All-Time Fantasy Draft

I could of took mbrs pick, I was considering him, but I won't be a prick.
 
Or it could be because Romario didn't play that much in 94/95; and after 4 titles in a row and just won European Cup, Barca was a bit demotivated?

But nonetheless, Laudrup was great player for sure. Of course, missing him was a blow for any team.

Or it could have something to do with Cruyff dropping him in the EC Final to accommodate Koeman as 3rd foreigner and Milan shipping them four with no reply... and the man everyone missed on the night promptly leaving?

The top goalscorer was Romario indeed and the next season he did play less games but his goal ratio fell from 1 in 1 to 1 in 3.

The next season the Pichichi was Zamorano, whose scoring rate increased by over 150% from under 1 in 3 to 3 in 4.

Romario said:
The best player I have ever played with and the 4th best in the history of the game

Stoichkov said:
From more than hundred goals that I scored I'm sure that over 50 were assisted by Michael. To play with him was extremely easy. We found each other by intuition on the field and found common football language. Look at Ivan Zamorano. Laudrup went there (Real) and Zamorano is a goalscorer. Sometimes I envy Ivan for the passes he receives. Passes on foot after you accelerated. Few people understand football like the Danish player.

Zamorano said:
Un genio!, the reason why I make so many goals, is Laudrup
 
Thanks. So, he's more of a playmaker (ball distributor) that can dribble well? Well, United can use one for sure.

Brwned's switch from Xavi to Valeron is partly about the dribbling, partly about the complete lack of a defensive contribution. The only touch of Xavi is regarding vision and passing.
 
I could of took mbrs pick, I was considering him, but I won't be a prick.

Fair enough, I would have told him to go off and do one. Although maybe I would have been embarrassed enough not to :lol:

Fergus'son: 1. Beckenbauer 2. Eusebio 3. Didi
DanNistelrooy: Cristiano Ronaldo 2. Ronaldinho 3. Nesta
KM: 1. Messi 2. Scirea 3. Bozsik
Thisistheone: 1. Maradona 2. B.Charlton 3. Eto'o
NM: 1. Pele 2. Neeskens 3. Passarella
Cutch: 1. Best 2. Van Basten 3. Robson
Brwned: 1. Di Stéfano 2. Keane 3. Falcão
MJJ: 1. Duncan Edwards 2. Garrincha 3. Muller
JakeC: 1. Ronaldo 2. Maldini 3. Deschamps
mightberight: 1. Ferenc Puskas 2. Stoichkov 3. Breitner
EDogen: 1. Cruyff 2. Moore
Gio: 1. Platini 2. Xavi
Antohan: 1. Laudrup 2. Rijkaard
Stobzilla: 1. Zidane 2. Yashin (Russia)
Isotope: 1. Zico 2. L. Matthäus
paceme: 1. Figueroa 2. Baresi

MJJ has blown his free pass, indicated by him being blacklisted in bold. Please keep the formatting so we keep track of that.
 
I pick Fernando Redondo.

fernando_redondo.jpg


Fergus'son: 1. Beckenbauer 2. Eusebio 3. Didi
DanNistelrooy: Cristiano Ronaldo 2. Ronaldinho 3. Nesta
KM: 1. Messi 2. Scirea 3. Bozsik
Thisistheone: 1. Maradona 2. B.Charlton 3. Eto'o
NM: 1. Pele 2. Neeskens 3. Passarella
Cutch: 1. Best 2. Van Basten 3. Robson
Brwned: 1. Di Stéfano 2. Keane 3. Falcão
MJJ: 1. Duncan Edwards 2. Garrincha 3. Muller
JakeC: 1. Ronaldo 2. Maldini 3. Deschamps
mightberight: 1. Ferenc Puskas 2. Stoichkov 3. Breitner
EDogen: 1. Cruyff 2. Moore 3. Redondo
Gio: 1. Platini 2. Xavi
Antohan: 1. Laudrup 2. Rijkaard
Stobzilla: 1. Zidane 2. Yashin (Russia)
Isotope: 1. Zico 2. L. Matthäus
paceme: 1. Figueroa 2. Baresi
 
rivaldo-3.jpg

Fergus'son: 1. Beckenbauer 2. Eusebio 3. Didi
DanNistelrooy: Cristiano Ronaldo 2. Ronaldinho 3. Nesta
KM: 1. Messi 2. Scirea 3. Bozsik
Thisistheone: 1. Maradona 2. B.Charlton 3. Eto'o
NM: 1. Pele 2. Neeskens 3. Passarella
Cutch: 1. Best 2. Van Basten 3. Robson
Brwned: 1. Di Stéfano 2. Keane 3. Falcão
MJJ: 1. Duncan Edwards 2. Garrincha 3. Muller
JakeC: 1. Ronaldo 2. Maldini 3. Deschamps
mightberight: 1. Ferenc Puskas 2. Stoichkov 3. Breitner
EDogen: 1. Cruyff 2. Moore 3. Redondo
Gio: 1. Platini 2. Xavi 3. Rivaldo
Antohan: 1. Laudrup 2. Rijkaard
Stobzilla: 1. Zidane 2. Yashin (Russia)
Isotope: 1. Zico 2. L. Matthäus
paceme: 1. Figueroa 2. Baresi
 
Nice picks. I was hoping Redondo would last until my 4th pick :(

And I can see Gio cumming in his pants as soon as Redondo came up on the screen. Ridiculous that he lasted so long. It was a big debate with Aldo but we were actually holding out for...
 
Spains-Andres-Iniesta-aga-003.jpg


Fergus'son: 1. Beckenbauer 2. Eusebio 3. Didi
DanNistelrooy: Cristiano Ronaldo 2. Ronaldinho 3. Nesta
KM: 1. Messi 2. Scirea 3. Bozsik
Thisistheone: 1. Maradona 2. B.Charlton 3. Eto'o
NM: 1. Pele 2. Neeskens 3. Passarella
Cutch: 1. Best 2. Van Basten 3. Robson
Brwned: 1. Di Stéfano 2. Keane 3. Falcão
MJJ: 1. Duncan Edwards 2. Garrincha 3. Muller
JakeC: 1. Ronaldo 2. Maldini 3. Deschamps
mightberight: 1. Ferenc Puskas 2. Stoichkov 3. Breitner
EDogen: 1. Cruyff 2. Moore 3. Redondo
Gio: 1. Platini 2. Xavi 3. Rivaldo
Antohan: 1. Laudrup 2. Rijkaard 3. Iniesta
Stobzilla: 1. Zidane 2. Yashin (Russia)
Isotope: 1. Zico 2. L. Matthäus
paceme: 1. Figueroa 2. Baresi
 
Oh feck off I was looking forward for Iniesta.
 
I was thinking in about 30 minutes until I posted my pick about Iniesta or Redondo.. both really good picks I think.
 
Oh feck off I was looking forward for Iniesta.

Nutter

I was thinking in about 30 minutes until I posted my pick about Iniesta or Redondo.. both really good picks I think.

And you may well have gotten both. We weren't even sure whether to go with Redondo at 4th or 5th (hopeless). Better this way, I can start recalculating from now and you definitely got the more important one for your side as it is.
 
Brwned's switch from Xavi to Valeron is partly about the dribbling, partly about the complete lack of a defensive contribution. The only touch of Xavi is regarding vision and passing.

Yes, basically. Great, great passer, supreme ball control and fantastic awareness - the kind of player you watch for one game and recognise his class. He did have this very 'languid' style though, and while I wouldn't go as far as saying he didn't contribute defensively at all it's definitely something to consider. There's actually a decent video of him here:



That's probably the 5th or 6th classic game I watched and Didi was spellbinding, I thought. Went in for Pelé but it became clear after a few minutes that Didi was the king at this stage in their careers. Can anyone elaborate on his poor time at Madrid? Why did Madrid want him when they already had Di Stéfano?
 
I read that Valeron was injured a lot, thus couldn't maintain his excellent form for long enough period to be considered the best.

And I actually wanted Iniesta, too. He's the reason I undeservedly beat Aldo in our last draft in newbies :lol:. Iniesta is a definite voters magnet.
 
Yes, basically. Great, great passer, supreme ball control and fantastic awareness - the kind of player you watch for one game and recognise his class. He did have this very 'languid' style though, and while I wouldn't go as far as saying he didn't contribute defensively at all it's definitely something to consider. There's actually a decent video of him here:



That's probably the 5th or 6th classic game I watched and Didi was spellbinding, I thought. Went in for Pelé but it became clear after a few minutes that Didi was the king at this stage in their careers. Can anyone elaborate on his poor time at Madrid? Why did Madrid want him when they already had Di Stéfano?


the idea was to pair them and share duties. Di Stefano was having none of it.

Too many cooks dictating a team will spoil the broth.

That's the problem when dominant, leader-types (let's say captains) are dropped into the same team,let alone the same area of the pitch!

As for Madrid, they've always liked the idea of super xi's and galatico-type set-ups since the 50's.
 
And you may well have gotten both. We weren't even sure whether to go with Redondo at 4th or 5th (hopeless). Better this way, I can start recalculating from now and you definitely got the more important one for your side as it is.

Yeah Redondo was just what I needed and I have more spanish players on my radar!
 
Can anyone elaborate on his poor time at Madrid? Why did Madrid want him when they already had Di Stéfano?

I assumed you hadn't picked him because you were aware. The Madrid Circus can be traced all the way back to then.

The chagrin you see around here regarding sheikhs is the same that has gone on for non-Real fans in Spain ever since Franco decided RM would be the pride of Spain and his regime. There was no way he was having clubs from separatist regions having any glory.

Barca once had the temerity of winning the first leg of a Spanish Cup semifinal 2-1 or 3-1, Franco got on the case and, among other things, the visitors had a pre-game teamtalk by the military warning them to "behave themselves". By the end of the first half at the Bernabeu they had shipped eight.

This is not to say everything was rigged, Franco bought the way to success and even got Bernabeu to set up the European Cup so they could also conquer Europe. Unlimited funds + a dictator's wish to impress the world = the Galáctico syndrome starts.

So there goes Brazil and wins a World Cup and, by all accounts, Didi was the orchestrator of it all: sign him. No one cared where he was going to play or whether he fitted. Sounds familiar?

It is roughly around that time, that the dressing room Circus we know only too well starts. Real had formed a great side and they were very successful, but big stars kept arriving and having to be accommodated. Puskas got Kopa shunted to the wing, then Didi was supposed to be the orchestrator and Di Stéfano as well, or maybe move further up. Half baked stuff. Add to this Argie vs. Brazilian, obviously.

Di Stefano (and the old guard along with him) turned on him, then the fans followed. They disliked the fact Didi didn't get stuck in, the media pointed out he left the pitch with his kit in immaculate condition (to the point that after a while Didi himself chose to pick mud and rub it on his shirt so that his immaculate look didn't make the front pages).

You get the picture. Unfortunately for Didi, Di Stefano didn't make the World Cup in Chile. Didi had set it down as the time when they would meet each other and he would show him who was best. Shame, would have been a great game!
 
Yes, exactly like that Anto! That's why I'm leaving Di Stéfano to run the attack and Keane to be the dominant personality in midfield while Falcão knits it all together. Di Stéfano's very much an attacker occasionally dropping back rather than a midfielder pushing forward in my team and I'm relying on Falcão to do what's best for the team as he did so often.

So far most others have avoided that issue well with Platini partnering Xavi and Rijkaard partnering Iniesta, it's only been me who's tempted by the big personalities! Still, one leader in each third is very doable. Zico, Falcao & Sócrates all in that midfield worked out alright anyway and Tigana, Platini and Giresse shared the duties around well. It can work. It's not like Di Stéfano couldn't play a less expansive role anyway, I've seen him play as a pure attacker for Spain and I imagine in his younger years he was very much a forward before developing into the complete player, much like Pelé.

***

*** Di Stéfano ***

Falcão Keane

*** *** *** ***

***​
 
I'm off for couple hours. Can I leave my picks to someone, please?
 
Nice picks. I was hoping Redondo would last until my 4th pick :(

And I can see Gio cumming in his pants as soon as Redondo came up on the screen. Ridiculous that he lasted so long. It was a big debate with Aldo but we were actually holding out for...

I did consider a Redondo - Xavi - Platini midfield three for its complementarity and synergy. However I wasn't willing to devote a third or fourth pick to him and it was unlikely he'd last until the middle reaches when others require him much more.

Chuffed to secure Rivaldo who, as I've said many times on this forum, had no peers between Maradona and Messi.
 
I read that Valeron was injured a lot, thus couldn't maintain his excellent form for long enough period to be considered the best.

Aye. Although he was good for 50 games a season for much of his career, it was just as he was maturing as a player and developing a reputation outside of Spain that he begun to succumb to persistent injury. Hence why he was only once voted for the Ballon D'Or.
 
I did consider a Redondo - Xavi - Platini midfield three for its complementarity and synergy. However I wasn't willing to devote a third or fourth pick to him and it was unlikely he'd last until the middle reaches when others require him much more.

Chuffed to secure Rivaldo who, as I've said many times on this forum, had no peers between Maradona and Messi.

Rivaldo is a great pick up. I did expect him to fall into the middle rounds such is the relative denouncement of him as player on here although he was magnificent and, more importantly, consistent.

He seems to be reduced to 'cheat' on here for his that one incident of face-clutching at the WC.
 
Chuffed to secure Rivaldo who, as I've said many times on this forum, had no peers between Maradona and Messi.

What do you meen here Gio?

Edit - think I know now, thought you were saying his only peers are Messi and Maradona. But you're saying between the peaks of those two players he had no equal?

Not sure I'd agree if you are.
 
Where is it you're intending to stick Rivaldo in your team, Gio? Wide left?
 
It's inaccurate to say Didi contributes nothing defensively IMO and its strange to call any midfield anchored by Beckenbauer as lightweight.