UEFA Team of the Year 2008

[Teso Dos Bichos]

The nominations are as follows:

GK: Van der Sar, Casillas, Cech, Adler, Akinfeev
LB: Capdevilla, Lahm, Evra, Zhirkov, Van Bronckhorst
CB: Carragher, Ujfalusi, Ferdinand, Carvalho, Vidic, Puyol, Terry, Marchena, Chiellini, Pepe
RB: Bosingwa, Anyukov, Sagna, Ramos, Maicon
LM: Sneijder, Robben, Iniesta, Silva, Ribery
CM: Tymoshchuk, Xavi, Zyryanov, Senna, Aurelio...
RM: Zanetti, Gerrard, Altintop, Ronaldo, Schweinsteiger
AM: Lampard, Ballack, Arshavin, Fabregas, Modric
FW: Del Piero, Torres, Ibrahimovic, Rooney, Villa, Benzema, Messi, Aguero, Guiza, Adebayor

Coach: Ketsbaia, Terim, Advocaat, Aragones, Ferguson

http://www1.uefa.com/fanzone/teamoftheyear/index.html

There are a few interesting inclusions and omissions. Aside from that I find it laughable that they include Ronaldo as a right midfielder but, following Messi missing out completely last season, they have now moved him to the forward section to ensure he is in the team. It smacks of desperation and a need to appease his fans more than anything else. After all we simply cannot have Messi missing out twice in succession can we?

Any thoughts on the nominations? What is your XI?

[Perú FC]

Omissions like Júlio César and Frey (over Akinfeev, Cech or Adler, including maybe Casillas), Vargas and Clichy (over van Bronckhorst or Zhirkov), Demichelis (over Ujfalusi, Puyol, Marchena or Pepe), Mascherano and Essien (over Zyryanov or Mehmet Aurélio) and Eto'o and Toni (over Rooney or Güiza) are the biggest absences omissions for me.

Whatever, my picks were: Casillas, Maicon, Vidic, Ferdinand, Lahm, Ronaldo (C), Senna, Arshavin, Ribéry, Torres, Messi and Ferguson (M).

[Viola Star]

Joke list^^^

Here's mine:
------------------Messi
Messi-----Messi-------Messi-----Messi
Messi------Messi------Messi-----Messi
--------------------Messi
-----------------Marcus Allback

[teccomin]

Joke list^^^

Here's mine:
------------------Messi
Messi-----Messi-------Messi-----Messi
Messi------Messi------Messi-----Messi
--------------------Messi
-----------------Marcus Allback

Ima counter with

--------------Casillas
Casillas---Casillas---Casillas----Casillas
Casillas---Casillas---Casillas----Casillas
-----------Casillas---------------
---------(anybody here who can break Allback's legs)

then its gg....

[Kung-dea]

------------------------------Casillas-------------------------------------

------Evra------------Vidic---------------Puyol-----------------Ramos-----

-------------------------------Xavi---------------------------------------

-----Ronaldo------------------------------------------------Ribery--------

-------------------------------Fabregas------------------------------------

---------------------Ibrahimovic------------Messi-------------------------

Coach: Aragones

A lot of Spanish players, but I feel that they deserve to be in the team this year, actually wanted Villa in the team as well but the fact that Messi is considered a Fw messed that up. Think that Ronaldo, Messi and Ibrahimovic have been the strongest and most dominant players in each of the three big leagues and deserve their places, and on the international level I feel that Xavi was the best player in this years Euro. Aragones as coach because he finally managed to make spain a winning team.

[pramos]

--------------------Van der Saar-------------------------


Lahm----------Carragher---------Vidic-----------Bosingwa


Ribery------------------Senna-------------------CR


--------------------Arshavin-----------------------------

-----------David Villa-----------------Ibrahimovic----------

[vancity eagle]

Omissions like Júlio César and Frey (over Akinfeev, Cech or Adler, including maybe Casillas), Vargas and Clichy (over van Bronckhorst or Zhirkov), Demichelis (over Ujfalusi, Puyol, Marchena or Pepe), Mascherano and Essien (over Zyryanov or Mehmet Aurélio) and Eto'o and Toni (over Rooney or Güiza) are the biggest absences omissions for me.

Whatever, my picks were: Casillas, Maicon, Vidic, Ferdinand, Lahm, Ronaldo (C), Senna, Arshavin, Ribéry, Torres, Messi and Ferguson (M).

agreed Aurelio and Zryanov over Essien and Mascherano is laughable

VanBronchorst is also very average, and no Etoo' come on.

[Matt Clark]

It smacks of desperation and a need to appease his fans more than anything else. After all we simply cannot have Messi missing out twice in succession can we?
Verily, Messi is now truly the new Zidane ... :rolleyes:

[The Jitty Slitter]

Who would have an 'need to appease Messi's fans' and why?

[Matt Clark]

Arf ... see, that's not how this works. You can't look for reasoning grounded in actual reality when passing by one of Teso's dreary little campaigns.

[Kung-dea]

It bugs me that you have to leave Gerrard out of the team because of Ronaldos insane year, but very few players carry their team the way steven gerrard does, in my opinion he could easily have been nominated as one of the CM positions.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Matt...

Care to explain why you think they felt the need to move Messi from the right-midfield to forward position?


Kung-dea...

Gerrard should have been in the attacking midfield position.

[Matt Clark]

Matt...

Care to explain why you think they felt the need to move Messi from the right-midfield to forward position?
For no significant reason whatsoever??

Sorry, sorry ... I'm not playing properly, am I?

Because "they" need to have another Zidane, just to bug the crap out of you and your super-perceptive take on the game? And Messi is it? Much to your ongoing frustration? That's usually it.

If only everyone could see what you could see. If only you weren't burdened with Football Super Perception. If only you didn't soar so very, very high above us silly mortals and what we can perceive about footballers. Us, with our silly regard for bumbling hacks like Lionel Messi. Or Zinedine Zidane, for that matter.

We're ignorant. That's the problem, if I recall? You're super-perceptive and the rest of the world is ignorant? Correct me if your favourite dirge has in any way evolved since I last deigned to give it a few moments of my time ...

[Teso Dos Bichos]

It is always sad when a moderator feels the need to troll. If you cannot contribute to the discussion then do not bother posting. If you wish to blindly accept 'common thought' then feel free. I do not. Are you enjoying this flat world we inhabit and the geocentric model of the universe?

The fact remains that Messi is one of the media favourites and a brief glace at the comments section of any relevant articles highlight the level and nature of his support amongst fans in general. I ask you again, why would UEFA alter his position for the poll this year? It simply makes no sense to change it this year and, even if changes were going to be made, it makes no sense to split Messi and Ronaldo up because their nominal positions and role are similar. The only conclusion I can make is that they did not want Messi to miss out on the team two years running.

[The Jitty Slitter]

No more personal attacks please.

[schafer]

It is always sad when a moderator feels the need to troll. If you cannot contribute to the discussion then do not bother posting. If you wish to blindly accept 'common thought' then feel free. I do not. Are you enjoying this flat world we inhabit and the geocentric model of the universe?

The fact remains that Messi is one of the media favourites and a brief glace at the comments section of any relevant articles highlight the level and nature of his support amongst fans in general. I ask you again, why would UEFA alter his position for the poll this year? It simply makes no sense to change it this year and, even if changes were going to be made, it makes no sense to split Messi and Ronaldo up because their nominal positions and role are similar. The only conclusion I can make is that they did not want Messi to miss out on the team two years running.

Or they considered that Ronaldo has been playing as a winger in a 4-4-2 so far this season, and that Messi is better defined as a forward given that the formation specified doesn't really match United's or Barcelona's.

Alternatively, they observed the same bias towards Messi that you have, concluded that Messi would win over Ronaldo at right mid and decided that they wanted both in the team so they moved him up front. Also, given the players they've listed up front (Del Piero, Ibrahimovic, Torres, Villa, Aguero, Rooney) if they were desperate to put him in they could have put Ronaldo on left midfield and Messi at right midfield, as he's hardly a lock considering the players he's competing with up front.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Or they considered that Ronaldo has been playing as a winger in a 4-4-2 so far this season, and that Messi is better defined as a forward given that the formation specified doesn't really match United's or Barcelona's.

Alternatively, they observed the same bias towards Messi that you have, concluded that Messi would win over Ronaldo at right mid and decided that they wanted both in the team so they moved him up front. Also, given the players they've listed up front (Del Piero, Ibrahimovic, Torres, Villa, Aguero, Rooney) if they were desperate to put him in they could have put Ronaldo on left midfield and Messi at right midfield, as he's hardly a lock considering the players he's competing with up front.

UEFA had Messi as a right-midfielder last season and his position/role at Barcelona has not changed since then so why change it now? I disagree in regard to Ronaldo's position/role.

I have no bias and, since Ronaldo had the season he did and has already beaten Messi to all of the current awards, there is no basis for any claim that Messi was moved to 'protect' Ronaldo. I refer you back to what I said in regard to their position/roles. They should not be in separate sections of the poll/team. A move to forward for both would have been understandable (and accurate). Moving one is bad enough but a move to left-midfield would have been far more outrageous and made their intentions known to everyone. As it is I appear to be the only person to have passed comment on the move. If anyone else has please give me a link.

[schafer]

UEFA had Messi as a right-midfielder last season and his position/role at Barcelona has not changed since then so why change it now? I disagree in regard to Ronaldo's position/role.

Maybe they feel they got Messi's position wrong last year?

And what exactly do you disagree with in regards to Ronaldo's role? United have switched to the 4-4-2 and he's been played in a much more restricted winger role this season, IMO.

I have no bias

That was a miscommunication, I was saying that perhaps UEFA felt there was a pro-Messi bias in the same way you seem to feel there is, not necessarily that you are biased in this instance. Although I find the claim by any sports fan that they are free of bias to be a bit far-fetched, but I suppose that's another topic.

and, since Ronaldo had the season he did and has already beaten Messi to all of the current awards, there is no basis for any claim that Messi was moved to 'protect' Ronaldo. I refer you back to what I said in regard to their position/roles. They should not be in separate sections of the poll/team. A move to forward for both would have been understandable (and accurate). Moving one is bad enough but a move to left-midfield would have been far more outrageous and made their intentions known to everyone. As it is I appear to be the only person to have passed comment on the move. If anyone else has please give me a link.

I don't know, you don't think that with the dynamite start to the season that Messi has had and Ronaldo's injury (and subsequent relatively poor form) could affect the voting, given how fresh that is in people's minds? I think you could legitimately make a case for moving Messi to ensure both players' get in the team, if indeed you start with the assumption that UEFA tailors the Team of the Year to such things, which I personally don't believe it does.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Maybe they feel they got Messi's position wrong last year?

And what exactly do you disagree with in regards to Ronaldo's role? United have switched to the 4-4-2 and he's been played in a much more restricted winger role this season, IMO.

Messi was at right-midfield for the 2006 and 2007 nominations as well.

When we have used 4-4-2 it has generally contained a single wide player. You could call it 4-4-2, I could call it 4-3-3, the reality is somewhere in between. Either way Ronaldo has been used as normal aside from a couple of games and the inclusion of three central midfielders (or two plus Park playing infield) is to enable Ronaldo to continue to play further forward.

was a miscommunication, I was saying that perhaps UEFA felt there was a pro-Messi bias in the same way you seem to feel there is, not necessarily that you are biased in this instance. Although I find the claim by any sports fan that they are free of bias to be a bit far-fetched, but I suppose that's another topic.

I refuse to accept this. While I agree that there is a general pro-Messi bias it did not stop Ronaldo beating him in the voting last season and, considering his subsequent season and what has happened in the rest of the awards, I could see the same happening again.

I don't know, you don't think that with the dynamite start to the season that Messi has had and Ronaldo's injury (and subsequent relatively poor form) could affect the voting, given how fresh that is in people's minds? I think you could legitimately make a case for moving Messi to ensure both players' get in the team, if indeed you start with the assumption that UEFA tailors the Team of the Year to such things, which I personally don't believe it does.

I do not. It had no impact on any of the other awards. If you disagree with my case then explain the Messi move.

[Matt Clark]

If you wish to blindly accept 'common thought' then feel free. I do not. Are you enjoying this flat world we inhabit and the geocentric model of the universe?

Right. People who think you're being a bit of a saddo by reading a nefarious sub-text into something as piffling as the classification of a footballer for a "Team of the Year" list (:rolleyes:) are akin to the Flat Earth Society, or some medieval illiterates.

Thanks for confirming my stereotype of you in such immediate and total a fashion.

I ask you again, why would UEFA alter his position for the poll this year?
And I'll answer again: for no significant reason whatsoever. Get a grip. I'm sorry it's so easy to spot one of your lame vehicles for another "Teso knows best" thread as well. But don't shoot the messenger. Just work harder at making it less obvious.