Topic: Guardian - Greatest Ever Football XI

[Bob Loblaw]

How come the likes of Barnes or Dalglish never get a mention in lists like these?

[redsox0411]

See, in my opinion that's wrong. International football is like a school open-day. It shows you a few good things but really what matters is how it operates out of the spotlight. Nationalities shouldn't come into it, the players performance at top level standards should.

Then I reckon we agree, but when these lists come up in the big papers or wherever, thay allways seem to omit players from smaller countries (Hagi, Puskas). And they obviously have their darlings(Zidane and Der Kaizer for instance). Some players never gets the recognition they deserve. Where is Romario for instance? (forgot him in my own team even)

[s_andrews89]

I'm only 20, so as awesome as I know the likes of Pele, Maradonna, Cruyff etc are, I never new them. So here's mine with players that I remember.

                      Schmeichel (sadly!)
Cafu          Stam          hyypia           Maldini
      seedorf gerrard (circa 2005/6!) Xavi
      Messi Ronaldo (brazil) Henry (circa 02/03ish)

And I have to say, I'd be extremely happy to see that team running out, as long as I wasn't the away team!

[Strummer77]

I'm only 20, so as awesome as I know the likes of Pele, Maradonna, Cruyff etc are, I never new them. So here's mine with players that I remember.

                      Schmeichel (sadly!)
Cafu          Stam          hyypia           Maldini
      seedorf gerrard (circa 2005/6!) Xavi
      Messi Ronaldo (brazil) Henry (circa 02/03ish)

And I have to say, I'd be extremely happy to see that team running out, as long as I wasn't the away team!

Can't argue with that. Except Ronaldinho/Zidane for Seedorf.

[Jokerman]

That is easily one of the most patronising and disrespectful things Ive ever read. Its so wrong and shows the author of this shite article knows nothing about defending and football in general. Normally I just laugh at shite articles, but the last paragraph actually made me angry.

Absolutely, I was going to say something similar but you beat me to it. It's impossible to put together a greatest XI as such, especially as we only have a limited amount of footage of some players, no footage left of others and we've lived through every game of other players (and seen all their mistakes first hand too) and of course we all have our favourites (Romario and John Barnes would never be out of my time for example, but probably wouldn't be mentioned in most others'). However, if youre going to write an article about it, don't dismiss Maldini on the basis that you think people only ever rated him because he's glamorous. That would be why he was first choice at Milan (including some of the greatest football teams in history) for twenty four years.

[Jokerman]

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

Zanetti---Cannavaro---Baresi----Maldini

-------Gerrard---Seedorf----Nedved

------- ---Messi------Del Piero

---------------Maradona

Subs-
Schmichael
Cafu
Keane
Pirlo
Xavi
Dalglish
Baggio
Inzaghi
Raul

Most of my choices are only players I've seen, but I'd fancy my team against this Guardian fellas anyday!

I wouldn't! Inzaghi?!

[La Vecchia Magpie]

Find me a better natural goal poacher?

[Jokerman]

Find me a better natural goal poacher?

The list would be too long.

[La Vecchia Magpie]

With his record in big/european games? Maybe there are better, but there can't be many. Plus I love his celebration and his unbelievable ability to score utter shite goals.

[Jokerman]

With his record in big/european games? Maybe there are better, but there can't be many. Plus I love his celebration and his unbelievable ability to score utter shite goals.

By all accounts a lovely fella and all that, but a horrible footballer. You talk about his finishing but he generally needed about 50 chances (usually coming about with him standing offside the entire game until the linesman got bored with putting his flag up and let him off) to find the net. Fine goalscoring record no doubt, a good player too, but not even close to being even mentioned in any all time list. How could you put Inzaghi in, and leave Shearer, for example, out?!

[_00_deathscar]

Absolutely, I was going to say something similar but you beat me to it. It's impossible to put together a greatest XI as such, especially as we only have a limited amount of footage of some players, no footage left of others and we've lived through every game of other players (and seen all their mistakes first hand too) and of course we all have our favourites (Romario and John Barnes would never be out of my time for example, but probably wouldn't be mentioned in most others'). However, if youre going to write an article about it, don't dismiss Maldini on the basis that you think people only ever rated him because he's glamorous. That would be why he was first choice at Milan (including some of the greatest football teams in history) for twenty four years.

1988-1994

2003-2007

Two of the best teams of all time I reckon, and Maldini was a part of them - of course, only because of his looks...The latter won shockingly few Serie A titles, mind.

[downtown]

well, I started watching football in 1997 (when I was 6/7) so from what I've seen with my own eyes:

------------------------Schmeichel----------------------
Cafu----------Nesta----------Cannavaro------Carlos
-------------------------Makelele------------------------
-----------Zidane------------------Gerrard------------
----Messi-------------Ronaldo9------------Henry----

Bench: Kahn, Maldini, Lucio, Vieira, Xavi, CR, RVN

I can't comment on players I haven't watched every week.

[Saint Kopite]

La Vecchia Magpie

No Ronaldo? 

[Roger Federer]

This would be mine. The players are only those who played since I started watching football, so legends like Cryuff, Beckenbauer, Pele and a lot of the all time greats are left out.

Schmeichel - Cafu, Baresi, Hierro, Maldini - Xavi, Rijkaard - Maradona - Messi, Ronaldo, Barnes

[Riedles Reds]

                     Itandje

Josemi    Pellegrino    Paletta     Dicks

              Cheyrou      Ferri

Kozma          Voronin         Carter

                    Dundee

[killer-heels]

Their coverage of the LFC court case aside, the Guardian is a shit.

[scottishkop]

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

Cafu----Baresi----Beckenbauer---Maldini

-------------------Matthaus-------------------

Garrincha-------Maradona-------Zidane---

------------Di Stefano------Pele-------------

Can't argue with any of them, that's a fucking great side.

[CorKopite]

------------------------------------Zoff------------------------------------

--Cafu---------------Baresi--------------Beckenbauer--------Maldini

-----------------------------------Xavi-------------------------------------

-----Zidane-------------------Socrates-------------------Cruyff

---------------------Maradona-----------------------------------------
------------------------------------Pele-----------------------------------

[CorKopite]

How about peoples post 1990 side

[Tomaldinho]

La Vecchia Magpie

No Zidane, in your entire squad.

Fail. Just fail.

[Solomon Grundy]

Find me a better natural goal poacher?

Ian Rush.