If the land of music existed, which team would it send to the World Cup Football? Which players would be selected for which positions? Who would be their coach and what type of system would they play?

Endless variations are possible, all with their distinct advantages and disadvantages. Numerous decisions have to be made, and a lot of great players ultimately have to be dropped.

This is my version. I play a classic, offensive 4-3-3 with a lot of focus on technical capabilities and stylistic flexibility. I’m a romantic, it shows.

I’m sorry I had to drop class acts like The Beatles, The Stones, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix, The Clash, Arcade Fire, Patti Smith, King Crimson, Prince, Radiohead, the Cure, Joy Division, Captain Beefheart, Nina Simone, to name just a few. There were just 11 positions available, so tough decisions had to be made.

This is my final squad…

Goal keeper: Nick Cave. Used to be wild, unpredictable and erratic, but these days just thoroughly reliable.

Central defenders: PJ Harvey and Leonard Cohen. Elegant, technically gifted players who never need brute force to dismantle the opponent’s attack.

Left wingback: Kraftwerk. Power house full of energy. Moves up and down the flank like a man-machine. Combines precision, speed and stamina.

Right wingback: Otis Redding. Brings soul to a defense that would otherwise be too intellectual. Dances past opponents, stops them with a bit of tenderness.

Left midfield: Can. Groovy and creative. Impossible to read for any opponent. Distracts while Kraftwerk powers ahead on the left flank. Creates the groove for Bowie’s imaginative match plays.

Right midfield: Miles Davis. No other player connects better with John Coltrane as the right-winger. Known for his powerful solos, undervalued for his ability to lay a foundation. Makes any team play better.

Central midfield: David Bowie. A versatile, stylistically flexible No.10 is needed to connect the groove of Can AND the creative, if somewhat unstructured plays of Miles Davis with the power of Led Zeppelin. Only Bowie can deliver that job.

Left winger: Talking Heads. To many a surprise choice. Will it work with Can? Will it work with Bowie? Will they be able to feed Led Zeppelin? If anything, they will occupy and distract the opponent just long enough for Kraftwerk to power by or Bowie to cut in. After all, it’s all about surprise, isn’t it?

Right winger: John Coltrane. The logical combination with Miles Davis just behind him. He dribbles, he passes, he shoots. Impossible to read, practically impossible to defend. Combines a mystic quality with endless moves and solos.

Central striker: Led Zeppelin. Some say you need for others to play around, to basically keep possession. I disagree. You need a central striker to score, and Led Zeppelin scores, always, everywhere.

Coaches: George Martin and Brian Eno. From different eras, with a different approach. George Martin for technical perfection and (studio) wizardry and Brian Eno for intuition and the skill to combine the impossible. Both for bold innovation.

Next week…a long list of substitutes.