XaviX25

 

Out of my head:
Schmeichel sr.
Kahn
Beckenbauer
Vierchowod
P.Maldini
Nesta
Rijkaard
Cafu
Briegel
Roberto Carlos
Facchetti
Matthaeus
Neeskens
Toninho Cerezo
Desailly
Xavi
Iniesta
Gullit
Platini
Maradona
Messi
Cruyff
Ronaldo9
Van Basten
CR7

 

Out of my head:
Schmeichel sr.
Kahn
Beckenbauer
Vierchowod
P.Maldini
Nesta
Rijkaard
Cafu
Briegel
Roberto Carlos
Facchetti
Matthaeus
Neeskens
Toninho Cerezo
Desailly
Xavi
Iniesta
Gullit
Platini
Maradona
Messi
Cruyff
Ronaldo9
Van Basten
CR7

awesome team 👏

 

why no Giuseppe Meazza? aka greatest italian player of all time

 

Good list bar Peter Schmeichel. (Overrated fraud)

 

No Buffon? How come?

 

because Buffon is a buffoon

 

Keeping it draft friendly and leaving aside Inter bias as much as possible:

Buffon
Schmeichel
Zanetti
Nesta
Baresi
Maldini
Thuram
Vierchowod
Skriniar
Cafu
Figo
Matthaus
Pirlo
Gullit
Seedorf
Makelele
Modric
Cruyff
Pele
Zico
Henry
Ronaldo (Fenomeno)
Cristiano Ronaldo
Lewandowski
Marco van Basten

 

Seedorf lol

 

Yashin
Buffon
Djalma
Cafu
Beckenbauer
Baresi
S.Ramos
Cannavaro
Maldini
R.Carlos
Makelele
Rijkaard
Matthaus
Modric
Garrincha
Ronaldinho
Platini
DiStefano
Cruyff
Maradona
G.Muller
R9
C.Ronaldo
Messi
Pele

 

Nobody picked Zidane yet. Would that have happened a decade ago?

 

I didn't pick Maradona or Messi either. It's to do with just building a team and not having to build a team around someone, which I think you need to do for all 3. Not picking Maradona in particular does seem like an unforgivable sin though.

On the other hand, I picked Seedorf, who I guess won't be a natural choice when thinking of top players. But the fact he's ace in multiple positions and works well with anyone gets him in there.

 

Pele and Maradona in EC/CL teams?

 

In the words of Simeone (A common Latino phrase): "...los nombres no hacen el equipo, los hombres hacen el equipo." HOMBRES no NOMBRES. In other words, a team of men > a team of names!!!

My team consists of the following types of players: water-carriers (Mostly Europeans) & geniuses (Mostly Latin Americans)!

The complete list:

Starters:

(1) Gianluigi Buffon
(21) Lilian Thuram
(5) Franz Beckenbauer (C)
(15) Marcel Desailly
(13) Roberto Carlos
(4) Frank Rijkaard
(11) Diego Maradona
(8) Lothar Matthäus
(7) Garrincha
(10) Pelé
(9) Ronaldo

Bench:

(25) Peter Schmeichel
(2) Cafu
(28) Fabio Cannavaro
(6) Franco Baresi (C)
(3) Paolo Maldini
(16) Roy Keane
(23) Johan Neeskens
(20) Zico
(30) Messi
(12) Neymar
(18) Romário

Reserves:

(19) Alfredo Di Stéfano
(14) Johan Cruyff
(17) Cristiano Ronaldo

 

EL REAL MADRID DEL SEXTETE:

ON OFFENSE:

ON DEFENSE:

 

EL REAL MADRID DEL SEXTETE:

View attachment 77760

ON OFFENSE:

View attachment 77761

ON DEFENSE:

View attachment 77762

So apparently Guardiola used my tactics to finally win the UCL with Man-City!

 

TEAM B:

ON OFFENSE:

ON DEFENSE:

 

pre-war Mitropa Kupa >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Euro Champions Cup >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> CL

nuff said

 

The Anglo-Italian Cup >>>>

 

One thing I never got about this sub-forum, is people putting in players like Yashin, Neeskens, George Best, Fachetti, Mazzola etc lol.

SAW THEM PLAY DID WE.

 

There's no question that any current player is better than the past greats. The training and performance levels these days is just better. But probably people think the old players deserve credit too. It's a tough exercise.

 

DJALMA SANTOS WAS BETTER THAN DANI ALVES TRUST ME.

 

There are too many good strikers just during the time I've been watching, it's too stressful to leave them out.

 

The talent is palpable!!!

 

The GOAT.

 

what's wrong with pre-war Mitropa Kupa?

 

Here is my 25-man squad:

1 Manuel Neuer (GK)
12 Gianluigi Buffon (GK)
23 Peter Schmeichel (GK)

2 Lilian Thuram (RB, CB)
3 Paolo Maldini (LB, CB)
4 Javier Zanetti (RB, LB, RWB, LWB)
5 Franco Baresi (CB)
13 Alessandro Nesta (CB)
14 Cafu (RWB, RB)
15 Jürgen Kohler (CB)
16 Marcel Desailly (CB, DM)

6 Frank Rijkaard (DM, CB)
8 Lothar Matthäus (CM, DM)
11 Pavel Nedvěd (AM, LW)
17 N'Golo Kanté (CM, DM)
19 Xavi (CM)
21 Andrés Iniesta (AM, CM)
22 Ruud Gullit (AM, SS, RW, CM)
25 Kevin De Bruyne (AM, CM)

9 Ronaldo (ST)
7 Cristiano Ronaldo (LWF, SS)
10 Lionel Messi (RWF, F9)
18 Luís Figo (RW)
20 Marco van Basten (ST)
24 Hristo Stoichkov (LWF, ST, RWF)


Reserves: Kahn, Dani Alves, Bergomi, Vierchowod, Lahm, Redondo, Modrić, Laudrup, Robben, Lewandowski, Henry

 

Well I wanted to wait until the end of the WC to update my 25-man squad.
There will be a few changes, specially the starting XI.

 

I've been struggling with this!

My S. American DNA tells me the following: "Field the best, win or lose, just field the best possible XI." Brasil 70 was a bloody aberration.
Tiki-Taka was a bloody joke. The European in me has made me fall in love with the art of defending (e.g. Maldini pulling one of his classic sliding tackles). I'm all about finding the right balance, as the saying goes "games are won and lost in midfield," and I could not agree more. As many of you know, I'm a big proponent of BITE, MANDINGO AND STEEL...baby! 🤭🤭🤭
In other words, my midfielders better be capable of running for 90+ minutes, fight for possession, make strong tackles, pressure opponents, have great awareness and vision, and also distribute the ball to others effectively. Therefore, the likes of Didi and Xavi have no business in this team.

Modern football has rendered the following positions (styles) obsolete:

Orthodox wingers (e.g. Garrincha, Matthews, Gento) have been replaced by attacking fullbacks/wingbacks and inverted wingers. Modern fullbacks dominate the sport nowadays and they are responsible for providing width and extra attacking options. As a matter of fact, most inverted wingers depend on attacking fullbacks. For example, once the attacking fullback joins the attack, he enables the inverted winger to cut inside with the ball/cut inside and wait for a pass (e.g. Robben, Bale, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo);

The orthodox South American # 8 (orchestrator). In the interest of team balance, we have no need for midfielders who can't tackle and who are not willing to get their hands dirty; and

Defensive fullbacks, stoppers, and bloody poachers. In today's football, a limited footballer (below average technical player) is a big time liability. Defensive fullbacks have been forced to become CBs, stoppers have been replaced by ball-playing CBs who are strong tacklers, great man-markers, and can distribute the ball to others while under pressure (e.g. Maldini, Ramos).

 

So which formation should I use? HOW MANY ATTACKING ELEMENTS do I need? Will 4 suffice? What about 5 or 6?

After the WC, I decided to further analyze my 25-man roster. Here's my original starting XI:

EL REAL MADRID DEL SEXTETE:

View attachment 77760

ON OFFENSE:

View attachment 77761

ON DEFENSE:

View attachment 77762


Clearly, I tried to maintain some balance and overall this is one solid team. However, solid is not good enough, I want more, I always strive for perfection.

So I went to the drawing board and came up with the following possibilities:

 

STARTING XI

3-5-2 (3-4-1-2)

(GK) : 1. G. BUFFON

(CB): 15. L. THURAM
(SW): 5. F. BECKENBAUER - Captain
(CB): 3. P. MALDINI

(WB): 2. CAFU
(DM): 4. F. RIJKAARD
(DM): 8. L. MATTHAUS
(WB): 13. ROBERTO CARLOS

(AM): 11. D. MARADONA

(SS): 10. PELE
(ST): 9. RONALDO

 

STARTING XI



View attachment 80253


3-5-2 (3-4-1-2)

(GK) : 1. G. BUFFON

(CB): 15. L. THURAM
(SW): 5. F. BECKENBAUER - Captain
(CB): 3. P. MALDINI

(WB): 2. CAFU
(DM): 4. F. RIJKAARD
(DM): 8. L. MATTHAUS
(WB): 13. ROBERTO CARLOS

(AM): 11. D. MARADONA

(SS): 10. PELE
(ST): 9. RONALDO

I give this team 4* out of 5.

Buffon - no arguments from me: the best keeper.

Thuram - no arguments from me: the best right sided defender.

Beckenbauer - how are you using Beckenbauer? Usually a libero in a back four, how often is he getting forward here? I feel like in this formation you'd be limiting his creative/offensive potential. Your opponent would just sit their #9 on him, making him be more pre-occupied with defensive duties. If Matthaus/Rijkaard are filling in at the back when Beckenbauer marauds forward you're limiting their box-to-box qualities too.

Maldini - no arguments from me: GOAT left sided defender.

Cafu - good choice: if you're playing an all-time XI with wingbacks, I think Cafu is the undisputed choice on the right flank.

Roberto Carlos - dominant in his era, but his defensive skills/positional sense are a liability.

Rijkaard-Matthaus - the best/greatest defensive midfielder-box to box midfielder combo.

Maradona - yes, just one #10/playmaker/trequartista needed: I'm glad you didn't shoe horn Di Stefano, Zico, Platini or Cruyff in here too.

Pele-Ronaldo - Pele playing off a #9, as a withdrawn/secondary striker is optimal. R9 is the best striker we've ever seen, and loved playing in a strike partnership too.

 

"Pessi" on the bench?

 

GOAT DEBATE?

Based on his body of work and resume, MESSI is one spot behind O REI PELE.
However, based on what I have seen he's number 4 on my list.

O Rei was clearly more complete and a better athlete. He also faced tougher opposition, the defenders in his day were a bunch of savages.

Maradona, was quite possibly the most purely talented footballer ever. El Diego would roam the entire pitch and from right to left with 4-5 defenders aiming for his ankles and still he would somehow create a scoring opportunity for his forwards/strikers. Let's not forget that he played in Serie A during the 80s, meaning he faced the likes of: Baresi, Scirea, Gentile, Maldini, Costacurta, Tassotti, and many more.

Pre-Injury Ronaldo was something else. The only Ballon' d Or winner before age 21 (by that time he was already a two-time FIFA POY). Breaking club records in Europe in debut season (Barcelona) just for fun. He made it look to damn easy so he took his talents to Serie A and made the likes of Cannavaro, Nesta, Thuram, Maldini, Desailly and many more look bloody amateurs.

Messi, as much as I admire his talent, will have to sit on the bench alongside Cruyff, CR7, and Di Stefano.