Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
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All Time Soccer Tourney Group C Sinn Fein v. PIK95 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Ramsay Hunt Experience
- Start date
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
PIK95 lineup
Manager: Arsene Wenger
Attack Subs-David Silva AM-Thomas Muller-Gareth Bale
Mid Subs (stud)- Demetrio Albertini CM-Craig Bellamy AM
D Subs- Hans Peter Briegal DM/CB - Eric Gerets RB -Bale at LB also
Manager: Arsene Wenger
Attack Subs-David Silva AM-Thomas Muller-Gareth Bale
Mid Subs (stud)- Demetrio Albertini CM-Craig Bellamy AM
D Subs- Hans Peter Briegal DM/CB - Eric Gerets RB -Bale at LB also
Last edited by a moderator:
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Sinn Fein lineup
Manager: Mauricio Pochettino
Bench: Didier Drogba, Hugo Sanchez, Kevin De Bruyne, Juan Roman Riquelme, Dario Srna, Jan Vertonghen, Saul
Manager: Mauricio Pochettino
Bench: Didier Drogba, Hugo Sanchez, Kevin De Bruyne, Juan Roman Riquelme, Dario Srna, Jan Vertonghen, Saul
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
This game will be played at altitude at Sinn Fein's home stadium, the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico.
PIK95
Footballguy
My goal keeper is the great Peter Schmeichel. He is a Danish former professional footballer who was voted the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper in 1992 and 1993. He is best remembered for his most successful years at English club Manchester United, whom he captained to the 1999 UEFA Champions League to complete the Treble, and for winning UEFA Euro 1992 with Denmark
Regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all-time, the IFFHS ranked Schmeichel among the top ten keepers of the 20th centuryin 2000,[5] and in 2001, Schmeichel won a public poll held by Reuters, when the majority of the 200,000 participants voted him as the best goalkeeper ever, ahead of Lev Yashinand Gordon Banks.[6] In 2003, Schmeichel was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his impact on the English game. In March 2004, he was named as one of the "125 greatest living footballers", at the FIFA 100 celebrations. His son, Kasper, is also a professional football goalkeeper currently playing for Premier League sideLeicester City and the Denmark national team. KARMA!
Regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all-time, the IFFHS ranked Schmeichel among the top ten keepers of the 20th centuryin 2000,[5] and in 2001, Schmeichel won a public poll held by Reuters, when the majority of the 200,000 participants voted him as the best goalkeeper ever, ahead of Lev Yashinand Gordon Banks.[6] In 2003, Schmeichel was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his impact on the English game. In March 2004, he was named as one of the "125 greatest living footballers", at the FIFA 100 celebrations. His son, Kasper, is also a professional football goalkeeper currently playing for Premier League sideLeicester City and the Denmark national team. KARMA!
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PIK95
Footballguy
"Nandor is the key to our victory."
My Favourite Footballer…Nandor Hidegkuti
by Dave Hartrick
"Every orchestra needs a conductor to bring the best out of its musicians. A conductor leads the rhythm of a piece, they make sure the true nature of the music is revealed just as its composer had intended. An untrained eye may claim that with or without, the end product will sound the same but that’s simply not the case. The magic of each instrument playing in perfect harmony with one another can be moving, inspiring, even magnificent when led by the right hand.
And so we come to Nándor Hidegkuti.
Hungary’s much-revered team of the early fifties only became the Magical, Magnificent and Mighty Magyars when Hidegkuti established himself in the team in a playmaker role as a result of his performances in the 1952 Olympics. Having been in and around the team since 1945 deployed in the main as a winger, it was his switch to playmaker that brought the best from a team of outstanding players.
Hidegkuti took a position most akin to an attacking midfielder in the modern game. It was a role employed by Hungary before, but Hidegkuti became the last piece to fit into the team’s exceptional puzzle. In a side littered with footballing giants such as Ferenc Puskás, Sandor Kocsis, and József Bozsik, it was Hidegkuti who allowed them to flourish.
His movement meant that defences struggled to pick him up without leaving huge gaps for Puskás or Kocsis to exploit. An intelligent player, he realised this and used the freedom to devastating effect.
When England played Hungary in 1953, it was Hidegkuti’s performance that left the established English tactics so bereft. Defender Harry Johnstone admitted he simply didn’t know how to mark him – he’d no idea whether to get tight and leave others in space, or gamble and leave Hidegkuti to roam where ever he wanted. Hidegkuti plundered a hat-trick and been a revelation. He’d proved that power and pace were redundant in comparison to near perfect technique married with intelligence."
My Favourite Footballer…Nandor Hidegkuti
by Dave Hartrick
"Every orchestra needs a conductor to bring the best out of its musicians. A conductor leads the rhythm of a piece, they make sure the true nature of the music is revealed just as its composer had intended. An untrained eye may claim that with or without, the end product will sound the same but that’s simply not the case. The magic of each instrument playing in perfect harmony with one another can be moving, inspiring, even magnificent when led by the right hand.
And so we come to Nándor Hidegkuti.
Hungary’s much-revered team of the early fifties only became the Magical, Magnificent and Mighty Magyars when Hidegkuti established himself in the team in a playmaker role as a result of his performances in the 1952 Olympics. Having been in and around the team since 1945 deployed in the main as a winger, it was his switch to playmaker that brought the best from a team of outstanding players.
Hidegkuti took a position most akin to an attacking midfielder in the modern game. It was a role employed by Hungary before, but Hidegkuti became the last piece to fit into the team’s exceptional puzzle. In a side littered with footballing giants such as Ferenc Puskás, Sandor Kocsis, and József Bozsik, it was Hidegkuti who allowed them to flourish.
His movement meant that defences struggled to pick him up without leaving huge gaps for Puskás or Kocsis to exploit. An intelligent player, he realised this and used the freedom to devastating effect.
When England played Hungary in 1953, it was Hidegkuti’s performance that left the established English tactics so bereft. Defender Harry Johnstone admitted he simply didn’t know how to mark him – he’d no idea whether to get tight and leave others in space, or gamble and leave Hidegkuti to roam where ever he wanted. Hidegkuti plundered a hat-trick and been a revelation. He’d proved that power and pace were redundant in comparison to near perfect technique married with intelligence."
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PIK95
Footballguy
Cranston's Ten....
Amsterdam Arena (Until Cranston Stadium) rebulid is complete.
Manager Arsene Wenger
Our Sideline girl will be 9.0 Miss Universe Olivia from Cranston, until another random 10.0 from Garden City replaces her this summer.
We employ a 4-1-2-3 and ATTACK!
We have so much quality on both sides of the ball that we can pretty much just show up anywhere and win. Similar to the 1980 Russian Hockey team, you may expect to beat us maybe one out of ten times. Our first touch and creativity with the ball is unparalleled in the history of the sport. If you do somehow manage to gain possession, either Mr. Keane or Mr. Adams will politely show you to your seat.
Pik95 lineup...Pain!
Attack Subs-David Silva AM-Thomas Muller-Gareth Bale
Mid Subs (stud)- Demetrio Albertini CM-Craig Bellamy AM
D Subs- Hans Peter Briegal DM/CB - Eric Gerets RB-Bale at LB also
Amsterdam Arena (Until Cranston Stadium) rebulid is complete.
Manager Arsene Wenger
Our Sideline girl will be 9.0 Miss Universe Olivia from Cranston, until another random 10.0 from Garden City replaces her this summer.
We employ a 4-1-2-3 and ATTACK!
We have so much quality on both sides of the ball that we can pretty much just show up anywhere and win. Similar to the 1980 Russian Hockey team, you may expect to beat us maybe one out of ten times. Our first touch and creativity with the ball is unparalleled in the history of the sport. If you do somehow manage to gain possession, either Mr. Keane or Mr. Adams will politely show you to your seat.
Pik95 lineup...Pain!
Attack Subs-David Silva AM-Thomas Muller-Gareth Bale
Mid Subs (stud)- Demetrio Albertini CM-Craig Bellamy AM
D Subs- Hans Peter Briegal DM/CB - Eric Gerets RB-Bale at LB also
Last edited by a moderator:
Tactics/Formation
I came into the draft with a specific tactic in mind, and tried to fit all my picks into this formation. There were a number of MFers that ended up drafted shortly before my picks in the early rounds, but I think I got guys who will fill in nicely by the end.
This is a tactic/formation that I have been working on over a few years in FM, and it seems to be effective against all styles of teams. Technically, it is a 4-1-2-3 line-up, but practically, it is a 4-3-3. It is possession-based, but a little more direct than Barca's Tiki-Taka, maybe closer to the original total football concept. We will be building up play from the defense, and the width will come primarily from the fullbacks. The three mid-fielders are the engine, and all three positions require mids who can transition from defending to attacking quickly. We will be playing a high line, with pressure on the ball, particularly opposing defenders. We will work the ball into the box more than lob a bunch of crosses. And, while possession-based tactics tend to be defensive in nature, we will play with an attacking mentality - with or without the lead - which means we will always be looking to win the ball back and push the ball forward quickly.
Bench: Drogba, Sanchez, De Bruyne, Riquelme, Srna, Vertonghen, Saul
Manager: Pochettino
Defense
I did not start the draft thinking I would build from the defense, it just sort of fell that way. The two CBs, Cannavaro and Ramos anchor the back four. Cannavaro is obviously one of the best defenders of all time, and his ability to read the game is critical in playing a high line. Ramos is a strong player who excels in the air, and is a strong tackler. They complement each others skills, and allows them to have a slight stagger in the line. Significantly, they each can play the fullback position, which brings additional versatility to the line-up. Both will be assigned a CB role, with defensive responsibility. Upon winning the ball, Ramos will have the freedom to search out a longer pass, while Cannavaro will primarily look to make short passes to Busquets or Maldini.
The Fullbacks will play basically in line with the CBs, but they each will have slight variations on the wing-backs instructions. Maldini will play a wingback, with support duty. This means he is primarily staying a bit deeper, and will provide support in the attacking end from midfield to about the box. Maldini is the best defensive LB in the world, so we will take advantage and have him shut down the opposing RW. Keeping Maldini a little deeper in the attacking end accomplishes two goals, it gives room to Neymar to work the outside, and more importantly, helps the defense maintain its shape, even in a counter-attack - with the three deeper defenders, and Busquets capable of spreading out to cover the field. Zanneti will play the wingback on the right side, with an attack duty, meaning he will provide width for the entire touchline. Zanetti earned the nickname El Tractor for his stamina and tireless runs up and down the wings to aid both attack and defense. Zanetti was a quick, strong, and physically fit player in his prime, with outstanding physical attributes, excellent ball control, dribbling, technical ability, and acceleration. Defensively, he excelled at reading the game, and he was a good ball-winner and man-marker, although he was also effective at distributing the ball to team-mates, due to his passing range and vision. A two-way and two-footed player, he excelled at playing on either flank, where he was capable of advancing into more offensive positions to cross balls for team-mates. Zanetti started his career as a winger, and like Maldini is capable of playing multiple positions on the back line - in keeping with the versatility theme.
Goalkeeper - Petr Cech We will be playing the ball out of the defense, so distribution will be primarily to the back 4 and Busquets.
Defensive subs - We generally do not make defensive subs. The back 4 are extremely fit, and would only need to come off in the event of an injury. On the bench we have Jan Vertonghen, CB for Spurs, but LB for Belgium, and Darijo Srna, an attacking RB. Injuries to Maldini, Cannavaro or Ramos would bring Vertonghen into the game - if Ramos went out, Maldini would shift inside, and Vertonghen would play LB. Srna would be a like-for-like replacement for Zanetti.
Summary: Best defensive unit in the tournament. Players are versatile and all are long-time captains of their respective club and national teams.
Midfield
The engine room. Every good midfield needs to do several things: Shield the back line, win the ball, move the ball from the defense to the attack, and provide support for the attackers. We will get all of that done with our three players. We will line up with a DM, a ball-winning MF, and an advanced playmaker. My favorite position on the field is the deep-lying playmaker - because I fancy that is where I would have been best used had we used that position back in my playing days. Within these tactics, the best player in the world at that position is Sergio Busquets. There are better destroyer-types who play DM, and there are a few better pure deep-lying playmakers, but none who can contribute to both aspects as well as Busquets. Busquets will have relatively little freedom in this role. He is a deep-lying playmaker with defensive responsibilities - meaning he will hold his position just in front, and between, the two CBs. Because we have a high line, he will be involved in the attack, offering an option to recycle the ball and switch flanks. He will be the primary focus point for our defenders when they win the ball, and for Cech's distribution. Because we play a little more direct than Tiki-Taka, he will have the option to look for more direct passes to Neymar, Raul, and Muller - or to one of the FBS making a run up the flanks. Defensively, he will be tasked with holding his position, slowing down the opposition play, and steering the opposition to the flanks.
Daniele De Rossi will be our Ball Winning Midfielder. He is a strong tackler, who also has an eye for a pass. Defensively, we will press, and hunt in packs, with De Rossi leading the charge - where other players will contain the play, de Rossi will go in for the tackle. On attack, de Rossi has the ability to sit behind the attackers and provide service, and also can make the late run into the box for a goal scoring opportunity.
Luka Modric was not my first choice, but he has the skill set to play the advanced playmaker role. He is a prototypical playmaker with good creativity, passing an dribbling skills. His role will be to sit a little deeper than a typical AP, and he will have some defensive responsibilities, notably getting back and helping to contain play, and pressing opposing defenders. He is not being asked to play a typical #10 role, so we are not looking for goals - we are looking for Modric to set up goals, and to provide outlets to the attackers, before moving the ball on. Modric will have the most freedom of the midfielders to both roam from position and to pick out quick attacking opportunities.
Midfield subs - out of the 3 subs, we are likely to make 1 or 2 subs in the midfield, depending on game situations. If we are protecting a lead, we will bring in Saul for Modric to play the DM/deep-lying playmaker role, and move Busquets up to the CM/advanced playmaker role. This will give us a bit more defensive bite, while utilizing Busquets further up the pitch to continue to support attacks - even with the lead will will maintain an attacking mentality. If we are chasing a goal, we will pull de Rossi for Riquelme, and shift Modric to the slightly more defensive ball-winning MF role - giving us two primary creative MF playmakers behind the attack. In the event of a Busquets injury, we would bring in Riquelme, and move Modric back to the DM role, which is where he played at Real Madrid.
Summary - very much a blue-collar Midfield with players fitting into specific roles rather than being individual superstars. Collectively, we think they fill those roles as well as anyone, and that the total output greatly exceeds the sum of the parts.
Attack
This is what the people come to see, and we think we have the best chance for scoring goals in this competition based on individual players and the tactics they play. Gerd Muller will lead the line, Neymar will start on the left and Raul will start on the right - both will be playing inverted wingers. Neymar and Raul will swap from time to time in the match.
Neymar will start on the left, and stay further outside. His role will be to attack defenses directly via the dribble. We expect that Neymar will beat his defender easily one v. one, so multiple defenders will be used to close him down. That shift in defense will open up opportunities for Muller and/or Raul and also for the CMs trailing the play. Maldini and De Rossi will be the primary short outlets for Neymar - who can dribble, pass, or cross depending on how the defense reacts.
Raul will start on the right, but will drift in behind Muller to allow Zanetti to have the flank on overlapping runs. Raul is a natural striker, and this position really sets up as a second striker role, allowing Raul to come in from the right and use his strong left foot to get shots away. Raul will look for service from the flanks, or from Modric playing behind.
Gerd Muller is the not-so-secret weapon of the team - specifically for this format. Muller will lead the line, playing a poacher role. When you bring together teams of the quality of the teams in this tournament, goals are tough to come by. Defenses are good and well organized, and many traditional strikers struggle to maintain their scoring prowess on the international scene. They are not bad strikers, just not as well suited to this format as a great poacher - and there is no better fox-in-a-box than Gerd Muller. Goals will be scored based on the tiniest errors, and the ability to get a toe, knee, shin, head (in Gators team - hand) on a loose ball is invaluable. Of all the great forwards in this tournament, only Sandor Kocsis can match Muller's 1.1 goals per game in international competitions. Compare Messi and Ronaldo at less than 0.5 goals per game. Muller will be helped by low crosses in from the flanks, Neymar drawing defenders out of position, Raul cutting in behind, and drawing a defender, and passes from Modric, Busquets, and de Rossi. These won't be highlight reel goals (except all goals in this tournament will make the highlight reels), but they count just the same.
Attack Subs - Drogba, with his 10 goals in 10 finals, will be one option at any of the three positions, Hugo Sanchez will be an option at striker, and Kevin De Bruyne will be the primary option at either attacking flank - depending on who is getting fatigued.
Stadium
The greatest home-field advantage - Estadio Azteca. We chose to play our home matches at Azteca for a few reasons. First, the atmosphere - it is the 2nd largest stadium, but has much more rabid fan support than Camp Nou. We also wanted to train and play at altitude. We have a very fit squad, and a manager who emphasizes fitness. By training in Mexico City, we will ensure that we are the fittest team in any game. When teams come to Azteca, they will not be prepared to handle the thin atmosphere, and will be gasping for air before halftime. Conversely, when we travel for road matches, our lungs will be even fuller, and more capable of running teams into the ground. We fully intend to out-work teams in this tournament.
Manager
Mauricio Pochettino - a surprise pick perhaps (perhaps not). We were drawn to Pochettino for the obvious reasons - Spurs. But beyond that, we drafted a team to fit into a specific tactic, so we were looking for someone with a similar style - high press, high line, attacking. This is Poch's philosophy, and even though he appears to utilize the more popular 4231 formation, in reality, he uses Dier deeper and Demeble pushed further up, so it is much closer to the 4-1-2-3 (433) set up we will be using. Second, Pochettino is renowned for his fitness regiment - continually turning out teams that are more fit than the opposition, and that out-run the opposition all game long. And, significantly, his players avoid the kind of soft-tissue injuries that you can see from over-worked players - so he keeps them fit and injury-free. Finally, this is a tournament of all-stars. They don't need a lot of individual coaching - but what they need is great man-management, and there is no better manager in the game when it comes to man management. His players will literally walk on hot coals for this man, and even his former players still talk about his loyalty to them, and their loyalty to him. If there is one man I want in the dressing room preparing my team - its Mauricio Pochettino.
I came into the draft with a specific tactic in mind, and tried to fit all my picks into this formation. There were a number of MFers that ended up drafted shortly before my picks in the early rounds, but I think I got guys who will fill in nicely by the end.
This is a tactic/formation that I have been working on over a few years in FM, and it seems to be effective against all styles of teams. Technically, it is a 4-1-2-3 line-up, but practically, it is a 4-3-3. It is possession-based, but a little more direct than Barca's Tiki-Taka, maybe closer to the original total football concept. We will be building up play from the defense, and the width will come primarily from the fullbacks. The three mid-fielders are the engine, and all three positions require mids who can transition from defending to attacking quickly. We will be playing a high line, with pressure on the ball, particularly opposing defenders. We will work the ball into the box more than lob a bunch of crosses. And, while possession-based tactics tend to be defensive in nature, we will play with an attacking mentality - with or without the lead - which means we will always be looking to win the ball back and push the ball forward quickly.
G. Muller
Neymar Raul
De Rossi Modric
Busquets
Maldini Cannavaro Ramos Zanetti
Cech
Bench: Drogba, Sanchez, De Bruyne, Riquelme, Srna, Vertonghen, Saul
Manager: Pochettino
Defense
I did not start the draft thinking I would build from the defense, it just sort of fell that way. The two CBs, Cannavaro and Ramos anchor the back four. Cannavaro is obviously one of the best defenders of all time, and his ability to read the game is critical in playing a high line. Ramos is a strong player who excels in the air, and is a strong tackler. They complement each others skills, and allows them to have a slight stagger in the line. Significantly, they each can play the fullback position, which brings additional versatility to the line-up. Both will be assigned a CB role, with defensive responsibility. Upon winning the ball, Ramos will have the freedom to search out a longer pass, while Cannavaro will primarily look to make short passes to Busquets or Maldini.
The Fullbacks will play basically in line with the CBs, but they each will have slight variations on the wing-backs instructions. Maldini will play a wingback, with support duty. This means he is primarily staying a bit deeper, and will provide support in the attacking end from midfield to about the box. Maldini is the best defensive LB in the world, so we will take advantage and have him shut down the opposing RW. Keeping Maldini a little deeper in the attacking end accomplishes two goals, it gives room to Neymar to work the outside, and more importantly, helps the defense maintain its shape, even in a counter-attack - with the three deeper defenders, and Busquets capable of spreading out to cover the field. Zanneti will play the wingback on the right side, with an attack duty, meaning he will provide width for the entire touchline. Zanetti earned the nickname El Tractor for his stamina and tireless runs up and down the wings to aid both attack and defense. Zanetti was a quick, strong, and physically fit player in his prime, with outstanding physical attributes, excellent ball control, dribbling, technical ability, and acceleration. Defensively, he excelled at reading the game, and he was a good ball-winner and man-marker, although he was also effective at distributing the ball to team-mates, due to his passing range and vision. A two-way and two-footed player, he excelled at playing on either flank, where he was capable of advancing into more offensive positions to cross balls for team-mates. Zanetti started his career as a winger, and like Maldini is capable of playing multiple positions on the back line - in keeping with the versatility theme.
Goalkeeper - Petr Cech We will be playing the ball out of the defense, so distribution will be primarily to the back 4 and Busquets.
Defensive subs - We generally do not make defensive subs. The back 4 are extremely fit, and would only need to come off in the event of an injury. On the bench we have Jan Vertonghen, CB for Spurs, but LB for Belgium, and Darijo Srna, an attacking RB. Injuries to Maldini, Cannavaro or Ramos would bring Vertonghen into the game - if Ramos went out, Maldini would shift inside, and Vertonghen would play LB. Srna would be a like-for-like replacement for Zanetti.
Summary: Best defensive unit in the tournament. Players are versatile and all are long-time captains of their respective club and national teams.
Midfield
The engine room. Every good midfield needs to do several things: Shield the back line, win the ball, move the ball from the defense to the attack, and provide support for the attackers. We will get all of that done with our three players. We will line up with a DM, a ball-winning MF, and an advanced playmaker. My favorite position on the field is the deep-lying playmaker - because I fancy that is where I would have been best used had we used that position back in my playing days. Within these tactics, the best player in the world at that position is Sergio Busquets. There are better destroyer-types who play DM, and there are a few better pure deep-lying playmakers, but none who can contribute to both aspects as well as Busquets. Busquets will have relatively little freedom in this role. He is a deep-lying playmaker with defensive responsibilities - meaning he will hold his position just in front, and between, the two CBs. Because we have a high line, he will be involved in the attack, offering an option to recycle the ball and switch flanks. He will be the primary focus point for our defenders when they win the ball, and for Cech's distribution. Because we play a little more direct than Tiki-Taka, he will have the option to look for more direct passes to Neymar, Raul, and Muller - or to one of the FBS making a run up the flanks. Defensively, he will be tasked with holding his position, slowing down the opposition play, and steering the opposition to the flanks.
Daniele De Rossi will be our Ball Winning Midfielder. He is a strong tackler, who also has an eye for a pass. Defensively, we will press, and hunt in packs, with De Rossi leading the charge - where other players will contain the play, de Rossi will go in for the tackle. On attack, de Rossi has the ability to sit behind the attackers and provide service, and also can make the late run into the box for a goal scoring opportunity.
Luka Modric was not my first choice, but he has the skill set to play the advanced playmaker role. He is a prototypical playmaker with good creativity, passing an dribbling skills. His role will be to sit a little deeper than a typical AP, and he will have some defensive responsibilities, notably getting back and helping to contain play, and pressing opposing defenders. He is not being asked to play a typical #10 role, so we are not looking for goals - we are looking for Modric to set up goals, and to provide outlets to the attackers, before moving the ball on. Modric will have the most freedom of the midfielders to both roam from position and to pick out quick attacking opportunities.
Midfield subs - out of the 3 subs, we are likely to make 1 or 2 subs in the midfield, depending on game situations. If we are protecting a lead, we will bring in Saul for Modric to play the DM/deep-lying playmaker role, and move Busquets up to the CM/advanced playmaker role. This will give us a bit more defensive bite, while utilizing Busquets further up the pitch to continue to support attacks - even with the lead will will maintain an attacking mentality. If we are chasing a goal, we will pull de Rossi for Riquelme, and shift Modric to the slightly more defensive ball-winning MF role - giving us two primary creative MF playmakers behind the attack. In the event of a Busquets injury, we would bring in Riquelme, and move Modric back to the DM role, which is where he played at Real Madrid.
Summary - very much a blue-collar Midfield with players fitting into specific roles rather than being individual superstars. Collectively, we think they fill those roles as well as anyone, and that the total output greatly exceeds the sum of the parts.
Attack
This is what the people come to see, and we think we have the best chance for scoring goals in this competition based on individual players and the tactics they play. Gerd Muller will lead the line, Neymar will start on the left and Raul will start on the right - both will be playing inverted wingers. Neymar and Raul will swap from time to time in the match.
Neymar will start on the left, and stay further outside. His role will be to attack defenses directly via the dribble. We expect that Neymar will beat his defender easily one v. one, so multiple defenders will be used to close him down. That shift in defense will open up opportunities for Muller and/or Raul and also for the CMs trailing the play. Maldini and De Rossi will be the primary short outlets for Neymar - who can dribble, pass, or cross depending on how the defense reacts.
Raul will start on the right, but will drift in behind Muller to allow Zanetti to have the flank on overlapping runs. Raul is a natural striker, and this position really sets up as a second striker role, allowing Raul to come in from the right and use his strong left foot to get shots away. Raul will look for service from the flanks, or from Modric playing behind.
Gerd Muller is the not-so-secret weapon of the team - specifically for this format. Muller will lead the line, playing a poacher role. When you bring together teams of the quality of the teams in this tournament, goals are tough to come by. Defenses are good and well organized, and many traditional strikers struggle to maintain their scoring prowess on the international scene. They are not bad strikers, just not as well suited to this format as a great poacher - and there is no better fox-in-a-box than Gerd Muller. Goals will be scored based on the tiniest errors, and the ability to get a toe, knee, shin, head (in Gators team - hand) on a loose ball is invaluable. Of all the great forwards in this tournament, only Sandor Kocsis can match Muller's 1.1 goals per game in international competitions. Compare Messi and Ronaldo at less than 0.5 goals per game. Muller will be helped by low crosses in from the flanks, Neymar drawing defenders out of position, Raul cutting in behind, and drawing a defender, and passes from Modric, Busquets, and de Rossi. These won't be highlight reel goals (except all goals in this tournament will make the highlight reels), but they count just the same.
Attack Subs - Drogba, with his 10 goals in 10 finals, will be one option at any of the three positions, Hugo Sanchez will be an option at striker, and Kevin De Bruyne will be the primary option at either attacking flank - depending on who is getting fatigued.
Stadium
The greatest home-field advantage - Estadio Azteca. We chose to play our home matches at Azteca for a few reasons. First, the atmosphere - it is the 2nd largest stadium, but has much more rabid fan support than Camp Nou. We also wanted to train and play at altitude. We have a very fit squad, and a manager who emphasizes fitness. By training in Mexico City, we will ensure that we are the fittest team in any game. When teams come to Azteca, they will not be prepared to handle the thin atmosphere, and will be gasping for air before halftime. Conversely, when we travel for road matches, our lungs will be even fuller, and more capable of running teams into the ground. We fully intend to out-work teams in this tournament.
Manager
Mauricio Pochettino - a surprise pick perhaps (perhaps not). We were drawn to Pochettino for the obvious reasons - Spurs. But beyond that, we drafted a team to fit into a specific tactic, so we were looking for someone with a similar style - high press, high line, attacking. This is Poch's philosophy, and even though he appears to utilize the more popular 4231 formation, in reality, he uses Dier deeper and Demeble pushed further up, so it is much closer to the 4-1-2-3 (433) set up we will be using. Second, Pochettino is renowned for his fitness regiment - continually turning out teams that are more fit than the opposition, and that out-run the opposition all game long. And, significantly, his players avoid the kind of soft-tissue injuries that you can see from over-worked players - so he keeps them fit and injury-free. Finally, this is a tournament of all-stars. They don't need a lot of individual coaching - but what they need is great man-management, and there is no better manager in the game when it comes to man management. His players will literally walk on hot coals for this man, and even his former players still talk about his loyalty to them, and their loyalty to him. If there is one man I want in the dressing room preparing my team - its Mauricio Pochettino.
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
To understand Nandor Hidekulti, it is perhaps important to understand football tactics as they existed around 1950.
From the 30s onward, the dominant tactic was the so-called "W-M" created by Arsenal's Herbert Chapman, which looked like this:
LW CF RW
IF IF
HB HB
FB FB FB
GK
The Hungarian Golden Team shifted to a 3-2-3-2 formation that was more like this:
IF (Puskas) IF(Kocsis)
W (Czibor) CF (Hidekulti) W(Budai)
HB HB
FB FB FB
GK
But the wingers would often get forward so that it often looked like a 3-2-1-4 instead of a 3-2-3-2. Fullbacks at that time were used to man marking the wingers and CF with the half backs picking up the inside forwards. By playing the inside forwards so advanced, the fullbacks had to try to pick up Kocsis and Puskas. The half backs were in poor position to pick up the wingers and the central FB had to decide whether to go with the CF or stay back. This eventually led to teams adding a fourth pure defender and moving to the 4-2-4 formation that predominated until the 60s.
From the 30s onward, the dominant tactic was the so-called "W-M" created by Arsenal's Herbert Chapman, which looked like this:
LW CF RW
IF IF
HB HB
FB FB FB
GK
The Hungarian Golden Team shifted to a 3-2-3-2 formation that was more like this:
IF (Puskas) IF(Kocsis)
W (Czibor) CF (Hidekulti) W(Budai)
HB HB
FB FB FB
GK
But the wingers would often get forward so that it often looked like a 3-2-1-4 instead of a 3-2-3-2. Fullbacks at that time were used to man marking the wingers and CF with the half backs picking up the inside forwards. By playing the inside forwards so advanced, the fullbacks had to try to pick up Kocsis and Puskas. The half backs were in poor position to pick up the wingers and the central FB had to decide whether to go with the CF or stay back. This eventually led to teams adding a fourth pure defender and moving to the 4-2-4 formation that predominated until the 60s.
The Gator
Footballguy
Pre-match interview with Vanessa Huppenkothen
Torneo finalmente ha comenzado para usted, ¿cómo se siente acerca de sus posibilidades frente a PIK Unidas?
SINN- Tomaremos nuestras posibilidades. Nos gusta nuestro equipo, pero en el fútbol puede pasar cualquier cosa.
Hemos entrenado muy duro , y nuestra filosofía es atacar desde el tiro de apertura.
En el fútbol lo que necesita para creer. Creemos en nuestro equipo y trataremos de luchar por 3 puntos.
Respetamos el United, pero estamos listos para una gran perfomance de más en el campo.
Usted tiene una gran defensa , será Sergio Romero captaning su equipo hoy?
SINN- No. Hoy en día la banda de capitán pertenece a Fabio Cannavaro.
Su selección de Vertonghen parece ser una aberración . Él no acaba de encajar a ser nombrado en el mismo equipo que estas otras leyendas . ¿Usted se confunde con un " Todo el tiempo el proyecto de 2016 Spurs"?
SINN- Jan Vertonghen es un muy buen jugador. Nosotros creemos en su potencial para llenar un papel en este equipo. Es por eso que le hemos seleccionado. Es cierto que es en 2016 Spurs , pero también es un miembro clave del equipo belga - uno de los mejores del mundo.
gracias por su tiempo, espero Ronaldo obtiene el ganador de hoy .
SINN- De nada. Suenas como escoria Chelsea que estaban alentando a Leicester. Lo único que lamento es que no añadimos Eric Dier a la escuadra de romper las piernas de Ronaldo como palillos de dientes.
Torneo finalmente ha comenzado para usted, ¿cómo se siente acerca de sus posibilidades frente a PIK Unidas?
SINN- Tomaremos nuestras posibilidades. Nos gusta nuestro equipo, pero en el fútbol puede pasar cualquier cosa.
Hemos entrenado muy duro , y nuestra filosofía es atacar desde el tiro de apertura.
En el fútbol lo que necesita para creer. Creemos en nuestro equipo y trataremos de luchar por 3 puntos.
Respetamos el United, pero estamos listos para una gran perfomance de más en el campo.
Usted tiene una gran defensa , será Sergio Romero captaning su equipo hoy?
SINN- No. Hoy en día la banda de capitán pertenece a Fabio Cannavaro.
Su selección de Vertonghen parece ser una aberración . Él no acaba de encajar a ser nombrado en el mismo equipo que estas otras leyendas . ¿Usted se confunde con un " Todo el tiempo el proyecto de 2016 Spurs"?
SINN- Jan Vertonghen es un muy buen jugador. Nosotros creemos en su potencial para llenar un papel en este equipo. Es por eso que le hemos seleccionado. Es cierto que es en 2016 Spurs , pero también es un miembro clave del equipo belga - uno de los mejores del mundo.
gracias por su tiempo, espero Ronaldo obtiene el ganador de hoy .
SINN- De nada. Suenas como escoria Chelsea que estaban alentando a Leicester. Lo único que lamento es que no añadimos Eric Dier a la escuadra de romper las piernas de Ronaldo como palillos de dientes.
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
I like Maricio Pochettino a lot, but I feel compelled to point out that he's never won a lick of silverware anywhere. Not a cup, much less a league. His sole "black ink" as a manager is three BPL Manager of the Month awards.
Seems like the judges panel is swayed by "names" and not stats...
Ronaldo - 0.4 goals/game in International appearances
Robben - 0.3 goals/game
Ronaldinho 0.3 goals/game
Muller - 1.1 goals/game
Neymar - 0.7 goals/game
Raul - 0.4 goals/game
My worst forward scores as well as United's "best" forward...
Ronaldo - 0.4 goals/game in International appearances
Robben - 0.3 goals/game
Ronaldinho 0.3 goals/game
Muller - 1.1 goals/game
Neymar - 0.7 goals/game
Raul - 0.4 goals/game
My worst forward scores as well as United's "best" forward...
PIK95
Footballguy
"Neymar is the third best forward on his CLUB, lol. To try to compare those three forwards with the three R's is laughable." -Sir Elton John.
"As a half German I have great respect for Muller." -Shakira
"PikUtd. is a TEAM, who is built for the big game. It's not just a collection of names like our opponent." -Gaffer Frodo.
"PikUtd. is the clear favorite in this tournament. " - Bernie Sanders
"As a half German I have great respect for Muller." -Shakira
"PikUtd. is a TEAM, who is built for the big game. It's not just a collection of names like our opponent." -Gaffer Frodo.
"PikUtd. is the clear favorite in this tournament. " - Bernie Sanders
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Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
The Gator
Footballguy
The Gator
Footballguy
that was Vanessa's fault, she is enamored with Cristiano and mentioned him instead
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Comparing these forwards as "forwards" seems kind of silly. Raul was a central striker. Never a winger. His goals per game would change on the right wing. Ronaldinho was a dual threat left midfielder/winger. Looking only at his goals, as opposed to his assists, is to ignore half of his value.
Muller vs Ronaldo seems like a fair comparison with all the caveats about competition level and need for service that would entail.
Like Gator, I think both teams are intriguing in that they take kind of opposite tacks to surrounding their front three. PIK95's team is teeming with chance creators. Laudrud, Nandor, and even Ronaldinho are prime chance creators. Robben is a great hybrid chance creator/scorer. Keane is pretty much forced to do all the defensive work in front of the back four.
Sinn surrounds Muller with another poacher on the right wing. Neymar is a great hybrid chance creator/scorer, but Sinn's midfield is full of all around or defensive players. He has a pure DM. A ball winning CM. And an all around playmaking CM who's never evolved into an advanced playmaker.
Which means that I think PIK might have too much playmaking and Sinn a bit too little. Sinn should have more of the ball, IMO, but I'm not sure he'll create more chances. PIK can create chances, but leaves an awful lot to five players in defense.
Muller vs Ronaldo seems like a fair comparison with all the caveats about competition level and need for service that would entail.
Like Gator, I think both teams are intriguing in that they take kind of opposite tacks to surrounding their front three. PIK95's team is teeming with chance creators. Laudrud, Nandor, and even Ronaldinho are prime chance creators. Robben is a great hybrid chance creator/scorer. Keane is pretty much forced to do all the defensive work in front of the back four.
Sinn surrounds Muller with another poacher on the right wing. Neymar is a great hybrid chance creator/scorer, but Sinn's midfield is full of all around or defensive players. He has a pure DM. A ball winning CM. And an all around playmaking CM who's never evolved into an advanced playmaker.
Which means that I think PIK might have too much playmaking and Sinn a bit too little. Sinn should have more of the ball, IMO, but I'm not sure he'll create more chances. PIK can create chances, but leaves an awful lot to five players in defense.
Bonzai
Footballguy
The Gator
Footballguy
PIK95
Footballguy
"We won't have to rely heavily on our five defenders and world class keeper because....well, we will dominate possession. Nandor and Laudrup will not give away many counter opportunities. And if they do, someone will probably step up from behind to punch the opponent in the face. Figuratively, of course....
-Arsene Wenger
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The Gator
Footballguy
Brady Marino
Footballguy
Brady Marino is currently resisting the urge to puke. I think @jonessed poisoned my food yesterday and now I'm sicker than a Liverpool fan when Gerrard slipped.
The Gator
Footballguy
Brady Marino
Footballguy
Seems like whether or not one team is vulnerable to counter or the other is the only real clear cut category where someone either will be at an advantage or disadvantage.
As I proved last night by almost holding off jonessed, it's not the end of the world if you lose this category.
As I proved last night by almost holding off jonessed, it's not the end of the world if you lose this category.
PIK95
Footballguy
Disagree. The counter willc be stopped before it begins. FB will be in space, no man marking out there. They can shoot and service from there all game. That's what we are built for.
I will defer to the judgement of the panel - but, in real life (or at least in FM) this tactic does not require a pure playmaker. It relies on the midfield to turn the ball over and dominate possession - and thus create scoring opportunities based on volume of chances rather than the quality of an individual chance.
I don't think a pure playmaker in a national team-like setting will play an important role. Defenses are too well organized, and with quality players to be beat regularly with incisive passes. In a club setting, against lesser competition, I think playmakers are wonderful. But as the competition gets stronger - I think you either need to go with the volume of chances created, with poachers on the end, or you need to adopt a pure bus-parking, counter-attacking style with real speed up top with at least two players.
As for Raul not playing a winger - this position is not really a winger either. On attack, Raul drifts in behind Muller, ceding the wing to Zanetti.
I don't think a pure playmaker in a national team-like setting will play an important role. Defenses are too well organized, and with quality players to be beat regularly with incisive passes. In a club setting, against lesser competition, I think playmakers are wonderful. But as the competition gets stronger - I think you either need to go with the volume of chances created, with poachers on the end, or you need to adopt a pure bus-parking, counter-attacking style with real speed up top with at least two players.
As for Raul not playing a winger - this position is not really a winger either. On attack, Raul drifts in behind Muller, ceding the wing to Zanetti.
The Gator
Footballguy
I don't know, bromigo, but Barca had some of the best mids ever using that formation and they seemed pretty vital
Brady Marino
Footballguy
This tactic is not quite like tiki-taka that requires a lot of close passing. The tactic is similar, but more direct - moving the ball quickly to either the attackers, or to the fullbacks for service into the box.
In real life, I don't think anyone is walking the ball into the goal on any of these defenses - chances will be born out of the slightest of mistakes - thus creating as many opportunities for defenders to make mistakes would win the day. This midfield would create lots of mini-breaks just on turning the ball over quickly - you don't need an incisive pass in those situations. Indeed, a creative player, with limited defensive responsibilities would be a liability in this tactic.
Spartans Rule
Footballguy
The Gator
Footballguy
PIK95
Footballguy
"The game will be much closer than I expected because of that quick counter attack voting nonsense. With Albertini coming off the bench, we can easily transition back to a 4-2-3-1 which has been our base formation in the past. Laudrup and Nandor are both very comfortable as deep lying playmakers and versatility is our strong suit. "
"We also have two more of the top FB's in history coming of the bench in Eric Gerets and Hans Peter Briegal. We can park the bus at will with this group." -Wenger
"We also have two more of the top FB's in history coming of the bench in Eric Gerets and Hans Peter Briegal. We can park the bus at will with this group." -Wenger
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Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
We'll stop the voting and assign the bonuses. I'll run the game as far as I can, but I might get called into a meeting.
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Bonuses: PIK95 gets chance creation, finishing, and goalkeeping
Sinn Fein gets defense
PIK95 gets the counter penalty.
PIK95 Roll Order:
Sinn Fein gets defense
PIK95 gets the counter penalty.
PIK95 Roll Order:
- Advantage
- Disadvantage
- Advantage
- Disadvantage
- Disadvantage
- Advantage
- Neutral
- Disadvantage
- Advantage
- Neutral
- Neutral
- Neutral
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Die Roll
Advantage
Neutral
Disadvantage
1
Goal
Goal
Goal
2
Goal
Goal
Set Piece Earned
3
Goal
PK Earned
Set Piece Earned
4
Goal
Set Piece Earned
Opponent Cautioned
5
PK Earned
Set Piece Earned
Opponent Cautioned
6
Set Piece Earned
Scoring Chance Off Post
Scoring Chance Off Post
7
Set Piece Earned
Scoring Chance Saved
Scoring Chance Saved
8
Opponent Cautioned
Opponent Cautioned
Player Cautioned
9
Opponent Sent Off
Opponent Cautioned
Player Sent Off
10
Scoring Chance Off Post
No Action
Scoring Chance Conceded
11
Scoring Chance Saved
No Action
Scoring Chance Conceded
12
Scoring Chance Offside
Player Cautioned
No Action
13
No Action
Player Cautioned
No Action
14
No Action
Counter*
Set Piece Conceded
15
Counter*
Set Piece Conceded
Set Piece Conceded
16
Counter*
Set Piece Conceded
Set Piece Conceded
17
Set Piece Conceded
Set Piece Conceded
PK Conceded
18
Set Piece Conceded
Set Piece Conceded
Own Goal
19
Set Piece Conceded
Own Goal Conceded
Goal Conceded
20
Own Goal Conceded
Goal Conceded
Goal Conceded
Advantage
Neutral
Disadvantage
1
Goal
Goal
Goal
2
Goal
Goal
Set Piece Earned
3
Goal
PK Earned
Set Piece Earned
4
Goal
Set Piece Earned
Opponent Cautioned
5
PK Earned
Set Piece Earned
Opponent Cautioned
6
Set Piece Earned
Scoring Chance Off Post
Scoring Chance Off Post
7
Set Piece Earned
Scoring Chance Saved
Scoring Chance Saved
8
Opponent Cautioned
Opponent Cautioned
Player Cautioned
9
Opponent Sent Off
Opponent Cautioned
Player Sent Off
10
Scoring Chance Off Post
No Action
Scoring Chance Conceded
11
Scoring Chance Saved
No Action
Scoring Chance Conceded
12
Scoring Chance Offside
Player Cautioned
No Action
13
No Action
Player Cautioned
No Action
14
No Action
Counter*
Set Piece Conceded
15
Counter*
Set Piece Conceded
Set Piece Conceded
16
Counter*
Set Piece Conceded
Set Piece Conceded
17
Set Piece Conceded
Set Piece Conceded
PK Conceded
18
Set Piece Conceded
Set Piece Conceded
Own Goal
19
Set Piece Conceded
Own Goal Conceded
Goal Conceded
20
Own Goal Conceded
Goal Conceded
Goal Conceded
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Sinn Fein Roll 1 (Neutral)
1d20
15 Set Piece conceded
PIK 95 Set Piece (5 or 6 scores)
1d6
3
1d20
15 Set Piece conceded
PIK 95 Set Piece (5 or 6 scores)
1d6
3
Ronaldinho serves an in-swinger into the box. Ronaldo rises highest, but can only send his header over the bar.
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Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
PIK95 Roll 1 (advantage)
1d20
8 Opponent Cautioned
Sinn Fein Caution Roll
1d10
9 Gerd Muller
1d20
8 Opponent Cautioned
Sinn Fein Caution Roll
1d10
9 Gerd Muller
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Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Sinn Fein Roll 2 (Disadvantage)
1d20
19 Own Goal Conceded
1d20
19 Own Goal Conceded
Sinn Fein 0 - PIK95 1
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