Of course, the lad's spent his childhood playing futsal.
All-Time Club XIs
- Thread starter Physiocrat
- Start date
I've settled on a back 4 of Irwin, Stam, Ferdinand and Byrne and a front 3 of Best, Ronaldo and Law. I can't pick 3 from Edwards, Charlton, Robson, Scholes and Keane though.
Edit: And I'm not happy with the omission of Cantona.
This is pretty much a Wenger XI...
Seaman
Dixon Adams Campbell Cole
Vieira Cesc
Ljungberg Bergkamp Pires
Henry
Old timers can probably add the likes of Brady, Quinn, McLintock, Bastin, Jennings, Wright...
Seaman
Dixon Adams Campbell Cole
Vieira Cesc
Ljungberg Bergkamp Pires
Henry
Old timers can probably add the likes of Brady, Quinn, McLintock, Bastin, Jennings, Wright...
Great Dane
Neville Stam Vidic Edwards
Scholes Keane
Best Charlton Ronaldo
Law
Neville Stam Vidic Edwards
Scholes Keane
Best Charlton Ronaldo
Law
I would pick Overmars over Pires
I was just thinking I'd pick Overmars but over Ljungberg. When you have Henry you have to have Pires really.
Poor Gilberto. 
Brady was a lovely player, his loveliness even supersedes my anti-Goon bias. Get him IN !!!
As much as I love Gilberto, even Petit would come before him.Poor Gilberto.
I should've stuck Peter Storey in there....
Surely Brady has to be in there ahead of Ljungberg! There's no way Brady cannot be in an Arsenal XI. I'll also argue that Cliff Baston could also have a place in there. Only Wright and Henry have scored more goals than Baston, and Baston wasn't even a striker!
Here's my take on an Arsenal XI:
Notable names: Pires, Wright, Overmars, Petit, Keown, Winterburn, Jennings, Parlour, and van Persie
Don't think you can really play Franz Roth, he'd be behind Effenberg in the pecking order and even Effenberg has no chance of making the all time XI. It's rather difficult, so I'll make 3 versions. The first one, purely about peak performances. The 2nd one with a massive sentimental bias and the 3rd one as the one I'd probably choose if forced to pick one.
Solely using peak (let's say 1 or 2 seasons) makes it quite easy actually:
Ribery Müller Rummenigge
Matthäus Breitner
Schweinsteiger
Brehme Kohler Beckenbauer Lahm
Kahn
The sentimental one:
Hoeneß Müller Rummenigge
Scholl
Schweinsteiger Breitner
Lizarazu Augenthaler Beckenbauer Lahm
Maier
Scholl
Schweinsteiger Breitner
Lizarazu Augenthaler Beckenbauer Lahm
Maier
Augenthaler and Beckenbauer would make it work, even though it's in theory not the best combination.
The sensible one, if forced to decide on one, that combines quality and sentimental reasons:
Müller Rummenigge
Ribery ------------------- Robben
Schweinsteiger Matthäus
Breitner Schwarzenbeck Beckenbauer Lahm
Kahn
Ribery ------------------- Robben
Schweinsteiger Matthäus
Breitner Schwarzenbeck Beckenbauer Lahm
Kahn
I think that would work surprisingly well. Matthäus and Schweinsteiger would work like a charme together, Ribery could cut in and support the midfield, Rummenigge can play as a 2nd striker and could switch positions with Robben all the time. I'd love to include Thomas Müller, but it's maybe a bit too early for that and two Müllers in the same team might be a bit too much. 5 players from the 70's, 4 from the treble winning side, Kahn because someone from the 2001 side has to be in there and it's impossible for me to choose between him and Maier anyway (Neuer might win the goalkeeper spot hands down once he retires and solve that problem). Well and Matthäus of course, because he's fecking Matthäus.
I might choose a different one on a different day though, it's fecking difficult.
Mesmerising player with a wand of a left foot. But by all accounts Alan Morton is one of the greatest wingers these islands have ever produced.
That's the one. Picks itself.
Not only that. Del Piero gives you some more width, rather than crowbarring in another central playmaker, which helps to get the best out of Platini and also Zidane if you're being greedy.
It's difficult. I'm not satisfied with any of the Milan teams that have been suggested yet. They all seem to lack a little width and be too lightweight in midfield.
An important one up next, the Cork City All Time XI.
Tough one this and I'm sure many would have gone for Pat Morley over John O'Flynn, Gerry McGabe over Doyle or Patsy Freyne over O'Callaghan but this is the best side for me:
Tough one this and I'm sure many would have gone for Pat Morley over John O'Flynn, Gerry McGabe over Doyle or Patsy Freyne over O'Callaghan but this is the best side for me:
Rossi
Costacurta Baresi Nesta Maldini
Rijkaard Pirlo
Gullit Rivera
Nordahl Van Basten
Costacurta Baresi Nesta Maldini
Rijkaard Pirlo
Gullit Rivera
Nordahl Van Basten
I was fully aware of that. I'm not even a Pirlo fanboi but I think him being left out is erasing a very successful decade with tactics that largely revolved around his influence from deep.
It's hard to build the best side possible and fit them all in within a rational tactical setup. If we go by the rule that the 80s-90s side was their best ever then you fit the stars of that side, in that setup, and suddenly you find no one else can get in ahead of their original partners!
But yeah, Seedorf looked wrong in terms of belonging, while Liedholm looked wrong for the tactical fit. That was the question I was trying to get at. I'm inclined to say Liedholm should be in, but once you choose that way you get on that slippery slope that lands you with Platini, Baggio and Zidane all in the same side.
Fair enough
From the research I did during the all time British draft you definitely take Morton over Cooper. He was arguably the best left winger in the world in his time and destroyed England in that famous match at Wembley. .
Agreed. I wasn't really thinking who else should go in a structured way, just struck me as odd both Boniperti and Platini were chucked in random places to accomodate Baggio. Great player sure, but if you have to look at their contribution to the club Baggio goes straight out of the window.
Juve legends that absolutely have to be in it: Platini, Del Piero, Scirea, Zoff/Buffon (ouch! impossible choice) and I'd argue Boniperti for his body of work both on and off the pitch.
That already lands you in hot waters: how can you realistically fit Platini-Del Piero-Boniperti? Before Baggio even gets into the conversation you already have a huge problem. I suppose the easy way out of thaat is dropping Boniperti.
Along with Scirea, Gentile is a shoe-in, as is Cabrini. Last spot is very difficult: Brio, Ferrara, Montero, Thuram and Cannavaro can all make a case, Chiellini too somewhat. I'd be inclined to go with on of the LCBs to better cover Cabrini and form a three in his absence. Since a Montero pick would be controversial I'll go with Chiellini, but it should have been Paolo. Harsh on Ferrara who should be there on relative merit but sticking him between Scirea and Gentile looks off.
The midfield is a tough one, it hugely depends on how you want to build the side. But if you consider Platini and the backline some form of lop-sided formation akin to the 80s one is in order. Furino, Tardelli, Bonini, Davids, Deschamps, Conte... Again you run into what is best for the side vs. the best players. Muppet in me says Davids and Tardelli, but it looks really harsh on Furino.
So far:
----------------Zoff/Buffon
Gentile----Scirea----Chiellini----Cabrini
---------Tardelli----------Davids
-------------------Platini
XXXXX---------------------------------------
-------------Striker----Del Piero (arrow back towards flank)
For XXXXX you can only have Boniek or Nedved I reckon. Let's pick Nedved as otherwise it's too much of an 80s side (their best ever, same problem as with Milan and the likes of Pirlo really).
Who plays striker? Charles? Looks a bit odd, but probably the one that has all the attributes to best perform given the company.
feck controversy:
Yeah I'd go with that XI as well Anto. The midfield trio picks itself, as do Scirea and Cabrini, then it's just about the best fit around about those core selections.
Seems Juve fans' heads have been turned by seeing Del Piero on his last legs then. Similar to how everyone is more than willing to shun Giggs for Cristiano out of hand.
It's not a problem with Baggio per se. If you wanted to make an all-time Italian XI he would have to be in there. The whole setup would have to revolve around how to fit him and Meazza, then heartache over how on earth to fit Rivera then... but Baggio would be in it, no doubt.
I guess it's a matter of whether you look at it as "best players at a club" (e.g. Cristiano on the left wing for Sporting when he hardly ever played there and was really raw) or a best XI based on contribution to the club (which is where I think Furino should be in there ahead of Davids in my team above).
The frontline for a Juve side is given by Platini and Del Piero, not Baggio. I don't think that's subjective, just look at their team's records.
@zlatan_ish it was me telling him and these are the reasons. Good to see you around. What's your XI?
That's the entire problem with Pirlo, but he has to be there really. Liedholm now makes it more lightweight (only possible solution is Gattuso right and Rijkaard left but that is further impairing the side to acccommodate Pirlo).
They don't really have that many great midfielders who could play ball while being robust defensively. But yeah, I'm not satisfied either, I would like to see a bit more wingplay however good the fullbacks are.
Prunier has to be in there surely?
.................................VDS....................................
Suurbier.......Blind..................Koeman...............Krol
................................Rijkaard................................
..................Seedorf................Neeskins...................
.....Swart...................Van Basten...............Cruyff.....
Wouldnt be a bad team...
Suurbier.......Blind..................Koeman...............Krol
................................Rijkaard................................
..................Seedorf................Neeskins...................
.....Swart...................Van Basten...............Cruyff.....
Wouldnt be a bad team...
Neeskins x2. Cracking midfield.
I was listening to the game podcast today and there was this debate about Bale and Giggs where Gab Marcotti was kind of insistent that Giggs wasn't the same level while the other journos did argue that Giggs was pretty good at his prime and there wasn't much between the two. It kind of left me wondering whether the last few years of Giggs kind of impacted how a lot of people view his career and just far too many people remember him as a good one club man rather than a guy who was genuinely brilliant at his peak. This is probably not the right thread but the posts on the first page are kind of similar to this.
I think you're right. Granted, Bale's super season was better than Giggs's best, but calling Bale the better player just shows a lack of history. IMO, Bale still has quite a bit to prove before being on Giggs's level.
I guess it could also be argued that Bale has been much more important to Wales. I wouldn't know though, I didn't watch Giggs for Wales more than a few times.
I'd probably pick a 3-4-3 diamond for Ajax. It's the best way to fit Cruyff, van Basten and Keizer into the side. Davids > Seedorf, Seedorf left way too early after the CL win.
Keizer -- Van Basten -- Swart
Cruyff
Davids -------- Neeskens
Rijkaard
--- Krol ------ Vasovic --- Suurbier --
Van der Sar
You could maybe make a case for Lerby instead of Davids. And you could maybe play Cruyff right wing and Litmanen behind Van Basten, but I like the one above best.Cruyff
Davids -------- Neeskens
Rijkaard
--- Krol ------ Vasovic --- Suurbier --
Van der Sar
Smikes
Irwin - Edwards - Ferdinand - Bryne
Keane - Robson
Charlton
Best - Law - Ronaldo
VDS, Neville, Vidic, Scholes, Stiles ,Ole, Ruud, Giggs
Irwin - Edwards - Ferdinand - Bryne
Keane - Robson
Charlton
Best - Law - Ronaldo
VDS, Neville, Vidic, Scholes, Stiles ,Ole, Ruud, Giggs
Could do these for days.
Spurs: 3-6-1
Absolutely pack the midfield as they've had far better midfielders than forwards. Could be changed to a 3-4-3.
Spurs: 3-6-1
Absolutely pack the midfield as they've had far better midfielders than forwards. Could be changed to a 3-4-3.
Borussia Muenchengladbach:
Manchester United:
Napoli:
That one is actually really difficult. The following looks the best version to me, even though some of the names don't really play in their best roles. But they were all incredibly versatile, so they probably would make it work:Borussia Muenchengladbach:
Simonsen Heynckes Wimmer
Netzer
Matthäus Effenberg
Bonhof Andersson Stielike Vogts
Kleff
Netzer
Matthäus Effenberg
Bonhof Andersson Stielike Vogts
Kleff
Torino:
No love for Danner? Or should I say, Effenberg > Danner during their times at the club?
I see you've put them in their traditional formation. Was that the foundation and then you put the names in?
Yeah, Effenberg > Danner for Gladbach is a pretty easy decision in my opinion. In fact, I'd pick Effenberg over Matthäus as well. Matthäus would be the first to go. Effenberg came back to Gladbach after his spell in Italy and regained his strength. His 2nd spell there was brilliant and on par with what he showed at Bayern between 98 and 02.
I'd prefer Bonhof in midfield, but the lack of a quality leftback and Bonhof's quality, versatility and experience as a wingback mean, he should do a job there.
The more I think about it, the more I'd like to kick Matthäus out of the team.
Simonsen Heynckes
Netzer
Effenberg ---- Wimmer
Stielike
Bonhof Andersson Hannes Vogts
Kleff
Netzer
Effenberg ---- Wimmer
Stielike
Bonhof Andersson Hannes Vogts
Kleff
Much better.
The following is by the way the Gladbach XI of the century the fans voted in 2000:
