The best eleven ever

[PLF]

SHAY FUCKING GIVEN!?!?!!??!?!?!?!??!!?!?!? :

Yeah what a horrible f'n keeper eh?!

Only the prem's finest and most consistent over the last decade. Nothing more than that.

That's the price he pays for staying loyal to Geordies all those years and wasting away like Alan Shearer in a team that was never gonna win anything.

And in any case, this is a pretty personal thing so no reason to get that shocked or question someone else's opinions.

Shay is definitely one of the best I've seen but I'd have to take Casillas and Buffon over him.

As for an actual list, I like Ben's. Tho I'd put in Zizou and put take Totti to bench and take out Baresi for Cannavaro whom I've seen a lot more of and despite the just criticism getting lately for recent performances in memory, is still one of the best CB's ever.

 

[gerd]

Was your comment about Gerets as a player meant to be sarcastic?
Well maybe it's an exageration to put him in a best elven ever, but i couldn't find a right back (and wanted to avoid the over-hyped Cafu) and i thought it would be fun to have one Belgian player in it...
But Eric Gerets was one hell of a player. He was fantastic with our national team and with Standard. He was transferred to AC Milan (a couple of seasons after a match fixing scandal with Milan as the most concerned club). When he was a couple of weeks in Milan, it turned out that in the last match of the previous season, the Standard players offered their prize money (for that last match of he season) to their opponents if they let them win the match (Standard was virtually champion but they still needed one point and had to play the final of the ECII against Bareclona the wednesday after this rigged match, the coach at the time was Raymond Goethals, who afterwards did similar thing with Marseille and wqs punished for it). Gerets was the player who proposed the deal to their opponents (but he's still adamant that it wasn't his idea and that as captain of the team he thought it was his duty to do the dirty work).
Milan who were desperate to have a clean image after the previous scandal sacked Gerets. Gerets went on to play for Maastricht in Holland and late on for PSV. PSV fans elected him as their player of the 20th century. He was their captain when PSV won the ECI.

Defensively he was very strong and he was one of the first full backs who was an offensive asset aswell (both he and German Manfred Kaltz were the best full backs in the world at that time). You could compare him to a Maldini with the grinta of Gattuso.

 

[ilfenomeno]

Goalkeeper: David James

Defense: Francis Jeffers

, Winston Bogarde

, Kieron Dyer

Middlefield: Jody Morris

, Matt Le Tissier

, Lee Sharpe

, Alvaro Recoba

Attack: Stan Collymore

, Paul Gascoigne

, Antonio Cassano

 

[Milanista]

Isn't Jeffers a striker?

 

[ilfenomeno]

you suggesting to play with 2 defenders? even with this great team it would be fatal

 

[ilfenomeno]

Here comes a more serious "best eleven":

Peter Schmeichel

Paolo Maldini​

Jaap Stam

Alessandro Nesta

Cafu

Jari Litmanen

Matthias Sammer

Zinedine Zidane

Luis Figo

Ronaldo

Gabriel Batistuta​

 

[drekkard]

 

[brunnoce]

SHAY FUCKING GIVEN!?!?!!??!?!?!?!??!!?!?!? :

Yeh
Most underrated GK in the history of EPL

Yeah what a horrible f'n keeper eh?!

Only the prem's finest and most consistent over the last decade. Nothing more than that.

That's the price he pays for staying loyal to Geordies all those years and wasting away like Alan Shearer in a team that was never gonna win anything.

And in any case, this is a pretty personal thing so no reason to get that shocked or question someone else's opinions.

Exactly

Dude Arce! He was freaking awesome, forgot about this fella. True FK Master Juninho got nothing on him

I'm still thinking about my list since my last post here. Can't make my mind.

Personally, i never seen a RB influence the game so much as Arce, thats why he made my list... and its pretty much the same reason as Sorin.

 

[PLF]

Was your comment about Gerets as a player meant to be sarcastic?

Not at all. I was completely serious and I said that because the younger crowd like me who didn't watch him play know he's a great manager but we had no idea that he had been such a great player and influential/captain material, etc.

Thanks for all the info.

 

[gerd]

Ok, i'm sorry PLF, should have known better...you are not the sarcastic type.

 

[Jumbo_]

Yeah what a horrible f'n keeper eh?!

Only the prem's finest and most consistent over the last decade. Nothing more than that.

That's the price he pays for staying loyal to Geordies all those years and wasting away like Alan Shearer in a team that was never gonna win anything.

And in any case, this is a pretty personal thing so no reason to get that shocked or question someone else's opinions.

Shay is definitely one of the best I've seen but I'd have to take Casillas and Buffon over him.

Yeh
Most underrated GK in the history of EPL

Exactly

Yeah sorry, didnt mean to sound rude! You're right it is personal opinion, i was just shocked that someone who's had the pleasure of having Taffarel and Julio Cesar as the keeper for their national team over the past 15 years would choose Shay
Given over either of them.

I totally disagree that he's underrated too, if anything it's the opposite. Would 'one of the finest keepers of the premier league' lose his place to a good but far from world class 22yr old rookie in a side chasing big things? Couldn't see that happening to Reina, Cech, Van Der Sar or Tim Howard.

Given is a seriously brilliant shotstopper and its Hollywood saves that catch the eye in highlight reels rather than superb postioning and organisation of the defence, but the rest of his game is pretty average being honest. That's why he never moved from Newcastle sooner, despite both Arsenal and United needing keepers at various stages of use past 10 years.

Anyway, sorry again Brunocce If I offended you.

 

[sauce]

Really Jumberto?

Spoiler

TAFFA FUCKING REL!?!?!!??!?!?!?!??!!?!?!?

 

[Jumbo_]

 

[gerd]

That what i also wanted to say: IMO Taffarel was a very lousy GK.
Preudhomme and Zenga were cntemporaries of Taffarel...enough said i think.

 

[Jumbo_]

He's Brazil's most capped keeper and played a huge part in them win the world cup in '94, he can't have been that bad! I must admit I don't remember him perfectly but from what I do remember from the WC's and Galatasary in the Uefa Cup/CL I thought he was a good player.

 

[gerd]

He was a walking disaster jumbo. But he had one good point: he was good PK stopper.
After that WC win he was a hero and if i remember well Galatasaray alos won an EC with penalties were he was the hero, but besides penalties he was a very average GK (and to be honest with you i think Julio Cesar is also overrated...Casillas, Buffon, Van Der Sar, Cech, they are all better IMO...and i used to be a GK).

 

[The_Special_One]

That what i also wanted to say: IMO Taffarel was a very lousy GK.
Preudhomme and Zenga were cntemporaries of Taffarel...enough said i think.

 

[brunnoce]

Anyway, sorry again Brunocce If I offended you.

No offend taken at all man, dont worry.

Anyway, about Cesar and Taffarel, theyre both very good keepers too and imo they line in the same level as Shay, but keep in mind theyre far from unanimity here in Brazil too, just read Sauce's comment hehehe

Now, that best 11 team i put together was based on player ability and how much i liked the player, thats why Given was my pick.. it could easily be Southall, Dida and evan Thomas Ravelli for his amazing 94'WC, but i sincerly would pick Given over them if i consider player likeness.

Imo Shay gave his best years to a winningless Newcastle club just like Howard is doing at Everton now(as much as i love Everton i know we wont win anything major without a new ownership).

I really hope he can overcome this current sitution and solidfy himself as ManC 1st keeper once they start winning stuff(its gonna happen sooner or later).

Also lets keep in mind he lost his place due to injury and not infield performance, if i remember corretly Shay was problaby the best keeper(or close to that) in the EPL when he got injury last season.

About Taffarel, imo his best quality was positioning, that sometimes saved him from beeing a very bad diving saver and average reflex GK. He was great at PKs indeed too.

 

[UJSupanova]

I think you may be the only Evertonian in history to say they'd have anyone over Southall (in fact, you may be the first to not pick an all-Everton XI )

Given is a top top keeper, but there's better in the Premier League right now than Given, Reina, Cech and Freidel for instance (ok Cech's not been too great since his head was smashed in, but still a quality keeper). Not only that but Southall is one of the greatest keepers of all time, Given is not in my opinion.

I'm gonna do my XI now, but it'll be based entirely on players i've seen during their career, rather than picking the likes of Maradona etc. who retired before i was a human.

 

[PIPA23]

SHAY FUCKING GIVEN!?!?!!??!?!?!?!??!!?!?!? :

lol

 

[MASTER - w11]

I liked Taffarel and I saw Dida making awesome performances for Cruzeiro, Corinthians, Milan and Brazil NT, but none of those keepers beat Kahn IMO.
His 2002 WC was the best performance I've seen from a keeper. A GK who took his team to the final match! Although his deflection in Ronaldo's foot took a bit of his glory away =/. The same for Baggio's 94 PK miss. Man, that guy was incredibly techniced, way better than his successors, Del Piero and Totti. Still, he'll always be remembered by that miss.

 

[PetrovLFC]

GK- Shemichial
RB- Cafu
CB- Nesta
CB- Hyypia
LB- Bobby Carlos

LM- Giggs
CM- Gerrard
AM- Zidane
RM- Ronaldinho

CF- Batigol
CF- Ronaldo (the chubby one)

just the players I remember the most for my generation.

 

[brunnoce]

I think you may be the only Evertonian in history to say they'd have anyone over Southall (in fact, you may be the first to not pick an all-Everton XI )

Given is a top top keeper, but there's better in the Premier League right now than Given, Reina, Cech and Freidel for instance (ok Cech's not been too great since his head was smashed in, but still a quality keeper). Not only that but Southall is one of the greatest keepers of all time, Given is not in my opinion.

I'm gonna do my XI now, but it'll be based entirely on players i've seen during their career, rather than picking the likes of Maradona etc. who retired before i was a human.

Completly agree and he would be in my team if i didnt made a team regarding players i WATCHED LIVE.. im only 27, and i only started wacthing the EPL in 96/97(remember im from Brazil, before that i doubt we had the EPL showing here since there wasnt ESPN here)
By the time i started wacthing the EPL Southall was already a "fat ronaldo" playing for Torquay United or some lower league team if i recall correcly.

But if i was to make a all time team, by what i wacthed footage and heard of him , be sure he would be my GK and id try to fit in Sharp and Reid as well hehehehe


Now, can i have Give as my GK?! :p
I like him, period

 

[Aboutreika18]

I like Barthez but that doesn't mean I'd put him in my best eleven.

In fact, surely even he'd be a more suitable candidate for GK rather than Shay Fuckin' Given.

 

[brunnoce]

I like Barthez but that doesn't mean I'd put him in my best eleven.

In fact, surely even he'd be a more suitable candidate for GK rather than Shay Fuckin' Given.

Thats your problem, not mine

Im still haveing Shay, love the player, respect the guy... he inspired me when i was a GK.. so his getting my number 1 shirt

Btw imo Barthez is substantially worst than Given technically speaking, just a lot more overrated since he played in a lot better teams.

 

[Aboutreika18]

I'd probably expect that from the highly deluded Newcastle or Man City fans. But I'm surprised that an Everton fan from Brazil would choose him, but fair enough anyway.

 

[brunnoce]

I'd probably expect that from the highly deluded Newcastle or Man City fans. But I'm surprised that an Everton fan from Brazil would choose him, but fair enough anyway.

Yeh, theres personal reasons from each player i picked... Francescoli was not a better player than Zidane, im not blind for god sakes, but i didnt like Zidane personally and on the other side i loved Enzo as he amazed me in my youth.

When i picked my team i was not saying player X is better than player Y...

The thread says "The best eleven" so i figure i could built MY best eleven: the 11 players id like to have in my team.... and for this reason i didnt go straight technically in my pics, they all went 50% likeness 50% technical.

 

[allezlinter]

For me it is quite logic (i follow football since 1998 so players from this date for me)

-----------G. Buffon------------
----L. Thuram-----C. Puyol------
--Maicon-------------P. Maldini-
---S. Gerrard------F. Lampard---
-----------Z. Zidane------------
--L. Messi----------Ronaldinho--
------------Ronaldo------------- (brazilian one of course)

Subs : Casillas, R. Carlos, Ferdinand, C. Ronaldo, Shevchenko



Best of all times
-----------L. Yashin-------------
-F. Beckenbauer-----M. Sammer----
--Cafu---------------P. Maldini--
-----F. Rijkaard--S. Gerrard-----
-----------Z. Zinédine-----------
-----------D. Maradona-----------
-------Pelé--------Ronaldo-------

Subs : F. Barthez, F. Baresi, L. Matthäus, L. Messi, J. Cruyff

 

[gerd]

Oh my god Barthez is mentioned in this thread...come on...not Barthez...We already had Taffarel...but surely not Barthez?
At the time he was playing, in Belgium alone we must have had at least 5 GK's that were much better. Look what he did with Manchester United. The guy is a complete joke. I never understood why French coaches always preferred him to Coupet.
In the 40 years i follow football Coupet must have been the only decent French goalkeeper: Ettori, Batts, Lama, Barthez, they all sucked big time. If Belgium would have been a part of France and all those French teams would have had a Belgian GK, they would have won more World Cups. Imagine the Platini team with a decent goal keeper (Preudhomme or even Pfaff)...that would have been awesome. They even won a WC without a GK (well Barthez was there to give Blanc opportunity to kiss his bald head, but that was all he contributed...).




Am i exagerating? Well maybe a tiny litle bit...

 

[klashman69]

------------------------------------- Oliver Khan -----------------------------------------

-------------Gary Neville ---- William Gallas ---- John Terry ---------- Ashley Cole

--------------------- Lucas ------------------ Miguel Veloso ------------------------------

------- Robinho ----------------- Emmanuel Adebayor ------------Cristiano Ronaldo

--------------------------------- Marko Arnautovic -----------------------------------------

A team of these trolls would drive any team insane