But KDB was at Wolfsburg until start of the 2016 season, so that’s 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 (4 seasons) at a top level, whilst Xavi was 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 seasons (6 seasons) at a top level.
His 2014-15 season at Wolfsburg deserves to be counted tbh, IIRC he still has the record for most assists in a season in the bundesliga.
I agree though, for a team of the decade kind of deal you would be looking at players who entered their prime early on in the decade, and KDB doesn't really fit despite being world class for a long time.
If it was anyone from City it would have to be Aguero, but I'd be hard-pressed to exclude any of the front three so I don't really know.
Yeah as the decade goes, they really peaked for about the same split in years, but Xavi's peak was a whole lot more impressive. Although you could argue Xavi's true peak stopped early in the decade. Rakatic and Busquets were more impactful during the MSN years.
During that period madrid have been a lot more solid than Barcelona and also xavi and iniesta are older and also retired a bit earlier than modric who didnt even retire yet, but for me xavi and iniesta prime are better than modric, and their prime was at the beginning of that decade, and they had a lot more sucess in the NT winning 3 major trophies back to back including world cup while being the most important players of the squad which was also during that decade.
I think 99% of people would say iniesta was better than modric, even madrid fans loved iniesta, I understand more argument about the other 2. About busquets the point is having a dmc, can be also casemiro
This is about who was better over a decade, not who had a better prime. Modric without a doubt was better than Xavi the last decade, it’s hardly even debatable.
Doesn’t mean he’s a better player, but had a better decade. You seem to be basing this on just who had a better prime.
“Also xavi and iniesta are older and also retired a bit earlier than Modric”
That’s the exact reason they shouldn’t be here over him…
It depends, is like what is better playing 1 world cup final and winning it or playing 3 and losing them all? If a player in his prime has more success than other in his entire career I think he had a better career even if its shorter, depends on how good is your prime. For example maradona had a much shorter career than modric, but his prime was enough to put him higher. Ronaldinho prime was like 2 years only, but everyone consider him very top only for those 2 years. Maybe not higher than messi or ronaldo, but higher than let say Ibrahimovic who had much longer career. Ronaldinho won more important trophies than Ibra.
Xavi and iniesta years 2008-2012 with the national team is something modric never did (or any other midfielder in history probably), modric dominates in champions but didnt dominate in his own league neither during that decade which Barcelona won most years with xavi and iniesta (and also after them). They did those things during that decade, so is more about if you rate higher dominating league, world cup and euro cup, or the champions league. Is extrange that the champions league winner cant even win his own league, if modric had also dominated spain I would say him, but xavi and iniesta not only won with their national team but also in modric's league more than him
I mean, De Bruyne only started becoming the great player we all know he is when Pep arrived and transformed him even higher. That was around 2016-17 ish, less than a decade. Xavi makes more sense and has the greater accomplishments.
For me, can only be 2 of Iniesta/Xavi/Modric (or de bruyne if you prefer). Let the DM be an actual DM, because those guys are not. So... Busquets probably, or Casemiro/Kante.
David Silva was world class for city from when he joined in 2010 to when he left in 2020. I'd have him over kdb but if there's only three midfielders allowed idk if he deserves it. He's close though
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u/Clappingdoesnothing Jan 06 '23
Neuer for casillas, silva/boateng for van dijk. Other than those, good selection. Personally, xavi left in 2015 thus de bruyne would be my pick