Post by Kieran on Jan 20, 2013 1:42:37 GMT
Hello, welcome to the Premier League Draft Game. Basically, 16 players have spent the last few weeks picking players to make a team (you can see how they did it in this thread pldraftgame.freeforums.net/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=2 ). and they are now ready to go head-to-head against each other to win your vote - which do you think is the better team? The voter has both the squad-sheet and the bios/tactics to consider!
The key rule for this edition of the game is that players are to be judged on the basis of their performances in the Premier League - so what they did in other leagues, in cup competitions or on the international stage is not directly relevant here.
Additionally, voters are requested to please justify the votes you cast: an explanation of why you voted for the team you did would be much appreciated and would add to the game as a whole. If you vote but don't justify your selection, then that vote may be discarded when totting up the final results. Please vote and adhere to the rules on each match thread.
Good luck to Rvpp and KK!
Rvpp- Formation/bio/tactics
KK- Formation/bio/tactics
Bergkamp:
Bergkamp has been described as having "the finest technique" of any Dutch international and a "dream for a striker". With Arsenal, he won three Premier League titles, four FA Cup trophies and reached the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final. With the Netherlands national team, Bergkamp surpassed Faas Wilkes's record to become the country's top goalscorer of all time in 1998, a record later eclipsed by Patrick Kluivert. In 2007, he was inducted into the FIFA Hall of Fame, the first and so far only Dutch player ever to receive such a honor.
RVN:
Following his move to United, Ruud Van Nistelrooy won the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup ,FA Community Shield and was awarded the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award, hitting 150 goals in just 219 games leading to him being United's all time European record goal scorer. In addition, he won the Dutch footballer of the year twice, a spot in the PFA team of the year twice and several other accolades.
Desailly:
For only £4.6m, Marcel Desailly was quite the bargain for the Blues. Even though the French powerhouse only managed to win an FA cup during his time at Chelsea, his performances were anything but lacking. Chelsea's captain at the time, along with Frank Lebouef formed one of the most formidable CB partnerships the Prem has ever seen.
Bale:
His move from left back to left winger was basically the key to unlocking Bale's "treasure chest" of skill. The heir to the label of "The Flying Welshman", Gareth Bale showed his true quality against Italian giants Internazionale in the group stages of the 10/11 Champions League when he skinned, then best right back in the world, Maicon not once, not twice, but three times to bag a hattrick. Since then, the Welshman has been putting in impressive performances week in week out, attracting the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid in the process. (Please appreciate the fact that, even though it pains me, I highlighted his massacre of Maicon)
Poyet:
Snapping up Gus on a free transfer, Chelsea went on to bring out the best of the Uruguayan's talents. Poyet 's first taste of glory came when he aided Chelsea in beating Stuttgart to claim the Cup Winners' Cup. On his 2nd season, he went on to score 14 goals, making him the club's 2nd highest goal-scorer of the season and helping his team qualify to the Champions League. After scoring the winner for Chelsea in the 1998 UEFA Super Cup against Spanish giants Real Madrid, Gus continued his prolific form by scoring 18 goals in his next season (also making him the club's 2nd highest goal-scorer) with memorable goals such as the scissors kick volley against Sunderland, a long range strike against Lazio and both of Chelsea's goals in the FA cup semi-final against Newcastle which led to Chelsea qualifying to the final and then winning the FA cup. Surplus to requirements with Ranieri's arrival, Poyet moved to Tottenham, scoring 14 goals in his debut season.
Keown:
3 Premier League trophies, 3 FA cups, 3 FA Community Shields, 1 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and 311 appearances for Arsenal mark this tough Centre Back's career.
Petrescu:
A gloomy day at the Bridge, Petrescu backheels the ball to Dennis Wise who immediately gives it back to the Romanian, Dan Petrescu takes on a Southampton player before impressively chipping the ball over the goalkeeper from a distance of approximately 19 yards. A goal which reflects the Romanian's raw talent and effectiveness at Chelsea which resulted in Chelsea winning the FA cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.
David James:
784 appearances, 53 caps and the record for most clean sheets (173). Ever-present.
Richard Dunne:
Rarely do we see a CB being his club's player of the year. But, that wasn't good enough for the Irishman. He went on to win Man City's player of the year, not once, not twice, not thrice, but four times! Dunne's persistency and dedication to always being involved in contributing to his club's performance earned him a spot in the 2010 PFA Team of the Year. 451 apps and still going.
Parlour:
The "Romford Pele" as he was infamously labeled, Parlour was a prime example of an 'unsung hero'. 339 appearances with Arsenal proved to be fruitful as they won the Premier League 3 times and were runners-up 4 times. In addition, Parlour won the FA cup 4 times, the League Cup, the FA Community Shield 3 times and the European Cup Winners' Cup.
Gascoigne:
A stunning free-kick against Arsenal in the semi-final of the 90/91 FA cup was one among six goals Gazza scored in Spurs' path to FA cup glory. Despite being stricken with injuries, Gascoigne's performances notably earned him a spot in the PFA Team of the Year not once, but twice. In addition, Gazza earned 57 impressive appearances for England, landing him a spot in the FIFA 1990 World Cup All-Star Team.
The key rule for this edition of the game is that players are to be judged on the basis of their performances in the Premier League - so what they did in other leagues, in cup competitions or on the international stage is not directly relevant here.
Additionally, voters are requested to please justify the votes you cast: an explanation of why you voted for the team you did would be much appreciated and would add to the game as a whole. If you vote but don't justify your selection, then that vote may be discarded when totting up the final results. Please vote and adhere to the rules on each match thread.
Good luck to Rvpp and KK!
Rvpp- Formation/bio/tactics
Tim Flowers – Was a key part of the Blackburn Rovers team that finished 2nd in the 1993-94 season and won the title in the 1994-95 season. A tall athletic keeper, he also possessed quick reflexes to be a solid shot-blocker. He was named in the PFA Team of the year for both those 2 seasons (keep in mind this is when Peter Schmeichel was playing). Unlucky not to win more caps for England due to the consistency of David Seaman.
Gary Neville – Considered by many (and rightly so) as the best right-back the Premier League has ever seen. Was very strong defensively as well as offensively and was one of the hardest workers in the Premier League. Won 8 Premier League titles, 3 FA Cup titles, 2 League Cup titles, a Champions League as well as a FIFA Club World Cup. Named in the PFA Team of the Year 6 times as well as being named in the team in both the Premier League 10 seasons and 20 seasons awards.
Nemanja Vidic – Widely regarded as the best central defender in the world in recent years. As well as his defending, his height and aerial ability make him a threat from set pieces. Has won 4 Premier League titles, a UEFA Champions League, a FIFA Club World Cup and 3 League Cups. Individually he has been included in the PFA Team of the Year 4 times and named as Premier League Player of the Season in the 08-09 and 10-11 season.
Ledley King – One of the best CB’s to ever play in the Premier League, he was plagued by injuries his whole career yet still managed to be an extremely solid centre-back and a key component of the Spurs defense. Possessed loads of pace for a defender and tackled extremely well.
Sylvinho – An attacking left-back who forced his way into the Arsenal side at the expense of Nigel Winterburn. He was known for his overlapping runs but could also defend solidly and had bags of pace. Also named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2000-01 season.
Paul Ince – A box to box midfielder that was vital to Manchester United’s success in the 90s. A player who worked tirelessly, he could tackle, pass and possessed a powerful shot. Won 2 Premier League titles, 2 FA Cups, a League Cup and a European Super Cup. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year 3 times.
Michael Ballack – Another box to box midfielder that dominated the central of the park. Passed well, tackled well and scored some very important goals for Chelsea. Offers a physical presence with his height and also possesses a lethal free-kick.
Steven McManaman – Strong winger that was described as one of the most gifted players of his generation. He tormented opposing defenses with his runs and his outstanding delivery into the box. He had 112 assists in 274 games for Liverpool and was named in the PFA Team of the Year in the 1996-97 season.
Damien Duff – An excellent winger who possessed fantastic pace and had a wicked delivery into the box. With his ability to play on both wings, Duff has an added dimension of cutting inside beautifully from the flanks and scoring. In over 250 appearances for Blackburn and Chelsea he scored 40 goals and was also named in the UEFA Team of the Year in 2002.
Kevin Phillips – An striker who shone in his time for Sunderland, he was an incredible finisher as shown by his goal-scoring record. In his first season in the Premier League he scored 30 goals which won him the European Golden Shoe. Named as Premier League Player of the Season in the 1999-00 season.
Alan Shearer – One of the best players to ever grace the Premier League and certainly the top Premier League goalscorer, he was a complete striker. He was quick, could score off both feet and was awesome in the air. In 4 seasons for Blackburn, he scored a scarcely believable 112 goals in 138 games in the Premier League alone. Overall he scored 260 goals in the Premier League while no one else managed 200. Named as the best overall player in the 90s decade in the 10 seasons awards, the Premier League Player of the Season in the 1994-95 season, the PFA Players’ Player of the Season in the 1994-95 and 1996-97 season and named in the PFA Team of the Year 6 times.
Gary Neville – Considered by many (and rightly so) as the best right-back the Premier League has ever seen. Was very strong defensively as well as offensively and was one of the hardest workers in the Premier League. Won 8 Premier League titles, 3 FA Cup titles, 2 League Cup titles, a Champions League as well as a FIFA Club World Cup. Named in the PFA Team of the Year 6 times as well as being named in the team in both the Premier League 10 seasons and 20 seasons awards.
Nemanja Vidic – Widely regarded as the best central defender in the world in recent years. As well as his defending, his height and aerial ability make him a threat from set pieces. Has won 4 Premier League titles, a UEFA Champions League, a FIFA Club World Cup and 3 League Cups. Individually he has been included in the PFA Team of the Year 4 times and named as Premier League Player of the Season in the 08-09 and 10-11 season.
Ledley King – One of the best CB’s to ever play in the Premier League, he was plagued by injuries his whole career yet still managed to be an extremely solid centre-back and a key component of the Spurs defense. Possessed loads of pace for a defender and tackled extremely well.
Sylvinho – An attacking left-back who forced his way into the Arsenal side at the expense of Nigel Winterburn. He was known for his overlapping runs but could also defend solidly and had bags of pace. Also named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2000-01 season.
Paul Ince – A box to box midfielder that was vital to Manchester United’s success in the 90s. A player who worked tirelessly, he could tackle, pass and possessed a powerful shot. Won 2 Premier League titles, 2 FA Cups, a League Cup and a European Super Cup. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year 3 times.
Michael Ballack – Another box to box midfielder that dominated the central of the park. Passed well, tackled well and scored some very important goals for Chelsea. Offers a physical presence with his height and also possesses a lethal free-kick.
Steven McManaman – Strong winger that was described as one of the most gifted players of his generation. He tormented opposing defenses with his runs and his outstanding delivery into the box. He had 112 assists in 274 games for Liverpool and was named in the PFA Team of the Year in the 1996-97 season.
Damien Duff – An excellent winger who possessed fantastic pace and had a wicked delivery into the box. With his ability to play on both wings, Duff has an added dimension of cutting inside beautifully from the flanks and scoring. In over 250 appearances for Blackburn and Chelsea he scored 40 goals and was also named in the UEFA Team of the Year in 2002.
Kevin Phillips – An striker who shone in his time for Sunderland, he was an incredible finisher as shown by his goal-scoring record. In his first season in the Premier League he scored 30 goals which won him the European Golden Shoe. Named as Premier League Player of the Season in the 1999-00 season.
Alan Shearer – One of the best players to ever grace the Premier League and certainly the top Premier League goalscorer, he was a complete striker. He was quick, could score off both feet and was awesome in the air. In 4 seasons for Blackburn, he scored a scarcely believable 112 goals in 138 games in the Premier League alone. Overall he scored 260 goals in the Premier League while no one else managed 200. Named as the best overall player in the 90s decade in the 10 seasons awards, the Premier League Player of the Season in the 1994-95 season, the PFA Players’ Player of the Season in the 1994-95 and 1996-97 season and named in the PFA Team of the Year 6 times.
Tactics:
I feel that I have a well-balanced team with no real weaknesses throughout. In defense, I have picked 2 very strong centre backs who form a dominant partnership at the back. My left-back Sylvinho will play his preferred role as an attacking full-back while my other full-back Gary Neville will be more defensive to bring a more balanced feel to my team.
In midfield Ballack will have a more open role and look to distribute to my attacking players while Ince on the left-sided central midfield will have a more defensive role and also provide cover for the attacking Sylvinho.
In attack, I have picked 2 strikers who have both flourished in previous striker partnerships. Phillips played incredibly when teamed up with Niall Quinn while Shearer found success with players such as Sutton and Les Ferdinand. Shearer was also a very tall man (sometimes considered a target man) while Phillips was much shorter in stature. This would be the perfect little-large striker combination.
My team vs his:
Although a 3-5-2 formation can work very well. 4-4-2 is generally one of the best formations to combat the 3-5-2. A definite weakness of 3-5-2 is the defense and the space behind the 2 wing-backs. To play 3 at the back requires 3 very strong defenders and in KK’s case I feel he only has 2 (Desailly and Keown). This 3 man defense can be easily caught out especially if the midfield pushes up
It’s correct in saying that he has an extra defender to combat my 2 strikers however I feel his defense does not have enough wide cover to also defend my wingers McManaman and Duff as Bale and Petrescu are both defensively suspect and could have trouble marking my wingers especially in 1v1 situations. Shearer and McManaman were both one of the best in the world in their respective positions and I believe these 2 players will pose serious problems for KK’s defense. In midfield there also another close battle with Ince and Ballack up against Parlour, Gascoigne and Poyet. Parlour and Poyet are both solid but Gascoigne definitely did not have his best years in the Premier League. In defense I have 2 genuinely world-class defenders in Vidic and Neville and 2 very solid defenders in King and Sylvinho. Admittedly, he does have a very impressive Dutch strikeforce in RvN and Bergkamp but I think that his team will find it hard to supply those 2 with the ball. If they do manage to get the ball, my defense is more than capable of making stopping them and making their life incredibly difficult.
I feel that I have a well-balanced team with no real weaknesses throughout. In defense, I have picked 2 very strong centre backs who form a dominant partnership at the back. My left-back Sylvinho will play his preferred role as an attacking full-back while my other full-back Gary Neville will be more defensive to bring a more balanced feel to my team.
In midfield Ballack will have a more open role and look to distribute to my attacking players while Ince on the left-sided central midfield will have a more defensive role and also provide cover for the attacking Sylvinho.
In attack, I have picked 2 strikers who have both flourished in previous striker partnerships. Phillips played incredibly when teamed up with Niall Quinn while Shearer found success with players such as Sutton and Les Ferdinand. Shearer was also a very tall man (sometimes considered a target man) while Phillips was much shorter in stature. This would be the perfect little-large striker combination.
My team vs his:
Although a 3-5-2 formation can work very well. 4-4-2 is generally one of the best formations to combat the 3-5-2. A definite weakness of 3-5-2 is the defense and the space behind the 2 wing-backs. To play 3 at the back requires 3 very strong defenders and in KK’s case I feel he only has 2 (Desailly and Keown). This 3 man defense can be easily caught out especially if the midfield pushes up
It’s correct in saying that he has an extra defender to combat my 2 strikers however I feel his defense does not have enough wide cover to also defend my wingers McManaman and Duff as Bale and Petrescu are both defensively suspect and could have trouble marking my wingers especially in 1v1 situations. Shearer and McManaman were both one of the best in the world in their respective positions and I believe these 2 players will pose serious problems for KK’s defense. In midfield there also another close battle with Ince and Ballack up against Parlour, Gascoigne and Poyet. Parlour and Poyet are both solid but Gascoigne definitely did not have his best years in the Premier League. In defense I have 2 genuinely world-class defenders in Vidic and Neville and 2 very solid defenders in King and Sylvinho. Admittedly, he does have a very impressive Dutch strikeforce in RvN and Bergkamp but I think that his team will find it hard to supply those 2 with the ball. If they do manage to get the ball, my defense is more than capable of making stopping them and making their life incredibly difficult.
KK- Formation/bio/tactics
Bergkamp:
Bergkamp has been described as having "the finest technique" of any Dutch international and a "dream for a striker". With Arsenal, he won three Premier League titles, four FA Cup trophies and reached the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final. With the Netherlands national team, Bergkamp surpassed Faas Wilkes's record to become the country's top goalscorer of all time in 1998, a record later eclipsed by Patrick Kluivert. In 2007, he was inducted into the FIFA Hall of Fame, the first and so far only Dutch player ever to receive such a honor.
RVN:
Following his move to United, Ruud Van Nistelrooy won the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup ,FA Community Shield and was awarded the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award, hitting 150 goals in just 219 games leading to him being United's all time European record goal scorer. In addition, he won the Dutch footballer of the year twice, a spot in the PFA team of the year twice and several other accolades.
Desailly:
For only £4.6m, Marcel Desailly was quite the bargain for the Blues. Even though the French powerhouse only managed to win an FA cup during his time at Chelsea, his performances were anything but lacking. Chelsea's captain at the time, along with Frank Lebouef formed one of the most formidable CB partnerships the Prem has ever seen.
Bale:
His move from left back to left winger was basically the key to unlocking Bale's "treasure chest" of skill. The heir to the label of "The Flying Welshman", Gareth Bale showed his true quality against Italian giants Internazionale in the group stages of the 10/11 Champions League when he skinned, then best right back in the world, Maicon not once, not twice, but three times to bag a hattrick. Since then, the Welshman has been putting in impressive performances week in week out, attracting the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid in the process. (Please appreciate the fact that, even though it pains me, I highlighted his massacre of Maicon)
Poyet:
Snapping up Gus on a free transfer, Chelsea went on to bring out the best of the Uruguayan's talents. Poyet 's first taste of glory came when he aided Chelsea in beating Stuttgart to claim the Cup Winners' Cup. On his 2nd season, he went on to score 14 goals, making him the club's 2nd highest goal-scorer of the season and helping his team qualify to the Champions League. After scoring the winner for Chelsea in the 1998 UEFA Super Cup against Spanish giants Real Madrid, Gus continued his prolific form by scoring 18 goals in his next season (also making him the club's 2nd highest goal-scorer) with memorable goals such as the scissors kick volley against Sunderland, a long range strike against Lazio and both of Chelsea's goals in the FA cup semi-final against Newcastle which led to Chelsea qualifying to the final and then winning the FA cup. Surplus to requirements with Ranieri's arrival, Poyet moved to Tottenham, scoring 14 goals in his debut season.
Keown:
3 Premier League trophies, 3 FA cups, 3 FA Community Shields, 1 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and 311 appearances for Arsenal mark this tough Centre Back's career.
Petrescu:
A gloomy day at the Bridge, Petrescu backheels the ball to Dennis Wise who immediately gives it back to the Romanian, Dan Petrescu takes on a Southampton player before impressively chipping the ball over the goalkeeper from a distance of approximately 19 yards. A goal which reflects the Romanian's raw talent and effectiveness at Chelsea which resulted in Chelsea winning the FA cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.
David James:
784 appearances, 53 caps and the record for most clean sheets (173). Ever-present.
Richard Dunne:
Rarely do we see a CB being his club's player of the year. But, that wasn't good enough for the Irishman. He went on to win Man City's player of the year, not once, not twice, not thrice, but four times! Dunne's persistency and dedication to always being involved in contributing to his club's performance earned him a spot in the 2010 PFA Team of the Year. 451 apps and still going.
Parlour:
The "Romford Pele" as he was infamously labeled, Parlour was a prime example of an 'unsung hero'. 339 appearances with Arsenal proved to be fruitful as they won the Premier League 3 times and were runners-up 4 times. In addition, Parlour won the FA cup 4 times, the League Cup, the FA Community Shield 3 times and the European Cup Winners' Cup.
Gascoigne:
A stunning free-kick against Arsenal in the semi-final of the 90/91 FA cup was one among six goals Gazza scored in Spurs' path to FA cup glory. Despite being stricken with injuries, Gascoigne's performances notably earned him a spot in the PFA Team of the Year not once, but twice. In addition, Gazza earned 57 impressive appearances for England, landing him a spot in the FIFA 1990 World Cup All-Star Team.
Tactics
Desailly will man mark Kevin Phillips, preventing him from having much space with the ball and aerially overpowering him, thus removing any long ball threat. Dunne and Keown will be aided by either Bale or Petrescu respectively to shun efforts from McManaman and Duff attempting to dart through the wings. Furthermore, the two wing-backs will bolster forward, when suited for, and contribute to the team's attacking efforts, being well capable of taking on Gary Neville and Sylvinho. In addition, the trio of CB's will prevent Shearer from finding any space to shoot by pressing forward and cutting down on him. Ray Parlour will sit deep and spray passes to the other attacking players. Gascoigne and Poyet will interchange in getting forward and aiding Bergkamp and RVN. Bergkamp's trickery and RVN's eye for goal should prove enough in defeating Ledley King and Nemanja Vidic.
Desailly will man mark Kevin Phillips, preventing him from having much space with the ball and aerially overpowering him, thus removing any long ball threat. Dunne and Keown will be aided by either Bale or Petrescu respectively to shun efforts from McManaman and Duff attempting to dart through the wings. Furthermore, the two wing-backs will bolster forward, when suited for, and contribute to the team's attacking efforts, being well capable of taking on Gary Neville and Sylvinho. In addition, the trio of CB's will prevent Shearer from finding any space to shoot by pressing forward and cutting down on him. Ray Parlour will sit deep and spray passes to the other attacking players. Gascoigne and Poyet will interchange in getting forward and aiding Bergkamp and RVN. Bergkamp's trickery and RVN's eye for goal should prove enough in defeating Ledley King and Nemanja Vidic.
However, I just adore that partnership. I think it has more goals in it than Shearer and Phillips. With all respect to Shearer. It has the potential to be the match winner for KK.
