Best was my favourite player at the time, more so than even Jimmy Greaves. He's stiil the most naturally-gifted player I've ever seen play in the English league. Maradona's the most gifted player ever in my lifetime, including Pele, and would always be first on my teamsheet.
I agree with your view of Best. Not sure who I’d drop out of my XI so I’ll name him super sub!
His brilliance was remarkable because he was born with deformed legs. He was a bit bow legged, and it was said that he could not stop a runaway dog in a corridor. I think Brazil didn't lose a game in which Pele & Garrincha played.
Great team. Beckenbauer, and Cruyff to some extent, are the clear outliers there in terms of generations. Love all the inclusions of Baresi in folks' lineups. He's the best natural defender bar none in my eyes. He'd be too short to be a top CB in the modern game of super athletes but think we have to make allowances for that kind of thing.
See I had to put a ball winner in there as well. Essential for any successful team.
That early 90's Milan side had the best back line of any club side ever.spot on re: baresi. remember watching him just in awe, never made a mistake and his size was never an issue as his reading of the game was off the scale, meaning he was always 2 steps ahead of his opponent. a right nasty fuck too
Great team, and you got 4 Spurs, past and present, in there! Would have been 5 if Moore had his way.
Canavarro(the best modern day CB imo) was close to making my team and he's fairly short for a CB.
Talking of Garrincha and dogs, here is a story involving our own Jimmy Greaves
www.standard.co.uk
Mattheus was a total destroyer, they didn't call him Der Panzer for nothing. Thing was he was equally as good with the ball as he was without it. He even excelled in his latter days as a sweeper, and his sheer longevity at the very top level is why he gets in my side. He was an 8/10 every game I ever saw him play and he made both Bayern and Germany tick. An armour plated Rolls Royce of a player
