Football World XI

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We've not done this in a while, might be interesting .

Mine is this, using standard 442 formation

(GK) Gigi Buffon

(RB) Gianluca Zambrotta
(CB) Kolo Toure
(CB) Rio Ferdinand
(LB) Philip Lahm

(RM) Cristiano Ronaldo
(CM) Steven Gerrard
(CM) Kaka
(LM) Lionel Messi

(FW) Fernando Torres
(FW) Didier Drogba

A bit of explanation...

Buffon - Well, the worlds best keeper, has been for years.

Zambrotta - It's pretty hard to find world class right backs these dfays, Zambrotta is the pick of them.

Toure - He's been rock solid for Arsenal for years. Commanding.

Ferdinand - He's had a fantastic season. Never seems to put a foot wrong. Also never seems to concede fouls or get booked.

Lahm - Same as right backs, not many world class left backs, but Lahm is the best attacking defender around, he's got a superb left peg.

Ronaldo - The worlds best player, without doubt. The amount of goals he's scored this year from midfield is unreal.

Gerrard - Capable of grabbing a game by the scruff of its neck and making things happen, whether it be a 35 yard top corner rocket, a 40 yard pinpoint pass or a crunching tackle. Complete midfielder for me.

Kaka - Such a threat. He's got such great ball control. He never seems to lose it, and defenders can't seem to get it off him. Obviously extremely creative and chips in with a lot of goals.

Messi - May have gone off the boil slightly in the last few weeks/months, but, for me, the best young player in the world. Some of the goals he scores... no other player could score them IMO.

Torres - Works extremely well with Gerrard. I didn't rate him so much before he moved to the Prem, but he's complete. He can head a ball, he's RAPID, so quick, and calm in front of goal. Immense.

Drogba - The muscle up front. When he's on form, no defenders can touch him because of his pure strength and unpredictability. Capable of scoring all kinds of goals. A fantastic player.

So, what's other peoples? Come on Aldeth, give it a go .

 

I couldn't agree more, especially since L'pool is my favorite team, period.
As for my list of players... give me a few days to work it out, and then I'll be back.

EDIT: I just took another look at your list Barmy, and I had to add this: C. Ronaldo - not on my list. Definitely.

 

The worlds best players don't do schwalbes. You need to replace your RM player.

 

You might have to tell me what schwalbes is

 

Paul Scholes - Always a keen eye for whom for aim at. Good at scoring himself.

 

So here is mine. I just made a few alterations from Barmy’s list.

(GK) Buffon

(RB) Daniel Alves
(CB) John Terry
(CB) Rio Ferdinand
(LB) Philip Lahm

(RM) Cristiano Ronaldo
(CM) Steven Gerrard
(CM) Kaka
(LM) Lionel Messi

(FW) Samuel Eto’o
(FW) Didier Drogba

Explanations:

Buffon – Still the best keeper around.

Daniel Alves – I agree that this is a position lacking in quality right now, but even though he isn’t a brilliant player, he seems to me to be the best in his position right now. He will shine a whole lot more when he gets to a top team. Somehow, he isn’t in Brazil’s eleven, go figure it.

Terry – I just like the guy a lot.

Ferdinand – As Barmy said, he have had a great season.

Lahm – Damn, that is definitely a tough position to choose. I’ll stick to Lahm just because of the last world cup.

Ronaldo – He is the best in the world right now.

Gerrard – What Barmy said. IMO, He just didn’t win the best player in the world award yet because he somehow can’t play that well in the English team. Actually the English team can’t play that well at all, and they should considering the players they have.

Kaka – Carried his team on his back last year. Tried to do the same again this year but it just get tougher when your team only gets older.

Messi – He would be the best player in the world right now if he didn’t suffer so many injuries. Hope his lucky improves soon. His play is a delight to the eyes.

Samuel Eto’o – He is a killer. Barcelona is definitely lacking when he doesn’t make the field.

Drogba - What Barmy said.

Runners up:

GK – Casillas – Real Madrid
DC - Juan – Roma
MC – Lampard - Chelsea
FC – F. Torres - Liverpool
FC – Ibrahimovic – Internazionale

 

Schwalbe is a German word we Dutchies use the act of faking an injury. We adapted the word from German, because they used to be famous for it.

My hate for Ronaldo comes from the match between Holland and Portugal for the WC of 2006. Someone, can't remember who, barely touched him and Ronaldo dropped to the ground and rolled around like he had a fit. Which he - of course - didn't, because he magically stood up after the offending player got a card.

 

He did something in a similar vein against England. Hassled the ref to give Rooney a red, then winked at his manager when Rooney was walking off. That infuriated us over here. He's a petulant, diving, conniving piece of crap... but a wonderfully talented player.

 

In my book, it's the first part that counts. Talent is worthless if you don't have a spine and heart to go with it.

So far, I've only come up with a preferred formation: 4-2-3-1
and four players:
CB: Terry, Hyypia - sentimental reasons, both of them. Plenty of spine and heart.
(CM) Gerrard, (FW) Torres

Three from L'pool... My feelings are clouding my judgment. My PES sessions are doing the same.
The fact that I only watch English football isn't helping either.

 

Barmy, I know this is a fantasy team but you've managed to pick a side with 2 attacking fullbacks, 2 ball playing centrehalves, only one midfielder who can tackle, no midfielders who'll provide cover to the defence and the side is great in the air offensively but poor defensively. I know they'd be the ones doing most of the attacking but I'd fancy Liverpool to murder them if they played an actual match.

My team is below. It's very Anglo-centric but luckily that's the best league right now anyway. Some of the overseas selections are as much based on reports as actually watching them play.

(GK) Gigi Buffon

(RB) Sergio Ramos
(CB) Rio Ferdinand
(CB) Nemanja Vidic
(LB) Philip Lahm

(RM) Cristiano Ronaldo
(CM) Michael Essien
(CM) Michael Ballack
(LM) Lionel Messi

(FW) Kaka
(FW) Didier Drogba

Explanations:

Buffon - clearly the best, especially as Cech hasn't looked quite the same since the injury. Cassilas is an honourable mention.

Ramos - Has picked up most of the plaudits in La Liga this season and looked excellent in El Classico which I did watch. Alves would probably have a strong claim here too if I had seen more of him.

Ferdinand - Has been an outstanding centre-half for years now. Concentration has even improved of late but this was never a concern on the big stage.

Vidic - To be honest I'm not sure about this one. I would definitely want an aggressive defender to do all the basics rather than another sweeper. I would prefer Vidic to Terry for his pace, unless you were playing a deep defensive line which I wouldn't want to. I don't remember hearing much about Nesta/Cannavro lately. Their partnership could probably replace mine though.

Lahm - again not really sure.

Ronaldo - Best player right now. Hasn't really got the footballing brain that you'd associate with a great but his ability to punish any weakness is incredible. And he is improving all the time.

Essien - An absolute beast of a player. Should allow the team to dominate the middle of the park. Not as limiting as a pure defensive midfielder like Mascherano. Gattuso would be another good option here.

Ballack - Controversial I would say but I think the games he got to play free from Lampard's influence showed that he's still the same player that was the fulcrum for Leverkusen, Munich and Germany. His role is to act as the playmaker and in this regard he had the bonuses of being solid, disciplined and good in the air. These attributes are essential given the amount of fancy dans that will be elsewhere in the team and he can help Essien a lot. This is what gets him in ahead of Fabregas, Xavi, Iniesta and Pirlo for the playmaker role.

Messi - Struggling with injury at present but a quality player nonetheless.

Kaka - I'm treating him as a forward, playing just off a frontman. You need at least two midfielders who can at least provide some protection to the defence so it's effectively a 4-4-1-1 for me but I would consider it as still qualifying as 4-4-2. Nobody ever called Beardsley or Sheringham a fifth midfielder.

Drogba - Gets selected ahead of the rest for one simple reason: he's even a nightmare to play against when his team is under the cosh. The battering ram approach of someone with his strength, speed and aerial prowess is difficult to just cut off even if his team can't retain possession well. Of course, he'll also subtle enough to work in this team normally when they're cutting the opposition to shreds with their slick passing. Just edges ahead of Van Nistlerooy who's better suited to slick football and has found his groove again since moving to Madrid. I think that Eto'o, Torres etc. are more reliant on their team having good possession of the ball.

I've ignored Ronaldinho as he's shown no interest in playing football for two years. Ditto Adriano (though to be fair he has had personal problems). I'd hate to think where I'd try and fit Ronaldinho in if he does start playing again. I'm gutted to leave out Rooney but he should really be played behind the striker(s) and there's no way he's getting that role ahead of Kaka. Of course, if his club and country were playing him in his natural role then I think he'd look even better and really give me a conundrum.