Stuff World XI

Stuff World XI

here is my team to rip to pieces. Was done pre Cahill's dodgy antics the other night ha

Love the keeper choice.

Needs more Nelsen!

Pretty hard to argue with most of it. I'd probably have Per Mertesacker (Germany) in for Puyol and Nigel De Jong in for Lampard if you are playing him that deep. And Rooney in behind Drogba, in place of Cahill.

Puyol ------ daylight ------ Mertesacker.

Not. Even. Close.

I rate Puyol highly, but what I was really objecting too is the Mertesacker suggestion - he's very average by international standards. Pretty poor on the ground, frequent lapses of concentration.

Vidic benefits from having a footballer next to him, in that respect Pique would probably be the best choice.

Only three at the back?

If it's a footballer you are after, what about Gallas? Sure, his team mates hate him, but as a player he's pretty damned classy. Either him or Rio Ferdinand.

Ivorian Coaster 

Ferdinand from a few years ago was one of the best defenders to watch.

I just think the 3 central midfielders aren't quite right. Lampard looks like his playing too deep, either him or Cahill at the top if you want one or the other, I reckon Cesc has played well this season in a more advanced role. Pirlo is fine there, though need a ball winner next to Pirlo, a Mascherano or De Rossi type player. Happy to see Evra there. He has been phenomenal this season, played just about every game for United and been so consistent. 

Pirlo to me is one of the last of a dying breed; i.e. the playmaker, the old fashioned number 10 if you like, who survived on a silky touch, a great pass and being easy on the eye. Unfortunately you do need a ball-winner next to this type of player (usually Gattuso) and, therefore, it could be argued that his place and role in the team actually take up two positions. Fabregas on the other hand is more of a modern midfielder, with the touch and vision but with more of a work-rate and a box-to-box attitude. He's like a Bryan Robson with a better first touch, and I reckon in 20 years time will be spoken of as one of the game's greatest.

only one Everton player?

Fixed.

1st mistake: no two players from the same country rule. (that makes no real sense, each player is by merit and ability not by country)

2nd mistake: Cahill is included. (he's very good because everyone else in the OZ team isn't but he is not great)

3rd mistake: Drogba? (because he is African?) wild card, as he is getting stronger but is he polished enough?

Notable exclusion?: Kaka, Rooney, Buffon, Torres, Fabiano, Klose, Veron, Cannavaro??

TBH, it's always hard to select before the tournament starts, but Cahill??? [I'm not sure he will make the EPL XI let alone the WC XI]AllWhitebelievr2010-05-28 19:40:59

Wtf? First you criticise his choices, and then rattle off a shocking list of names as 'bad' omissions?

Kaka s supremely talented, but had a shocking year at Real Madrid. Out.

Rooney? Excellent season this year and highly talented. Ditto for Drogba, so what's the fuss?

Buffon? Maybe, if we were picking the team for the 2006 World Cup. Out.

Luis Fabiano. Are you having a laugh? Ahead of Drogba? Villa? Milito? Eto'o? Van Persie? Whaaat?

Torres? Another supremely talented player, but spent much of the finish to the season out injured. Out.

Klose? Really? You mean Bayern Munich's fourth choice striker this season? Really? Out.

Veron? Again, really? Gets brought back into the Argie side while they're comfortably on route to qualifying, and then promptly they nearly miss out. Not his fault he's past it, but he IS past it. Out.

Cannavaro? Again, not picking the 2006 WC team. Cannavaro is little better then average these days. Out.


Ye gods.

Fair comments [what I expected to see actually]

I understand what you mean, however I wasn't criticising his choices besides Cahill and Droga, but to question different country rule and wonder after speculative players that have have "flown under the radar."

What question marks have you not understood??

When I placed "?". It is to ask the question, not to just suggested they should be included. Some of my mentioned player have a knack of producing for their world cup country regardless of current club football form and I wonder whether they they can make the step up by the time the tournament finished to jump into the tournament team. Everyone of those I mention had speculation of what impact they would have. Notice that I only placed a "?" as a speculative question as "notable exclusion?" to open the door for the likes of yourself to comment.

I like to point out that some players play for their country better than they ever would for their clubs and these players are that type of players.

Like I said, it is hard to select before the tournament. Last World Cup, hardly anyone got the team right beside Rolando and Buffon.

But that does not to say that there are no strong players that he has suggested. It's just that selecting a World Cup Tournament Team before a tournament is a commentators curse.

Anyway, Feverish knows that we all just carking some of his selections because he wanted us to rip it to sherds and then revalidate his selections again. He knows the score.

the validation (or not)  is called the World Cup. And I hope Rooney is the man!

Yeah I root for Rooney this time round, I hope he goes well with the England side under Fabio Capello reign.

After SGE and McClaren, they deserve more than QF.

I makes me cringe to think that there will some bad ref decision at crucial moment which England loses the game in the knockouts. For once, either they win the whole thing or lose in a match without an vital incident fair and square so the UK media would moan all year about it. But that could be simply unlikely as they will find some thing stupid.

But if it is a man that England expects, then it would be Rooney, with him getting his scoring boots and assist going this season for ManPoo and for England. The scoring did start under Fabio and hasn't really stopped.AllWhitebelievr2010-05-30 23:11:17