Great Footballing Teams and Club Sides

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+1

I’ve been at pains saying it for months.

It’s a very, very weak era for football.

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Great thread Rocko. I saw World Soccer did an updated list of just club sides a few years ago that had Guardiola’s Barcelona either one or two, I cant remember which.

In my opinion the greatest team if all time is Spain 2008 to 2012. The longest period of dominance in the history if the international game. Tactically innovative. 3-6-1, tika-taka, shadow striker, short kick-outs, short corners, no-one had seen anything like it before at sn international level. Unreal depth, unreal teamwork, flair to burn, as much as any other side in history. Possibly the greatest defensive side in the history of international football, even if it was all tactical. The dismantling of Italy in the final of Euro 2012, Pirlo sent away crying. Iniesta v Ireland in the same tournament was breath-taking. However @Fulvio_From_Aughnacloy is probably right in that they were lucky that it was a weak era and they didn’t face huge competition.

The original list is slightly stupid. I dont know how you could argue that Spuds 1960-61 were better than Man Utd 1999. They had one true great in Danny Blanchflower, they also had Mackay and a striker having a good season. They didn’t even have Jommy Greaves yet.


Torino was a great shout. Also the Inter Milan team that won back-to-back European Cups in 64 and 65. How the hell were Spurs better than them?

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83

That’s true but that’s because you needed to be able to play back then.

There’s also other advances like equipment - lighter balls, boots - the advances in playing surfaces, training facilities, more dedicated coaching.

But the actual advances in footballing ability to don’t really seem to have came on anything other than it’s really fast lads who don’t tire that play now.

I get the freak of nature, you know those one or two guys who are phenomenal athletes, great endurance etc - they’re special. But now you have teams and squads who simply do not tire, will run all day and won’t tire and I’m very, very suspicious of that.

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84

Spain under Aragones were by far the most exciting of that Spanish vintage.

Del Bosque came in and just bored people to death with his Barca lite version.

The problem with those Barca and Spain teams were they were very one dimensional, but if you sussed them then they had no plan B.

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You look at a guy like Kante, a Nedved, a Zannetti etc - a freak of nature, phenomenal athletes. The first time you saw him you went, this guy has energy to burn.

Then you have guys like Andy Robertson and Jordan Henderson who seems to turn from regular athletes into superfit machines in the space of a few years in a whole squad of superfit athletes.

That’s the issue for me - these sudden changes and transformations, the fact that a whole squad can be on this level of fitness and endurance without any outliers.

I’m very suspicious of that.

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Klopp has a “magic recovery drink” apparently. Cough

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With respect you’re comparing teams that dominated Europe to a team that has almost won one (1) domestic title

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Are you lamenting the super clubs not winning here? Klopp’s style, makes up for lack of quality, and wins … Liverpool cant compete with the lure of Madrid and Barca that you’re celebrating …

They have had an outrageous 2 seasons and their big players have played a crazy amount of football… Using the Athletico result as the yard stick is a bit disingenuous. They absolutely battered them at Anfield and just didnt put away their chances, it happens and yes Klopp’s tactics played a part as they look leg weary…They lost one game in league in 2017/18 and made a CL final, and won it out in 18/19. - 2 back to back CL finals added to their league results shouldnt be brushed off with Harry Winks’ jibes. You’re correct about their midfield and I think it’s a testament to them to achieve what they have with such a average midfield … it would be frightening to think what they’d so with a bit of quality in there. … comparing ersa is always a futile exercise.

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Liverpool are one of the richest clubs and most expensively assembled squads in Europe.

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Fair enough. I guess that’s my point to an extent though. There isn’t an equivalent team today. And if one is to emerge I think it’s more likely to be a Bayern or Barca or Real than Liverpool unless they overhaul their squad (which they won’t do because it’s difficult to assemble a team who have so much buy in to a particular system).

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They’re still tier 2 when you talk about Barca, Madrid, Man City, PSG, Man Utd … and that’s fact. They generally have to sell to acquire

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Weren’t Liverpool fans crowing about record profits not too long ago?

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That’s incorrect.

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I suspect this isn’t the thread for you if you don’t like comparing teams from different eras.

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Retract the Harry Winks jibe and i’ll sling my ook.

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But as far as this conversation goes Liverpool are the modern day football team… pace and power all over the field.

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Pretty sure Xavi missed most of the 2005/2006 season with a knee injury, but you are right about Iniesta.

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You could make an argument that football is weaker now, as in the last 2 seasons maybe. However, for the majority of the 2010s football was at a really high level in terms of skill, as well as the athleticism aspect

Barcelona, Real, Bayern, Juventus, Atletico and others from time to time were at a really high level in that period

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just to clarify guys, when @Thomas_Brady says the rest of the world, he means england

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Liverpool have the most expensive goalkeeper and defender in the history of football?

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