Insurance Times editor Tom Broughton says his Hammers' heart will rule his head.
In choosing my fantasy football entry for my team the Editor’s Eleven, I was determined to outflank this football mad industry after performing so abysmally in the league table last year. So I spent a little more time than usual to research how best to compete at the very top of the game.
The advice from brokers and insurers alike came thick and fast. And I quickly found myself having to dispel the age old myths of opting for the strength of the Arsenal back four or following Harry Redknapp’s route through the transfer market in favour of focusing on the analysis of who the real points scoring players were last time out.
However all the advice has fallen on deaf ears once again as my West Ham flavoured heart is going to rule over my sensible laden head. Of course, if I had it my way I would choose eleven Hammers to represent me over the course of this long season, but alas the rules only enable me to choose two from any one team.
So the claret and blue will have to form the spine of my team in the form of England’s number one Robert Green (well he’s not actually the number one but he should be) and Dean Ashton, who will prove this season how prolific he can be after overcoming his injury set backs.
Although it is not in the tradition of West Ham fans to fondly welcome back players that have jumped ship to join rival teams, I will also build the nucleus of my side around those very men. So you can expect my team to encompass all the skills of Joe Cole, the speed of Glen Johnson and Jermaine Defoe, the astute defending of Rio Ferdinand and Paul Konchesky and, if I have enough cash left over (as you are only allowed to spend £55m on your starting eleven), I may even throw Frank Lampard into my team too, although choosing him really does go against all my instincts.
So there you have it, a palette of players that once I’ve completed my sums will hopefully figure in my final eleven. The irony is not lost on me that this group of players now forms the nucleus of the England team and had things turned out differently over recent years could have turned the already mighty Irons into world beaters. I just hope this group will together fire me to the top of the QBE/Insurance Times league table.
In the meantime, watch this space to view some other industry representatives pick their players prior to the start of the season and monitor all of our success over the coming weeks in a new weekly Fantasy Football index that will appear following the week when scoring begins for real on 13 September.
You too can sign up for Fantasy Football by logging onto www.insurancetimes.co.uk/QBEleague and registering today.
