Unique club/country XI

[-james-]

This all over the socials and I found it quite an enjoyable way to kill an hour last night

Create a starting XI with players that fit these criteria:

- each player must have played professionally during your lifetime
- no two players can be the same nationality
- no two players can ever have played for the same club (even if they've played at different times)

[Waffdon]

Older twats on this board are sorted

[Dave.]

GK: Chilavert
RB: Sergio Ramos
LB: Lahm
CB: Adams
CB: Chiellini
CM: Roy Keane
CM: Kante
CM: Bernardo Silva
ST: Messi
ST: Kane
ST: Mane

Quick team, hope it fulfills the criteria.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Gone a mix of bohemian and brutalist. 4-4-fucking-2:

GK Oliver Kahn
RB Gary Kelly
LB Paolo Maldini
CB Sir John Terry
CB Diego Godín
RM Son Heung-Min
LM Ryan Giggs
CM Juninho Pernambucano
CM Zinedine Zidane
FW Lionel Messi
FW Aritz Aduriz

A slightly left field choice in the target man role, but he can nod in all Juninho's set pieces and then let the others flow around him. I think there are better options than Gary Kelly available but I can't currently think who they might be.

Quite an enjoyable puzzle as you can't burn too many big clubs on the same guy, sorry Cristiano.

[SvN]

GK: Chilavert
RB: Sergio Ramos
LB: Lahm
CB: Adams
CB: Chiellini
CM: Roy Keane
CM: Kante
CM: Bernardo Silva
ST: Messi
ST: Kane
ST: Mane

Quick team, hope it fulfills the criteria.

Adams and Kane are both English.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Kane and Kanté have both played for Leicester also.

[Dave.]

Adams and Kane are both English.

Knew there was an obvious error there somewhere. :lol: I'll take Son instead of Kane.

[Dave.]

Kane and Kanté have both played for Leicester also.

Which in turn eradicates this error. :lol:

[Don]

Oblak

Cafu
VVD
King
Fuck Off/Friedrich

Kante
KDB
Cazorla

Messi
CR
Lewa

[Mellberg]

Sounds difficult :drool:

Chilavert

Lahm
Godin
Aldair
Maldini

Keane
Gerrard
Zidane

Okocha
Drogba
Messi

That took ages. Hopefully no mistakes :yn:

[Waffdon]

Oblak; Cafu, Chiellini, Van Dijk, Cole; Keane, De Bruyne, Modric; Mbappe, Lewandowski, Messi

I’ve probably fucked that. Fkn De Bruyne and Cole. David Silva if he fits

[Don]

KDB Chelsea days wreaking havoc on these actually.

[mugbull]

GK: Oblak
RB: Lahm
CB: Van Dijk
CB: Ledley King
LB: Marcelo
CDM: De Rossi
CM: Nedved
CM: Hamsik
LW: Mbappe
RW: De Bruyne
ST: Messi

No Spaniard made it in

[Mellberg]

Same. Messi rules out any Barca players and Ramos nearly made mine, but went for Zidane despite him taking out Juve too, the bald prick.

[Mellberg]

No Ditches either as they all fuck off to Barcelona. Thought Eastern Europe would be decent, but all the best ones have done Spain too.

[Waffdon]

Yeah, Robben and Sneijder moves far too often. Had to have Ashley Cole in as he was my favourite player even though he ruined two clubs. I struggled for ages thinking of someone other than Giggs then realised Messi was available.

Poor Ronaldo’s

[Ian]

Chilavert
Lahm - Kompany - Terry - Maldini
Son - Matthaus - Nedved - Giggs
Mbappe - Messi

4-4-2 because it's the best formation, obviously.

Have I fucked up? Took a lot longer than I thought.

EDIT: Yes, I have. Two Germans / Bayern.

[Ian]

Chilavert
Salgado - Kompany - Terry - Maldini
Son - Matthaus - Nedved - Giggs
Mbappe - Messi

That okay? Even trying to amend the sodding thing is a pain in the arse.

[Waffdon]

Get Lauren in at right back.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I nearly had Manuel Pablo as a right back. Must be some 00s Valencia candidates for Spain as well.

[bruhnaldo]

Ashley Young going to Inter really fucked this up for me.

[Pepe]

Was Chilavert that good? I bet he was just a victim of the 90s hype machine, since he took free kicks. Just like Campos was supposed to be good, but he just wore colorful outfits.

[Shindig]

Good for his size, like an inverse Crouch.

[Ian]

My memory is that he was pretty good in the tournaments I saw him in, 98 in particular, but I don't remember anything more specific than that.

[Pepe]

Calero
Lahm Van Dijk Godin Maldini
Blanco Zidane Scholes Messi
Bergkamp Drogba

I bet I did something wrong, but can't be arsed to check.

[thommo]

Added an additional constraint, and only used players who played in a Europa League/UEFA Cup final and won. Went for a narrow diamond in the midfield. Hagi's clubs ended up restricting me a little, and the fact that apparently Inter Milan have signed everyone at one point in their career.

GK: Buffon

LB: Zanetti
CB: Blind (Daley)
CB: Hyypia
RB: Srna

CDM: Kante
CM: Saul
CM: Moutinho
CAM: Hagi

CF: Arshavin
ST: Tomasson

[Luca]

Bergkamp and VVD are both Dutchies.

Pepe

[SvN]

Calero
Lahm Van Dijk Godin Maldini
Blanco Zidane Scholes Messi
Bergkamp Drogba

I bet I did something wrong, but can't be arsed to check.

Bergkamp and Godin both at Inter :henn0rz:

[SvN]

It's really hard to do this without just cheating and copying others. I thought I had a cracker, then remembered KDB had been at Chelsea and it ruined everything.

[Pepe]

Crap, thought Bergkamp was at Arsenal all his life, didn't know Godin was at Inter.

[Waffdon]

Oblak; Cafu, Chiellini, Van Dijk, Cole; Keane, De Bruyne, Modric; Mbappe, Lewandowski, Messi

I’ve probably fucked that. Fkn De Bruyne and Cole. David Silva if he fits

Just realised Cole was at Roma. Fuck this stupid thing. Cafa can play left back and Lauren comes in or something

[Pepe]

Calero
Lahm Van Dijk Godin Maldini
Blanco Zidane Scholes Messi
Bergkamp Drogba

I bet I did something wrong, but can't be arsed to check.

Bergkamp out, Jose Saturnino Cardozo in, and we're done (I think).

Calero
Lahm Van Dijk Godin Maldini
Blanco Zidane Scholes Messi
Cardozo Drogba

[The Merse]

Playing 1-2-2-3-1; like a proper nineties junior football manager that fancied himself a tactician for going with the 'Christmas Tree formation', allowing for a pretty maverick midfield...

G. Bernard Lama
RWB. Javier Zanetti
LWB. Bixente Lizarazu
SW. Franco Baresi
CB. Paolo Montero
CB. Paul McGrath
CM. Gary McAllister
CM. Sasa Curcic
CAM. Georgi Kinkladze
ST. Ian Wright
ST. Edmundo

[Jimmy Floyd]

You could probably do a decent slicked back hair XI with one from each South American country + Mexico which fulfils this. Change a few of Pepe's players for Marco Etcheverry and that Venezuelan with the left peg.

[Pepe]

Don't forget Valderrama.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He fails to qualify due to insufficient grease in his hair, although he must have put something in it to keep it erect. Maybe got some special cream from Pele.

[Pepe]

Bet under the wig he had lovely greasy waves.

[Lewis]

Michel Preud'homme

Paolo Maldini
John Terry
Philipp Lahm

Ryan Giggs
Juan Carlos Valeron
Juninho Pernambucano
Zinedine Zidane

Edinson Cavani
Dennis Bergkamp
Lionel Messi

[Jimmy Floyd]

Lewis went for the same methodology as me ('the Maldini route'), but with a better memory.

I thought about using my Bayern spot on Lewandowski, but I really did love Olly Kahn.

[The Merse]

Preud'homme :drool:

I did mean to stick Enzo Scifo in mine but forgot by the time I came to the midfield.

[The Merse]

Lewis went for the same methodology as me ('the Maldini route'), but with a better memory.

I thought about using my Bayern spot on Lewandowski, but I really did love Olly Kahn.

Maldini was my starting spot, and then I swapped him out for Baresi as I didn't have a sweeper - Sammer meant no Mario Basler, who in turn was swapped out for Gary McAllister to accomodate Bixente Lizarazu as I couldn't find a quality 'true' wing back that didn't wander the fucking globe and Michael Gray just wasn't cutting it.

[Pepe]

S. American 11:

Chilavert
Vizcarrondo Marquez Hurtado Roberto Carlos
Riquelme Valderrama Etcheverry Farfan
Zamorano Abreu

[The Merse]

Was Chilavert that good? I bet he was just a victim of the 90s hype machine, since he took free kicks. Just like Campos was supposed to be good, but he just wore colorful outfits.

It was the exoticism for Europeans. There just weren't goal scoring keepers, at least not with free kick screamers or in Campos's case, subbing on a keeper to take his place and let him go up front for the last half hour on a regular basis, along with the penalties.

You didn't see Tim Flowers trying any of that malarkey. Barthez was as close as we had really, as he dared to run out with the ball a bit.

[The Merse]

S. American 11:

Chilavert
Vizcarrondo Marquez Hurtado Roberto Carlos
Riquelme Valderrama Etcheverry Farfan
Zamorano Abreu

Zamorano and Carlos were together at Inter, or very close to being, no?

Edit - also Marquez and Riquelme at Barcelona.

[Pepe]

Didn't try to follow the rules, really. I'll let someone else fix it.

EDIT: Change Marquez for Claudio Suarez and Roberto Carlos for Kerlon and we're good to go.

EDIT2: Fuck me, Kerlon was at Inter. :D

[Lewis]

Fabien Barthez was better on the ball than every 'keeper playing today, and better at saving shots than most of them. City would be all over him.

[The Merse]

Inter spoil the fuck out of this.

Salas for Zamorano and Hector Moreno for Marquez, I think....

[Dave.]

I included Chilavert because I enjoyed watching him take free kicks back in the day and to make the selections a little easier

[niko_cee]

Wanted to go down the one club man route, but then immediately hit Maldini and Totti being Italian. :moop:

[The Merse]

Quite surprised to not see any use of Totti, actually. I must admit he didn't come to mind for me at all.

[SvN]

Quite surprised to not see any use of Totti, actually. I must admit he didn't come to mind for me at all.

Because everyone has Maldini instead.

[SvN]

https://i.imgur.com/1sppjYI.jpg

:cool:

I hope to god I haven't fucked that up somewhere.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I thought about Luca Toni but it turns out he has played for literally everyone, as has Lucio.

[The Merse]

Playing 1-2-2-3-1; like a proper nineties junior football manager that fancied himself a tactician for going with the 'Christmas Tree formation', allowing for a pretty maverick midfield...

G. Bernard Lama
RWB. Javier Zanetti
LWB. Bixente Lizarazu
SW. Franco Baresi
CB. Paolo Montero
CB. Paul McGrath
CM. Gary McAllister
CM. Sasa Curcic
CAM. Georgi Kinkladze
ST. Ian Wright
ST. Edmundo

Shit I've just realised Lama had a spell at West Ham, like Wright.

So - either Sir Les Ferdinand up front or Thomas Ravelli in goals. I prefer the latter, I think.

[The Merse]

:cool:

I hope to god I haven't fucked that up somewhere.

Depends if you count Robertson being a youth at Celtic, release at 16 I think, so I wouldn't. But...

[Waffdon]

https://i.imgur.com/1sppjYI.jpg

:cool:

I hope to god I haven't fucked that up somewhere.

Our midfield 3 really would don everyone senseless

[Mellberg]

Defensive Italian or you're doing it wrong.

[Browning]

This was tougher than it looked but this is what I came up with before reading the thread:

Oblak
Lahm, Kompany, Sol Campbell OR John Terry, Maldini
Dunga, Keane
Messi, Nedved, Mbappe
Raul

KDB seems to be a good shout though.Shame he doesn't fit into mine without completely re-doing the back line.

[Manc]

Shay Given

Azpilicueta
Radebe
Ledley King
Lizarazu

Kuyt
Pirlo
Dunga
Stoichkov

Klose
Suker

Inter Milan made this extremely difficult.

[niko_cee]

Batistuta going on loan to Inter for a few weeks can fuck right off.

[The Merse]

This was tougher than it looked but this is what I came up with before reading the thread:

Oblak
Lahm, Kompany, Sol Campbell OR John Terry, Maldini
Dunga, Keane
Messi, Nedved, Mbappe
Raul

KDB seems to be a good shout though.Shame he doesn't fit into mine without completely re-doing the back line.

Dunga and Lahm at Stuttgart if I’m not mistaken.

[The Merse]

Shay Given

Azpilicueta
Radebe
Ledley King
Lizarazu

Kuyt
Pirlo
Dunga
Stoichkov

Klose
Suker

Inter Milan made this extremely difficult.

Klose and Lizarazu at Bayern.

[The Merse]

Definitely a difficult ask if not going somewhat thematic rather than a real ‘Greatest’ team. So many players that you only just remember pitching up somewhere for a short while when looking from afar.

[Manc]

Ffs

[Luca]

I’ll bite on the one club XI, and go down the Totti route. 3-4-3:

Rogerio Ceni [Sao Paolo/Brazil]

Cherundolo [Hanover/USA]
Stelios Manolas [AEK/Greece]
Joao Pinto [Porto/Portugal]

Puel [AS Monaco/France]

Koke [Atletico Madrid/Spain]
Totti [Roma/Italy]
Cristobal Ortega [Club America/Mexico]

Giggs [Manchester United/Wales]
Messi [Barcelona/Argentina]

Müller [Bayern/Germany]


EDIT: Attack is the best defense. I was cruising along with Puyol in at CB until the obvious error hit me.

[Shindig]

Rene Higuita

Stuart Pearce
Fabio Cannavaro
Carlos Puyol
Cafu

Ryan Giggs
Andreas Herzog
Papa Bouba Diop
Dennis Rommedahl

Asamoah Gyan
Kenny Dalglish

If I've done this right, I'll be amazed.

[Danny]

GK Köpke
RB
CB Aldair
CB Kompany
LB Maldini
CM Gerrard
CM Kante
CM Gary Speed
LW Ronaldo
ST Lewandowski
RW Messi


Seriously struggling for a right back but I think that comes out alright.

[Browning]

Dunga and Lahm at Stuttgart if I’m not mistaken.

Fuck sake.

Sub in Gilberto then, with Terry taking the CB spot.

[Spoonsky]

Jan Oblak

Patrice Evra
Virgil van Dijk
Sergio Ramos
Maicon

Kyle Beckerman
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Andrea Pirlo

Lionel Messi

Didier Drogba
Harry Kane

I'm nearly certain to have fucked something. I tried to do only players I've actually watched.

[niko_cee]

Schweini and Evra both played for United.

[Luca]

Evra and Pirlo also both played for Juventus.

[niko_cee]

Pirlo and Maicon both played for Inter? Pirlo's a bit of a killer having done both Milan clubs and Juve.

[Luca]

Maicon also played at Monaco, as did Evra.

[Adamski]

Took me three days but I think I’ve got it.

Jose Luis Chilavert

Vincent Kompany
Aldair
Philip Lahm

Zvonimir Boban
Roy Keane
Pavel Nedved
Steven Gerrard

Andres Iniesta
Dennis Bergkamp
Gianfranco Zola

[Luca]

Zola and Koulibaly played at Napoli

[Adamski]

Shit.

Edited Boban & Aldair in for Rui Costa & Koulibaly.

That’s us now I think?

[Baz]

Oblak

Cafu Adams V. Dijk Lahm

De Rossi

De Bruyne Eriksen


Messi Mbappé Ronaldo

[Ian]

Cafu and De Rossi were both at Roma.

[Baz]

Oh.

[Andy]

GK Oblak

Lb Robertson
Cb Maldini
CB Koulibaly
Rb Lahm

Cm Kante
Cm David Silva
Cm Le Tissier

RW Ronaldo
LW Messi
ST Bergkamp

[Mike]

Oblak
Maldini
Van dijk
Lahm
Campbell
De Bruyne
Keane
Nedved
Raul
Messi
Mbappé

[Andy]

Oblak
Maldini
Van dijk
Lahm
Campbell
De Bruyne
Keane
Nedved
Raul
Messi
Mbappé

VvD and Keane both Celtic.

[Mike]

Ah I’ll have Giggs for Keane and just outscore everyone! Or Andy Robertson for Virgil

[Pen]

RvN
Nedved Litmanen Joaquin
Kante Effenberg
Maldini Adams Koulibaly Zanetti
Ederson

Wanted Litmanen in there which took out Barca and Ajax and RvN burned Real Madrid where I wanted to have Makelele. Adams is just there as I couldn’t think a centre back that I cared for who would fit in. I think that works.

[Manc]

Shay Given

Azpilicueta
Radebe
Ledley King
Lizarazu

Kuyt
Pirlo
Dunga
Stoichkov

Cavani
Suker

Suited.

[Danny]

Lizarazu and Azpi at Marseille

[Manc]

:facepalm:

[Mellberg]

Research on that please

[Manc]

Shay Given

Azpilicueta
Ledley King
Radebe

Kuyt
Pirlo
Dunga
Stoichkov

Cavani
Suker
Muller

Intelligence in abundance.

[thommo]

So to while away the time at work, I've been working on a Central and South American XI that fits the criteria, full of mercurial talent and genuine nutcases. A few positions were tough to fill but I think it's decent enough.

GK: Esteban Alvarado (Costa Rica) - Finding a goalkeeper was tough as not too many are known for dastardly acts. Heurelho Gomes was a possible choice due to his calamitous nature but that would have used my Brazilian slot up. So I picked Alvarado, a keeper who went to town on a pitch invader when playing in the Netherlands. (Go to about 4:10 for the incident in question)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-uMHbN-5us


LB: Paolo Montero (Uruguay) - Not only a cracking player who was in the heart of the Juventus defence for 9 seasons, but a nasty bastard too. 21 red cards in his career and a man who loved an unnecessary foul.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgANfRWv8yo


CB: Fernando Amorebieta (Venezuela) - A solid defender in his time at Athletic Bilbao, but always prone to a mental moment. Kicking Messi in the face in 2010 on route to a season where he picked up 18 yellows and 2 reds, 3 red cards in his short spell at Fulham, and most recently, channeling his inner Suarez and biting a striker in Paraguay.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRHxPGEM5qs


CB: Antolin Alcaraz (Paraguay) - Caught spitting at Richard Stearman during his time at Wigan, but what amused me most was his statement and apology - "I was having a confrontation with Christophe Berra and in wanting to show my frustration, my intention was to spit on the ground beside him, which was my way of answering the verbal abuse that I was receiving. Unfortunately, as you can see in the video evidence, my spit, instead of finding the ground, regrettably struck Richard Stearman in the chest, and I apologise to him for this."

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/imageserver/image/%2Fmethode%2Ftimes%2Fprodmigration%2Fweb%2Fbin%2F1 cbefd79-7193-3ae3-9889-ee1627c48308.jpg?crop=780%2C520%2C0%2C0


RB: Ulises de la Cruz (Ecuador) - The last spot I filled in my team, so I went with de la Cruz, a true cult hero in both Scotland (with Hibernian) and England (with Aston Villa). He announced himself to British football with a brace in the Edinburgh derby, the first goal coming inside a minute.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAasinIGxHI


CDM: Gerardo Bedoya (Colombia) - Genuinely the dirtiest bastard in world football. 46 career red cards speaks testament to how much of a prick Bedoya was on the pitch. He was even sent off 21 minutes into his coaching debut, but his nastiest moment came in a Bogota derby where, not happy with his initial elbow, he aims a kick at the opponent's head whilst on the ground.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb8KlW9HeTY


CAM: Matias Fernandez (Chile) - The definition of mercurial talent, Fernandez is always one for a special assist or goal. Rabona passes, long range screamers, but my pick of the bunch is the goal he scored against Everton for Sporting.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnMPW_Bh5bQ


CAM: Ariel Ortega (Argentina) - A special player, Ortega never really lived up to his obvious talent. He was always embroiled in some sort of controversy, whether it be breaching his contract and not playing club football for over a year while at Fenerbahce, or his numerous alcoholic episodes at River Plate. Of course, the standout controversial moment would have to be that headbutt in the '98 World Cup.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZzQKwFc7hk


LW: Neymar (Brazil) - An obvious choice as he is both supremely talented and a cunt. You forget how long he has been around and how many goals he has scored at his age, but with that has come all manner of shit dives and prima donna behaviour.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C442urVVaZw


ST: Paolo Guerrero (Peru) - Mostly known for being a cokehead (or being stupid enough to get caught), Guerrero served almost a year long ban after the 2018 World Cup. But Guerrero, whilst not hitting the heights expected when in the youth ranks at Bayern, has fashioned out a fairly impressive career, notching over 250 goals for club and country. Oh, and he's an impressive shot with a water bottle.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFCuLI0yBwY


RW: Carlos Vela (Mexico) - Vela feels like the one that got away. Happy enough to join LAFC in the MLS at just 28, his prime years, he has banged in 57 in 71 in the USA since. With the talent he has, Vela could maybe have done more with his career, but he's fairly happy scoring chipped goals and earning wads of money in Los Angeles. Fair enough.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGoTdSuRcvA

[John Arne]

Asian XI

https://gyazo.com/ebd172fe3f0db224bbbbdbeab9d7165b.jpeg

[The Merse]

Asian XI

https://gyazo.com/ebd172fe3f0db224bbbbdbeab9d7165b.jpeg

Al Habsi and Nakata both played for Bolton.

[The Merse]

thommo enjoyed that chap, especially as de la Cruz and Vela are both players I had a big soft spot for. Cheers for the effort.

[Lewis]

Al Habsi and Nakata both played for Bolton.

pwnd

[John Arne]

Al Habsi and Nakata both played for Bolton.

Fucking Big Sam... Al-Habsi OUT, Kawin IN.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Abdulrahman was a player (could still be for all I know). Pity they have that easy money league on their doorstep so never get to experience proper football.

[John Arne]

Abdulrahman was a player (could still be for all I know). Pity they have that easy money league on their doorstep so never get to experience proper football.

Indeed. 100% should have tried Europe. He's struggled recently, but 4 or 5 years ago - he was top class.

[thommo]

thommo enjoyed that chap, especially as de la Cruz and Vela are both players I had a big soft spot for. Cheers for the effort.

Cheers, was a good way to while away an hour or two at work. Particularly enjoyed learning more about Gerardo Bedoya, who genuinely seems like a nutcase. A Colombian Kevin Muscat, if you will.

[Giggles]

Al Habsi and Nakata both played for Bolton.

Plus Viduka isn’t Asian.

[Gray Fox]

GK: Ceni

RB: Lahm
CB: Adams
CB: Godin
LB: Robertson

CDM: Keane
CDM: De Rossi

RW: Messi
CAM: De Bruyne
LW: Nedved

ST: Mbappe


I've no idea if that works or not and Adams is just about pushing it to get in, but I've gone round and round too many times.

[Don]

Havin done it again with the artists formerly known as IRL friends, the following seems to be the correct answer and I'll see any one that thinks otherwise outside (unless you can improve on RB and Cazorla ofc).

Oblak

Ricardo Pereira
VVD
Koulibaly
Maldini

KDB
Casemiro
Cazorla

Mbappe
Messi
Lewa

[Jimmy Floyd]

There are no good right backs. This exercise has convinced me that every non-Brazilian right back in history are just shit midfielders who some manager has converted at some point because they're a 'great professional' and 'fantastic around the dressing room'.

[Max Power]

I’ve spent too long trying to get the perfect one so The best thing about this is shooting everyone else’s team down.

Ricardo and Casimero both at Porto

[Don]

Well fuck you very much.

[Giggles]

I’m glad I didn’t attempt this at all after seeing how much of a balls you are all making of it.

[Boydy]

There are no good right backs. This exercise has convinced me that every non-Brazilian right back in history are just shit midfielders who some manager has converted at some point because they're a 'great professional' and 'fantastic around the dressing room'.

Gary Neville.

[Andy]

Trent.

[randomlegend]

Havin done it again with the artists formerly known as IRL friends, the following seems to be the correct answer and I'll see any one that thinks otherwise outside (unless you can improve on RB and Cazorla ofc).

Oblak

Ricardo Pereira
VVD
Koulibaly
Maldini

KDB
Casemiro
Cazorla

Mbappe
Messi
Lewa

These are United biased just because they are the first players to come to my mind and you've not got one, but Scholes for Cazorla? Or Ferdinand for Koulibaly? Or you could have Neville RB even.

[Lewis]

If you've turned this into some sort of actual challenge then you are a nonce.

[Waffdon]

Reece James.

[mugbull]

Still think my XI is the best posted so far

[Jimmy Floyd]

Gary Neville.

Gary Neville is the best possible example of what I said. Paulo Ferreira too.

[Don]

How the fuck did he overlook Trent/Neville for that Portugeezer. And Scholes and Cazorla is much of the same but we'll go for Scholes for the name. And that's the end of the thread. Stop noncing about.

Edit: Wait, obvs have to stick to Cazorla.

[randomlegend]

Gary Neville is underrated, he was a great full back.

Scholes and Cazorla "much of the same" :D that's retarded even for you, Taz.

[randomlegend]

You could put in Alexander-Arnold and have Keane for Cazorla.

[Don]

Did Iwobi play with Scholes? That would save me a lot of time and name-calling.

Nah, VVD-Keane clash means I'm more likely to get into this than Keane.

[randomlegend]

Ah shit yeah.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Full backs like Alexander-Arnold and the Brazilians are the exception. Most of a full back's job (especially a right back, who doesn't possess the distinctive left foot factor of most left backs) is just running in straight lines. Gary Neville was perhaps the best runner in straight lines in the history of the game, and had a brilliant understanding of his place in a series of fantastic teams. Not a good 'footballer' though. If he was, he wouldn't have played right back.

[randomlegend]

I remember his crossing to be excellent.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I remember his crossing to be excellent.

It was, but anyone in front of him in that side could have done it just as well, or learned to if that was the only thing they ever had to do on the attacking side.

The position's basically about mental discipline.

[Giggles]

Full backs like Alexander-Arnold and the Brazilians are the exception. Most of a full back's job (especially a right back, who doesn't possess the distinctive left foot factor of most left backs) is just running in straight lines. Gary Neville was perhaps the best runner in straight lines in the history of the game, and had a brilliant understanding of his place in a series of fantastic teams. Not a good 'footballer' though. If he was, he wouldn't have played right back.

:D Sorry what?

[Jimmy Floyd]

In an average football team, how many players are left footed? 1-2? One of them is almost always the left back. Makes a big difference to the range of things a team can do with the ball.

[Giggles]

That’s ridiculous. You’re just being deliberately awkward rather than admit Gary Neville was a good player.

[Ian]

I assume he means that your average left back is offering something different just by virtue of being a lefty whereas a right back is often just a run of the mill average player of the ball.

EDIT: He got it.

[randomlegend]

There's enough left-footed players that I don't really think that's worth much in and of itself. It's not often you find teams forced to play right footed left backs.

[Baz]

Well fuck you very much.

Mine came up with:

Oblak
Ivanovic
Van dijk
Kompany
Maldini
Ndidi
Gascoigne
Matthaus
Messi
Ronaldo
Mbappé

[The Merse]

Ronaldo and Matthaus at Inter...

Unless you mean Cristiano Ronaldo. In which case, you're a wrong un', 'cos Ronaldo in isolation is always Nazario de Lima unless in an unmistakeable context.

[randomlegend]

Cristiano has more than done enough to warrant being 'the' Ronaldo by now.

The other one is fat Ronaldo.

[Shindig]

Ronaldo Classic.

[Giggles]

Ronaldo and Diet Ronaldo.

[Shindig]

Ronaldo Max. :cool: I legitimately love his renaissance in 2010. One of the quickest players of his generation turned into a devastating tank.

[Baz]

If course it’s Cristiano. GOAT.

I just copied and pasted my mates list tho

[Lewis]

Ronaldo and Matthaus at Inter...

Unless you mean Cristiano Ronaldo. In which case, you're a wrong un', 'cos Ronaldo in isolation is always Nazario de Lima unless in an unmistakeable context.

OK Boomer

[Waffdon]

How good was Ashley Cole? I always had him as the best left back in the world when I was growing up but obviously everyone goes for Maldini but he was before my time, really.

Don Cole when playing against Messi/Ronaldo only conceded once in sixteen games. Ronaldo clearly had nightmares and went on the left after coming up against him in his early days.

[Ian]

Ronaldo never got any change out of Ashley Cole, who was very good and probably a bit.... not underrated but less celebrated because he was a gobshite. I mean even on the day he was getting his 100th cap for England the match day programme was all about Leighton Baines.

On the flipside, stopping Ronaldo is all well and good but Valencia's one move seemed to get him every single time.

I initially tried to put Maldini and Cole in my team with the former at centre-half where was also excellent but Cole's multiple teams interfered with other players I wanted in there.

[Manc]

There are no good right backs. This exercise has convinced me that every non-Brazilian right back in history are just shit midfielders who some manager has converted at some point because they're a 'great professional' and 'fantastic around the dressing room'.

Zambrotta.

[Lewis]

He was predominantly a left-back, and an overrated one at that. He fell to pieces out of that Italy/Juventus two tackles a game comfort zone.

[Manc]

Played a blinder in the 2006 final.

[Lewis]

I could have full-backed that tournament tucked in behind Camoranesi/Cannavaro/Gattuso. Lilian Thuram and Willy Sagnol were good (better) right-backs.

[Ian]

Timothy Fosu-Mensah.

[thommo]

Timothy Fosu-Mensah.

Genuinely one of the worst players at Fulham last season, and that's saying something, because we were fucking terrible. The only thing he had going for him was pace.

[Ian]

If you think I'm about to be swayed by the informed opinion of somebody who's seen a lot more of him than I have then you are sadly mistaken, my friend.

[Don]

It's a case of Andre-Wisdomitis with him, has the physical characteristics that any top scout worth his salt will absolutely lap up with their racial profiling.

Their problem is they're placed in a position where it's all wasted. Josh Maja, there's a lad who's similarly extraordinary and limited in equal measure but he's been directed smartly.

[Lewis]

He did look genuinely good under 'LvG', but then so did Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, whose slide down the loan move toilet is astonishing, so maybe that man was just a genius who deserved better.

[Jimmy Floyd]

van Gaal has a stupendous track record pretty much everywhere he's been. If he wasn't a surly Dutch bastard who looks like Hitler's grandchild, he would get more respect.

[Lewis]

I still say he did a better job than Jose Mourinho. He spent a load of money on rubbish, but it was a bit 'Rafa' at Liverpool insofar as he had to put a squad together rather than just supplement it like Mourinho did. If you gave him the current squad they would be flying, and you wouldn't ever see Luke Shaw in a United shirt again.

[Ian]

He sold Welbeck so fuck him.

[Lewis]

He should be the Director of Football.