Grauniad's all-time World XI

Happarently Pele and Mardona's 50th and 70th birthdays are coming up, so in honour of these illustrious events the Guardian is attempting to select an all-time top XI, starting with midfielders and strikers. Enjoy, rip apart, etc etc...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/oct/19/greatest-ever-football-xi-midfielders?showallcomments=true#comment-fold

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/oct/20/greatest-ever-footballers-strikers

Briliant comment by Howfener :

I guess carrying Liverpool on his back is the cause of Gerrard falling down so often.

An article on candidates for best 4 midfielders of all time - he doesn't mention Xavi but does mention Fabregas

Midfield was bizarre. 'scuse my total ignorance but I'd never even heard of Dave Mackay (although I see he's a Spurs legend from back in the day, which does rather backup the theory about all football hacks being Spurs fans). Not sure how one would justify picking him over likes of Cruyff, Zidane, Zico...

Can't really put up much argument with Maradona-Ronaldo up front, mind.

Yeah, preferred the striker article as it went into derails and justified the selection, as opposed to just listing any midfielder under the sun that was fairly decent.

Sure Roy Keane was useful, but c'mon.

There was lots of brilliant stuff in the striker article that I wish I'd written myself. And I agree with his verdict but surely Ronaldo over Pele is controversial to say the least?!

Very odd midfield piece, indeed.

"retired to the sweeper position a little bit early" – brilliant summation of Europe's greatest ever footballer by an English journalist

A fraction of a phrase on Zizou

The midfield list is hopelessly flawed not only by having plenty of the wrong people but by chucking plenty of attacking midfielders/forwards in. Platini or Matthäus? Jesus. And Xavi as the best ever (someone's comment), feck's sake, I think he's probably the best player in the world but still...

I enjoyed: "I just wrote Joey Barton with a tick beside it in permanent marker on my computer screen. My boss wants to know if the guardian are going to pay for it?"

debaser wrote:Midfield was bizarre. 'scuse my total ignorance but I'd never even heard of Dave Mackay (although I see he's a Spurs legend from back in the day, which does rather backup the theory about all football hacks being Spurs fans). Not sure how one would justify picking him over likes of Cruyff, Zidane, Zico...

Can't really put up much argument with Maradona-Ronaldo up front, mind.

Typical Guardian really, whenever an article like this is written the writers have to have their own "unique out of leftfield" opinions. That and it helps their traffic to wind people up.

Today one of them called Maldini a "good looking Neville / Beckham in defence"

Allez les rouges wrote:There was lots of brilliant stuff in the striker article that I wish I'd written myself. And I agree with his verdict but surely Ronaldo over Pele is controversial to say the least?!

Romario and Ronaldo are easier to compare....and anyone being worth their salt rates Romario higher than Ronaldo

Allez les rouges wrote:There was lots of brilliant stuff in the striker article that I wish I'd written myself. And I agree with his verdict but surely Ronaldo over Pele is controversial to say the least?!

Very odd midfield piece, indeed.

"retired to the sweeper position a little bit early" – brilliant summation of Europe's greatest ever footballer by an English journalist

A fraction of a phrase on Zizou

The midfield list is hopelessly flawed not only by having plenty of the wrong people but by chucking plenty of attacking midfielders/forwards in. Platini or Matthäus? Jesus. And Xavi as the best ever (someone's comment), feck's sake, I think he's probably the best player in the world but still...

I enjoyed: "I just wrote Joey Barton with a tick beside it in permanent marker on my computer screen. My boss wants to know if the guardian are going to pay for it?"

Stop making everyone feel depressed..

Anyway anyone has his prefered players so obviously this list is going to bring some debates...Not putting is Zidane for the midfielders is a bit weird though. Where's Pele??

Axeslammer wrote:

Allez les rouges wrote:There was lots of brilliant stuff in the striker article that I wish I'd written myself. And I agree with his verdict but surely Ronaldo over Pele is controversial to say the least?!

Romario and Ronaldo are easier to compare....and anyone being worth their salt rates Romario higher than Ronaldo

100% agree...

every dutchman and brasilian says the same! And they are able to know it:ale:

Explain boys?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/poll/2010/oct/21/greatest-ever-football-xi-defenders-poll

Zeus is a "dishy Gary Neville", illegibly.

It's only the Guardian, don't take it seriously.

Allez les rouges wrote:Explain boys?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/poll/2010/oct/21/greatest-ever-football-xi-defenders-poll

Zeus is a "dishy Gary Neville", illegibly.

Ronaldo was more a "worker" if you compare him to Romario. He had really the skills. He was like a fox

has enough time now passed that Makalele stops making these lists?

It's typical of articles such as this to try and be controversial and seen as different with the norm with their picks. Lizarazu was a brilliant defender, one of the best in my time watching football, but how he gets in ahead of Maldini is a just bizarre. I expect a lot of people would also have a case by having Baresi in place of Lucio too.

The votes have been counted, and predictably enough it's a complete waste of time.

Gerrard

Told you it was a joke.

Well the defense is pretty good actually. Problem seems to be more that people arent sure of what a midfielder is.

Schmeichel was a great, but frankly Buffon has done more over a longer period of time... And lets not forget a certain Lev Yashin.

I can understand not putting a DM in the midfield, this is more about great players rather than best team... But Gerrard over the likes of Garrincha, Platini, Ronaldinho, Puskas, Zico, Di Stefano, etc or Messi is just a joke really. He has never even been the world player of the year even once!

If they had to insert a token english player, why not Charlton, Moore or even Banks? Those are the legends of the English game, not Gerrard!

It was voted for by the readers... I suspect many voted Gerrard just to piss people off, a lot just rate him that highly too I suppose.

Ricardo Wetzel wrote:

Axeslammer wrote:

Allez les rouges wrote:There was lots of brilliant stuff in the striker article that I wish I'd written myself. And I agree with his verdict but surely Ronaldo over Pele is controversial to say the least?!

Romario and Ronaldo are easier to compare....and anyone being worth their salt rates Romario higher than Ronaldo

100% agree...

every dutchman and brasilian says the same! And they are able to know it:ale:

If voted by all all world fans,maybe Ronaldo could got 90% at least ,Romario must under 10% ,if voted by European fans,Ronaldo must got 70% at least ,if voted by Brazilian,maybe 50% vs 50%.

Ronaldo was best player of the 1990s ,no question,according to World Soccer magazine's top 100 footballers of the 20th century
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Soccer_(magazine)
AND IFFHS's Brazilian Players of the 20th Century
http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/iffhs-century.html
And at PSV,BARCA and INTER MILAN he was most skillsfull and best dribbling player ever.Of course,Romario was a better scorer than Ronaldo ,But Ronaldo was a 100 times better player than Romario.
SEE FIFA TALK ABOUT RONALDO
http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/news/newsid=997356.html
http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/news/newsid=1304465.html#happy+birthday
http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/news/newsid=1172562.html#ronaldo+retire+next+year
http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/awards/gala/news/newsid=71877.html
http://www.fifa.com/newscentre/news/newsid=71765.html
http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/awards/gala/news/newsid=84601.html
http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/awards/gala/news/newsid=85741.html
http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/awards/gala/news/newsid=71347.html
http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/awards/gala/news/newsid=106871.html
As striker ,I picked Pele and Ronaldo.Maradona was 3st

Murray wrote:Gerrard

Told you it was a joke.

Not at all. All should bow down to this master-class

Chris 23* wrote:

Murray wrote:Gerrard

Told you it was a joke.

Not at all. All should bow down to this master-class

Finally some deserved recognition