It might be more fun/interesting if France and Italy played each other with the different formations as opposed to the same one, but I'm showing them lining up with similar ones (below is the 4-2-1-2-1 type like I had Brazil and Argentina lined up in, and following will be the 4-2-2-2 options): Find your football tactics app at this11.com France will wear the home kit in my next diagram (and will be at home in a magic square). I think instead of comparing the line-ups I'll select a combined one for a 4-2-1-2-1 and also for a 4-2-2-2. Generally my feeling is that France might have the second best/most talented squad of players after Brazil, but that Italy would have the best defence and second most resilient demeanour behind the Germans probably as well as some artistry of course. Both teams would be major contenders I would suggest.....whatever the formation and whoever was in charge of picking the players!
Good choices in your back four - Zambrotta's value rises in this formation. Baresi-Nesta is my preferred partnership in a modern back four too. Bulgarelli would need to play instead of Valentino - especially in this formation, as your fullbacks will be acting more like wing-backs to overlap your narrow trequartistas/inside-forwards - thus, you'll need at least one dedicated centrocampista to hold. Gabriele Oriali, Romeo Benetti and Daniele De Rossi would be effective partners for Tardelli too. But as we can see, all of your starting XI are good with the ball, so will presumably play higher with more possession. Christian Vieri may be more suited to this formation too - with technique to add to his raw strength, pace and in-the-box finishing.
Use this11.com for drawing your football tactics Subs not included in diagrams: France - Barthez, Tresor, Thuram, Giresse Italy - Zoff, Scirea, Facchetti, Conti Other French player options including: Bossis, Rocheteau Other Italian player options including: Cannavaro, S.Mazzola So, joint 4-2-1-2-1 - hmm, I'll say: Buffon (Italy); Amoros (France), Nesta (Italy), Baresi (Italy), Maldini (Italy); Tigana (France), Vieira (France); Platini (France); Meazza (Italy), Baggio (Italy); Fontaine (France). Subs: Zoff (Italy), Scirea (Italy), Thuram (France), Tardelli (Italy), Zidane (France), Kopa (France), Henry (France). And joint 4-2-2-2: Buffon (Italy); Amoros (France), Nesta (Italy), Baresi (Italy), Maldini (Italy); Tigana (France), Vieira (France); Platini (France), Zidane (France); Meazza (Italy), Baggio (Italy). Subs: Zoff (Italy), Scirea (Italy), Thuram (France), Tardelli (Italy), Rivera (Italy), Kopa (France), Henry (France).
Yes, I think it's hard to get a great idea about Valentino although he was apparently both a great attacking threat as well as very complete. But as was said about Tardelli, Valentino would be restricted by playing deep behind several other players indeed I suppose. I do remember at certain times being impressed with Vieri's technique, especially with his shots. At other times he seemed more cumbersome I think but that applied to other strikers too (Batistuta for example, although his style was different to Vieri's). Of course, I had a go at properly tailored an established 'Italian' formations on Excape Goat's 'realistic all-time XI's' thread with more focus on what the designated Italian manager might do (even if some of the players were my own calls). These on this thread are a bit more my own choices as if I was the selector/manager. I maybe found a middle ground between defensive and attacking, but yeah as you say I'd be picking a technical team. Bulgarelli probably does allow that without making the team too open I suppose.
Both France and Italy would be excellent in a 4-3-2-1 / 4-3-1-2 formation too. Andrea Pirlo (deep-lying playmaker) or Fulvio Bernardini (playmaking centre-half in the Metodo) would be great in a 3-man midfield. Pirlo/Bernandini alongside Tardelli/Benetti and Bulgarelli/Mazzola would be more balanced. A single fantasista behind two complete FW's (4-3-1-2) - both formations built for the counter-attack, especially with Pirlo and Bernardini in the deep pivot.
i have thought about playign a guy like romeo benetti for example.. thing is i explained it.. its about winning and italy ahs to let go a little bit about its defensive ways otherwise in this hypothetical competition they will never win because all natiosn can come up with atg defenders/teams so they will have to be a little more attacking.. also players like rivera are smart enough in a football way to play on a slightly different position/style as they are used to.
its a great line up except not haan at rightback.. suurbier is the best ever rightback we had also haan was very versatiel could play anywhere but rightback was not his best position..
Yeah I understand. I'm not sure how much you've seen of or read about Bulgarelli, but perhaps you'd share my idea that he could be a good compromise between attack and defence. Ofc we can't see him in real time but Google and Youtube can give us an idea. I'm assuming you're not old enough to remember him playing for Italy anyway, although I think you talked about seeing the Dutch 70's teams and Rocheteau etc (assuming including in the 70's too) first hand.
I'd pencilled in wim Jansen at "right back" before Haan, but couldn't pass on Arie's fire. The "rightback" in my formation is not a right-back however, he'll need the technical and positional intelligence to play CB, RM and CM too. If I wanted a pure full-back, the likes of Suurbier or van Bronkhorst would get the nod - but they'd be somewhat lacking in my set-up.
haan was never a real cb nor a rm, yet van bronckhorst was. both players are too slow to feature as wide players in an all-time xi. my pick would be krol and stam. both players were extremely fast, overtaking attackers left and right.
I've heard Messi isn't a real CB too Thanks for clarifying that mate. If only Haan possessed the positional versatility and tactical intelligence to play in more than one position... Haan would have been very useful in the 1974 WC Final... wait there
with your sarcasm you willingly choose to be negative in a situation where people come to your benefit. when you reach a higher level of emotional maturity, i will try to explain the defensive conditions of total football.
Yet another Logical fallacy: ad hominem this time. Go for the hattrick! Advice: please do not talk in absolutes (especially on BIGSOCCER) ...but yes, Stam was built like a tank, and was quick for a man his size, but putting aside our fettish for fast players, I'm looking for a Dutch footballer 'cut from a different ilk' as they say - where speed of mind trumps speed of legs.
well Perreira was better than Puyol, Pepe , Chielini, Kompany Dante ... as some of the best CB of this era He was pretty much similar to Thiago Silva (now as many seen best CB at present)
I think if 8 teams were involved it probably would make it fairer/closer between all teams to make the England team a Britain/Ireland team instead indeed, and rather than Hungary just having a Rest of the Word team. Keeping the same formation I think I'd add these players into the Britain XI probably: John Charles (Wales) for Walker Danny McGrain (Scotland) for Jones Tommy Gemmell (Scotland) for Pearce George Best (N.Ireland) to play left wing with either Matthews or Finney on the right Kenny Dalglish (Scotland) instead of one of the English strikers - he ought to be great at playing the other one in as well as the wingers For the Rest of the World XI I'd maybe just keep the Hungarians Bozsik, Puskas and potentially Sarosi and add in these: Lev Yashin (USSR) Elias Figueroa (Chile) Andrade (Uruguay) - don't ask which one as I'm not sure lol! Robert Jarni (Yugoslavia) - not really sure about this but I've gone with him Luis Figo (Portugal) Michael Laudrup (Denmark) Dragan Dzajic (Yugoslavia) Eusebio (Portugal) I think the British side really ought to match-up ok with the others, while I might even make the Rest of the World XI one of the favourites.
Those are some very nice teams for sure My own French team would have been slightly different probably, with Barthez ahead of Bats (or ahead of Lama or Martini to talk about modern keepers only) as I explained before (Barthez was not only more consistent I think but had a rather unique ability to raise his level in big games). I think it's also hard to leave out Thuram. And as you know, I'm a big fan of Bossis so I would pick him over Lizarazu. Lastly, Jean Vincent would be an interesting choice as a left winger, no less than Pires certainly.
I'm not sure I would pick Cantona whereas someone like Piantoni remains available. If you pick him though, a nice addition would be Papin (ahead of Rocheteau perhaps, who looks like a bit the 'weak link' in your team IMHO, as much as I like him) : Canto/JPP formed a deadly partnership in the late 80's - early 90's.
ok how about this France (following Brazil 58/70 success 4 2 4 to 4 2 3 1) Platini = Pele Kopa = Jairzinho/Garrincha J Fontaine = Vava/Tostao Cantona = Zagallo/Rivelino Zidane = Didi/Gerson Deschamps = Zito/Clodoaldo and the rest is clear ... ------------------JFontaine(9)-------------Kopa(7) Cantona(11)--------------- Platini(10)----------------- --------------- Zidane(8)----------------------------- ----------------------- Deschamps(6)--------------- Lizarazu(3)--------------------------------Amoros(2) --------------- Blanc(4)----- Thuram(5)----------- ---------------------- Barthez (1)--------------------- Coach: Aime Jaquet, R Lemerre Subs: Herny ( either 9 or 11) Papin (eitehr 9 or 7) Giresse (#10) Tigana (#8) Vieira (#6) Tresor (#5) Desailly (#4) M Bossis (#3) R. Jonquet #2 (for Thuram -->right) Bat (#1) ============================================ On paper this team looks so BALANCE and INVINCIBLE .... so scary!