International breaks are frustrating at the best of times. What use is a thrilling finish to a EURO qualifier if you can’t even see it?

So to pass the time and the boring Pass & Move-less early week, we’ll play our own game instead. It’s the three month Team of the Season – an oxymoron, we know. No restrictions on players, based entirely on individual interpretation. Send any complaints to the Wildcard via TNC’s twitter.

Righty-oh, here we go. I’ve picked the team in a 4-2-3-1 formation as is the style of the current time. Seven subs like any old match day squad.

Goalkeeper – Jack Butland (Stoke)

Brigadier Butland. Joe Hart may look like a British war hero from 1918 but Jack Butland plays like one. He hasn’t missed a minute of action and his 50 saves are more than any other keeper. Other goalies get to have more comfortable games, Jack Butland does not (of course now that Ryan Shawcross is back, there’s hope). Butland was heroic against Newcastle the other week, they’d have lost 3-0 if it weren’t for Jack, while he also had blinders against Norwich, Swansea, Chelsea and in a loss to Arsenal. He’s the rare kind of GK that’s capable of those games where he actually looks unbeatable. The only keeper more enjoyable to watch is David de Gea and he missed the first month of the season.

Right Back – Hector Bellerin (Arsenal)

The young Spaniard has emerged as one of Arsenal’s most important players. His speed down the flanks offers them the kind of wide threat that they often miss,  and his defensive game has come on strongly too as he’s become accustomed to the top level. But mostly it’s that speed. Holy crap he’s fast! And when you can cover the turf like that it opens up so many options. This dude’s full of potential. He’s already bloody good.

Centre Back – Chris Smalling (Man Utd)

Nobody really anticipated the rise in this fella’s game. Not like this. After being sent off early in the Manchester Derby last season it felt like he may be one of the next on the chopping block as Louis Van Gaal rebuilt this squad. Instead he came roaring back into contention with some great performances and this season he’s settled in perfectly. Smalling is lightning quick and very strong, absolutely dominating in the tackle. Arguably the best defender in England all of a sudden.

Centre Back – Scott Dann (Crystal Palace)

A crunching, old fashioned centre back and one that as such doesn’t get nearly the respect he deserves. If he played for a more glamorous club than Palace he’d be an international for sure. Alan Pardew reckons he’s the best CB he’s ever worked with (guts to Danny Gabbidon). A massive part of Palace’s fine start, Dann has proved an absolute presence at the back, blocking shots and rising for clearances, as well as popping up with a goal against Villa and the dramatic winner over Liverpool.

Left Back – Ryan Bertrand (Southampton)

This was the toughest selection of the lot of them, because there really haven’t been that many stand out left backs. Luke Shaw would have cruised in but for his injury, while the usual quality of Leighton Baines has been held back by the physio too. Plus whatever’s happened to Cesar Azpilicueta. What am I gonna do now, pick Moreno, Monreal or Rose? Not likely. Luckily Bertrand has been quietly great for the Saints. He missed the first six games but his side are undefeated since his return, Bertrand even setting up a couple goals in the last two. Aleksander Kolarov was millimetres away from getting this spot. Props to 19 year old Brendan Galloway of Everton too, who’s done well in Baines’ absence.

Central Midfield – Dele Alli (Spurs)

Here’s a bloke from right out of nowhere. A year ago he was playing for MK Dons in League One (yes, he played in that Cup win over Man Utd) and now he’s in the national team squad. For good reason, too. Alli has forged a wonderful partnership with Eric Dier, shielding the Spurs defence like champs and giving their attacking players plenty of room to do what they do. Alli’s got a real motor in him. He’s always looking to drive forward and play positively. You aren’t suppoed to be able to find players this good in the third tier of footy.

Central Midfield – Fernandinho (Man City)                                                         

Another guy perfectly willing to do the dirty work for no recognition. Well, Dinho, here’s your reward. There might not be a better defensive mid than this Brazilian, not in England anyway. He barely even has to mop anything up because he’s so rarely out of position. Plus this year he’s added more of an attacking edge, scoring goals against Chelsea, Watford and Sevilla. His presence was a big part of that City defence and their five clean sheets to start the season (the only reason there isn’t at least one City defender in this team is that they keep getting injured and rotated – but Nick Otamendi was damn close, Eli Mangala too). As well as that, he’s the safety net that’s allowed Yaya Toure to get back in proper form.

Right Attacking Midfield – Riyad Mahrez (Leicester)

The best dribbler of a football in England. No kidding, the stats back it up. Mahrez was the star of Leicester’s first couple games before ceding that limelight to his striker – but he’s hardly let up. This fella’s a torment for defenders and he’s not just looking to make fools, he’s actively trying to get in shots and crosses. Seven goals and five assists. Expect all sorts of transfer rumours in the coming months.

Central Attacking Midfield – Dimitri Payet (West Ham)

Signing of the summer? Maybe. There probably isn’t a player who’s had more of a single-handed influence on his team’s attacking prowess (Anthony Martial for a couple games, perhaps). So it’s gonna be a big test of the Hammers now to get by without him after James McCarthy’s horror tackle put the Frenchman out for up to three months. Payet came across without a huge reputation but his tight skill and flair and eye for a quality goal have quickly built him one. Just a wonderful player to watch, one with almost free license, and it sucks that he’s out for as long as he is.

Left Attacking Midfield – Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)

He may look like Gollum but he plays football like only he can. He finally seems to have settled after a couple of injury-repressed years and he’s struck up a real connection with the likes of Walcott, Sanchez and Giroud, two of whom got serious consideration for this squad but I’ll leave it to you to guess which two. Ozil is in meme-grabbing assist-providing form, like we haven’t seen since his last season in Madrid. He has ten of them – twice as many as any other player. In fact he’s a very good bet for overall player of the year the way he’s going. He’s got that rhythm back in his passing. So good.

Centre Forward – Jamie Vardy (Leicester)

And here he is. The story of the season so far. Did you know he played non-league football!? Oh, you do because you hear it all the time. He’s a rags to riches tale, a local lad done good, inspiring countless Sunday League-ers to aspire to something more. A goal in his next game and he ties Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s record of ten consecutive games with a goal, and if he does that then he’ll get the chance to beat it against Man Utd – who Vardy had his first great Prem game against last season in that 5-3 thriller. He’s fast, he’s aggressive, he’s hard-working and he’s refreshingly direct. He’s also the Premier League’s top scorer with 12 goals. What an incredible run, let’s see if he can keep it going over the next 26 games…

Substitutes

Petr Cech (Arsenal)

Credit to the man whose addition seems to have turned Arsenal into legitimate title threats. He’s still the best keeper in the Premier League when it comes to organisation and control. Plus he’s pulled off a couple stunning saves himself, bouncing back from a rough debut against West Ham.

Virgil Van Dijk (Southampton)

Celtic are slowly becoming one of the better feeder clubs in Europe, how about that? As much as Liverpool (and Man Utd to a lesser extent) have raided Southampton, Southampton have gone and raided Celtic, picking up Van Dijk, Fraser Forster and Victor Wanyama in consecutive years (Next year I’m betting on Dedryck Boyata, Tommy Rogic or, maybe, Stefan Johansen). All three of those Saints’ signings have been superb but Van Dijk might become the best of them. Powerful on the ground and absolutely dominant in the air. Bagged a couple goals too, he has.

Toby Alderweireld (Spurs)

Another new signing, one of five in this squad. Alders was the lad that the previous fella replaced, his transfer to Tottenham a bit of a confusing debacle over the summer. But there’s a reason that Spurs’ defence is so much better this season – they shipped in 53 in 2014-15 and this time are on course to leak only 32 – and that reason is their new Belgian. He’s marshalled this side into something great, taking the pressure off Hugo Lloris and allowing Danny Rose, Kyle Walker and Jan Vertonghen to comprise one of the stingiest back fours in the PL. Shockingly, for anyone who’s watched that trio over the last few seasons.

Ross Barkley (Everton)

If it weren’t for injury then Barkley probably would have broken through last season. Instead he’s had to wait, but it’s been worth it so far. Here’s an English midfielder not afraid to run at a man or to shoot from distance – and he’s got the skill to back it up. Three goals and three assists, Barkley’s been ever-present for the Toffees.

Coutinho (Liverpool)

He was their best before Klopp and he looks to be their best since. He was near 10/10 against Chelsea when he scored a double and if it weren’t for his whack-a-mole bouts of creativity then Rodgers might not have lasted as long as he did. He beat Stoke all by himself with that stunner in the opening weekend.

Romelu Lukaku (Everton)

Lukaku spent so long trying to prove that he was worth a chance at Chelsea, spending so much time out on loan, that it’s easy to forget how young and how good he is. Seven goals so far, only Vardy has more. It’s not just that, though, Lukaku’s hold up play has never been better and he’s finding ways to contribute besides scoring that he’s never had before. Fair to say he’s considerably outplayed Diego Costa too.

Odion Ighalo (Watford)

Watford nearly sold their Nigerian striker after getting promoted. They’re now glad they didn’t – he’s already their highest ever Premier League scorer. Without his goals, they’d be in the relegation zone, with them they’re eleventh. There’s nothing like a clean, wholesome finisher. This one’s a bit of a cult hero.​