Name your GOAT in each position thread

[Flobadob]

Recent discussion in the PL thread has lead me to start this thread as it’s an interesting topic and I enjoy hearing other people’s opinions on general football, who are their idols of the game are and who they’ve enjoyed watching most in their lifetime. The criteria for this can be whatever you want it to be, just straight up who you think is the greatest, who is your personal favourite for another reason (example for me is Dembele is my favourite player to watch in football ever, absolute loved him). This will take me some time to think about myself, so I’ll post mine at some point. So, what’s your GOAT 11 people? Various formations would be interesting, so try and mix it up!

Even if you’d like to talk about one player in particular by all means let us know why that player in particular stood out for you

 

[TPdYID]

Does a team of Robbie Keanes count?

 

[Flobadob]

Does a team of Robbie Keanes count?

Absolutely haha

 

[dontcallme]

Too much to do all 11. But in my lifetime the best defender I've seen is Paolo Maldini, best midfielder Zidane and the best striker Brazilian Ronaldo.

Schmeichal is probably the best keeper but I can't say I've paid too much attention to keepers who played abroad.

 

[Flobadob]

Too much to do all 11. But in my lifetime the best defender I've seen is Paolo Maldini, best midfielder Zidane and the best striker Brazilian Ronaldo.

Schmeichal is probably the best keeper but I can't say I've paid too much attention to keepers who played abroad.

Yeah no need to do a full 11 if you don’t fancy it. All of those I’d imagine are popular shouts. Zidane is up there in the stars for me as my first ever memory of football for me is watching him at Juventus with my Dad on TV and I had a Real Madrid shirt with Zidane on the back as a kid which was the coolest shit ever as a 7 year old ? I think for goalkeepers someone for me who deserves to be in the GOAT conversation is Manuel Neuer. I think at his absolute peak he was literally scary for opponents he was that good, maybe didn’t keep his level for as long as others but his peak puts him up there for me

 

[dontcallme]

Yeah no need to do a full 11 if you don’t fancy it. All of those I’d imagine are popular shouts. Zidane is up there in the stars for me as my first ever memory of football for me is watching him at Juventus with my Dad on TV and I had a Real Madrid shirt with Zidane on the back as a kid which was the coolest shit ever as a 7 year old ? I think for goalkeepers someone for me who deserves to be in the GOAT conversation is Manuel Neuer. I think at his absolute peak he was literally scary for opponents he was that good, maybe didn’t keep his level for as long as others but his peak puts him up there for me

Neuer had a great reputation and I'm sure he was great but I just don't watch enough foreign keepers to really say.

 

[Griff001]

This isn't necessarily just the BEST players I've seen in my lifetime, but also players I've enjoyed watching the most...

4-3-3

Gk: Schmeichel
LB: Not sure, other than Carlos who was fun to watch, I can't think of many other brilliant ones.
CB: Maldini
CB: Again unsure, too many to pick from...
RB: Cafu

CM: Modric
CM: Zidane
CM: Iniesta

LWF: Ronaldinho
RWF: Messi
ST: Ronaldo (Brazilian, of course!)

I'd possibly swap Iniesta or Modric for Kante if I wanted to make it an actual functional team, but tbf I think my 3 could still do a pretty good job!

 

[littlewilly]

Jennings
Cafu
Moore
Beckenbauer
Roberto Carlos
Maradona
Pirlo
Cruyff
Garrincha
Ronaldo
Pele

 

[Bulletspur]

These might not be GOAT in these positions, but these players are my favourite

Gianluigi Buffon ??

Lilian Thuram ?? ----- Franz Bekenbauer ?? --- Ledley King ???????----- Roberto Carlos ??

Diego Maradona ?? -- Mousse Dembele ?? --- Zinadane Zidane ?? --- Zico ??

Ronaldinho ??

Harry Kane ???????​

 

[andrewt]

This isn't necessarily just the BEST players I've seen in my lifetime, but also players I've enjoyed watching the most...

4-3-3

Gk: Schmeichel
LB: Not sure, other than Carlos who was fun to watch, I can't think of many other brilliant ones.
CB: Maldini
CB: Again unsure, too many to pick from...
RB: Cafu

CM: Modric
CM: Zidane
CM: Iniesta

LWF: Ronaldinho
RWF: Messi
ST: Ronaldo (Brazilian, of course!)

I'd possibly swap Iniesta or Modric for Kante if I wanted to make it an actual functional team, but tbf I think my 3 could still do a pretty good job!

bale rather than Ronaldinho for me and Ramos at CH and I could deffo live with that

 

[Dangerous_Clive]

Virgil Van Dijk

 

[Flobadob]

Jennings
Cafu
Moore
Beckenbauer
Roberto Carlos
Maradona
Pirlo
Cruyff
Garrincha
Ronaldo
Pele

Garrincha is one player who rarely gets a mention, any chance you could give a youngster like me a bit more info on him as a player?

 

[Flobadob]

These might not be GOAT in these positions, but these players are my favourite

Gianluigi Buffon ??

Lilian Thuram ?? ----- Franz Bekenbauer ?? --- Ledley King ???????----- Roberto Carlos ??

Diego Maradona ?? -- Mousse Dembele ?? --- Zinadane Zidane ?? --- Zico ??

Ronaldinho ??

Harry Kane ???????​

Very cool team

 

[Flobadob]

Okay here goes, a mixture of GOAT’s and my personal favourites

GK-Manuel Neuer
RB-Phillip Lahm
CB-Rio Ferdinand
CB-Virgil Van Dijk
LB-Ashley Cole
CDM-Moussa Dembele
CM-Luka Modric
CM-Zinedine Zidane
CAM-Lionel Messi
ST-Harry Kane
ST-R9 Ronaldo

Honourable mentions of course Ronaldinho, Bale, Ricardo Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, Eden Hazard is actually one of my favourite ever players but I had to play a midfield diamond to get Moussa and Luka in there without leaving Zidane out. Kane and R9 up top would be fucking fun to watch. One player I’d be interested to get people’s opinion on who I don’t necessarily believe is a GOAT but deserves more recognition in the PL era is Vincent Kompany, I think during that 2012-2016 period where City were cementing themselves as a top team he was an absolute monster

 

[littlewilly]

Garrincha is one player who rarely gets a mention, any chance you could give a youngster like me a bit more info on him as a player?

Sure. Garrincha was known as the greatest dribbler there's ever been. That translates as exciting beyond belief. I saw him play a few times but others have to rely on the relatively few "film" highlights or the words written about him. There are many of these if you want to google. Here's one:

Garrincha, the best dribbler in history

Garrincha, the best dribbler in history

colgadosporelfutbol.com

 

[ohtottenham!]

Sure. Garrincha was known as the greatest dribbler there's ever been. That translates as exciting beyond belief. I saw him play a few times but others have to rely on the relatively few "film" highlights or the words written about him. There are many of these if you want to google. Here's one:

Garrincha, the best dribbler in history

Garrincha, the best dribbler in history

colgadosporelfutbol.com

That's cool. Guessing that was in '66. I was a kid watching the games on the tv. What are your memories of watching him in the flesh? I'd have loved to have seen folks like Garrincha and particularly Di Stefano in their primes. Would have been a few years earlier than '66 mind.

 

[Fergus]

My selection mixes players from different eras, but I think they could have all done well in the modern game with modern coaching and fitness regimes. Personal favourites not the players with the best statistics.

GK Gordon Banks
RB Danny McGrain
CB Franco Baresi
CB Franz Beckenbauer
LB Ruud Krol
RMF Johan Cruyff
CMF Duncan Edwards
CMF Dave Mackay
LMF George Best
ST Greaves
ST Pele
Sub John Charles - equally good at CF or CB

 

[dirtyh]

no particular positional stuff but here's my opinion

gk - schmeichel
def - maldini
def - baresi
def - beckenbauer
def - cafu
mf - zidane
mf - cruyff
mf - ronaldinho
str - maradona
str - greaves
str - brazilian ronaldo

 

[littlewilly]

That's cool. Guessing that was in '66. I was a kid watching the games on the tv. What are your memories of watching him in the flesh? I'd have loved to have seen folks like Garrincha and particularly Di Stefano in their primes. Would have been a few years earlier than '66 mind.

Believe me, I wasn't too old then either! If anyone lived through the George Best years then I can only compare the veneration felt for both he and Garrincha. Di Stefano was definitely prior to my awakening!

 

[Chris Twaddle]

Buffon

Cafu Maldini Nesta R.Carlos

Zidane Dembele Iniesta

Messi R9 Ronaldo