Pretty self explanitory title really - I was reading a Phil McNulty article (I know...) on the BBC site about why our sides are struggling so much in Europe:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34396301
Now while a lot of the article is rubbish, it did get me wondering how an All Star Premiership team would get on against the likes of Real Madrid, Barca or Bayern.
--------------------Aguero----------------------
Hazard-----------Silva-----------Sanchez
----------Coquelin-----Toure---------------
Shaw-----Kompany----Smalling---Apzi
-------------------De Gea------------------
You can arguably swap Coquelin for Matic (Arsenal bias may have made that choice for me!), Smalling for Koscielny, Toure for Schweinsteiger - but the differences in quality are minimal really.
How would that team fare against a full strength elite side, if each game was played around 10 times? Looking at it overall, there's nothing to really suggest that there would be enough about this side (with or without minimal adjustments) to get the better of any of the elite teams overall.
It's a sad state of affairs really, given that a fair few of the players in that line-up have come to the PL as surplus to requirements from an elite side, or will probably end up moving to one of them in time.
Anyway, how do you think this sort of team would fare?
I would multi-board, but I can only do one
Would a PL XI beat any of Europes elite?
posted on 1/10/15
KDB is pure class - very glad he's in the PL
However, you can't put him in a PL X1 after what 2/3 games...
posted on 1/10/15
You could see from yesterdays game the difference with Blind in midfield compared to Schweinsteiger. We started dropping deep immediately after and Jones had to make a lot of clearances.
posted on 4/10/15
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 5/10/15
comment by Walking in Memphis (U17527)
posted 3 days, 23 hours ago
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 12 hours, 56 minutes ago
No trying. The proof is there clear as day.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What proof?
Provide the proof that he is better please
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Not sure what you mean? I provided the passing stats, the defensive śtats. What more do you want?
Sky Sports 1 at 4pm yesterday?
posted on 5/10/15
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 43 minutes ago
comment by Walking in Memphis (U17527)
posted 3 days, 23 hours ago
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 12 hours, 56 minutes ago
No trying. The proof is there clear as day.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What proof?
Provide the proof that he is better please
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Not sure what you mean? I provided the passing stats, the defensive śtats. What more do you want?
Sky Sports 1 at 4pm yesterday?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
One game proves nothing. We were awful all over yesterday bar Martial. In fact Coquelin wasn't that great it was Cazorla who had a stormer.
Well deserved victory. Congratulations.
We really were poor
posted on 5/10/15
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 5/10/15
. . Schweiny is not good enough to lace Coq's boots
posted on 5/10/15
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 5/10/15
comment by Walking in Memphis (U17527)
posted 8 minutes ago
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 43 minutes ago
comment by Walking in Memphis (U17527)
posted 3 days, 23 hours ago
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 12 hours, 56 minutes ago
No trying. The proof is there clear as day.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What proof?
Provide the proof that he is better please
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Not sure what you mean? I provided the passing stats, the defensive śtats. What more do you want?
Sky Sports 1 at 4pm yesterday?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
One game proves nothing. We were awful all over yesterday bar Martial. In fact Coquelin wasn't that great it was Cazorla who had a stormer.
Well deserved victory. Congratulations.
We really were poor
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nope, but the stats I provided where before the one game. They highlighted not only does Coquelin win more tackles, make more interceptions, block more shots and other such defensive work, but also has a better passing accuracy by a distance, and at the time provided more 'key passes' (may or may not have levelled up after yesterday).
United definitely lacked a Coquelin yesterday.
Interesting to note that Coquelin made the most tackles and also had the highest passing success rate yesterday (of the players who played more than 45 mins). His contribution to the first goal yesterday was especially vital.
As when the article was first rubbished for including Coq, I remain unsure why his inclusion is so ridiculed. Just not glamorous for people I guess.
posted on 5/10/15
If it was pure Arsenal bias I'd have 100% put Koscielny in instead of Smalling