FBenali

Team C is the best, quality all around.
Team B will get so many cards, probably a few reds.
Team E is slow
Team A has star power but the midfielders are all workhorses and the only outlet is Joe and maybe Reece. Defending against them is simple
Team D isn't defensively sound enough to have Duff and Robben be high flying wingers.
From best to poor = C, A, E, B, D

Team E's midfield is too weak with zero defensive attributes to their game. One pass through the midfield would kill them, Alonso's lack of pace at LB would hurt too, especially if it's Malouda he needs to rely on to track back and help.
Team A is my second weakest. All of those names look impressive, but there are no wingers, and I can't pick a side without wingers.
Team D could be a decent counter attacking team, but it doesn't have enough balance for me and not enough leadership in defence.
Team B I don't think this team would be the most eye catching outside of Palmer, but I think they would be efficient.
Team C The most balanced of the 5. This teams attack is lethal, but it also would link up well with the midfield. Mikel isn't the best DM around, but he's solid enough, would link up well with Fabregas and Fabregas playing the ball over the top to one of the strongest strikers ever in Drogba would lead to so many goals. The defensive pairing of Silva and Cahill is really solid, with the best Premier League goalkeeper ever too? That would get a lot of clean sheets. Chilwell linking up Hazard on the wings would be impressive too. That team has a bit of everything. The only weakness is that off the ball, they may have moments where they would struggle.

C,A,B,D,E
C- Gusto is a bit of a sketchy inclusion, but it would work, Mikel was a bit inconsistent, but that front 5 is electric, and I like the CB pairing along with the best ever GK.
A - Great defence, great midfield, attack is decent. A close second to C.
B - All round decent team, with all these players at their prime would still prob win the prem now, love the full backs, Kante I think is our best ever defensive midfielder, and I think a Costa, Anelka partnership would be amazing. Close with C and A.
D- All great, but atrocious CB pairing, and De Geoy was mostly rubbish.
E - I just don't think this team works. Decent GK, but he was inconsistent for us and left on bad terms, Ivanovic was a better RB, Rudiger, Ferreira decent, Alonso was only good in the 3-4-3, as a traditional LB was rubbish, Enzo playing holding midfield on his own, oh dear. Malouda was OK, Stirling 😂, the CF pairing not great, loved Mata, but I think you would see Man U Mata in this train wreck.

I would rather have Francis Benali in the team than Gusto

C is the best side purely down to that front 3. Having Gusto as a ‘Top 5 RB’ of all time is borderline criminal however.
E is far and away the worst side even though it features 2 of our most under appreciated cult hero’s in Mata & Alonso.
Another questionable inclusion is Fofana making it into any of these sides at all, he’s not even a Top 3 of our current squad! And some of the elite CB’s we’ve had over the years… offensive.

Why? For me personally, Mata was one of the greatest players to ever wear the shirt. He’s only been here for what, 2 or 3 years? But the impact he had was crazy, he really was a joy to watch. He can unlock a defence with a blindfold on.
We got very lucky with Fabregas, if it weren’t for him we would have missed Mata terribly.
Now imagine Mata and Fabregas playing every week? Our strikers would be FEASTING. It really is a shame he didn’t stay for longer.

In a nutshell, No, I don't think the Robbies have a point regarding Maresca. This is what happens when people who don't watch every game try to tell you about your club through things they see on a spreadsheet. I rate most of our players but I have no faith that Maresca is the man to take us to the level we should be at.

100% and I'm getting a bit irritated at the insinuation that the team is just a bunch of kids that have been plucked from an academy this season and Maresca is just navigating his way through.
Sanchez - 27
Cucurella - 27
Tosin - 28
Fofana - 24
James - 25
Chalobah - 26
Caicedo - 24
Enzo - 24
Joao Pedro - 24
Neto - 25

All of these players were in the squad on Saturday, we had a few like Josh, Santos, Guiu and Estevao who are inexperienced for sure but pundits need to stop acting like we don't have experience, even the players that are 24 that I mentioned have 4/5 seasons playing top flight football.

I go in the order listed A,B,C,D,E
A's just too hard to break down, and could score.
B, I'd like them better with Jorginho or Kovacic over Anelka, and Bonetti over Mendy
C, Looks like the best of the lot with the ball, but maybe the worst without it
D I'd like them better with Jorginho or Kovacic over Vialli.
C could be a whole lot better; Osgood over Hughes, Cooke over Stirling, and would prefer Matic to Mata for our Chelsea turned Man U players.