Yes I meant something like that. Lefties as in: they mostly play with their left. That writes off the ambidextrous such as Zidane etc. Maldini is a lefty who can play with his right if required (that being originally his natural foot even though he went on to be a lefty throughout his whole career).
Another option at RB is Joan Segarra. He played in various positions in defence and midfield. For Spain, four of his 25 appearances were at right-back.
I thought that was a really interesting call, so have had a look at the opening of Hamburg vs Barcelona from 1961 (actually he is playing in midfield and seems a bit 'past it' at 33 I think, like Kubala must be somewhat, but Kocsis at 31 is making me consider whether to keep watching in the probability, given also knowing about his great header to keep Barcelona in the tie at the end, that I can add that game to the 'best games of best players' thread given he was a prominent selection when you started the topic of the 'balanced/historical' all-time 100 player selections; perhaps the assister Suarez, renowned as one of the worlds best players at that point, will still rival Kocsis for MOTM, but interestingly is playing as right winger, with Kubala in the middle of midfield). Anyway, I saw Spain vs France from 1959 before, and some Segarra tribute highlights etc, but didn't have a good enough idea/recollection. I do think he is favouring his right side on a consistent basis in the Hamburg match though, so probably he's more a candidate, like various others, for the left back in all right-footed XIs. But I guess you felt you'd understood he was left footed Peter, or had a hunch based on what you'd read/seen. To be honest, although I might be missing more famous examples, for a true left footed right-back I can only think of Chris Makin playing there for Ipswich Town.
http://arxiu.fcbarcelona.cat/web/english/noticies/club/temporada08-09/09/n080903105061.html This source agrees with you - that he was right-footed. I am trying to recall where I read he was a leftie.
Generally if we're looking for left-footed players that were at home on the right side then Andreas Kupfer (1930s/40s right half in the WM) might be an option.
GK Iker Casillas RB Ruud Krol CB Paolo Maldini CB Daniel Passarella LB Giacinto Facchetti CM Edgar Davids CM Alfredo Di Stefano AM Diego Maradona RW Lione Messi LW Johan Cruyff CF Ferenc Puskas
Nice effort mate. I feel a bit bad about acting like left-footed police or a school teacher marking homework lol, but since I do know these things to be the case I'll point out the right footers and then you can adjust accordingly I guess: Krol, Facchetti (unless my brain isn't in gear or memory is off right now lol), Di Stefano, Cruyff. Maldini has been disputed and discussed but is an understandable inclusion anyway I think.
This video did remind me about Steve Chettle playing right back for Forest as a left-footer: But his more normal position through his career was as left-side centre-back to be fair.
Not for me in my XI, although hard to assess him to an extent and the video is nice (particularly the goal at the end) and he was good at those nutmeg's even if on some occasions perhaps he is losing the ball after it. Hard to find a space for an attacking player in my XI. And the ones I've chosen can be good at nutmeg's themselves. Savicevic for example in this game: I guess I'd always be likley to pick him to be fair, although I think the right-sided ability he had which was pretty decent would be useful in a left-footed XI too (even moreso Finney who was by all accounts pretty much ambidextrous, and also a natural winger of course unlike Sivori, who has a big task to get in instead of one of his fellow Argentines of course too - I do remember his quote about Maradona being like him except doing it a lot faster).
GK: Ilker Casillas LB: Antonio Cabrini CB: Daniel Passarella CB: Walter Samuel RB: Branko Zebec CM: Willem van Hangegem CM: Fernando Redondo LW: Dragan Dzajic RW: Lionel Messi AM: Diego Maradona ST: Ferenc Puskas Obviously, LB, CM, and LW are still up for grabs really. Lots of good left-footed LBs (Carlos and Brigel come to mind) and LWs. CMs as well with the likes of Gerson, Netto, Davids, and Robson being the standouts imho. RW, AM, and ST are pretty much locked in not due to depth, but because those three are probably untouchable.
I hope it is not out of bounds criticism but I'd like to hear your thoughts; Personally I wonder at times why and how Redondo gets so much elevated above his contemporaries. I don't dispute he was among the top group of his time, he had a regal aura and style around him, and it is also not a surprise that with his special style he has more Champions League medals than league medals. He had the unpredictability of a forward, playing in the heart of midfield. That style is (more) conducive for winning tournaments. Redondo was an integral part of the midfield that helped to score Raul a good amount of goals. We also see that back in 1999-00 when a prime Raul suffered (domestically) in his output, and Real's midfield of Karembeu-Seedorf-Redondo got torn apart because of injuries, form and forced selling (because Real had mounting debts before Perez came in, they were definitely forced to sell players in 1999-00). But Real Madrid, and later also AC Milan when he played, conceded so many goals while at the same time Redondo hardly got an assist or goal. He very, very rarely produced something. The main thing he did was providing a good foundation for Raul (and others) while at the same time conceding a lot of goals (with also Hierro quite attacking minded) and producing very little himself. Is that better than Roy Keane? Is that better than Guardiola? Or, since this thread is about left footed players, is that better than the unfriendly thug Edgar Davids? I'll try to go through some points; 1) The first point to mention is that Davids his career best and accumulative Ballon d'Or position is significantly better than Redondo. Same for the World Player of the Year. And with significant I mean that it is (more than) twice as good. 2) Davids (like Keane, like Guardiola, like Vieira etc.) did have more of an end product, in a lower scoring league for a much lower conceding side. We also see that in the Champions League, where in 2002-03 during the knock-out stages (as well as the all-determining 2nd group stage game) he produced. Same for 1998-99, where he had a direct assist in both the quarter finals and semi finals. Redondo just doesn't have that production pattern. 3) Redondo has three Champions Leagues, and played his games in all of those campaigns (played in two finals). Davids however played in more Champions League finals (four finals vs two), and players/managers have more control over two games than one game. He has also an UEFA Cup on top, where he played his matches but not the final. Thus it is 5 finals vs 3. 4) It doesn't need much elaboration that Davids his national team career is better, with better consistency and a higher peak. More good tournaments. 5) Redondo has two winners medals for the league, Davids has six. Redondo has one domestic cup (one final), Davids has three (four finals). Davids achieved this for three different teams (Ajax, Juventus, Inter) and Redondo for two (Real Madrid, Milan). 6) When those two met on the same pitch, (directly) playing against each other, Davids wasn't the inferior performer for sure. At best he had an advantage, at worst it was parity. 7) Davids was a pretty good footballer himself. Not only just that "pitbull terrier" or the "one-man engine room" in midfield (as Lippi famously said). He wasn't a class act on the field, even less so outside it, but he played his part. As I said previously, Netherlands had for 50 years more semi finals than England, France and Spain combined. Edgar Davids played his part in three of those. Between 1988 and 2013 there was often a Dutchman playing in the Champions League final (exceptions are 1991, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002). That's - to put it mildly - a very good series, and that despite the blatant and clear-cut UEFA/FIFA sabotaging acts, sabotaging the "useless" [sic] smaller markets. Also here Davids played his part.
No problem Puck. I guess you understand I wouldn't want to get in any long arguments, but of course I would not want to just ignore your post or leave it as your comment only, as you have asked me specific things. I guess you also agree every individual has their own ideas, so sometimes it's hard to say one choice is 'right' or 'wrong'. Probably his CL Final performance in 2000 is a good guide as to why I'd be persuaded in his direction: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x28so49 At his best he did seem to combine great and intuitive playmaking in his own ways with at least some presence as an anchor to the midfield. So I guess I'd see him as a combination of facilitator indeed (and mainly from deep indeed) and cultured enforcer if that is the right term (but yes neither an outright energetic ball-winner or a ultra-reliable rock in front of the defence). I can see the idea with Davids though, and if I had gone slightly more cautious(/typical? - arguably I'm playing like Man City this season with the selections I made except things would be more reliant on out-playing the opposition with the ball with those I put in as the AMs, so maybe it's got the elements of a 'fantasy team' a little bit) I guess I could have even fitted him in as well as Redondo (even with one of them deeper than the other perhaps). And I think he does give some things Redondo doesn't so much - energy, quickness, tenacity, drive etc. In some ways in such a midfield it might be argued he suited better (not for combination/possession play although you rightly point out he could certainly play football as would be evident for anyone watching him in the 1998 WC for example; but as a 'minder' and 'coverer' etc maybe) although actually at his best I think he also played a two-way role and not sitting deep a la Makelele or something. Redondo did miss out on that 1998 WC due to disagreements with Passarella I suppose, but I'd go along with Davids being better and more significant in that tournament than Redondo 4 years earlier probably (not only as he and the team got further). To be fair Davids was the one who ended in the top 100 of World Soccer's Player of the Century voting (finalised in late 1999), so I think it's maybe true that his stock slipped a bit since then. Strangely perhaps, Redondo might have earned more votes/admirers in that season that was on-going at that time, despite it likely not being close to his best consistency wise as you've suggested yourself, due to CL performances that caught the eye (especially also vs Man Utd, when he did control things very well - Ferguson saying he had magnets in his boots etc - as well as get a rare-ish assist indeed after the back-heel move on Berg). Perhaps some parallels to C.Ronaldo this season even (relatively, considering different roles - obviously he didn't score any overhead kicks lol!).
Thanks for your expert reply PDG, I do respect your views very much and your observations, and your subtle but precise explanation is nice. You are not always following the mainstream consensus too, and can explain fairly why that is (for ex. you rating MvB pre-1987 highly and then also in latter rounds of the EC/UCL; or you placing Charlie Nicholas high for one year and reasoning and seeing why/how he had that level). I agree with the general gist that fundamentally football ability matters, and less so team trophies. As mentioned before, other team sports that are played with fewer players and with more emphasis on individual stats don't turn the greatest winners in the greatest players either. It's more relevant what individual players do and/or influence against good teams, rather than winning necessarily. In this instance I mentioned the trophies/finals (but not as first point, but as 4-5th point) because it would be the logical counter-argument to "Redondo was a factor in conceding many goals while producing little going forward", but it isn't the base of it if you get what I mean. I agree he might have been slightly more competent and stylish in combination play than Keane/Davids, although there are many good videos of high profile matches around, like Bayern etc. where those show dominant passing and guiding possession too. Also when one watches the 2002-03 games vs Internazionale for example (Inter finished #2 in the league - also a starring role for Nedved there at the peak of his ability). But thanks, was curious about how you'd see that.
No problem Puck. I suppose one option in such a team for a player that would help the defence from the deepest midfield role (protect and/or supplement, and perhaps even mark or cover star players in a theoretical right-footed XI or alternative left-footed XI lol) might be Zebec (with Albert perhaps slotted into the right-side CB role) but it's inevitably hard to get a proper idea when mainly relying on what we read I think. I do agree that Redondo brings more in terms of cohesion and link play etc than he does defensively, even though playing from a deep position does suit him well enough, and I do think he's got more capability to play there without a combative colleague than for example Pirlo.