The homies 1 Plánička 2 Roberto Carlos 3 Alves 4 Thon 5 Chumpitaz 6 Monti 7 Garrincha 8 Davids 9 Romario 10 Sivori 11 Hagi
Hagi is a bit too big, as is Planicka and Alves. Revised: Below 5'8 XI: ----------------------------Campos Lahm----Chumpitaz----De Vecchi--Carlos ---------------------Xavi----------Giles ------------------------Maradona- ----------Garrincha----------------------Messi ---------------------------Romario Subs: Thon, Davids, Monti, Zola, Benarrivo, Lizerazu, Signori, Scholes, Deschamps, Makelele, Verratti, Miccoli, Iniesta, Sivori, Aimar, Ortega, Di Natale, Ribery The above squad would take some beating. A lot of people think football is a big man's game. Someone should make an above 6-foot or 5'11 team and it would be interesting to compare. Maybe I'll do it if I get time. Also, I was going to add Paul Parker, English full-back, but I honestly can't remember if he was really that good.
You're right about Hagi but the other 2 are both 5'7.5. This was the last time I blindly copy others' good looking suggestions. Let's replace Hagi with Ribery. For the tall version I suggest setting the minimum at 6'3 or 190 in cm.
Planicka is 5'8 according to wiki, but never mind. Here's an interesting article about short goalies: https://howtheyplay.com/team-sports/Top-10-Shortest-Professional-Goalkeepers I don't know if there are enough great players at 6'3 or over to compete with the below 5'8 team. Over 6 foot XI: -------------------------------Kahn Thuram----Nesta----------------Maldini------Krol ---------------------Gullit---------Viera C. Ronaldo--------------Kaka-------------Henry -------------------------Van Basten Subs: Buffon, Drogba, Zlatan, Hierro, Ballack, Zidane, Batistuta, Redondo, Rikjaard, Bale, Peters, Cuelemans Others: Desailly, Schmeichel, Cantona, Onopko, D.Baggio, Zoff, Banks, Boksic, Grosso, Goikoetxea, T.Muller, Schweinsteiger, Casillas, Van Der Sar, Van Persie, Vidic, Lewandowski, Hamsik, Adams, Berbatov, Ramos, Cavani, Metzhelder, Toni, Finidi George, Wilmots, Effenberg, Rai, Crespo, Busquets, Pepe, Y.Toure, Kanu, Below 5'8 XI: ----------------------------Planicka Lahm----Chumpitaz----De Vecchi--Carlos ---------------------Xavi----------Giles ------------------------Maradona- ----------Garrincha----------------------Messi ---------------------------Puskas Subs: Thon, Tigana, Monti, Czibor, D.Alves, Lizerazu, Sivori, Scholes, Giresse, Iniesta, Campos, Romario Others: Zola, Davids, Deschamps, Makelele, Verratti, Miccoli, Signori, Aimar, Ortega, Di Natale, Ribery, Alba, Sergi, Littbarski, Saviola, Giuly, Juninho Paulista, Stiles, A. Sanchez, D.Silva, Mata, Ferrer, Benarrivo
I wanna replace Kaka with Rivaldo in over 6 foot XI. Move Kaka to bench in place of Drogba. Rivellino and Zico are other options for below 5'8 XI. I didn't see them play so don't know how they'd fit in.
Giles and Xavi (very different periods ofc) had a bit of the same role and similar main strengths. They were both passers. Bremner was the enforcer and two-pay player in Giles his team. It is a bit like putting Scholes next to Xavi. That would duplicate the role. I agree Giles was one of the best of his time, but he was only included in the Ballon d'Or once, on 18th with one point. Several in that list (Tigana, Deschamps, Davids etc.) have done much better.
It might be interesting to add an 'average (height)/short XI' and an 'average/tall XI' into the mix and compare the 4 teams and squads. Say 5 ft 8 to 5 ft 10 for average/short, and 5 ft 11 to 6 ft 1 for average/tall. Without spending time trying to check right now, taking 12 generally accepted all-time greats (I'll leave Messi as well as Cristiano off but we know where they fit, likewise Zidane and the other Ronaldo): Pele - average/short Cruyff - average/tall Maradona - short Platini - average/short(?) Di Stefano - average/short Beckenbauer - average(?)/tall Van Basten - tall Best - average(?)/short Puskas - short(?) Eusebio - average/short Charlton - average/tall Zico - short So some all-timers available to mould the team around in each case, and where there is a surplus then to keep the formations 'normal' certain players would need to be on the bench anyway (Zico I suppose for one).
If it was just 5'8 to 5'9 for average/short, and 5'10 to 5'11 for average/tall, then the tall side would get for example Beckenbauer (as well as Michael Laudrup as another one). I suppose another option could be to add a 'very tall' team at 6'3 and over, and 'very short' at 5'5 and under, but the latter would struggle for a goalie I think (Campos wasn't that short was he?!) so probably best not to (plus those teams at the extremes might not compare so favourably overall). For the short squad there is also Ardiles and Giresse that came to mind, that I don't think have been mentioned yet. The latter would fit 'very short' for sure, likely making any such team, along with Maradona and company.
I have Giresse on the bench. Fair enough. I didn't see Giles play much either and I have to base a lot of the oldies on what I read. Here in Ireland, the impression I've got over the years of Giles is that he was actually a tough little terrier like Stiles or Davids with more skill. He's also probably over-hyped here in Ireland; I would have gotten the impression he was better than Deschamps and Davids. I could replace Giles with Monti, who apparently played in a position which might be classified as defensive midfield nowadays or Giresse perhaps. Maybe, but that might be a bit too general and just look like any all-time XI lists. Someone else can do the work this time.
Two or more 'surnames' XI: -----------------------------------Van Der Sar Djalma Santos--Di Vecchi----F.De Boer----Ze Roberto ----------Van Hanegem---Paulo Sousa----Mauro Silva ---------------------------Rui Costa------Di Stefano ----------------------------------Van Basten- I wasn't entirely sure about Djalma Santos and Paulo Sousa, but I believe they were always given their two names in commentary etc. If not sub for Van Bronckhurst/ Carlos Alberto and De Rossi.
Underrated XI: ----------------------------------------Bucci Secretario----------Naybet----------Vierchowod---Amedeo Carboni -----------------------------------Sandro Cois----- ----------------------Andrea Cossu---------------Fran ----Lombardo--------------------------------------------------Mihajlovic -----------------------------------Claudio Lopez
Underrated XI: -------------------------------Pagliuca -Torricelli------Apolloni-------Pellegrino------Balzaretti ---------------------------------Sergio -------Ivan De La Pena-----------------------Vicente ----------------------------Malbranque -----------------Hubner-------------------Jardel
Died Young XI: ------------------------------------Robert Mensah (Ghana) Sandor Szucs (Hun)----D. Astori---------A. Escobar--Roger Byrne (Manu) ------------------------------------------D. Edwards -------------------Martelli(Torino)-------------------Puerta (Spa) ---------------------------------------------Mazzola--------------------- ------------------Tommy Taylor(Manu)-------Gabetto(Tor) subs: Liam Whelan (Manu) Eigendorf (E. Germany) D. Jarque (Spa) M.V. Foe (Cameroon) D. Pegg (Manu) E. Colman (Manu) Ossola Menti Maroso Bacigalupo A. Ballarin Loik (all Torino) C. Benitez (Ecuador)
It's a good idea. Just to say that your list has players with: * First and Last Name - Djalma Santos, Rui Costa, etc. * Patronymic or Suffix as part of the Surname - De Boer, Van Hanegem, or Ben Barek or Da Guía. Some players know by his Two Surnames (paternal and maternal) or Compound Name are: Rodríguez Andrade, Víctor Benítez Cáceres, Delfín Montero Castillo, Julio Gómez Sánchez, Oscar García Pérez, José López Ufarte, Roberto Van Breda Kolff, Jan
Hi, yes I realized they weren't really two surnames hence the quotation marks ' ' around surname. I found it quite hard to think of notable players with two surnames. I just chose players commonly known by two or more separate words on the team formation so to speak. I always remembered Paulo Sousa as being referred to as Paulo Sousa in commentary etc. instead of just Sousa, but I may be wrong. Djalma Santos, I'm not sure about. Rui Costa of course was always referred to as Rui Costa instead of just Costa. Same with Mauro Silva.
Unmanageables XI: -------------------------Chilavert Ramos---Goikoetxea---McGrath------Mihajlovic ------------------Keane-----Breitner ---------------------Maradona -------Best--------------------------Romario ---------------------Stoichkov Subs: Schuster, Cassano, Anelka, Higuita, Edmundo, Gascoigne, Adriano, Effenberg, Goikoetxea, Larios, Montero, Di Canio
Giles had certainly an edge, but so had Scholes The midfield 'terrier' of that Leeds side was Bremner. I think Giles had actually some of his most acclaimed years between the age of 29 and 35 (he's from 1940), after his return from a long term injury.
Hair XI: --------------------------Higuita ------------Puyol------Couto------P.Thompson ----------- --------------Gattuso- ----------Gullit------Valderamma------Breitner -----Caniggia-------------------------Maradona ----------------------------Keegan Versus Bald XI: -------------------------Friedel -Thuram----Stam--------Campbell-----Carlos ----------------Leboeuf-----Charlton -----Lato--------Di Stefano---------Henry -----------------------Ronaldo
I forgot about Enke. Also, there was Hughie Ferguson, Scottish striker of the early 20th century, never capped for Scotland, but scored a lot of goals. He also committed suicide in the midst of his career. Also, Renato Curi was an Italian midfelder of the 70s who played for Perugia and was on the fringes of the national team. He died during a game.
Hair homies XI 1 David James 2 Abel Xavier 3 Brek Shae 4 David Luiz 5 Taribo West 6 Marouane Fellaini 7 David Beckham 8 Paul Pogba 9 Djibril Cissé 10 Mustafa Amini 11 Neymar