Association Football Draft

[Johnners]

Uppercut - Diego Maradona
Matteh - Gianfranco Zola
Haakon - Zinedine Zidane
The Sean - Marco Van Basten
Michaelf7777777 - Paolo Maldini
Marc - Ruud Gullit
Corrin - John Aldridge
Sledger - Dennis Bergkamp
Simon - Lothar Matthaus
Marcuss - Luis Figo
Brumby - Ronaldo
Clapo - Roberto Baggio

Clapo - Franco Baresi
Brumby - Michel Platini
Marcuss - Romario
Simon - Peter Schmeichel
Sledger - Alessandro Nesta
Corrin - Gary Lineker
Marc - George Weah
Michael - Marcel Desailly
The Sean - Lilliam Thuram
Haakon - Iker Casillias
Matteh - Matt le Tissier
Uppercut - Roy Keane

Uppercut - Gabriel Batistuta
Matteh - Didier Deschamps
Haakon - John Terry
The Sean - Dennis Irwin
Michaelf7777777 - Cristiano Ronaldo
Marc - Tony Adams
Corrin - David Beckham
Sledger - Robert Pires
Simon - Cafu
Marcuss - Roberto Carlos
Brumby - Gianlugi Buffon
Clapo - Michael Laudrup

Clapo - Javier Zanetti
Brumby - Ronaldinho
Marcuss - Ronald Koeman
Simon - Jurgen Klinsmann
Sledger - Fernando Hierro
Corrin - David Seaman
Marc - Ryan Giggs
Michael - Guiseppe Bergomi
The Sean - Bryan Robson
Haakon - Lionel Messi
Matteh - Alan Shearer
Uppercut - Rivaldo

Uppercut - Bixente Lizarazu
Matteh - Edgar Davids
Haakon - Claude Makelele
The Sean - Hristo Stoichkov
Michaelf7777777 - Patrick Vieira
Marc - Oliver Kahn
Corrin - Paul Gascoigne
Sledger - Pavel Nedved
Simon - Kaka
Marcuss - Zico
Brumby - Dunga
Clapo - Andreas Brehme

Clapo - Fabio Cannavaro
Brumby - Marc Overmars
Marcuss - George Hagi
Simon - Daniel Passarella
Sledger - Thierry Henry
Corrin - Gary Stevens
Marc - Ashley Cole
Michael - Jurgen Kohler
The Sean - Frank Rijkaard
Haakon - Raúl González
Matteh - Peter Shilton
Uppercut - Dejan Savicevic

Uppercut - Eric Cantona
Matteh - Joe Cole
Haakon - Philipp Lahm
The Sean - Enzo Francescoli
Michaelf7777777 - Matthias Sammer
Marc - Fernando Redondo
Corrin - Stuart Pearce
Sledger - Angelo Perruzzi
Simon - Laurent Blanc
Marcuss - Alessandro Costacurta
Brumby - Wayne Rooney
Clapo - Steve McManaman

Clapo - Pep Guardiola
Brumby - Roberto Ayala
Marcuss - Gianluca Zambrotta
Simon - Luis Enrique
Sledger - Jaap Stam
Corrin - Jamie Carragher
Marc - Jean Pierre Papin
Michael - Ian Rush
The Sean - Gaetano Scirea
Haakon - Samuel Eto'o
Matteh -
Uppercut - Andreas Kopke

Uppercut - Daniell Alves
Matteh -
Haakon - Giovanni van Bronckhorst
The Sean - Paul Scholes
Michaelf7777777 - Michael Essien
Marc - Roland Nilsson
Corrin - Terry Butcher
Sledger - Andrea Pirlo
Simon - Paolo Montero
Marcuss - Gilberto Silva
Brumby -
Clapo -

 

[Jarquis]

Di Livio and Di Biagio imo were both decent players but hardly real top drawer, Di Livio was more ofa cult favourite than anything else for mine. Demetrio Albertini was better than both of them.

Where's Gilberto in relation?

 

[sledger]

Where's Gilberto in relation?

If you want a tackling midfielder then I'd probably take him over all of them, Di Livio and Albertini in particular were probably better once they actually had the ball mind you.

 

[Jarquis]

Yeah, I was just after somebody to win the ball for my side before releasing my morecreative, attacking minded players in Hagi, Zico and Figo.

 

[Uppercut]

If you want a tackling midfielder then I'd probably take him over all of them, Di Livio and Albertini in particular were probably better once they actually had the ball mind you.

Gilberto was a ball-winner? I always thought he was a does-****-all midfielder. Arsenal always looked a much better team to me with Edu in midfield instead.

I guess he must be the type of player you have to support the club to appreciate. Not that there aren't a few Arsenal fans who agree with me, mind.

 

[Johnners]

Liverpool great John Barnes to play on the left wing

&

Rinat Dasayev as 'keeper

              Baggio      ST

   Barnes         Laudrup        McManaman
 
                 Guardiola

  Brehme   Cannavaro    Baresi   Zanetti

                  Dasayev

 

[Jarquis]

Gilberto was a ball-winner? I always thought he was a does-****-all midfielder. Arsenal always looked a much better team to me with Edu in midfield instead.

I guess he must be the type of player you have to support the club to appreciate. Not that there aren't a few Arsenal fans who agree with me, mind.

Also thought that Gilberto was recognised as a very good defensive midfielder.

To say he was a "does-**** all midfielder" is in no way fair IMO.

 

[Uppercut]

Also thought that Gilberto was recognised as a very good defensive midfielder.

To say he was a "does-**** all midfielder" is in no way fair IMO.

I remember him as being much-maligned. Everyone either thought of him as utterly useless or as an unsung hero. Whatever it was he did, it wasn't immediately obvious when watching Arsenal play.

For a lot of his career at Arsenal he played alongside Patrick Vieira, so his defensive work may have just been a little surplus to requirements.

 

[Uppercut]

Liverpool great John Barnes to play on the left wing

John Barnes- the Marcus Trescothick of football in that his abilities are much more well-respected after retirement than they were at the time. England fans found him intensely frustrating because he was rarely any use for the national side.

Was awesome for Liverpool though.

 

[Jarquis]

I remember him as being much-maligned. Everyone either thought of him as utterly useless or as an unsung hero. Whatever it was he did, it wasn't immediately obvious when watching Arsenal play.

For a lot of his career at Arsenal he played alongside Patrick Vieira, so his defensive work may have just been a little surplus to requirements.

Probably a fair assessment, though IMO that's the beauty of Gilberto. The fact that what he did wasn't blatantly obvious led to the unsung hero tag. If it wasn't for Flamini having an outstanding season after we sold Gilberto we would have been really shown up that season IMO.

Doesn't make him any worse a player for my money.

 

[sledger]

I remember him as being much-maligned. Everyone either thought of him as utterly useless or as an unsung hero. Whatever it was he did, it wasn't immediately obvious when watching Arsenal play.

For a lot of his career at Arsenal he played alongside Patrick Vieira, so his defensive work may have just been a little surplus to requirements.

I've never really come across anyone who has too many bad things to say about him tbh. Gilberto provided an excellent balance to the midfield and his defensive work was very good, and he was hardly poor on the ball either, scoring numerous important goals. Arsenal's record with him in the side was infinitely better than when he was absent, tbh I think it is no coincidence Arsenals drop in form during the 04-05 season came when he was injured for most of the year. His performances in the Champions League against Real Madrid, Villareal and Juventus in the year which Arsenal reached the final were absolutely outstanding as well, and tbh, you don't get capped for Brazil in excess of 80 times for being rubbish. I was always a lot happier with Gilberto in the team rather than Edu, who I always found despite being a nice chap to be totally unreliable, one footed and generally gave the ball away a hell of a lot of the time.

 

[Uppercut]

I'm not entirely sure how useful he really was though- as I said, Arsenal always seemed a better team with Edu partnering Vieira in the middle (Arsenal's record with Edu in the team is absolutely sick if you can find it anywhere). Although it is true that Gilberto's best years at Arsenal were after Edu left.

As much as he divided opinion, I didn't think even his biggest fans thought he was anywhere near one of the best 12 defensive midfielders of the past 25~ years.

 

[sledger]

I'm not entirely sure how useful he really was though- as I said, Arsenal always seemed a better team with Edu partnering Vieira in the middle (Arsenal's record with Edu in the team is absolutely sick if you can find it anywhere). Although it is true that Gilberto's best years at Arsenal were after Edu left.

As much as he divided opinion, I didn't think even his biggest fans thought he was anywhere near one of the best 12 defensive midfielders of the past 25~ years.

Probably not, I wouldn't myself suggest he was, but I think he is better than you are giving him credit for.

I would also be interested to see Arsenal's record with Edu in the team tbh.

 

[Jarquis]

As much as he divided opinion, I didn't think even his biggest fans thought he was anywhere near one of the best 12 defensive midfielders of the past 25~ years.

In all honesty he's probably not. Though evidently he's one of the top 12 defensive midfielders of the past ~25 years that I could think of when I made my pick. I'm happy with the selection, there are considerably worse players I could've chose and some slightly better.
I always thought that I'd struggle in the latter rounds as once the truly big names of the 80s and 90s are picked I was always going to have to turn to much more modern players, even though there may be better, less well known, players available.

 

[Uppercut]

Probably not, I wouldn't myself suggest he was, but I think he is better than you are giving him credit for.

I would also be interested to see Arsenal's record with Edu in the team tbh.

Tbh I don't have much of an opinion of him. As I say, those who support the team will appreciate his contribution much better than I do. It's just that in my experience the Arsenal fans have mixed opinions of him.

Defensive midfielder is kinda like that as a position. I always felt that Roy Keane, as highly rated as he is elsewhere, is only fully appreciated by United fans. The determination and tough tackling sticks in everyone's minds, but it's only those who supported United (and to a lesser extent Ireland) who remember how he played the right ball 99.9% of the time, gave the ball away about once every 235243 matches and scored goals when the side was most in need of them. I really think that he had more influence over more title races than any other player since the formation of the Premiership. The only title we didn't win while Keane was at his peak (1996-2001) was when Keane was injured.

 

[GIMH]

Liverpool great John Barnes to play on the left wing

&

Rinat Dasayev as 'keeper

              Baggio      ST

   Barnes         Laudrup        McManaman
 
                 Guardiola

  Brehme   Cannavaro    Baresi   Zanetti

                  Dasayev

John Barnes- the Marcus Trescothick of football in that his abilities are much more well-respected after retirement than they were at the time. England fans found him intensely frustrating because he was rarely any use for the national side.

Was awesome for Liverpool though.

**** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** ****

 

[BoyBrumby]

Two for me now? Go with the big fella at centre-half: Sol Campbell. Absolutely amazing physical specimen and the best purely defensive centre back we produced in the last decade and a half.

Another Arsenal man at left-back too, England's most capped full back, Kenny Sansom.

 

[Uppercut]

Two for me now? Go with the big fella at centre-half: Sol Campbell. Absolutely amazing physical specimen and the best purely defensive centre back we produced in the last decade and a half.

Another Arsenal man at left-back too, England's most capped full back, Kenny Sansom.

Referring to England or taking a jab at the Spurts?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Referring to England or taking a jab at the Spurts?

Nah, England, tbf.

 

[Uppercut]

You reckon he's better than Tony Adams?