Is it possibel to pick a team that would be a better footballing side than barcelona

Leixlip_Red · 22-09-2009 2:47pm

tdv wrote: »

Havent really looked like doing it so far.

Top of the league with a +9 goal difference... All you can do is beat what is in front of you and they can only improve the more they play together. Suppose we'll find out in El Gran Clasico on the 29th Nov. Really looking forward to that this year.

Bubs101 · 22-09-2009 3:00pm

If you want a side that could beat them and play great football your talking something like

Buffon

Bosingwa---Vidic---Chiellini---Maicon

Essien

--Ribery

Ronaldo

Arshavin

Cassano

Torres

curry-muff · 22-09-2009 3:52pm

Smegball wrote: »

The current Madrid team will give it a run for its money for sure...

Not a hope, take a look at their defence

Kirnsy · 22-09-2009 4:06pm

curry-muff wrote: »

Not a hope, take a look at their defence

barca's is hardly stellar now. if we were picking the best footballing XI I doubt any one of the back four would make it. possibly Alves but i reckon maicon is better tbh.

there's no doubt that Madrid would give barca a run for their money. people forget that Chelsea were only 10 seconds from knocking barca out of the champions league last season.

that said they are an incredible team to watch and deserved their success last year.

CHD · 22-09-2009 4:10pm

Trilla wrote: »

Maybe Essien, Carvalho not sooooo much

Carvalho is an amzing passer and dribbler for a centre half. One of the best footballing centre halves imo.

gimmick · 22-09-2009 4:12pm

Barcelonas defense is alot better than what it is given credit for. Remember, Chelsea could only score one against them as well over 120 ish minutes and Man U failed in their effort. Not saying that its the best in Europe or anything but it does deserve its due credit.

The team mentioned by Bubs looks good, apart from Cassano being there. I would have quite a string of players better suited. But its all opinion, so meh.

whatawaster · 22-09-2009 4:52pm

Bubs101 wrote: »

If you want a side that could beat them and play great football your talking something like
Buffon

Bosingwa---Vidic---Chiellini---Maicon
Essien

--Ribery
Ronaldo
Arshavin
Cassano
Torres

Barcelona would destroy that team. There is no midfield, as good as Essien is. 3 in the middle is essential imo.

Casillas

Maicon

Chiellini

Carvalho

Evra

Essien

Mascherano

Fabregas

Gerrard

Ronaldo

Torres

Quint · 22-09-2009 5:46pm

How is Mascherano in a "footballing" team?

SlickRic · 22-09-2009 6:00pm

Quint wrote: »

How is Mascherano in a "footballing" team?

agreed.

if people want someone who can 'enforce' but also be in a footballing team, felipe melo might be a better bet.

or senna of villareal.

22-09-2009 6:23pm

whatawaster wrote: »

Barcelona would destroy that team. There is no midfield, as good as Essien is. 3 in the middle is essential imo.
Casillas

Maicon
Chiellini
Carvalho
Evra
Essien
Mascherano
Fabregas
Gerrard
Ronaldo
Torres

I like that team,the comments above question how is Mascherano in the team,anyone who watches him for Argentina knows he can play football but as they say he isnt in the team for his footballing abilities.

He will just keep things tidy at the back and against their on the floor passing he would be great,breaking things up etc.
If you want to beat them you need a player like him.

Vampireskiss · 25-09-2009 12:45pm

Alijah Green Warden wrote: »

I like that team,the comments above question how is Mascherano in the team,anyone who watches him for Argentina knows he can play football but as they say he isnt in the team for his footballing abilities.

He will just keep things tidy at the back and against their on the floor passing he would be great,breaking things up etc.
If you want to beat them you need a player like him.

I would have Drogba in ahead of Torres, he can play the lone striker much better

SlickRic · 25-09-2009 12:51pm

Vampireskiss wrote: »

I would have Drogba in ahead of Torres, he can play the lone striker much better

6 of one, half a dozen of the other.

Torres only plays lone striker really.

it depends how you want your lone striker to play.

Drogba holds the ball up superbly and is scary strong. In a team that plays a fair amount of long ball, he'd be better.

Torres is more likely to come out with that bit of magic to turn a game. he may lose the ball a fair few times trying different things, but you just know it'll work that one time in a game.

he's also stronger than people give him credit for.

Drogba certainly wouldn't be a vast improvement, if an improvement at all.

eZe^ · 25-09-2009 1:19pm

You could certainly make a stronger XI, that could beat Barca more times than they'd lose, but whether they'd play football as cohesively as Barca is another thing altogether. You gotta remember that Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Puyol, Pique, and Valdes all came from Barca's youth system, so they grew up with the exact same mentality bred into them, they are all naturally on the same wavelength with each other. That allows the teams philosophy to be implemented quite easily all over the pitch.

Boskowski · 25-09-2009 1:30pm

Vampireskiss wrote: »

Maicon vidic rio evra

mascherano

fabregas arshavin

ronaldo ribery

Drogba

lol

Vidic? Rio??? Evra? Mascherano? Arshavin? Drogba?

You guys should watch some other football than just premiership. Unbelievable to read not one Italian name in the back line for instance. Who the fvck is Mascherano? Ridiculous. Drogba. How is Drogba better than Eto or Rooney?

Pro. F · 25-09-2009 1:34pm

A team to take them on at their own game:
.....................Casillas
Lahm...Carvalho...Vidic...Cole
.....................Essien
........Fabregas...Arshavin
Kaka...................................Ribery
....................Drogba

(i hope the formation looks right. I did this on my phone. It's supposed to be 433)

Drogba vs Torres is an interesting question. I think with teams that really really hold onto the ball, like we want this team to do, one of the problems is that they don't get enough people into the box. So i think Drogba's strength and directness would balance that.

No Ronaldo or Gerrard because, for different reasons, they aren't suited to retaining possession imo.

This team could definitely play Barca's style. Although i don't think they could out Barca Barca (yes, that does make sense). I do think they would beat Barca more than half the time but they would have to play slightly more direct. Mainly because Fabregas and Kaka aren't as good at holding onto possession as Xavi and Messi.

The really important thing about Barca, imo, is not the players but the coaching staff. It's the culture of the entire club that gives them the courage to stick to their game plan no matter what.

The last Euro championships had plenty of great examples of possession footballing teams. There were so many teams playing that way. Off the top of my head - Turkey, Russia, Croatia, Spain and Czeck Republic all played the style. It just shows what a manager can get out of players if he properly commits to playing that way.

Edit, forgot to add: Turkey's 3-2 come back against the Czecks in their last group game was one of the best examples of a team using possession football i've ever seen. The Turks were missing loads of their star players and were down 2-0 with 20 minutes left. But they kept the faith, kept passing and pressing until they'd gotten the 3 goals they needed. The ball never left the ground, it was beautiful

Melion · 25-09-2009 1:37pm

Some people really need to watch more than the premiership, some of the line-ups here are hilarious. I dont think ive seen Chiellini in any of them.

SlickRic · 25-09-2009 1:42pm

realcam wrote: »

You guys should watch some other football than just premiership. Unbelievable to read not one Italian name in the back line for instance.

i watch Italian football, and Chiellini is the only one that would have a chance of getting in a World XI backline. Rio is well worth his place given his form the last few seasons. Carvalho and Vidic would also give chiellini a run for his money.

realcam wrote: »

Who the fvck is Mascherano?

one of the top 2/3 DF's in the world at breaking up play. Essien is the only one that is definitively better. maybe de rossi too. Masch is not an 'out-there' choice. sure who is it barca were courting in the summer again...

realcam wrote: »

Drogba. How is Drogba better than Eto or Rooney?

because, as a line-leading centre forward, he's better.

eto'o has an argument given last season's form, but rooney, sorry, not yet.

Dempsey · 25-09-2009 1:57pm

Buffon

Maicon Abidol Demichelis Grosso

      Essien      Alonso

             Kaka'

 Gerrard            Ronaldo

            Eto'o

Buffon is self explanatory

Both full backs like to push up the field and link with midfield with good short passing, they dont just hoof it and they are never caught out because they have good engines and get up and back without delay.

Both centre backs are rock solid plus they have played in the DM role, both very good passers of the ball

Essien and Alonso's styles would complement each other perfectly

Kaka & Gerrard in their free roles as this allows them both to do what they do best.

Ronaldo and Eto'o dont need any introductions

I think that team would give Barca a good run for its money playing open attacking football like they do.

Pro. F · 25-09-2009 2:05pm

realcam wrote: »

lol

Vidic? Rio???

Rio i agree with, only because he's been plagued by injuries for the last six months. But what the fùck is wrong with Vidic?

realcam wrote: »

How is Drogba better than Eto or Rooney?

Because he's bigger, stronger, faster (than Rooney), better in the air and better at scoring goals and far better at leading the line on his own. I think Rooney and Eto'o are two of the best strikers in the world. Drogba, Villa and Torres are better though. And Drogba is the best at leading the line.

eZe^ · 25-09-2009 2:19pm

Pro. F wrote: »

Rio i agree with, only because he's been plagued by injuries for the last six months. But what the fùck is wrong with Vidic?

Because he's bigger, stronger, faster (than Rooney), better in the air and better at scoring goals and far better at leading the line on his own. I think Rooney and Eto'o are two of the best strikers in the world. Drogba, Villa and Torres are better though. And Drogba is the best at leading the line.

Drogba, the same Drogba that has only scored over 16 goals in total for Chelsea once in 6 seasons? That's a joke tbh... He has 99 goals in 223 games for Chelsea, Eto'o had 130 goals in 200 appearances for Barca. Drogba is too inconsistent to be the best striker in the world, Torres, Eto'o and Villa are far superior.

everdead.ie · 25-09-2009 2:24pm

Buffon

Srna ----Carvalho---Terry---maicon

Essien

Alonso

Ronaldo

Gerarrd

sneijder

Torres

Subs Modric,Lampard,Kaka,Pirlo,Drogba,Robben

Boskowski · 25-09-2009 2:33pm

Since we're going 'old' (but not ancient) and it's turning into some sort of best ever thread...:

Schmeichel

Maldini Cannavaro Kohler Lizarazu

Savicevic Kaka Keane Zidane

Romario Stoitchkov

If we're taking out ex-Barca players it would have to be

Schmeichel

Maldini Cannavaro Kohler Lizarazu

Savicevic Kaka Keane Zidane

Torres Rooney

Pro. F · 25-09-2009 2:42pm

eZe^ wrote: »

Drogba, the same Drogba that has only scored over 16 goals in total for Chelsea once in 6 seasons? That's a joke tbh... He has 99 goals in 223 games for Chelsea, Eto'o had 130 goals in 200 appearances for Barca. Drogba is too inconsistent to be the best striker in the world, Torres, Eto'o and Villa are far superior.

His stats are a bit shìte, that's true. But the numbers just don't represent how good is. He took a while to settle when he came to the EPL. He has had poor seasons because of injuries and manager difficulties. I know Eto'o has had that too but when he played he was being supported by Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Henry, Ronaldinho etc. Playing good positive football. Whereas Chelsea have been the epitomie of a grinding team. Those are the reasons for his less impressive stats imo.

I was a little harsh on Eto'o to be fair, I would put him in the top tier with Torres, Drogba and Villa. But as a lone front man Drogba is the best for me.

PS: I despise Drogba's personalty. If i was managing him i would be giving him severe bollockings for his cry baby acts. It was good to see Hiddink do that last season.

jesus_thats_gre · 25-09-2009 2:48pm

Personally believe that Drogba is the best striker in the world when his head is right.

Unearthly · 25-09-2009 2:50pm

realcam wrote: »

lol

Vidic? Rio??? Evra? Mascherano? Arshavin? Drogba?

You guys should watch some other football than just premiership. Unbelievable to read not one Italian name in the back line for instance. Who the fvck is Mascherano? Ridiculous. Drogba. How is Drogba better than Eto or Rooney?

Whatever about not including players from other leagues but you dismissing those names shows you are a bit clueless about football in every sense.

dyl10 · 25-09-2009 3:05pm

Andy Reid

Stephen Ireland----Andy Reid----Stephen Ireland----Andy Reid
Stephen Ireland----Stephen Ireland----Andy Reid----Andy Reid

Andy Reid

Stephen Ireland

SlickRic · 25-09-2009 3:09pm

dyl10 wrote: »

John O'Shea
Stephen Ireland----Andy Reid----Stephen Ireland----Andy Reid
Stephen Ireland----Stephen Ireland----Andy Reid----Andy Reid
Andy Reid
Stephen Ireland

FYP

Warper · 25-09-2009 3:16pm

How anyone can have Evra at left-back is beyond me. Ashley Cole is the best left-back in the world bar none. Evra is even behind Abidal for the French left-back spot.

I really dont know if you can pick a better footballing side than Barca atm. They seem to be ahead of everyone. There is no better midfield trio than Xavi, Iniesta and Messi. Madrid sure are trying though with Kaka and Ronaldo added and their midfield is the closest to Barca's in terms of pure quality.

Chelsea have a strong midfield with Lampard, Essien and Ballack. Bayern have 2 of the best wingers in the game in Robben and Ribery who will cause chaos this year provided they can keep both of them fit. The signing of Robben will facilitate Ribery to Madrid next year.

Mr Alan · 25-09-2009 3:23pm

its insane how much people over estimate Barcalona.

they only got by Chelsea, who came third in the PL, due to horrendous refereeing decisions. they've lost one of their better players this summer. they are not the perfect team.

Pro. F · 25-09-2009 3:29pm

Warper wrote: »

Evra is even behind Abidal for the French left-back spot.

How is this STILL coming up?! You may not have heard - Domenech knows nothing about football. Him picking Abidal ahead of Evra is only more proof of that.

I agree that Cole is better than Evra. But it's reasonably close, so if people are putting Evra in at left back they probably feel they have some justification. But when you back up your argument with referel to the team Domenech manages, that's hilarious.

Pro. F · 25-09-2009 3:39pm

Mr Alan wrote: »

its insane how much people over estimate Barcalona.

they only got by Chelsea, who came third in the PL, due to horrendous refereeing decisions. they've lost one of their better players this summer. they are not the perfect team.

I can only speak for myself, but i thought the whole point of this thread was to discuss how good they are at playing a particular style of football, rather than how good they are in absolute terms.

I would say they are, by far and away, the best at playing possession football. In terms of how good they are overall this season, i'll let the CL decide in May.

Dempsey · 25-09-2009 4:08pm

Mr Alan wrote: »

its insane how much people over estimate Barcalona.

they only got by Chelsea, who came third in the PL, due to horrendous refereeing decisions. they've lost one of their better players this summer. they are not the perfect team.

Very true, its just because the humbled Man Utd in the final has skewed alot of people's opinions.

happyoutscan · 25-09-2009 7:34pm

No way would I have Rio in that eleven, probably because I have a blatant dislike for donkeys.

el dude · 25-09-2009 7:40pm

No, in answer t othe OP.

But, i'll take a stab anyway.

Johnson

Carvahlo

Agger

Evra

Essien

Fabregas---Gerrard

Ronaldo

Ribery

Torres

Slight Liverpool bias there, but that looks pretty tasty to me.

el dude · 25-09-2009 7:43pm

Warper wrote: »

How anyone can have Evra at left-back is beyond me.

Really? having one of, if not the best LB in the world our side is beyond you?

Jax Teller · 25-09-2009 7:46pm

Ya wanna beat dem or be better den dem ??
Ders a big difference

Vampireskiss · 25-09-2009 7:48pm

Warper wrote: »

How anyone can have Evra at left-back is beyond me. Ashley Cole is the best left-back in the world bar none. Evra is even behind Abidal for the French left-back spot.

I really dont know if you can pick a better footballing side than Barca atm. They seem to be ahead of everyone. There is no better midfield trio than Xavi, Iniesta and Messi. Madrid sure are trying though with Kaka and Ronaldo added and their midfield is the closest to Barca's in terms of pure quality.

Chelsea have a strong midfield with Lampard, Essien and Ballack. Bayern have 2 of the best wingers in the game in Robben and Ribery who will cause chaos this year provided they can keep both of them fit. The signing of Robben will facilitate Ribery to Madrid next year.

Because he is the best left back in the world, Cole is good too but Evra has been better this year, the goals Cole has scored may sway most peoples decisions but for all round play I believe evra has been better, although im a united fan so thats swaying mine:)

mayordenis · 25-09-2009 7:51pm

Santon - Agger - Chiellini - Cole
Ronaldo-Gerrard-Essien-Ribery
Villa-Torres

I reckon that side would whip Barca all day long,

3hn2givr7mx1sc · 25-09-2009 8:08pm

Casillas

Johnson-Vidic-Ferdinand-Evra

Hargreaves-Essien

Gerrard

Ronaldo

Ribery

Drogba

Quint · 25-09-2009 8:20pm

Warper wrote: »

How anyone can have Evra at left-back is beyond me. Ashley Cole is the best left-back in the world bar none. Evra is even behind Abidal for the French left-back spot.

I really dont know if you can pick a better footballing side than Barca atm. They seem to be ahead of everyone. There is no better midfield trio than Xavi, Iniesta and Messi. Madrid sure are trying though with Kaka and Ronaldo added and their midfield is the closest to Barca's in terms of pure quality.

Chelsea have a strong midfield with Lampard, Essien and Ballack. Bayern have 2 of the best wingers in the game in Robben and Ribery who will cause chaos this year provided they can keep both of them fit. The signing of Robben will facilitate Ribery to Madrid next year.

That's because domenech is the worst manager of all time. Evra is 1000 times better than Abidal

Slash/ED · 25-09-2009 8:26pm

No he isn't.

And how is there a Torres Drogba argument when Villa is clearly the best striker in the world?

Jax Teller · 25-09-2009 9:08pm

Slash/ED wrote: »

No he isn't.

And how is there a Torres Drogba argument when Villa is clearly the best striker in the world?

hard to compare the three , drogba so powerful , torres i think has everythin pace strenth can head a ball , villa a different type of player seems to play in d box unlike the other two

Jax Teller · 25-09-2009 9:19pm

gonna have a bash

casillas
johnson vidic terry cole
alonso
ronaldo gerard ribery
arshavin
torres

mayordenis · 25-09-2009 9:21pm

keysersoze_88 wrote: »

gonna have a bash

casillas
dani alves vidic terry cole
alonso
ronaldo gerard ribery
arshavin
torres

Dani Alves players for barca...

Jax Teller · 25-09-2009 9:22pm

mayordenis wrote: »

Dani Alves players for barca...

oh dont i feel silly

Is it possibel to pick a team that would be a better footballing side than barcelona

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