i'd think CR7 and Messi could be stationed on either flanks (starting positions at least) an it could work out fantastically as long as the correct players are chosen around them, i believe Ronaldo is content with making runs in behind the defence and doesn't have to have the ball constantly at his feet as long as he's getting chances to score. Ibra would provide a dilemma since the middle of the attacking third would be clogged to ****.
If we pick a striker and AM that have mobility and great off-the-ball movement/tactical understanding i don't see why CR7 and Messi shouldn't be able to flourish with each other, Messi cutting in on the dribble and CR7/Other striker making the runs in behind (other striker could drop off and play 1-2's with Messi or AM) with the AM routinely dropping in the space left by CR7, feel Özil would be a prime candidate here.
CR7 starting from the left and making darting runs across the defensive line would find a lot of space in particular imo.

RVP
CR7-Özil-Messi

wat do ppl think about this? Feel RVP would be a decent pick here even though he is pretty slow as he has phenomenal link-up play and is also content to play off the shoulder if needed. Also i think the ST having mobility isn't as important as the AM here because in theory this team is going to be playing most of it's stuff in the attacking third of the other team anyway. Was thinking Rooney might work for a bit but he would probably have the same issue as Ibra in this system of trying too often to come deeper than he should to get touches and clog the centre. Not too confident on the özil pick as i feel Iniesta, Fabregas and Silva could probably all be swapped in to that role pretty easily but i just think Özil's awareness for the off-the-ball aspect is close to unparalleled.

Without giving it too much thought i'd like the rest of the team to be filled with hard-working defense-first thinking players to make up for the all-out attack of the front 4.

Not very keen on Ronaldo and Messi having much of a working relationship since Ronaldo's shoot on sight policy when he's within 25 yards won't go down too well with the GOAT.

How does your opinion change if you're gonna have to go up against the All-World 2nd XI?

In other words, is it worth it to take Ron and/or Ibra so you don't have to face them?

My first post on the subject already stated my 1st team world XI would have Kroos and Muller in it

i can understand the case for kroos, he's amazing. But Muller?

zee didn't post the rest of his team but assuming he is playing Muller as a wide forward option then it makes perfect sense. Playing to optimal strengths, which is the point.

even so, surely ribery would be a better candidate as wide-forward?

in any case, i guess the rationale isn't ridiculous

On paper Ronaldo could be a great asset for Messi since he would offer pace/strength and a real direct threat in behind defences similar to the attributes of Pedro/Alexis but on a much higher level obv. In practice it wouldn't work since Ronaldo wouldn't play a specific role to help Messi as he's too selfish and would just take up central positions or shoot when he's got the chance, it'd be funny to see who got to take the freekicks and pens though.

I can understand the question about Messi and Ronaldo but wouldn't care about Ibra tbh, I'd take RVP or Lewandowski over him.

After thinking about it i'd drop Messi, other top players seem to irritate him.

Even Neymar, he's probly like this new puppy dog that will be left on a highway comes next summer

I think for only like 6 months of the past 3 years has Silva had a shout at being in the very top tier of the CAM with Iniesta, Ozil, Cesc and others. He has played at a very high level always, but his first year with City wasn't as good as it should have been and he's off to a slow start this year.

They talked about it in Football Weekly a couple of weeks ago: Who wins a 'Best combined XI from each league' tournament?

You could argue simply that Bayern + Hummels should do the job, but eg. Barcelona + Ramos, Ronaldo and some of the tougher Atletico players, for when things get physical, would be solid too.

How does the ranking between different leagues vary, if you make a rule that each team can have a maximum of X player(s) from each team for X=10->1? For instance, the EPL would most definitely be better with X = 1 than the Bundesliga or League 1.

I think maybe 3 players per team should work

Good to see the thread breathing. I'm currently looking at and adjusting the fullback list and I think the next days will be productive.

Maybe even time for something before the football.

Also changing Silva and Özil.

Ôzil has a gazillion touches and passes so far, influencing his team here at start of the season (and that is in the ranking title after all) in similar ways that I give Silva a lot of credit for. I'm sure his average passing will still go down quite a bit but also sure that it will be more than his work for Madrid.

There is also the funny matter (and this works in funny ways sometimes) where I just know there are players in other positions I want to have ahead of Silva overall but maybe not ahead Özil.... Silva would definitely hurt Ôzil overall ranking in ways I wouldn't be too comfortable with.

And Lewendoski.

Premiership would be harder due to equally distrubuted players as far as the team goes.

No clear choice of keeper. Hart probably due to him being world class.
----------keeper
Zab - komp - vert - Baines would be back line.

How do you line up the rest 3-3, 4-2, 1-3-2

Do you go with the Chelsea trio? Then that's missing Ozil as surely the 4 of them would be so weak offensively against Bayern/Dort and Barca/Madrid.

I think you've somehow got to work Yaya, RvP, Ozil and the dynamic duo if Gerrard and Lampard.

LLoris
Zabaleta-Kompany-Vertonghen-Baines
Yaya-Cabaye
Oscar-Özil-Mata
RvP

Hazard>Oscar>Mata

LLoris
Zabaleta-Kompany-Vertonghen-Baines
Yaya-Carrick
Silva-Özil-Hazard
RvP

Silva makes it 4 city players and we're limiting it to 3 from a team

It's all right here in front of you and you still somehow come to the wrong conclusion. It "didn't work" not because messi and ibra are incapable of playing with eachother. It' s bc they're incapable of both playing the same position at the same time. Ibra can play 1 position in the barca 433 and messi wanted to play that position and lucky for him pep knew he would be better in that spot than ibra. When messi was playing on the right wing w/ ibra in the middle it all "worked" just fine.

Lloris
Zabaleta - Koscielny - Vertonghen - Baines
Ramsey - Yaya Toure
Silva - Özil - Hazard
van Persie

That's my point, that the only way they can play together is with one being out of his most customary/effective position. Why would u (not u specifically, in general) want to field Messi out of his preferred (central) position where he's GOATed it up? And if u did play them both centrally as Pep did and some itt suggest, it doesn't suit Ibra's potential (Ferrari-Fiat, etc). Both in the same XI is inefficient relative to their individual talent IMO.

About the wide-forwards not on the attacking midfielder/winger list, it's a fine line sometimes and based on his work at Barca so far I think Neymar will be on this list the next time with all the extra touches and someone else on the team clearly, especially off-ball so to speak, is the primary striker/goalscorer.

If you create a World XI that does not have The Übermensch Philipp Lahm in it, you have voided your right to have an opinion on football.

Right to have an opinion on football confirmed void.

About to start the the left/right-back list.

I landed on a top 70.

Players just missing out:

Álvaro Pereira, The Monaco kids Kurzawa and Fabinho who will be very much mid-season if they're really good, Serge Aurier, Luke Shaw, Zhirkov, Mathieu, Oliver Sorg, Sigueira, Carlos Martinez, Van Rhijn, Christian Fuchs and Balzaretti.

I will also say that it's probably the ranking most likely to miss someone under the radar last season who currently, maybe a little less under the radar, is playing great so feel free to point out such examples if they really do exist.