The link to Trevor Francis's one2eleven team on Sky isn't the correct one on that page I noticed, so here that is: http://www1.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/9225398/francis-one2eleven
Article about counter-attacking goals in the Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2010/jan/22/joy-of-six-counterattacking-goals
Some interesting tributes. It has gone up a level since the earliest years, though not 'right' by definition of course. Can be translated through google (Chrome browser or by search engine). http://spielverlagerung.de/2015/12/23/der-spielverlagerung-de-adventskalender-2015/ http://spielverlagerung.de/2015/12/06/tuerchen-6-dennis-bergkamp/ For this year also with managers http://spielverlagerung.de/2015/12/23/tuerchen-23-arrigo-sacchi/ http://spielverlagerung.de/2015/12/24/traineranalyse-johan-cruijff/
Excellent find. They wrote tactical portraits of the following historical players: Franz Beckenbauer Ronaldo Herbert Wimmer Michael Laudrup Osvaldo Ardiles Ferenc Puskas Vavá Gaetano Scirea Petar Radenkovic Francisco Gento Paolo Maldini Bixente Lizarazu Zizinho Petar Brucic Mario Coluna René Higuita Dennis Bergkamp (as linked) Ernst Ocwirk Jozsef Bozsik Frank Rijkaard Laszlo Kubala It will take a while to read through this!
Ah yes, I see now that if you click on any players name or circle on the first page that you get this on a page of it's own: http://spielverlagerung.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Adventskalender-Teams_24.svg?d58636 And then clicking on a name/circle again gives the page specific to that player, like this one for Carlos Alberto (the only one Gregoriak hadn't mentioned): http://spielverlagerung.de/2015/12/04/tuerchen-4-carlos-alberto-torres/ It seems presented in the style of a fantasy match between a Cruyff-style team and a Sacchi-style team (although Sacchi's team has a couple of players who played for Cruyff, as well as a couple who played for Sacchi in reality). So far I just translated (copying the page url into a Google search and choosing to translate the page) the Cruyff page and looked through a fair bit of that (it is very detailed and extensive!) and I had a look at the Sacchi one while still in German, mainly to have a look at the diagrams!
There are things of which you think 'hmmmm' such as the Rijkaard one in general but I like they take some of the lesser heroes too (and Coluna was historically still one of the very best in his job I'd say). I also like they mention Puskas and Cruijff were already very young very good (at all levels they got to play in, vs full strength quality opponents though maybe it was a tiny bit more of a problem shortly after WWII), something that's not rarely overlooked or forgotten at hindsight (to say it better: the quality football press is overlooked). It would have been nice too to mention the accent shifts in between the Real Madrid years (WM, 4-2-4 under Solich, back to WM) and the differences between Gaal/Cruijff (tactical, psychological, hierarchical, the balance between cynicism vs idealism). The Cruijff one on the other hand identifies some players who got to be played 'out of position' (Lineker as right winger, Van Basten as number ten and other positions; faulen is a good word for him). Puskas his passing ability vs OGC Nice was something that I had noticed too in a previous conversation I remember. Maybe something about the harshness of the Spanish league in the later years (as the French counterpart mentioned). Though it's understandable Puskas his passing has become forgotten (besides: 'passing' is something between two players and there's recent debate about whether the actual technical execution on itself, just the kick itself, differs that much between first division players; as opposed to the timing, positioning, rhythm and perception involved). There's some more to like/not like but that takes too long and of course those articles have a limit too.
Puskas's assist in that Nice game, here at 0:40 is certainly pretty good isn't it.... I started translating some of the individual pages, and the what you say about passing seems to be a theme on the Laudrup one (as well as the fact he could dribble and also shoot from outside the box helped open up options for passes to team-mates), and I also like the Scirea one which is fairly short but a fitting tribute to his style of play and fair means. I think Brucic is the one player I knew nothing about (perhaps Wimmer is pretty much the same but I heard of him) so it'll be interesting to see his page.
Yes, I rarely/never heard of him either. I rewatched the 1984 Denmark vs Yugoslavia game lately (as a unit Denmark was better in 1986 as 1984, true) and I noticed again the near perfect technique of the Yugoslavian players. I can see understand some weaknesses in coherence, fitness and 'mentality' but the technical execution is fantastic and very silky. To be fair, they were very unfortunate at the 1982 World Cup (the group with hosts Spain). Bit of a pity football is more imbalanced these days. On a similar note as what you say in the other thread, I agree things as 'humbleness' and 'arrogance' are commonly misapplied or overextended. Especially when they take clearly 'joking' and humorous comments to illustrate the point. Sometimes/regularly I feel the same with CR7, even in quality press, especially when it becomes missed and ignored that '99%' of his histrionics, theatrics and petulance is aimed at 'thin air' and no particular person (team mate, opposition, referee). Sometimes it feels there's a bit too much of a campaign behind it; also thinking of positive comments of former managers as SAF and team mates about group chemistry (whereas SAF has been less sold on Beckham his effect on team building for instance). The interests at stake and the position he occupies/'blocks' are huge. Just my strong feeling I have at times. Sometimes too much is also made of one game (for ex. the 1994UCL final with differing preparation times, 3 weeks vs 3 days preparation, and an unusual last minute referee change etc.). In the comments below I also understand now the reason for not picking/prioritizing SAF ahead of an article on Sacchi (and as it's said, in the 2nd half of his ManU stint he was more supervisor than manager-coach). http://www.rsssf.com/players/ec-coach.html
Yes, Gudelj is another Yugoslav (as well as Susic ofc) that was very notable (and with good technique indeed for a box to box player of his type). By the early 90's the Yugoslav NT had become very very good ofc. And yeah, maybe such black and white comparisons are a bit misleading at times (CR7 as Darth Vadar and Messi as Luke Skywalker indeed, and I say that as someone who does take more of a liking at times to the more reserved/humble/friendly approach, even if not always from 'quiet' players necessarily). Some of his expressions (celebrations or signs of disappointment) probably don't do a lot to win him popularity but you're right that if it is aimed at thin air then it is not really offending anybody and though it's hard to know really it does seem C.Ronaldo is pleasant enough off the pitch and with ample respect for others. Yes, perhaps the 1994 CL Final would not have gone the same way every time if re-played multiple times in 'Groundhog Day' (as per the film) fashion with nobody knowing what had happened on previous occasions. Giving Milan and Capello credit for certain things is fair enough, but who knows what happens if Barcelona get the first goal. Maybe selecting Laudrup could have given Barcelona a different dimension (there is scope as per what the Cruyff page implies to think his dribbling and passing might have made some openings), but he'd not be guaranteed to have made all the difference (he wasn't heralded as MOTM in 1992) and was unsettled by that stage it seems. The different formations shown on the Cruyff page are certainly interesting to see and help to show that he wasn't always set on 4-3-3 by any means (referring to that article about the Dutch school you posted elsewhere).
Would you regard CR7 and Cruijff as edging to Darth Vader (unpleasant persons) by the way? Honest question/answer. Maybe I can translate for you but once I read one that gave some good insight for CR7 imho. click This one is also interesting: http://spielverlagerung.de/2015/12/03/tuerchen-3-jozsef-bozsik/ http://spielverlagerung.de/2012/10/16/retroanalyse-england-vs-ungarn-36-22-11-1953/
No, I wouldn't say that - Cruyff I never really felt that way about at all tbh although I know he liked to assert himself at times ofc. His work for disabled kids etc speaks well of him, but C.Ronaldo does also do quite a bit for charity I believe. Maybe thinking of Darth Vadar (Anakin Skywalker)'s transition would be more akin to Messi suddenly becoming evil to Tello lol! The real evil one might be whoever is compared to Palpatine (hopefully nobody in football really fits that bill!).
Ofc we all know about the World Cup statistics https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...azhp-8fmg5BbiFCtPzKME/edit?pref=2&pli=1#gid=0 And the shooting accuracy at the World Cup: http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads...ld-cup-1966-2010.1984730/page-2#post-27516299 The Americans were one of the first to really track this for 'soccer' (2nd half of 1970s). This website has some detailed statistics for Fort Lauderdale players. As far as I'm aware there's not a website for other teams, except this one (search for the so called "game notes", in there it has a few detailed statistics but it's incomplete). http://duly.x10host.com/strikers/strikers_honors.html http://duly.x10host.com/strikers/strikers_79.html http://duly.x10host.com/strikers/strikers_80.html http://duly.x10host.com/strikers/strikers_81.html The most notable players were of course Best, Cubillas and Müller (played last BL game at 10/02/1979; made NASL debut at 28/04/1979). Plus Van Beveren, Hudson, Marinho and Figueroa. Some might have been past their prime, but it gives an additional glimpse and early expression of systematic, thorough and accurate stats collection. For ex. Cubillas 59 goals in 312 "shots on goal". Müller 38 goals in 209 "shots on goal". Or 1979: George Best 02/54; Cubillas 16/72; Müller 19/98. 1980: Cubillas 14/83; Müller 14/89.