Garth Crooks worked on his usual moves as he dropped Mo Salah from his Premier League Team of the Year.
And it left fans heaping on the pundit, with one calling her selection ‘shameful’.
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The scoundrel, 63, regularly harassed supporters with his wicked choices and structures in his weekly BBC column.
But he took it to a whole new level by dropping Liverpool superstar Salah from his 2021 XI.
This is despite the fact that Salah has scored 24 goals in a calendar year – six more than anyone else – and is arguably the best footballer in the world in current form.
Instead, the rookies chose the front three of Bukayo Saka, Michael Antonio and Phil Foden.
The former Stoke and Tottenham forward picked a 3-4-3 formation and packed the midfield with Reece James, Declan Rice, Ilke Gundogan and Bernardo Silva.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ruben Dias and Antonio Rudiger scored in the back three goals with Ederson thanks to their league-high 23 clean sheets.
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Antonio scored 14 goals, one less than Gundogan, while Alexander-Arnold scored the most assists (13) and chances (108) in the Premier League in 2021.
Crooks told BBC Sport: “Saka has been consistently outstanding throughout the year and is easily the Gunners’ best player.
“Quiet and rarely upset, Foden looks very comfortable in the City line-up.
“Antonio may have been out of the boil lately, but it’s hardly surprising how much energy he puts into a game.
Seeing him pick up a life-size cardboard cut-out of himself earlier this season to match Paolo Di Canio’s goal-scoring record at West Ham really said it all.
“Silva makes my team of the year but he is also my man of the season by now. This guy is playing outside his skin.
“For two years Silva has been a junior partner at the firm De Bruyne, Gundogan & Co.
“James is arguably the best Premier League player this year.
“Strong, beautifully balanced and can strike the ball brilliantly with both feet. He is also quick and fiercely competitive.”
‘Unbelievable disrespect’
But despite his explanation and reasoning, it is inconceivable to leave Salah.
And the Twitter line-up was the focus of criticism.
One said: “No advice – shameful.”
Another wrote: “Doubt above advice which is too level for Garth.”
A third added: “No advice immediately makes it irrelevant. Ridiculous. Incredible disrespect.”
One user commented: “Weird formation, no advice, two write-backs… Garth still has no clue.”
And some pointed out that the time when choosing his squad for 2021 was Chelsea winger Pedro, who left Stamford Bridge in August 2020.
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