Battle of the Footballers

[Cloete]

I can't sleep, so here's a provisional shortlist of 64:

Goalkeepers
Lev Yashin (Russia)
Peter Schmeichel (Denmark)
Gordon Banks (England)
Sepp Maier (Germany)

Defenders
Bobby Moore (England)
Tony Adams (England)
Stuart Pearce (England)
Ruud Krol (Holland)
Frank Rijkaard (Holland)
Franco Baresi (Italy)
Paolo Maldini (Italy)
Alessandro Nesta (Italy)
Giacinto Facchetti (Italy)
Franz Beckenbauer (Germany)
Lothar Matthaus (Germany)
Daniel Passarella (Argentina)
Cafu (Brazil)

Midfielders
Michel Platini (France)
Zinedine Zidane (France)
Didier Deschamps (France)
Bobby Charlton (England)
Bryan Robson (England)
Ruud Gullit (Holland)
Johan Cruijff (Holland)
Ronaldinho (Brazil)
Jairzinho (Brazil)
Zico (Brazil)
Socrates (Brazil)
Roy Keane (Republic of Ireland)
Pavel Nedved (Czech Republic)
Luis Figo (Portugal)
Georghe Hagi (Romania)
Ryan Giggs (Wales)

Forwards
Pele (Brazil)
Romario (Brazil)
Rivelino (Brazil)
Ronaldo (Brazil)
Diego Maradona (Argentina)
Mario Kempes (Argentina)
Alfredo Di Stefano (Argentina)
Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina)
Hugo Sanchez (Mexico)
Tom Finney (England)
Stanley Matthews (England)
Gary Lineker (England)
Kevin Keegan (England)
Alan Shearer (England)
Eric Cantona (France)
Just Fontaine (France)
Thierry Henry (France)
Jean-Pierre Papin (France)
Ferenc Puskas (Hungary)
Gerd Muller (Germany)
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Germany)
Paolo Rossi (Italy)
Roberto Baggio (Italy)
Dennis Bergkamp (Holland)
Marco van Basten (Holland)
George Best (Northern Ireland)
Eusebio (Portugal)
Emilio Butragueno (Spain)
Raul (Spain)
George Weah (Liberia)
Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)


Feel free to suggest alterations - just thought it would be better to have something to work from.

lol @ Tony Adams... I'd far prefer to see Gazza in the midfield than Adams in the defence. Also I think Hierro and Camacho should be in there.

If we are going to include an Australian, I think Craig Johnston deserves to be there. He was part of the great Liverpool 80's side and he won the League, League Cup, FA Cup and European Cup with them. Hell, he also designed the Adidas Predators

To be fair though, Harry Kewell is a far better player and Johnston wasn't one of the liverpool greats.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I can't sleep, so here's a provisional shortlist of 64:

Goalkeepers
Lev Yashin (Russia)
Peter Schmeichel (Denmark)
Gordon Banks (England)
Sepp Maier (Germany)

Defenders
Bobby Moore (England)
Tony Adams (England)
Stuart Pearce (England)
Ruud Krol (Holland)
Frank Rijkaard (Holland)
Franco Baresi (Italy)
Paolo Maldini (Italy)
Alessandro Nesta (Italy)
Giacinto Facchetti (Italy)
Franz Beckenbauer (Germany)
Lothar Matthaus (Germany)
Daniel Passarella (Argentina)
Cafu (Brazil)

Midfielders
Michel Platini (France)
Zinedine Zidane (France)
Didier Deschamps (France)
Bobby Charlton (England)
Bryan Robson (England)
Ruud Gullit (Holland)
Johan Cruijff (Holland)
Ronaldinho (Brazil)
Jairzinho (Brazil)
Zico (Brazil)
Socrates (Brazil)
Roy Keane (Republic of Ireland)
Pavel Nedved (Czech Republic)
Luis Figo (Portugal)
Georghe Hagi (Romania)
Ryan Giggs (Wales)

Forwards
Pele (Brazil)
Romario (Brazil)
Rivelino (Brazil)
Ronaldo (Brazil)
Diego Maradona (Argentina)
Mario Kempes (Argentina)
Alfredo Di Stefano (Argentina)
Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina)
Hugo Sanchez (Mexico)
Tom Finney (England)
Stanley Matthews (England)
Gary Lineker (England)
Kevin Keegan (England)
Alan Shearer (England)
Eric Cantona (France)
Just Fontaine (France)
Thierry Henry (France)
Jean-Pierre Papin (France)
Ferenc Puskas (Hungary)
Gerd Muller (Germany)
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Germany)
Paolo Rossi (Italy)
Roberto Baggio (Italy)
Dennis Bergkamp (Holland)
Marco van Basten (Holland)
George Best (Northern Ireland)
Eusebio (Portugal)
Emilio Butragueno (Spain)
Raul (Spain)
George Weah (Liberia)
Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)


Feel free to suggest alterations - just thought it would be better to have something to work from.

Garrincha is the obvious omission. I actually checked three or four time because it's so glaring, but no he's not there.

Schilacci might have a case ahead of some of the forwards too, but I could live with his omision. Maybe Carlos Alberto as a defender too?

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Tony Lockett?

EJ Whitten?

 

[Cloete]

Garrincha is the obvious omission. I actually checked three or four time because it's so glaring, but no he's not there.

Schilacci might have a case ahead of some of the forwards too, but I could live with his omision. Maybe Carlos Alberto as a defender too?

You can't have Tony Adams in as a defender and not put in Hierro to be honest!

 

[Pratters]

This should be very good. It will increase my small football knowledge in the course of the tournament as well.

 

[Sir Redman]

Wynton Rufer >>>>> Any Australian player

 

[Barney Rubble]

Garrincha is the obvious omission. I actually checked three or four time because it's so glaring, but no he's not there.

Schilacci might have a case ahead of some of the forwards too, but I could live with his omision. Maybe Carlos Alberto as a defender too?

Adams and Shevchenko removed in favour of Hierro and Garrincha.

Problem with adding people is that I just can't find grounds for removing most of the players I've got there.

 

[Buddhmaster]

Bobby Despotoski easily

 

[The Baconator]

If you're gonna have a token yank, it's gotta be McBride

 

[PY]

Problem with adding people is that I just can't find grounds for removing most of the players I've got there.

Greaves needs to be in there? Jurgen the German? Del Piero is way better than Raul as well from modern era. All opinions of course.

George Best was a midfielder I reckon (evens up # of forwards/midfielders).

Stanley Matthews? Will continue to destroy your list when I can think of them.

 

[luckyeddie]

Stanley Matthews? Will continue to destroy your list when I can think of them.

I doubt there's many on here who saw Matthews play 'in the flesh' - me and Jamesicus, probably.

I spent a few minutes talking to him over a cup of coffee one night in Blackpool a long time ago (he said he was working as a bingo caller - never could tell if he was pulling my leg) - absolutely fascinating, for someone so modest, he had an aura of magnificence about him.

Oh, he was an all-time great all right.

 

[superkingdave]

Defenders
Stuart Pearce (England) - passion and commitment only count for so much - pearse's distribution was so poor the opposition were quite happy to let him get the ball, they knew they would get it back sooner or later. It's an embarrassment for him to be named in such company

Midfielders

Bryan Robson (England) - debatable, probably had his best years before my time, but from what i saw of him i wouldn't put him in this company.


Kenny Dalglish?

Forwards
Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina) - don't rate him that highly
Alan Shearer (England) - not that great
Eric Cantona (France) - huge effect on mid nineties premiership football, little outside.

Just My opinions obviously

 

[superkingdave]

agree that Carlos Alberto should be in there, i mean Stuart Pierce over Carlos Alberto

Johan Neeskens should find a spot aswell

Dino Zoff?

that's all i can think of for now

 

[BoyBrumby]

Interesting. I'd call Kenny D a forward rather than midfielder tho. Magnificent for 'Pool, never really did it for yer Sweaties tho. Although he was prob just over the top when I got into footy (early 80s).

Robson was a commited player, but too injury prone. he's known univerally amongst my footy-following mates as "Captain Poof"; we def improved in '86 when he knackered his shoulder again.

One I thought of today was arguably our best ever export: John Charles. Still revered as a God in Turin now, or so I'm lead to believe. A real gentleman too, never booked despite playing as a centre-half for part of his career.

 

[superkingdave]

Interesting. I'd call Kenny D a forward rather than midfielder tho. Magnificent for 'Pool, never really did it for yer Sweaties tho. Although he was prob just over the top when I got into footy (early 80s).

Yeah maybe, but if Cantona gets in there for his performance for Manure, then Kenny should be in aswell

 

[Kweek]

Cruyff? van beeping nistelrooy ?

 

[Langeveldt]

Cruyff? van beeping nistelrooy ?

Cruyff? We are thinking of the same Cruyff I take it..

 

[sledger]

If you're gonna have a token yank, it's gotta be McBride

not alexi lalas ?

 

[sledger]

Cruyff? We are thinking of the same Cruyff I take it..

funny if jordi blagged his way in in place of his dad, not even sure where the lad is nowadays.

 

[Agent TBY]

Cruyff? van beeping nistelrooy ?

And you're Dutch.