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The OTF Champion of Champions League

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    The OTF Champion of Champions League

    It's probably been done a long time ago on here, but I don't remember it and we need to fill the void left by the lack of real life football.
    So here is what I propose. Nominate a team that you think is worth a place in the OTF Champion of Champions League. It can be a club side or an international one, maybe one that had an incredible season or tournament, or one that dominated for an era. What I would prefer to avoid is teams that are too similar, so not, say, Spain from 2008 and 2010, as they are pretty much the same team with the same manager.
    You can propose one team and second one other person's choice. Any team that gets seconded will have a better chance of getting an automatic place when we get to the tournament. Every nomination will have a chance to qualify but there will be some whittling down to get us to a workable number for the tournament proper, and eventually find OTF's greatest team of all time.
    Feel free to just chuck a name in, or tell us a bit about your choice if you want, as it might help attract a seconder. I'll leave the thread open to nominations for a few days to give plenty of time for entries, and then we'll get to the tournament set up once the numbers are there.
    When comparing teams try to avoid the glaringly obvious point about modern levels of fitness and training methods, I'm sure we are all capable of giving this the right level of perspective.

    Entries so far:
    Nottingham Forest 77-80*
    Brazil 2002
    Ajax 1995**
    West Germany 1972
    France 1998-2000*
    Hungary 53-56*
    USSR 86-88
    Dirty Leeds 68-74*
    Napoli 15-18
    Milan 86-90**
    Denmark 1986*
    Lincoln City 75-76
    Barcelona 08-09*
    Ipswich Town 76-82*
    Everton 84-85*
    Brazil 1970
    Juventus 96-98
    Manchester United 98-99*
    Marseille 90-91
    Romania 1994
    Aberdeen 83-85
    France 82-84*
    Ajax 69-73
    Nigeria 94-98*
    Dundee United 79-87
    Dynamo Kyiv 97-99
    Uruguay 24-30
    Derby County 71-75
    Real Madrid 55-60
    Leicester City 15-16*
    Liverpool 18-20
    Tottenham Hotspur 60-63
    Last edited by Sean of the Shed; 25-03-2020, 11:43.

    #2
    My choice is Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest team that won the league in 77/78 and the European Cup the following two seasons after. I was seven when I first saw this team and they pulled me into football and away from toy cars and trains.
    Clough and Taylor built a fantastic team, and the fact that they won the title immediately after promotion from the second division makes it all the more incredible. It was a perfect mix of players who were just muddling around when Clough arrived, some shrewd purchases and topped off with players who were at the peak of their game in key positions like Shilton.
    Easier than me telling you about them, though, just watch the 2015 documentry film I Believe In Miracles.

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      #3
      I will go Brazil 2002. I just loved watching that side.

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        #4
        I'll opt for the Ajax 1995 team - played excellent football while winning the Champions League, were undefeated in that season's Eredivisie, and managed to retain the squad for another European tilt the following season, while of course, the impact of the players on leagues through the continent after the break-up of the squad was incalculable.

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          #5
          West-Germany 1972

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            #6
            France 1998 - 2000.

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              #7
              The current Liverpool side that has won something ridiculous like 42 out of its last 47 league games and been crowned European and World champions while doing so.

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                #8
                Hungary's side that beat England 6-3 and 7-1 in 1953 and were only robbed of being remembered as World Champions because the Germans pumped their players full of meth at half time.

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                  #9
                  You only get one nomination.

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                    #10
                    The USSR side of 1986 and 1988, they played some great football and had some extremely good players, plus a lovely kit which I still have.

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by Sean of the Shed View Post
                      You only get one nomination.
                      I'll go with Hungary, then, on the basis of which of the two will wind G-Man up the most.

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                        #12
                        Having listened to Ian King's (200 Percent) brilliant recent podcasts, I'll nominate Don Revie's Dirty Leeds team.

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                          #13
                          I'll nominate Sari's Napoli team, no trophies but an absolute joy to watch. If pushed it will be the second season vintage, free scoring with no recognised strikers after Milik's early season injury. Dries Mertens was absolutely unplayable at times and his back to the goal volleyed lob of Joe Hart was outstanding.

                          I'll second the nomination of Van Gaal's Ajax, even if during the 90s I was attending at least one Feyenoord game a season,

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                            #14
                            Sacchi's Milan - look at those teamsheets. Filth, pure filth.

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                              #15
                              Denmark 1986. I fell in love with that team.

                              I'll second Sacchi's Milan, a fab team that won lots.

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                                #16
                                Lincoln City's point-breaking 1976 Division 4 championship-winning side under Graham Taylor. Would definitely have been European champion if they'd had the chance.

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                                  #17
                                  Another vote for Milan, I should have grabbed them myself.

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                                    #18
                                    Barcelona 08-09, just ahead of 05-06

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                                      #19
                                      Originally posted by ursus arctos View Post
                                      Barcelona 08-09, just ahead of 05-06
                                      Seconded. They are better than my choice to be honest, but that's because (to anticipate a theme that will crop up regularly) Barcelona could perfect their game over 50+ games a season whereas Brazil 2002 were making it up on the fly by comparison and dependent on a core of great players being in form.

                                      A slight query as to whether the Barcelona team that beat Man U at Wembley in 2011 was even a notch above 2009.
                                      Last edited by Satchmo Distel; 21-03-2020, 20:30.

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                                        #20
                                        Originally posted by Rogin the Armchair fan View Post
                                        Hungary's side that beat England 6-3 and 7-1 in 1953 and were only robbed of being remembered as World Champions because the Germans pumped their players full of meth at half time.
                                        Yeah, well, not really proven and all that, not even if so, these were not illegal substances. The reason why we know there was sustained doping going on in Germany football over a long period of time is because Germany actually investigated it. The rumours of doping in football in other countries, including England and certainly in Eastern Bloc countries, are rife, but they have not really been investigated. So this self-righteous asterisking is a bit bullshit, really.

                                        Hungary lost because they were tired after two strength-sapping games against Brazil and Uruguay, played a German team that had just hit good form (beating a good Austria side 6-1 in the semi-final), played on a heavy pitch that suited the Germans and not the Hungarian style of play, couldn't defend a two-goal lead for ten minutes, German keeper Toni Turek played like a god, and their defender headed a cross from Schäfer straight to Rahn, who scored the winning goal. Germany were lucky that Puskas was marginally offside just before the end, but those were the reasons Hungary lost.

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                                          #21
                                          Bobby Robson’s Ipswich Town from 1976 to 1982. I know he was manager from back in ‘69 but it was the signing of Paul Mariner that grabbed the attention of this just-12-year-old. I saw him playing for Plymouth on The Big Match and there was much hoo haah that he was about to go to a First Division team and I followed him to Town.

                                          What a manager, what a team. I was at school with almost exclusively Arsenal fans and I still remember watching the ‘78 FA Cup Final (the “Mariner in oceans of space” final) with three of them. Luckily one of their Mums was also in the room when Roger Osborne scored, poor chap. I followed their domestic, UEFA and Cup-Winners’ Cup campaigns avidly, via my Dad’s Daily Mirror the next morning, and stuck the match reports on the inside of my locker door. So close to two League titles, then the epic UEFA Cup two-legged final win over Alkmaar, conducted by Muhren and Thijssen. I recorded the second leg off the radio, on two sides of a C90 on my music centre; how I wish I still had that. The tape that is.

                                          And the players; straight off the cuff Mariner, Whymark, Johnson, Talbot, Wark, Gates, Geddis, Burley (G), Hunter, Osborne, Mills, Brazil, Cooper, Muhren, Thijssen, Butcher... I could go on and have probably missed some absolute cornerstones. Anyway when Bobby left the spark went out for me and the next stop was the local teams.

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                                            #22
                                            I'm nominating 1984-5 Everton.

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                                              #23
                                              Originally posted by S. aureus View Post
                                              I'm nominating 1984-5 Everton.
                                              I agree. If it hadn't been for a certain European final...

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                                                #24
                                                i suppose someone ought to nominate Brazil 1970........

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                                                  #25
                                                  Rubbish defence!

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