UEFA's Ultimate Team of the 21st Century

[Chaaay AFC]

48 minutes ago, Cicero said:

You have to take into consideration it's a UEFA format. 

@Chaaay AFC Bias aside, how does Henry get ahead of Eto'o and Raul?

I just read it's based how many times the players featured in the Team of the Year so that's probably why.

[Panna King]

1 minute ago, Cicero said:

So overrated. I'd honestly have Irwin and Ashley Cole ahead of him. 

Most Spanish defenders are overrated as well as Brazilian, they are ok at attacking but shocking at defending, its only because of the possession style of football that doesn't really show them up against the opposition. 

[Cicero]

Just now, VanPaddy said:

Most Spanish defenders are overrated as well as Brazilian, they are ok at attacking but shocking at defending, its only because of the possession style of football that doesn't really show them up against the opposition. 

Still remember when a 17 year old Messi cut both him and Cannavaro apart. Cannavaro is another I can't understand how some over rate him, some even rate him higher than Nesta FFS

[Panna King]

1 minute ago, Cicero said:

Still remember when a 17 year old Messi cut both him and Cannavaro apart. Cannavaro is another I can't understand how some over rate him, some even rate him higher than Nesta FFS

Baresi and Maldini were the best Italian defenders. 

[Cicero]

3 minutes ago, VanPaddy said:

Baresi and Maldini were the best Italian defenders. 

We have been spoilt with defenders, but yeah. Top 3 are easily Baresi, Maldini, and Scirea

[Batard]

1 hour ago, Cicero said:

Can someone explain why Roberto Carlos is rated so highly? 

Let me flip that, why would he be rated as not a great left back? 

[Cicero]

1 minute ago, Batard said:

Let me flip that, why would he be rated as not a great left back? 

Who's not rating him a great left back? 

[Batard]

23 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Who's not rating him a great left back? 

No one here bud

[Cicero]

Just now, Batard said:

No one here bud

Don't get me wrong, I rate Roberto Carlos as one of the finest footballers ever. But where he excelled at going forward, he wasn't 'great' defensively. Whereas the likes of Irwin and Ashley Cole were quality both at the back and going forward. 

[Batard]

2 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Don't get me wrong, I rate Roberto Carlos as one of the finest footballers ever. But where he excelled at going forward, he wasn't 'great' defensively. Whereas the likes of Irwin and Ashley Cole were quality both at the back and going forward. 

I would say, objectively for a team like this, it should be based on success. Unless it’s subjective criteria? In that case you’d have to say Carlos won more with Madrid in the specified time

[SirBalon]

On 11/22/2017 at 2:52 AM, Teso dos Bichos said:

CASILLAS

DANI ALVES/SALGADO-MALDINI  -  NESTA  -  ROBERTO CARLOS

XAVI

SCHOLES     -     INIESTA

MESSI     -       DAVID VILLA  -    C. RONALDO

Might get some negative feedback for including David villa but my god, he was a joy to watch(even though he scored against Man United)

 

20 hours ago, Teso dos Bichos said:

Antonio you didn't like mine huh I rate puyol but nesta and maldini was a match made in heaven. That tackle on messi (2012) had Lionel so rattled.

People tend to forget how good salgado was.

I didn't see your one mate...

Well for me Míchel Salgado doesn't reach those levels but I have always rated Nesta, more than Cannavaro.  Apart from that the team is a good one for me.

 

Let me add one more thing in general here which goes toward which individuals usually get acclaim in these things and which aren't all that considering what's required in the position they're played in.  I'm saying this because of the questioning Roberto Carlos is receiving...  For me Roberto Carlos was as good as Marcelo in an attacking sense down that flank but the former was superior defensively.  Marcelo continues to leave an open motorway down that flank when he attacks which he does with aplomb but opens up massive spaces which is part of the reason (not all obviously) why Sergio Ramos has been red carded so much for Real Madrid...

I recall last season's La Liga clash between Real and Barça where Messi scored that last ditch winner for the away team...  The blame in that instance was down to Marcelo as per usual who had galloped down the flank, lost the ball where Sergi Roberto collects and bursts through the midfield to assist Messi.  Not only did Marcelo lose the ball but he failed to do the necessary which was to foul Sergi Roberto because the team was left light everywhere.

Yet Marcelo consistently gets best left-back awards both for UEFA and FIFA which makes me laugh.

[Danny]

How did Zidane not get in there? Easily over Gerrard.

There have been better keepers than Casillas imo, certainly at their peaks; VDS, Cech, Valdes was perfect for Barce, Buffon.

[Batard]

So when I did some digging into this @SirBalon, once I put my biases aside it was hard to argue with the facts. This is statistically the best team of the 21st century

Goalkeeper Iker Cassillas, 55 clean sheets, 3 Champions League honours

Central Defence Sergio Ramos, 11 goals, 3 Champions League honours. Gerard Pique, 10 goals, 4 Champions League honours

Left fullback Marcelo, 5 goals, 18 assists, 3 Champions League honours

Right fullback Dani Alves, 12 goals, 26 assists, 3 Champions League honours

Midfield Quartet Xavi, 10 goals, 31 assists, 4 Champions League honours, Andres Iniesta, 11 goals, 30 assists, 4 Champions League honours, Luka Modric, 5 goals, 8 assists, 3 Champions League honours, Sergio Busquets, 4 goals, 8 assists, 3 Champions League honours

Forwards, Cristiano Ronaldo, 113 goals, 4 Champions League honours, Lionel Messi 97 goals, 4 Champions League honours

[Carnivore Chris]

 

On 22/11/2017 at 2:52 AM, Teso dos Bichos said:

CASILLAS

DANI ALVES/SALGADO-MALDINI  -  NESTA  -  ROBERTO CARLOS

XAVI

SCHOLES     -     INIESTA

MESSI     -       DAVID VILLA  -    C. RONALDO

Might get some negative feedback for including David villa but my god, he was a joy to watch(even though he scored against Man United)

Good shout with Villa.

He's had a great career and won it all, doing it at all levels.

 

[SirBalon]

13 hours ago, Batard said:

So when I did some digging into this @SirBalon, once I put my biases aside it was hard to argue with the facts. This is statistically the best team of the 21st century

Goalkeeper Iker Cassillas, 55 clean sheets, 3 Champions League honours

Central Defence Sergio Ramos, 11 goals, 3 Champions League honours. Gerard Pique, 10 goals, 4 Champions League honours

Left fullback Marcelo, 5 goals, 18 assists, 3 Champions League honours

Right fullback Dani Alves, 12 goals, 26 assists, 3 Champions League honours

Midfield Quartet Xavi, 10 goals, 31 assists, 4 Champions League honours, Andres Iniesta, 11 goals, 30 assists, 4 Champions League honours, Luka Modric, 5 goals, 8 assists, 3 Champions League honours, Sergio Busquets, 4 goals, 8 assists, 3 Champions League honours

Forwards, Cristiano Ronaldo, 113 goals, 4 Champions League honours, Lionel Messi 97 goals, 4 Champions League honours

What can I say mate... The reason nobody can argue with this is because it’s based on Champions League stats and if that is the criteria, then that would be the “Ultimate Team” of the last 20 years or so. 

But would that be your personal XI of the last 17 to 20 years mate?

Many times in football a player’s stats can be boosted by the fact they’ve been part of a cyclical tendency that affects all top teams in the sport and some players more inclined to be in the “good” to “very good” bracket can be made to look better than what they actually were and some other players that stood out in other teams that weren’t as successful during those moments but were always there battling it out during the period may have been even better individual in the “great” bracket to be included and the former be excluded. 

For me for example, and I make no secret about it... Marcelo for all the excitement he provides and has provided going forward is a mediocre full-back. Ashley Cole (as mentioned by Cicero further up) was much more superior as he was very good going forward and also defensively which is something Marcelo has no inkling about although he is slightly better than he was a few years back. For me he’s (Marcelo) a marketing product of the period we are living in football, which is a global sensation combining various factors. 

This is my problem with a player you haven’t added because you’ve gone for the stats to make your team. Andrea Pirlo for me as brilliant as he was standing static on the ball to ping the sphere to a colleague in a great position is proof of these things. He couldn’t run, unable to recover his position due to his lethargy and was never neither a central midfielder or what he started as which was an attacking midfielder. But yet there’s a sensation created with him due to the fact he played in two successful sides that had workhorses in and around him to do his donkey work. Maybe some will think I’m being overly brutal with Pirlo (who I did admire by the way), but this is the way I’ve always seen it. Put it this way... he would never have been able to play in Mourinho’s successful teams, Alex Ferguson’s successful teams or Barcelona’s successful teams because none of them could afford what he lacked as an individual. Italian football in itself was the only place for him so we could all enjoy his attributes. All that for me means I would never be able to add him to a greatest XI unless the criteria was “Greatest Look Up And Pass” players of our time. 

[Panna King]

I think Champions League honours is also misleading,   Igor Biscan and Djimi Traore have Champions League medals, does that make them better then someone like Buffon or a Bergkamp who never won the competition. 

[SirBalon]

1 hour ago, VanPaddy said:

I think Champions League honours is also misleading,   Igor Biscan and Djimi Traore have Champions League medals, does that make them better then someone like Buffon or a Bergkamp who never won the competition. 

This is true and what I was getting at in part. Although in the case of Batard’s selection, most have excelled at all levels. That’s why these things are difficult and they end up being based on the whole by personal preferences. 

[Batard]

2 hours ago, VanPaddy said:

I think Champions League honours is also misleading,   Igor Biscan and Djimi Traore have Champions League medals, does that make them better then someone like Buffon or a Bergkamp who never won the competition. 

Honours here are objective in terms of actual participation and influence. Statistically, none of the players I’ve picked could be argued as being freeloading players fortunate to win the competition. To measure achievement you have to look at successes. Anything less is subjective and anecdotal. Contextual data is king.