Best 11 ever in your honest opinion

fps

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Buffon
Alves Nesta Maldini Marcelo
Keane
Scholes Iniesta
Messi R9 Ronaldo
Just some of my favorite players i guess. Rio should make any team i'm making, but Nesta gets in first, and Maldini compliments Nesta better.
This team is mint.
 

El Jefe

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Ronaldo Nazario-Pele
Maradona
Iniesta-Xavi
Matthaus
Maldini-Beckenbauer-Nesta-Alves
Neuer

I went with something that I think could play well on the field. Basically Pep's Barcelona on steroids.

Pele and Ronaldo De Lima are self explanatory. Pele is the most complete forward ever. Ronaldo at his physical peak was a devastating force of nature.

Didn't go for Messi, because I think Maradona suits the team the front 2 better. He's more adept to playing deeper than Messi IMO.

Xavi-Iniesta to monopolize the ball. Xavi is the greatest 'controlling' midfielder ever for me.

I know Matthaus was more of a box-to-box midfielder in his pomp, but he should have no problems 'holding' in this team and his overall ability should shine.

Maldini is basically a super-charged Abidal from Pep's Barcelona. Beckenbauer for his leadership and distribution. Nesta for his superb reading of the game.

I opted for Alves over Cafu/Capita controversially perhaps, but I think he'd be better suited to playing the pressing game.
Your GK, defence and midfield is pretty much the same as mine. I had Koeman, Rijkaard and Laudrup in place of Beckenbauer, Matthaus and Iniesta but there is almost no difference between them stylistically or in the roles they would have in the team. It really is Pep on steroids.

Our attacks are completely different though :lol:
 

fps

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From the late 80s on:



The back 6 undoubtedly work together, as would the front 4, and I can't think of anybody better to protect a defence and link the attack than Seedorf and Rijkaard.

Maybe Xavi - Iniesta - Busquets would be an equal midfield but i don't see them playing as well in a team that would not be setup for possession dominance.
This is a brilliant team! So much character and leadership too.
 

Josh 76

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Best way would be to pick the greatest team ever of the;
60s
70s
80s
90s
2000s
2010s

Then try and break it down from there.
60s Pele, Charlton, Eusebio, Garrincha
70s Best, Beckenbauer, Cruyff, Muller.
80s Maradona, Platini, Matthaues, Zico

Just a few on top of my head.
 

Dirty Schwein

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—————Schmeichel——————
D. Alves-----Vidic----Nesta----R. Carlos
———-----------R. Keane——-------------
C.Ronaldo—-Ronaldinho—Messi
————Henry———--Shearer----——-
 

Infordin

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60s
70s
80s
90s
2000s
2010s
1960s:

Lev Yashin
Carlos Alberto - Bobby Moore - Albert Shesternyov - Giacinto Facchetti
Garrincha - Bobby Charlton - Didi - George Best
Pele - Eusebio​

1970s:

Dino Zoff
Win Suurbier - Franz Beckenbauer - Daniel Passarella - Paul Breitner
Johan Neeskens - Falcão - Johan Cruyff
Sandro Mazzola
Gerd Muller - Mario Kempes

1980s:

Rinat Dasayev
Giuseppe Bergomi - Gaetano Scirea - Franco Baresi - Antonio Cabrini
Lothar Matthaus - Frank Rijkaard - Zico
Diego Maradona
Michel Platini - Marco Van Basten​

1990s:

Peter Schmeichel
Cafu - Ronaldo Koeman - Marcel Desailly - Paulo Maldini
Roy Keane - Fernando Redondo - Zinedine Zidane
Roberto Baggio
Romario - Ronaldo​

2000s:

Gianluigi Buffon
Javier Zanetti - Alessandro Nesta - Fabio Cannavaro - Roberto Carlos
Patrick Vieira - Andrea Pirlo - Xavi Hernandez
Ricardo Kaka - Ronaldinho
Thierry Henry​

2010s:

Manuel Neuer
Dani Alves - Sergio Ramos - Diego Godin - Marcelo
Luka Modric - Sergio Busquets - Andres Iniesta
Lionel Messi - Luis Suarez - Cristiano Ronaldo​

I tried to limit one player to one decade, otherwise some players would probably qualify for multiple decades.
 
Last edited:

Champagne Football

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Schmeichel
Cafu - Baresi - Maldini - R. Carlos
Keane
Iniesta Xavi
Ronaldinho - Luis Ronaldo - Messi


Subs - Robben, Cristiano, Maradona, Pele, Matthaus, Rivaldo, Lahm, Zidane
 
Last edited:

Josh 76

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1960s:

Lev Yashin
Carlos Alberto - Bobby Moore - Albert Shesternyov - Giacinto Facchetti
Garrincha - Bobby Charlton - Didi - George Best
Pele - Eusebio​

1970s:

Dino Zoff
Win Suurbier - Franz Beckenbauer - Daniel Passarella - Paul Breitner
Johan Neeskens - Falcão - Johan Cruyff
Sandro Mazzola
Gerd Muller - Mario Kempes

1980s:

Rinat Dasayev
Giuseppe Bergomi - Gaetano Scirea - Franco Baresi - Antonio Cabrini
Lothar Matthaus - Frank Rijkaard - Zico
Diego Maradona
Michel Platini - Marco Van Basten​

1990s:

Peter Schmeichel
Cafu - Ronaldo Koeman - Marcel Desailly - Paulo Maldini
Roy Keane - Fernando Redondo - Zinedine Zidane
Roberto Baggio
Romario - Ronaldo​

2000s:

Gianluigi Buffon
Javier Zanetti - Alessandro Nesta - Fabio Cannavaro - Roberto Carlos
Patrick Vieira - Andrea Pirlo - Xavi Hernandez
Ricardo Kaka - Ronaldinho
Thierry Henry​

2010s:

Manuel Neuer
Dani Alves - Sergio Ramos - Diego Godin - Marcelo
Luka Modric - Sergio Busquets - Andres Iniesta
Lionel Messi - Luis Suarez - Cristiano Ronaldo​

I tried to limit one player to one decade, otherwise some players would probably qualify for multiple decades.
Unbelievable
 

dal

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———————-schmeichel—————-
Cafu———VVD ———-Vidic——-Marcelo
———————-Keane——Scholes————
——————————Maradona—————
———Messi——————————C.Ronaldo-
——————————Ronaldo———————-

Ive done this almost as a team I’d hate to play against.. Scholes and Maradona were brilliant but they chased every thing too and didn’t hold back.

Id hate to be up against Vidic and VVD it would depress and scare me.

Then two wing backs who would just drain your energy.

A team full of individual winners, iron mentality.

Front 3. Forget about it.
 

troylocker

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So hard to fit them all in one 11:

--------------Dasayev--------------
Cafu-------Baresi-----Maldini
--------------Makelele-------------
------Xavi---------Sokrates-----
--------------Maradona-----------
Messi-----------------------CR7--
------------------R9-------------------

Would be pure art. Creativity, artistry, leadership and explosiveness. Would own the ball 80% in every match and score enough goals to make up for the overly offensive lineup.
 

ThinkTank@Cafe

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1960s:

Lev Yashin
Carlos Alberto - Bobby Moore - Albert Shesternyov - Giacinto Facchetti
Garrincha - Bobby Charlton - Didi - George Best
Pele - Eusebio​

1970s:

Dino Zoff
Win Suurbier - Franz Beckenbauer - Daniel Passarella - Paul Breitner
Johan Neeskens - Falcão - Johan Cruyff
Sandro Mazzola
Gerd Muller - Mario Kempes

1980s:

Rinat Dasayev
Giuseppe Bergomi - Gaetano Scirea - Franco Baresi - Antonio Cabrini
Lothar Matthaus - Frank Rijkaard - Zico
Diego Maradona
Michel Platini - Marco Van Basten​

1990s:

Peter Schmeichel
Cafu - Ronaldo Koeman - Marcel Desailly - Paulo Maldini
Roy Keane - Fernando Redondo - Zinedine Zidane
Roberto Baggio
Romario - Ronaldo​

2000s:

Gianluigi Buffon
Javier Zanetti - Alessandro Nesta - Fabio Cannavaro - Roberto Carlos
Patrick Vieira - Andrea Pirlo - Xavi Hernandez
Ricardo Kaka - Ronaldinho
Thierry Henry​

2010s:

Manuel Neuer
Dani Alves - Sergio Ramos - Diego Godin - Marcelo
Luka Modric - Sergio Busquets - Andres Iniesta
Lionel Messi - Luis Suarez - Cristiano Ronaldo​

I tried to limit one player to one decade, otherwise some players would probably qualify for multiple decades.
Wow! How old are you?
 

Hughes35

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From players I really love / loved and remember.

------------------------------VDS----------------------------
Cafu----------Ferdinand--------Maldini----------Marcelo
------------------------------Keane---------------------------
---------------Ronaldinho----------Zidane-----------
-------Messi--------------Henry---------------CR7

It was really tough to pick between Henry or R9. Marcelo, Carlos or Irwin was also difficult, as was Maldini, Cannavaro or Nesta.
 

fps

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I'd love to see some 11s for the team that could "Mourinho" them as his Inter side did to Barcelona.
 

fps

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From players I really love / loved and remember.

------------------------------VDS----------------------------
Cafu----------Ferdinand--------Maldini----------Marcelo
------------------------------Keane---------------------------
---------------Ronaldinho----------Zidane-----------
-------Messi--------------Henry---------------CR7

It was really tough to pick between Henry or R9. Marcelo, Carlos or Irwin was also difficult, as was Maldini, Cannavaro or Nesta.
I see Henry and Ronaldo getting in each other's way a little, perhaps? I think Maldini is the right call, wherever he ends up centre or left back. For the modern game you can't get better full-backs than the two you've picked though.
 

balaks

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This is such a difficult task but here is my stab at it:

Buffon
Cafu - Nesta - Baresi - Maldini
Iniesta - Pirlo - Xavi
Messi - Maradona
Ronaldo (Brazil)
 

Hughes35

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I'd love to see some 11s for the team that could "Mourinho" them as his Inter side did to Barcelona.
------------------------Friedel---------------------
Bissaka------- Carragher-------Dunk-----------Cole
--------------Makelele-------Cattermole--------
---------------------Vinnie Jones--------------------
Park---------------Fashanu--------------Di Canio

Welcome to operation mind feck. The ultimate park the bus team........ In fact, i'd hide on the bus so I don't have to play them.
 

fps

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This is such a difficult task but here is my stab at it:

Buffon
Cafu - Nesta - Baresi - Maldini
Iniesta - Pirlo - Xavi
Messi - Maradona
Ronaldo
------------------------Friedel---------------------
Bissaka------- Carragher-------Dunk-----------Cole
--------------Makelele-------Cattermole--------
---------------------Vinnie Jones--------------------
Park---------------Fashanu--------------Di Canio

Welcome to operation mind feck. The ultimate park the bus team........ In fact, i'd hide on the bus so I don't have to play them.
Oh my God just imagine this match :lol: :lol: . I'm not sure that midfield three of yours would fancy it balaks!
 

Hughes35

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I see Henry and Ronaldo getting in each other's way a little, perhaps? I think Maldini is the right call, wherever he ends up centre or left back. For the modern game you can't get better full-backs than the two you've picked though.
I seem to remember Henry going into the left channel a lot which would be amazing with CR7 going central from that side. if only we could see all these ideas in reality. :drool:
 

Gio

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I'd love to see some 11s for the team that could "Mourinho" them as his Inter side did to Barcelona.
Yashin
Thuram - Kohler - Baresi - Maldini
Matthaus - Rijkaard - Davids
Gullit - Charles - Cristiano
Full-backs for their defensive game first and foremost. Midfield rock solid with enough legs and all-round game to transition effectively. Back to goal monsters in Gullit and Charles for the early outball, both of whom can defend from the front, and can be thrown back for set-pieces and general bus-parking.
 

Giggsy13

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Anyone who puts in VVD over the likes of Maldini, Nesta or Cannavaro is honestly clueless and knows nothing about football. Maldini is arguably the greatest defender of all time. VVD can’t even match up to the likes of Rio, Terry or Vidic. He has a long way to go to be put into that class.
 

fps

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Yashin
Thuram - Kohler - Baresi - Maldini
Matthaus - Rijkaard - Davids
Gullit - Charles - Cristiano
Full-backs for their defensive game first and foremost. Midfield rock solid with enough legs and all-round game to transition effectively. Back to goal monsters in Gullit and Charles for the early outball, both of whom can defend from the front, and can be thrown back for set-pieces and general bus-parking.
Oh lord. See they might well win and be unloved for it. Actually, too much class for that.
 

Zlatattack

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Buffon
Cafu Stam Maldini Lahm
Viera Keane
Messi Ronaldinho CR7
R9

So many great names miss out including my favourite player Zidane.
 

sherrinford

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Not bothered about goalkeepers.

Left Back - Selected Roberto Carlos ahead of Maldini because I wanted a full back who’s game was predominantly built around aggressive overlapping - a penetrative off-the-ball runner to best compliment Ronaldinho. Maldini (the older one I watched anyway) simply wasn’t the blistering attacker that Carlos was. Marcelo’s quality and imagination on the ball are the best I’ve seen from a full back but he liked to receive the ball into feet before dribbling or looking for one-twos with teammates - he didn’t have the same penchant for making off-the-ball/ third-man runs as his predecessor.

Centre Backs - I have a preference for intelligent, clean defenders - I rate Ferdinand higher than Vidic, for example - but acknowledge that a physically dominant player here is also a necessity. Nesta is the best I have seen, marrying well-rounded physicality with a certain elegance and sense of control even in some of his impressively acrobatic tackles, interceptions and clearances. Maldini was less graceful and more aggressive, but similarly complete in his defending.

Thiago Silva is unfortunate to miss out as he is more accomplished on the ball than either and reads the game every bit as well, but, though he essentially has no physical weaknesses, he’s not as big a presence and just seems a bit ‘nice’ in comparison. Going the other way, of the typically big, strong, simpler and less precise ‘stopper’ centre backs who have impressed over the years, Stam is probably the pick of them for me. Van Dijk has been a contentious choice here, but I don’t think he would look too out of place grouped with the aforementioned players and I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s where I place him once his career is finished. For someone who’s physical qualities are first-class and profile is absolute, Van Dijk is a remarkably cerebral defender.

Right Back - Similar situation to the one on the opposite side of the pitch. Messi is more likely to move infield looking to receive the ball than Ronaldinho, so there’s a requirement for a player to largely run the entire flank themselves from this position. Compared to Dani Alves, Cafu provided more quality and a cooler head in the final third and with his final ball.

I would have liked to have Lahm in the side as he’s a bit of a novelty in that he was a playmaker at fullback, who never indulged in anything fanciful, just always made the right decision with his positioning, runs and with the ball at his feet, and who’s virtually every touch and pass was perfectly executed. A player of Lahm’s particular brand of reliable excellence is rare, whereas there have been a few great right backs of the unflinchingly direct and indefatigable variety to choose from. Playing behind Messi, and in a side generally populated by creative players who come towards the ball, a more blunt, powerful option is a better fit, and Cafu is the pick of them for me.

Holding Midfield - It was between Schweinsteiger and Keane for the anchoring role in midfield. Both are strong, mobile, aggressive defenders and progressive, authoritative passers. I lean more towards Keane for the best I’ve seen, however I associate both Keane and Xavi with a right-of-centre position and therefore didn’t want to field both. Of the rest, Busquets comes closest to my two preferred options, and has a better brain than both. Though he is also very good and intelligent defensively, Busquets doesn’t possess their belligerence, isn’t as robust and is far too slow (almost embarrassingly so, really, for a player being considered for a historic best side), and although it sounds quite ridiculous saying this given their performances together, the other two are stylistically a better fit for pairing with Xavi.

Then there’s the two extremes - Makelele and Pirlo. The Frenchman’s overall defensive contribution hasn’t been bettered, and his ineffectiveness in possession is exaggerated at this point, but it’s fair to say that for a position which is central to ball circulation and advancement, he underwhelmed in comparison to the others here. Pirlo was a great dictator of play who couldn’t defend. I would more readily group him with Xavi, Modric and Scholes as the best playmakers I have seen, and certainly wouldn’t use him behind one of those for the sake of balance. Particularly in his more lauded later years at Juventus, he was a less patient and strategic player than the others, with a more forceful, speculative passing game. Were I selecting a holding midfielder to partner Davids or Vieira - or even more so any other defensively conscientious and more limited ball-player in a box-to-box role - Pirlo would get more serious consideration. Xavi’s position in this side was a certainty though, so the same is true of Pirlo’s omission.

I would be surprised if I don’t consider Frenkie de Jong to be the greatest player I’ve seen deployed in this position by the end of his career - a mesmeric passer and dribbler, he’s the natural holding midfield version of Xavi or Modric.

Centre Midfield - Xavi and Modric ahead of Scholes are the finest no.8’s I’ve watched and were all players of the same methodical genius (with Pirlo a stylistic and qualitative fit alongside Scholes, just with a slight difference positionally). Xavi’s level of performance around the turn of the 2010’s is unmatched - the most agile and press-resistant (though run very close by the Croatian), the most intelligence and stamina with regards to movement and positioning for receiving a pass - Modric is more positionally versatile, able to excel in a traditional deeper no.8/ link role, as the more advanced no.8 or no.10, and to either side of a diamond, whereas Xavi was only ever at his best deployed as the ‘link’ player but from there he was unrivalled in his ability to identify, or create, and utilise space for both himself and his teammates - and, in an elite group of players who expertly balanced rationality and incision, the Spaniard did it best - the most relentlessly probing and most frequently providing the killer pass, while retaining the same sense of patience and reason, and always looking as assured of retaining possession. Xavi controlled games to a greater extent, and though it must be said that he played for the most dominant, possession-oriented side of my lifetime, so he certainly had the platform to perform as such, in a side filled with immensely intelligent players Xavi possessed the most tactical mind.

As an aside; I feel like Seedorf has all the raw attributes for me to place him in this group but overall I think of him in the same way I think of a Thiago Alcantara - classy, technical and generally well rounded but lacking a certain authority in his play. I see him as a more peripheral figure for his team than the others were, but I do wonder how much of that has to do with him operating in a midfield diamond. Were he to have played in a system which did not require him to provide as much width, or as much running, would I perhaps rate him as highly as these other first-rate playmakers?

Davids and Vieira are the leading box-to-box midfield generals in my time, and are brilliant players who have a similar level of impact on a team but obviously in a very different way. Were I to have settled on a lineup which required another deeper midfield player it would have been the Dutchman, due to his wonderful blend of tenacity and energy, and driving, penetrative dribbling, as well as his comfort in playing to the left. With only one, though, it has to be a player who can truly get their foot on the ball a bit, particularly when that player is of the quality of Xavi.

Attacking midfield - I considered using a more secure player here. Davids in a different - as described above - role was one option, but there were other possibilities in advanced midfield too - I contemplated Iniesta (or David Silva or Modric) for a more responsible presence on the ball, and I fleetingly thought about Gerrard, Fabregas or De Bruyne for their busier and more direct, driving style of play. With the appropriate steel, legs and decision-making present in the deeper midfield positions, though, in conjunction with one of the creative forwards - Messi - also being a player who was very sensible in his decision-making given his position and ability, there is a place in this side for a truly adventurous, free-spirited attacking midfielder, and Zidane seemed like the obvious choice. He had such a relaxed and fluent way of manipulating and moving with the ball, not as consistent or dependable in his touch or decision-making as Iniesta but capable of more remarkable pieces of control and greater imagination and spontaneity. Iniesta was a very prudent player, his level-headed approach to the game is shared by the central midfielder in this team. Zidane was audacious, and exactly the kind of player who belongs in the creative band of positions in an all-time team, particularly with such a judicious player behind him.

Left Forward - What applies to Zidane also applies here. Ronaldinho’s is the selection I am least convinced by and were I to make alterations then he would be the first man replaced, partly because he offers the same bold approach to his playmaking as the balletic Frenchman and it just sways the overall make-up of the side to a more cavalier, less measured one, as well as one with quite a few bodies who are far less inclined to defend diligently than you would want. Still balanced enough, but less than I envisioned the side would be when I set out compiling it. I would more readily part with the Brazilian (as opposed to Zizou) because he is closer positionally to Messi (who’s place in the team is certain), being more of a forward than a midfielder, and a combination of Zidane and Messi offers a bit more variety than Ronaldinho and Messi. Still, the three of them in the same lineup does allow for appropriate spacing between players, with Zidane typically operating slightly deeper, Ronaldinho favouring the left and Messi the right, with Ronaldo stretching the play up top. The option, once again, of using Davids in midfield instead, or of moving Messi to the centre forward role in order to get the very hardworking Robben in the forward line (which would necessitate a change on the left) wasn’t appealing enough for me to move to a more defensively sound team.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the obvious straight alternative for the role on the left - a very different player to Ronaldinho who, even taken at the time in his career where he retained a massive dribbling threat and was at his most explosive in terms of his running power (yet had a developed sense for movement and timing around the box), he was nowhere near the Brazilian’s playmaking mastery - the finesse and flamboyant invention in holding onto the ball under pressure, dribbling at opponents and in his passing was ridiculous, and in comparison made Cristiano’s ability and brain when on the ball look rudimentary. The Portugal man, of course, completely trumps Ronaldinho in his off-the-ball (in possession) work, but that’s what the other, original Ronaldo is in the side for. In their choices, I would describe Ronaldinho as daring, whereas I would call Cristiano selfish. The former can be reckless in possession but was less wasteful in his general play than the latter. As outstanding as Cristiano’s numbers are, I don’t abide by the notion that a single decisive moment makes up for myriad instances of poor decisions, and I think that kind of disregard for losing the ball applied more to his game than Ronaldinho’s.

In isolation, I think this pick is more clear cut in favour of Ronaldinho for me than most, but in conjunction with the choice of striker it becomes less so. Cristiano’s movements and runs (along with every other facet of his play) were always geared towards scoring. For that reason, I wouldn’t line him up left of Ronaldo - a combination that I think would be less than the sum of it’s parts, with neither player providing what the other would be looking for from their teammate. Henry, on the other hand, interpreted the no.9 role in a uniquely different way. His preference for moving into the left channel to receive the ball into feet or space would grant Ronaldo the freedom to vacate his position as desired. I consider Henry to be the best striker I have witnessed, so as an attacking trio I would say Cristiano-Henry-Messi and Ronaldinho-Ronaldo-Messi are of the same quality and effectiveness. Ultimately I simply settled on getting the player of greatest individual genius in the team.

Right forward - Messi is the best player I’ve seen and the first name on the team sheet. It was just a question of where. The only other option on the right wing was Robben - I wouldn’t use Figo there with Messi as the sole central forward or off another. The player that Robben matured into at Bayern was top drawer - he maintained his great dribbling ability and added a penchant for scoring goals, and then a very disciplined defensive game and tireless work ethic, and found other ways to influence games besides picking the ball up on the touchline and cutting in onto his left foot. A real winner, and a great choice for getting in an elite attacker without compromising on stability. He just wasn’t Ronaldinho, or Zidane, or obviously Messi - he didn’t have their playmaking brilliance. I feel like I can get away with using all three, so Robben misses out.

Striker - I have only seen a couple of games of pre-injury Ronaldo. Post-injury Ronaldo was still, or maybe was ‘just’, a world class striker. Being robbed of much of his explosiveness seemed to result in a more conventional no.9, who played on the shoulder, was a good, direct dribbler and had good box instincts. It’s actually this rather ‘ordinary’ style of play which makes him extremely suitable for being used ahead of the three class acts in this side. As mentioned, Henry is the best I’ve seen, but he did everything so differently, so effortlessly, and I feel that the busier, standard way in which the Brazilian ran the channels means he would be more readily available for a pass in behind a defence and/or would stretch the play more.

————————————————————————

Selections got less straightforward beyond the base six places. The team was always going to consist of a back four, a holding midfielder and a central midfielder, but the team framework at the top end of the pitch is much less set in stone. I find it bemusing that whenever there’s a best-of team to be selected, there are always those who acknowledge that you need full backs and centre halves, by conventionally selecting a back four, and yet show a disregard for one or both of the deeper midfield positions, by overpopulating their team with more attacking midfielders or forwards.

I have allowed myself two creative wide forwards and a no.10, to go with a striker, a playmaking centre midfielder and two very attacking fullbacks. Essentially, the team consists of as many of the kinds of players I most enjoy seeing as possible, and it certainly has a ‘Galactico’ feel to it (perhaps inevitably so, in an all-time eleven). Teams have had success with a similar structure or approach - that Madrid side, though a bit of a broken team, was still excellent, Ronaldinho was at his best in a front three with Deco in close proximity, and has played in an elite side with (an albeit very young) Messi opposite him with Iniesta in support too - but all things considered it’s an idealistic lineup.

Taking a very different approach to creating a second side, where everyone works and no-one is carried (other than perhaps the striker, who’s defensive work is certainly easiest and least costly to minimise), with the aim of creating a more solid, pragmatic machine in the vein of Mourinho’s Chelsea and Inter sides or Hynckes’ treble-winning Bayern team would produce something like this:



Allows me to get in most of the players who came closest to making the first side - Davids, Keane, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robben.

Stam and Cannavaro, with Thuram and Maldini, are great, no-nonsense fits.

Nedved was a truly two-way player, and that was his best position. One of the first to spring to mind when thinking about attacking players who pulled their weight defensively.

Mane has grown into the best player in his side, and the Premier League, while retaining a tireless work ethic. Surpassed Giggs.
 

Eli Zee

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Van Der Sar
Wan Bissaka Vidic VVD Evra
Scholes Busquetes Iniesta
Bale Mbappe Ronaldo
 

ThinkTank@Cafe

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———————-Neuer
Cafu—-Stam——Nesta—R.Carlos
—-——————-Pirlo——————
———-Scholes————Zidane———
——Messi————L.Ronaldo———C.Ronaldo
 

Balu

Der Fußballgott
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Dec 2, 2010
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------------------------- Buffon ----------------------------
-------- Bergomi - Sammer - Maldini ------------
Cafu -------------------------------------------- Brehme
------------ Falcao ------------ Davids -----------------
----------------------- Platini -------------------------------
----------- Van Basten - Ronaldo -------------------
 

dcrompton

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The Cock of the North
Could pick a great team just from players who played in Milan in the 90s
———————Zenga
Zanetti. Baresi. Maldini. Carlos
——————-Rijkaard.
Gullit. R.Baggio. Matthaus.
——-Ronaldo. Van. Basten
 

abundance

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I started reading this thread from the first page, and after a while I noticed that nobody had selected the great Andy Brehme, which I found weird, and that got me thinking, let's read to the end and then try to make my personal best-not-mentioned-by-anyone-11.
First other name that came to my mind was Zenga between the posts.
I also thought to field it in a 352 since it looked nobody did.

------------------------- Buffon ----------------------------
-------- Bergomi - Sammer - Maldini ------------
Cafu -------------------------------------------- Brehme
------------ Falcao ------------ Davids -----------------
----------------------- Platini -------------------------------
----------- Van Basten - Ronaldo -------------------
Could pick a great team just from players who played in Milan in the 90s
———————Zenga
Zanetti. Baresi. Maldini. Carlos
——————-Rijkaard.
Gullit. R.Baggio. Matthaus.
——-Ronaldo. Van. Basten
You both blew my plan in the very last two posts of the thread =D


Well, let's try that anyway.
4312, starting from 1990, heavily Serie A biased; only players not selected yet, nor otherwise mentioned, with the exception of the mighty Andy.

Preud'homme
Maicon Mihajlovic Vierchowod Brehme
Veron Albertini Simeone
Prosinečki
Batistuta Ibrahimovic

Bench: Pagliuca, Ferri, Carvalho, Totti, Mancini, Shevchenko​


I visualize it as a main battle tank raining long balls and 30 yards screamers with Prosinecky hanging lazily in the turret open hatch smoking cigarettes.


edit: I noticed that Brehme was also already mentioned on page 2. As a... CB -_-
 
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