From: mep@phoenix.oulu.fi (Marko Poutiainen)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.soccer
Subject: Batty's All-Stars
Date: 30 Dec 92 16:59:11 GMT
Organization: University of Oulu, Finland
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]


Eric Batty chose his all-stars team. Here it is:

			Smeichel (DEN)

			Baresi(ITA)

		Walker(ENG)	Ferri(ITA)

			Silva(BRA)

	Rai(BRA)	Rijkaard(NED)	Lombardo(ITA)

			Vasquez(SPA)

		van Basten(NED)	Bebeto(BRA)


I must admit, that that team would be extemely hard to win. 
Some remarks: 

Smeichel: Best goalie in the world. Nothing else to say.

Baresi: Best man on that position. Superb moving, excellent opening
	passes. Koeman was near to get his place, says Batty.

Walker: Only English player who is world-class. I think 
	Walker is world's no 1 defender. Walker's performance in
	the EC'92 when England played with 2 defenders (Keown was the 
	other one) and 7 midfielders, was best defenseplay I have ever 
	seen.

Rai: Socrate's little brother. Superb technique, creates lots of chances
	for the strikers.

Rijkaard: Perhaps best midfielder in the world. Creates lots of chances
	and can score, too. He is the heart and soul of AC Milan.

Lombardo: Runs like crazy. Fighter. Player who gives everything plus
	little more on the field.

Vasquez: Excellent tribbler. 

van Basten: Batty thinks van Basten is world's best player. Superb 
	technique and perhaps the most intelligent player in the 	
	world. 

Bebeto: Batty thinks very highly of Bebeto. He said that Brazil has
	excellent chances of winning the WC in '94, mainly because
	of Bebeto and Rai. Bebeto's technique is perfect.

Now, beating that team, as I said, would be extremely difficulty.
If I had to choose a team to play against it, I would rely on two hard
tackling, fast defenders. They would have to guard van Basten and
Bebeto. Boli would be the other one, other one perhaps from Germany.
 Propably Koeman would play where Baresi plays in Batty's 
team. One midfielder would play lower than the others, perhaps 
Wouters. Matthaus would also be in the team. I like his style, he
doesn't give up. He is regaining the level he was in WC'90, has done some
fine goals in Bayern Munchen. Papin would be the other striker, he
has that magic touch of doing goals. I think he is better in doing 
goals than van Basten. Behind the strikers would play this player
whose name has escaped my mind (plays in Ajax, is in the Netherland
international, going to Italy). I had a tough decision to choose the 
goalie. At last I chose Southall instead of Kharin, because Southall is
a goalie who scares the shit out of most strikers. He also has good
opening throws, not as good as Smeichel, but anyways. 

There is still places to fill, but here's my team:
 
			Southall(WAL)

			Koeman(NED)

		Boli(FRA)	??? (GER?)

			Wouters(NED)

	????	????		Matthaus(GER)	????

			Aargh...(NED)

		Papin(FRA)	????


Suggestions to fill the empty places? There should be at least one
play-maker and one tackling player in the midfield.
	
--
***********************************************************************
* 'Howl howl gargle howl gargle howl howl howl gargle howl gargle howl* 
*  howl gargle gargle howl gargle gargle gargle howl slurrp uuuurgh'  *
*                                       -Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz       *
***********************************************************************
	-Marko Poutiainen
	 mep@phoenix.oulu.fi