Judge the players in your team

Ok, the thread about Kicker rating the Bundesliga got me thinking.

List your starting XI plus 5 frequently used subs. Then, next to each player, write whether you think he is world class, international class or nothing special. If players in your team are old, but were world class once, then judge according to how they are presently.

1) Dida (international class)
2) Massimo Oddo (international class)
3) Alessandro Nesta (world class)
4) Paolo Maldini (international class)
5) Marek Jankulovski (international class)
6) Gennaro Gattuso (world class) *
7) Massimo Ambrosini (international class)
8 ) Andrea Pirlo (world class)
9) Kaka (world class)
10) Ronaldo (world class)
11) Seedorf (international class)

-----------

12) Cafu (international class)
13) Kaladze (nothing special)
14) Brocchi (nothing special)
15) Gilardino (international class)
16) Inzaghi (world class)

* if you did this when you saw Gattuso's name, think not whether Gattuso is good as Ronaldinho, but rather if he's world class at what he does.

So, IMO, Milan has 6 world class players out of the 16. 5 of them are regular starters.

7 international class players, out of which 6 usually start. Finally, they have 3 players who are nothing special.

Inzaghi is never world class. I'd question Pirlo as well.

Calidad wrote:Inzaghi is never world class. I'd question Pirlo as well.

1) Inzaghi's record of goalscoring makes him world class IMO.
2) As for the second one

Being able to knock in a ball from 2 yards doesn't make you world class. He has fantastic movement, and his finishing is pretty good, but other parts of his game are severely lacking.

Pirlo fantastic passer with great vision. Calling him WC is slightly dubious IMO, though I'll accept that one.

Depends how you define WC. I'd define WC as someone who'd realistically walk into any team, or possibly squad.

No Seedorf

Valdez(NS)

Zambo(WC)
Puyol(WC)
Marquez(IC)
Gio(IC)

Edmilson(IC)
Deco(WC)
Xavi(WC

Messi(WC)
Eto'o(WC)
Dinho(WC)

Iniesta(IC)
Guily(NS)
Oleguer(NS)
Motta(NS)
Belletti(NS)

Arsenal FC:

1. Jens Lehmann (International Class)
2. Emmanuel Eboue (International Class)
3. Gael Clichy (N/A)
4. Kolo Toure (International Class)
5. William Gallas (World Class)
6. Cesc Fabregas (International Class)
7. Gilberto Silva (World Class)
8. Alexander Hleb (International Class)
9. Tomas Rosicky (International Class)
10. Robin van Persie (International Class)
11. Thierry Henry (World Class)

12. Manuel Almunia (N/A)
13. Johan Djourou (N/A)
14. Abou Diaby (N/A)
15. Fredrick Ljungberg (International Class)
16. Emmanuel Adebayor (International Class)

So by my estimations we have three World Class players at Arsenal, one of which could be leaving this Summer to Barcelona. Some people will say that Gilberto Silva is not World Class, but he plays a very specialist role very well and is one of the leaders in that position. Simply put he is indispensible for us. We have a fair few players that are in the International Class bracket, out of them I believe both Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas can become World Class, maybe Kolo Toure as well. I rate Gael Clichy, Abou Diaby and Johan Djourou very highly but they are not International Class yet, but give it a few more years...

I wouldnt have Inzaghi either

I cant be bothered to do a full list

But I would say Uniteds World class players are Ronaldo and Ferdinand.

Scholes and Giggs used to be and Rooney is on the cusp of being world class.

The rest are international class apart from Oshite, Richardson and Smith who are just rubbish.

Rez wrote:
The rest are international class apart from Oshite, Richardson and Smith who are just rubbish.

Lets not forget Fletcher, Brown, Solskjaer, and Silvestre.

Kimbo wrote:

Rez wrote:
The rest are international class apart from Oshite, Richardson and Smith who are just rubbish.

Lets not forget Fletcher, Brown, Solskjaer, and Silvestre.

Fletcher plays very well for Scotland so is international class, the rest I like to pretend dont play for united, but indeed are nothing special.

Fey wrote:No Seedorf

Woops...you're quite right.

I don't think that Inzaghi and Ronaldo are World Class. Ronaldo needs to regain his form and Inzaghi is a international class striker, he never was WC (maybe in the 02-03 season). IMO Cesc is world class. He has excelent vision and passing.

Messiah wrote:Valdez(NS)

Zambo(WC)
Puyol(WC)
Marquez(IC)
Gio(IC)

Edmilson(IC)
Deco(WC)
Xavi(WC

Messi(WC)
Eto'o(WC)
Dinho(WC)

Iniesta(IC)
Guily(NS)
Oleguer(NS)
Motta(NS)
Belletti(NS)

If Xavi is WC, then so is Iniesta, because Iniesta is better.

Calidad wrote:

Messiah wrote:Valdez(NS)

Zambo(WC)
Puyol(WC)
Marquez(IC)
Gio(IC)

Edmilson(IC)
Deco(WC)
Xavi(WC

Messi(WC)
Eto'o(WC)
Dinho(WC)

Iniesta(IC)
Guily(NS)
Oleguer(NS)
Motta(NS)
Belletti(NS)

If Xavi is WC, then so is Iniesta, because Iniesta is better.

Agreed

I'll try and be as less biased as possible:

1. Dida (Nothing Special)
2. Oddo (International Class)
3. Jankulovski ('Needs to attend the I-need-to-learn-how-to-defend' class)
4. Nesta (World Class)
5. Maldini (International class)
6. Gattuso (IC/WC)
7. Pirlo (same)
8. Seedorf (International class)
9. Kaka (World class)
10. FatRon (World Class)
11. Gila (International class)

12. Kalac (Cr@p)
13. Kaladze (International class,on good form)
14. Bonera (International class)
15. Simic (Nothing Special)
16. SmilingCorpse (Nothing Special)
17. Serginho (N/C - Was injured for a year)
18. Brocchi (Nothing special)
19. Ambrosini (International class - when he's not injured)
20. Gourcuff (N/C - Highly rated but hasn't played much)
21. Favallinho (Nothing Special)
22. SuperPippo (International class)
23. NoGoliveira (N/C)
24. Borriello (Cr@p)

Re Milan

There is no way I'd have Inzaghi down as world class - his goalscoring record is good, but nothing amazingly special.

I don't think Ronaldo is world class any more either - top end of international class though.

Agree of Nesta, Kaka, Gattuso and Pirlo

Re Arsenal

I'd say world class: Gallas and Henry.

On the cusp: Cesc and RVP

The rest I'd guess are international class

Our main squad of 21:

12 Julio Cesar - IC
1 Toldo Francesco - IC
16 Burdisso Nicolas - IC
2 Cordoba Ivan - IC
11 Grosso Fabio - IC
13 Maicon Douglas - IC
23 Materazzi Marco - WC
25 Samuel Walter - IC
4 Zanetti Javier - WC
19 Cambiasso Esteban - WC
15 Dacourt Olivier - IC
91 Gonzalez Mariano - Nothing Special
7 Figo Luis - IC
6 Maxwell - Nothing Special
21 Solari Santiago - Nothing Special
5 Stankovic Dejan - WC
14 Vieira Patrick - IC
10 Adriano - IC
18 Crespo Hernan - WC
9 Cruz Julio - IC
8 Ibrahimovic Zlatan - WC

So IMO at Inter:
WC = 6
IC = 12
Nothing Special = 3

Some of the IC were WC or at the cusp of becoming WC... Figo, Vieira, Adriano are all ex-WC.... and grosso / maicon are at the cusp...

But I guess the strength of Inter is having so many IC squad players...

Actually I'm uggrading Cesc and RVP to world class seems as there's some flagrant bias going on here

I'm also going to put Gilberto, Touré and Rosicky up to 'on the cusp'

CHELSEA FC

1. Petr Cech(World Class)
2. Geremi (Nothing Special)
3. Ashley Cole (World Class)
4. John Terry (International Class)
5. Ricardo Carvalho (World Class)
6. Michael Ballack (World Class)
7. Frank Lampard (Premiership Class)
8. Michael Essien (World Class)
9. Jon Obo Mikel (International Class)
10. Andrey Shevchenko (World Class)
11. Didier Drogba (World Class)

12. Carlo Cudicini (International Class)
13. Wayne Bridge (International Class)
14. Joe Cole (International Class)
15. Arjen Robben (World Class/International Class)
16. Saloman Kalou (International Class/Nothing Special)

7 World Class players; which is a matter of opinion, and questions will obviously be raised over Sheva, but there is no denying that he is a World Class player.

We've got 3 in my opinion - Ferdinand, Scholes and Ronaldo.

Rooney's getting closer and closer.

If it's based on last season then it difficult to makes cases for players like ballack, sheva or pirlo being world class on the basis of a few glimpses of greatness, otherwise you can include giggs, rooney etc.

Cech and henry at least were injured for a big part of the season the others just played poorly.

I'll do Roma as well:

Doni - IC
Panucci - NS
Mexes - IC
Chivu - WC
Tonetto - IC
De Rossi - WC
Perotta - IC
Mancini - WC
Pizarro - IC
Totti - WC
Taddei - IC

So from the top 3 Italian teams there are a staggering 16 world class players!!!

if you include juve then that's pretty much all the 23 places in the world class squad taken

no room for dinho, messi, eto'o, gerrard, cronaldo etc

110% wrote:if you include juve then that's pretty much all the 23 places in the world class squad taken

no room for dinho, messi, eto'o, gerrard, cronaldo etc

I'm off to have a wank about the strength of Serie A

Reina - WC
finnan - IC
Carra - IC
Agger - soon to be WC
riise - IC
Gerrard - WC
Alonso - IC
Mascha - WC
Garcia - IC
Kuyt - IC
Crouchinho - WC

Tweedle wrote:I'll do Roma as well:

Doni - IC
Panucci - NS
Mexes - IC
Chivu - WC
Tonetto - IC
De Rossi - WC
Perotta - IC
Mancini - WC
Pizarro - IC
Totti - WC
Taddei - IC

So from the top 3 Italian teams there are a staggering 16 world class players!!!

I think you made a mistake the players you mentioned as IC are world class and the players you mentioned as WC, are beyond world class - as in all time greats.

I think I may have to edit my united list, as it seems my definition is different to everyone elses. It appears that to be considered world class, a player just has to be, a regular member of your first team.

Rez wrote:


I think you made a mistake the players you mentioned as IC are world class and the players you mentioned as WC, are beyond world class - as in all time greats.

I think I may have to edit my united list, as it seems my definition is different to everyone elses. It appears that to be considered world class, a player just has to be, a regular member of your first team.

They have to be a bit more than a regualr rez - they have to be reasonably decent as well - maybe one of the better players in your team, so for Utd I'd have Neville, Ferdinand, Evra, Scholes, Rooney and Ronaldo

Re Roma

Chivu is on the brink IMO
De Rossi as well, i do rate him higher than BOTH Gattuso and Pirlo. But he ain't WC yet.

Mancini is IC, probably top end but not WC.

And as someone who has watched Totti for years, i'd say he is WC but you guys think he's Cr@p so there's no point discussing it and arguing about it.

I would say though that most people outside England wouldn't laugh by hearing someone suggesting that Totti is WC.

Neville and Evra aren't World class.

Btw, I predict an argument between Tweedle and Bluenine very very soon.