top 10 clubs of all time

[zereshk-ali]

I think we're missing one of the most under-rated sides in the history of European football in Everton circa 1985-1987...

here's my case for their inclusion...

players included:

Neville Southall
Gary Stevens
Kevin Ratcliffe
Derek Mountfield
Dave Watson
Pat Van den Hauwe
Trevor Steven
Peter Reid
Paul Bracewell
Kevin Sheedy
Adrian Heath
Andy Gray
Gary Lineker
Graeme Sharp

Howard Kendall put together a young, inexpensive and excellent side that broke up Liverpool's monopoly of English football. They beat them to the title in 1985 and 1987 and due to the Heysel tragedy and the ban that followed (which led to the break up of the team, moving around Europe to play European football) they never got to follow up the Cup Winners Cup win in 1985 with proving their tag as the best team in Europe by taking the European Cup too. They took the FA cup in 84, and were unlucky not to achieve the double in 1986 when they threw away a big lead in the league and in the Fa cup final to lose both to the only Liverpool side to have done the double.

Before the Heysel related break up of the team, Brian Clough admitted that this young Everton side (apart from Southall, Reid and Gray the nucleus of team was under 24) would go on to dominate English football for a decade.

United's treble triumph was impressive, but in late 90's football squads were far larger. Everton's squad was far smaller in those days (I think they used 18 players that season) and their achievement of beating Liverpool to the league, winning the European Cup Winners Cup (including an incredible comeback to beat a very good Bayern team in the semis) and only losing to Manchester United in extra time in the FA cup final having played in the CWC final only a couple of days earlier in 1985 was arguably more impressive.

I think if we're including the Porto and Marseilles sides then Everton of the mid 80s should be there too.

[zereshk-ali]

barca cruijff era for sure! or maybe i'm a little biased. but koeman will always remain special to me for scoring the winner for the only european cup we had until last season.

This was an incredible side - Romario, Stoichkov, Hagi, Laudrup, Guardiola, Koeman, Bakero, Nadal etc.

Oh, how I enjoyed the thrashing of Ferguson's personal favourite United side 4-0 in 1995. But they were talking them up as the greatest side ever before they were absolutely destroyed by Milan in the 94 final.

For that reason my vote's going with Milan of the early 90's...the greatest side I've seen and that night was the greatest display of European football I've seen.

[Masoud_A]

That as it may be, the team did win it all.
Fulham beat Chelsea, does that mean Fulham is better????

You must be too young Babak Jan too remember Napoli golden days

[Suprah]

You must be too young Babak Jan too remember Napoli golden days

S.S.C. Napoli trophies during the 1984-1991 era under Diego Maradona

* Serie A: 2
o 1986/87, 1989/1990

* Supercoppa Italiana: 1
o 1990-91

* Coppa Italia: 1
o 1986/87

* UEFA Cup: 1
o 1988/89

and these trophies dont really show the fact that Milan were getting pwned when ever they took on Napoli at this time. It was sad that Napoli couldnt win the European Cup ever, but that was where AC Milan came in.

Look at the stats, Milan had won only TWO domestic trophies between 1984-1991 which was just confined to the 1987-88 Scudetto and the 1988 Supercoppa Italiana

[zereshk-ali]

Come on...please keep voting on this one. I'm not having it that Man United's jammy treble triumph gets them voted as the greatest team of all time!

If a Bayern Munich side spearheaded by Carsten Jancker outplayed them in the final then most of these teams would have destroyed them.

[babak_australia]

You must be too young Babak Jan too remember Napoli golden days

No football fan is too young to know what MArradona achieved at Napoli, i am 24 years old so technically i wasnt around at the time but if u want i can send u many videos i have of the great mans career including his Napoli days.

My point was that the Milan team of that era was by far a better team. No one can doubt that.

P.S Zereshk Ali some ppl are you young to go before 99. They didnt see Marradona, Van Basten, Stoichkov, Romario, Koeman, Kluivert young days...ETC...so as far as they know Man U is the best.

[zereshk-ali]

yeah, fair point Babak jaan...but even if they are that young then they will remember that a Fernando Redondo inspired Real Madrid side of the early Del Bosque era took this same United team apart in the Champions League qf's and went on to win 2 European cups.

Here's a little reminder of the goal that set them on the way to taking a 3-0 lead at Old Trafford...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhJc0M-lIis

Redondo was a genius!

[ShirFarhad]

yeah, fair point Babak jaan...but even if they are that young then they will remember that a Fernando Redondo inspired Real Madrid side of the early Del Bosque era took this same United team apart in the Champions League qf's and went on to win 2 European cups.
Here's a little reminder of the goal that set them on the way to taking a 3-0 lead at Old Trafford...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhJc0M-lIis
Redondo was a genius!

Oh man I remember that. That was just so beautiful.

Real Madrid was just great those years.

[babak_australia]

yeah, fair point Babak jaan...but even if they are that young then they will remember that a Fernando Redondo inspired Real Madrid side of the early Del Bosque era took this same United team apart in the Champions League qf's and went on to win 2 European cups.
Here's a little reminder of the goal that set them on the way to taking a 3-0 lead at Old Trafford...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhJc0M-lIis
Redondo was a genius!

Bro...Did i build up United?? I hope not cause i hate that team. I only said that United comment because so many ppl voted for them as the best team ever.

Also there is no doubt Redondo is a GREAT player. He was a real exciting player. Do u also remember Redondo. Real khoshtip guy, i really enjoyed his style of play.

Here is a link of his partnership with Marradona
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOiyqmU00fs
2:31 is one of my favourite all time goals, i just love the way Caniggia curls it around the keeper.

[Suprah]

Has anyone bothered remembering the club that made Ferenc Puskas famous ? the pre-1956 era Hungarian powerhouses of Kispset Honved that dominated the pre-European Cup era club football in Europe ?

[zereshk-ali]

Bro...Did i build up United?? I hope not cause i hate that team. I only said that United comment because so many ppl voted for them as the best team ever.

Also there is no doubt Redondo is a GREAT player. He was a real exciting player. Do u also remember Redondo. Real khoshtip guy, i really enjoyed his style of play.

Here is a link of his partnership with Marradona
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOiyqmU00fs
2:31 is one of my favourite all time goals, i just love the way Caniggia curls it around the keeper.

lol - no dude, I'm not saying you did. Sorry if it came across that way...the explanation was for the people who voted for United.

yeah man, Cannigia was quality and he was so khoshtip that his wife was worried that Maradona was in love with him and ordered him to stop kissing him when they scored a goal!

[zereshk-ali]

Oh man I remember that. That was just so beautiful.
Real Madrid was just great those years.

yeah man - that was so audacious.

such a shame he was injured in his later years otherwise I reckon he would have been one of the great midfielders of our time.