting a long ball for the former makes the hairs on the palms of my hands stand up). It’s all opinions and you can’t please everyone and I hope all you Frank Pingel fans out there take that on board. I reserve the right to change my mind, agree and buddy up with anyone who has better ideas and say they were my own all along. Pleased you’re cool with that disclaimer, now on with the show…

4-4-2 Formation

Manager Bobby Robson

GK Shay Given

Right Back Irving Nattrass

Left Back Jose Enrique

Central Defender Philippe Albert

Central Defender Fabricio Coloccini

Midfield Terry McDermott

Midfield Paul Gascoigne

Midfield Kevin Keegan

Midfield David Ginola

Forward Alan Shearer

Forward Peter Beardsley

Seven Subs: Tim Krul, Malcolm Macdonald, Chris Waddle, Les Ferdinand, Nobby Solano, Jonathan Woodgate, Terry Hibbitt

The Fallen

In my parallel universe, several greats are now rumoured in the parallel press to be unsettled. Some will be easier to soothe than others. It’s just possible that Frank Clark prizes his European Cup winner’s medal at Forest medal higher than being in my dream team but we can’t know that for sure of course.

Many Mag gentlemen of a certain age will be yelling, “Tony Green”, but in the flesh I only clearly recall him from a testimonial (Ollie Burton’s I think). I went to my first match in 1971 and others in the early 70s but wasn’t a home regular until the mid 70s and then ever since.

I was going to do a player by player justification of others who I can’t believe I left out but I’d be here until the end of the season. I could have picked players on stats – Robert by numbers is better than Ginola on extinct. However, the latter was still one of the best players I have ever seen up close and personal. Similarly Rob Lee really should have been in there somewhere but I’d stop speaking to myself if I left out Gazza and I love Nobby Solano.

Then what is the point of having Supermac’s cannon ball shot if Terry Hibbitt isn’t in there supplying the ammo. I said I wasn’t going to go through player by player………………………..