The obvious one would be Arturo Vidal.
Is there a modern candidate to go up against the All-Gullit xi?
- Thread starter Fortitude
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Gerrard, Rooney, Essien, Yaya Youre sping to mind
Fullback is where wingers who aren't good enough or CBs who aren't tall enough end up.
Gullit would've been the best full back ever if he played his career there.
Ye sure because a team of xi messi would play longball
Ha! That aside, I firmly believe a team of Yayas would destroy just about any other team of player clones. Just one felt unstoppable at times, imagine what 11 would do.
Seedorf is another which I think would be quite good
Yeah I think many of the Surinamese/Dutch guys were generally great all rounders - Seedorf, Gullit, Davids, Van Dijk though you really want someone trained in midfield/attack in my opinion for their on the ball ability/finishing.
An interesting newer one is probably Bellingham - just a real all round athlete with a high technical level, dribbling and tackling ability and finishing. You can see the improvements he has made playing with elite players at Real, some of the passes and goals he scores now are sumptuous.
You are right, it didn't cross my mind. I seem to remember him playing CB in a back 3 for Leverkusen?
Think we never played three at the back when Vidal was with us. He was signed for RB but moved to CM pretty quickly. But he's 1.80m so I think he'd be destroyed by Gullit on set pieces.
I miss the days of the D/A (C) player. I'm probably missing someone but I think Dion Dublin may have been the last. It's virtually unheard of nowadays.
I could easily be mistaken.
I don't think xi Messi defending gets to decide how the other team attacks.
If long ball forward is the only tactic then still think Messi team would win. You wouldn’t be able to get the ball, and the finishing from anywhere would be sublime.
I mean it won't be the only tactic.
The problem with legendary attacker XI's is none of them bar some few notable exceptions can actually track and run for 90 minutes. that causes problems both in attack and defence. The sheer talent of Messi overcompensates for some of this, but I've never in my life seen Messi track runners deep or do any serious defending really. Think Suarez, Rooney, Tevez types would do better as a functional XI.
Peak Barca had a problem when teams could get behind their midfield screen and run at Puyol/Pique. They compensated for this by having some incredibly hard working runners in midfield who didn't get a lot of plaudits for doing just that. Busquets, Iniesta and Xavi always had excellent work rate - Pedro/Villa/Eto'o would also do the same. The only exception there really was Messi.
Maybe the most complete footballer ever could take him on.
Another I would add that I think can do quite well is a Dirk Kuyt 11. Not modern day but Steve Bruce could be another interesting one.
11 Adama Traore.
From the modern crop, a Modric all-11 beats everyone else.
You are thinking of Paul Warhurst. Moved to striker during an injury crisis and had a ridiculous purple patch scoring about 1 gpg.
I would say most are just trying to follow the premise in the OP and look for options. Very hard to argue against Gullit being world class at any outfield role, adaptable to ball on deck, aerial long ball/set piece propositions, and probably pretty handy as a keeper. Certainly more than Messi, Maradona or Modric.
I do wonder about the intensity of the modern game, mind, but if you won't adjust for improvements in conditioning and sports science historical comparisons are pointless. Was it questionable relative to his peers in his day and age? Very much the opposite.
He played the right cb in a back 3 for Chile under Bielsa.
Maybe that's it. I remember Isla in that role but now that you mention it.
Rooney wouldn’t look great at CB, too short. Would be good everywhere else though.
That’s the one! You are absolutely right, he was, I think, at Blackburn at the time. Well remembered, sir!
Chris Sutton had a good albeit brief go at it for Chelsea
Eboue.
Koemans maybe, but they'd be overpowered by Gullits.
I thought this was about another Saudi club...
I may definitely be misremembering but I recall Messi being a really hard worker off the ball in his 20’s - especially under Pep. He was a pressing machine. I seem to recall him only starting to get instructed to conserve energy and not work as hard in/around his 30’s or so. But I could be wholly wrong.
Anyway, on topic, I think a team of Gerrards or Rooneys would do quite well in this concept.
Best current shout so far. Has played centre back, left back, defensive midfield, and arguably as a de-facto winger. Solid defender, decent in the air, not too short at 6ft1, surprisingly excellent goal scorer, not the fastest, but no slouch either, great control in tight spaces, can pick a pass, fairly ambidextrous and has shown that he can make the right runs on occasion. Total footballer.
Bruno actually has played and played ok at CB. Despite his slight frame, he has a wiry strength and a tenacity that if you set up a Bruno 11 vs a Gullit 11, the only place I’m worried about is at GK. We would counter in a lot of goals in the first half and get some more the last fifteen because of stamina.
Daniel Passarella
Pressing machine is a bit much, but he was pretty good — but nothing even remotely close to the likes of Rooney/Tevez/Suárez. Yet he started to conserve his energy way sooner than after hitting his 30’s, it was already evident under Pep (I believe it could’ve been his decision. He explained it pretty well in one documentary) and he left Barça when Messi was 25. During the MSN era he barely ran off the ball at all.
Mousa Dembélé (spurs) ? Yaya Touré? Maicon? Vieira? More recent yeah Valverde or Bellingham.
Fair enough, harms. I guess 40's and memory just hit different these days
. And the pressing helped when Barca were so good at compressing space and pushing a high line so the distances were tiny - i believe it was the "3 (or was it 5?) second rules" in trying to win the ball back after losing it?And yes, Rooney/Suarez/Tevez were a different class/breed (at workrate anyway!) altogether.
I'd say it was even earlier than that. He'd stopped pressing by 22-23. It's clear from the distance covered stats.
Messi struggled with his hamstrings up to the age of 21. Part of the solution to that was for him to do less high-intensity running off the ball. And then when he moved into the false 9 position at the age of 21-22, there was the tactical reason to ensure he was in space and rested for the transition moment.
Maybe 11 Rodri's, you won't ever lose the ball and can nick some goals with long shots.