Are Barcelona the greatest team to have ever played football?

[Albumen]

2011 Barca
1990 A.C Milan
1988 Liverpool

You have to base it on what was around at the time, the fitness, the regimes, the leagues. These 3 stood out. A Milan Liverpool final in 88 would have been brilliant, it's such a shame English teams were banned.

 

[warsaw]

i think they are the best team i've ever seen. I can't think of any that could have beaten them last night.

this!!!!

 

[16bha]

Definitely a yes.

They made Fergie look like a lower league boss with no answers. Fair play to Fergie in admitting it was a pasting. What would Wengers response have been.

Also, I took great pleasure in the irony of seeing Busquets actually get the ball fired into his face, which gave him a reason at last to clutch his face in agony. He is the one player they should lose, to remove the cheating.

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

Thing is,they have the core of the best international side in the world with Messi chucked in the mix as well.

The Brazilian side that never won the world cup in 1982 are the best side i've ever seen though.

 

[Ecosse Exile]

Best side ive ever seen, and i dont think they were as good last night as they were when they dismantled Real Madrid earlier in the season. Their movement, vision, passing accuracy, and speed is second to none, when they lose the ball they get back and defend as a team and press the opposition into trying to play at the same pace as Barcelona, which of course they cannot do.

 

[Easy 10]

I've seen some great teams, but I've never seen a team play football the way Barcelona do. They rarely pass the ball further than 10 yards, most of the time its short, sharp little 5 yard passes in very tight areas, their ball retention is extraordinairy. It was incredible last night - Man U started so brightly, but after about 10 minutes Barca's passing kicked in, and from then on United could hardly get a touch.

Undoubtedly the best team I have ever seen.

 

[Ecosse Exile]

The way Barca started just reminded me of what Gus keeps saying about the opening 10 minutes of our games, about how we have to see if the opposition have altered anything tactically and then deal with it. Seemed to me that was exactly what Barca were doing and boy did they deal with it.

 

[Perkino]

This Barca team do everything very simply, short passes and they move into space very quickly making options for their team mates. They don't try anything fancy or risky it is just simple passes and they will always play through the middle of a team. Their players could probably play in any of the 10 outfield positions and still have the same impact, they are all good with the ball and make their passes count rather tha trying silly runs or optomistic balls.

They do not have the skill of some but what they have is predictable but difficult to stop.
No great shot stopper or powerful Centre backs, they don't need full backs with pace or those who are overly good at tackling, they just close you down and don't allow you space and are often supported by midfielders very quickly.
Going forward they don't have anyone who can deliver a decent cross like Beckham, no wingers like Ronaldo or Robben who can beat a full back, no Central Midfielders like Scholes or Zidane who can pick out a pass 30 yards away. No Strikers who play off the sholder of the last man likeTorres or Owen, no big powerful Cente forward who can win headers or push his way through like Drogba. No one who can place a free kick in the top corner.
They don't have many players who would be considered the best in the world but they don't loose the ball much and when they do they close down the opposition in packs and pressure them so quickly that it is hard to do much against them. Not the greatest players ever but they are extremely efficient

 

[perseus]

Or was it
1950's Real Madrid?
1970 Brazil?
1990 A.C Milan?
or 2010/11 Albion under Gus!?

1970 Brazilians were the best. Won very game on their way to their world Cup victory. Barcelona Today do not even make the top ten. Not even as good as many Liverpool sides. Man United underestimated them though. I think the Liverpool side of the late seventies with Ray Kennedy would not given them so much room.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

The Brazil team of 1970 weren't even the best Brazil team ever!

 

[Triggaaar]

The world beater is Messi if given space and room like Man Utd allowed him 2nd half.

Manure certainly didn't give Messi the attention he deserves. Ryan Thomas was challenging him at one stage, and just gave up and left Messi run goalwards.

1970 Brazilians were the best. Won very game on their way to their world Cup victory.

What, 6 games?

Barcelona Today do not even make the top ten. Not even as good as many Liverpool sides.

Nonsense. It's not like this hasn't been coming, half the team won the Euro Championships and then, as expected, went on to win the world cup, and they've now won the Champions League, as expected, for the 3rd time in 6 years. To suggest they're not in the top ten teams seems ridiculous.

 

[DT Withdean]

Add:

Ajax early 70's.
Netherlands early/mid 70's.
ACMilan 1986 to 1994 special too. Baresi best central defender/sweeper I've seen, with Maldini, Van Basten, Gullit, Rikyard, Donadoni, Costacurta.

Dutch influence cropping up alot, including on Barca's ethos in the 2000's.

 

[The Modfather]

They don't have many players who would be considered the best in the world but they don't loose the ball much and when they do they close down the opposition in packs and pressure them so quickly that it is hard to do much against them. Not the greatest players ever but they are extremely efficient

Really?

Xazi, Inesta, and Villa are 3 of the best players in the world at present.

Messi IS currently the best player in the world.

 

[Noldi]

I must admit Barcelona looked good, my impression was a load of hares buzzing around tortoises and the tortoise won.

Noldi

 

[perseus]

I must admit Barcelona looked good, my impression was a load of hares buzzing around tortoises and the tortoise won.

Noldi

:vuvu2:

And just when you thought they had gone away for good

 

[Austrian Gull]

In so many ways, I've developed into a nostalgist who thinks most things used to be better - music, TV etc.

With this Barcelona team, I can definitely say I've never seen a team play such magnificent football in my 35 years of watching.

 

[The Terminator]

no.
real madrid in the 50's the team that had di steffano and puskus up front, never seen them but i have heard many great things about them .

we are only saying that barca are the best team ever because we are witnessing it , its just the times , in 50 years time people will be saying that so and so and the best team ever , it will just go on

 

[perseus]

Originally Posted by perseus
1970 Brazilians were the best. Won very game on their way to their world Cup victory.

What, 6 games?

Messi would not even get on the subs bench in the 1970 Brazil team and they won all of their qualifiers as well.

 

[dale jasper football guru]

Originally Posted by perseus
1970 Brazilians were the best. Won very game on their way to their world Cup victory.


Messi would not even get on the subs bench in the 1970 Brazil team and they won all of their qualifiers as well.

What are you talking about
"Messi would not even get on the subs bench in the 1970 Brazil team"

 

[Easy 10]

Well, he's argentinan for starters.