All time World 11

[Wilf Wolf]

Anyone else remember Stapleton [and Wilkins] playing for Wolves in a friendly/testimonial (John Richards?) at Molineux. Lev Yashin did a lap of honour so it must have been a Moscow Dynamo anniversary. Can't recall but I think he may have been in a wheelchair even then. Early 80's I reckon - I was definitely in the North Bank.

Stapleton and Wilkins were a class above everyone else on the pitch and considering the game meant nothing to them really put effort into it.

It was indeed JR's testimonial. I walked into the game thinking Wilkins was over-rated, just never saw what people saw in him. I walked out amazed at how good he was.

 

[Johnny75]

I saw a version of this on twitter but more difficult and one to make people think. It was the same rules of one player from one nation but with the added difficulty of only one club. So you couldn't have Messi and Puyol or Ronaldo and Raul but you could have Maradonna and Ronaldo.

Taffarel

Lahm Baresi Hansen Cole

De Bruyne Koke

MBappe Maradonna CR7

Haaland

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Tried to have a go at this but my mind is failing me tonight. Maybe tomorrow.

Really doesn't help that top Serie A clubs kept swapping excellent players around each other through the 90s and 2000s. A fair chance that if you're a good Dutch player from those decades, you played for one or both of the Milan clubs.

 

[Johnny75]

It's bloody hard!

 

[Dennisons Wrong Foot]

I would pick Pele up front, and replace Taffarel with Lev Yashin.

Of course it is easier if you pick players from the 60s when most footballers played in their country of birth.

 

[Johnny75]

I would pick Pele up front, and replace Taffarel with Lev Yashin.

Of course it is easier if you pick players from the 60s when most footballers played in their country of birth.

Alas I'm not old enough to see Pele or Yashin play.

 

[slink]

I saw a version of this on twitter but more difficult and one to make people think. It was the same rules of one player from one nation but with the added difficulty of only one club. So you couldn't have Messi and Puyol or Ronaldo and Raul but you could have Maradonna and Ronaldo.

Taffarel

Lahm Baresi Hansen Cole

De Bruyne Koke

MBappe Maradonna CR7

Haaland

It is very hard. I don’t think you can have Cole and De Bruyne as they both played for Chelsea.

 

[Johnny75]

Quite right Slink. It is very difficult.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I get to maybe 7 or 8 (with some compromise choices along the way) then it's very difficult indeed.

Even if you want to downscale your striker from those at the very top...let's say you go for Christian Vieri (brilliant player but not at Messi/Ronaldo level)...look at the number of clubs he played for!

Then you've got the fact that Man Utd have been the overwhelming force in English football in my time but all too often their transfer policy revolves around buying big names from big clubs, wiping them out of the equation.

 

[slink]

Quite right Slink. It is very difficult.

Every time i think i’ve nailed it i see that i’ve got 2 players who played for the same side.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

-------------------------Thomas Ravelli--------------------

Michel Salgado---------Rio Ferdinand------Paolo Maldini----Bixente Lizarazu

-----------------Javier Mascherano-----Dejan Stankovic---------

----------Igor Dobrovolski----Jari Litmanen---Lubo Moravcik

----------------------------Edmundo----------------------

I'm sure I've tripped over a hurdle somewhere....

 

[Sniffer]

2 Liverpool players in there.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Of course I have. Litmanen and Mascherano (Liverpool)

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I'll have Cambiasso in for Mascherano...and then I need to swap a RB in for Salgado so I'll have Darijo Srna. Any good?

Edit: No, can't have both Cambiasso and Stankovic (Inter)

 

[Tony Towner]

Yaya Toure would fix it.. I think?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I'd forgotten Litmanen had a brief spell at Barca too.

Back to the drawing board!

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Thought I'd hit it with Andi Herzog in for Litmanen...but no, one season at Bayern so I can't have him and Lizarazu.

 

[Johnny75]

Taffarel

Lahm Baresi Van Dijk Winterburn

De Bruyne Koke

MBappe Maradonna CR7

Haaland

That should work.

 

[Sniffer]

What Robertson?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

You can't have van Dijk and Robertson