Round 1 - Orpheus Jones vs Demi

Iker Casillas: Captain of the National side that won 3/3 competitions. Casillas kept a cleansheet in every knockout stage, an incredible 10 games. He was named in the Euro Team of the Tournament in 08 & 12, won the Fifa WC Golden Glove and was named in the All star team. For Madrid he won 4 trophies. Individual awards include - UEFA TOTY in 08, 09,10,11 & 12, La Liga’ best GK 09 & 12, FIFA/FIFAPro and IFFHS Worlds best goalkeeper in 08, 09,10,11 & 12.

Pablo Zabaleta: The fiery Argentines hairline might be ruining my L’Oreal back line but I’ll forgive him as he has become the best and most consistent right back in the BPL. Rated soo highly he was named the Etihad Player of the Year in 2012/13. With City he has won 3 trophies including that famous Premier League Title. With Argentina, he won a Gold Medal at the Olympics.

David Luiz: The image of him singing the National Anthem in the final of the Confederations Cup in Brazil was memorable, pure passion. That sums up David Luiz, passionate, he plays the game like it should be played, like he enjoys it. He’s won 8 trophies in the 08-13 period and was named Primeira Liga Player of the Year. The highly respected and intelligent Priest brothers rate him as Chelsea’ key player.

Carlos Puyol: A bison of a man and leader of the two most successful teams over the 08-13 period - Barcelona and Spain. He captained Barcelona to an amazing 16 trophies and was named in the UEFA TOTY in 08, 09 & 10. With Spain, he won Euro 2008 & the World Cup 2010. Most notably, Puyol scored the winning goal against Germany in the WC semi final. He marshalled the Spanish backline that didn’t concede a single goal in the knockout stages of Euro 2008 or the World Cup, shutting out Italy, Russia, Paraguay, Holland and Germany(x2). Puyol was named in the Team of the Tournament for both competitions.

Filipe Luis: While Barcelona and Real Madrid fans argue about whether Marcelo or Alba is the best Leftback in La liga, they are missing out on the man who is arguably better than both. Luis averages more successful crosses, key passes, dribbles and shots per game than Alba while also getting dispossessed less. For me, Luis is the most complete left back in the league. In 2012/13, he was a crucial part of the At.Madrid defence that conceded just 31 goals in 38 matches, the best record in the league. He’s won 4 trophies with At. Madrid, most notably, defeating the much fancied At.Bilbao in the EL and beating Chelsea in the Super Cup.

Arturo Vidal: Is there a better box-to-box midfielder in Europe than Vidal? He's a near-perfect all-around player, there are few, if any, flaws in his game. There aren't many players who contribute more in every area of the pitch. Offensively, he's a lightning-fast threat moving forward, and he's great at arriving late in the area and getting a goal. Defensively, he has excellent tackling ability & a renowned awareness for where to be at the right time. Last season he lead Juve with an average of 5.4 successful tackles per game. Nicknamed ll Guerriero ("The Warrior"), he is tough and uncompromising - dogged when chasing an opposition down and relentless in his pursuit of the ball. 2 Serie A titles, 2 x Serie A all star and 1x Bundesliga all star, the Juventus Player of the Year is collecting the accolades to match his talent.

Estaban Cambiasso: Part of the Mourinho team that won the CL. Cambiasso is a cultured defensive midfielder known for his tackling, interceptions and passing. He keeps things simple, breaks up play, and then looks to start counter attacks. As well as the CL, Cambiasso has won 7 trophies including 2 Serie A titles.

Mesut Özil: They say he assisted the nurses with his own birth, Özil is perhaps the most graceful footballer today, the best kind of footballer, one who makes the game look effortless. Like Zidane & Riquelme, he is an artist on the pitch. No player in Europe has created more goals over the last 5 seasons, Özil is a true playmaker and was named in the Euro 2012 Team of the Tournament.

Marko Reus: Fast, incisive and efficient, Reus is one of the most deadly forwards in football today. It was in 11-12 when Reus made the jump from "talented" to star. As the focal point of Gladbach, Reus hit 21 goals and 14 assists in 37 appearances as he dragged them to an unthinkable fourth-placed finish in the Bundesliga, a year after they narrowly avoided relegation. For this, Reus was named Germany's POTY. A big game player, Reus opened the scoring in CL away matches against Real Madrid, Manchester City and Ajax, and played a key part in all three of BVB's goals in a dramatic 3-2 win against Malaga in the quarterfinals. Though Real kept him scoreless in the semifinals, he provided two assists in the first leg. With 24 goals and 18 assists in 53 games for club and country in 2012-13, Reus has finally hit "world-class" status. Once an outcast for his frail stature, Reus is now a complete package and a regular for the talented National team.

Gareth Bale: 4 years ago Gareth Bale was considered an unlucky charm, now he is the most expensive football player ever, the rise of Gareth Bale has been extraordinary. Power & pace, Bale is a real match winner and was named the PFA POTY last season.

Robert Lewandowski: A man with a chest as fine as Kelly Brooks, who would have thought the Pole who was an ash cloud away from signing for Blackburn would turn into the most complete forward in football today. He has banged in 143 goals for club & country since 08, leading both Lech Poznan and Dortmund to league titles.

Frank Lampard: Goals. Rotund.

I’ve gone for the 4-2-3-1 as it suits all my players and their style of play. It is a formation that all of them are familiar with and play this, or a very similar version of this for their club.

Style: Press and Counter attack

Roles
Back 4: Full backs both have a good engine and will get up and down the pitch, hopefully pushing Robben back. David Luiz will use his supreme range of passing to pass out from the back. Looking at Demi’ frontline, Luiz and Puyol should dominate any balls in the air. What Demi’ attackers do have is movement and that low centre of gravity so it’s important not to get too tight to them.
Defensive mid/Box-Box mid: Cambiasso will be the slightly deeper of the two. He will be organising, shielding the back four, breaking up play and then starting counter attacks. Vidal will have a more box to box role. He’ll use his incredible stamina and work rate to press the opponent, get in the box, score goals, basically all action. An important role Vidal will be given is to hound Alonso whenever possible, don’t give him time on the ball.

Fluid Front Three: Attacking - Reus, Özil and Bale have all played as a LW, AM & RW over the last few years so they can all interchange throughout the game making it very difficult for them to be man marked. Reus and Bale both have rocket feet and will be encouraged to take long shots.

Defensive - An underrated part of Reus’ game is his defensive workrate, he relentlessly presses the opposition full backs as both Ramos and Essien found out last season. I want Bale to do the same on the other side.

The Playmaker



Striker: Lewandowski – Basically do what he does with Dortmund. Drop deep to link up and bring the wingers into play, then, get in the box and score a shed load of goals. Simple. Again, it’s all fluid, he can drift wide as Reus or Bale cut in.

Set Pieces
Direct Free Kicks: Bale & Reus
Indirect Free Kicks: Özil & Reus
Corners: Özil & Reus
Penalties: Vidal
His Team: Demi has a lot of good passers - Alonso, Modric and Cazorla. It’s vital that my team, especially the two DM, stay disciplined and patient, we won’t have as much possession but when we do break up play, it’s important to use our superior pace to incisively counter attack.

His key man: I would say Robben is Demi’ match winner. However, with Reus and Vidal on the left side of the pitch I have two real workhorses to help Luis deal with that threat. Also in my favour is the fact Arbeloa doesn’t offer great attacking threat from full back down that side.

Alonso

One of the finest midfielders of the 2000's. Xabi Alonso can do it all, and has won it all. He was instrumental in Spain's successes in the last WC, and the European championships. Voted the best midfielder in La Liga for 2012, also getting in the Euro 2012 team of the tournament. Alonso is a deep lying playmaker who can dicate the tempo of a game, he has a wonderful eye for a pass and excellent vision. He's also very combative when needed and has a powerful shot.


Villa

Villa is another player who has won everything there is to win, and has various individual honours to his name. Predominately a finisher in the central striker role, David Villa has shown to be just as effective playing out wide/in support during the later part of his career. He weighs in with plenty of assists too. He is Spain's all time leading goalscorer with 56 in 92 appearances. Since the start of 2008, Villa has scored a fantastic 82 goals in 143 La Liga appearances for Barcelona/Valencia. 2 La Liga titles, and a CL with Barcelona, to add to a Euro 2008, and WC2010 winners medal. An incredible goalscorer, excellent movement and a great touch.

Robben

Amongst the finest wingers in Europe over the last 5 years. Robben is known for his excellent pace, dribbling ability and finishes where he cuts in on his left to rifle shots in the back of the net with unerring accuracy and remarkable consistency. Full backs know what he's going to do, but they still can't stop him. Capable of frustrating, but more often than not capable of producing moments of brilliance. Robben is excellent at exploiting defences with his dribbling, not just his pace, or his control, but the lines in which he runs, like he's painting a picture on the pitch. Since 08, Robben has 2 Bundesliga titles, a CL and was runner up in the 2010 World Cup. He was also the first Dutchman to be voted Germany's footballer of the year(2010) and was the official MOTM in the 2013 CL final. Robben is also an excellent passer, crosser and has a great shot on him.

De Rossi

Roma stalwart. De Rossi is an all round midfielder, even capable of playing at CB to great effect. He's usually a vital cog in the engine room of any midfield. Although he doesn't have the same quality his compatriot Pirlo does, De Rossi is certainly no slouch in the passing stakes. He can dictate the tempo of matches, score goals, and defend. A typical box to box midfielder. De Rossi was voted Italian footballer of the year in 2009, and included in the team of the tournament for his fine performances in helping Italy reach the Euro 2012 final.

Pique

Pique's career rose to prominence in 2008 when he left United for Barcelona. Soon becoming a key figure and established centre back for Guardiola's side. Although not blessed with great pace, Pique is a commanding presence in defence with his height/strength, ability in the tackle, and reading of the game. Since 2008 Pique has played 140 La Liga games, with 4 titles in 5 seasons. A WC and European championship with Spain. Team of the tournament for Euro 2012, and named in the UEFA Team of the year for 3 successive seasons(2010,11,12)

Modric

Modric quickly became one of the best midfielders in the PL over his 5 seasons at Spurs since moving in 2008, before departing for the sunny climes of Madrid. He is a creative playmaker, capable of playing deep and as an attacking midfielder. A very technical footballer with great vision, passing ability and a great shot in his locker. Modric also isn't afraid to help out defensively. Modric will have the role of trying to unlock the opposition defences with his expert passing, dribbling, composure and general creativity.

Alaba

Arguably the best left back in world football right now. Alaba is only 21, but has already won so much, and is surely destined for even greater things as his career goes on. Alaba has incredible energy going forward, and tenacity in defending. He is also an excellent passer, despite playing full back, often in and around the 90s for his passing accuracy. Alaba is capable of overlapping, but just as effective coming inside from the left flank, and overloading the central midfield zone to overwhelm opponents. Alaba also has a fantastic shot on him.

Tevez

Tevez has consistently been one of the top strikers in world football. He might not be as graceful, or easy on the eye with his style of play as other strikers, but his tenacity and courage on the pitch makes up for it. He is strong, capable of playing with his back to goal, and also running into space. Tevez definitely knows where the back of the net is having scored over 50 PL goals in around 100 appearances. Since 08, Tevez has won 2 PL titles and an FA Cup. He also won the PL golden boot in 10-11.


Koscielny

Underrated. Koscielny struggled in the early part of his Arsenal career, but has since gone on to become first choice, and one of the first names on the team sheet these days. A defender with excellent pace, a great interceptor, and a very good, confident tackler.

Arbeloa

A solid if unspectacular right back. Arbeloa is versatile, able to play in both fullback roles, and always does his job with minimum fuss. He's a good passer, solid tackler, and has good stamina.

Cech

One of the finest goalkeepers to ever play in the PL, and still one of the best keepers in Europe at the age of 31. Cech has great reflexes and is an excellent shot stopper. Since 2008, Cech has been instrumental in Chelsea winning a PL title, the CL, the Europa League and 3 FA Cups.

With the personnel chosen, i've decided to go with a 4-3-3 formation. Cazorla has been omitted. Villa will line up on the left of a front 3, Tevez through the middle and Robben on the right. Alonso will be the deepest midfielder, starting the attacks, with De Rossi playing just ahead in a box-to-box role. Modric will be the creative lynchpin. He'll look to get the ball in spaces and drive forward with his dribbling ability, and also look to play in the attackers in front of him. Alaba is the LB, he'll be given license to go forward at will. Arbeloa will provide the balance on the other side, and be more reserved in attack, taking care of his defensive duties first and foremost.

As stated before, my team is set up as a 4-3-3. I'll try to have the majority of possession and look to dominate that way. Alonso, Modric and De Rossi are all great passers and are key to me executing the plan.

Alaba will often overlap Villa when he comes inside, and then provide the cross for Orpheus's defence to deal with. He'll also come inside into midfield and underlap, thereby, helping to dominate the midfield, whilst also having the opportunity to shoot from distance, and lend himself to the other attackers as a passing option. Arbeloa will be more reserved because of the threat on the counter, but when given the opportunity, he will come forward to provide crosses of his own.

I have no idea who Orpheus will leave out, but his team looks like it is set up very much for the counter with Ozil, and the pace of Bale and Reus either side. Obviously the 3 of them are massive threats, along with Lewandowski. In my defence, i have pace in Koscielny and Alaba to help deal with that threat, and will instruct them along with Arbeloa and Pique to not get caught up too far upfield. They will be told not to follow the ball, but instead stay several yards deeper so they are in the right position to affect play when the attackers advance.

Out of possession, the team will look to condense the pitch, slow the attack and hopefully force the play. Tevez and De Rossi are tasked with key roles in helping out the defence. They will harry the opposition midfield into making mistakes, and stop their supply to the forwards.

In my attack, Villa will look to drift inside and cause problems with his pace and movement. He will help link up with Tevez and force the opposition defence into mistakes when not in possession with his pressing. Robben will, like modric, bring the ball forward with his pace and dribbling ability. He will look to cut inside on his excellent left foot, and unleash a shot or play the pass into Tevez.

Set pieces:

Corners - Alonso and Modric
Direct freekicks - Alonso and Villa
Indirect freekicks - Alonso, Modric and Robben
Penalties - Alonso