UEFA.com - Team of the Year 2011

[Mandieta6]

Shifty's in love with Shakira, he told me so himself.

 

[Filipower]

Wow, I almost forgot about Xifio!

 

[ShiftyPowers]

just over a year ago, he was one of your first picks in the 2010 draft ... time does seem to have deteriorated your opinion of Piqué ... not that I disagree with his stock falling; just seemed curious that you've gone to the polar opposite with your assessment of his abilities ...

You're right to question that.

I think Pique has all the skills to be the best defender ever, or at least since Der Kaiser. Unfortunately he doesn't have the mentality. If you watch Barca, the best defenders on the team are easy to spot: Puyol, Mascherano, and Abidal. Not Pique. In possession, sure Pique helps by making great passes, and I'm positive he would be a starter on any other club in the world... BUT I think at the end of the day he would be a young Rio Ferdinand. He needs someone like Puyol or Vidic next to him to do all the actual defensive work. I do admire technical skill in defenders, but first and foremost I value defense, and I just don't think he's on the level of Puyol and Vidic. Now, he's on the second tier, absolutely, and he has the potential to be an all time great considering he's so young, but to be a truly elite defender you need to HATE every player who gets a touch on the ball in your area. Pique doesn't give that. If you already have someone like Vidic or Puyol, then he's the perfect complement, but standing alone, I just don't think he can do it.

EDIT: Also, Xifio, I have put Maggio into my starting XI about 95% because of the goal he created against Bayern in the CL this year. Despite playing WB, and needing to maintain position in the defensive third most of the game because of Ribery, he just DARTED forward at an incomprehensible pace and completely baffled and ruined Lahm. I have watched a lot of Barca games and Dani Alves can't do that.

hate Hate HATE Serie A, but Maggio is a phenom. Cavani... while good, was invisible against Bayern, and it's not like van Buyten and Badstuber are Nesta and Cannavaro, so I can't rate him.

EDIT2: Talked to a friend from my high school soccer team 10 years ago; Italiano-Americano born and bred (in fact, he's taking a youth team to Milan and Verona this summer as a coach), and we chatted about football. He was a Juve fan since I've known him (we played for the village team, and then also played together for the Bavarian club later), so I asked him how the last few years have been, and he was like "yeah, it's been tough, but really I cheer for all Serie A teams". To which I replied "That's funny, because I despise all Serie A teams." Good guy though, and he's a legit fan, probably closer to Giuseppe Rossi than I can pretend to be, meaning, he grew up in a family which idolized the Azzurri while I grew up idolizing Brett Favre, and even when we were on the local Bavarian club at like 12/13, for him it was because that was the best local club to help him advance, whereas for me it was just about prestige.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

I also want to say that, Casillas not withstanding, you have to be lying or ignorant if you don't pick Neuer. He is AMAZING. The guy is like 25 and near Kahn ability already. There have only been 3 keepers in the new Millenium better than Neuer: Kahn, Buffon, and Casillas. Any other opinion is transparent bias. Valdes over Neuer? Are you KIDDING ME!?!? Horrible. I get others over Gomez, but Valdes over Neuer is ignorant as ****.

 

[Filipower]

Absolutely seconded. I had Neuer almost until I confirmed the team, but Casillas has been my favourite keeper for the past 10 years. (after Baía obviously)

 

[Xifio]

You're right to question that.

I think Pique has all the skills to be the best defender ever, or at least since Der Kaiser. Unfortunately he doesn't have the mentality. If you watch Barca, the best defenders on the team are easy to spot: Puyol, Mascherano, and Abidal. Not Pique. In possession, sure Pique helps by making great passes, and I'm positive he would be a starter on any other club in the world... BUT I think at the end of the day he would be a young Rio Ferdinand. He needs someone like Puyol or Vidic next to him to do all the actual defensive work. I do admire technical skill in defenders, but first and foremost I value defense, and I just don't think he's on the level of Puyol and Vidic. Now, he's on the second tier, absolutely, and he has the potential to be an all time great considering he's so young, but to be a truly elite defender you need to HATE every player who gets a touch on the ball in your area. Pique doesn't give that. If you already have someone like Vidic or Puyol, then he's the perfect complement, but standing alone, I just don't think he can do it.

I blame the double agent for his demise:

but on a serious note, the defensive partnership is always about complimentary qualities ... it's no good being a butcher on a team like Barça, but you need someone who's more destroyer than passer, and someone who's technically gifted to pass out of the box ... but with that formula, Piqué and Thiago Silva wouldn't necessarily work together, but I'd like to think they would ...

Also, Xifio, I have put Maggio into my starting XI about 95% because of the goal he created against Bayern in the CL this year. Despite playing WB, and needing to maintain position in the defensive third most of the game because of Ribery, he just DARTED forward at an incomprehensible pace and completely baffled and ruined Lahm. I have watched a lot of Barca games and Dani Alves can't do that.

hate Hate HATE Serie A, but Maggio is a phenom. Cavani... while good, was invisible against Bayern, and it's not like van Buyten and Badstuber are Nesta and Cannavaro, so I can't rate him.

haha ... remember when we were privately chatting about Mattia Cassani during the draft? I'm glad Christian Maggio has decided to step it up when he has; with him and Abate as the RWB options, I'm a little more optimistic in my realistic ambitions for Italy at the EUROs ...

I also want to say that, Casillas not withstanding, you have to be lying or ignorant if you don't pick Neuer. He is AMAZING. The guy is like 25 and near Kahn ability already. There have only been 3 keepers in the new Millenium better than Neuer: Kahn, Buffon, and Casillas. Any other opinion is transparent bias. Valdes over Neuer? Are you KIDDING ME!?!? Horrible. I get others over Gomez, but Valdes over Neuer is ignorant as ****.

IMO, it's between Neuer and Lloris for the title of best keeper of their generation ... Hugo's not progressed as much as I thought/hoped he would, while Neuer's really been getting noticed going to the semis of big tournaments with Germany, Schalke, and likely now Bayern ... but you have to admit, he does have some very visible brain farts now and again ...

in any case, if Gigi Buffon is ever an option, I tend to become blind to all other goalkeeping choices -- can't help it ...

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Don't really rate Lloris, but yes Neuer has some horrible mistake occasionally. I think it's more a product of his age than anything else.

 

[yoyo913]

I don't understand why he rushes out so much, he should just stay in the net. He does some impressive things when rushing out sometimes but I still think its a bad decision.

 

[virtual_razvan]

 

[yoyo913]

So Aguero and Ronaldo are better than Messi?

 

[veggt]

 

[ShiftyPowers]

LOL at Robben. What year do you think this is?

 

[veggt]

LOL at Robben. What year do you think this is?

because he represents experience for me evry team needs an experienced captain

 

[virtual_razvan]

So Aguero and Ronaldo are better than Messi?

My preferences. As you see I put Shaqiri and Mata also there.
I dunno if Messi is better than Ronaldo or viceversa. They seem the same to me, of course Messi plays for Barcelona which is, without doubt, the best team in the world for about 3 years.
I am tired of Barcelona, if it wasn't for that right back, no choices from UEFA could really be Dani Alves replacement, it would have been a good no-Barca team.

 

[veggt]

My preferences. As you see I put Shaqiri and Mata also there.
I dunno if Messi is better than Ronaldo or viceversa. They seem the same to me, of course Messi plays for Barcelona which is, without doubt, the best team in the world for about 3 years.
I am tired of Barcelona, if it wasn't for that right back, no choices from UEFA could really be Dani Alves replacement, it would have been a good no-Barca team.

+1

 

[Back Door Skip]

They could have chosen a better Chicharo picture. He looks like he has Down Syndrome there.

 

[Sir Calumn]

My preferences. As you see I put Shaqiri and Mata also there.
I dunno if Messi is better than Ronaldo or viceversa. They seem the same to me, of course Messi plays for Barcelona which is, without doubt, the best team in the world for about 3 years.
I am tired of Barcelona, if it wasn't for that right back, no choices from UEFA could really be Dani Alves replacement, it would have been a good no-Barca team.

You are fast turning into one of my favourite posters....

 

[Sir Calumn]

I also want to say that, Casillas not withstanding, you have to be lying or ignorant if you don't pick Neuer. He is AMAZING. The guy is like 25 and near Kahn ability already. There have only been 3 keepers in the new Millenium better than Neuer: Kahn, Buffon, and Casillas. Any other opinion is transparent bias. Valdes over Neuer? Are you KIDDING ME!?!? Horrible. I get others over Gomez, but Valdes over Neuer is ignorant as ****.

Edwin Van der Sar?

I dont agree with you here actually. Yes, he shows a lot of promise, but he has only really had a season and a half of being world class, and even during that time he has made some serious mistakes. You cant rank him as one of the best keepers of his generation based on that, certainly not above people like Cech, Lloris, Reina etc.... I mean, he may get there, but he needs to prove himself over the years. Cech based on his first two years at Chelsea would be one of the best keepers of the new millenium, but now? Probably not.

Also Joe Hart has had just as good a two years as Neuer. I honestly dont know if I would take Neuer over Hart, Hart makes fewer mistakes.

 

[yoyo913]

Hart would be exposed if he wasn't on such a a good team. Also I think if he wasn't such a physical presence he wouldn't even have been bought by City.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Hart's fatal flaw is that he gives up so many dangerous rebounds. Unless he corrects that he'll always blunder away big matches. And Neuer has been brilliant for awhile, it's just that you people don't pay attention to the Bundesliga. He was in net for that 2009 U-21 Euro Champion team that beat the **** out of England, along with Ozil, Khedira, Howedes, Hummels, and Boateng.