Team of your lifetime

[Matt Collins]

Im sure this has been done before, but what's the villa, English league, and world xi of your lifetime, and starting when? A mix of favourite and genuinely 'the best' is allowed. I start in 1988 and mine are:

Villa: bosnich, mellberg, McGrath, southgate, Staunton - Milner, cowans, platt - merson, yorke, young

England: schmeichel - Neville, McGrath, Adams, cole - keane, vieira - zola, bergkamp, pires - Henry

World: Casillas - cafu, desailly, koeman, Maldini - xavi, iniesta -hagi (an indulgence) messi, maradona- fat ronaldo

Obviously the last team would be dis functional but hey . . .

[Matt Collins]

Holy shit I left zidane out. Him for hagi. Although I did love hagi in USA 94. And Michael laudrup earlier. And van basten. Fantastic players. Just thinking about these players makes me remember why I live football so much and dispels a bit of my recent gloom about the game

[SheffieldVillain]

Born 1982 but started getting into football around the late 80's/early 90's

Villa:

                        Spink
Mellberg - McGrath - Laursen - Staunton   
  A Young - Taylor - Cowans - Merson
                Yorke - Saunders

English League: Cheating a bit by picking Henry on the right side of midfield

                    Seaman
Nilsson - McGrath - Adams - Pearce
Henry -  Vieira - Scholes - Giggs
              Lineker - Zola

World: A more continental 4-1-2-3 system. Campos was more of a personal pick than a genuinely the best pick but (a) this team wouldn't need a goalkeeper anyway and (b) he doubled as a striker so could join the attack to keep himself busy
                 
                 Campos
Cafu -  McGrath - Baresi - Maldini
                  Dunga 
              Gullit - Xaxi
  Messi - Van Baasten - Iniesta

[paul_e]

Similar timeframe to to the previous posters:

Villa: The teamis picked to be a functional side rather than the best player so dublin in for saunders to stop having too much similarity up front.  Walker is a big call but he's the only genuinely great fullback I've ever seen at the club, we've had lots of good defenders at fullback but not many all-round players there.

Bosnich
Walker - Mcgrath - Laursen - Staunton
Merson - Townsend - Barry - A Young
Yorke - Dublin

English league:  I hate having so many united players in but that team from 96-97 were awesome

Schmeichel
Neville - Mcgrath - Adams - Cole
Beckham - Keane - Vieira - Giggs
Cantona - Henry

World: This is  areal toughie, there's so many options in some of the positions.  Mcgrath is probably the only heart over head choice but he's far and away the best player I've seen live regularly.  Again with the midfield I tried to put together a team that could actually play together.

Schmeichel
Cafu - Mcgrath - Baresi - Maldini
Xavi - Rijkaard
Messi - Zidane - Gullit
Van-Basten

[Risso]

Bosnich
Barrett McGrath Southgate Staunton
Daley Platt Cowans Young
Yorke Shaw

[lordmcgrath5]

Spink
Gibson Evans McGrath Swain
Cowans Mortimer  Bremner
Morley Shaw Yorke

[Holte L2]

                Bosnich

Barrett Ehiogu Mcgrath Staunton

Daley Milner Townsend Young
                   Platt
         
                  Yorke

[Ian.]

                                  Bosnich

Barret            McGrath            Evans            Staunton
                   
                Cowans       Platt           Mortimer

                   Yorke          Saunders        Shaw

Subs: Spink, Teale, Townsend, Morley, Milner

Missing a bit of steel maybe but it might be fun going forward. Townsend for Saunders if we are struggling.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Villa........Withers - Gidman McGrath Laursen Aitken - Morley Cowans Merson - Yorke Withe Shaw

English League ....  so what, too many imports in recent years.

World XI.........Yashin - Cafu  Moore  Beckenbauer  Carlos-Alberto  Messi  Cruyff  Van- Basten  Maradona  Pele  Best
                      (Formation - Lev Yashin between the sticks and 10 outfield players with a football)

[Damo70]

Bosnich
Gidman, McGrath, Laursen, Staunton
Platt, Mortimer, Cowans, Morley
Withe, Yorke

Schmeichel
Neville, McGrath, Lawrensen, Cole
Ronaldo, Souness, Keane, Barnes
Rush, Shearer

Schmeichel
Gentile, McGrath, Baresi, Brehme
Platini, Zico, Zidane, Eder
Van Basten, Ronaldo(Brazil)

[olaftab]

Rimmer

Gidman, McNaught, McGrath, Staunton

Morley, Rioch, Mortimer, Milner

Little Gray

[E I Adio]

Villa........Withers - Gidman McGrath Laursen Aitken - Morley Cowans Merson - Yorke Withe Shaw

English League ....  so what, too many imports in recent years.

World XI.........Yashin - Cafu  Moore  Beckenbauer  Carlos-Alberto  Messi  Cruyff  Van- Basten  Maradona  Pele  Best
                      (Formation - Lev Yashin between the sticks and 10 outfield players with a football)

That's saved me racking my feeble old brain, can't argue with much of that.

Great choices - especially the goalies.

[nigel]

               Rimmer
Gidman, McGrath, Evans, Aitken.
Little, Mortimer, Rioch, Cowans.
              Leonard, Shaw.

Subs. Spink (for Rimmer after 10 mins) Laursen, Williams, Bremner, Pongo Waring ( never saw him play but must have been good to knock in 49 goals in a season)
Some of you might not remember Keith Leonard. He came through the ranks with Gidman and Little. His career was cut short through injury, which really was tragic. He could use both feet and had a great touch. Would have been a Villa legend like Sir Brian.

Might be an age thing, but I can't believe no ones picked Banks or Shilton for England/World teams