EB 2010 World Class Squad poll

Its that time of the year, just to keep the EB tradition going... Select your World Squad of 23 players, at least 3 of which must be goalkeepers. Rest is upto you.

My selection:

GKs (3): Cesar, Casillas, Buffon
Defenders (: Maicon, Alves, Lahm, A Cole, Nesta, Lucio, Samuel, Pique
Midfield (7): Schweinstieger, Cambiasso, Essien, Xavi, Sneijder, Robben, Iniesta
Strikers (5): Messi, Ronaldo, Drogba, Villa, Rooney

GKs: Cesar, Casillas, Buffon
Defenders: Maicon, Alves, Evra,Lahm,puyol, Lucio, Samuel, Pique
Midfield: Schweinstieger,Essien, Xavi,Masch,Iniesta
Forwards: Messi, Ronaldo, Drogba, Villa,Eto'o,Forlan

GKs (3): Cesar, Reina, Buffon
Defenders (6): Maicon, Alves, Evra, A Cole, Ramos, Lucio (No Others)
Midfield (7): Alonso, Gerrard, Essien, Xavi, Sneijder, Robben, Iniesta
Strikers (7): Messi, Ronaldo, Drogba, Villa, Torres, Rooney, Forlan

23 players

GK: Cesar, Casillas, Reina

Defenders: Lucio, Pique, Puyol, A Cole, Maicon, Lahm, Ramos,

Midfielders: Xavi, Alonso, Robben, Sneijder, Mascherano, Schweinstieger

Forwards: Messi, Ronaldo, Drogba, Villa, Torres, Rooney, Higuain

GK: Cesar, Casillas, Buffon

DF: Lucio, Maicon, Cole, Lahm, Nesta, Pique, Ramos

MF: Xavi, Iniesta, Sneijder, Essien, Kaka, Mascherano, Schweinstieger, De Rossi

FW: Messi, Ronaldo, Villa, Drogba, Forlan,

would be my squad, though for one reason or another the ones bolded I wouldn't say are currently WC.

Not sure there are currently 23 WC players, but it depends on what your definition of WC is I guess. I still feel it's most appropriate tagging a player as WC if he would realistically walk into any club/national side.

Cesar, Van Der Sar, Reina

Maicon, Alves, Evra, Cole, Vidic, Pique, Lucio

Xavi, Iniesta, Robben, Cesc, Honda, Ozil, Di Maria

Messi, Forlan, Drogba, Rooney, Ronaldo, Villa

Cesar, Buffon, Reina

Maicon, Zanetti, Evra, Cole, Lucio, Samuel, Nesta

Xavi, Schweinsteiger, Cambiasso, Mascherano, Montolivo, Sneijder, Robben

Messi, Rooney, Ronaldo, Milito, Villa, Drogba

(3.) Buffon, Casillas, Cesar

(8.) Maicon, Lahm, A.Cole, Evra, Pique, Lucio, Ramos, Nesta

(7.) Xavi, Schweinstieger, Alonso, Fabregas, Iniesta, Robben, Sneijder

(5.) Drogba, Messi, Ronaldo, Villa, Rooney


RIP Essien, someone can only be injured for so long until they become irrelevant.

Goalkeepers: Cesar, Buffon, Reina, Casillas

Defenders: Maicon, Evra, Alves, Cole, Nesta, Lucio, Samuel,

Midfielders:Xavi, Essien, Cambiasso, Sneijder, Alonso, Van Bommel

Forwards: Torres, Drogba, Rooney, Ronaldo, Messi, Eto

Im going with players that have proven themselves in the best competition(CL). Villa will surely take over from Eto next season because Eto seems to have deteriorated while Villa will play CL and I don't expect him to struggle.

Im unsure about some of them(bolded). If Cambiasso/Van Bommel can deliver again in Cl then I have no doubt. If Nesta can stay somewhat injury free then he is an obvious one. Casillas has been average for two seasons but he looked better in the WC though. I always rated Alves(especially for Sevilla) but he has been a big disapointment in pretty much every Cl game against a good team. Can't quite explain that one. I don't trust Lahm but he might take next year from Alves.

Sorry Super but you aren't getting Cambiasso and Van Bommel over Iniesta by basing it on CL

Kick Van Bommel the hell outta there please

GK (3):
Casillas, Cesar, Reina


DF (8 ):
Maicon, Alves, S. Ramos
Pique
Lucio
Evra, Lahm, A. Cole


MF(6):
Schweinsteiger, Toure
Xavi, Fabregas
Iniesta, Sneijder


FW(6):
Messi, Robben (he's no midfielder)
Villa, Etoo
Rooney, Ronaldo


Close: Luisao, Neuer, Xabi Alonso, Mascherano, Torres, Forlan, Vidic


Starting 11:
-------Julio Cesar--------
Maicon-Pique-Lucio-Evra
-----Schweinsteiger------
-------Xavi-Iniesta-------
---Messi-Villa-Rooney---


Sub 11:
------Casillas/Reina-----
---Ramos-Toure-Lahm--
Alves---------------A.Cole
----Fabregas--------------
--------------Sneijder-----
--Robben-Etoo-Ronaldo--

COTR wrote:Sorry Super but you aren't getting Cambiasso and Van Bommel over Iniesta by basing it on CL

Kick Van Bommel the hell outta there please

I consider Iniesta more of a forward so I never really thought of including him in the midfield section.

You don't rate Bommel? After the year he has had I rate him highly and people are putting Schweinstieger in their list and I think they have both been very good. I know he is a c**t but I see him as the heir to Effenberg.

Also I wonder what basis that people are putting Ramos in there. I like him but he hasn't played that well since 07/08. I would argue Arbeloa has been better then him this season.

Super Raul wrote:Also I wonder what basis that people are putting Ramos in there. I like him but he hasn't played that well since 07/08. I would argue Arbeloa has been better then him this season.

On the basis that he has actually been quite good. He was excellent in the World Cup. You seem to be stuck on a rut about him not being as good as he supposedly was back in 2007. Arbeloa? How much did Arbeloa even play this past season? (compared to Ramos)

Super Raul wrote:
Also I wonder what basis that people are putting Ramos in there. I like him but he hasn't played that well since 07/08. I would argue Arbeloa has been better then him this season.

Lack of options, like alot of my squad.

fcb wrote:

Super Raul wrote:Also I wonder what basis that people are putting Ramos in there. I like him but he hasn't played that well since 07/08. I would argue Arbeloa has been better then him this season.

On the basis that he has actually been quite good. He was excellent in the World Cup. You seem to be stuck on a rut about him not being as good as he supposedly was back in 2007. Arbeloa? How much did Arbeloa even play this past season? (compared to Ramos)

I have often defended him but since the 07/08 season both him and Casillas have underperformed. I already said he played well(along with Casillas) at the WC. However if you look past that I don't think he has been WC in the last two seasons. I would consider Ramos next year though.

Arbeloa played 30 games in the league and 38 overall. I would say say that is enough games to be considered. Ramos played 33 in the league and 40 games overall.

Kimbo wrote:

Super Raul wrote:
Also I wonder what basis that people are putting Ramos in there. I like him but he hasn't played that well since 07/08. I would argue Arbeloa has been better then him this season.

Lack of options, like alot of my squad.

Fair enough. What players did you include that you don't really think are world class?

It would be interesting to see if people truly think all their choices are world class or if they are simply filling in the gaps on some positions.

Super Raul wrote:
Fair enough. What players did you include that you don't really think are world class?

It would be interesting to see if people truly think all their choices are world class or if they are simply filling in the gaps on some positions.

I really struggled with the defence, as I'm sure most people did. Bar Maicon I don't actually think any defenders deserve a Euroboard World Class beside their name.

Is Neuer any better than Adler?

Surprised by Ramos' mentions aswell, but like Kimbo say's who else is their anyway? Ramos is certainly one of the better RB's/DF's in world football.

I think there is a lot of very good CB's coming up though. Thiago Silva + Luiz are two definites for me in the near future.

COTR wrote:

Super Raul wrote:
Fair enough. What players did you include that you don't really think are world class?

It would be interesting to see if people truly think all their choices are world class or if they are simply filling in the gaps on some positions.

I really struggled with the defence, as I'm sure most people did. Bar Maicon I don't actually think any defenders deserve a Euroboard World Class beside their name.

Lucio?

Super Raul wrote:

Kimbo wrote:

Super Raul wrote:
Also I wonder what basis that people are putting Ramos in there. I like him but he hasn't played that well since 07/08. I would argue Arbeloa has been better then him this season.

Lack of options, like alot of my squad.

Fair enough. What players did you include that you don't really think are world class?

It would be interesting to see if people truly think all their choices are world class or if they are simply filling in the gaps on some positions.

It's not that i don't think they're world class, i don't think the term means much. But Buffon is the only keeper i was particularly interested in, Nesta and Ramos were there because no names were jumping out at me, what with Carvalho, Rio and Gallas being past their best. Those 3 are usually the first 3 defenders i think of. Plus I was strugging for midfielders outside of Xavi, Schweinstieger and Iniesta.

I don't really think there is great depth around at the moment in GK, CB and midfield. I'm only an expert on the premiership though, and let me tell you it was a giant overblown turd last year, very few worthy players in England right now.

How many times have you seen Nesta play recently Kimbo? Has he been any good?

I don't know Lulu, i haven't seen him much. He's in there on past reputation only and might not deserve it. Like i said, who do i put in? Carragher? Maybe Stevie G could play there, what with him being a "complete" player. Who knows...

I'm not one of those guys that pretends to be an expert on all foreign leagues. The premiership is low on talent at the moment and when i watch a foreign league game it is generally Barca or Real beating up on someone.

I had a tough time leaving out defenders, but that's including fullbacks (as you can see from my squad). Luisao I think is one top player who often gets overlooked because he plays at Benfica.

Kimbo wrote:I don't know Lulu, i haven't seen him much. He's in there on past reputation only and might not deserve it. Like i said, who do i put in? Carragher? Maybe Stevie G could play there, what with him being a "complete" player. Who knows...

I'm not one of those guys that pretends to be an expert on all foreign leagues. The premiership is low on talent at the moment and when i watch a foreign league game it is generally Barca or Real beating up on someone.

I don't know if the Premier League is short on talent, certainly not for strikers anyway. I'd argue the 3 best strikers in the world all play in the Premier League (Drogba, Torres, Rooney) but I guess you have a point with aging talent now. At one time we had Gerrard and Lampard in their prime with great defenders such as Carragher, Terry, Ferdinand etc but La Liga is taking over now.

Luis wrote:

Kimbo wrote:I don't know Lulu, i haven't seen him much. He's in there on past reputation only and might not deserve it. Like i said, who do i put in? Carragher? Maybe Stevie G could play there, what with him being a "complete" player. Who knows...

I'm not one of those guys that pretends to be an expert on all foreign leagues. The premiership is low on talent at the moment and when i watch a foreign league game it is generally Barca or Real beating up on someone.

I don't know if the Premier League is short on talent, certainly not for strikers anyway. I'd argue the 3 best strikers in the world all play in the Premier League (Drogba, Torres, Rooney) but I guess you have a point with aging talent now. At one time we had Gerrard and Lampard in their prime with great defenders such as Carragher, Terry, Ferdinand etc but La Liga is taking over now.

I am shocked.

How so?

I was being sarcastic. I would rate Ronaldo, Villa and Eto'o as better strikers, but then i'm not a Pool fan. Also if Gerrard, Lampard, Carragher and Terry were the best the premiership had to offer then maybe it was never the best.

Kimbo wrote:Also if Gerrard, Lampard, Carragher and Terry were the best the premiership had to offer then maybe it was never the best.

It's no surprise that those players are no longer top class - they're getting old now. You can still be fairly old in La Liga or Serie A and get away with it, that's why players coming to the end of their careers tend to go there and then admit they're past it by going to the USA.

In their prime though, these were world class players. All played vital roles in getting their teams to Champions League finals.

The Premiership will always attract the best players, we had Ronaldo, we had Henry in his prime. We just can't attract the Barca players for long as they all seem to be brainwashed that they can't leave.

Come on luis we never saw zidane figo fat ronaldo and co here. Ronaldo cos we got him as a kid. but i doubt you'll be seeing chelsea sign messi or casillas go to arsenal. prem still lacks a certain glamour factor. Maybe it's just the climate and surroundings manchester and liverpool are hardly great places to live.

Luis wrote:

Kimbo wrote:Also if Gerrard, Lampard, Carragher and Terry were the best the premiership had to offer then maybe it was never the best.

It's no surprise that those players are no longer top class - they're getting old now. You can still be fairly old in La Liga or Serie A and get away with it, that's why players coming to the end of their careers tend to go there and then admit they're past it by going to the USA.

In their prime though, these were world class players. All played vital roles in getting their teams to Champions League finals.

The Premiership will always attract the best players, we had Ronaldo, we had Henry in his prime. We just can't attract the Barca players for long as they all seem to be brainwashed that they can't leave.

Were they ever top class? They were good players and i'm sure Chelsea and Liverpool fans will remember them as legends. But what about the rest of us? If i were to create some tiers, with the likes of Zidane, Messi, and Maldini at the top, Gerrard and Lampard would probably be in the 3rd tier, with the 2nd containing the likes of Figo, Scholes, Giggs etc.

Terry and Carrager on the other hand, i don't even remember them being the best CBs at their clubs, Gallas and Carvalho were better than Terry and Hyypia then Agger were better than Carragher. IMO ofcourse. We need to stop putting these overrated fucko's on a pedastal.