To provide a little light relief from today's shambles:

In the past it has been relatively easily to pick out a "Best XI" in the Prem; the days when Henry, Ronaldo, Vieira etc were shoe ins. But with the top teams declining somewhat in outstanding quality - and a lot of the midtable teams improving - who would you now pick as your ideal Prem team?

And who would be your top players in each position:

Stickmen
1.
2.
3.

Rightbacks
1.
2.
3.

Centrebacks
1.
2.
3.
4.

Leftbacks
1.
2.
3.

Centre Mids (ballwinners, box to box types)
1.
2.
3.
4.

Attacking Mids (wingers and/or offensive central)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Forwards
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Not a huge fan of 'lists', but I'm genuinely interested to see how individuals are perceived at the moment. Even picking just a 1st team could have so many combinations.

I've had a stab at this amid the tedium of my work day...

Jaakelainen
Rangel - Ivanovic - Huth - Baines
Carzola - Felaini - Nolan - Bale
Michu
Van Persie

Stickmen
1. Jaaskelainen 2. Guzman 3. Schwarzer

Rightbacks
1. Rangel 2. Jenkinson 3. Lowton

Centrebacks
1. Ivanovic 2. Huth 3. Mertesacker 4. Figueroa

Leftbacks
1. Baines 2. Cole 3. Riise

Centre Mids (ballwinners, box to box types)
1. Fellaini 2. Nolan 3. Diame 4. Toure

Attacking Mids (wingers and/or offensive central)
1. Carzola 2. Michu 3. Bale 4. Hazard 5. Morrison 6. Walcott

Forwards
1. Van Persie 2. Suarez 3. Walters 4. Defoe 5. Lambert 6. Long

These are based on my view of their ability rather than form.

Hart
Sagna - Kompany - Luiz - Baines
Fellaini - Toure
Silva - Cazorla - Bale
Van Persie

Stickmen
1. Hart 2. Szczesny 3. Friedel

Rightbacks
1. Sagna 2. Ivanovic 3. Walker

Centrebacks
1. Kompany 2. Luiz 3. Jagielka 4. Vermaelen

Leftbacks
1. Baines 2. Cole 3. Gibbs

Centre Mids (ballwinners, box to box types)
1. Fellaini 2. Toure 3. Cabaye 4. Carrick

Attacking Mids (wingers and/or offensive central)
1. Silva 2. Bale 3. Cazorla 4. Mata 5. Hazard 6. Valencia

Forwards
1. Van Persie 2. Suarez 3. Rooney 4. Aguero 5. Tevez 6. Berbatov

Stickmen
1. Hart
2. Krul
3. Reina

Rightbacks
1. Sagna
2. Ivanovic
3. Walker

Centrebacks
1. Kompany
2. Vidic
3. Coloccini
4. Vermaelen

Leftbacks
1. Baines
2. Cole
3. Evra

Centre Mids (ballwinners, box to box types)
1. Toure
2. Fellaini
3. Cabaye
4. Ramires

Attacking Mids (wingers and/or offensive central)
1. Bale
2. Cazorla
3. Mata
4. Silva
5. Valencia
6. Hazard

Forwards
1. Van Persie
2. Aguero
3. Tevez
4. Suarez
5. Ba
6. Hernandez

A few notes: decided to go with Baines as my leftback, as his delivery and freekick ability is such an asset and Cole hasn't hugely impressed me in recent times. The hardest choice was whether to line up with three atttacking midfielders or drop Mata in favour of Aguero; eventually deciding to go with the former.

The centrebacks were difficult, beyond what I see as an obvious duo of Kompany and Vidic. There are so few central defenders impressing me, and some of the ones that are solid, are in my opinion solid due to who they play for which doesn't help. Coloccini earned the 3rd spot on the basis that he seems to be a MOTM contender everytime I watch my hometown team play, and Vermaelen was probably fortunate to sneak 4th ahead of Vertonghen.

Ramires snuck the 4th central midfield spot. Not entirely happy with that choice, with possibly Dembele an option (Wilshere was ruled out on the basis he hasn't played).

Upfront, it is an easy top four by some considerable margin. Ba 5th as his scoring record in this league has been excellent, and he is a real all-round striker. Doubtless Rooney should have made the list, but I've got to stick to my guns and I've never ever rated him at the level of the platitudes he has had throughout his career, and if you offer me any player to partner Van Persie then it is Javier Hernandez all day. Huge appreciation for the Mexican.

Can't believe I missed Vidic and Wilshere!

GK: Joe Hart

RB: Micah Richards
CB: Vincent Kompany
CB: Branislav Ivanovic
LB: Leighton Baines

CM: Lucas Leivia
CM: Yaya Toure

RW: David Silva
AM: Marouane Fellaini
LW: Gareth Bale

ST: Robin Van Persie


Second string; Brad Friedel, Bacary Sagna, Nemanja Vidic, Jonas Olsson, Neil Taylor, Claudio Yacob, Jack Wilshere, Antonio Valencia, Juan Mata, Eden Hazard, Wayne Rooney.

Really! I am genuinely staggered by that. I dont think I would put him in my top 8!

Jonathan Walters at 3. Ahead of to name a few Aguero, Tevez and Rooney was the one that made me laugh the most.

My genius cannot be explained to all...