The best players of the season 1980-1

Good picks. I think someone mentioned Bernard Genghini earlier in the thread : he could make it as well I think. He had a really good season with Sochaux and was a regular starter for France. Let me also add Gérard Janvion : he was a lock for both France and Saint Etienne.

 

Sorry for the kick but I suddenly thought about this game.

A brief highlight:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXIYmAswvM4"]1984 (June 19) Denmark 3-Belgium 2 (European Championship).mpg - YouTube[/ame]

Specifically: the outside-booted finish and the pass just after the half-time kick-off.

 

Yes I think so. The write-ups for 90/91 and the current season are nice but I'd understand why you'd feel the work needed does not add enough value to be worth it. I would volunteer to do a few for you in the same style and maybe others would too but it might get a bit messy with various different 'authors' plus using 80/81 as an example it's possibly harder to produce detailed write-ups (albeit fairly brief) on limited information/footage.
In summary, yes!

 

I like the "contemporary" tone of these profiles. Like it was actually from 1981. Great to read this. Looking forward to the continuation.

 

Pity that Van Breukelen isn't included.

The profile states that Curkovic was one of the best goalkeepers of the 1970s? What were his best years? He is included in the 1976 Ballon d'Or, the 1976 One Mondial team and I know that he played four great games against PSV Eindhoven in 1976. But what was his level in the years afterwards?

 

Is there a record or certain credentials of him before he moved to France?

I searched in my own collection, a magazine of October 1979 mentions Curkovic as "experienced goalkeeper" and Lopez + Rocheteau as the two other good players of St Etienne. It was a preview of a match against, again, PSV in 1979 with as general tone that St Etienne has declined in level.

Platini is mentioned too, "recovering from a heavy injury". Apparently, St Etienne bought him in an unfit condition. Platini did not play in the first leg, 2:0 win for PSV but played in the return when St Etienne won with 6:0. Anyway, his injury was the reason why isn't mentioned in the same breath as the other three.

As for Van Breukelen, I thought it was pretty good feat that a goalkeeper from a lower tabled team can become the first choice NT keeper. That was and is not the usual thing to do because the superstition is that players from domestic top sides can handle the pressure in a better way.
His place began to shake when he moved to England (same with Metgod when he moved to Real Madrid and later on Nottingham Forest). According to a quote -dated February 1985- in a profile in a book about PSV that was the main reason to leave England and come back to Holland at that time but it is also suggested that Clough wasn't very satisfied with him.

 

I presume that the inclusion of Bento, Castenada and Dasayev were primarily based on issues of World Soccer?

I'm curious behind the reasoning of the ratings. Esp. for players where there are no ratings available or other records. Dasayev played in the European Cup of course so that has already a higher profile.

 

Looking forward to see the list of stoppers resp. center backs.

The 1980-81 sweeper list really has some great names .... Krol, Chivadze, Pezzey, Scirea, Hansen.

Where would these players be used today? Would they play as orthodox central defenders in a flat back four? The British ones probably, Hansen and Osman. Pezzey probably, too.

But what about the others?

 

Interesting question. Scirea started to play more as an outright centre-back I think for example during the '86 World Cup alongside Vierchowod (not that I've really studied the defensive setups of that time; I've just seen/heard reference to that).
I'm not sure if you agree but I feel maybe Krol has more suitable qualities to play equally well centrally in a flat back 4 compared to Scirea, though there were surely benefits of having Krol as sweeper. He was a very good attacking full-back too of course so could perform that role in a current-style defence.
It'd be interesting to know whether Hansen would be given the same freedom from centre-back in a modern defence - interestingly he has suggested David Luiz would be better as a midfielder (though I think he might've been concerned with defensive lapses/risks more than with dribbles into the opposition half that Hansen himself excelled at). The Hansen and Lawrenson partnership had two footballing/attacking centre-backs really unlike any Liverpool team since or probably any current team, but at an English side of that time neither was a sweeper or libero as seen elsewhere in Europe. They could maybe be compared to Pique at Barcelona in some respects.

It'd also be interesting to see where these players might've been employed in 2012: Augentahler, R.Koeman, Sammer, Blind, Belodidici, possibly Blanc although I think he'd be and was used as a centre-back in a flat 4 with no qualms.

 

Krol:

Cruijff said once that he was the most difficult opponent to beat on a training. For him, that is (he added that Hulshoff was for others a granite wall). Krol was a physical beast and could pass with either leg.
Assuming that Cruijff is correct, Krol had the ability to play in a flat back four I guess.
Krol was an improved version of Frank de Boer.

Koeman: Koeman started his career as mid-fielder in front of his defence. He was always a rather odd sort of libero until the year 1988. PSV preferred on a regular basis Gullit as libero instead of Koeman.
Koeman was rather slow and perhaps he would have problems in the modern game. He is perhaps an example of the 'good footballer without an position' (i.e. the Robinho among the defenders). But that is my take. Koeman was however not as defensively vulnerable as many like to think; his weakest aspect was his speed imo.

Blind: he started his career as a side-back. I think that would be his position in the current game. He had a sense for positioning and footballing qualities too. But he was one-on-one below par. In a zonal-scheme he would be a good side-back I think albeit not of the Dani Alves mould. Blind could also play on mid-field, maybe that is another option.

Blanc: Blanc started his career as an attacking midfielder, a number 10. Considering his grace on the ball, his style and ability to play in the hole (I've read that he was as midfielder very good in playing between the lines and as defender he was such type of player too isn't it), maybe he would play as a midfielder today.

 

Have you by the way seen the video I posted? PDG?

 

The Cruyff goals one? Unfortunately I'm still having trouble with disconnections intermitently so starting a long download seems unlikely to work (similarly watching it might even be problematic). It's the same for the Ceulemans one you mentioned. I know you can pay to become a Gold member on that site, but I think I'll see about switching from AOL at some point and come back to such download attempts.
Thanks again for providing the links though, and I guess others apart from me will also be interested in them.

I had an after-thought that Scirea and Vierchowod (judging by clips of Vierchowod and a solo goal vs Nottingham Forest in a pre-season friendly) would be a similar case to Lawrenson and Hansen in terms of two centre-back together who were both very good in possession and at bringing the ball forwards.

Also Puck, your Koeman comments reminded me that I edited him into an all-time Championship Manager 03/04 game and my mate (DelroyFacey on here - he did a couple of drafts) purchased him for his Middlesbrough team - he did seem to suffer from the low pace rating I'd given him but he got a last minute winner at my Aston Villa while playing in midfield due to a shot from way outside the area (I'd given him a very high rating on long range shooting). DelroyFacey was calling him Koemanator after that, although from what I recall the pace issue meant he wasn't a regular first-choice in his team.

 

Interesting opinion about Vierchowod. I had him down as an archetypical stopper. I know that Van Basten saw Vierchowod as his angstgegner (i.e. a bad match-up; "the most difficult stopper to play against", said Van Basten in his three-hours long documentary) and Maradona feared Vierchowod as well if I remember it correctly.
Oh, and Ceulemans was also able to remember a battle with Vierchowod. Ceulemans played as quasi left-winger and Vierchowod followed him everywhere. Ceulemans tested what he would do if he took a central midfield position but Vierchowod was tied to him. "It was one of my worst matches", said Ceulemans.

 

Yeah, Koeman was a goal-machine. He almost became topscorer of the Netherlands in one season as a libero! Unfortunately, his scoring stalled in the last few rounds of the season.
His goal-scoring was already noticed when he played for Groningen as 'midfield-sweeper' in front of his defence (that is a good word invented by you). His slowish play was also noted and criticized by his coach. His coach and many pundits thought that his brother Erwin Koeman had more talent and would end up at bigger clubs.
It did not turn out that way. At Barcelona, Koeman was praised for his ability to adapt himself to new circumstances and tactics. Cruijff used him a bit differently as when he played at PSV. Koeman had at the beginning some difficulties with this new role but after three months or so he became the same old Koeman.

As for Scirea: I can't find whether he played on a consistent basis in a flat back four but I do know that I was always impressed by his defensive skills as a libero. He was not only a good interceptor but also had a clean tackle and was decent in the air (Blind, for example, was horrible in the air).

 

Yeah I believe he was certainly a tough marker. There are similar comments from Lineker IIRC about the difficulty of playing against him. He was both very quick and a good tackler.
The goal against Forest was in a friendly tournament but it was still a very nice effort. It was on Youtube a few years ago but I couldn't find it recently, though there is a Vierchowod compilation I found when I was checking out players I could draft in the latest draft, and there were some examples of him getting forwards and scoring (seemed mainly late 80's at Sampdoria; the Forest game was between the 91/92 and 92/93 seasons btw).

 

Good contributions.

On Scirea, though he played mainly before my era of viewing (certainly in terms of foreign teams and tournaments) from the clips of games and available compilations I've seen I'd agree. His reputation was as a very clean defender but there are examples where he shows his tackling ability with some sharp challenges (but fair) to compliment his good reading of the game. I believe, like Blanc/Koeman he was a midfielder initially. He seems to have had all the attributes to be a great conventional centre-back but it probably suited him to be able to hang back behind the other defenders and sweep up as well as have the freedom as a libero to move forwards such as in the build-up for Tardelli's famous goal in '82.

 

One final remark:

Scirea was in the primavera a striker actually. He played with number 9 in his youth-days.

Blanc was a 'classic' number 10 and Koeman, as said, a 'midfield-sweeper', also in his youth career.

Don't know about the youth days of Vierchowod.

As addition to an earlier post:
Ruud Krol was at 'Rood Wit', before he joined Ajax in 1968, a right-footed man marker I see/re-read now. With as sole job the destroying of opposing strikers.

He joined Ajax as stopper, Michels transformed him to a right-back, a season later he became a left-back and the rest was history.

So, Ruud Krol appears to be a safe one for a flat back four.

 

Checking http://www.dbscalcio.it , I'll make some comments:

Cabrini, Krol, Tardelli, Falcao, Neumann and Brady had been confirmed in world class season, rating above 6.50 and making the top-20 list in domestic league.

GK: Zoff was rated 5th amongt keepers (behind Vecchi, Zaninelli, Castellini & Tacconi) considering only domestic league. If we add NT and intl. clubs, Castellini or Tacconi could be an options, too.

CB: Gentile and Vierchowod had an intl class domestic season (just like Zoff), maybe NT and intl clubs were a bonus for them.

SW: Brugnera deserves to be included, was #1 SW in domestic league (ahead of Scirea) and #4 in italian POS list. Scirea is ok.
https://www.bigsoccer.com/community/threads/serie-a-rankings-legione-straniera-1980-87.1811217/page-4

DM: Dossena also had a intl. class season (i'd keep him depending on his international performances). Guidetti deserve to be included, since he was #1 among DM and #6 in full list. Marini had 6.12 ratio and doesn't make the top-50 in Serie-A rankings.

AM: Antognoni seems to had a regular season (6,04), maybe his NT performances does a bonus. Colomba deserves to be included, with 6,71 average that season and being #3 in the list of italian POY. Prohaska is ok.

WG: Conti had a regular season according Serie-A ranking (6,04)

CF: Pruzzo had a bonderline intl. class season (6.27) in Serie-A rankings

 

My comments about players from La Liga (1980-81 season):

Named off:
Buyo seems overated by Mundo Deportivo, he doesn't make top-50 in DB ranking.
Dirceu doesn't make Don Balon list, neither MD.
Marcos seems overated by Don Balon, in Mundo Deportivo was 5th among RW.

Bonderline:
Cundi had higher rating by Don Balon ranking, but MD rated near 30 position.
Arias was 13th in DB full list, but MD rated circa 30th position.
Zamora had lower rating in both DB and MD. His intl. matches could be a bonus.
Schuster, same as Zamora.
Juanito seems overated by DB, doesn't make the MD list. Intl. matches could be a bonus.
Lopez Ufarte, #11 in DB, but circa #40 in MD. Intl. matches could be a bonus.
Simonsen, #40 in DB list could be underated.
Satrustegui, #16 in DB and circa #50 in MD. Intl. matches would be enough to make the list?
Quini, doesn't make DB list and for MD list was circa #40.

Name in:
Gilberto Yearwood, #20 in DB and #5 in MD, looks like a consistent and great season for him.