National team all time XIs

Balu said:
Difficult to say how good he really was. He missed his prime because of the war and the German league system before the Bundesliga is a bit of a mess, but he still was an incredible footballer in his thirties and without his injury, there's a good chance we would have won the semifinal against Sweden in '58. He's definitely a legend and an all time great in my book. What I've seen from him clearly points to him being an exceptional footballer and all the stories around him leading us to the World Cup win in '54 complete that picture. Not sure why anyone would argue with poor opposition, after all we had to beat one of the greatest nationalteams of all time in the World Cup final and the Austrian team we thrashed in the semifinals was also a brilliant side with Ocwirk and Happel in it.
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Thanks! The opposition argument was meant in relation to the future and what other German greats faced. But yeah, the 50s werent bad.
It was really bad luck against Sweden but hey; he won the first WC title for Germany, made Germany a world champion before Brazil,France,Spain and England and gave Germany much needed fun and pride.
His title will always count more then most till the 70s.
 
Rest of Britain and Ireland 11.

There's too much quality : Charles, Best, Hansen, Giles, Dalglish, Law, Giggs, Blanchflower, Souness, McGrath. :eek:
 
I think Ireland would surely be third, but rest of britain can be a good team.

Jennings, McGrain, Hansen, CB, LB, Giggs, Souness, Blanchflower, Best, Dalglish, Law.

Not really sure about the defense but that's a very good team.
 
Invictus said:
Rest of Britain and Ireland 11.

There's too much quality : Charles, Best, Hansen, Giles, Dalglish, Law, Giggs, Blanchflower, Souness, McGrath. :eek:
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Plenty of great players from the rest of Britain and Ireland played for united and Liverpool (especially in the 80s) over the years. It would be a very good selection of players to pick from.
 
Balu said:
A German best of World Cup XI? I'd probably go with a 352

Seeler Müller
Walter
Brehme -- Breitner -- Matthäus -- Lahm
Schnellinger Beckenbauer Förster
Maier
​
But that's really really harsh on so many great players. You could make a case for Rahn, Klinsmann, Müller, Overath, Littbarski, Schweinsteiger, Kohler, Vogts, Kahn, Neuer somewhere in there and a few more that I forgot at the moment.
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Are you starting Gerd Muller or is he on the bench?
 
Raul Madrid said:
Plenty of great players from the rest of Britain and Ireland played for united and Liverpool (especially in the 80s) over the years. It would be a very good selection of players to pick from.
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Indeed.

Reckon a Rest of Britain + Ireland XI would be something like this :


------------------------------------Pat Jennings-----------------------------------------


----Danny McGrain---------John Charles----------Paul McGrath-----------Denis Irwin-----


---------------Roy Keane---------Graeme Souness---------Danny Blanchflower------------


-----------George Best------------Kenny Dalglish----------------Ryan Giggs---------------
 
Aldo said:
I think Ireland would surely be third, but rest of britain can be a good team.

Jennings, McGrain, Hansen, CB, LB, Giggs, Souness, Blanchflower, Best, Dalglish, Law.

Not really sure about the defense but that's a very good team.
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Jennings, McGrain, England, Neill, Giggs, Bremner, Blanchflower, Souness, Best, Allchurch, Law.
 
Regarding Italy, imo, you can't have Scirea and Baresi in the same line-up. They both would want to do the same job, dictate the play and command everything. Both could play as CB's, but that's a waste, as they're natural sweepers. Further, if you're going to have a 'generic' CB, you want one with more pace and power with one or the other aforementioned players tidying up after them (sweeping).

I still maintain that in modern-day terms, both would be used as DM's and not part of a backline unless the sweeper was re-introduced.
 
Invictus said:
France :


---------------------------------Henry------------------------------------


--------Zidane-------------------Kopa--------------------Platini-----------


----------------------Tigana-----------------Vieira------------------------


---Lizarazu--------------Blanc-------------Thuram---------------Amoros---


----------------------------------Bats-------------------------------------


Subs :

Fontaine (:drool:), Giresse, Ribery, Makelele, Rocheteau, Desailly, Papin.
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I'd swap Kopa and Platini on the basis that Kopa has got experience of that role at Real Madrid. Can't argue with the rest though, maybe swap Bossis for Lizarazu but both were excellent and under-rated. Keeper stands out as a weak spot.
Fortitude said:
Regarding Italy, imo, you can't have Scirea and Baresi in the same line-up. They both would want to do the same job, dictate the play and command everything. Both could play as CB's, but that's a waste, as they're natural sweepers. Further, if you're going to have a 'generic' CB, you want one with more pace and power with one or the other aforementioned players tidying up after them (sweeping).

I still maintain that in modern-day terms, both would be used as DM's and not part of a backline unless the sweeper was re-introduced.
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Totally agree with your first point. It smacks of squeezing the biggest names into the team rather than building the most complementary team if both were included in the same defence.

For the second point, I think there are two positions that may evolve in the coming years. One being the secondary centre-half where, with most teams playing with a single striker, there could be more scope for a Baresi-style player alongside a more commanding centre-half. Looking ahead that second central defender may evolve into more of a dictating ball player. The second position being the holding midfield role - any player who brought together the defensive awareness with the tactical and technical acumen that Baresi boasted would be a huge asset in that role.
 
Haven't seen a serious Welsh eleven in the thread yet so i'll give it a go:

Southall

Sherwood---England---Charles---Ratcliffe

Meredith---Ramsey---Allchurch

Bale---Rush---Giggs

Maybe a bit light in midfield but it's hard to leave out attacking talent like Meredith and Allchurch. John Charles captain, Wales and arguably Britain's greatest footballing export, in my biased eyes at least.
 
Gio said:
Totally agree with your first point. It smacks of squeezing the biggest names into the team rather than building the most complementary team if both were included in the same defence.

For the second point, I think there are two positions that may evolve in the coming years. One being the secondary centre-half where, with most teams playing with a single striker, there could be more scope for a Baresi-style player alongside a more commanding centre-half. Looking ahead that second central defender may evolve into more of a dictating ball player. The second position being the holding midfield role - any player who brought together the defensive awareness with the tactical and technical acumen that Baresi boasted would be a huge asset in that role.
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I've often thought that a player like Baresi would be put straight into defensive midfield through his apprenticeship and development these days. His height, pace and power would have him ruled out of the centre of a backline at practically every academy, I think.

If Hummels wasn't as big and commanding as he is, I bet the same would've happened to him.

Centre-backs of Baresi's height in the modern game are athletic marvels (Cordoba, Cannavaro come to mind) although it's interesting to see Mascherano masquerade back there as some sort of pseudo, hybrid.

Anyway, I've gone off on a tangent here. From a tactical development POV, it would be great to see what you mentioned come to pass. It would have to come through at academies bold enough to try it and even bolder enough to implement it at the highest level in pressure-filled, results-based environments.
2 Neville's said:
Haven't seen a serious Welsh eleven in the thread yet so i'll give it a go:

Southall

Sherwood---England---Charles---Ratcliffe

Meredith---Ramsey---Allchurch

Bale---Rush---Giggs

Maybe a bit light in midfield but it's hard to leave out attacking talent like Meredith and Allchurch. John Charles captain, Wales and arguably Britain's greatest footballing export, in my biased eyes at least.
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Something left field:


--------------------Southall

--Mel Charles ---England-------Ratcliffe

-----------Burgess ------ Yorath

Bale------------Allchurch---------Giggs

-----------Rush --------- J. Charles
 
Fortitude said:
Something left field:


--------------------Southall

--Mel Charles ---England-------Ratcliffe

-----------Burgess ------ Yorath

Bale------------Allchurch---------Giggs

-----------Rush --------- J. Charles
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I do like that. I'd replace Ron Burgess with Gary Speed. Hard to leave out Meredith. We do seem to be blessed with some top class wingers. Struggle for fullbacks though.
 
Moriarty said:
Sorry Dave for cribbing your format. Not a bad team you've picked there and I agree with most of it. I'd put Neill and Hunter at the back and Hamilton in midfield. Healey vs Dougan was a tough call but I've gone for the Wolves man just because I always liked him.

Northern Ireland Select



Pat Jennings

Jimmy Nicholl Terry Neill Allan Hunter Mal Donaghy


Danny Blanchflower Martin O'Neill
​


Bryan Hamilton George Best Sammy McIlroy


Derek Dougan​
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I genuinely struggled at Centre back.... think Hughes is definitely a contender for me. But i see Jackie Blanchflower was nominated in the all time greatest team as a centre back. He spent most of his career upfront and only had 12 caps. What struck me was how many NI Players came from a Manchester United background.

Nicholl, Evans, Jackie Blanchflower, Donaghy, Whiteside, Healy, Best, Gillespie, McIlroy, Colin Murdock, Harry Gregg, David McCreery,Roy Carroll and that's before you look at those who never really got too far with their international careers such as Mulryne and McGibbon!
 
Diablodave said:
I genuinely struggled at Centre back.... think Hughes is definitely a contender for me. But i see Jackie Blanchflower was nominated in the all time greatest team as a centre back. He spent most of his career upfront and only had 12 caps. What struck me was how many NI Players came from a Manchester United background.

Nicholl, Evans, Jackie Blanchflower, Donaghy, Whiteside, Healy, Best, Gillespie, McIlroy, Colin Murdock, Harry Gregg, David McCreery,Roy Carroll and that's before you look at those who never really got too far with their international careers such as Mulryne and McGibbon!
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How could I have overlooked big Norm? That's a head-slap for me.

So many great players from NI have worn the red shirt during my time as a supporter. David McCreery was a tough little player and very talented too. We had another young lad named Trevor Anderson who was highly rated at one time but whose career never really took off. But I'll always remember him for the headed winner against Leeds at Elland Road one night in April 1973.

My dad always said that Jackie Blanchflower was the better player than his brother Danny. He must have been something special because Danny was a superb player who captained the Tottenham double winning side in 1961.
 
2 Neville's said:
Haven't seen a serious Welsh eleven in the thread yet so i'll give it a go:

Southall

Sherwood---England---Charles---Ratcliffe

Meredith---Ramsey---Allchurch

Bale---Rush---Giggs

Maybe a bit light in midfield but it's hard to leave out attacking talent like Meredith and Allchurch. John Charles captain, Wales and arguably Britain's greatest footballing export, in my biased eyes at least.
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Cliff Jones should get a place on the bench and maybe Ron Davies too. I'd maybe go for Gary Sprake in goal too. But that's not a bad team at all.
 
Skorenzy said:
Let's give this a whirl... Belgium:


Preud'homme
Gerets - Grün - Kompany - Van Brandt
Ceulemans - Mees
Wilmots - Nilis - Van Himst
Coppens​


Honorable mentions for Pfaff, Albert, Van Moer, Van Der Elst and Scifo.

Some controversial choices in there, a quite unbalanced midfield, but some players I just couldn't leave out. :)
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Mine was

Preud'homme
Gerets - Grün - Kompany - Martens
Van Der Elst
Ceulemans - Van Moer
Van Himst Coppens
Jef Mermans
 
Moriarty said:
Cliff Jones should get a place on the bench and maybe Ron Davies too. I'd maybe go for Gary Sprake in goal too. But that's not a bad team at all.
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Yeah, tough to not have Cliff Jones in the first team, like I've said, we've had some wonderful wingers. I'd have Sparky on the bench ahead of Davies. Got to be big Nev in goal for me though.
 
2 Neville's said:
Yeah, tough to not have Cliff Jones in the first team, like I've said, we've had some wonderful wingers. I'd have Sparky on the bench ahead of Davies. Got to be big Nev in goal for me though.
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Sparky and Davies were two very similar players. I was there when Ron took us apart single-handed at Old Trafford in 1969. Sprake was brilliant when he was on form but he did make the odd spectacular gaffe. He always seemed to play well against England and I remember one match at Wembley when he pulled off some impossible saves. Shame his career ended as it did with him being ostracised by the other Leeds players.
 
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