Germany and Italys Best XIs?

What is Germanys best XI?

Italys?

Both together?

I ask because most of the big teams have set players for most positions, but these two have so many options its hard to pick. So how would you field them?

Maybe this a bit offensive minded.


I have put forward this team only based on individual talent as i havent followed Germany NT qualifiers or friendlies and this lineup does lack defensive balance.

Italy


I have this lineup since Rossi and Cassano have been long term absentees and i'm not sure if both of them would make the Euros..Maybe Cassano might just make it.

You can't have a German national side without Müller, Surag, he and Özil run the side. Not quite sure about Germany's right back position and I think Boateng is too rash, however Lahm has to play on the side he's playing on at the moment so I'll just go for a conservative line-up. Apologies to rwo for leaving out Stubsi.

Neuer
Höwedes---Boateng---Hummels---Lahm
S. Bender---Mr Piggy
Müller---Özil---Podolski
Klose

Buffon
Maggio---Barzagli---Chiellini---Criscito
De Rossi---Pirlo---Marchisio
Giovinco
Balotelli---Cassano

Attacking midfield is the only question mark in the current squad in my eyes, however I'd like to see Gio given the chance to grab it with both hands.

As i said before ,i picked the side based on individual talent and regardless of Germany's playing style as i dont follow Germany NT.

For me Reus and Goetze were too good to leave out..I think Reus is the best German talent after Oezil imo.

I like Reus, however Müller's simply going through a dip in form. On individual talent I may very well have picked another side, however Müller's speed of thought, intelligent movement and flexibility make him the best individual talent Germany have next to Özil in attack in my eyes. To each his own though. He'll remind everyone of his class at the Euros, if not sooner depending on how successful a season Munich have.

Yea ,Mueller's movement and flexibility alone is what makes him an important team player more than most of the others.

But based on individual brilliance(technical ability) ,Reus and Goetze on their day can be devastating.See these two players can take on defenders cuz they are technically gifted which is the point i was trying to make.

Not underrating Mueller here just to make it clear.

Now please tell me who is better ?I watch him week in week out ,based on 'talent' alone i rank him higher than Goetze.

Surag wrote:Now please tell me who is better ?I watch him week in week out ,based on 'talent' alone i rank him higher than Goetze.

Schweinsteiger for one, Germany's best player has, imo, the most talent. Talent-wise Kroos, Gotze and Müller are all above him as far as younger (under 24ish) players go.

No question in my mind Schweinsteiger is Germany's best player but i was just making an evaluation based on talent alone.

Sebastien Deisler was one of Germany's biggest talents not so long ago..Quaresma for Portugal likewise.But their careers dint pan out as they would have liked.

Well its my opinion..There so many talented German youngsters and there isnt much to choose b/w them based on talent..Oezil is the biggest talent of Germany ,i'd go with Reus in second place.Maybe its just me.

Surag wrote:Yea ,Mueller's movement and flexibility alone is what makes him an important team player more than most of the others.

But based on individual brilliance(technical ability) ,Reus and Goetze on their day can be devastating.See these two players can take on defenders cuz they are technically gifted which is the point i was trying to make.

Not underrating Mueller here just to make it clear.

Müller doesn't get to look as flashy as other players at Bayern, thanks in part to the players who are around him who require Müller to act very much as a team player in order to ensure that the attack functions, however it shouldn't be seen as a deficiency in technique.

Müller's technique is severely underrated in my eyes simply because he looks bizarrely lanky and uncoordinated when on the ball, however it disguises how ridiculously quick his feet are. As far as vision and passing are concerned he's also the complete package. In the national team he is allowed to express himself and he dominates the attack, bringing out these characteristics, however at Munich he has to remain the player who will keep attacks flowing.

I'm also with LM in that even though they're different positions, I'd prefer to have Kroos in my team.

Also in terms of the job that each player performs in the national side, Götze has only been left out of my side because I believe he's the perfect substitute for Thomas when he's not around and the need for a different type of player on the left to ensure variety.

Not trying to force my opinion on you btw, however that little spiel helps to explain my side a bit better in any case, though I'm still not happy with the defence.

italia
----------------buffon

-maggio-ranocchia-cheillini-criscito

-----------------pirlo
---de rossi--------------marchisio

---------------giovinco

----balotelli-------------di natale



deutchland

----------------neuer

-boateng-Höwedes-hummels-lahm

----------bender------bastian

gotze-----------ozil-----------kroos

-----------------klose

There's a reason why Kroos and Muller have been consistently getting minutes and plenty of starts in the NT since before the world cup while Reus has only gotten a sniff of a chance in a couple friendlies recently. Anyway, I'm not trying to downplay Reus' ability as I as well am a bit of a fan myself and will give credit where it's due, I just think Kroos Müller & Gotze have a higher ceiling.

Great post Dostoevsky and i agree on all points.

However he isnt playing great for Bayern atm.I'd actually bench him and go with Kroos at AM.

And also you get the best out of Kroos by playing him as an AM imo.thats his natural position.

And i wouldnt start him over Oezil which is why i picked Reus who would offer more width and has an eye for goal too..He is very flexible too.

No love for Podolski though, Surag?

Oh i forgot lol

Man there is so much to choose..I'm a bit of a Reus Fanboy so i went with him.

Although i think Loew will go with Dostoevsky's lineup.Germany have incredible depth in attack,almost everywhere i must add..Maybe its just the FB positions where they are a bit short..

No one has chosen Gomez yet? Interesting, I thought I was going to be in a minority when it came to sticking Klose up the front still. It might change as more people post though.

I have a selfish reason for not wanting Müller to be benched in that I don't want him to be fresh as a daisy when the Euros roll around, however it might be good for him.

Agreed on Kroos, though it depends on the approach that Löw takes to the game. For a more possession based game I believe that Kroos would be highly functional in a three man midfield alongside Özil if Germany were out to dominate a side for the first half before settling back to protect a lead. Ideally I would have him as an AM though, so if the formation remains a 4-2-3-1 I would use him as a regular substitute to break upon a game or simply to replace Özil for the last half an hour. When you have such quality substitutes it's not a bad idea to use them to ensure a well rested squad.

Podolski, Ozil, and Muller should be the starting 3 attacking mids without any doubt in my mind, with Reus, Kroos, and Gotze being the main backups. Gotze is the only one capable of breaking into the first XI in my opinion, and that would only be in place of Khedira, and switching to a 4-1-4-1. I think Germany should play like this:

Well i suggested Mueller to be benched for Bayern cuz Kroos-Schweini in the middle aint exactly working..With Gustavo or Tymo you'd get defensive balance .Like against Wolfsburg,Mf looked much more secure than uncertain when Gustavo came on.

But Jupp i think has some sort of Mueller favoritism and i'm not sure if he will be benched.

And agreed ,for a more possession based game,Kroos is a must in the lineup.

But i'd assume Loew will go with the Counter-Attacking approach come the Euros so your lineup would be the ideal lineup.

And Cmon you wouldnt bench Klose on current form would you ?he has still got it and still beasting it with NT as well and he would be better fit than Gomez for a counter-attacking team.

I wouldn't bench Klose on current form, however I do think that how he performs over the next six months will be intriguing and it's something I've been keeping an eye on this season. Klose has in the past had a comparatively light workload compared to most modern strikers due to the limited game time he had at Bayern Munich, which in a sense has helped to prolong his stay at the top in combination with his intelligent game.

Last season he played 36 games across all national and international competitions, including 17 substitute appearances. The year before, 47 with 21 being substitute appearances.

Already this year however he's had 29 matches with only 4 being substitute apperances. I'm sorry that I can't provide the minutes played in each, however physically more questions are going to be asked of Klose this season than have been asked of him in three years. I believe that it has the potential to be a real factor when we reach the Euros if Lazio continue to rely heavily on him. Klose may respond well, however by the end of the season, Löw may very well decide to go for the younger, "fresher" player.

Yea thats absolutely true.Remains to be seen if he keeps his fitness and most importantly form come the euros.

Possession style-Gomez maybe ideal

Counter-Attacking style-Klose

imho.

At the moment; Considering injuries and current form

---------------------------------Buffon
Maggio------------Barzagli------------Chiellini-----------Balzaretti

----------------------------------Pirlo
------------------------De Rossi-----Nocerino

--------------------------------Giovinco
-----------------------Di Natale---------Balotelli