We at TheFifthConference want to remember some better days from the Premier League when the game was still respected so much, not money!

Today we are going back 6, 7 years and, according to our analysis, choose the best Premier League defense for season 13/14.

Finally, some of the players just don’t feel right.

It also looks like the English haven’t lost their old habit of glorifying a few players based on their performances in one season.

Hence, this is an alternate version of the Team of the Season.

You may agree or you may disagree.

Feel free to rant away in the comments.

Who isn’t up for a little banter?

Drum roll, please.

The Barclay’s Premier League Team of the Season is:

GOALKEEPER: VITO MANNONE (SUNDERLAND)

Vito Mannone has been nothing short of spectacular this season.

Yes, Petr Cech has been great as well but he has hardly been a part of the action with the defense that Chelsea boasts of.

Wojciech Szczesny has been great as well, he also said how Ibrahimovic is one of the best MSL players but it’s his first outstanding season for Arsenal and if he can carry his form into next season, he could make the team.

David Marshall should have been an obvious choice, however, he has not kept in goal for any big team yet, and maybe this transfer window could give him a chance to move to a club where he can really be tested.

Mannone has been very good in goal and has been an integral part of Sunderland’s change in fortunes since Poyet’s introduction as Manager.

He has let in only 38 goals in 29 appearances, as compared to the 21 goals that were scored in their first 9 games which saw Sunderland pick up only 4 out of a possible 27.

Mannone’s form really picked up in December and hit its peak in April.

His standout games were Sunderland’s win against Newcastle in early February and the game that ended Mourinho’s streak, in which he made a stunning 6 saves.

Crunching the numbers: Mannone vs Cech

LEFT BACK: CESAR AZPILICUETA (Chelsea)

César Azpilicueta has been very integral to Chelsea this season.

The young Spaniard has shown that turning out to be the complete full-back.

Solid in defense, intelligent in movement, and vicious going forward.

Luke Shaw likes to play higher up the pitch and while that isn’t a bad quality at all, his defensive work needs to improve.

In fact, while Shaw has created 33 chances as compared to Azpilicueta’s 12, his average number of defensive actions has been 5 per game as compared to Azpilicueta’s 8.

Moreover, Chelsea has only conceded 23 goals in the games Azpilicueta has played (29 games) whereas Shaw has been in the team for 43 of their 47 conceded goals (35 games).

Chance creation areas of Azpilicueta and Shaw.

Azpilicueta pays more attention to his defensive duties, as other statistics reveal.

RIGHT BACK: SEAMUS COLEMAN (EVERTON)

There really wasn’t any question here.

Seamus Coleman stood out.

While the likes of Bacary Sagna and Pablo Zabaletta, neither was even close to as good as Coleman.

Coleman was integral in Everton’s resurgence and had 6 goals to show for it as well, including some vivacious stunners.

Having won an average of 59% of his duels every game, the Everton man is the clear-cut selection for the right-back position.

CENTER BACK: GARY CAHILL (CHELSEA)

Gary Cahill has been vital to Chelsea’s rejuvenated defense.

While Chelsea conceded almost twice as many goals as Mourinho’s historic 2004-05 season where they only conceded 15, bar a couple of matches, Gary Cahill hasn’t put a foot wrong.

This is further exemplified by Chelsea’s dismal performance against Crystal Palace lat in April, in which Cahill played no role in the disaster that was Chelsea’s game that day.

Gary Cahill’s stats in the Crystal Palace game.

CENTER BACK: LAURENT KOSCIELNY (ARSENAL)

It is extremely surprising how Vincent Kompany was included in the team of the season when he has nothing short of a mediocre season if compared to the rock he was for the last 2 seasons.

Laurent Koscielny, bar his disastrous start at Aston Villa and probably one of his least intelligent performances at Liverpool later in the season, was a boulder at the back and along with Mertsackr gave Arsenal their long-awaited traditional full season back two pairings.

The stats speak for themselves.

Crunching the numbers: Koscielny vs Kompany.

Yes, this wasn’t that long ago but trust us, this was the last season of the PL where we at least saw a little that the players play from their heart.

Unfortunately, today that has changed and it no longer makes sense when players exceed 200 million euros of market value.

Players who have only played half a season, at age 19 are already worth 100 million!

There is no logic here, just look at the history of Dembele when he moved from Dortmund to Barcelona and everything will be clearer to you, and it will be worse!

See you soon, we wish you all the best, stay safe in these hard times we live in.