Best club side ever?

Ish

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Of the more recent squads in with a shout: Peps Barca, Zidane’s 3-peat Madrid, Bayern under Heynckes, SAF’s treble winning side & 07-08 United. I’d have included Jose’s Chelsea & Arsene’s Invincibles but they were short on winning the UCL which is probably a “must” in these debates.

Probably loads more pre-1990 who could stake a claim.
 

Hugh Jass

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Ajax in the 70s. Bayern in the 70s. Madrid when they won five CLs i think.

I recall reading somewhere that Ajax in the 70s won everything and were considered the greatest club side base on that.

On teams i have seen play i would say Peps Barca, although we could easily have beaten them first time around.
 

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Zidane's Madrid side with Bale - Benzema - Ronaldo is probably up there, that side had everything. Terrific pace on the flanks, top goal scorers, a complete midfield and defense.
 

Siorac

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From the ones that I actually had the chance to watch, Pep's Barcelona, and it's not particularly close either.

I can't judge the Dutch Milan, or 70s Bayern, or 50s Real Madrid.
 

Beachryan

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Yeah, as much as I wish it wasn't the case cause I don't like how effective it was, Pep's Barca revolutionised the game. Moreso than any other modern equivalent.

We were very good in 2009, and looked like children out there. Giggs, Scholes, Rio - very experienced, world class players simply had no idea what to do about the sheer technical brilliance on display. Plus that team literally won it all, a few times.
 

Adam-Utd

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Can only talk from the 90's onwards but Peps Barca just seemed inevitable. Every match felt like a 5-0 + score line and seeing them drop points was a genuine shock.

I've never seen or felt United to be so helpless in a final before.
 

MUFC OK

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Can only talk from the 90's onwards but Peps Barca just seemed inevitable. Every match felt like a 5-0 + score line and seeing them drop points was a genuine shock.

I've never seen or felt United to be so helpless in a final before.
Agreed, always felt that we would get to another and rectify the wrongs of the previous two, but its been 10 years now...
 

11101

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I think Gullit, MVB and Rijkaard's Milan edges it.
For me too. There was no weak point, every player in every position was world class, and they still managed to be better than the sum of their parts.

Barcelona for their brilliance were led by a handful of superstars. There were weaker players in that side.
 

Devil81

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A lot of people go on about previous sides but I've never seen a team as untouchable as the Barca side from 2009.

Don't think they can be matched myself.
 

tomaldinho1

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I think Pep's Barca will always win on a United forum because of how easily they beat us.

I do think Zidane's Real should be in the conversation and they often suffer from the unfair 'anyone could win with Ronaldo' argument which is often ignored re Pep's Barca being built around Messi. Winning 3 CLs on the bounce is insane, plus domestic cups and a LL.

Might be controversial but I'd say Enrique's Barca if we're just taking a single season. He inherited most of Pep's Barca, plus Neymar and Alba then added peak Suarez to form MSN. That front three were the best I have ever seen.
 

shaky

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I have it on good Caf-authority it’s the current Chelsea team... ffs
Lies. I'm sure I had it on good authority that last year's Liverpool would dominate world football for the next few years.
 

Spoony

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Yeah, as much as I wish it wasn't the case cause I don't like how effective it was, Pep's Barca revolutionised the game. Moreso than any other modern equivalent.

We were very good in 2009, and looked like children out there. Giggs, Scholes, Rio - very experienced, world class players simply had no idea what to do about the sheer technical brilliance on display. Plus that team literally won it all, a few times.

I suspect that Dutch Milan side would've schooled us similarly as well.
 

LawCharltonBest

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In my lifetime it’s Peps Barcelona. They were brushing World Class teams aside by 4 or 5 goals.

The Madrid team with prime Modric Kroos Bale and Ronaldo is close
 

amolbhatia50k

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I think Pep's Barca will always win on a United forum because of how easily they beat us.

I do think Zidane's Real should be in the conversation and they often suffer from the unfair 'anyone could win with Ronaldo' argument which is often ignored re Pep's Barca being built around Messi. Winning 3 CLs on the bounce is insane, plus domestic cups and a LL.

Might be controversial but I'd say Enrique's Barca if we're just taking a single season. He inherited most of Pep's Barca, plus Neymar and Alba then added peak Suarez to form MSN. That front three were the best I have ever seen.
Their domination over us plays it's part in our minds but I think it's more than that. The sheer quality of their football and control over football matches was something else. It was painful to watch as someone who wanted them to lose. Never seen anything like it.
 

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Pep's Barca and Heynckes' Bayern would have given each other quite a run for their money I'd say. From what I've witnessed those two were the best.
 

OleBoiii

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Pep's Barca probably.

Simply unbeatable for 3 full years, both domestically and in Europe(apart from that hilarious loss to Mourinho's Inter). Having prime Messi, Iniesta and Xavi is a cheat code that never should be allowed to happen again. The football mods should have nerfed them much quicker.
 

Gehrman

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Pep's Barca. Not just because they beat us but because almost no team managed to beat them by playing football. They were kind of boring though in the sense they would completely dominate possesion so most of the games lacked excitement.
 

Earvin Johnson

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For me too. There was no weak point, every player in every position was world class, and they still managed to be better than the sum of their parts.

Barcelona for their brilliance were led by a handful of superstars. There were weaker players in that side.
Not true, Milan had to field many no name player due to the 3 foreign player restriction. Players who had nothing special were starting for them, think about Colombo or Tassotti, those guys weren't considered good enough to make the italian national team, while 2009 had an all time great talent at nearly every single position, seriously where is the weak part out of Abidal, Alves, Pique, Puyol, Touré, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Eto'o, Henry, Messi... ?

Overall if you want to have this kind of comparisons it is always going to favor the post Bosman teams, because the rules let them stack as many talent as possible.
 

Acrobat7

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I think Gullit, MVB and Rijkaard's Milan edges it.
Good shout!
Bayern in the 70s were starting Sepp Maier, Beckenbauer, Schwarzenbeck, Roth, Rummenigge, Hoeness and Gerd Müller amongst others.
 

Cal?

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Basically Pep Barca v Zidane Madrid, depends if you value style or winning respectively.
 

Pexbo

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Not true, Milan had to field many no name player due to the 3 foreign player restriction. Players who had nothing special were starting for them, think about Colombo or Tassotti, those guys weren't considered good enough to make the italian national team, while 2009 had an all time great talent at nearly every single position, seriously where is the weak part out of Abidal, Alves, Pique, Puyol, Touré, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Eto'o, Henry, Messi... ?

Overall if you want to have this kind of comparisons it is always going to favor the post Bosman teams, because the rules let them stack as many talent as possible.
Valdes? Henry was 31 and nowhere near his Arsenal peak. Remember we are talking on the scale of best ever.
 

Spoony

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Not true, Milan had to field many no name player due to the 3 foreign player restriction. Players who had nothing special were starting for them, think about Colombo or Tassotti, those guys weren't considered good enough to make the italian national team, while 2009 had an all time great talent at nearly every single position, seriously where is the weak part out of Abidal, Alves, Pique, Puyol, Touré, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Eto'o, Henry, Messi... ?

Overall if you want to have this kind of comparisons it is always going to favor the post Bosman teams, because the rules let them stack as many talent as possible.

save Maradona those Dutch players were the best in the world. I saw thekm
Good shout!
Bayern in the 70s were starting Sepp Maier, Beckenbauer, Schwarzenbeck, Roth, Rummenigge, Hoeness and Gerd Müller amongst others.

Sadly I didn't see them play which is why I always give the nod to that Milan side. The Dutch trio were great...can only imagine how much that Milan side would cost to assemble now. Berlusconi eh? Was doing a Sheikh Mansour in the 80s. But yeah Bayern 70s according to experts are right up there.
 

harms

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1. Sacchi's Milan. Best left back of all-time, arguably the greatest striker, centre back (with the focus on defending) & defensive midfielder of all-time as well as probably the most complete footballer ever. And the rest of the squad wasn't too shabby either!

van Basten - Gullit
Colombo/Evani - Rijkaard - Ancelotti - Donadoni
Maldini - Baresi - Costacurta - Tassotti
Galli​

2. Guardiola's Barca. Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets & Alves is simply not fair to the opposition — but the relative vulnerability of their defense compared to Milan's pushes them back to the runners up spot. Although it's not like there's much between those sides, I'm pretty sure that Barca would win plenty of their head to head encounters as well.

Villa - Messi - Pedro
Iniesta - Xavi
Busquets

Abidal - Pique - Mascherano Puyol - Alves
Valdes​


3. Ajax of the 1970's. Simply incredible & easily class above the rest of the quite impressive competition.

Keizer - Cruyff - Swart

Mühren - Neeskens

Haan

Krol - Blankenburg - Hulshoff - Suurbier

Stuy​

Honourable mention to the Real Madrid side of the 1950's with the magnificent forward line of Gento - Di Stéfano - Puskás - Del Sol - Kopa, but that side was incredibly top-heavy and I don't think that it's going to be able to outscore the above-mentioned sides.