All-Time Footballing IQ XI

[Physiocrat]

What would be the best functional all-time side (not just squeezing GOATs in) with the most intelligent players? By intelligent I mean to the extent they make the right decisions on the pitch. When they should pass, they pass, when they should shoot they shoot, move in to the correct spaces, etc.

Here's my first attempt, although I'm not 100% happy with it.

....Rooney....Messi......T. Muller...........
..........Iniesta.......Xavi.............
...................Redondo.............
Maldini....Nesta.....Beckenbauer...Lahm
.......................Buffon..........

 

[harms]

Rooney doesn't belong in this conversation, not at an all-time level. He was pretty selfless and unusually hard-working which makes him a fantastic foil for pretty much every attacker but his decision-making was often iffy. It especially showed when he moved deeper into midfield.

Iniesta - Cruyff - T. Müller
Platini - Xavi
Busquets
Nilton - Moore - Beckenbauer - Lahm
van der Sar​

I also didn't want to put the likes of Maldini in despite him being extremely intelligent (he's probably at least 9/10 in any possible defensive attribute) as the intelligence often gets even further highlighted in players with obvious physical/athletic deficiencies (the pace of Lahm/Moore/Blanc, that entire midfield is problematic from the athletic stand point even though Xavi could run for days etc.).

Obviously there's so many intelligent midfield playmakers: Laudrup, Kroos, Modrić, Suárez, Charlton, Pirlo, Scholes... and creative forwards, be it Messi, Bergkamp, Cantona, Raúl, Benzema; plus G. Müller is probably the most intelligent striker of all-time but putting in Cruyff was too tempting.

 

[Physiocrat]

That's fair about Rooney. I was mostly thinking of his intelligent off the ball runs.

That's an interesting side but I'm not sure of Platini and Xavi in the same side.

 

[Demyanenko_square_jaw]

Just thinking about football IQ in a more general way, I suspect that plenty of the very good to great players that fell short of being considered the sort of all-time greats that get regularly picked in other kinds of best XI's did so because of other athletic-technical/mental traits rather than not being as intelligent on the pitch. Especially the positions that harms points out like playmakers and 10's/creative supporting forwards where you can get to a high level without notable athleticism more often. So, for an all-time XI I think this is definitely an angle that opens up a much wider viable field of players than many other top elevens do, at least if it's mainly supposed to be highlighting great football IQ itself, rather than greatest overall players who had obviously also had it.

 

[Physiocrat]

Just thinking about football IQ in a more general way, I suspect that plenty of the very good to great players that fell short of being considered the sort of all-time greats that get regularly picked in other kinds of best XI's did so because of other athletic-technical/mental traits rather than not being as intelligent on the pitch. Especially the positions that harms points out like playmakers and 10's/creative supporting forwards where you can get to a high level without notable athleticism more often. So, for an all-time XI I think this is definitely an angle that opens up a much wider viable field of players than many other top elevens do, at least if it's mainly supposed to be highlighting great football IQ itself, rather than greatest overall players who had obviously also had it.

Any particular forwards you had in mind who were extremely intelligent but lacked some technical or athletic ability?

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Go with a all attacking lineup!

Beckenbauer being the key pivot balancing between attack vs defence. Hybrid two-way winger/midfielders with high workrate and eye for pass. Laudrup ties it together with an creative attacking trio.

Really wanted Platini, but feel Laudrup would be a better fit tactically.

Cruyff......Pele.....Messi
..............Laudrup..............
..Nedved.............Becks..
..........Beckenbauer.......
Krol........Baresi.......Thuram

 

[Pythagoras]

GK - Gianluigi Buffon

RB - Phillip Lahm
CB - Franz Beckenbauer
CB - Gaetano Scirea
LB - Ruud Krol

DM - Sergio Busquets
CM - Xavi
AM - Andrés Iniesta

RF - Lionel Messi
F9 - Dennis Bergkamp
LF - Johan Cruyff

 

[Pythagoras]

Any particular forwards you had in mind who were extremely intelligent but lacked some technical or athletic ability?

Nándor Hidegkuti or Tostão are two good examples of high IQ footballers, who were very intelligent and influential without the reliance on power and pace. I could swap out Dennis Bergkamp in my team and play either of Hidegkuti or Tostão as my false number 9.

 

[Physiocrat]

Nándor Hidegkuti or Tostão are two good examples of high IQ footballers, who were very intelligent and influential without the reliance on power and pace. I could swap out Dennis Bergkamp in my team and play either of Hidegkuti or Tostão as my false number 9.

Fair shouts. I'm a huge Tostao fan.

 

[Šjor Bepo]

Rooney doesn't belong in this conversation, not at an all-time level. He was pretty selfless and unusually hard-working which makes him a fantastic foil for pretty much every attacker but his decision-making was often iffy. It especially showed when he moved deeper into midfield.

Iniesta - Cruyff - T. Müller
Platini - Xavi
Busquets
Nilton - Moore - Beckenbauer - Lahm
van der Sar​

I also didn't want to put the likes of Maldini in despite him being extremely intelligent (he's probably at least 9/10 in any possible defensive attribute) as the intelligence often gets even further highlighted in players with obvious physical/athletic deficiencies (the pace of Lahm/Moore/Blanc, that entire midfield is problematic from the athletic stand point even though Xavi could run for days etc.).

Obviously there's so many intelligent midfield playmakers: Laudrup, Kroos, Modrić, Suárez, Charlton, Pirlo, Scholes... and creative forwards, be it Messi, Bergkamp, Cantona, Raúl, Benzema; plus G. Müller is probably the most intelligent striker of all-time but putting in Cruyff was too tempting.

agreed he isnt for this team but rooney football IQ was insane, he was found out in midfield because he regressed as footballer as a whole at that point because of various of reasons, before that he was amazing around the n10 zone.

My team would be close to yours, didnt watch that much of Platini so will go different route there:

vds
lahm beckenbauer nesta
busquets scholes
di stefano xavi
t.muller messi cruyff

zero balance though
had carlos alberto in 433 which looked a bit more balanced but then realized we all forgot di stefano who should probably be first name on the teamsheet.

 

[harms]

agreed he isnt for this team but rooney football IQ was insane, he was found out in midfield because he regressed as footballer as a whole at that point because of various of reasons, before that he was amazing around the n10 zone.

Yeah, I wasn't implying that he wasn't extremely smart football-wise. Just not all-time XI-smart when his competition are the likes of Cruyff, Messi (and Thomas Müller or Michel Platini who somehow managed to become all-time greats, to a different extent, footballers with physique of an average school science teacher).

zero balance though

Balance is a huge issue with these teams. Good shout on Di Stéfano, he absolutely deserves to be included here regardless of the role!

 

[Demyanenko_square_jaw]

Any particular forwards you had in mind who were extremely intelligent but lacked some technical or athletic ability?

Not really, but a bunch of the more high profile ones that come quickly to mind have already been mentioned, like Bergkamp and Raul...both not that athletic, with Bergkamp being downright slow by the Henry era. Obviously Muller was a monster without seeming to have spectacular technical or physical traits, but he's a widely recognised all-timer. Totti, Zola, Mancini, Sheringham, Bebeto, Careca (memory is a bit hazy with him though) Francescoli, Nilis, Cantona were all players with great IQ and technique that weren't that notable athletically. Ian Rush seemed an extremely smart poacher, but not very technical (though he was very two footed which could compensate), Gary Lineker in the same mold.

 

[Gio]

Interesting to see if people can identify highly intelligent players with strong physical traits but less impressive technical attributes.

In that regard I like the Rush and Lineker shouts above, appreciating of course these guys were still exceptionally gifted finishers.

 

[harms]

Feels wrong to push Boniek into “less technical” category but compared to all-time great wingers/AMs he was a bit. Yet he combined blistering pace with incredible intelligence (not coincidentally he ended up as a libero later on).

I’m thinking about Robson as well… but yeah, it’s so odd as usually the physicality, resilience etc. are on the other spectrum to your intelligence and elegance in football. Or Deschamps — for certain! He wasn’t the fastest but his stamina levels were insane and tactically he was out of this world.

By the way, not for the smart/physical/non-technical category but I completely forgot about Litmanen! Not that there’s a shortage of intelligent number 10s.

 

[Pythagoras]

Interesting to see if people can identify highly intelligent players with strong physical traits but less impressive technical attributes.

In that regard I like the Rush and Lineker shouts above, appreciating of course these guys were still exceptionally gifted finishers.

Looking through the decades I would suggest the following physically strong centre forwards:

Nat Lofthouse - the classic English target man. Tall, immensely strong and powerful centre forward who would lead the line. Did not possess any finesse, dribbling technique or passing range like the skilled inside forwards of his era, but his positioning and decision making were elite. The best finisher in the English league of his era.

Horst Hrubesch - another physically imposing forward with no notable technical on-ball skill, but whose headering and reading of the game were very intelligent. The German did not possess the link up play or touch of a Gerd Muller or Uwe Seeler but he was a respected poacher.

Oliver Bierhoff - one of, if not the best headerer of the ball of his era. Bierhoff was a prolific target man, with clever movement, impressive hold up play and intelligent positioning, but not a player you would expect to take on players or manipulate the ball to create openings.

Luca Toni - regarded as Italy’s last great old-style centre forward, Toni neither possessed the pace or workrate to run in behind or press from the front, neither the technical skill to break lines nor dribble past players, but he was a great natural finisher. Helped by his tall muscular frame, Toni’s movement in the box, one on one composure and timing was world class. Having mobile runners off Toni was also a very effective game plan.

 

[Pythagoras]

Feels wrong to push Boniek into “less technical” category but compared to all-time great wingers/AMs he was a bit. Yet he combined blistering pace with incredible intelligence (not coincidentally he ended up as a libero later on).

I have Thomas Muller and Zbigniew Boniek in that elite bracket of 'space interpreter', dangerous because of their intelligent movement, versatility, clever runs into space and clinical finishing. Both effective in a free role, playing off the main striker, with Boniek admittedly possessing far superior natural pace and dribbling skill to beat an opponent one vs one.

Other forwards I hold in high regard, relating to their intelligent movement, opportunism, versatility and awareness of space are Jupp Heynckes, Kevin Keegan, Oleg Blokhin, Preben Elkjær, David Villa and Roberto Bettega. If these forwards were to be assisted by the creative likes of Pirlo, Laudrup or Platini you would witness lots of goals.

 

[Demyanenko_square_jaw]

Interesting to see if people can identify highly intelligent players with strong physical traits but less impressive technical attributes.

In that regard I like the Rush and Lineker shouts above, appreciating of course these guys were still exceptionally gifted finishers.

Oleg Protasov was extremely smart, great movement, efficient quick linkup play, and had lots of athleticism (blistering pace over longer distances), but was held back by scrappy, inconsistent shooting technique. He was a really good finisher too, but when he left Dnipro an was tasked with a lot more off the ball, false 9/wide forward'ish work in Lobanovsky's teams, he didn't have that reliable, clean shot from just inside it to compensate for less time in the box. Down went the numbers.

Jan Cuelemans never seemed a very technically refined player to me, but he was a physical powerhouse and very smart. Really good at being involved where needed and picking his moments to be decisive without needing a lot of touches.

Sammer was more about smarts, tremendous mentality and ironlung athleticism, at least during his earlier midfield years. I watched some German games from Euro 96 again a few years ago and he was a lot tidier and refined on the ball by then than I remembered him being, rarely giving it away at all considering his swashbuckling style.

Briegel might be the best pick from that era for German players. Great athleticism; smart enough to play across defence and midfield at top levels despite a late start in the sport and being unremarkable technically.