We’ve essentially got six out-and-out attacking players but, hey, it’s a dream team and we can do what we want.
Just in case you couldn’t remember who was in group E – here’s a reminder
– Belgium
– Italy
– Republic of Ireland
– Sweden
Sweden’s status as a glorified one-man team is cemented by the fact that only Zlatan Ibrahimovic makes it to the combined XI while we’ve said “be damned” in four languages to holding midfielders.
Dembele is the most deep-lying of our midfield men and while we acknowledge that he’s no Claude Makelele, he deserved a place.
Justification:
Before attacking me (a proud, unbiased Irishman) on Twitter, take a long, hard look at yourself in the mirror and think ‘is Daniele De Rossi really a better player than Mr Wesley Hoolahan?’
Gianluigi Buffon (Italy) – He’s better than Thibaut Courtois and has been ever since about the 1950s.
Seamus Coleman (Ireland) – Is he the best right back in the Premier League? There’s definitely an argument to be made for it. No holes in his game.
Toby Alderweireld (Belgium) – One of the best players in Spurs’ most recent annual display of promise that inevitably leads to finishing lower than Arsenal.
Giorgio Chiellini (Italy) – As old-fashioned centre-halves go, Chiellini is right up there, putting his head in stupidly dangerous places.
Jan Verthongen (Belgium) – He’s played more at centre-half in recent years but he’s more than capable on the left side of defence. He may not have the qualities of ol’ Seamie on the right but he can do a job.
Mousa Dembele (Belgium) – Sometimes you need a lad to get stuck in. Unfortunately with Dembele, it’s recently been his fingers that he’s been sticking in opponents’ eyes. He’s big, he’s strong and he’s better than Thiago Motta.
Wes Hoolahan (Ireland) – We just couldn’t leave Ireland’s best player out of this XI but, in reality, there wasn’t an awful lot of competition in midfield. He’s got a wand of a left foot and we could do with his range of passing to guide the ball out wide.
Eden Hazard (Belgium) – For that goal he scored against Spurs alone, Hazard was in no danger of losing a place on the left, cutting in and wrecking full-backs’ lives.
Kevin de Bruyne (Belgium) – A rare piece of bad business from Jose Mourinho, de Bruyne has come into his own and he can supply the perfect delivery to our two muscle-bound strikers.
Romelu Lukaku (Belgium) – Defending against Lukaku is like marking a fridge that can head the ball. He’s more than a big man though, he’s got terrific feet and a bastard of a strike on him.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden) – Because Zlatan.
