Monday, December 2, 2019

What if Netherlands qualified for Euro 1984 with Cruyff and Van Basten and Gullit

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

His Facebook and Instagram

Netherlands 1983
Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

Surnamese-Dutch,
North Holland, South Holand.
Dutch Players' surnames starting with "Van"
The rest of Netherlands excluding North and South Holland
Netherlands All-Time Team After Johan Cruyff
Netherlands before Johan Cruyff (BC)
Dutch-Indos/Indonesia-born Dutch All-Time Team

 In 1983, Spain beat Malta by 12-1 on the last match of Group 7 of the qualifying rounds of the 1984 European Championship that gave Spain the goal difference to qualify for Euro 1984 Finals.  The result ended Netherlands' quest for a spot in Finals the following year.  Spain won the group by the number of goals scored after both teams were tied in points and goal difference. They would eventually make it all their way to the Final the following summer in France before losing to the host. Netherlands' elimination marked the second straight times where they failed to qualify for a major tournament.  They would also not qualified for the 1986 World Cup Finals two years later. As you might have known, Netherlands emerged from this chaotic period to become the European Champion in 1988.

Why do I write a blog team in 1984? I tried to do a 1986 World Cup team for Netherlands, but I realized that the team would be similar to their Euro 1988 team.  Their Euro 1984 team on the other hand would be much more interesting.  Youngster Marco Van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Ronald Koeman had solidified their status with the national team. Marco Van Basten was the league top scorer that season.  Meanwhile, Johan Cruyff had revitalised his career.  He was the Dutch Player of the Year in 1984.  Willy van der Kerkhof was still a veteran on the team. So imagine if what can Netherlands do with a lineup that consisted of those players and Cruyff playing in his swansong tournament?
Frank Rijkaard and Ruud Gullit

Prediction
Both Ruud Gullit and Ronald Koeman were 21 years old while Marco Van Basten was 19 years old in the summer of 1984.  Netherlands would be led by Johan Cruyff who just had a fantastic season with Feyenoord.

If Netherlands took Spain's place in the Finals, I predicted Netherlands might have done better than Spain in the Group stage.  Spain finished first in the group stage, but they went through the group stage by beating West Germany with a 90th minute goal on the last match of the Group stage.  They drew in the first two matches against Romania and Portugal.  Netherlands with this mixture of young talents and Johan Cruyff would have probably done better.  They might have beaten Romania and Portugal easily.  West Germany who was fielding an out of form Karl-Heinz Rummenigge also suffered one of their worst performance in a major tournament.

In the semifinal, they would meet Denmark, a team that would become the "Danish Dynamite" two years later in the World Cup Finals.  In 1984, the world did not know that.  Denmark still had Allan Simonsen who was 31 years old at the time, but he was playing club football at home.  Michael Laudrup just turned 20 during the tournament. In April, 1984, Netherlands beat Denmark 6-0 at a friendly match.  Denmark fielded both Laudrup and Simonsen, but Morten Olsen and Soren Lerby were missing.  Netherlands was missing Marco Van Basten who was not yet a star player.  Of course, Johan Cruyff was never recalled back to the national team after 1977.  The result actually meant anything, but one might start to wonder.

In the Final, it would be tough to beat France.  The midfield of Luis Fernandez, Jean Tigana, Alain Giresse and Michael Platini was probably the greatest midfield in the history of European football.  Collectively, they were known as the "Carré Magique"(Magic Square). Michel Platini also had one of the best ever individual performance at a major tournament.  He scored 9 goals. Moreover, they were the host.

In the actual Final, Spain was able to handle the French.  France only managed to break the deadlock because of a blooper by Spain's goalkeeper Luis Arconada.  They also nearly lost to Portugal in the semifinal.  It took France two goals at the very end of extra time to make a comeback win against Portugal.  Was France really that great in 1984?

 Team (only 20 players)
GK: Piet Schrijvers (Zwolle)
Between 1971 and 1984, Schrijvers played 46 times for Netherlands.  He was the backup keeper at both World Cup Finals in 1974, but he was the starting keeper at Euro 1976 and 1980, and the World Cup Finals in 1978. At club level, he spent nine years with AFC Ajax, winning five Eredivisie titles and two KNVB Cups.  He also played for DWS, FC Twente and Zwolle.  

GK: Hans Van Breukelen  (Nottingham Forest)
Hans Van Breukelen started his career with FC Utrecht and then, Nottingham Forest.  He moved to PSV in 1984, where he became a star.  For the national team, he was a fixture since 1980.  However, he did not help the Oranje to reach a major tournament until in 1988, where they won the first ever trophy for the Dutch national team. He had 73 caps.

 GK: Joop Hiele (Feyenoord)
Hiele earned seven caps for the Netherlands between 1980 and 1991. He was a member of the Dutch team that won the European title at the 1988 European Football Championship in West Germany, but was second choice behind Hans van Breukelen.  His first cap and second had a 6 years gap.  Hiele started his professional career with Feyenoord Rotterdam (1977–90), then moved to SVV (1990–92), Dordrecht'90 (1992–94) and ended his career at Go Ahead Eagles (1994–95).
RB: Ben Wijnstekers (Feyenoord)
Ben Wijnstekers was considered among the greatest defenders in Feyenoord's history.  He made his professional debut at Feyenoord Rotterdam in 1975, but also played for K.R.C. Mechelen and Germinal Ekeren. He was capped between 1979 and 1986.  He went to European Championship in 1980, but otherwise, in a period between two Golden Generations of Dutch players, where Netherlands failed to qualify for the World Cup Finals.
Ben Wijnstekers, Peter Houtman, Johan Cruyff and Ruud Gullit

RB/CB/DM: Edo Ophof  (Ajax)
During his club career, Edo Ophof started his career in 1976 with NEC.  He became a starter in the 1978-1979 season. Then, Leo Beenhakker brought him to Ajax.  He made his name with Ajax, where he played between 1980 and 1988.  He later played for AZ and Utrecht at the end of his career.  For the Dutch national team, he played 15 times between 1981 and 1985 under manager Kees Rijvers, scoring 2 goals.

 CB/DM: Johnny Metgod (Real Madrid)
Johnny Metgod started his career with HFC Haarlem in 1975. After one season with Haarlem, he played for AZ Alkmaar. between 1976 and 1981.  He appeared in the UEFA Cup Final against Ipswich in 1981. In 1982, Metgod moved to Spain to play for Real Madrid. He then moved to England in 1984 to sign for Nottingham Forest before signing for Tottenham Hotspur in 1987.  He spent six years at Feyenoord between 1988 and 1994.  from 1978 to 1983, he eared 21 caps for Netherlands.
Johnny Metgod
CB: Michel van de Korput (Feyenoord)
From 1974 to 1980, Michel van de Korput played for Feyenoord. Then, he played three seasons in Italy with Torino between 1980 and 1983. He returned to Feyenoord in 1983 and was a part of the Double winning team with Johan Cruyff. He later played with Koln, Germinal Ekeren and Cappellen. He also earned 23 caps for the Netherlands national football team from 1979 to 1985, and participated in UEFA Euro 1980.

 CB: Ronald Koeman (Ajax)
Ronald Koeman was the rock solid sweeper of Netherlands in the 1980's and 1990's.  He was capped 78 times between 1983 and 1994. He was a part of the team that won the Euro 1988. He also won two European Cups, one each for PSV Eindhoven and Barcelona.  He scored the winning goal for Barcelona's victory in 1992. The Cup was Barcelona's first ever European Cup.  In Holland, he played for the big three, namely Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord as well as FC Groningen.
Ronald Koeman
LB: Peter Boeve (Ajax)
Peter Boeve started his career at Vitesse and left them for Ajax in 1979. In 1980 Boeve scored Ajax's 2000th league goal since the introduction of the Eredivisie. After an injury in 1987, he moved  o Belgian Beerschot VAC. Boeve was considered one of the best left backs of his generation.  From 1982 to 1986, he played 16 caps for the Dutch national team.

 LB: Adri Van Tiggelen (FC Groningen)
Adri Van Toggelen was the starting left back at Euro 1988, where Holland won its first major international trophy.  He earned 56 caps.  He also went to the World Cup Finals in 1990 and European Championship in 1992.  He played mainly for Sparta Rotterdam early on in his career.  He later moved to Anderlectd and PSV.

CM: Frank Rijkaard (Ajax)
Frank Rijkaard was one of Netherlands' most important player. Capped 73 times. He won the 1988 European Championship in West Germany. He notably played for Ajax and AC Milan. He spent 5 seasons with AC Milan when Milan was considered the greatest club team in the world.  He won two European Cup with them. In 1995, he led a young Ajax team to their famous Champions' League victory.  That team is also considered one of the greatest club sides ever.

CM: Arnold Muhren (Manchester United)
Muhren was one of the few players who had won the European Cup (1972–73), the Cup Winners' Cup (1986–87) and the UEFA Cup (1980–81).  He first made his name by playing for Ajax with his brother Gerrie.  In 1978, he joined Ipswich, where he became one of the first Dutch players in the league.  Capped 23 times.  He was a part of the Euro 1988 winning team.  He crossed the ball to Marco Van Basten where he scored the famous volley goal in the Final against the Soviet Union.
Arnold Muhren 
LM/CM: Erwin Koeman (Groningen )
Erwin Koeman is Ronald Koeman's brother.  Koeman played with Groningen, Mechelen, where he won the Belgian League in 1989 and 1988 Cup Winners' Cup during the team's heyday and PSV, where they became league champions in 1990–91 and 1991–92.  He won the Euro 88 and featured in the 1990 World Cup. In total, Koeman was capped 31 times, scoring twice between 1983 and 1994.

RM/CM: Willy van de Kerkhof (PSV)
Overall, Willy Van de Kerkhof appeared 63 times for his country between 1973 and 1986. He was a member of the 1974 World Cup team, but it was the 1978 World Cup Finals, where he carried the team to the Final against the host Argentina.  He also went to the Euro 1980. His twin brother Rene was also a part of the 1978 World Cup team.  For his club career, he played for FC Twente (1970-1973) and PSV Eindhoven (1973-1988).  He was one of PSV's greatest players.
Willy van de Kerkhof
RW: Gerald Vanenburg (Ajax)
During the 1990's, Gerald Vanenburg formed a dangerous partnership Marco Van Basten and Wim Kieft at Ajax.  He would join PSV in 1986, where he played until 1993. He won an European Cup with them. He later played in Japan, Germany and France. For the national team, he was a part of the Golden Generation that won the European Championship in 1988. He played for Netherlands 42 times.

LW: Simon Tahamata (Standard Liège)
With Ajax, Simon Tahamata won the national title three times. (1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80).  He was known for his partnership with Tscheu la Ling, another player with Asian heritage. He also played for Standard Liège. With this team he became national champion twice (1981–82 and 1982–83). In 1984, he returned to the Netherlands to play for Feyenoord. In 1987, he again joined the Belgian competition, playing for Beerschot and Germinal Ekeren. He was capped 22 times between 1979 and 1986.

Simon Tahamata

FW/AM: Ruud Gullit (Feyenoord)
Ruud Gullit was the iconic captain of Netherlands that won the Euro 1988.  In 1987,  he moved from PSV Eindhoven to A.C. Milan for a world record transfer fee.  He was an important player for AC Milan during the 1980's where they won two straight European Cups. He was the European Footballer of the Year in 1987 and the World Soccer Player of the Year in 1987 and 1989.  He spent one season with Sampdoria winning the Italian Cup in 1994.  He was considered one of all-time greats.

 FW: Johan Cruyff (Feyenoord)
Johan Cruyff is the greatest Dutch player ever.  He won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974.  He was considered one of the best players in history.  He was noted for his brilliant performance at the World Cup in 1974, where the Netherlands finished second while charming the world with their Total Football.  He also won three straight European Cups with Ajax in the 1970's.  He moved to Barcelona in 1973 for a world record transfer fees, where he became a legend. He also played in the NASL.
Johan Cruyff
ST: Peter Houtman (Feyenoord)
Peter Houtman came from Feyenoord 's youth academy.  He made his debut while at loan with FC Groningen in 1980.  He was the league's top scorer that season. He had 4 different spells with Feyenoord in the 1970's and 1980's.  He scored 90 goals in 153 official matches for them.  His last appearance for them was in 1989. Between those spells, he played with Club Brugge, Sporting Portugal, Sparta Rotterdam (two spells), ADO Den Haag and Excelsior Rotterdam. From 1983 to 1985, he had 8 caps with the Netherlands, scoring 7 goals.

 ST:  Marco Van Basten (Ajax)
Marco Van Basten was probably the second best Dutch player and among the best striker in football's history.  He won the Ballon d'Or three times.  He led Oranje to the victory at Euro 1988 scoring 5 goals at the tournament.  His goal in the Final is considered one of the best in history of the tournament. He only played 58 times for the Netherlands. He started his career with Ajax in 1981.  He also won two European Cups with AC Milan, a club team that was considered the best ever.  He played for them between 1987 and 1995.
Marco Van Basten 

Players Considered
Rene van der Gijp, Edward Metgod, Jurrie Koolhof, Rene Hofman, Cees Van Kooten, Huub Stevens, Ruud Krol, Johnny Rep, Pierre Vermeulen, Hugo Hovenkamp, Johan Neeskens, René van de Kerkhof, André Hoekstra, Arnold Mühren, Michel Valke, Dick Schoenaker, Wim Kieff, Bud Brocken, Jan Wouters, Jan Peters.

Squad Explanation 
-- Before starting this blog, I envisioned this team to be just a younger version of the Euro 1988 team, plus Johan Cruyff and Willy van der Kerkhof.  Let's see if I am wrong. 
-- I am still undecided if I should do a 1982 World Cup team instead.  The 1982 team could be more interesting.  Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard already made his national team debut in 1981.  They would combine with Johan Cruyff, Johnny Rep and Johan Neeskens.  That team also would consist a generation of Dutch star players who never played in a World Cup Finals.  Jan Peters, Johnny Metgod, Arnold Muhren, Simon Tahamata and Tschen La Ling will be some of the names selected. However, Cruyff was not having a good year in the 1981-1982 season.  Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard were not yet impact players, and I could not put Marco Van Basten and Johan Cruyff together on the same team. It would not be a good team by the Dutch standard.  (This statements on this paragraph were written before I started my research.  I am keeping this here)
-- Three players were on the 1974 World Cup team.  Johan Cruyff was of course the star of the tournament, but both Piet Schrijvers and Willy van de Kerkhof did not play in West Germany.
-- Eleven players from this team were also on Netherlands' Euro 1988 team.  They were Hans van Breukelen, Joop Hiele, Ronald Koeman, Adri van Tiggelen, Jan Wouters, Frank Rijkaard, Erwin Koeman, Gerald Vanenburg. Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten and Wim Kieft.
1983: Frank Rijkaard, Ronald and Erwin Koeman and Ruud Gullit
-- Six of them were on the Euro 1980 team. They were Willy van der Kerkhof, Piet Schrijvers, Michel van de Korput, Ben Wijnstekers, Hans van Breukelen and Johnny Metgod.
-- Johan Cruyff had retired from international football in 1977 right before the 1978 World Cup Finals.  I do not know enough about the politics behind Johan Cruyff 's decision to retire internationally and how politics and his relationship with various parties such as the  KNVB would affect the situation in 1984.  But since this is an imaginary team, I should look beyond anything in the real life. Moreover, this would be Cruyff's final curtain.  In  real life, he retired after the 1983-1984 season. This tournament would be his last appearance as a player. 
-- That season, Feyenoord won the Eredivisie/KNVB Cup Double.  I have six players from Feyenoord (Johan Cruyff, Ruud Gullit, Joop Hiele, Michel van de Korput, Ben Wijnstekers, and Peter Houtman), but I have six from Ajax.  
-- I am not familiar with the performance of most of the players in the 1983-1984 season. I mainly used appearance as reference to select the rest of the team.   
Goalkeepers
-- Piet Schrijvers was the main goalkeeper used by the Netherlands in the period before the European Championship. He had been on the national team pool since the 1970's.  His last international match was on March, 1984.
-- Alongside with Schrijvers, Hans van Breukelen was one of the two main goalkeepers.  He played twice during the Euro 1984 qualifiers.  Both matches were played in 1982, but I did not know the background information.  He appeared to be Schrijvers' understudy. He also played twice in the Spring of 1984.  After 1984, he took over as Netherlands' number one after Schrijvers played his last international game.
Hans van Breukelen 1982
-- I did not have information on the third goalkeeper.  Joop Hiele received his first senior cap in 1980 during a World Cup Qualifier against Ireland. He was not used by the national team between 1980 and 1986. Between 1984 and 1986, he was probably van Breukelen's backup, but I did not have the information. Edward Metgod earned his only cap against France in 1982, but he was not playing much club football in the 1983-1984 season for reasons unknown to me. Meanwhile, Hiele was the starting goalkeeper for Feyenoord that season.  So I took Hiele as my third goalkeeper.
-- Pim Doesburg of PSV also played around the 1980's for the national team. He played in the 1980 Gold Cup as well as a member of the Euro 1980 team, but he was 39 years old at the time of Euro 1984.  He also did not start toward the end of the 1983-1984 season for PSV.  Hans van Breukelen would join PSV in the summer of 1984 and took over the starting position. 
--Hans Galje was Ajax's starting goalkeeper until the Spring of 1984 when Stanley Menzo took over.   It was Menzo's first season at the senior level.  He represented the Netherlands in the youth level at the time.  His first senior cap came in 1989.  André van Gerven was another name I came upon, but his prime was before the 1983-1984 season.  He lost his starting position to Theo Snelders in that season with FC Twente.  Snelders' first international cap came in 1989.  He also represented the Netherlands at youth level.
Defenders
-- Ben Wijnstekers, Edo Ophof, Ronald Koeman and Peter Boeve were the starting back four throughout the qualifiers. Adri van Tiggelen played in the latter stage of the qualifiers.  I started the selection by taking the five of them. 
-- Ernie Brandts was only 28 years old in 1984, but he was seldom used between 1981 and 1984 under manager Kees Rijvers.  According to transfermarkt.com, he played once under him.  Instead, I took Michel van de Korput who played 11 times and John Metgod 8 times for Rijvers.  Ronald Spelbos and Sonny Silooy were left off because both van de Korput and John Metgod were more experienced player.   
-- John Metgod moved from Real Madrid to Nottingham Forest in the summer of 1984.  In 1984, the move was not seen as a downgrade. Nottingham Forest had been UEFA Cup semi-finalists the previous season and won the European Cup twice in the last six seasons.  
-- Ronald Koeman played his first season with Ajax in the 1983-1984 season.  He was 21 years old at the time of Euro 1984.  He was one of the regular starting back four during the qualifiers.
Ronald Koeman and Ruud Gullit
-- Ruud Krol was 35 years old in 1984.  He played against Spain in February, 1983 in one of the qualifiers.  It was his last ever international match.  He was injured parts of the 1983-1984 season while playing in the Serie A. He returned to action by March, 1984 with Napoli.  Napoli parted ways with him that summer, making the way for Diego Maradona to join Napoli.  He was a legend with Napoli, but I do not know his fitness around the Spring of 1984. I decided not to select him.
Midfielders/Wingers
-- Willy van de Kerkhof was a regular player for the Dutch national team in that period.  His twin brother Rene was no longer a part of the national team pool.  Then, I took Frank Rijkaard and Arnold Mühren.  I studied John Neeskens, Jan Peters, Jan Wouters and Frans Thijssen, but I did not select any of them.  The midfield position might seem thin, but John Metgod and Edo Ophof could also play there.
-- Frank Rijkaard was already a regular member of the national team.  He made his debut in 1982, but he only played once in the qualifiers.  He would be 22 years on September, 1984.  That season, he scored 10 goals for Ajax, which was among his best goal scoring years.  
-- Arnold Mühren had a higher profile outside of the Netherlands due to the fact that he played for Ipswich and Manchester United. He earned his first cap in 1978, but from 1983 to 1986, he was seldom called onto the national team. It was almost entirely during his stint with Manchester United.  I do not have information why he was ignored.  In general, his career was known for being overlooked until the Euro 1988.  However, I was an Ipswich fan in the 1980's.  I watched plenty of him when he played for Manchester United.  Due to my age, he was probably the only player on this team whom I watched regularly in the period. I decided to bring him to France.  The decision was completely personal. 
-- Johan Neeskens was only 32 at the time of the European Championship.  He was playing for NY Cosmos.  That year, NY Cosmos failed to reach the playoff for the first time since Pele joined the club in 1976. He was released by them on October, 1984.  His career was not the same before and after Euro 1984. Frans Thijssen was playing for Vancouver Whitecap in 1984. Jan Wouters turned 24 in the summer of 1984, but at that point, he had only appeared once for the senior national team.  His second cap came in 1986.
-- Jan Peters was playing in Italy with Genoa.  I don't know his status in that season, but his career there was injury riddled and was considered a failure.  His team finished third from the bottom and went down to Serie B that year.
-- Dick Schoenaker featured in the early parts of the qualifiers.  He was among the highest goal scorers.  He scored 4 goals in 5 appearance.  I don't know why he did not play much in the latter stage.  In fact, he was uncapped for the entire 1984 year.  He should be on the team ahead of Muhren.
Netherlands vs Denmark in 1984
-- On the right wing, I took Gerald Vanenburg who played regularly for Netherlands during that period of time.  He played in 7 qualifiers. Feyenoord used Ruud Gullit on the right.  So I decided against selecting Rene van der Gijp and Bud Brocken who was also a right-sided player.  Brocken played many matches in the qualifiers.
-- Simon Tahamata did not play much under Kees Rijvers, but I wanted a left-side attacker.  He was a star player in the 1980's playing in Belgium.  While I used Kees Rijvers' selections as reference, I was not building a team that would be managed by him. I am the manager of this team.  So I took Tahamata.
-- The last last spots was between Erwin Koeman, Michel Valke and Dick Schoenaker.  Erwin Koeman was a young player at the time.  I took him largely because he appeared in the latter stage of the European qualifiers.  He started in the most important qualifier against Spain in November, 1983.  He played much more games than Frank Rijkaard in the period.  Besides, he was a left midfielder, a position I don't have enough choices.
Forward
-- Johan Cruyff joined Feyenoord in the summer of 1983 after Ajax won the Double, but refused to extend his contract.  He had a wonderful season with Feyenoord.  He won the Double as well as picking up the Dutch Footballer of the Year award that year.  He was 37 years old at the time of the Euro 1984, but he could easily make this national team.
-- Ruud Gullit played with Johan Cruyff at Feyenoord that season.  He was a right forward.  That season, he played 45 games scoring 25 goals.  He received his first cap in 1981 as a 19 years.  By 1984, he was a regular member of the national team.
-- In the 1983-1984 season, Marco Van Basten solidified his position as Ajax's starting center forward after Ajax sold Wim Kieft in the summer of 1983, the same summer when Johan Cruyff also left for Feyenoord.  He became Eredivisie top scorer that year. He would be the league's top scorer for next three seasons.  Between 1983 and 1987, he scored 118 goals in 112 league games.  However, he only earned 3 caps before the Euro 1984 Final.
-- From 1981 to 1983, Johan Cruyff played with both Marco Van Basten and Frank Rijkaard in Ajax. Their relationship between them was known to be great. 
-- Johnny Rep was playing with PEC Zwolle in Netherlands, but he was a shadow of himself.  
-- Between 1983 and 1985, Peter Houtman scored 7 goals in 8 appearance.  Five of those goals were scored between 1983 and 1984.  However, he only played three times in the Euro Qualifiers, but I went with him over Wim Kieft.
Netherlands vs Sweden 1983
Formation
4-3-3
The starting lineup marked across three great Dutch teams.  Johan Cruyff needed no introduction as he played on the 1974 team, a team considered to be one the greatest ever national teams.  Known as the "Vacuum Cleaner", Willy van der Kerkhof was an important player on the 1978 World Cup team.  He played well in front of defence. Then, of course, Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten, Ronald Koeman and Frank Rijkaard were the best players from the 1988 team.  Unfortunately, none of the big names were in their prime.  Netherlands might only look good on paper.
 
The Netherlands always played with 4-3-3.   In "Total Football", Johan Cruyff would be move around.  He would have a free role.  Ruud Gullit played on the right with Johan Cruyff in Feyenoord. Both Marco Van Basten and Frank Rijkaard might not be ready to start on the national team in 1984, but I really wanted to showcase this lineup.  Erwin Koeman played many games at the latter stage of the Qualifiers.  In 1983, he was a rising star.  Ideally, his inclusion into the lineup could push Johan Cruyff upfront and Ruud Gullit back to the right where he played with Cruyff in Feyenoord.  
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Wednesday, November 27, 2019

What if United Kingdom went to the World Cup 1994

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

His Facebook and Instagram

Paul Gascoigne in 1992 against Norway but he would have missed the World Cup Finals

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

England
United Kingdom
I have create imaginary World Cup teams for United Kingdom in 1970 and 1982 Finals.  I do believe United Kingdom could have won the World Cup in 1970 and made a good run in the 1982 World Cup Finals.  However, the idea of this United Kingdom's 1994 World Cup team was born out of the weakness from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. In 1993, all four of United Kingdom's national teams failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup Finals in the United States.  At the time of writing, it is the only time in history since the British teams first entered the World Cup tournament where none of the British teams qualified for the World Cup Finals. For the 1970 and 1982 United Kingdom team, I was looking at a "Dream Team" that could win it all.  For this 1994 team, I was trying to see if this United Kingdom could do better than their original separated national teams.  
England at the end of the World Cup Qualifier

Prediction for the World Cup Qualifying
On paper, this United Kingdom can field the likes of Neville Southall, John Barnes, Alan Shearer, Ian Rush, Ryan Giggs, etc on the same field.  Basically, England could reinforce with two of Wales' greatest players.  However, none of the British players in 1994 were in their prime.  Southall, Barnes and Rush were over 30 years old.  Alan Shearer was 22 years while Giggs was only 19 years old at the time of the qualifying rounds.  

 Formation during the Qualifiers
Paul Gascoigne was injured in April of 1994, but he would still be healthy during the World Cup Qualifying Rounds. Peter Beardsley just joined Newcastle United in the summer of 1993 after disappointing in Everton.  He had not played himself in consideration throughout the World Cup Qualifying rounds.  Paul Parker or Rob Jones might start ahead of Lee Dixon.  David Seaman had not established as England's number one until the summer of 1993.  The United Kingdom would probably go with Neville Southall.  Colin Hendry made his national debut in May, 1993 for Scotland.  So basically, this United Kingdom would only have three additional starters to the original England, namely Gary McAllister, Ian Rush and Gary Southall.  So it was not a big upgrade.  When I came across the idea of an United Kingdom team, I envisioned a better team.
The First question: Would they even qualified for the World Cup Finals? When I first started this blog team, I never imagined the possibility of this UK team not qualifying.  After doing some research, I still think the UK team could qualify, but not as dominating as I anticipated. 

 Group 1: 
In real life, Scotland finished 4th behind Italy, Switzerland and Portugal.  Italy would reach the Final in the World Cup Finals with the likes of Roberto Baggio, Franco Baresi, Paulo Maldini, Giuseppe Signori, Roberto Donadoni, etc.  Swizterland was having their best team in years with Stéphane Chapuisat and Ciriaco Sforza on their lineup.  Portugal had a young team that included two future stars, namely Rui Costa and Luis Figo.  They also had Paulo Futre. I do not think the United Kingdom could beat Italy, but beating Switzerland and Portugal were very possible.

 Group 2
This group had a clearer indication of the United Kingdom's chance because the majority of the players on the United Kingdom team were from England. England finished third behind Netherlands and Norway.  Norway who was considered a minnow before the start of the World Cup Qualifiers was in confortable position throughout the group games.  The reinforcement of just a few non-English players might not be able to overcome them.  Netherlands was having their rebuilding years.  They still had Dennis Bergkamp and Frank Rijkaard.  Ruud Gullit had problems with manager Dick Advocaat.  He did not play much in the World Cup Qualifiers.  Marco Van Basten was out for an entire season.  People did not know at the time that he would not be back again.  England was only two points behind Netherlands. In real life, England drew 2-2 with Netherlands at home.  They surrendered a 85th minute penalty after going up 2-0.  England might be able to take all the points with a few additional players.  They also could produce a better result against other opponents such as 1-1 away tie with Poland with this UK team.

 Gorup 3:
In real life, Northern Ireland stood no chance against Spain, Ireland and Denmark.  Spain was not a bad team.  They probably have enough to beat this United Kingdom. Denmark was the reigning European Champion with Michael Laudrup back in the team. On paper, Denmark would be difficult for the United Kingdom, but they could not overcome Ireland in real life.  Ireland used a lot of English born players under manager Jack Charlton.  So on paper, this United Kingdom could handle this "English-based" Irish team easily, but manager Jack Charlton was able to create a team that could beat anybody in 1993 and 1994.  Ireland has beaten England at Euro 1988, a result that shocked all across the United Kingdom.  They also proved themselves at the 1990 World Cup Finals.

 Group 4
Wales finished 4th, but just 3 points away from the top qualifying teams, Romania and Belgium (only two points were awarded for a win in 1993).  Romania was having their Golden generation.  They would beat England in the 1998 World Cup Finals and the 2000 European Championship.  And those two English teams might be better than this UK team.  England featured the likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholas, Alan Shearer, etc. Of course, Romania was also a much more inexperience team in 1993, but they peaked in the 1994 World Cup Finals.  Gheorghe Hagi was in his prime. Belgium and the Czech Republic (finished 3rd in the group) were beatable.  The Czechs did not have the same players as their team that reached the Final in Euro 1996. 
Wales World Cup Qualifying team 1993

Prediction at the World Cup  Finals
It is impossible to make a prediction or assessment of this team in the 1994 World Cup Finals without knowing the teams in their groups.  The seedings were based upon the FIFA rankings at the time and results of the previous three World Cup Finals. If I based my United Kingdom team on England. they probably would be a seeded team as England was ranked 8th in November, 1993 and 11th a month later.  Furthermore, England were the semifinalist in the previous World Cup Finals.  England probably would take Belgium's place as a seeded team. If i put the UK team on Group F, they would face with the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Morocco.  On paper, it should be easy task, but the Saudis beat Belgium to progress with Saeed Al-Owairan scoring one of the greatest goals in World Cup history.

This United Kingdom could probably progress to the knockout rounds, given sixteen teams out of 24 also progressed in 1994.  So only eight teams were eliminated in the Group Stage.  

Beyond that, I am unsure if the United Kingdom could do much.  Brazil the eventual winner had a forward line consisted of Romario and Bebeto.  Italy had Roberto Baggio and Pablo Maldini, but Franco Baresi was injured throughout the Finals.  I don't think that the UK team could beat Sweden, Bulgaria, Germany and Netherlands.  The Americans had beaten England in June, 1993.  They were not to be underestimated. Nigeria, Romania and even Ireland could beat this team.  Argentina had one of the best teams in 1994 when they still had Diego Maradona.  But with Maradona's suspension during the Group Stage, Argentina was hard to predict.

 Team (only 22 allowed in 1994)

GK: Neville Southall  (Wales/Everton)
Neville Southall was the FWA Football of the Year in 1985 and one of the few keepers to win the award.  He was regarded as one of the best British keeper of his generation in a generation filled with great keepers.  He started with Bury, but played most of his career with Everton, where the club was enjoying its most successful period. He won two First Divison title and two FA Cup with them.  He had 92 caps for Wales.
Ian Rush and Neville Southall 
GK: David Seaman (England/Arsenal)
The peak of Seaman's career was during his period as Arsenal and England goalkeeper in the 1990s and early 2000s. At Arsenal, he won three league championships, four FA Cups, the League Cup in 1993 and the European Cup Winners Cup in 1994.  He also played in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, and Euro 96 and Euro 2000, and is England's second-most capped goalkeeper with 75 caps.

GK: Tim Flowers (England/Blackburn Rovers)
Flowers began his career with Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1984.  He was Peter Shilton's unberstudy with Southampton before becoming their starter in the 1989–90 season. He was notably part of the Blackburn Rovers side that won the Premier League in 1995. He also played for  Swindon Town, Leicester City, Stockport County, Coventry City and Manchester City.  He had 11 caps.  He went to both Euro 96 in England and the 1998 World Cup.

RB: Lee Dixon (England/Arsenal)
Lee Dixon played as a right-back for Arsenal, Burnley, Bury, Chester City and Stoke City.  He was a part of Arsenal's famous back four along with Tony Adams, Steve Bould and Nigel Winterburn. Dixon is also one of the only players in English football history to have won a league title in three different decades with the same club. 

CB: Tony Adams (England/Arsenal)
Tony Adams is a club legend and one club man with Arsenal who became the club captain at the age of 21.  A stature of him is erected at the Emirates Stadium. He formed the legendary backline with Lee Dixon, Nigel Winterburn and Steve Bould with club.  He was a fixture for England from 1987 to 2000.  For England, he had 66 caps and served as its captain at one point. He played in the World Cup Finals in 1998 and went to three European Championship.

CB: Des Walker (England/Sheffield Wednesday)
Walker played 59 times for England.  He started in all of England;'s games at the World Cup Finals in 1990. He was rated as one of the best defender at that Finals.  For club football, he mainly played for Nottingham Forrest and Sheffield Wednesday.  He played one season at Sampdoria in then 1992-1993 season.   He was Forest's player of the year three times. On four straight occasions at Forest he was selected for the PFA Team of the Year.
Des Walker in the World Cup Qualifiers
CB: Gary Pallister (England/Manchester United)
Pallister played for Middlesbrough before he moved to Manchester United in 1989.  His transfer broke the national record for a fee paid for a defender, as well as being the highest fee between British clubs. By the time of his departure from Old Trafford after nine years, he was the only player to have collected winner's medals in all of the club's successes under Alex Ferguson's management.  He was capped 22 times.

CB: Colin Hendry (Scotland/Blackburn Rovers)
Hendry started his career with Dundee in 1983. and spent spells at Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Rangers, Coventry City, Bolton Wanderers and Blackpool. He was part of the Blackburn squad that won the English Premiership in 1995 and the Rangers squad that won the Scottish domestic treble in 1998–99.  He played 51 caps for Scotland. He captained Scotland in the 1998 World Cup.

LB: Stuart Pearce (England/Nottingham Forrest)
Stuart Pearce was a club legend with Nottingham Forrest.  He was the club's most capped international player with 78 caps between 1987 and 1999.  He played at the World Cup Finals in 1990 and the European championship in 1996 at home, where England had the best two results since the World Cup win in 1966. He also played for Wealdstone, Coventry City, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Manchester City.

LB: Tony Dorigo (England/Leeds United)
Born in Australia, Tony Dorigo chose to represent England.  He had 15 caps.  He went to the European Championship in 1988 and 1992 as well as the 1990 World Cup Finals.  For his club career, he played for He played for Aston Villa, Chelsea, Leeds United, Torino, Derby County and Stoke City.  He had lengthy spells with Aston Villa, Chelsea and Leeds United.

DM: Paul Ince (England/Manchester United)
From 1992 to 2000, Paul Ince was capped 53 times.  He was a key player for England at Euro 1996, WC 1998 and Euro 2000.  For his club career, he started with West Ham, but his best known stints were with Liverpool, Inter Milan and Manchester United.  He is one of the few players who played and starred for both Liverpool and Manchester United.

CM: David Batty (England/Blackburn Rovers)
David Batty is most famous for playing for Leeds United, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United.  He won league titles with both Leeds United and Blackburn Rovers, but his role with Blackburn Riovers was limited by an injury.  He was capped for the England national football team, and representing the nation at UEFA Euro 1992 and the 1998 World Cup.

CM: David Platt (England/Sampdoria)
Platt began his career as an apprentice at Manchester United but later moved to Crewe Alexandra where he began building a reputation as a goal scoring midfield player. In 1988, he signed for Aston Villa and made his debut for England a year later. At the 1990 World Cup, his performances in Italy earned him a move to Bari in 1991. In 1992, Platt moved to Juventus, where he spent one season. In 1993, he moved to Sampdoria where he stayed for two seasons before returning to England with Arsenal.  Capped 75 times.

CM/RM: Gary McAllister (Scotland/Liverpool)
Garry McAllister started with Motherwell before heading to play in England. He had a lengthy career with Leicester City, Leeds United and Coventry between 1985 and 2000.  Then, he played two seasons with Liverpool, winning the 2000 UEFA Cup.  In the final, he scored one, and had a hand in three, of the five Liverpool goals in a memorable 5–4 victory.  He was awarded the Man of the Match.  He had over 50 caps, appearing a single World Cup Finals and two European Championship.
Gary McAllister 
RW/AM: Chris Waddle (England/Sheffield Wednesday)
Waddle mainly played with Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspurs, Olympique Marseille and Sheffield Wednesday.  He won the 1987 FA Cup with Tottenham Hotspurs.  Then, in 1989, he joined Olympique Marseille for 4.5 million pound, which was then the third highest transfer fees.  He went to Sheffield Wednesday in 1992, where he reached both FA Cup and League Cup Final.  He was voted FWA Player of the Year for that season. He went to the WC Finals in 1986 and 1990.

LW: Ryan Giggs (Wales/Manchester United)
Giggs was Sir Alex's longest serving player at Manchester United, where he played from 1990 to 2014.  He also holds the club record for competitive appearances. During his time at United, he won 13 Premier League winner's medals, four FA Cup winner's medals, three League Cup winner's medals and two Champions League winner's medals. He is widely considered one of the greatest British wingers in modern history. He played 64 times for Wales.  He led Great Britain at the London Olypmpics in 2012.
Ryan Giggs World Cup Qualifier 1993
CM/LW: John Barnes (England/Liverpool)
John Barnes was widely considered to be one of the greatest Liverpool players, where he formed one of their greatest team playing alongside Ian Rush, Peter Beardsley, John Aldridge and Ray Houghton.  Before joining Liverpool, he played for Watford. At Watford, he also helped them to the Final of the FA Cup in 1984. He was voted PFA Player of the Year in 1988 and FWA Player of the Year in both 1988 and 1990.
John Barnes in 1993
FW/SS: Peter Beardsley (England/Liverpool)
Peter Beardsley was one of the few players i history to have played for Liverpool, Everton, Manchester United and Manchester City. His first successes came in the early 1980's while playing for Newcastle United.  In 1987, he joined Liverpool as the most expensive player in England's history.  Together with John Barnes, they formed one of the best English sides of the later 1980's.

ST: Ian Rush (Wales/Liverpool)
Ian Rush was voted as the third greatest Liverpool player by fans in 2013. He is the Liverpool's all-time leading goalscorer, with 346 goals. He won both the PFA Player of the year and FWA Player of the Year in 1984.  he was European Golden Boot winner in the same year.  He also had short spells with Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield United, Wrexham and Sydney Olympic. Rush made 73 appearances for Wales between 1980 and 1996.

ST: Ian Wright (England/Arsenal)
Wright was a legendary striker with Arsenal.  Before joining Arsenal, he was a hero with Crystal Palace.  At the time of writing, he was their highest goal scorer since the War.  In 1991, he joined Arsenal.  He spent 7 seasons with them, winning all three domestic trophies and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1994.  Despite being a top scorer in the domestic league(he scored over 20 goals every season from 1991 to 1998), he only played 33 times for England and was never selected for any of the major tournaments.
Ian Wright
ST: Mark Hughes  (Wales/Manchester United)
Mark Hughes was best remembered for his spells with Manchester United. He won two Premier League title medals, four FA Cups, three League Cups and two European Cup Winners' Cups. He was the first player to win the PFA Players' Player of the Year award twice, in 1989 and 1991.  He also played for Barcelona and Bayern Munich, as well as the English clubs Chelsea, Southampton, Everton and finally Blackburn Rovers.

ST: Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers)
Shearer is the all-time leading top-scorer for the Premiership.  In 1992, he joined Blackburn Rovers from Southampton in a record transfer. He won the Premiership for 1994-1995 season.  In 1996, he joined his home town club, Newcastle United for a world record transfer fees. He was FWA Player of the Year in 1994, and PFA Player of the Year in 1995 and 1997.  For England, he earned 63 caps. In 1996, he led England to the semi-final of Euro 1996 at home, himself winning the Golden boot award. 
Alan Shearer against Norway in the World Cup Qualifiers

Players considered
Barry Horne (Wales/Everton), Steve Morrow (Northern Ireland/Arsenal), Andy Sinton (England/Sheffield Wednesday), Stuart Ripley (England/Blackburn Rovers), David Batty (England/Blackburn Rovers), Dean Saunders (Wales/Aston Villa), Paul Merson (England/Arsenal), Gary Speed (Wales/Leeds Uniteds), Paul Gascoigne (England/Lazio),  Les Ferdinand (England/QPR), Paul Parker (England/Manchester United), Robert Lee (Newcastle United/England). Rob Jones (England/Liverpool), Stuart Ripley (England/Blackburn Rovers),  Andy Cole (England/Newcastle), Carlton Palmer (England/Sheffield Wednesday).

Squad Explanation
-- I did a review of the team in July, 2023.  I felt very uncomfortable with my selections.
-- The team is dominated with 16 English players.  With exception of Peter Beardsley and Chris Waddle, all English players considered were based upon the numbers of caps earned during the World Cup Qualifiers.  Basically, this was England's team with reinforcement from other British players. The non-English selections are Neville Southall (Wales), Ryan Giggs (Wales), Mark Hughes (Wales), Ian Rush (Wales), Gary McAllister (Scotland) and Colin Hendry (Scotland).  Chris Waddle and Peter Beardsley would be considered reinforcements since he took no part in the World Cup Qualifiers.
-- I had a lot of doubts even for my own team.  John Barnes over Lee Sharpe in 1994 might not be a wise move.  The inclusion of Des Walker was questionable.  I also ignored younger players such as Matt Le Tissier, Gary Speed, Darren Anderton, Graeme Le Saux, Andy Cole and Les Ferdinand, which would be terrible mistakes.  To be realistic, I left off the injured Paul Gascoigne, but I brought back Chris Waddle, especially he had some injuries around that time.  
-- Most of the players from Northern Ireland were not as well known as their counterparts from the Home Nations.  Steve Morrow was the only player considered.  For United Kingdom 1970 team, I took Mike England because he was the only player from Wales.  I did not do that for Morrow for this team.
-- England played in the 1993 US Cup a tournament which served as  preparation for the United States to host the World Cup Finals a year later.  Brazil, Germany, the United States and England participated in a Round-robin tournament.  England finished last with just a draw against Brazil.  
-- Right before the World Cup Finals, England played two qualified teams in May, 1994.  They beat Greece 5-0 and drew Norway 0-0.  I did not really use the lineups as my reference.  I did select Peter Beardsley (see below). 
-- Manchester United won the Double that season.  Mark Hughes, Ryan Giggs, Paul Ince and Gary Pallister made the team.
-- I reunited John Barnes, Ian Rush and Peter Beardsley, but it was a decision probably puzzled by many (See below).
Goalkeeper
-- Chris Wood was blamed for the 2-0 loss against the USA in the summer of 1993.  He was never called up again by England.  David Seaman played in the most critical games of the World Cup Qualifiers later that year.  Between June 1993 to June 1994, Tim Flowers was the only goalkeeper used by England. He was also the goalkeeper on the PFA Team of the Year.  So from England, I only went with Seaman and Flowers. Nigel Martyn (Crystal Palace) was the only other goalkeeper played who played for manager Graham Taylor, but he was actually playing in the First Division that season.   Instead, I took Neville Southall. He was 35 at the time of the World Cup Finals, but still highly regarded.  
-- Scotland's Andy Goram was the starting goalkeeper for Scotland at Euro 1992, but he suffered a serious injury in 1993.  He did not return to action until the Spring of 1994.  During this time, Jimmy Leighton's club career was revitalised with Hibernian, but between 1991 and 1993, he was not playing much club football.  The United Kingdom probably would take David Seaman, Tim Flowers and Neville Southall.
Defenders
-- Both Tony Adams and Gary Pallister were on the PFA Team of the Year.  Adams was a vital part of England's World Cup Qualifiers. He led Arsenal winning the European Cup Winners' Cup. Pallister was a part of Manchester United's Domestic Double that season.  
Tony Adams
-- Colin Hendry (Scotland) made his Scotland debut at the age of 27 in May, 1993.  He had some injuries in the 1993-1994 season, but his impact with his club team Blackburn Rovers was felt.  I wanted to add a non-English player to change things around.  
-- Martin Keown and Steve Bould were fighting for a spot at the club level, but Bould was overlooked by England during this period. Bould remained an uncapped player until the summer of 1994.  I tried to keep real-life capped players. So he was out of the question.  Keown was mainly a bench player on England's team. In the end, I took Des Walker for his experience who also started on the England's last match of the World Cup Qualifiers against San Marino.  He had a poor spell with Sampdoria the season before, and a bad performance against the Netherlands in the World Cup Qualifiers which forced Graham Taylor to use the Adams-Pallister duo.  Nevertheless, he was still England's best defender by reputation in 1994.  
-- Stuart Pearce was an easy selection for the leftback position.  England also used Lee Dixon, Paul Parker and Rob Jones as rightbacks.  I took Dixon who was probably the most famous of the lot because he was a part of the famous back four in Arsenal.  He also started the last game of the World Cup Qualifiers against San Marino.  Leftback Tony Dorigo was used in the early matches of the World Cup Qualifiers.  Graeme Le Saux made his debut in early 1994 under new England manager Terry Venables, but I decided to take the more experienced fullbacks.  
-- Steve Morrow was in and out of the lineup that season with Arsenal.  He scored the winner, but had a famous injury after the 1993 League Cup Final after he was dropped by Tony Adams in the celebrations after the match.
Midfielders/Wingers
-- Paul Ince became England's first ever Black captain during the tour of the United States in 1993.  He had established himself as a regular selection for England.
-- Graham Taylor also used rightwing Darren Anderton regularly.  Terry Venables continued to start him in 1994 after he took over.  
-- In April, 1994. Paul Gascoigne was injured by club mate Alessandro Nest during training in Italy.  He would not be available for the World Cup Finals.  I have taken injured players on some of my imaginary blog teams to reinforce the team.  However, since this team was not about a "Dream Team" that set to conquer the world, I decided not to take him.  This blog team was about the survival of the team against all odds.  The injury of Gazza would be the one of the odds.  During the review of the team in 2023, I added Chris Waddle, which would be hypocritical for Gazza, but they played in different positions.
-- Matt Le Tissier had a strong 1993-1994 season.  It was his highest scoring league season with  25 league goals (20 league goals and another 10 in FA Cup and League Cup the season after). But he had not made his international debut with England until the summer of 1994.  He played in two friendly matches in May, 1994 against Greece and Norway. Without Paul Gascoigne, he might be the perfect replacement. However, during his career, a succession of English managers ignored him. To keep things realistic, I also ignored him.
-- Blackburn Rovers paid Leeds United  £2.75million for David Batty in October 1993. David Batty was on the PFA Team of the Year alongside Gary McAllister (Scotland). In turn, Leeds United used Batty's transfer money to buy Carlton Palmer  in the summer of 1994.  Palmer played his last international match at that critical qualifier against the Netherlands.  He was also one of the most unloved English international players. For this team, I went with Batty and McAllister, largely because of the PFA award.  Andy Sinton was also considered.
-- Paul Merson's lifestyle was an issue for many managers.  He played under Graham Taylor throughout the period, but new manager Terry Venables did not want him.  For this imaginary United Kingdom team, I am the manager.  I decided not to risk his inclusion to the team.
-- David Platt led England in goal scoring during the World Cup Qualifiers with 7 goals.  Ian Wright was in second with 5 goals.
David Platt
-- Darren Anderton was uncapped until 1994.  So I took him out of contention.  Instead, I took Chris Waddle.  He had underused player for England and he had many issues with Graham Taylor and others by 1994.  His critics said that his style did not fit England's team.  He was 33 years old at the time of the World Cup Finals.  However, he was named the FWA Footballer of the Year for the 1992–93 season.  He had a good season with Sheffield Wednesday the following season, but suffered some injured.   Liked  Le Tissier, Waddle was ignored by various England's manager, but this right wing position was in short of a star player more than the midfield position.  In real life, the other winger Stuart Ripley only earned 2 caps, and his England career ended with the World Cup Qualifier.  
-- Ryan Giggs has became a key player for Manchester United by the 1993-1994 season.  John Barnes played regularly in the World Cup Qualifiers, but was dropped after the USA Cup in 1993.  He was booed off by the English fans in one of the matches largely because his loyalty to England was questioned.   In the 1993-1994 season, Lee Sharpe was still considered one of the best young players in England.  He played more than Barnes during the World Cup Qualifiers. At the club level, Giggs had taken over his left wing position with Manchester United, but Sharpe still played 30 games and had 11 goals that season, which was his career best.  In the end, I took John Barnes who had more experience than Lee Sharpe. In 1994, I probably would receive a lot of criticism from the fans, the pundits, etc for doing that.  Sharpe was an upcoming star while Barnes was not a popular player in that period of time. At the same time, some fans would want me to reunite Rush, Barnes and Peter Beardsley who had regained his form that season.  Personally, I am a football historical blogger.  Nostalgia got to me, in which the trio going to a World Cup Finals would be too sentimental to pass up.  Furthermore, I saw Barnes of a winger/midfield hybrid.  By the early 1990's, Barnes had became a midfielder.  The midfield corps consisted only of Gary McAllister, Paul Ince, David Batty and David Platt.  Barnes was needed there. Graham Taylor had played both Barnes and Sharpe on the same field, but I won't do that. Barnes would also backup Giggs.
-- Gary Speed could be a left midfielder.  He might be a more in form player than Barnes, but Barnes was a more seasonal professional.  I left Speed off the team.  In real life, Andy Sinton’s international career ended after the win at San Marino.
Forwards
-- Peter Beardsley joined Newcastle United in the summer of 1993.  He helped Andy Cole to become the top scorer of the Premiership in the 1993-1994 season.  Peter Beardsley was on the PFA Team of the Year. However, he was uncapped during the World Cup Qualifiers because he had not fully revitalised his career until afterward, but I would bring him back for his performance in the 1993-1994 season.
John Barnes and Peter Beardsley
-- Andy Cole was Premier League Golden Boot winner in the 1993-1994 season. He was not selected into the PFA Team of the Year.  He did not make his England debut until 1995. So I went with Ian Rush, Alan Shearer, Ian Wright and Mark Hughes.  They were all big names in 1994.  
-- Alan Shearer was the FWA Player of the Year that season.  He was second highest scorer in the Premier League behind teammate Andy Cole.  Ian Wright was used regularly for England throughout 1993 and 1994.  His club form was fine, but his output for national team was always weaker.  
-- Mark Hughes scored 22 goals for Manchester United.  He was three goals behind Eric Cantona.  Manchester United won the Domestic Double that season.
-- Les Ferdinand was in fine form for England.  He scored 18 goals for QPR.  He was an upcoming player in 1994, but I opted for the bigger names in football.
-- Ian Rush only scored 19 goals that season, but he remained Liverpool's top scorer.  But he scored 11 goals during the last two months of the season.  He would be in form heading toward the World Cup Finals.  So it would be hard to ignore a big name player with so an amazing form and scoring steak. 
-- Here were some of the other candidates.  Robbie Fowler debuted for Liverpool that season.  He had 18 goals as a comparison.  However, he was not in consideration due to his age in 1994.  He did not make his senior national debut until 1996. Nigel Clough lost his starting spot to him in Liverpool during the season.  He also never represented England again after the 1993 US Cup. 
-- Terry Sheringham made his international debut, but it would be hard to select him over the four strikers. 
-- Ally McCoist played in Scotland's World Cup Qualifiers, but he was bothered by injuries throughout the 1993-1994 season.  He only scored 11 goals that season.
 
Formation
As mentioned, Paul Gascoigne was injured and missed the tournament.  Instead, I put the 20 years old Ryan Giggs into the starting lineup.  His youthfulness would benefit the team.  I still stayed with Southall in goal.  Peter Beardsley might start ahead of  Gary McAllister.  


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