European Overrated XI

[C C Csiders]

Seeing the Luca Toni thread has caused me to compile a team of European players, many of which are considered "world class", who IMO are totally overrated, and still professionally active at a high level today.

Your XI's?

GK - Petr Cech (Czech Rep.)
RB - Philipp Lahm (Germany)
CB - William Gallas (France)
CB - Ricardo Carvalho (Portugal)
LB - Ashley Cole (England)
RM - Franck Ribery (France)
CM - Francesco Totti (Italy)
CM - Steven Gerrard (England)
LM - Ryan Giggs (Wales)
For - Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden)
For - David Trezeguet (France)

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Disagree with Cech, Lahm (decent not great), Cole and Ribery.

Would like to nominate Del Piero, Inzaghi, Carragher, Henry and in fact France as a team. I expect if I watched a bit more of Spain they'd also get some nominations.

 

[Napster]

Disagree with Cech, Lahm (decent not great), Cole and Ribery.

Would like to nominate Del Piero, Inzaghi, Carragher, Henry and in fact France as a team. I expect if I watched a bit more of Spain they'd also get some nominations.

Is Carragher a European player?

 

[C C Csiders]

Disagree with Cech, Lahm (decent not great), Cole and Ribery.

Would like to nominate Del Piero, Inzaghi, Carragher, Henry and in fact France as a team. I expect if I watched a bit more of Spain they'd also get some nominations.

I always thought France were rubbish even when they won the World Cup and Euro Championship. When you look at it, they hardly won a match in the knock-out stages in 90 minutes.

WC '98

Last 16 - Paraguay - Golden Goal
QF - Italy - Pens
SF - Croatia
Final - Brazil (on drugs)

Euro 2000

QF - Spain - Golden Goal or was it pens?
SF - Portugal - Golden Goal
Final - Italy - Golden Goal

Very lucky and very, very overrated.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I always thought France were rubbish even when they won the World Cup and Euro Championship. When you look at it, they hardly won a match in the knock-out stages in 90 minutes.

WC '98

Last 16 - Paraguay - Golden Goal
QF - Italy - Pens
SF - Croatia
Final - Brazil (on drugs)

Euro 2000

QF - Spain - Golden Goal or was it pens?
SF - Portugal - Golden Goal
Final - Italy - Golden Goal

Very lucky and very, very overrated.

They weren't lucky at the back, where Thuram was one of the best defenders I've ever seen, Makelele was the best holding midfielder in the world, Desailly was class etc.

As for this year's vintage, my theory was that the team with the most premier$hite players would be the biggest disappointment. I think that has probably turned out to be France, but there aren't exactly many premier$hite players starring in this tournament.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Is Carragher a European player?

In the sense that Liverpool is geographically in Europe, yes.

 

[C C Csiders]

They weren't lucky at the back, where Thuram was one of the best defenders I've ever seen, Makelele was the best holding midfielder in the world, Desailly was class etc.

As for this year's vintage, my theory was that the team with the most premier$hite players would be the biggest disappointment. I think that has probably turned out to be France, but there aren't exactly many premier$hite players starring in this tournament.

Makelele didn't play in the winning side of either WC or Euro 2000.

 

[Shrimper2thecore]

Dont agree with all of them, has to be Toni and Gomez upfront, agree with Ribery though, think he is ****

 

[Sussex Shrimper]

Surely Gary Neville has to be the first name on the teamsheet?

 

[sufcintheprem]

Seeing the Luca Toni thread has caused me to compile a team of European players, many of which are considered "world class", who IMO are totally overrated, and still professionally active at a high level today.

Your XI's?

GK - Petr Cech (Czech Rep.)
RB - Philipp Lahm (Germany)
CB - William Gallas (France)
CB - Ricardo Carvalho (Portugal)
LB - Ashley Cole (England)
RM - Franck Ribery (France)
CM - Francesco Totti (Italy)
CM - Steven Gerrard (England)
LM - Ryan Giggs (Wales)
For - Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden)
For - David Trezeguet (France)

To be honest, if this is based on international impact then I agree on all except Lahm, Trezeguet, Cole and Carvalho. Trezeguet lacks pace so doesn't catch the eye but scoring 18 goals from open play in 34 Serie A games is pretty good going especially when your strike partner has scored one more league goal than you. Carvalho's a far better player than John Terry and can really be a match-winning defender.

I don't think you could find a better full back pairing than Lahm and Cole if Cole continues to regain form as he has been doing.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Makelele didn't play in the winning side of either WC or Euro 2000.

Good point, I'd forgotten how strong their midfield was, that someone of Makelele's class couldn't force his way in!

Whilst you may not rate that French team of Euro 2000, I'd suggest they were a better team than Denmark in 1992 (although Schmeichel and Laudrup were class), Germany in 1996 and Greece in 2004.

IMHO you'd have to go all the way back to Holland in 1988 to find a better team to have won the European Championships.

 

[C C Csiders]

Dont agree with all of them, has to be Toni and Gomez upfront, agree with Ribery though, think he is ****

I don't think anyone (apart from the bloke next to me dressed as Napoleon Bonaparte) actually rates Gomez, so he cannot be included on that basis.

 

[Napster]

In the sense that Liverpool is geographically in Europe, yes.

But not in the intended sense of the "international football forum"

:)

 

[EastStandBlue]

I'm Sorry, but whoever dared to even think about mentioning Ryan Giggs here is bordering on the blasphemous.

Ok, he hasn't been at his best the last 2 or 3 seasons because of his age, but what people seem to forget is that for about 5 or 6 years, he was the single most exciting prospect the Premier League had to offer. He continually ripped defences apart and was undoubtedly the best left winger in the world in his prime. That goal he scored against Arsenal will live long in the memory of any football fan who saw it.

I don't particularly want to into a closet United fan, but Gary Neville as well has qualities beyond his defensive attributes... If he was 100% fit, he'd be my number 1 choice for England captain.

 

[sufcintheprem]

I'm Sorry, but whoever dared to even think about mentioning Ryan Giggs here is bordering on the blasphemous.

Ok, he hasn't been at his best the last 2 or 3 seasons because of his age, but what people seem to forget is that for about 5 or 6 years, he was the single most exciting prospect the Premier League had to offer. He continually ripped defences apart and was undoubtedly the best left winger in the world in his prime. That goal he scored against Arsenal will live long in the memory of any football fan who saw it.

I don't particularly want to into a closet United fan, but Gary Neville as well has qualities beyond his defensive attributes... If he was 100% fit, he'd be my number 1 choice for England captain.

Internationally though, he's been pretty rubbish for the majority of his caps.

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

Anyone watching last night's game, barring the 10 mins before H/T, would have to include Ronaldo.

 

[Sussex Shrimper]

I'm Sorry, but whoever dared to even think about mentioning Ryan Giggs here is bordering on the blasphemous.

Ok, he hasn't been at his best the last 2 or 3 seasons because of his age, but what people seem to forget is that for about 5 or 6 years, he was the single most exciting prospect the Premier League had to offer. He continually ripped defences apart and was undoubtedly the best left winger in the world in his prime. That goal he scored against Arsenal will live long in the memory of any football fan who saw it.

I don't particularly want to into a closet United fan, but Gary Neville as well has qualities beyond his defensive attributes... If he was 100% fit, he'd be my number 1 choice for England captain.

For me, Gary "Bloody" Neville has to be one of the luckiest men in football. The man is a throwback to the days when fullbacks could get away with having limited technical ability because they were expected to do little more than remain solid on their side of the defence. I honestly don't rate him any more highly than the likes of Lee Dixon or any other number of mediocre 90's players who'll fade into obscurity.

At club level, has his absence served to weaken the side in any way? Nope - and his replacement, Wes Brown, is hardly going to go down as one of football's all-time greats either. Manure are so rarely tested in the modern, two-tier Premiership that it hardly matters if a few players are well below world class. When they have been the Neviller has had to resort to some distinctly dubious tactics to stop skilled players like Reyes.

At international level Micah Richards has proved a real breath of fresh air. Hand on heart, I can't think of a single area of the game in which Neville outperforms him. He has survived for years on a lack of competition and a purported "special relationship" with Beckham which, as far as I can remember, was last evident in Euro 2000. It's time for England to look forwards - Neville will never be a world class player for us but Micah Richards may very well be.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Internationally though, he's been pretty rubbish for the majority of his caps.

The majority of his caps have been played with players that were lightyears behind him though... For years he had to carry the Welsh national team on his shoulders alone.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

The majority of his caps have been played with players that were lightyears behind him though... For years he had to carry the Welsh national team on his shoulders alone.

A difficult thing to do from the confines of the physio's room.

 

[sufcintheprem]

The majority of his caps have been played with players that were lightyears behind him though... For years he had to carry the Welsh national team on his shoulders alone.

That's not really fair - plenty of players have shone in mediocre football teams. It can be fair to blame the management of a team but given that Slovenia, Scotland and Latvia have qualified for major international tournaments in Giggs' career, it's clear that great things can be done with competent teams and one or two standout players.

The Welsh had enough premiership players to suggest they should have a chance in qualifiers. The problem I find is that I can't think of a single time where I've watched Giggs and been impressed with his international performance. For isntance, the two games against England, he looked almost completely anonymous and was outshone by several less qualified teammates. Craig Bellamy has a fraction of Giggs' ability yet seems to have put in far more eye-catching international performances.