Division One, 2001-2002

The Best Players City faced

The depressing thing about the First Division in 2001-2002 was the low quality of the teams. Had City put a half decent promotion push together one feels that we would have been celebrating by virtue of the fact that there was very little to stop a determined team from going up.

The poor quality of the division meant that quality players against were few and far between. When this list was conceived of we thought it would number twenty or thirty, in the end only six players impressed enough to make the grade.

These six met the criteria "Players who you would want in the City team."

• Glenn Little, Burnley

  Not many people have a good word to say about former City boss Chris Hutchings but he did make a bid for Burnley's right winger Glenn Little and on the evidence of the 3-2 reversal to the Clarets at VP one can only guess at what his Bantams team might have been like had he had time to fully form it. Strong as an ox, quick of foot and mind and determined Glenn Little will struggle to play for England with the Beckham in front of him, but a place at a side in the higher reaches of the Premiership is well within his grasp.

• Marlon King, Gillingham

  City asked about King in the Summer of 2001, we were quoted £5m for a man who only cost the Gills £250,000 from Barnet the season before. £5m still looks a touch steep but his rocket finish on the final whistle with the only attack the Kent side mustered in the 5-1 pounding at Valley Parade showed a natural born goalscorer. £5m was paid for Adi Akinbiyi once, King is no worse, could be a lot better.

• Jermaine Jenas, Nottingham Forest

  City rolled into Nottingham on a high, we left defeated 1-0 after a goal by England u21 right sided midfielder Jenas. Angluar and tall Jenas puts one in mind of a Chris Waddle, well balanced with a deceptive turn of pace, something Waddle still flickered when he wore Bradford City colours. Jenas is the real deal alright, and Paul Hart will do well to hold onto him once he wants to turn his trainee contract into a proper wage. We expect the Premiership soon for Jenas and sure enough in February, 2002 Newcastle United signed him for £5m.

• James Walker, Walsall

  When City beat Walsall 2-0 at Valley Parade the headlines centred on debut boy Juanjo's header that beat the Saddler's keeper on 77 minutes, but has James Walker has a touch more luck and not been beaten by a deflection in the first half and kept out the Spaniard's effort he would have deserved every column inch written about him. Commanding, athletic and agile Walker is a keeper with a big future in the game.

• Shaun Wright Phillips, Manchester City

  There are two types of wingers. Those who flit in and out of a game, getting involved when they can and the Wright-Phillips, the sort who can not help but get involved. Striding around the field like an English Tino Asprillia, all leggy runs and crazed shots, it's not hard to see why Kevin Keegan likes the young fella so much. As Keegan said about Asprilla "He doesn't know what he is going to do next, so neither do the defenders".

  On the way to somewhere good the name Wright-Phillips will be remembered in English football history. He could be the answer to Sven Goran's left side problems, or he could be a comedy gangly winger. Time and the Premiership next season will tell.

• David Johnson, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley

  Johnson was the brightest think in the First Division the season City were promoted but it never happened for him in the Premiership or after his £3.5m move to Nottingham Forest. He exists as a nomad now, wandering from club to club, spinning off defenders, applying deft finishes and generally being the biggest handful of a centre forward in the division.

  David Johnson deserves another crack at the Premiership. He deserves a club where he can settle, as he had at Ipswich, and notch over 20 goals. At the moment he is wasting his talent. Best mate of Gareth Whalley though.