Greatest Club Side 2010s - ***Mods please make a poll***

[lex talionis]

Hideous to watch, but it has to be Barcelona 2011.

 

[tomaldinho1]

Madrid 3-peat.

That team was so flexible and their ability to beat anyone in knock outs is unparalleled. City, Athletico in 2016, Napoli, Bayern, Athletico, Juve in 2017, PSG, Juve, Bayern, Liverpool in 2018.

 

[Theonas]

Has to be Barcelona 2011! Never seen European royalty like us and Real Madrid being reduced to lower teams tactics on such a regular basis. They just made everyone look inferior, even when they lost, it had to be a smash and grab. I can't remember anyone achieving that dominance over more than one season.

 

[tjb]

2010s were when football really started becoming about individual players (Messi v Ronaldo the most obvious one) rather than comparing teams. It hasn't done football any favours.

Started becoming? France literally built their team around Zidane in the 2000s. If anything, the individual players have taken a backseat to rigid managerial philosophies. It's why you are seeing less flair in the game.

 

[tjb]

Hideous to watch, but it has to be Barcelona 2011.

Thank you. They were horrible to watch. Slow and overly patient, but dominant. One of the most nauseating things at the time were how the media were calling them beautiful to watch. Spain were even more boring. It's the reason I will never forgive Pep.

 

[AussieDevil]

Why would you not consider the fact that the same team were not as impressive in the league? Any proper reasoning? On the other hand, Barca absolutely dominated every competition they played. It was sort of guaranteed that they would dominate any game and create more chances. Teams dominating them was abnormal. Whereas Real could not even dominate Liverpool before the Salah going off.

I would've considered it if they were dominated domestically, but they weren't.

2014: They won the domestic cup and were 3 points off top.
2015: They finished 2 points off top.
2016: They finished 1 point off top.
2017: Won the league and the domestic super cup
2018: Considerably lost the league.

In that time they won:
- 4 UCL's
- 3 UEFA Supercups
- 4 Club World Cups
- La Liga
- Copa Del Rey
- Spanish Supercup

4 out of the 5 Ballon D'or trophies in those years also belonged to Madrid.

 

[adexkola]

Tougher than Barca's MSN team or we're discounting that team since it has some of the same players?

If we are, then I agree.

Ah, didn't consider that one. MSN couldn't strangle the opposition as well as 2011 but they had a more deadly attack. In a series of 7 games I have it going to game 7. MSN win if there is a volcano eruption.

Thank you. They were horrible to watch. Slow and overly patient, but dominant. One of the most nauseating things at the time were how the media were calling them beautiful to watch. Spain were even more boring. It's the reason I will never forgive Pep.

No they weren't

I would've considered it if they were dominated domestically, but they weren't.

2014: They won the domestic cup and were 3 points off top.
2015: They finished 2 points off top.
2016: They finished 1 point off top.
2017: Won the league and the domestic super cup
2018: Considerably lost the league.

In that time they won:
- 4 UCL's
- 3 UEFA Supercups
- 4 Club World Cups
- La Liga
- Copa Del Rey
- Spanish Supercup

4 out of the 5 Ballon D'or trophies in those years also belonged to Madrid.

What on earth does this have to do with this thread?

Also, have to applaud the way you flipped RM losing out on 4/5 La Liga titles.

 

[AussieDevil]

What on earth does this have to do with this thread?

Also, have to applaud the way you flipped RM losing out on 4/5 La Liga titles.

Read what I responded to before you respond to me.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Barcelona between 2010-2015. 3 league titles, 2 CL titles, and 2 Copa titles.

League + CL + Copa in 2014/15
League + CL in 2010/11
League in 2012/13
Copa in 2011/12

Real Madrid's three CL wins are not as impressive since they only one the league once during that period.

This recent trend of valuing CL wins over league wins is a bit weird. CL alone should not be a barometer of a team's greatness IMO.

I agree, the CL without the league, whilst not hollow, doesn't really mean that you're absolutely the best on the planet. A team not being the best in their league over 38 games just doesn't speak for their consistent greatness IMO.

 

[Becks_VII]

I would go for one of the treble winners, most likely Barca in 2015 as they were so dominant, but the Threepeat has to be up there also. I just think the league title is a real show of how good teams are, so that lets Madrid down a little in respect to the others.

 

[adexkola]

I agree, the CL without the league, whilst not hollow, doesn't really mean that you're absolutely the best on the planet. A team not being the best in their league over 38 games just doesn't speak for their consistent greatness IMO.

It does if they only missed out on the league by 1-3 points. Or something.

 

[Neil_Buchanan]

Got to be Barcelona. As great as Madrid’s three in a row is, it contains an element of luck, sometimes being outplayed and yet still finding a way to win which is impressive and brilliant in it own way but Barcelona were truly dominant. We were easily the second best team in the world in those two finals and yet we never came close to them. Some of the best players of their era and a couple of the best players of all time working together to be greater than the sum of its parts.

 

[Dave Smith]

Why exactly? They accumulated more points in 2011 vs a tougher Real Madrid side and had more impressive performances vs top sides. Their 2011 side also had an arguable peak Messi at the false 9.

Arsenal that game vs Barcelona had 0 shots all game. Never mind shots on target, 0 shots. They were getting destroyed. This idea that they were probably going to win if RVP didn't get sent off is conjecture.

Personally, I think 2009 Eto'o was a fantastic striker who linked better with Messi and made them a much more dangerous and fluid attacking unit. Additionally, whilst he was tailing off at that point they also had Henry who acted as the link player in the attack. Messi was better in 2011 than 2009, however by that point Barca were transitioning to the 'give the ball to Messi' method and had become more one dimensional. Hence, why a lot of Utd players were unhappy with the tactics in the 2011 final.

As for the Arsenal game, they had just made it 1-1 and 3-2 on agg to them. Barca were all over them in the first half but Le Arsé had come out strong in the second, got their goal and were looking to start to step up the pitch to stem the attacks. I mean RVP's joke of a sending off was due to him getting an absolutely ludicrous second yellow for taking a shot when he thought he was played through but the flag had gone up.

Additionally, I would like to point out that a lot of teams played Barca like that during the 2006-12 era (i.e. go ultra defensive/sit in on them in the first half, try to keep the goals down then step up in the second half.) See Chelsea 06, 09, 12, Inter 10 and Le Arsè in that game. On all occasions they either lost or had some for the most 'fortunate' referring to assist them in the games they won (Chelsea 09/Le Arsè 11.) Wenger to me looked like he was copying that playbook.

 

[Murder on Zidane's Floor]

The greatest club side of the 2010s in my mind is Leicester. They won the league. Truly, they won the PL, it wasn't a dream, a team of that size with those players won the league.

It's the equivalent of a team like Betis or Getafe winning La Liga or Cagliari or Bologna winning Serie A.

What other major league has had a result like that in the last decade?

Yes the achievements of huge clubs, with the GOATs playing for them are debated but you half expect those teams to dominate given their size, stature, and wealth. Great achievements and as footballing teams they were immense but greatest club side for me is Leicester.

 

[adexkola]

Personally, I think 2009 Eto'o was a fantastic striker who linked better with Messi and made them a much more dangerous and fluid attacking unit. Additionally, whilst he was tailing off at that point they also had Henry who acted as the link player in the attack. Messi was better in 2011 than 2009, however by that point Barca were transitioning to the 'give the ball to Messi' method and had become more one dimensional. Hence, why a lot of Utd players were unhappy with the tactics in the 2011 final.

As for the Arsenal game, they had just made it 1-1 and 3-2 on agg to them. Barca were all over them in the first half but Le Arsé had come out strong in the second, got their goal and were looking to start to step up the pitch to stem the attacks. I mean RVP's joke of a sending off was due to him getting an absolutely ludicrous second yellow for taking a shot when he thought he was played through but the flag had gone up.

Additionally, I would like to point out that a lot of teams played Barca like that during the 2006-12 era (i.e. go ultra defensive/sit in on them in the first half, try to keep the goals down then step up in the second half.) See Chelsea 06, 09, 12, Inter 10 and Le Arsè in that game. On all occasions they either lost or had some for the most 'fortunate' referring to assist them in the games they won (Chelsea 09/Le Arsè 11.) Wenger to me looked like he was copying that playbook.

They beat Chelsea in 06. Maybe you mean 05 (that goal from Ronaldinho)?

Real also played Barcelona in that cynical way, and lost more times than not. It was probably your best chance but still improbable!

 

[Siorac]

In terms of underdog achievement, Inter vs Leicester is hard to pick.

You're joking, right? It's hard to tell on the internet sometimes.

As for the question in the OP, it's Guardiola's Barcelona by about a mile. The only way to build them was to sit back, park the bus, and pray.

 

[Gio]

As for the Arsenal game, they had just made it 1-1 and 3-2 on agg to them. Barca were all over them in the first half but Le Arsé had come out strong in the second, got their goal and were looking to start to step up the pitch to stem the attacks. I mean RVP's joke of a sending off was due to him getting an absolutely ludicrous second yellow for taking a shot when he thought he was played through but the flag had gone up.

As much as the Van Persie red was a poor decision, Arsenal were only still in the tie at that stage because the referee had made two major errors. Firstly, he failed to award a fairly clear-cut penalty on Messi, and secondly, wrongly chalked off a Messi goal for offside. That was the only time during the CL campaign that anyone got within touching distance of that Barcelona and it was largely down to referee error.

 

[Josh 76]

Pep's Barcelona in 2011 is the best club side of all time for me.

This

 

[KirkDuyt]

Bayern 2013 for me. They started the death of Barca's tiki taka.

 

[El Jefe]

2011 Barca is the greatest. That team was footballing perfection from 1-11.

2015 Barca was not as tactically brilliant as previous Barca teams but with MSN and Messi at his absolute peak, they probably beat any side just off sheer fire power. Best front three many of us will ever see.

2017 Madrid is the greatest squad and just short of these two. Barca might have the better first 11 but the Madrid team was stacked. The 2017 versions of Asensio and Morata were absolute game changers as well as Bale before he declined. This was another perfect team with world class players from 1-11.

 

[stefan92]

Bayern 2013 for me. They started the death of Barca's tiki taka.

Right, and that is just a footnote. Bayern 2013 was assembled to break Dortmunds short lived dominance in Germany, and they had to go to the CL final to complete that. Dominating Barca was just something that had to happen on the way.

 

[mark clatternburg]

Leicester City, 2016.

 

[Dave Smith]

Leicester City, 2016.

Greatest Achievement.

 

[Kanu]

Team of the decade is a toss up between Barca 2011 and Bayern 2013. They were inevitable. Shoutout to Inter 2010 and Madrid 2017.

But as for clubs as a whole this decade then definitely Real Madrid. No club had ever won the modern Champions League twice in a row, not even goat Barca could achieve that. Madrid did it 3 times in a row and 4 times in 5 years. It's not up for debate to me.

 

[Red the Bear]

Why isn't bayern 2020 in there i mean the circumstances around their success was iffy and without covid might have even finished the season without a title but the manner of their success i think puts them up there

Also atletico 2014 maybe deserves a mention they were just a few seconds away from basking in glory and finally breaking barca and reals monopoly

 

[Red the Bear]

Its also interesting to see how a few seconds can change the entire perception of a team barca vs arsenal or barca 2015 vs juve or basically any real final and more painfully our own loss to them in 2013 comes to mind

 

[NasirTimothy]

Barcelona 2015 >>> Barcelona 2011

Not for me. Barca’s 2011 side is the best team I’ve ever seen. Everybody parked the the bus against them. Everybody. To do otherwise was to doom yourself to a thrashing.

 

[Green_Red]

Pep's Barcelona in 2011 is the best club side of all time for me.

Yea same for me. The way they played football was perfect. Plus, the main players were also instrumental in Euros and World Cup wins. Reals feat is incredible but I think both teams on their best days, Barca 2011 beats them.

 

[Mshafeek]

Not for me. Barca’s 2011 side is the best team I’ve ever seen. Everybody parked the the bus against them. Everybody. To do otherwise was to doom yourself to a thrashing.

Yep. And the supposedly great Real Madrid during their peak could not dominate Barca. Whereas the reverse...well, everyone knows what happened.

 

[giorno]

Yep. And the supposedly great Real Madrid during their peak could not dominate Barca. Whereas the reverse...well, everyone knows what happened.

They won one game 5-0. The rest of the time the games were tight. MSN barcelona was also quite a bit stronger than Mou's madrid

 

[stefan92]

Why isn't bayern 2020 in there i mean the circumstances around their success was iffy and without covid might have even finished the season without a title but the manner of their success i think puts them up there

Also atletico 2014 maybe deserves a mention they were just a few seconds away from basking in glory and finally breaking barca and reals monopoly

I think it is ok to exclude them as we are just talking about the 2010s. Bayern 2020 is the benchmark for the 2020s discussion we will have in ten years.

 

[NasirTimothy]

Yep. And the supposedly great Real Madrid during their peak could not dominate Barca. Whereas the reverse...well, everyone knows what happened.

That 5-0 demolition was one of the finest expositions of association football that I’ve ever had the good fortune to witness. Incredible. Against a Mourinho team as well, at a time when Jose’s defensive rep was sky high.

 

[jderbyshire]

Still no poll then?

 

[Remember the geese]

Barca 2011. They made the opposition look completely irrelevant in a way I had never seen before. Well, from 2009 really.

 

[Cloud7]

This dude still hasn’t gotten his poll. Mods out.

 

[Tyrion]

Barcelona 2011. The Twats.

I didn't mind the likes of Messi, Iniesta, Puyol or Xavi too much. Busquets and Alves however were peak d!ckheads.

 

[Tyrion]

This dude still hasn’t gotten his poll. Mods out.

I wonder how many would agree with kicking out the mods. We could ask for a poll on it...

 

[RedRonaldo]

Barca side with Messi-Xavi-Iniesta at their peak is easily the strongest. Bayern treble side in 2013 is also very impressive.

 

[Toad]

Got to be Manchester United 2010 - Bebe.

 

[Revan]

Madrid and it is not even close. 4UCLs in a single decade is unmatched since the end of fifties.

Bayern and Barca second for me, with Juve fourth and City fifth. Chelsea, United, Atletico, Inter and one of Liverpool/BVB to conclude the top 10.