All time best XI

I put Keane in for leadership, balance and drive. He's the best proper midfielder I've ever seen. O.K i'm definitly biased but I'd challenge you to name a better all round midfielder than Keane. (I'm not accepting Lothar Matthaus before you start).
 
Garrincha... must be in the team... end of... argue about the rest but he simply must be there

id go for...

-----------------------Yashnin-------------------------

Edwards--------Baraisi---------------Beckenbauer-----Maldini

-----------------------Neeskins----------------------------

Garrincha----------------Zidane------------------------Best

---------------Pele-----------------maradonna-------------

with 7 subs

Banks, Moore, Alberto, Rivelino, Zico, Cruyff, Ronaldo

garrincha...

if you like good football please watch the video...

 
I put Keane in for leadership, balance and drive. He's the best proper midfielder I've ever seen. O.K i'm definitly biased but I'd challenge you to name a better all round midfielder than Keane. (I'm not accepting Lothar Matthaus before you start).

neeskens - oh and even for united id say robson
 
I put Keane in for leadership, balance and drive. He's the best proper midfielder I've ever seen. O.K i'm definitly biased but I'd challenge you to name a better all round midfielder than Keane. (I'm not accepting Lothar Matthaus before you start).

Gerrard.
(this is a wum)​
 
Maldini best ever left-back ? :annoyed:




----------------------------Yashin

---C. Alberto------Beckenbauer---Baresi----Facchetti

---Best----------Zidane----------Maradona----Dzajic

-------------------Ronaldo------Pelé





Many edits because I was thinking at the same time :nervous:

:drool:
 
Zidane was more entertaining to watch but as a midfielder he was no where near matthaues let alone being in contention for an all time World XI. Ronaldo apart from his two great seasons at Barca and Inter is also not in contention. Three world cup finals shouldn't mean Cafu is the greatest right back of all time.

Yashin

Carlos Alberto
Beckenbauer
Maldini

A toss up between Gentile, Baresi and Passerella.

Facchetti and John Charles can pick themselves in.

Midfield

Di Stefano, Maradona, Cruyff and one among Rivelinho, Platini, Garrincha, and Mathaues.

Forward

I'd prefer both Pele and Maradona if maradona plays in the forward line.


If not it's Pele along with either Zico, Muller, Romario, Basten, or Goofy Ronaldo of 96-98.
 
zidane was more entertaining a better orchestrator but as a midfielder he was no where near matthaues let alone in an all time World XI. Ronaldo apart from his two great seasons at Barca and Inter is also not in contention. Three world cup finals shouldn't mean he is the greatest right back of all time.

Yashin

Carlos Alberto
Beckenbauer
Maldini

A toss up between Gentile, Baresi and Passerella.

Facchetti and John Charles can pick themselves in.

Midfield

Di Stefano, Maradona, Cruyff and one among Rivelinho, Platini, Garrincha, and Mathaues.

Forward

I'd prefer both Pele and Maradona if maradona plays in the forward line.


If not it's Pele along with either Zico, Muller, Romario, Basten, or Goofy Ronaldo of 96-98.

Agree with most of these suggestions. Youngish fans tend to underrate Platini and overrate Zidane. Personally, I think that Platini's France played better football than Zidane's France, Platini himself was brilliant as a playmaker and much better as a goalscorer than Zidane. He scored 9 goals in EURO 84, that's a record that won't be bettered soon IMO. For comparision, Van Basten scored 5 in EURO 1988, D. Villa was a top goalscorer of EURO 2008 with 4 goals.
 
I put Keane in for leadership, balance and drive. He's the best proper midfielder I've ever seen. O.K i'm definitly biased but I'd challenge you to name a better all round midfielder than Keane. (I'm not accepting Lothar Matthaus before you start).

It might have been done for me, though I was only going to back Matthaus, I cannot believe you're ruling him out. But anyway...

neeskens - oh and even for united id say robson

Duncan Edwards

matthaeus was twice a player than Keane

erm debatable about twice... but id certainly say matteus was better than keane...

id also say for united robson > keane

and neeskens > matteus > robson > keane
 
3-1-4-2

Lev Yashin

Beckenbauer
Baresi
Maldini

Matthaeus

Cruyff
Platini
Maradona
Best

Di Stefano
Pele

None can challenge my arse kicking crew, states the chief. :cool:

I wish I had space for Puskas:(

Ah F... it..I'll just make a second XI of all time:devil:

3-3-1-3

Banks

Nilton Santos
Daniel Passerella
Moore

Charlton
Neeskens
Didi

Eusebio

Artur Friedenreich
Muller
Puskas
 
Garrincha... must be in the team... end of... argue about the rest but he simply must be there

I began typing his name into my team and this is no word of a lie, but having realised I've only watched him from DVD's at '58 and '62 World Cups, I couldn't justify it. I have no idea what he did at club level or anything so if it were just two tournaments I could pick Miroslav Klose or Toto Schillaci based on Italia '90!
 
I began typing his name into my team and this is no word of a lie, but having realised I've only watched him from DVD's at '58 and '62 World Cups, I couldn't justify it. I have no idea what he did at club level or anything so if it were just two tournaments I could pick Miroslav Klose or Toto Schillaci based on Italia '90!

like you ive never seen him live...

but ive read enough about how he is rated hoger in brazil than pele...

how when he was kicked and pushed out of play by 2 players he carried on and the linesman let him because we was overwhelmed by the skill

and as wiki states his famous antic

1
958 World Cup

One month before the tournament started Garrincha scored one of his most famous goals vs Fiorentina in Italy when he beat 4 defenders and the goalkeeper, but when faced with an open goal rather than score he waited for another defender to get back and dribbled past him before scoring.

garrincha = legend... mim and best on the wings... pele and maradonna up front wit hzidane and neeskens in midfield... it has enough balance to actually work in real life as well as fantacy football
 
Not seen all of these players, some of them only videos and other players talking about them, but here it goes:

Lev Yashin

Carlos Alberto - Albert Shesternyov - Franco Baresi - Paolo Maldini

Franz Beckenbauer

Alfredo Di Stefano - Zinedine Zidane - Diego Maradona

Pelé - Eusébio
 
http://www.content4reprint.com/recr...the-best-centre-backs-ever-to-play-soccer.htm

At the heart of any great soccer team, there must be a great centre back. The spine of the team consists of a goalkeeper, centre back, centre midfielder and centre forward, and so the central defender is vital to a solid defence. Often, the centre back will be the team captain and need to orchestrate not only the back line but the whole team.

Great centre backs are strong, good in the air and will marshall the defence with authority. Examples of this include Chelsea's John Terry, France's Marcel Desailly and Wigan's Titus Bramble. These players rarely make mistakes and are regularly required to put their head where others put their feet or don't even put them.


:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
 
I suppose you lot have seen loads of footage of Lev Yashin. I seriously doubt he would've been anywhere near as good as Big Pete. The Dane was a giant.
 
------------------------------Gordon Banks--------------------------------

Carlos Alberto Torres - Franco Baresi - Franz Beckenbauer - Roberto Carlos

---Christiano Ronaldo - Bobby Charlton - Zinedine Zidane - George Best----

----------------------------Pele - Eric Cantona---------------------------
 
...................Banks / Shilton

Carlos Alberto Beckenbauer Moore Maldini

............ ............Keane .....
..... Zidane
..................................Maradona
...Best.............Pele
.......................Muller


that'd take some beating

Keane for me holds his own as a destructive player in this setup - there is / has been, nobody better imo and if you got past himyou;d have to get past Moore and Beckenbauer :D

As for attacking - well if that little lot did not get at least 4 goals per game I'd be fking amazed !
I'd love to see the argueing about who took penalties :lol:

Muller the greatest pure finisher ever to grace the game - fking lethal and with the supply from Best Pele Maradona whooaaaaaa ......ffsakes

Its football heaven is'nt it really:D
 
Better keepers than Schmeichel I've seen in the first division: Banks, Shilton, Jennings, Clemence, Seaman.

Agree to an extent - Schmeichel was a very good keeper but I think only in Utd fans eyes is he up with the very very best

Id rate him him as good as Clemence but agree about the rest certainly not in the same league as Jennings Shilts or Banks
 
Agree to an extent - Schmeichel was a very good keeper but I think only in Utd fans eyes is he up with the very very best

Id rate him him as good as Clemence but agree about the rest certainly not in the same league as Jennings Shilts or Banks

In fairness Schmeichel in his pomp was as good as Buffon in his happy days, if not better.

Cannot argue whether he was better than Banks but he was better than Clemence, Shilton and others.

Yashin on top with Banks, schmeichel, Zoff, Buffon almost at the same level.
 
The lack of Ferenc Puskás in this thread is embarrassing.
 
------------------------------Gordon Banks--------------------------------

Carlos Alberto Torres - Franco Baresi - Franz Beckenbauer - Roberto Carlos

---Christiano Ronaldo - Bobby Charlton - Zinedine Zidane - George Best----

----------------------------Pele - Eric Cantona---------------------------

You missed the best one.
 
I doubt Zidane would succeed in a two man midfield.
 
Better keepers than Schmeichel I've seen in the first division: Banks, Shilton, Jennings, Clemence, Seaman.

:lol::lol:

Shilton and Seaman??! You must be on a wind-up.

Seaman's career path is almost identical to Schmeichel's and nobody but nobody (bar you, clearly) thought Seaman was better than Schmeichel in the 1990's. I know many Arsenal fans and whilst they were grateful for Seaman because he was awesome, he was not Peter Schmeichel.

Shilton is nowhere near as good as Schmeichel.
 
I suppose you lot have seen loads of footage of Lev Yashin. I seriously doubt he would've been anywhere near as good as Big Pete. The Dane was a giant.

I consider Eusébio the best finisher ever. Not the best forward, but finisher. I know i´m portuguese so i´ll accept all the "you´re biased" arguments.

I once watched a show where he was asked to comment about goalkeepers playing in Portugal and this was at the time Schmeichel was playing for Sporting. Anyway the conversation evolved to Eusébio commenting on the best goalkeepers ever, and he mentioned many names that people mentioned in this thread, but when he talked about Yashin he talked with such respect and admiration and he praised his skills in a way he didn´t do with any other keepers. So i chose to take the word of the guy who i think is most qualified to comment on it. It might not be the best criteria, but it´s the one i used.

From the goalkeepers i actually watched i´d say Schmeichel is the best, closely followed by Kahn and Buffon.

I´ve seen some footage of Yashin, but they were highlights so as expected he looks amazing in those.

Also i think soviet players were and still are greatly underrated by western europeans, for many reasons including political, but that´s a different argument.

By the way, i find a bit surprising no one mentioned Sepp Maier yet. I´ve seen a bit of him in ESPN Classic and the man was also incredible.
 
Schmeichel

Carlos Alberto - Beckenbauer - Baresi - Maldini

Maradona - Di Stefano - Cruyff - Best

Pele - Eusebio

Subs: Puskas, Edwards, Law, Romario, Jairzinho, Moore, Charles
 
Better keepers than Schmeichel I've seen in the first division: Banks, Shilton, Jennings, Clemence, Seaman.

In terms of consistency and also ability to single handedly win/save games.....I think only Pat Jennings would get close.

Jennings was an incredible keeper and much better than Banks, Clemence and Shilton in my opinion.
 
Couldnt stop thinking about this today....this would be my choice


--------Schmeichel/Buffon-------------

Cafu - Beckenbauer - Maldini - Roberto Carlos

----------- Keane ------------

------Iniesta-------Xavi------------
--Messi-------------------Maraddona
----------Fat Ronaldo-------------
 
Couldnt stop thinking about this today....this would be my choice


--------Schmeichel/Buffon-------------

Cafu - Beckenbauer - Maldini - Roberto Carlos

----------- Keane ------------

------Iniesta-------Xavi------------
--Messi-------------------Maraddona
----------Fat Ronaldo-------------

That's a seriously good team there, but as a former goalie I have to say that Buffon shouldn't be compared to Schmeichel. He is a very similar keeper in terms of physical attributes and also style, but he is a poor man's Schmeichel in any sense of the word. Perhaps that's down to injuries, but still. Schmeichel had a higher top level, better one on one and a beast in the box - better than any keeper ever. He was also a terrific shot stopper. The only thing that some modern goalies would have over the Dane is distribution (not throwin - sensational there), as Schmeichel was more of the hoof it up the field old-school goalie compared to DDG and the like.

I would rather consider Keane / Vieria as they were very close; some would even argue Viera was the better player, and they might be right, might be wrong. Both were great. Iniesta most likely deserves a place there, but perhaps Zidane for Xavi?
 
How come so many have Carlos Alberto at right back despite those outside Brazil only ever seeing him play (at most) 6 games in '70? Did he make that big an impression in that WC?
 
How come so many have Carlos Alberto at right back despite those outside Brazil only ever seeing him play (at most) 6 games in '70?

The same reason people select Yashin etc. Because a lot of this is based on reputation.
 
And there you go.

Well I just dunno what the feck I was going on about there, to be honest. :lol: Only ever saw clips and odd matches of Robson at his best. Was a ridiculous spastic when I was posting on here in the first few years.

Cool thread though, I'll have a go. Of all the players I've seen enough of to comment on:

-------------Schmeichel-------------
Cafu-----Ferdinand-----Nesta---Maldini
---------------Busquets--------------------
------------Xavi----Iniesta--------------
Messi--------------------------Ronaldinho
---------------Fat Ronaldo----------------

Seems crazy having Busquets and not having Zidane or Keane in there but that midfield in 10/11 was perfect. Easily the best I've seen - just don't see any reason to alter it in any way.
 
Busquets, seriously? No way, in hell, if team was so good, why not just smack Alves Pique and Puyol.