Favourite Players XI

Oystercatcher28

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Joined
3 Jul 2010
Messages
7,314
Location
https://acton28.blog/
Team supported
CITY/Aberystwyth Town
Some might say that I am too biased toward Manchester City. And, they would be right. Of course. First choice. Only choice. It’s in the blood. That doesn’t mean I don’t watch other teams. I like nothing more than seeing Aberystwyth Town on S4C or the Vanarama National League on BT Sport. I prefer going to live games and dive in and out of non-league games as and when feasible.

As footy fans we know nothing, and nor do the PFA, or the leagues. City have 0 winners of the PFA Fans' Player of the Year. Only Leicester and Spurs have a winner outside of ManUre, LiVARpoo, Ar$e and Chelsea...



Select an XI (+7 subs) from your favourite players of all time. The rules are numerous:
No players who are currently playing.
One player from one nation, however, one substitute can have a repeated nation.
No CITY players, past or present.
They must have been playing in your lifetime.
A maximum of 12 defenders, midfielders, strikers/forwards, and 2 goalkeepers.

GK: Jussi Jääskeläinen (Finland)

DEF: Frank Rijkaard (Netherlands), Daniel Gabbidon (Wales), John Mensah (Ghana), Kakha Kaladze (Georgia)

MID: Matt Le Tissier (England), Andrea Pirlo (Italy), Michael Ballack (Germany)

ATT: Gheorghe Hagi (Romania), Romário (Brazil), Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)

Subs: Yakubu Ayegbeni (Nigeria), Pavel Nedvěd (Czech Republic), Stiliyan Petrov (Bulgaria), Brad Friedel (USA), Franck Ribéry (France), Arjen Robben (Netherlands), Lorik Cana (Albania)

I always enjoyed watching The Yak at Everton and Petrov seemed an amazing club member at Villa and Celtic. Jääskeläinen struck me as the kind of keeper a club needs for coaching, encouraging and reliability. Although I'd say Friedel was the better goalkeeper, I think Jääskeläinen would be the bigger voice in a squad. Le Tissier deservedly remains a club legend at Southampton and won't be too well known by the international goat brigade that love and cherish Ronaldo (the crap one) and Messi - although Le Tissier deserved a bigger crowd. Pirlo was a sublime player and won awards for both his play and achievements. Great hair too.

Ballack didn't shy from challenges. Rijkaard and Robben are two of the greatest players I've seen from the Netherlands. Cana, lesser known, was a brilliant player, much like Kaladze from Georgia, who both seemed to go under the radar. Perhaps their better-known fellow countrymen had more awards.

Choosing the best XI players not to have played for City wasn’t easy. Balancing their nations and positions was also a challenge. Football is a complex machine. Many will agree and disagree with my choices. Rightfully so. We all have opinions.


Posted because baby Indigo Vincent is keeping my sleep on its toes. Also copied to http://acton28.blog/2023/04/14/worldxi/
 
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GK: Casillas
RB: Lauren CB: Hansen CB: Vidic LB: Maldini

Mid: Gazza. Mid: Jay Jay Okocha Mid: Nedved

Fw: Henry. Maradona Ronaldinho

Subs: Essien, Kewell, Bale, Ljunberg, Suker, Robben
 
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Buffon

Maldini
Kompany (fine then, Puyol)
Costacurta

Makelele
De Bruyne (Iniesta)
Zidane

Messi
Del Piero

Ronaldinho

Batistuta

Probably be a mess tactically though.

Subs: Cech, Alves, Carlos, Kinky (Capdevila), Baggio, Vieira, Merlin (Hagi).
 
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Dasayev (Rus)

Lauren (Cam) Escobar (Col) Ramos (Spa) Baresi (Ita)

Mattheus (Ger) Gascoinge (Eng) Socrates(Bra)

Zidane (Fra) Maradona (Arg)

Van Basten (Ned)

Subs Real Ronaldo (Bra) Hagi (Rom) Weir (Lib) Stojkovic (Yug) Laudrup (Den) Figo (Por) Chilavert (Par)

My bench (including keeper) basically says we need a goal :)

The 1 player 1 nation is the killer as so many players have to be disgarded due to already selecting someone from that country
 
Got there eventually , phew!

GK: Jussi Jääskeläinen (Finland)

DEF: Frank Rijkaard (Netherlands), Daniel Gabbidon (Wales), John Mensah (Ghana), Kakha Kaladze (Georgia)

MID: Matt Le Tissier (England), Andrea Pirlo (Italy), Michael Ballack (Germany)

ATT: Gheorghe Hagi (Romania), Romário (Brazil), Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)

Subs: Yakubu Ayegbeni (Nigeria), Pavel Nedvěd (Czech Republic), Stiliyan Petrov (Bulgaria), Brad Friedel (USA), Franck Ribéry (France), Arjen Robben (Netherlands), Lorik Cana (Albania)
 
Buffon (Italy)

Diego Godin (Uruguay)
Lahm (Germans)
Sergio Ramos (Spain)
Vidic (Serbia)

Gazza (England)
Hidetoshi Nakata (Japan)
Bale (Wales)
Zidane (France)

Ronaldo (Brazil)
Drogba (Cote de Ivoire)

Recoba (Uruguay) Eto'o (Cameroon) Jay-Jay (Nigeria)Wanchope (Costa Rica) Duncan Ferguson (Scotland) Terry (England) Iniesta (Spain)
 
Higuita - Columbia

Maldini - Italy
Matteus - Germany
Hansen - Scotland

Prozinecki - Yugoslavia
Iniesta - Spain
Gascoigne - England
Maradona - Argentina

Ronaldinho - Brazil
Henry - France
Van Basten - Holland

Subs
Southall - Wales
Baresi - Italy
Valderama - Columbia
Zidane - France
Ronaldo - Brazil
Figo - Portugal
Guardiola - Heaven
 

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