Has EA Got It Right With The EFL Team Of The Year Featuring This Brighton Star?

Has EA Got It Right With The EFL Team Of The Year Which Includes Anthony Knockaert And James Coppinger?

EA Sports have now given us yet another ‘Team of the Year’, this time in the shape of an overall EFL squad comprising players from the Championship, League One and League Two.

Does it look right though? It’s certainly a nifty idea; rewarding EFL players of varying ability with a place in the TOYT based on their relative success in the leagues. It’s a comprehensive list too, naming a first XI, substitutes, and a reserve list. Some of the choices are rather confusing though, considering the winners of the three leagues – Newcastle, Sheffield United and Portsmouth have ONE representative in the first XI between them!

Here’s EA’s EFL team of the season in full:

Starting XI

GK – David Stockdale (Brighton)
RB – Tom Smith (Huddersfield)
CB – Lewis Dunk (Brighton)
CB – David Wheater
LB – Brennan Dickinson (Colchester)
RM – Anthony Knockaert (Brighton)
CM – Tom Cairney (Fulham)
CM – James Coppinger (Doncaster)
LM – Josh Morris (Scunthorpe)
ST – Billy Sharp (Sheff United)
ST – Chris Wood (Leeds)

Substitutes

GK – Connor Ripley (Oldham), CB – Pontus Jansson (Leeds) , CM – John Fleck (Sheff United), CM – Jonjo Shelvey (Newcastle), CM – Graham Carey (Plymouth), ST – John Marquis (Doncaster), ST – Dwight Gayle (Newcastle)

Reserves

RB – Kieron Freeman (Sheff United), LB – Enda Stevens (Portsmouth), CM – Ollie Watkins (Exeter), CM – Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield), RM – James Vaughan (Bury).

The Verdict

This list has an air of pure fantasy about it, to be honest! Newcastle (Championship winners) seem seriously under-represented, with for example Matt Ritchie having done everything Anthony Knockaert has done in a similar position and perhaps more. Peterborough’s Marcus Maddison may have outplayed both them in fact, managing an incredible 17 assists this season in League One.

As for the strikers, if you include Gayle you have to include Tammy Abraham of Bristol City too, who has caused as much damage as any forward in his division while playing for a team that created limited chances. The inclusion of John Marquis of Doncaster takes the eye too. In his division, Marquis managed 26 goals which is an impressive total. Barnet’s John Akinde however, managed the same total playing for a poorer side, and in fact, his total was 44% of the overall goals scored by his team.

James Coppinger is a club legend now at Doncaster Rovers and there is no doubt that they’ve had an excellent season, having finished 3^rd and gaining promotion from League Two. Naming him in the squad and ignoring Carlisle’s Nicky Adams is a strange one though and adds further confusion as to how and why these ‘awards’ are made.

What’s your take on this EA English Football League Team of the Season – FIFA 17 Ultimate Team?