Charlie Austin, David Nugent... Don Goodman picks his best Championship XI ahead of 10 in 10
Friday 11 December 2015 06:27, UK
Who would make a best XI from the Championship?
As Sky Sports gears up for 10 in 10 - 10 live Football League matches in 10 days, starting on Friday night - we've asked Don Goodman to pick a select side from what he's seen so far.
Goodman admitted it was a tough ask - especially to whittle his list of 11 potential forwards down to three - but he's made the call and plumped for an attacking 4-3-3 formation.
Who would you include in you Championship starting XI? Leave your comments below if you're reading on skysports.com or get in touch via Twitter @SkySportsFL.
Goalkeeper
David Marshall - Cardiff City
He's a goalkeeper of undoubted Premier League quality, there's no question, and if Cardiff are going to have a little run at the play-offs, he will be a massive factor in their ability to do that. They don't score a lot of goals, which means they've got to keep things tight so I've gone for some safe hands in Marshall.
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Defenders
Ahmed Elmohamady - Hull City
If I were a coach or a manager, two of the most important players in my team would be the full-backs. I love full-backs who can get forward and contribute just as much if not more than in a defensive sense. Elmohamady gets my vote at right-back.
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George Friend - Middlesbrough
I'm staggered that a Premier League club hasn't taken him, he's that good. He slots in at left-back.
Jason Shackell and Richard Keogh - Derby County
It's really important you have a partnership at the heart of defence and I think Derby County's of Shackell and Keogh is the best in the league. They complement each other perfectly.
Midfielders
Adam Clayton - Middlesbrough
Clayton and [Grant] Leadbitter are probably the best holding midfield pair in the Championship but a few other midfielders have caught my eye so I'm only putting one of them in. I've just edged towards Clayton.
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Stephen Gleeson - Birmingham
His range of passing has been fantastic. There are a lot of midfielders that come under pressure and just hook the ball over their shoulder and give it back to the opposition but he is one of the most composed midfielders in the Championship for me. Even when he's under pressure, he can pick a pass and retain possession for his team.
Beram Kayal - Brighton
Plenty of people have told me he's been the main man this season and he's been outstanding. He's made almost three tackles a game this season - more than any other Brighton player - so I'll add him in for that bite.
Strikers
Charlie Austin - Queens Park Rangers
He has proved that he can score goals in the Premier League. That's the only thing that separates him from Jordan Rhodes for me, so Austin makes the cut.
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David Nugent - Middlesbrough
At this level, he is a defender's worst nightmare. He's fantastic in the air and scores lots of goals with his head but he's very mobile and can get in behind defenders, too. He might be the difference between Middlesbrough being successful or not.
Alan Judge - Brentford
He's been outstanding - and he's totally different to my other picks. He's the one who can float in behind, play off the shoulder, link the play between midfield and attack, and score as well as create goals. He completes my selection.
