Ibrahimovic plays in super-slow Serie A, with Juve. I don't think he would fit on the English NT nearly as well as Owen does.
I love your 'quantitative evidence' for proving your second point Let me guess. It would have been TOO logical to back both statements up by statistics right?
Lol, right on. I was saying these things exactly a month ago begging these cocky English fans to back some statements up with fact. Maybe one of them did. Its pointless. They think anyone in the EPL is brilliant.
owen is a better finisher than ibrahimovic, but if i had to pick one of them for my team in the school playground, i'd pick ibrahimovic first personally. i don't know what this means.
goalkeeper: robinson defense: cole-terry-campbell-neville midfield: ljunberg-gerrard-lampard rooney striker: owen-zlatan i dont know who in their right mind would leave zlatan out, watch out he'll be in the running for world player of the year soon, you'll see. so will rooney, and gerrard.
OK, each position has 4 men, one from every team. GK: Robinson, Isaksson, Villar, Jack RB: Neville, Östlund, Da Silva, Gray CD: Terry, Andrews, Gamarra, Lucic CD: Mellberg, Ferdinand, Caceres, Lawrence LB: Cole, Edman, Avery John, Caniza RM: Beckham, Ljungberg, Gavilan, Edwards DM: Linderoth, Gerrard, Paredes, Kenwyne Jones AM: Lampard, Latapy, Svensson, Acuna LM: Wilhelmsson, Cole, Birchall, Torres FW: Rooney, Larsson, Cardozo, Yorke ST: Ibrahimovic, Owen, Santa Cruz, Stern John Now, obviously Gerrard is better than Linderoth, but a teem needs a DEFENSIVE midfielder and Gerrard is too Offensive oriented for his own good in the England side. So Gerrard would actually compete with Lampard, and Lampard is more ruthless. And yes, Beckham is better than Ljungberg at Right Wing. More experienced and if playing in the right position, simply better. So: 1.Robinson 2.Neville, 4.Mellberg, 5.Terry, 3.Cole 7.Beckham, 6.Linderoth, 8.Lampard, 11.Wilhelmsson 9.Rooney, 10.Ibrahimovic Subs: 12. Isaksson 13. Carragher (because he can play on both flanks) 14. Larsson 15. Ferdinand 16. Ljungberg 17. Gerrard 18. Owen
Now this is what I'm talking about. I may not agree with everything, but it at least recognises that there are 4 teams. Great work. Here's the tweaking for TandT. 1) Kenwyne Jones doesn't play DM, at least not on the national team (it may be his position at his club though. The man you want is Aurthis Whitley or maybe Silvio Spann in a pinch. Jones will only play that posiiton if someone gets injured, Beenhakker has him typed as a big striker. 2) I don't remember much about Gavilan, but if Carlos Edwards learns how to swing in effective crosses, he can do some serious damage on the right. 3) Yorke doesn't play foward any more..but seeing how we've rarely played more than one striker (john) if you have to choose between him and latapy in AM I'd choose latapy 4) I think Lawrence could give ferdinand a run for his money ps btw, where is campbell on this list?
I only took the 2 best CD for every team, and I believe Terry and Ferdinand to be above Campbell. Though Ferdinand by a very small margin. As for T&T, the problem is they play 3-6-1 or 4-5-1 afaik, so the team is a bit "tweaked". I know Whitley plays DM, but Jones is better imho, this is why I chose him. Just as I know Cyd Gray is not a permanent fixture on the right of defence. And yes, Yorke and Latapy both play AM, but Yorke could play Forward (not Striker, that is John). I made a distinction betwen "Forward" (players like Rooney, Totti, Henry, namely creative attackers) and "Striker", which are typically goal-poachers like Owen, RvN, Trezeguet, Adriano, you get the idea...
You wnat a few Paraguayan players that would make any allstar team? How about Carlos Gamarra? He's only one of the top defenders in the game....or Santa Cruz? (only one of the top strikers.....) Im sorry but don't underestimate how far this team can go.....
Paraguay's strength is not in the individuals, but in teamplay. They are a very tough team to beat, a team that makes very few mistakes, a team that knows to frustrate its opponents. I have a lot of respect for Paraguay. However, I do not think their stars are individually that good, Santa Cruz is OK but he can't seriously compete with Rooney, Owen, Ibrahimovic or Larsson, and Gamarra is way behind the ENglish central defenders and Mellberg. I don't underestimate Paraguay, but in an all-star team, they are at a disadvantage. Just as Togo is compared to Ghana. I think Togo is by far the better team, although Ghana has more talent and better individuals. But Togo is better because they are a team and you can't reflect this when making all-star teams. I know it might not be fair to Paraguay, but after all, it's better to be good on the pitch than have players in all-star teams that some freaks like us make in forums.
I don't really know alot about Linderoth and Wilelmsson but I know Mellberg shouldn't be in the team. Edit:Is Linderoth the same guy that used to play for Everton? If so he shouldn't really be in the team.
If you, as manager, had all those players in one big national pool, would you really pick Melberg over Ferdinand, Linderoth over Gerrard and Wilhelmson over Joe Cole? I am sorry but this is football, no place for political correctness in team selections.
--------------Robinson Neville-----Terry----Ferdinand---A.Cole Beckham---Gerrard---Parker----J.Cole --------Ibrahimovic----Rooney Anybody who says otherwise doesnt know what they are talking about. The only arguable position is Gerrard or Lampard for one position and Carrick/Parker for the other.
1. Mellberg over Ferdinand, yes. But it depends on the form of the moment, of course. 2. Linderoth over Gerrard as DM, yes. Gerrard is too creative and attack-minded. 3. Wilhelmsson over Cole - I'm not sure, depends on the form. Actually, if I were manager I'd play 4-5-1 and use BOTH Gerrard and Lampard to support Ibrahimovic as lone striker. I'd also play Ljungberg on the left. Something like this: _______________________Robinson_________________________ Neville___________Terry____________Mellberg__________A. Cole _______________________Linderoth_________________________ Beckham_________Gerrard__________Lampard_________Ljungberg ______________________Ibrahimovic_________________________ Rooney would come as a sub in the 2nd half to refresh the attack and for a last forcing, probably replacing Gerrard or Lampard. Ledley King might be an alternative to Linderoth at DM as well.
Gerrard sitting back and acting as a disciplined DM is better than Linderoth and if a proper DM is required Carrick and Parker are better than Linderoth. Seriously, Melberg would not make an England C squad. Ferdinand had a bad couple of games but he is back to his usual solid self. There is a reason Melberg is still at a struggling Villa while Ferdinand is a main part of Manchester United. Even if Ferdinand does not play, surely Campbell, King, Carragher or Woodgate would get in ahead of Melberg. Ljungberg is finished, he was good a couple of seasons ago, now he is an absolute shadow. He has truly been aweful this season. While J.Cole has kept his place in a Chelsea team containing Duff, Robben and SWP. Now, J.Cole is a far superior player to Ljungberg. And as an attacking midfielder, Rooney wipes the hell out of Lampard and Gerrard.
When Gerrard plays as a DM he is not very good. He doesnt have the discipline to do it. Linderoth or Paredes would be a better option. You must be joking with regard to Carrick and Parker - they are not international class players, and don't even get near the England team, so i dont see how you can put them in an all stars team You are right on this one, although Gammara is a quality defender and could possibly get in. Awful? Ljunberg hasnt been awful - he is doing a pretty decent job at Arsenal. I admit it hasnt been outstanding or anything, but he hasn't been awful. I think Ljunberg would be more suited to play on the left wing since he is very versatile. Joe Cole has a tendency to cut in, which means doesnt provide much width.
If Gerrard can be trained to have the discipline he has all the tools to make a great DM. Carrick is the most important player for Tottenham Hotspur, a team in fourth at the moment and pushing for a Champions League place. He is one of the Prem's top passers of the ball and can tackle great. Parker has also been doing great for Newcastle, there is a reason Chelsea once paid £12 million for him (before he broke his leg) that is because he is a top class midfielder. Parker and Carrick do not get in the England team because Sven has his favourites and is ignorant. He will probably play King at DM eventhough he got showed up against Argentina .. but that is crappy Sven for you. You are calling Carrick and Parker (who both have England caps) not international class players, but how can Linderoth be if he is still playing in the Danish League? Parker and Carrick are main players for big English teams. Even the mst inept managers (like Sven) would never pick Gammara over Carragher, King, Ferdinand, Woodgate, Campbell, Terry. Ask any Arsenal fans, he has been rubbish for a while now. His incisive runs are gone, his dribbling is gone, his passing his gone andis shooting his gone. He virtually offers Arsenal nothing down the right (which is where he plays, not the left). J.Cole has been one of the top performers in the league now for a while and so what if he cuts in alot? Nedved does that alot but does that make him any less of a LM? Lots of players play left midfield but they dont always have to take it to the barline and put in a cross. Anyway, even if width was an issue, Ashley Cole overlaps alot so width is not a problem, it does not necessarily matter if the team is a bit lopsided.