Uefa Team Of The Year 2015

Of all the awards to my mind this seems to be the most genuine around. They go by who performed in the calendar year rather than who has how big a name.

Here's who I selected for my team. Would love to know your selection.

Gianluigi Buffon
David Alaba
Diego Godin
Leonardo Bonucci
Dani Alves
Arturo Vidal
Andres Iniesta
Kevin De Bruyne
Lionel Messi
Neymar
Luis Suarez

http://en.toty.uefa.com/

Attack: Messi, Suarez and Neymar goes without saying I think. Stats + performances + trophies. They've got it all. Honorable mention to Ronaldo (for his statistical output more than anything I guess), Lewandowski, Müller and Tevez. Barca's front 3 edges it though I think.

Defense: Alves easily the best rightback in 2015. Don't think it's particularly close. Lahm hasn't played in that position for most of the year and the rest is simply not world class level. I don't even know who to give an honourable mention. True lack of quality. Maybe Douglas.  

Marcelo leftback. His influence in attack is unrivaled in that position. Honourable mention to Alaba, but again Alaba hasn't played leftback a lot in 2015. Either injured or playing as a false central defensive attacking midfield back.

As centerbacks there are the usual suspects: Boateng, Ramos, Pique. Haven't watched enough Serie zZzzZzZ to rate Bonucci. Serious lack of quality again and I don't really know who to pick. Probably not Ramos, hasn't done anything of note in 2015. Boateng got rekt hard on the biggest stage but then again Messi does that to everyone. I don't have a clue. Boateng and Bonucci? Boateng and Pique? Pique and Bonucci?

Midfield: Busquets in defensive midfield. Not much of a discussion. Unrivaled in that position. Who else? Schneiderlin? Schweinsteiger? Matic? Casemiro? Xabi Lolonso? Pls.

In central/attacking midfield I don't have a clue. Neither Kroos nor Modric had a particularly great year, Thiago barely played, Özil only performed this season, Pirlo was seen as a liability, Iniesta and Rakitic were criticized most of the year. I have no clue who to pick, frankly. On big games and trophies alone it's Iniesta easily (PSG, Juventus, recent Clasico ...) but I'm trying to be unbiased so I don't know.

Goalkeeper: Bravo only played La Liga but in La Liga he was easily the best goalkeeper. I refuse to say "Neuer" straight away based on name alone. De Gea? I also refuse to buy into the De Gea hype. So again I have no clue.

So I get this:


The positions marked with x aren't clear cut for me to make a definitive decision.

Neuer
Pique Chiellini Alaba
Rakitić Vidal Pogba Iniesta
Messi Lewandowski Neymar

..................Neuer..........
....Alves...Pique...Boateng...Marcelo
.................Busquets................
.............Rakitic......Iniesta.........
...........Messi....................
..............................Neymar
..................Suarez...............

Neuer: It was between him. Better at distributing and I made a more fucntional XI

Alves: Best of 2015, best of this generation

Pique: Best since the start of the year.

Boateng: Has been incredible this season, His passes are mf esque as he can break about 3 lines with one pass and his positioning has improved vastly.

Other Cbs are Chiellini and Bonnci but they played in a 3 which I feel is slightly easier to defend in structually.

Marcelo: I would have put Alaba but he is too unconventional, he plays LB, LCB, LCM and LAM at Bayern. Too flexible. Marcelo is MAdrids most creative player, enough said

Busquets: The best pivote of his generation and he has been great this season

Iniesta: Mr Big game player, stepped up in every big game and has been very consistent this season.

Rakitic: The unsong hero of Barcelona. I spent a whole game just watching his movement. He covers for Messi, covers for Alves, makes forward runs and is back in defense. He is the get that makes MSN function for me and is tactically irreplaceble.

MSN: Don't really need to say much here.

Neymar-Messi-Ronaldo is going to be the front 3
Aurier has had a better year than Alves by far. Better WC and best player for PSG with Motta and Silva to start the season.
It's about CMs... there's no limitation to holding mid or DM for one of the spots... Modric and Iniesta will there for sure. After that, you can make an argument for a lot of players which include Pogba, Marchisio, Busquets, Lahm, Kroos, Matuidi, etc., etc. I think Lahm takes it.

I voted for:

Buffon
Alves Pique Boateng Marcelo
Verratti Busquets Iniesta
Messi Suarez Neymar

The most difficult decisions were easily the 2 midfielders to partner Busquets. Lots of options - Marchisio, Verratti, Rakitic, De Bruyne, Iniesta, Hazard, Vidal, James. In the end, I went with the 2 I liked the most.

Buffon
Alves Pique Bonucci Marcelo
Marchisio Busquets
Messi James Neymar
Suarez

Pique and Bonucci aren't by any stretch the best CBs in the world but they had good years. The former really picked form since January. Alves while in decline is still the best option for rb. Marcelo goes without question, as he is the best LB in the world by a margin and had a magnificent season despite our struggles this year. Busquets is the best DM of this generation and untouchable. Front 3 goes without question and James had a great year.

El Messico wrote:I voted for:

Buffon
Alves Pique Boateng Marcelo
Verratti Busquets Iniesta
Messi Suarez Neymar

The most difficult decisions were easily the 2 midfielders to partner Busquets. Lots of options - Marchisio, Verratti, Rakitic, De Bruyne, Iniesta, Hazard, Vidal, James. In the end, I went with the 2 I liked the most.

The problem is Busquets wasn't in the nominations. Else I would have chosen him too.

Valkyrja wrote:Buffon
Alves Pique Bonucci Marcelo
Marchisio Busquets
Messi James Neymar
Suarez

Pique and Bonucci aren't by any stretch the best CBs in the world but they had good years. The former really picked form since January. Alves while in decline is still the best option for rb. Marcelo goes without question, as he is the best LB in the world by a margin and had a magnificent season despite our struggles this year. Busquets is the best DM of this generation and untouchable. Front 3 goes without question and James had a great year.

At this point in time who would you call the best CBs in the world?

sportsczy wrote:Neymar-Messi-Ronaldo is going to be the front 3
Aurier has had a better year than Alves by far.   Better WC and best player for PSG with Motta and Silva to start the season.
It's about CMs... there's no limitation to holding mid or DM for one of the spots...  Modric and Iniesta will there for sure. After that, you can make an argument for a lot of players which include Pogba, Marchisio, Busquets, Lahm, Kroos, Matuidi, etc., etc.  I think Lahm takes it.

I think having Suarez in the front line is vital because none of the other three work that well as a target man. Did Modric play enough this year?

jibers wrote:..................Neuer..........
....Alves...Pique...Boateng...Marcelo
.................Busquets................
.............Rakitic......Iniesta.........
...........Messi....................
..............................Neymar
..................Suarez...............