Your generations best XI

[AkanjisAfro]

Buffon
Lahm
Terry
Ramos
Carlos
Xavi
Iniesta
Zidane
Messi ronaldo Ronaldinho

 

[bluemc1]

So i've been trying to think of the best 11 players in a useable team that i've ever seen in my life time. So when I say players i've seen, i mean in live games either on tv or in person. So for instance that would rule out Pele and Maradona from my team as i'm not old enough to have seen them. I did see Maradona at USA 94 but by then he wasn't the same player and got done for drugs mid tournament anyway.

So here goes :

GK: Buffon - best keeper i've seen live, watched him in person when he played for Parma and you could tell at that age he was the real deal. He's probably going to become Italy's all time capped player and you have admire that he stayed with Juve when they got relegated two divisions and brought them all the way back up.

RB: Cafu - can't think of anyone better than this guy, he was such a machine.

LB: Maldini - has to be right? two footed (think he was actually naturally right footed) and is a one club man, won everything domestically and it's a big shame he never won anything with Italy.

CB: Baresi - another one club man, he was only 5ft9 but he invented the sweeper position with Sacchi and was the best defender i've ever seen.

CB Sammar - was amazing in Euro 96 and won the champs league with Dortmund, brilliant player and one of a handful of none attacking players to have won a ballon d'or (others are mostly German's too!).

Def Mid: Makalele - there's a reason this position is now called the 'makalele position'. He had a weird knack of being in the right place and bullying bigger players off the ball, then picking the right pass to get the team moving on.

CM/DM pivot: Pirlo - best passer i've seen, it still amazes me that Inter swapped him with Milan for an awful Argentinian winger and then after winning everything at Milan, they gave him to Juve for FREE! a double pivot with Makalele would just work wonders.

RWF: Messi - don't really need to say much about him tbf

LWF: C.Ronaldo - glossy faced twat, greedy and very cringey, but amazing player.

AM: Zidane - was one of those players that would take the responsibility to go and win the game (98 WC final, Champs league final with Real, game against England in world cup i think). amazing player.

Striker: Ronaldo - best number 9 i've ever seen, it was between him and Van Basten, but Van Basten had to retire early and Ronaldo came back from his bad injuries to win a lot of stuff - the complete striker.

As you can see, heavily influenced by Serie A. When i was a kid that was the best league in the world. Let's see what you got..

Yep very strong, didn't see much of Sammer but I'm not going to argue, be tempted by a Prime Vieria over Makalele

 

[Bill]

some great teams and players there.
not sure how but I would have to find room for Pele, John Charles, Stanley Matthews and the incredible Puskas and Di Stefino. the latter three were getting on a little and they were still that good.

 

[BlueMoonz1977]

Grew up watching most of these on the TV as a young lad in the 90's......


-------------------------------Buffon-------------------------------

-----------Maldini-----------Baresi---------R.Carlos-------------

--------------------Viera-----------De Rossi-----------------------

Overmars-----------------Maradona----------------Ronaldinho

---------------------Romario------Van Basten -----------------


Bench:
GK - Jorge Campos
DF - Tony Adams
DF - Cafu
MF - Zidane
FW - Jean Pierre Papin

 

[shevtheblue]

Spot on with maybe swapping Maldini for sammar and Carlos at left back.... I'd probably have to go Iniesta over pirlo as well!

I was thinking of both of those, but tried to go for more stability given the carnage that will be occurring on the final opposing side of the pitch!

 

[shevtheblue]

Very surprised Maradonna hasn't made any of the previous teams.

Well i suppose that means most of us are young whipper snappers ;)

 

[shevtheblue]

Good thread.

I've gone for a standard 442

Buffon

Cafu
Baresi
Nesta
Maldini

Ronaldo
Baggio
Zidane
Messi

Van Basten
Maradona

Subs
Ronaldo (Brazil)
Rivaldo
Gullit
Klinsmann
Ineista

hey wait a minute, i did say it had to be useable team :D unless you mean Dino Baggio in midfield, rather than Robbie Baggio!

 

[Cotton Weave Blue]

Buffon
Lahm Maldini Puyol Carlos
Iniesta Xavi
Messi Zidane Ronaldo
Henry

The best City 11

Hart
Zabaleta Kompany Lescott Clichy
Toure Barry
Silva Tevez Nasri
Aguero​

5 of that great 2012 side started yesterday for City in 2017...

 

[jimmy blue shoes]

Ruud Gullit was probably the best player I've seen in the flesh.

Single handedly running games at Chelsea way past his prime. Awesome player.

 

[sandbachblue]

Nobody thought of Bravo?