Sheep Draft 4 - Line Ups and Tactics

Discussion in 'The Beautiful Game' started by lanman, Mar 9, 2013.

  1. lanman

    lanman BigSoccer Supporter

    Aug 30, 2002
    This thread is for the sole purpose of drafters submitting their final team and tactics.

    Discussions should take place in the main thread.

    https://www.bigsoccer.com/community/threads/sheep-draft-4-main-thread.1981138/

    All drafters should submit their final team for judging. If you have 12 players, you must leave out one player from your selections, although you can detail multiple formations using your chosen XI.

    Last years thread is available for reference

    https://www.bigsoccer.com/community/threads/sheep-draft-3-line-ups-and-tactics.1946595/
     
  2. Excape Goat

    Excape Goat Member+

    Mar 18, 1999
    Club:
    Real Madrid

    [​IMG]

    Use this11.com for tactics for football


    1) Rudi Hiden (Austria)

    2) Albert Sherternyov(Soviet Union)

    3) Andreas Brehme(Germany)

    4) Jurgen Kohler(Germany)

    6) Matthias Sammer(Germany)

    9) Namdor Hidegkuti(Hungary)

    10) Michel Platini (Captain & France)

    11) Stefan Effenberg(Germany)

    13) Michael Ballack(Germany)

    18) Jurgen Klinsmann(Germany)

    20) Wim Surrbier(Holland)


    My tactic is a very basic 3-4-1-2 (German sweeper) formation. Germany has made its name internationally by playing a variation of this system. Recently, this formation is having a resurrection. Barcelona and several Italian teams are using a midfielder playing in the backline. The sweepers seemed to be coming back. So I do not consider this formation outdated.

    Tactics

    As you might have known, Matthias Sammer had made a name for himself by playing the sweeper position. Flanked by two man-markers, he will be that spare man on the backline. When he is free from defensive duties, he will have the license to launch attack from the back and/or advance forward. Jurgen Kohler was one of the greatest man-markers in the history of the game. He has won many trophies while playing with Sammer for both club and country. Albert Shesternyov was known as a libero, but some internet sites said that he also played as a man-maker. I admitted that I am not familiar with him. Andrea Brehme and Wim Surrbier are two of the greatest wingbacks in history. When defending, they will drop back to defend. When the team attacks, they will become the main wide attackers. Brehme was considered one of the best crossers in history; Suurbier was not so bad.

    With Sammer reinforcing the midfield, the midfield will have an extra man to maintain possession. Basically, Sammer will be the main playmaker in a three-man midfield, Stefan Effenberg the defensive anchor and Michael Ballack the box-to-box midfielder (or the runner). Each of them has performed in similar role for Germany. Effenberg, who sits in the deep position, will also spray long passes to the attackers and the wingbacks. With three midfielders behind him, Platini will have enough protection to operate as a free-playing playmaker. He will “quarterback” the entire offense while scoring goals as well.

    Jurgen Klinsmann is the target man. Hidegkuti will be the false 9 and he will drop back to link the midfield. Ballack and Platini will exploit the space left behind by the Hungarian, but each of them will offer something different in the hole. Ballack is strong and dangerous with his head. He has the physical attributes of a target striker. I drafted him because he could run the field liked a typical German box-to-box midfielder and could play the “hole” liked a target striker. Platini, on the hand, was skillful and sexy with the ball. He was the top scorer at Euro 1984 and was the Capocannoniere for three straight years. And with Hidegkuti dropping back, Platini will have even more chance to score goals.
     
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  3. Vasu

    Vasu Member

    Feb 25, 2009
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    [​IMG]

    Attack: This is definitely the strongest part of my team, with Skoglund as a wide player and Meazza as an inside forward both helping and being helped by Rush's superb movement. Having played with Dalglish, Rush will know how to play with a deeper forward and a straight up winger like Skoglund. Meazza, who is arguable the greatest (yes, I said it :p) Italian player ever, will thrive in this system where he can cause havoc off the pin-point passes from Liedholm. Il Balilla can use his speed, athleticism, and skill to great effect with good quality in front as well as behind him. "Nacka" Skoglund is another player who is capable of toying with defences with his always full bag of tricks and blistering speed. Service for Rush will always be guaranteed.

    Midfield: This however, is definitely the weakest part of my team. While Liedholm is undoubtedly an excellent player, he does not have a supporting cast of the same quality in Van de Kerkhof and Tymoschuk. However, both of the latter players are capable, if not brilliant at winning the ball back from the opposition by hook or crook, but there is always the risk of bookings, and Van de Kerkhof is capable of keeping the ball moving. However, most of our play will bypass our midfield, but not by using long balls. Both of my centre backs are quite skilled with the ball and capable of providing a lot of composure and proper decision making, so they can take on a share of the ball distribution, allowing Il Barone to foray forward into the space vacated by Meazza (Liedholm played briefly as an inside forward too, so he will be in familiar territory) and join the other three in overwhelming opposition defences. In any case, everybody knows Liedholm only misplaces a pass every two years, so ball retention shouldn't be a problem. :p

    Defence: I feel I have a solid, and sometimes spectacular defence. Hansen and Augenthaler form a dependable spine which is also fully capable, as mentioned earlier, of retaining and distributing the ball, or bringing out of defence on their own. Manfred Kaltz is arguably the best (I did it again! :giggle:) German right back after Berti Vogts, and is well known for his bombing runs down the right, while never becoming a defensive liability, so I feel he will occasionally be able to open up even further space for the attack by stretching the play and providing width on the right where it isn't there naturally. I have played Tymoschuk on the right to cover for him when he does this. Hardwick may not be very well known, and even I did not know much about him before this draft, but he is a another dependable player. He will not be given too much attacking responsibility as Skoglund is naturally a wide player, so he will mainly be used to provide an outlet during the build up rather than be used as a raiding fullback.

    And at the back, I have none other than Die Katze von Anzig, the finest goalkeeper that Germany has produced. A master of communicating with his defence and commanding his penalty area, my goal will be in very safe hands.

    The team's main focus will be to play quick and direct attacking football, making full use of a strong lineup of attackers who are capable of outwitting any defence.

    Sorry for the long windedness, but finally:
    Captain: Giuseppe Meazza
    Free Kicks: Giuseppe Meazza
    Penalties: Nils Liedholm
    Corners: Lennart Skoglund
     
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  4. PDG1978

    PDG1978 Member+

    Mar 8, 2009
    Club:
    Nottingham Forest FC
    PDG&thebigman's All-Time Rovers
    1) Dino Zoff (Italy)
    2) Jocelyn Angloma (France)
    3) Tommy Gemmell (Scotland)
    4) Fernando Hierro (Spain)
    5) Billy Wright (England)
    6) Archie Gemmill (Scotland)
    7) Bruno Conti (Italy)
    8) Kazimierz Deyna (Poland)
    9) Pierre Littbarski (Germany)
    10) Roberto Baggio (Italy)
    11) Thierry Henry (France)

    Captain - Hierro.
    Penalties - Henry.
    Free-kicks - Baggio mainly on direct ones especially from close-range, Henry for ones a bit further away, sometimes Littbarski or Deyna can take an indirect one or shoot from an angle.
    Corners - Deyna and Littbarski.

    Main formation:
    Tactics:
    We will look to play a team-oriented game with plenty of movement and running off the ball, but with individuals free to express themselves with their skills - Littbarski will be encouraged to dribble especially and will roam around the pitch from his starting position to the right of Baggio. Baggio himself is the trequarista who will move between midfield and attack in a free role looking to find and/or work the space to use his inspiration and quality to score himself or set up others. Henry has been given a role in which he excelled at Arsenal - as the free-running striker (ahead of Baggio who plays the 'Bergkamp role') who will often drift wide to the left to pick up the ball and run with it while still being the recipiant of through balls through the middle that will utilise his pace and finishing ability.

    We will play a team-oriented defensive game too, with Littbarski and Conti working back into midfield and down the wings when we are without the ball. Conti has less of a roaving role than Littbarski and will stick to the left side mostly, but look for chances to cut inside and create chances or have a go at goal himself particualrly when Henry pulls wide to the left wing. Deyna is the main playmaker in the team who will look to start moves using his composure, vision and passing accuracy. He will look to use the wings as outlets but also strike up a good partnership with Baggio. Gemmill partners him as a box to box midfielder who will use his energy and sharpness to make tackles and interceptions deep in midfield as well as making some runs with or without the ball into the final 3rd of the pitch. When Gemmill moves up beyond Deyna, the Pole will mostly look to sit in midfield and will generally not make a lot of runs forward; however when we have worked a good opening on the egde of the box he will be keen to join in and is a very capable goalscorer using his famed curling shots and his elusive dribbling which can work an opening where none is immediately apparent. Gemmill himself is famously capabale of doing similar with his dribbling but will often look to find a team-mate with a slide-rule pass from either deep in the midfield or close to the box.

    Fernando Hierro will more often than not be the centre-back who will go for any aerial balls while Billy Wright sweeps up behind and takes care of second balls. Hierro will be the one who will look to step into midfield with the ball and instigate moves with short or long passes. Both Angloma and Gemmell are encouraged to overlap down the wings as well as chase and mark opposing wide players. If one of them does move far forwards then Gemmill is to keep an eye on covering their slot in the defence. Angloma will look to use the space that Littbarski often vacates to run into and play crosses into the box and will often interact with Littbarski and others with short passes. Gemmell can run down the wing and also look to cut inside and occasionally use his shooting ability from the edge of the box.

    Alternative set-ups:
    Probably 90% of the time or more we will stick with our 4-2-3-1 set-up but we can switch to a 4-4-2 with Baggio playing more in the attack but as the support striker, and Littbarski and Conti as more traditional midfield wingers with Deyna and Gemmill as the central midfield partnership. That formation can be altered to a 3-1-4-1-1 if we feel we will be or are facing opponents with a cautious set-up and/or less talent. Hierro would play as a DM and give us another player to keep possession and dictate play, while Baggio would play in the hole if the 3-1-4-1-1 was ever used (it is not necessarily to be used vs teams with wing-backs though by default, unless those teams are sitting back constantly). The other alternative option is to drop Baggio deeper and have Littbarski and Conti play as wing forwards in support of Henry. Either Baggio could have an advanced midfield role ahead of Deyna and Gemmill or if we were really going for it then Deyna could be released more with Baggio as a second AM and Gemmill would anchor the midfield.
    The 4-4-2 is obvious and the double AM option should be understandable too but here are the 3-1-4-1-1 and the 4-2-1-2-1 options:
    -------------------------------Zoff----------------------------

    ----Angloma--------------Wright----------------Gemmell----
    -----------------------------Hierro-------------------------------
    Littbarski-----------Deyna---------Gemmill--------------Conti

    ----------------------------Baggio--------------------------------
    ------------------------------Henry---------------------------------


    -------------------------------Zoff-----------------------------------

    Angloma----------Hierro----------Wright-------------Gemmell

    -------------------Deyna-------------Gemmill-------------------
    ------------------------------Baggio-------------------------------

    ----------Littbarski-------------------------------------Conti-------
    --------------------------------Henry------------------------------------
    The wing forwards would move around the attack as well as get down the wings often.

    With the main 4-2-3-1 formation, as well as the alternatives there is the option of permanetly switching the sides of Littbarski and Conti with Conti playing as a right winger who can cut back onto his left foot. Littbarski would often open up space for Gemmell to overlap if that happened, but is also capable using his left foot to cross from that side and play intelligent passes into the box.
     
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  5. soccernutter

    soccernutter Moderator
    Staff Member

    Tottenham Hotspur
    Aug 22, 2001
    Near the mountains.
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Lo Bello
    This team is, as by name, flashy and beautiful with the ball.Little more can be said.

    [​IMG]

    Lo Bello

    1 – Ubaldo Fillol (GK)
    2 – Domingos da Guia (SW)
    3 – Alfredo Foni (RCB)
    4 – Ernst Happel (CB)
    5 – Carles Puyol (LCB)
    22 – Greame Souness (CM/DM)
    6 – Bernd Schuster (CM/AM/IR)
    21 – Zinedine Zidane (ALM)
    14 – Johan Cruyff (IL/SS)
    11 – Garrincha (RW)
    8 – Gunnar Nordahl (ST)

    Sub
    12 – Oleg Bolkhin (LW)


    General tactics

    Attack! Attack! Attack. When starting deep, work ball though Schuster. His long range passing is considered among the best ever and he will very effectively be getting the ball forward. The ball is won in the high midfield, the options are almost so many as to be problematic. Primarily, Cruyff will be on the ball. His dribbling and vision will be used to exploit any weakness anywhere. In between is where Souness will take hold and either get the ball to Schuster or to Cruyff. But that tactical description is really too simplistic.

    Goalkeeper (Fillol)

    Without a doubt, one of the best goalkeepers to come out of South America. Depending on the list, he is sometimes considered the best of the group. He is excellent shot stopping capabilities for those close range shots and had a command of the area for the crosses that come in. His ability is such that the goalkeeper with the lowest goals to games ratio in the Argentine league wins the Ubaldo Fillol Award. Due to the players in front of him, distribution is not a serious consideration.

    Defense (da Guia, Foni, Happel, Puyol)

    Generally, the defense will be a 1-3 sweeper/psudeo stopper formation. The Sweeper, Domingos da Guia, is a player with exceptional dribbling skills. He will be the first option when Fillol collects what ever cross is attempted. As a RCB, that will be Alfredo Foni will be covering either the left attacking player or, as necessary, move out to covr the left wing. At LCB, that will be Carles Puyol. His responsibility will be the opposite of Foni, but as an occasional LB (against the likes of Manchester U, AC Milan, and Real Madrid) he will be better suited to cover that wing as needed. Regardless, the middle of the defensive end will be packed, and the CB will be Ernst Heppel. Clearly he may not have the playing pedigree of the other three, but his leadership is amongst the best as a manger and tactically that will help his technical problems.

    Middle Field

    Schuster and Souness

    Here is where the attack begins. Both Schuster and Souness are box to box midfielders, and will help cover each other going forward. Primarily, though, it will be Bernd Schuster starting deep as he did in his Barca days and once receiving the ball from either Fillol or da Guia, will get the ball forward in a hurry. This will be accomplished with precision as he is one of the best long ball passers to ever play, if not the best. But this is not to say he will stay deep, as he is naturally an attacking midfielder. In constrast, there is Greame Souness, more of a dribbling and short passing midfielder. When the ball is in the middle of the field, he is the man. Whether he is winning the ball back or on the attack, Souness bring the ball forward on the ground.

    Attack

    Cruyff and Zidane

    Here is where the attack really starts to shine. Primarily, the team will play with Johan Cruyff’s skill. Whether he is dribbling, passing or just making runs, he will be the focus, deservedly so. Initialy, he will be starting in the middle as a SS or maybe even AM. But his intelligence means that he will hardly stay there. He might drop back into midfield to collect from Souness. Or he might be out left to collect from Schuster. Or he might be in the box to collect a rebound from a Garrincha or Nordahl shot. He will be everywhere.

    His Lo Bello partner is the brilliant Zinedine Zidane. Despite this master’s sublime skill, he will be second to Cruyff, filling the gaps left. That said, the touches and passing of the two will bring many great defenders to ground to be left behind. Expect any variety of 1-2 passes between the two with any deft flick of the foot. Starting as an inside LM, Zidane will certainly not stay there, and the movement between the two will cause massive confusion.

    Garrincha

    As the Angel with Bent Legs, Garrincha will dazzle with his skill. Vertically, his position on the right will be somewhere between Nordahl and Cruyff. Whether receiving the ball from Cruyff,Zidane, or Schuster, he will be allowed to roam the right. No specific tactic will be given to him (due to in general disregard of tactics) other than to attack. Due to this and his skill, on paper he is a right winger, but the truth is that he is any of the positions from right midfield to right forward.

    Nordahl

    Some have questioned how he fits into this team, and it is a question. Yet with da Guia, Souness, Zidane, Cruyff, and Garrincha, there is a plethora of dribblers and Bolkhin will only add to that. Thus, Gunnar Nordahl will be the man, along with his 483 career goals. His primary roles will be both as a target for the crosses of Zidane or the long balls of Schuster, or he will be used as a distraction when Cryuff or Garrincha drive forward. Yet his goal scoring ability will also be used when defenders drift off him to cover the surging Cruyff and Garrincha.

    Formations

    The primary (above) formation will be some format of a 1-3-2-3-1, though the positioning is not totally clear and clean from just those numbers (as you have likely deduced from the above descriptions. Here, this is meant for a more traditional opponent that has some form of a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3. Lo Bello has a group of players that can smoothly get the ball forward from any level of the pitch and with a variety of styles. So say that an attack in on the mind is to provide a bit of an understatement.

    The secondary (below) formation will be a 3-3-1-3 (and almost at 3-2-2-3) and be used against teams that have a larger defense. The tactics listed above will be modified somewhat in that Happel will move into a DM role, Schuster will be pushing forward more (almost meeting up with Zidane) and Cruyff will start out as a LF, though he will again be switching off with Zidane, which will bring confusion to the defense. Schuster will push up more, but again will start the play deep when opportunity arises.


    [​IMG]


    Player Success (Team Championships, limited)
    Fillol – Campeonato National (1975, 1977, 1979, 1981); WC (1978)
    Da Guia – Uruguayan Championship (1933); Rio-SaoPauloState Champion (1934); Campeonato National (1935); Rio Championship (1939, 1942, 1943)
    Foni – Olympics (1936); WC (1938)
    Puyol – La Liga (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011); Champions League (2006, 2009, 2011); World Club Cup (2009, 2011); European Championship (2008); World Cup (2010)
    Souness – English League (1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984); European Cup (1978, 1981, 1984)
    Schuster – La Liga (1985, 1989, 1990); Cup Winners’ Cup (1982); European Championship (1980)
    Zidane –Scudetto (1997, 1998); La Liga (2003); Intertoto (1995, 1999); Champions League (2002); UEFA Super Cup (1996, 2002); Intercontinental Cup (1996, 2002); European Championship (2000); World Cup (1998)
    Cruyff – La Liga (1974); Intertoto Cup (1968); European Cup (1971, 1972, 1973); UEFA Super Cup (1972; 1973); Intercontinental Cup (1972)
    Garrincha – Brazilain Championship (1962, 1964); State Championship (1957, 1961, 1962); World Cup (1958, 1962)
    Nordahl – Scudetto (1951, 1955); Olympics (1948)

    Manager Success (Team Championships matches)
    Foni – Scudetto (1953, 1954)
    Happel – Bundesliga (1982, 1983); European Cup (1970, 1983; Runner up 1978); UEFA Cup (Runners up 1976, 1982); Intercontinental Cup (1970; Runner up 1983); World Cup (Runner up 1978)
    Souness – FA Cup (1992)
    Schuster – La Liga (2008)
    Cruyff – La Liga (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994); Cup Winners’ Cup (1987, 1989); European Cup (1992); UEFA Super Cup (1992)

    Goals
    Nordahl – 442 (club) and 43 (Sweden)
    Cruyff – 367 (club) and 33 (Netherlands)
    Garrincha – 232 (club) and 13 (Brazil)
    Zidane – 128 (club) and 31 (France)
    Schuster – 120 (club) and 4 (West Germany)
    Souness – 92 (club) and 4 (England)

    The final decision

    I hemmed and hawed over who to remove from the lineup. The decision was between Schuster (initial), Bolkhin (final), and Nordahl (almost last minute). Schuster was kept to strengthen the midfield and for his long passing ability. Bolkhin was removed since there were already 3 of the greatest ball control experts in the game, and he might have been problematic to have another great dribbler. Nordahl, though, was kept only at the creation of the tactics.
     
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  6. AudereEstFacere

    Aug 11, 2007
    Los Angeles, CA
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    [​IMG]

    Primary Formation
    The primary formation for this squad will be the 4-2-3-1. The purpose of the 4-2-3-1 is to ensure that the squad is not overpowered in the midfield and allow for a dynamic, flexible attacking game.



    GK: Gianpiero Combi (ITA)
    RB: Lilian Thuram (FRA)
    CD-R: Willi Schulz (FRG)
    CD-L: Roberto Ayala (ARG)
    LB: Robert Jarni (YUG/CRO)
    DM-R: Danny Blanchflower (NIE)

    DM-L: Didier Deschamps (FRA)
    AMC/SS: Rivaldo (BRA)
    RW: Jose Augusto (POR)
    LW/IF: Juan Alberto Schiaffino (URY/ITA)
    ST: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (FRG)

    Roles:
    Captain: Danny Blanchflower
    Free Kicks: Rivaldo
    Right Corner: Juan Alberto Schiaffino
    Left Corner: Juan Alberto Schiaffino
    Penalty Kicks: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

    Goalkeeper - (Combi)

    Gianpiero Combi is regarded as the third best Italian keeper of all time, and the best GK of the 1930s. He spent his entire career, from 1921-34, at Juventus, making 367 appearances. In the 1925-26 season, Combi kept a clean sheet for 934 consecutive minutes, an Italian record. Combi also made 47 appearances for the Italian National Team and captained the 1934 World Cup winning Italian side. Combi was nicknamed Uomo di Gomma, or the Rubber Man, due to his agility and his carefree but secure saves.

    Defense - (Thuram, Schulz, Ayala, Jarni)

    Here we have a basic, modern four player back line with full backs on either side and central defenders in the middle. As you can tell I tried to stick to more modern players in this department because I’m not overly familiar with the ins and outs of formations that include sweepers or liberos.

    Anyway, we have Lilian Thuram at RB. Thuram is the best French defender of all time and certainly deserves to be counted among the best RBs of all time. Physically, it's hard to top Thuram. He had top notch speed, strength, and stamina making him an invaluable and versatile asset. He also possessed great positioning, tackling, and marking skills and was both comfortable and strong in possession of the ball. Thuram spent nearly 20 years playing at the top level of football and, with 142 caps, is the most capped French player of all time.

    Roberto Ayala is regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation. Ayala has the second most caps for Argentina of all time and holds the record (63) for captaining the most matches for Argentina. Ayala was a strong back with solid ball-playing abilities and the talent to neutralize any attacking opponent he ever faced. Ayala will take over the distribution role, allowing Schulz to focus purely on defending at all times.

    Willi Schulz was a premier center back during the 1960s. Schulz was comfortable in either the CB/stopper role or as a sweeper. Schulz's main strength was in his positioning, man-marking, and his ability to marshal his defense. Other strong points included his aerial game, calmness under pressure, and his expertise at slide tackling. While largely unsuccessful in the awards department, probably due to his injury troubles, Schulz did make 66 appearances for the West Germany team before retiring from international football in 1970.

    Robert Jarni - Jarni was comfortable anywhere on the left side of the pitch and, like most Croatian defenders, was very versatile. He had stints with Juventus and Real Madrid, but spent the majority of his career with Hajduk Split and Real Betis. Jarni also was capped 7 times for Yugoslavia and 81 times for Croatia. Jarni's height was during the 90s. While never at the level of Roberto Carlos or Lizarazu, he was a quality, dynamic defender that brought pace, strong attacking skills, and solid defending to the table.

    Tactics - Schulz will be the leader of the defense and play in the deeper, covering central role. This will allow Ayala to step forward and stop attacks early, when needed, or drop deep to partner Schulz for aerial threats or to deal with an overloaded attack. Additionally, Jarni will be given more attacking freedom and will serve as either a wing-back or full-back, depending on the tactical situation. Given the fact that the left winger will favor cutting inside over sticking to the line and Jarni's pace, dribbling, and ability to cross, Jarni will spend a fair amount of time forward to swing crosses into the box. When Jarni is forward, the line will shift more into a three-back system with Thuram, who is already largely defensive full-back, shifting to the middle to assist the central pair. The line will be slightly deep and will not be asked to play the offside trap, but instead to contain and absorb attacks as they reach the final third of the pitch.

    Deep Midfield - (Blanchflower, Deschamps)

    Didier Deschamps is, obviously, going to be the anchor for this midfield. He captained France to both their 1998 World cup and 2000 Euro Championships titles. Deschamps is the epitome of the "water-carrier," existing only to wreck attackers and quickly distribute the ball to more talented, creative players.

    Danny Blanchflower is where the attack will really begin. Blanchflower is regarded as one of the greatest tacticians in the history of the game and is renowned as an excellent passer of the ball. Blanchflower ran the show during his decade at Spurs and led Northern Ireland to their strongest international showing ever in the 1958 World Cup. His ability to dictate the game was unparalleled, always able to keep the ball moving and seeing passes and angles that didn't seem to exist. Defensively, Blanchflower left much to be desired, but that shouldn't be an issue here.

    Tactics - This is the epitome of the Spanish "double pivot" central midfield. Both midfielders will line up deep in the center of the midfield, and will have very different roles. Blanchflower will be the focal point for distribution and will dictate the play in the attacking half of the pitch. He will be asked to dwell on the ball and take the time to pick out killer passes or advance with the ball at his feet. Deschamps, on the other hand, will spend as little time on the ball as possible and, instead, will lie in wait until the opponents advance, at which point he will move in to intercept and/or disrupt the attack. Deschamps will also have the responsibility of assisting the back four whenever its overloaded or one of the full backs gets into a forward position. These two fit the 4-2-3-1 perfectly, as one should ideally be a tackler while the other should be a distributor in order to best protect the back four and allow the four attacking players the freedom to get forward.

    Attack - (Rivaldo, Schiaffino, Augusto, Rummenigge)

    Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was an athletic, all-around forward that could play any role along the front line. His speed, physical power, and technical ability has led him to be regarded as one of the most complete & dynamic forwards of all time. This combination of being able to beat defenders in a variety of ways, coupled with his strong finishing skills makes him a perfect fit for the 4-2-3-1. Rummenigge was the Bundesliga top scorer three times, was voted German Player of the Year in 1980, and won back to back Ballon d'Or awards in 1980 & 1981 (as well as runner-up in 1979).

    Jose Augusto was a key member of the Benfica dream team of the 1960s. Augusto was an out-and-out right winger, possessing great pace, dribbling skills, and the ability to deliver spot-on crosses. Augusto also presents a very significant scoring threat, obvious from his 175 goals in 369 apps for Benfica. Augusto also made 45 appearances for the Portuguese national team in the 60s.

    Juan Alberto Schiaffino is the best Uruguayan footballer of all time. He was an inside-forward, preferring the left, who excelled in creativity, technique and his ability to pick out great passes, preferring to assist rather than score. He began his career at the age of 17, in 1943, with Penarol and at 24 led Uruguay to win the 1950 World Cup. Shortly after the 1954 World Cup, AC Milan purchased Schiaffino for a world-record transfer fee. He went on to make four further appearances for Italy.

    Rivaldo was a supreme player during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Following the 1999 campaign with Barcelona and Brazil, he was named the World Soccer Player of the Year, FIFA World Player of the Year, Copa America MVP, Spanish League Footballer of the Year, and won the ballon d'or, the onze d'or, and Copa America Top Scorer award. Rivaldo was an incredible scoring threat due to his ability to slice open defenses and finish with either power or finesse, depending on the situation. He had 86 goals in 157 apps for Barcelona and 34 goals in 74 caps for Brazil. His passing game was also very strong, though he was not necessarily renowned for it.

    Tactics - There's really no easy, clear-cut way to line these 4 up in a 4-2-3-1. Obviously Jose Augusto is going to slot right into RW, but the other three could really play any of the other positions and, therefore, provide the potential for a fluid, flexible, dynamic attack. Here, I've chosen to allow Rummenigge to play as an advanced forward, utilizing his physicality to get on the end of crosses, run down through balls, and occasionally play with his back to goal to bring the others into play. Rivaldo will be the primary creative force in the hole behind the striker and will be responsible for spreading the attack in the final third and bringing the lateral attackers into play. Rivaldo will also be given the freedom to do what he does best: run at the defense with the ball at his feet and take long shots. Schiaffino will primarily cut inside and look for the shot or bring Rivaldo or Rummenigge into the play, with the occasional cross from a wide position. Additionally, Schiaffino and Rivaldo will be encouraged to swap roles, further confusing the defense and hopefully creating space for Rummenigge. Augusto is basically going to play like a true winger - stick to the line and put in crosses or cut inside and take shots when he sees the opportunity. Rivaldo, Schiaffino, and Augusto will also be asked to drop deep to bring the ball forward and also track back offensively, on occasion, to assist the rest of the squad.

    Secondary Formations
    I've decided to go with two secondary formations. The 3-6-1 could be utilized to hold onto a lead (and in such a situation I'd bring my 12th man, Darijo Srna, in for Jose Augusto at right mid) or counter attack. This would also have the benefit of putting Schiaffino in his most comfortable role as inside forward. It would also allow Thuram to shift to CB and Schulz to play his (probably) best role as a true sweeper. Here, Rummenigge would also be required to run down long balls.

    Additionally, I figured I'd throw a W-M formation in there because why the hell not. The weakness here is that Jarni isn't an out and out super advanced winger, but he could likely put in a solid shift there.

    3-6-1
    [​IMG]

    W-M:
    [​IMG]

    Player Team & National Honors
    Combi – Serie A (1926, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934); Central European International Cup (1930, 1935); FIFA World Cup (1934)
    Thuram - Coupe de France (1991); FIFA World Cup (1998);Coppa Italia (1999); Supercoppa Italiana (1999, 2002, 2003); UEFA Cup (1999); UEFA European Championship (2000); Serie A (2002, 2003); Spanish Super Cup (2006);
    Ayala – Apertura (1994); Serie A (1999); La Liga (2002, 2004); FIFA Confederations Cup (2003); UEFA Cup (2004); Olympic Games (2004)
    Schulz :(
    Jarni – FIFA World Youth Championship (1987); Yugoslav Cup (1987, 19991); Serie A (1995); Coppa Italia (1995); Intercontinental Cup (1998); Spanish Segunda Division (2000)
    Deschamps – Ligue 1 (1990, 1992); UEFA Champions League (1993, 1996); Serie A (1995, 1997, 1998); Coppa Italia (1995); Supercoppa Italiana (1995, 1997); Intercontinental Cup (1996); UEFA Super Cup (1996); FIFA World Cup (1998); UEFA Intertoto Cup (1999); F.A. Cup (2000); UEFA European Championship (2000)
    Blanchflower – English League Championship (1961); F.A. Cup (1961, 1962); European Cup Winners Cup (1963)
    Rivaldo – Brazilian Serie A (1994); Campeonato Paulista (1994, 1996); Confederations Cup (1997); La Liga (1998, 1999); Copa del Rey (1998); UEFA Super Cup (1997); Copa America (1999); FIFA World Cup (2002); UEFA Champions League (2003); Coppa Italia (2003); European Super Cup (2003); Campeonato Mineiro (2004); Greek Super League (2005, 2006, 2007); Greek Cup (2005, 2006); Uzbek League (2008, 2009, 2010); Uzbekistani Cup (2008, 2010)
    Augusto – Portuguese Liga (1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969); Taca de Portugal (1959, 1962, 1964, 1969); European Cup (1961, 1962)
    Schiaffino – Primera Division Uruguaya (1949, 1951, 1953, 1954); FIFA World Cup (1950); Serie A (1955, 1957, 1959); Latin Cup (1956); Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (1961);
    Rummenigge – European Cup of Champions (1975, 1976); Intercontinental Cup (1976); UEFA European Championship (1980); Bundesliga (1980, 1981); German Super Cup (1982); German Cup (1982, 1984),

    Miscellaneous Facts & Stats
    Nationalities Represented: 9 (Italy, France, Argentina, West Germany, Croatia, Northern Ireland, Brazil, Portugal, Uruguay)
    Average International Caps: 78
    Average Appearances at Club Level: 438
    World Cups Participated In (Total): 23
     
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  7. Twenty26Six

    Twenty26Six Feeling Sheepish...

    Jan 2, 2004
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    SELEÇÃO ESPECIAL
    (#1) Alexei "The Tiger" Khomich - GK
    (#6) Gaetano Scirea - SW (Captain)
    (#2) Ciro Ferrara - CB
    (#3) Lúcio - CB
    (#3) Ashley Cole - LWB
    (#4) Javier Zanetti - RWB
    (#16) Roy Keane - DM
    (#15) Ernst Ocwirk - CM (FKs & CKs)
    (#10) Sócrates - AM
    (#11) Josef "Jupp" Heynckes - LF
    (#9) Gabriel Batistuta - CF (PKs)
    (...every name is a link to a full google search on the player...)

    image.jpg

    The players you don't know...

    Alexei "The Tiger" Khomich
    "However, despite his undoubted talent, Dynamo’s pedigree of brilliant goalkeepers meant he had to wait for his chance, with club legend Aleksei ‘The Tiger’ Khomich (who would become his mentor) between the sticks."
    (http://www.talkfootball.co.uk/guides/football_legends_lev_yashin.html)

    "[Yashin] himself also had to wait for recognition, his frustration increased by the fact that the great from the previous age with which he was competing was keeping him out of the Dinamo Moscow first team. By 1953, Yashin was so sick at playing second fiddle to Alexei 'Tiger' Khomich ... that he almost gave up football for ice hockey.
    "Khomich, who had become a cult figure in Dinamo's 1945 tour of Britain, was so revered that when Rangers toured Russia in the early 60s that the Daily Express asked James Sanderson to interview him."

    (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2006/nov/01/sport.comment1)

    Ciro Ferrara
    "One of the best Italian defenders of the last 30 years. Played with Maradona on the great Napoli teams from the late 80s (he became the captain of the team once Maradona left) and was brought to Juve by Marcello Lippi when he became our coach. Formed one of the great defensive tandems in Juve’s history with Montero (he joined Juve as Vierchowod’s replacement for the 1996-97 season) Ferrara was known as a very tough man marker who was also able to score some spectacular goals. He was not able to play for the Italian National team once Arrigo Sacchi became the coach, as he played a strict zone defense that was not suited to Ciro’s style. Ferrara scored one of the penalties in the shootout against Ajax. Modern day equivalent: Puyol."
    (http://juvefc.com/articles/0003juve1996.html)

    Lúcio
    (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lúcio)

    Jupp Heynckes
    327 goals from 501 appearances in all competitions. 56 goals from 63 games in Europe.
    (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupp_Heynckes)

    Gregoriak's #1 Outside Left Forward in Bundesliga History and Starting Left Forward on Gregoriak's All-Time Bundesliga Team
    (https://www.bigsoccer.com/community/...undesliga-players.420539/page-12#post-9899329) (https://www.bigsoccer.com/community/...ndesliga-players.420539/page-15#post-13573064)


    Style of Play
    * Counterattack focused on long, sweeping passes from the back 3 and deep 2 midfielders - especially Scirea and Ocwirk.

    * Target play from Batistuta and Hyenckes with Scorates in close support to pick up the second ball and cycle to the wide players.

    * Wide play from Zanetti and Cole to attack the edges of the penalty area and send in crosses or diagonal balls to a rushing Heynckes and Batistuta. Keane and Socrates will be there to pick up the second ball or lay-off and shoot first time.

    * When ahead in the game, we will look to kill off the game by using the technique of Cole, Ferrara, Lúcio, Zanetti, Keane, Ocwirk, and Scirea to control the ball across the field and monopolize posession.

    Continued below...
     
  8. Twenty26Six

    Twenty26Six Feeling Sheepish...

    Jan 2, 2004
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  9. Lucas...

    Lucas... Member+

    Dec 18, 2012
    NÓS CONTRA A RAPA FC
    No specific inspiration, but just a little in Brazil 1970 due the ability to have tactical variations and great players in different roles.

    Starting XI
    1. GK BUFFON, Gianluigi (C)
    2. RB FERRER, Albert
    3. CB DJALMA DIAS
    4. CB GOMES, Ricardo
    6. LB RODRÍGUEZ ANDRADE, Víctor
    5. DM DANILO ALVIM
    8. CM GÉRSON
    10. CM/AM JUNINHO Pernambucano
    7. RM BECKHAM, David
    9. FW TOSTÃO
    11. CF ROMÁRIO

    [​IMG]

    • Initial Formation and Strategy
    Compress the lines and press the opponent to gain the possession. With the ball, rapid transition and long passes to Tostão and Romario. In defensive system, 4-1-4-1 and fast counterattack when the ball is recovered.

    Possession and offensive moviment
    Danilo Alvim, ahead of the two CBs, serves to make the first passe and organize the moviments. There are two main first passes:
    1) When Danilo decides to pass the ball to Gerson, Ferrer gets 'stuck' to the defensive sector, while Andrade advances to be more of an option in left side. Gerson, master in organization, can play in various ways, such as combined movements with Andrade and Tostão, long pass to Romario or turn to the right with Juninho and Beckham.
    2) When Danilo gets the ball and prefers play on the right, he is free to move to the center line carrying the ball. Ferrer is released while Andrade gets stuck on defense, Juninho free to be the great organizer in the center, Beckham in right side is projected to receive a long pass and move at speed and Tostão appears behind Romario.

    I really unnecessary to specify which moves would be made after possession the ball in the offensive zone. Most of the moves were focused on dribbling and agility from Tostão and speed and positioning of Romario.

    [​IMG]

    • Defensive positioning + Counterattack
    Without the ball, in defensive phase, the team closes in a type of 4-1-4-1. The lines are compact and without giving too many spaces. The pressure isn't high. Romario is a player designated to chase the ball. If the opponent starts playing the ball near the center circle, preparing to invade our zone, Juninho/Gerson and Romario makes a pressure in center while the wingers (Beckham e Tostão) protecting sides. The opposite happens when the first pass is made in the sides, Tostão or Beckham (depends where the pass was made) make a pressure to recovered the ball.

    If the adversary overcome the first pressure, Danilo has freedom to do what need to help fullbacks and central mids. The team, even in defensive moment, prepares for the counter attack. Romario was advanced along with central backs, Tostão on the left side and Beckham, alert, to start play on the right.

    The counterattack is a play essential and perfect for this team, because it has three great players in pass (Gerson, Beckham, Juninho) and two fast and skilled forwards (Tostão and Romario). When the ball was retrieved, the counterattack would be our first strategy.

    The team can be dangerous and score a goal in several ways...
    → Ability to Tostão and Romario when they are close to the goal.
    → Technical and natural movement of the offensive players with the ball in offensive zone.
    → Ability to destroy very closed defensive systems through long passes and long shoots of Gerson, Juninho and Beckham and dribbles from Tostão.
    → Positioning and speed to make a unstoppable counterattack .
    → Direct Free Kicks, because the team has two of the best in history. And Indirect Free Kicks combining the advancement of CBs, especially Ricardo Gomes.
    and others...

    Roles
    Direct Free Kicks: Juninho Pernambucano
    Indirect Free Kicks: David Beckham
    Right Corner: Juninho/Beckham
    Left Corner: Juninho/Beckham
    Penalty Kicks: Romário

    All players are famous and won many championships and individual honors. It's unnecessary to say more about them. I just like to talk a little about Djalma Dias. He hasn't played a World Cup by Brazil (he held between 1968 and 1970, but Zagallo not like him) and so it isn't as well known outside the country, but it is one of the greatest CBs in the history of Brazilian football. He played in Palmeiras and Santos in 1960s. It is important to remember that he played alongside other legends (Pelé, Garrincha, Ademir) and that brazilian football, in this period, hasn't suffered with the absence of great players.
     
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  10. Perú FC

    Perú FC Member+

    Nov 16, 2007
    Lima, Perú
    Tactics

    Goalkeeper

    Luciano Castellini, aka "Il Giaguaro", is remembered for his impossible saves and an amazing plasticity, capable to jump from a post to the other with impressive reaction. He's an historical figure of Torino and Napoli and won the Guerin d'Or in 1980. I've my faith in him under the sticks.

    Defense

    José Nasazzi and Héctor Chumpitaz make my amazing central defensive pairing, both of them are of the very best South American defenders of all-time. Nasazzi was an impressive man marking and covering all the spaces imposing his strong physique, great stamina and great tactical ability. Chumpitaz is another monster in terms of physical conditions, spectacular speed and sense of anticipation, great by air despite his short stature and with great ball skills and distribution to provide clear and accurate output. Both also offer to my team a unique fighting spirit and leadership.

    By the right flank is Branko Stankovic, aka "The Ambassador", who was the finest Yugoslavian right-back ever. He was a strong player and had an excellent positioning both in defense and attack, also had a very good aerial game and was a free-kick specialist. By the other side is José Antonio Camacho, a very determined left-back with a warrior attitude and very balanced in defense and attack. Both of them complement an impressive defense line and are capable to project to the attack with great property making crosses.

    Midfield

    Duncan Edwards and Falcao form a great first line. "The Big Dunc" is the authorative all-round midfielder with fantastic defensive abilities and great positional sense, a real athlete with unlimited stamina who can support to the central defenders and capable to being a great holding-midfielder because his superb ball control and his fine passes. Falcao is my talented box-to-box midfielder, he was a classy playmaker with an amazing touch an vision, a great header, passer and goalscorer, the mastermind from that position.

    Larbi Ben Barek will be located as my attacking-midfielder using his faultless technique, speed and combinative ability. "The Foot of God" is going to connect with the attack and is free to go forward defining and to use his great aerial game. But he's also supported by Valentino Mazzola, a complete player who could be the playmaker and the scorer of this team. Playing a little leaning by left as in his glory years at "Il Grande Torino", he's free to run like a middle-distance runner and shot with either foot in front of the goal, but also leading the creative game. By right there is the fine Polish Zbigniew Boniek, playing like a false winger he could switch with the midfield and the attack exploiting his offensive attributes and his hard working-attack mind as his best years at Juventus.

    Attack

    Obviously, Zbigniew Boniek, Larbi Ben Barek and Valentino Mazzola could go to attack with pure ability, incisive runs and triangulations, even Falcao alternating tasks, but if insufficient in front of the attack there is Marco van Basten, one of the greatest strikers of all-time blessed with two great feet, amazing close control, quick on the turn and excellent in the air.


    Lineup 4-5-1

    [​IMG]
     
  11. comme

    comme Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 21, 2003
    [​IMG]

    Nothing overly complicated here, Kim sits deep to provide the platform for a team with excellent forwards and creative options.

    A solid defensive partnership and well rounded keeper will ensure the foundations of the side are in order.

    Armfield will go forward in attack when afforded the opportunity while Allemandi will remain deeper to cover for the naturally attacking Charles.

    Andrade will operate on a box to box basis with James as the primary playmaker. Puskas will drop deep when needed and use his ferocious long shot. Keegan will naturally venture more centrally in support of Cha.

    At set pieces we have the left foot of Puskas to provide accurate balls into the box and the height of Charles, arguably the game's finest header of a ball to attack any crosses.
     
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  12. nicephoras

    nicephoras A very stable genius

    Fucklechester Rangers
    Jul 22, 2001
    Eastern Seaboard of Yo! Semite
    Team schwuppe/nicephoras.

    We won't go into great detail describing the players, as most of them should be familiar to everyone; instead, we'll focus on the tactics. The formation is as follows:
    [​IMG]

    This is not a side that's going to keep the ball against top opposition, but that's the way it is designed, as the strength is clearly in the back. Forster was an excellent CB, while Krol functioned as a sweeper/center back, making them an excellent combination. Bergomi and Cabrini were teammates for Italy and are also an excellent pair. The key is that all of these players are very comfortable with the ball at their feet, so are well able to launch counterattacks when they retrieve the ball. Ahead of them is Matthaus, the linchpin of the side. He will be counted on to be the creative force from midfield in turning attack from defense. Matthaus, having been the keystone of so many good sides is well suited for this. Assisting him in midfield will be Mackay and Hiddink, whose primary role will be defensive as well as giving Matthaeus time to play - they'll be expected to charge up the pitch on counters but primarily to be available for shorter passes in case Lothar is pressed. Also, given Krol's ability on the ball, he will occasionally bring the ball out of defense if he's free, with one of the midfielders dropping back in his place.

    A note on Hiddink; he is, of course, not an all time great in this capacity, but he wasn't a terrible player by any stretch. A good description is perhaps "a poor man's van Bommel". Hiddink will be asked to play a similar role, though hopefully without quite as much violence as van Bommel's later career has featured. Or, perhaps, with even more as the situation requires. Either way, Hiddink's primary role will be to break up play and shield Matthaus.

    The attack is the most tactically interesting feature of this formation. While Nedved reached his peak in the mid-2000s (when he was probably the best player in the world for a brief period) as a more central player, he was at one point a fairly combative winger (bloodying Alan Smith was a notable achievement while he was at Lazio). His role here will somewhat combine the two; he'll be able to stay more centrally, but will also be expected to press and put in some tackling work. His speed will be an asset since he'll be able to break forward despite that. del Piero will not be asked to do much pressing or defending (since he never did any), and he'll play more on the right. Because he won't defend, and due to Heskey's role, he'll often be the further forward.

    Heskey's role will be one that's a bit unusual for an "all time" team. As a physical presence, he'll be asked to do a lot of pressing and defending from the front, which he certainly did plenty of as a player. While, of course, Heskey is the butt of many jokes, he was never nearly as terrible as those jokes indicated; there's a reason he played that many games for a pretty good England squad - his specific role, Basically, Heskey will be asked to make a nuisance of himself and occupy several defenders. Not because he'll necessary score, but because of his sheer physical presence. This is very similar to the role Drogba played for Chelsea in his earlier years, when Mourinho famously said that his 4-3-3 worked because Drogba was able to occupy several defenders. So Heskey's role will be to pressure the ball and then try to hold it up on the counter or flick it on into the runs of del Piero and Nedved.

    In short, in defense, the plan is to concede a lot of possession and space, but to remain compact and defend from the back as well as the front. Upon winning the ball, the defense will keep it, letting Matthaeus control the flow of the counter by using overlapping fullbacks as well as runs by Neded and del Piero playing off of Heskey. While this side is unlikely to win matches by massive scorelines, with Shilton, Krol, Forster, Bergomi, Cabrini and Matthaus, it won't have to.
     
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  13. benni...

    benni... BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 23, 2004
    Chocolate City
    [​IMG]

    Captain: Laurent Blanc
    Direct Set Pieces: Ronaldinho, then Drogba
    Indirect Set Pieces: Ronaldinho


    My team is built to maximize the ability of Jozsef Bozsik on the ball, as well as the dynamic/worrysome [for defender]s trio up front including Drogba, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo.

    Defensively we will sit a little deep, and compact. Defending and closing down area's of the pitch in front of our box. We would like to draw the opposition into our half, then get the ball from from the back, to the front as quick as possible. With players like Paul Scholes and Bozsik who was famous for his long diagonal pass to the inside left forward [Puskas for Hungary] either Ronaldinho or Drogba for this team.

    Excellent goalkeeping in Oliver Kahn, and good leadership and reading of the game with Laurent Blanc anchor the backline. These are my leaders in the back, but with Giacinto Fachetti as a LB we also have another outstanding defender. Tassotti, not heralded as highly as the other defenders in my team, but he is a solid and versatile defender, who will only go forward when we are allowed to build from the back. Luis Fernadez comes back into a stopper centerback role alongside Blanc. I feel his aggression and ball winning next to Blanc will be complementary.

    In midfield, our team is built around JB [Bozsik] orchestrating from a deep position in midfield. He wont feel too lonely or isolated with Paul Scholes able to play a deeper role, or push forward when needed. Ross Aloisi is simiply int he team to win help win the ball back and cover for Fachetti when he goes forward or any gaps that may appear. I dont expect him to get into the attack that often, if at all. Paul Scholes is playing as an 8. With my forwards hopefully wreaking havoc, this will open up space for Scholes trademark late runs into or around the box. I expect their to be plenty of panic caused by my forward, that could lead to Paul Scholes getting clean up goals at the top of the box. His touch and vision, will allow him to link up with either the forward or his fellow midifelders, or even the defense. He uses his judgement to pick his spots or moments.

    Up front, I expect Drogba to cause a lot of havoc, and occupy at least 2 defenders all by himself. I mentioned JB's long diagonal passing ability, Drogba is the player who could be realistically targeted and expected to bring the ball down, and then others into play. With Ronaldinho and Ronaldo both buzzing nearby in support, I expect most defenses to have trouble dealing wth Drogba alone, let alone all 3. With that siad, just because Im using Drogba's strength as a platform and outlet, doesnt mean he's just a typical target man. He has good quick feet, and can score from range or up close and links up well with supporting players.

    Do I have to say much about Ronaldo. My instructions to him are to terrorize his opponents. His speed should help us stretch the field vertically, hopefully giving my midfielders more space and time on the ball. So much individual ability, doesn mean he wont link up with fellow forwards though.

    Ronaldinho Gaucho is my wild card, outlet etc. When we cannot get out of our half, Ronaldinho's ability to hold the ball under pressure and dribble out of pressure should help. He has plenty of targets for his passing, and plently of options to link up in midfield. Also known for drifting to the left wing, I expect he will link up well with Facchetti when he comes bombing forward.

    We want to be a counter attacking team if possible, but we also have the players and ability to piossess the ball if neccessary. We wont start pressuring our opponents until the enter our half of the field.

    Defensively how we could look
    [​IMG]

    Offensively how it could look at times...

    http://this11.com/boards/abErNDRaiq.jpg

    Side note, Ronaldinho is not expected to track the opposing fullback. With the attack we have, we are willing to take that risk. But is the opposing fullback>?
     
  14. Karloski

    Karloski Member+

    Oct 26, 2006
    England
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    [​IMG]

    Gameplan: Run Wilson into the ground, Let him have his full English at half time......and then when he keels over in the second half.....hope the match gets abandoned.:)

    Sorry Guys, I'm not going to have time to do a full write up.
     
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  15. Twenty26Six

    Twenty26Six Feeling Sheepish...

    Jan 2, 2004
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    +1000. You're going up a couple rankings just for this. :D
     
  16. billyireland

    billyireland Member+

    May 4, 2003
    Sydney, Australia
    AS Clube de CR7toBilly Utd Wandering Rovers Athletic FC

    The team:
    1. GK/SW Hugo Gatti: One of the most innovative goalkeepers, if not players, of all time, it was Gatti and his flamboyant attire on the pitch that really brought about the concept of a goalkeeper doing more than simply stopping shots and hoofing the ball upfield. The 1982 Argentinian POTY (as a goalkeeper…), Gatti was famous for bringing the ball upfield with him, for getting involved in the overall play, for running out and breaking up counter attacks, and for probably being the first guy really referred with the term ‘sweeper keeper’. We plan to try and reign him in a little, but to use these attributes as well, as they fit our team very well. He also holds the Argentine league record for most penalties saved, while having the second most appearances in the history of Boca Juniors (despite only moving to them at the age of 32), with whom he won 2 Copa Libertadores (saving a penalty in ’76 final), as well as an Intercontinental Cup.

    2. RB Manuel Amoros:A stallworth of the French side through the in 1980s that also won the 1984 EC, and voted best RB in the 1986 WC, Amoros also had a lot of success at club level in winning League 1 four times across two separate clubs in Monaco/Marseilles, as well as the 1993 CL (and finishing runners up on penalties in 1991). He fills exactly what we want from our fullbacks, which is to be as good going forward as he is in defense, and to use his athleticism to stretch the flank and allow Hamrin to tuck inside with ease. Though not a goalscorer, he did have a very good cross on him which should benefit Gerd Muller quite well.
    3. LB Branko Zebec:One of the greatest Yugoslavian and perhaps even Soviet players of all time, Branko Zebec was as intelligent as he was athletic and versatile; the guy played stints at almost every position on the pitch! He was also a natural leader, captaining both club and country for much of his career. While a believer in 'keeping things simple' he was known for being a very good crosser of the ball, and his incredible pace, strength and stamina which will see him move up and down the left flank at will for us allowing Overath inside often, while shadowing his opposite number as he was also so famous for during his career. He was also known to be good with his head, which should come in useful on corners.
    4. CB Ronald Koeman: One of the most polished defenders to ever play the game, Koeman was not only among the best in the world on the back end in his playing days, but was more known for what he could do in possession. The most expensive player and focal point of Cruyff's Dream Team at Barca, he was one of the best free kick takers of all time, one of the best passing defenders to ever grace the field, and a goalscoring machine (with over 240 in his professional career). He was also an absolute winner - winning 8 domestic leagues and 4 domestic cups, at least one of each with three separate clubs (Ajax, PSV and Barca), as well as the EC/CL with each of the latter two (scoring the golden goal in the ’92 final), and Holland's sole international honour in the 1988 EC. In that high point of that golden era of Dutch footballer, it was also Koeman who was twice named Dutch POTY (1987/88). Needless to say we plan to give him the ball.
    5. CB Aldair: Being Brazilian, Aldair was unsurprisingly also quite useful in possession, though we plan to use him primarily defensively, given that he was known as a tireless worker - his pace covering for Koeman's real major weakness. He was a constant for Brazil in their great 1990s sides, with 81 caps and a WC winners medal, a WC runners up medal, 2 Copa America titles and a Confederations cup to show for it. He also has had his #6 jersey retired by Roma (the only number retired by the club), who inducted him into their hall of fame after his retirement two years after the clubs first ever Serie A title.

    6. DM/CM Valeri Voronin:Perhaps the least known of our squad, Voronin was actually a very accomplished player in his time, though his career came to an end at the age of 30 after a car accident, and his problems with alcohol (which eventually resulted in his death under suspect circumstances) may have seen Soviet propaganda try and forget him after his playing days. At his peak, he was back-to-back Soviet POTY in 1964/65 - a very strong era, as they finished runners up in the 1964 EC and 4th place in the 1966 WC. Voronin was known as one of the most complete midfielders in world football of the decade, primarily defensive (even playing CB at times) but with great passing abilities and a lot of intelligence on the field, which should work well with our squad.
    7. CM/AM Mario Coluna:As well rounded a midfielder as you could hope to have, he was only narrowly behind Eusebio for importance to that excellent Benfica side that won 10 Portuguese leagues, 5 Portuguese cups, got to 5 EC/CL finals, winning two (interestingly, both guys came from the exact same club in Mozambique, and within three years of each other), and made the 1966 WC Dream Team, as Portugal finished third. While an absolute physical specimen, he also possessed extremely good technical attributes and an eye for goal, scoring over 130 in his career, plus a great mentality, becoming captain of Benfica in his time there.
    8. CM Xavi Hernandez:The best retainer of possession that the game has ever seen, Xavi is arguably the greatest passer in the history of the game also. His role for Barcelona is very similar to how we plan to use him. Given how current and prominent he is, and how we plan to use him is evident in the successes of his club and country that he has been the heartbeat of in the last half decade, there is not much to add here.

    10. LM/LWF Wolfgang Overath:A very versatile and well-rounded player, Overath seems to have become somewhat of a forgotten figure, overshadowed by Beckenbauer and Muller who he played with internationally. His passing and playmaking abilities were on par with anybody of his time, while he also possessed a strong work-rate, good defensive ability and notable athleticism, playing anywhere from a CM in a 2-or-3 man setup, a LW/LM, and in more advanced positions also due to his proficiency in dribbling. Interestingly, many view him as having outperformed Beckenbauer at the 1966 and 1970 World Cups, while he was a one club man with FC Koln of whom he was often captain. I guess you can call him our 'answer to Iniesta', in terms of teaming up with Xavi and within the team.
    11. RWF Kurt Hamrin:The seventh highest top goalscorer in Serie A history, and highest goalscorer among non-CFs (unless you include Totti, who I think surpassed him about a year back albeit having played a few more years in the league), he also was key in winning 2 UEFA Cups, 1 CL, 2 Italian Cups and Serie A in his time with Fiorentina/Milan. It was his dribbling abilities that perhaps stood out most though, and this will come in handy for us, allowing him to break games open if teams are bunkering under pressure.
    9. CF Gerd Muller: There is not too much to say about Der Bomber - 655 goals in 709 club games, 68 goals in 62 international caps, four time EC/CL top goalscorer, Ballon D'Or winner, 14 goals in one WC, and winner of almost everything there is to win. We plan to use him in a goal scoring capacity, I guess.

    The formation:
    [​IMG]

    The tactics:
    At the back, we plan to play quite a high line, with Aldair the man to recover among our CBs if beaten over the top due to his pace, and Koeman pushing ahead of Voronin when in attack. In doing this, we will be pushing our FBs into wider attacking areas (particularly Zebec, who played a multitude of positions in his career, outside left in the old 2-3-5 and WM formations amongst), which will allow the rest of our players to move inside more often and cause more danger. Amoros will play a slightly more conservative role to help cover if against pacier forwards, but again will push the line - in this sense, we plan to use our fullbacks in as 'carrileros', covering up and down the flanks. Koeman is a key, key part of our team, moving slightly further forward to distribute from the back as he was so effective at, and to get into positions to take shots from distance when we have the opposition on the back foot. We have surrounded him with pace and moved him forward in order to eliminate any issues to do with his own lack of pace.

    Having Hugo Gatti will help this set up considerably, as he revolutionised the goalkeeping position to an extent in his true 'sweeper keeper' role. His role will be to sit as a 'last defender' of sorts, getting involved in the play and allowing the defenders to push up more effectively.

    In midfield, Voronin will play quite a conservative role to help cover for Koeman when he goes forward, and to allow the other two to excel. He was a very tidy footballer though, and that comes in quite crucial in our schematic. Xavi's role is quite obvious and similar to that which he has at Barca - to keep us dominating possession throughout, and act as the metronome, though his ability to press and harass off the ball should not be overlooked. Coluna will be our 'action man', using his physical presence to match up against any he might encounter, his stamina to get up and down the pitch as is required, his footballing ability to match up with the rest of our ball-playing team, and his goalscoring ability to exploit the spaces that our striker will inevitably create.

    In our two 'wide' men, we have two separate styles. Overath will be used as a wide playmaker, creating for others more than looking for goal himself quite often. His will be a 'free' role of sorts, though one with discipline required (which he certainly has). Whether dribbling or distributing from out wide on the left, tucking in as Zebec overlaps to link up again in close passing routines and such, or using his experience in two-and-three man midfields to drop back and cover for Coluna's marauding runs when required, he is a perfect fit for this versatile role. On the other side will be Kurt Hamrin, whose role will be a bit more straight-forward; to pull defenders out wide to make space for others (particularly Muller in the box, or Coluna making ghosting runs), to cross or attempt to cut in with his famous dribbling abilities, and to feel free to go for goal as he and his 266 career goals see fit.

    Gerd will make space for others by the attention defenders will have to give him. And he will score goals. Lots and lots of goals!!

    Essentially, we plan to play an athletic game of sorts out wide with Amoros and Zebec in particular (though both are very technically able players) in an effort to wreak havoc with tidy, one-touch passing type routines inside (where most of our players are also more than physically capable). We plan to move considerable numbers into opposition territory and give defenders nightmares as a result, with more than sufficient cover on the back end and a lot of pressing if we lose the ball, quite similar to what has been seen from Barcelona in the last few years. We also have the personnel however, for a plan B in the event of bunkering, between the crossing abilities of our fullbacks, the dribbling abilities of Overath and especially Hamrin, the brute force of Coluna, the ability of Koeman to blast for the top corner from incredible distance, and of course of Gerd to get on the end of anything and everything that comes his way.

    Player roles:
    Captain: Mario Coluna... Free kicks: Ronald Koeman... Penalties: Ronald Koeman... Corners: Amoros(R), Overath(L)
     
  17. Cevno

    Cevno Member+

    Aug 27, 2005
    Shifting.
    Club:
    Manchester United FC

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