Arsenal’s Invincibles era: building a balanced 2000s XI
Henry, Bergkamp and Vieira made different problems for opponents. What Arsenal’s unbeaten season can teach a fantasy drafter.
Football stories.
Club eras, difficult choices and the football behind the stickers.
Eight original reads by Throwback XI. Each begins with documented football history, then offers our own tactical interpretation and practical ideas for a draft. The historical teams are real; the elevens you assemble are yours to imagine.
AC Milan in the 1990s: what the Athens final leaves out
Beyond the famous back four: Milan’s 1994 final, the Dutch influence and choosing between defensive security and invention.
Ajax 1995: the space between the names
A young European champion, an experienced pivot and a lesson in building a team through complementary roles.
Barcelona’s 2010s: one decade, two ways to overwhelm
From Wembley’s midfield control to the 2015 front three, Barcelona offers more than one blueprint for an all-time draft.
Manchester United 1999: a squad, not just a starting XI
The treble’s late substitutes, its midfield combinations and the difficult choices hidden behind an iconic 4-4-2.
Real Madrid’s 2010s: making room for the match winners
Three consecutive Champions League titles and the platform behind Ronaldo: a guide to choosing control as well as goals.
Liverpool’s 1980s: two attacks, one enduring habit
From the 1984 European Cup to Barnes and Beardsley, Liverpool’s decade rewards looking beyond a single famous lineup.
Brazil’s greats across clubs: three ways to change a game
Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Kaká offer different routes through a defence. A club-era approach to choosing Brazilian legends.