Everything. Especially that he is superior to Modric. Go ask Ancelotti what he thinks about that flaming hot take.
National dream teams since 2000
- Thread starter Eye of Ra
- Start date
AB13
Registered User
- Apr 29, 2019
- 6,998
- 2,605
Not a huge fan of Modric as a player, because I think he’s too limited in some aspects. Ask Modric to defend or break down a team and you have serious problems. Can't play ahead of the ball either. He's a deep midfielder that isn’t great at defending and slows down the team in the build-up. He's just very hard to take the ball from. Kroos has a much better understanding of build up play and the rythm of the game, progressing the ball faster and breaking lines. I appreciate players that just keep the ball very very well without creating chances, defending or covering passing lanes but I prefer what Kroos brings and think Ancelotti agrees.
Yeah, that's why he put Kroos in his ideal team and not Modric
[MOD]
Last edited by a moderator:
Sure. Back to the what is this based on again debate - and being on the pitch isn't exclusively what I meant with longevity - also performances.
Overall I think Kroos has had a better career than Schweinsteiger, but not because I think he has been the better player when both are (or rather were) at their best.
Huge difference between Schweinsteiger somewhere around 2010 vs. what he was in 2015. Kroos - so far - hasn't had nearly the same kind of drop off.
Eisen
Registered User
I don't know. Now, I don't watch Kroos at club level anymore but in the NT there was a very visible drop after the title in 2014. Is it as much as Schweinsteiger's? I don't know but it's there.
I guess I'm in the opposite situation. I watch the big games for Germany, but most national team games I find uninteresting (Nations League hasn't really changed that for me), so my knowledge of Kroos would be more based on what he does on a club level.
Surprised to hear that he started dropping off all the way back in 2014 - as he has been fantastic on club level quite some years after that.
Quite some central midfield players Germany have had the last 15-20 years. Modric is in my opinion the best, but Ballack, Schweinsteiger, Kroos, Kimmich etc. is just ridiculous.
mattihp
Registered User
Eye of Ra
Grandmaster General of the International boards
ok im doing this .
USA:
Brian McBride - Clint Dempsey
Landon Donavan - Claudio Reyna - John o Brien - Christian Pulisic
DaMarcus Beasley - Gregg Berhalter - Oguchi Onyewu - Steve Cherundolo
Tim Howard
Canada:
Jonathan David - Cyle Larkin - Tomasz Radzinski
Dwayne De Rosario - Atiba Hutchinson - Julian de Guzman - Junior Hoilett
Alphonse Davies - Vitoria - Paul Stalteri
Milos Borjan
robertmac43
Forever 43!
- Mar 31, 2015
- 25,005
- 17,211
cgf
FireBednarsSuccessor
He's slowed down even more and got a little lazier against the ball for a while. I think he's trying again after 2018, but he's just so slow & ineffectual against the ball that the results aren't very different. With the backline falling off after age caught up to Mats & Boa, Toni slowing down has been even more problematic for us as the backline is less able to deal with bigger gaps in front of them.
He's still an excellent pendulum and with both he & Hummels orchestrating our build-up, there aren't many NT sides that can effectively press us high. We just have enough skilled alternatives who wouldn't be such liabilities against the ball...Kimmich, Gundogan, Goretzka & Neuhaus.
But yeah, that midfield depth is why I had trouble putting Kimmich & Lahm anywhere but FB in my lineup...although both are more influential in the midfield. Even Khedira at his peak was an excellent pressing b2ber, who was fantastic at following the ball in possession & offering a constant outlet for quick 1-2s.
KlausJopling
Registered User
My team is the same. Only change would be Eddie Pope for Berhalter. Maybe Bocanegra for Beasley since Beasley didn't really play much LB for the national team (atleast not at his peak). But LB was a major weakness for US since forever so I dont have a problem with Beasley.
Bench would be
Keller
Bocanegra
Bradley
McKennie
Altidore
StevenF1919
Registered User
Eye of Ra
Grandmaster General of the International boards
that team has everything to win it. you have plenty of good defensivly players and a gritty guy like gattuso.
no maldini, wtf
cgf
FireBednarsSuccessor
The US team should have more of their current players unless you're focusing just on what they've accomplished for the NT. Players like Gio Reyna, Dest, McKennie/Adams, Brooks, etc. are just much more talented than the likes of Gooch/Berhalter, 'dolo, O'Brien & McBride.
StevenF1919
Registered User
You could definitely create a stronger and more balanced roster. Realistically Diamanti doesn't get anywhere near this team, or even the bench, but he had a 2 year window where he was magical to watch. Cassano is also a headcase but him and Totti were my favourite duo ever and having Diamanti playing with them would be a blast. Grosso is a one tournament wonder and Del Piero should absolutely make the squad over Toni if you're basing it on pure ability as well. Maldini was fantastic in Euro 2000 but since this is a post-2000 team I think Nesta had arguably a stronger career with the national team in that period. I was actually contemplating including Materazzi over him since he was absolutely immense in 2006.
cgf
FireBednarsSuccessor
Don't think Jogi ever actually used my beloved 4-3-2-1/4-3-1-2, but having thought about it some more, I think I'd go with:
Get all of Kimmich, Lahm, Ballack, Schweini & Kroos into the side; with Mesut, Miro, & Müller's movement up front opening acres of space for Ballack to charge into...plus the Neuer-Hummels-Boateng triangle anchoring the defense.
Leaves Gnabry / Havertz / Reus / Schneider; Khedira / Goretzka / Frings; and Gosens / Baku on the bench.
Klose
Müller - Özil
Ballack - Kroos
Schweinsteiger
Lahm - Hummels - Boateng - Kimmich
Neuer
Müller - Özil
Ballack - Kroos
Schweinsteiger
Lahm - Hummels - Boateng - Kimmich
Neuer
Get all of Kimmich, Lahm, Ballack, Schweini & Kroos into the side; with Mesut, Miro, & Müller's movement up front opening acres of space for Ballack to charge into...plus the Neuer-Hummels-Boateng triangle anchoring the defense.
Leaves Gnabry / Havertz / Reus / Schneider; Khedira / Goretzka / Frings; and Gosens / Baku on the bench.
JeffreyLFC
Registered User
- Sep 29, 2017
- 10,778
- 7,940
My france team:
Zidane
My algerian team:
Mahrez
My canadian team:
Davies
My netherland team:
Gini
My brazilian team:
Ronaldo
My argentinian team:
Messi
That's it!
Zidane
My algerian team:
Mahrez
My canadian team:
Davies
My netherland team:
Gini
My brazilian team:
Ronaldo
My argentinian team:
Messi
That's it!
I have never fancied Kroos, but do you think what I said about Schweinsteiger was wrong?oh S E P H
I hated Oezil as a LCM on Arsenal, but he was bloody fantastic for the national team. I think you'll get a better system with Schwein in the middle of the park, Ozil to his left, and Lahm as a CDM.
Duchene2MacKinnon
In the hands of Genius
- Aug 8, 2006
- 46,777
- 10,069
Pavel Buchnevich
"Pavel Buchnevich The Fake"
Poland | 4-4-2
Lewandowski - Milik
Obraniak - Zielinski - Krychowiak - Błaszczykowski
Gancarczyk - Bednarek - Glik - Piszczek
Dudek
Noticeable Bench
Milik, ST
Grosicki, LCM
Mierzejewski, CAM
M Lewandowski, CDM
Boruc, GK
Lewandowski - Milik
Obraniak - Zielinski - Krychowiak - Błaszczykowski
Gancarczyk - Bednarek - Glik - Piszczek
Dudek
Noticeable Bench
Milik, ST
Grosicki, LCM
Mierzejewski, CAM
M Lewandowski, CDM
Boruc, GK
My stab at the team, but like Belgium majority of the best players have been developed the last ten to fifteen years or so. The problem is the rise of a prime Lewandowski hasn't been in unison with other greats like Blaszczykowski and Piszczek. Timing really screwed us considering our depth really falls off after like 70% of the starting XI. Based on some superficial readings, it seems that Polska had some awesome players in the 70s and 80s. Then it appeared that the entire programme collapsed due to the change in government from the fall of communism, which hurt from the 90s to a good part of the 2000s until 2010 when talent started to appear on the radar. Now the old era of the 70/80s is way before I ever started following football, so maybe one of you lot can confirm if our golden age was around that time?
Poland has always been known as a goalkeeper factory and when we weren't producing any talent, we did keep producing solid goalkeepers like Dudek, Kuszczak, Szcz, Fabianski, and Boruc who I would take over any GK that's on the current Euro squad. Another significant and noticeable aspect is that the right side of this team is very good, while the left side is beyond pathetic. It looks like we have a Finding Nemo issue...
Poland has always been known as a goalkeeper factory and when we weren't producing any talent, we did keep producing solid goalkeepers like Dudek, Kuszczak, Szcz, Fabianski, and Boruc who I would take over any GK that's on the current Euro squad. Another significant and noticeable aspect is that the right side of this team is very good, while the left side is beyond pathetic. It looks like we have a Finding Nemo issue...
Last edited:
