For me (central midfielders/box-to-box) 1. Lothar Matthaus 2. Luis Suárez 3. Paulo Roberto Falcao 4. Jozsef Bozsik 5. Josef Masopust 6. Xavi 7. Johan Neeskens 8. Wim van Hangem 9. Paul Breitner 10. Ernst Ocwirk 11. Steven Gerrard 12. Andrea Pirlo 13. Bryan Robson 14. Mario Coluna 15. Danny Blanchflower 16. Igor Netto 17. Gerhard Hanappi 18. Billy Bremner 19. Osvaldo Ardiles 20. Paul Scholes 21. Fritz Szepan 22. Bastian Schweinsteiger 23. Yaya Touré 24. Stefan Effenberg 25. Josef Smistik 26. Jim Baxter 27. Johnny Giles 28. Herbert Prohaska 29. Arturo Vidal 30. Juan Sebastián Verón
Again, no point wasting time nominating loads. The best ever B2B midfielder was Lothar Matthaus. He gets my only vote.
Steven Gerrard Johan Neeskens Lothar Matthaus Paul Scholes Xavi Iniesta Pirlo Didi Gerson Roy Keane Patrick Vieira Not all are B2B but deserving of a mention.
Lothar Matthäus & some players to make up the numbers... Falcao Didi Graeme Souness Paul Breitner Mario Coluna Jozsef Bozsik Josef Masopust Johan Neeskens Steven Gerrard Gerson Jose Pirri Patrick Vieira Roy Keane Billy Bremner Johnny Giles Marco Tardelli Clarence Seedorf Edgar Davids I wouldn't want Pirlo or Xavi in a double pivot.
Lothar Matthäus was the complete package (defending/passing/goalscoring). The best box-to-box force in football history (peak late 80's/early 90's) for Bayern/Inter/Germany. As we're playing 4-2-3-1, Lothar is the perfect partner for Rijkaard. Honorable mention: Paulo Roberto Falcão (an artist on the ball, gives us an extra dynamic for that pivot) Xavi (probably won't make our team based on the formation, but the best CM i've seen in the last 15 years. Arguably a Top 5 CM of all-time too). Johan Neeskens (Mr. totaalvoetbal. I'd have faith in him fullfilling nearly every role on the pitch) Breitner (big balls. big impact. big career.)
Not all of these are really box-to-box, but not sure where else they could fit in the team. Again, only picking players I've actually seen: Ballack Davids Deco Effenberg Gerrard Iniesta Lampard Pirlo Scholes Vidal Vieira Xavi
Because Vieira played a role box-to-box but was a defensive midfielder ... I think it is necessary a player more advanced, I mean a central midfielder.
He always played the more advanced (box to box) role next to a DM (Petit or Gilberto). He'd be the perfect partner for Rijkaard imo.
The position and the role are not the same ... the position is defensive midfielder, central midfielder, center-back, lateral defender, striker, etc... the role is destroyer, box-to-box, deep lying playmaker, stopper, libero, wing-back, etc.. I mean ... there are defensive midfielder with box-to-box role like Vieira, Davids, Tigana, Tardelli, even Rijkaard and there are central midfielders with box-to-box role like Matthaus, Paulo Roberto Falcao, Paul Breitner, Johan Neeskens, Wim Van Hanegem. There are central midfielders more playmakers (but not box-to-box) like Xavi or Pirlo.
