Post by Kieran on Oct 20, 2013 19:57:41 GMT
Hello, welcome to the 2008-2013 World Football Draft Game. Basically, 8 players have spent the last couple weeks picking players to make a team (you can see how they did it in this thread pldraftgame.freeforums.net/thread/45/2008-world-football-draft-round ). 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 for club and country between 2008 and 2013, - so what they did outside of these years, 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 Orpheus and Mac
Orpheus Jones - Formation/bio/tactics
Bios
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 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.
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.
Xabi Alonso - A deep lying playmaker with excellent anticipation, unrivaled passing and the ability to dictate the tempo of a game. He is the 5th most capped player in Spains history and was pivotal in his nation winning The World Cup (2010) and Euros (2008 & 12). Alonso was voted the best midfielder in La Liga (2012) & was named in the Euro 2012 team of the tournament.
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.
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.
Tactics
I’m not going to be like Brendan Rodgers and change a winning formation so once again, I’ve gone for the 4-2-3-1. It suits all my players and their style of play.
The Transfer: I’ve decided to replace Cambiasso with the pass master Xabi Alonso. Just picture it, Alonso picks up the ball, looks up, and arrows one of them pinpoint longballs to Reus or Bale, unstoppable! He’ll link play from defence to attack better than Cambiasso and help take some of the creative burden off Özil.
Style: Press and Counter attack
Roles
Back 4: Full backs – Zabaleta will be a bit more reserved as he will have to be wary of Ribery. Luis however has a licence to attack. With Silva cutting in, I expect Lahm to be left isolated against Luis and Reus. David Luiz will use his supreme range of passing to pass out from the back.
Defensive mid/Box-Box mid: Alonso will be the slightly deeper of the two. He will be picking the ball up from the defence and dictating play with his range of passing. He’ll be looking for them killer long balls to Reus and Bale. He’ll also be that shield infront of the back four, like he is for Madrid and Spain. Vidal will have a more box to box role. He’ll use his incredible stamina and work rate to press the opponent, particularly Xavi and Ribery.
Fluid Front Three: Attacking - Nothing has changed here, 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 Ramos found out last season. I want Bale to do the same on the other side to Marcelo.
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 & Alonso
Corners: Özil & Reus
Penalties: Vidal
His team
The full backs is a key area here, both are two of the best around. On the right it will be Lahm vs Reus. Lahm is an all round solid RB, but Reus has already proved he can get the better of his German compatriot having scored goals against Bayern for both Gladbach and Dortmund. On the left you have Marcelo, excellent going forward but not as strong defensively, Bale can get at him here, especially when he cuts in on his left foot.
The Centre backs: Again, Lewandowski has proved he is more than a match for both centre backs, having scored against Dante numerous times and destroying Ramos in the CL with a brilliant hat-trick.
The Midfield Battle: I think Mac is taking Xavi and will have a trio of Mascherano, Yaya and Xavi. Where I think I have the edge here is intelligence and positional awareness, with Alonso and Özil, they know their roles and stick to them. For all of Yaya' strengths, his positional sense is suspect and he can come across as lazy when playing the box-to-box role. I’m guessing Mascherano will be sticking to Özil, with his intelligent movement, he can drag Masherano leaving space for Bale and Reus to cut into and Alonso to ping through balls.
Forward line: David Silva will naturally cut in so that leaves Luis dealing with Lahm, which is fine. It will also leave Reus with a lot of space down the left to attack. Macs Left side is the threat; as a result, I have moved Vidal to that side of the pitch to help Zabaleta deal with the threat of Ribery. Bale has the pace and stamina to track Marcelo.
Prediction
Scroobiusmac - Formation/bio/tactics
Bios
Thibaut Courtois
At the tender age of 21 Courtois already has 65 cleansheets in 3 seasons. After being named Genk’s player of the season and winning the Belgian league aged just 18 Courtois was snapped up by Chelsea and subsequently farmed out to Atletico Madrid. He has been quite a revelation combining excellent shot-stopping with an excellent penalty box presence. He has Europa League and Copa del Rey victories to his name - he has only ever lost one cup tie.
Phillip Lahm
Combines pace and stamina to match any winger with superb technical ability. Lahm finished second for assists in Bundesliga behind Ribery in 12/13. A major factor in both Bayern’s superb defensive record and ability to change tempo from possession based football to swift and decisive counter-attacks. Named in the team of the tournament for Euro 2008 and 2012 and the World Cup.
Sergio Ramos
Like Lahm, Ramos was named in the team of the tournament at both Euros and the World Cup. Two appearances in the UEFA team of the season, three in FIFA’s. 111 caps for the greatest international side of all time and the youngest player ever to reach 100 caps. A huge part of Spain’s World Cup and Euro triumphs where they conceded only 3 goals in 13 games and none in the knock-out stages. Brilliant in the air and tackle as well as excellent at dribbling and passing the ball out of defence. Also has a knack of scoring crucial goals.
Dante
A late-bloomer, Dante played a huge role in Bayern’s defensive record of 12/13. Bayern set numerous records keeping 21 clean sheets, conceding only 7 away goals, conceded only 18 goals in total and finished with an astonishing goal difference of +80. Dante is able to combine ball-playing ability with power, strength, tough-tackling and aerial prowess. In 12/13 Champions League he finished with an astonishing 84% success rate in aerial duels. He was also central to Mochengladbach finishing 4th in 11/12 and conceding only 24 goals in the season.
Marcelo
Everything you could ask for in a modern full-back. Marcelo possesses tenacity, pace, stamina and really impressive dribbling. He also possesses a mean cross and bullet shot contributing 22 goals and 30 assists for club and country over this period. In 09/10 he was second only to Messi for assists in La Liga. He was also a key figure in Real Madrid’s record breaking 11/12 season earning plaudits from Paolo Maldini and Roberto Carlos. Named in UEFA and FIFA’s team of the season in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
Javier Mascherano
A proper defensive midfielder Mascherano is extremely disciplined has superb positioning and excellent tackling. Although converted to a centre-back for Barcelona his best position is still arguably in midfield. He played a large role in Liverpool’s 2nd place finish in 2009/10 before joining Barcelona and helping them win two La Liga titles and a Champions League win in this period. He has been a regular for Argentina and captain since 2010 and has an Olympic Gold Medal from 2008 to his name.
Yaya Toure
Alongside Guardiola and Messi, Toure helped kick-start the era of Barcelona dominance by providing the defensive foil that allowed Xavi and Iniesta the freedom to express themselves. After Toure was snapped up by Manchester City he became a force to be reckoned with. Able to boss midfields, break up opposing attacks, drive forward a City counter or pick out a pass. A Champions League and 3 league titles to his name over this period, Toure was also named African Footballer of the Year in 2011 and 2012.
Xavi
96 assists and 54 goals for club and country. 4 La Ligas, 2 Champions Leagues, 2 European Championships, 1 World Cup. FIFA and UEFA team of the year every single season. The most successful Spanish player of all time. Finished behind only the ineligible Messi and Ronaldo for Ballon D’or/FIFA World Player of the year in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Xavi combines the supreme ability in controlling tempo, close control, threading a pass and finding space to operate within.
David Silva
74 assists for club and country within this period. Possessed with superb close control, brilliant vision, Deep Blue-esque decision making and artistry to the weighting of his passes. Utilised as both a creative attacking midfielder and an interior winger Silva has been incredibly influential in City’s style of play. He has the patience and timing to pick passes through teams who have parked the bus whilst also having the quickness of mind to split teams open on the counter. Used on the right-wing Silva started all 6 games of Spain’s Euro 2012 campaign, scoring 2 goals and creating 3 others and was named in the team of the tournament.
Sergio Aguero
Consistent 1 in 2 goal scoring record for both club and country over this period of 139 goals in 279 games. Aguero is a marvellous mixture of penalty box predator and awareness in dropping between the lines. After helping Atletico Madrid to the Euoropa League in 09/10 Aguero went on to score 27 goals in 10/11 before joining Manchester City. His performances led City to their first Premier League title with Aguero scoring one of the most iconic goals in Premier League history.
Franck Ribery
One of brightest of the many stars of Bayern’s last 3 seasons. In 12/13 he was pivotal in Bayern’s brilliant counter-attacking against Barcelona, and in the league provided 10 goals and 14 assists in just 24 starts. In total he has 79 goals and 83 assists for club and country in this period. Considering he has struggled with injury to an extent for a couple of these years these are phenomenal numbers. Tricks galore, a superb cross and excellent through balls Ribery is able to create numerous opportunities for his team-mates whilst his role as an inverted winger sees him able to cut onto his fearsome right foot.
Tactics
My tactical set-up will aim to control the space and time that Orpheus’ team have on the ball. Offensively the aim will be to transition quickly and effectively with options from all areas of the pitch giving Orpheus’ team a nightmare in terms of predicting who and how he will have to defend. I have players who have been key members of teams which have played this style of football with the addition of Xavi the emphasis will shift from not only hitting hard through the middle but spending more time controlling the tempo of play.
Defensive Tactics
My aim will be to stifle Orpheus’ outlets of creativity and therefore nullifying his more direct threats. By cutting off the supply-line of Alonso and Ozil I hope to render Orpheus much less effective.
In order to do this I will require my team to press tirelessly in all areas. In addition to an overall high-press I will focus on Alonso and Ozil. Mascherano will be tasked with keeping a close eye on Ozil, whilst I don’t want him to necessarily man-mark Ozil (as then his movement could leave me open) he is instead to execute pressing when Ozil advances and tackle/interceptions before Ozil aims to play through-balls. Alonso will be taken care of by the hard-work of Aguero and Yaya Toure and, to a lesser extent, Xavi and the wingers should he drift wider. If Vidal embarks on any driving runs then, depending on location and proximity, he will engaged by Toure or by Ramos or Dante with Mascherano offering cover in defence.
I also aim to play a relatively high-line. Whilst this may appear suicidal against Reus and Bale I believe it will actually help prevent them causing damage. First, the high-line compresses the space within which Orpheus is able to operate and therefore adds to his difficulty in creating chances for the front 3. Second, it aids my tactics of constantly pressing Orpheus as there’s less distance to press over. Third, it will suit my defensive players as they are adept and playing in this way. Dante in particular is fantastic at stepping in with a crucial tackle to stop any potential attacks. Lewandowski, whilst a fine player, requires no particular tactics to stop him IMO – if the CBs do their job then he will be kept quiet.
Defending the flanks will require hard-work from both full-backs and wingers. They will also be aided by both CBs being comfortable in stepping across into the full-back position. Marcelo is a lot more tenacious than he is given credit for and is an excellent tackler. Lahm is a super player and combines athleticism with positioning and timing. Ribery, particularly in the last year, is very hard-working and will aid Marcelo a lot. Silva is less defensively adept and whilst he will still be asked to press he will also be aided by having Lahm behind him and Yaya Toure keeping an eye on that flank.
Offensive Tactics
My offensive tactics are centred on winning the ball and overwhelming Orpheus’ defence with the variety of options that will be thrown at them.
Down the flanks Silva and Ribery are playing inverted roles looking to bring the ball in from the wing. Complimenting them and adding width you couldn’t ask for two better overlapping full-backs than Lahm and Marcelo. Marcelo and Lahm are both incredibly comfortable on the ball and as good at driving into the box dribbling and passing as they are crossing. Likewise Ribery and Silva are both excellent at dribbling, crossing and carry decent goal threat. This combination down the flanks should bamboozle Zabaleta and Felipe Luis whilst drawing Reus and Bale away from goal and creating space for Xavi, Toure and Aguero in the middle.
Aguero will play up top in this formation. In addition to harassing Alonso when Orpheus has the ball he will drop in and out of the spaces between the lines. This will give Orpheus’ defence a lack of a fixed point to mark and move around. This aims to both exploit Luiz’s potential for clangers and Puyol’s lack of pace within this time frame. It also has the advantage of allowing Aguero to use his devastating acceleration over short distances to burst through lines and attempts on goals. In terms of movement it also allows the wingers to drift into the box or Toure to burst in with an effort whilst it is a system which Xavi is supreme at exploiting.
Good luck Orpheus.
The key rule for this edition of the game is that players are to be judged on the basis of their performances for club and country between 2008 and 2013, - so what they did outside of these years, 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 Orpheus and Mac
Orpheus Jones - Formation/bio/tactics
Bios
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 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.
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.
Xabi Alonso - A deep lying playmaker with excellent anticipation, unrivaled passing and the ability to dictate the tempo of a game. He is the 5th most capped player in Spains history and was pivotal in his nation winning The World Cup (2010) and Euros (2008 & 12). Alonso was voted the best midfielder in La Liga (2012) & was named in the Euro 2012 team of the tournament.
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.
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.
Tactics
I’m not going to be like Brendan Rodgers and change a winning formation so once again, I’ve gone for the 4-2-3-1. It suits all my players and their style of play.
The Transfer: I’ve decided to replace Cambiasso with the pass master Xabi Alonso. Just picture it, Alonso picks up the ball, looks up, and arrows one of them pinpoint longballs to Reus or Bale, unstoppable! He’ll link play from defence to attack better than Cambiasso and help take some of the creative burden off Özil.
Style: Press and Counter attack
Roles
Back 4: Full backs – Zabaleta will be a bit more reserved as he will have to be wary of Ribery. Luis however has a licence to attack. With Silva cutting in, I expect Lahm to be left isolated against Luis and Reus. David Luiz will use his supreme range of passing to pass out from the back.
Defensive mid/Box-Box mid: Alonso will be the slightly deeper of the two. He will be picking the ball up from the defence and dictating play with his range of passing. He’ll be looking for them killer long balls to Reus and Bale. He’ll also be that shield infront of the back four, like he is for Madrid and Spain. Vidal will have a more box to box role. He’ll use his incredible stamina and work rate to press the opponent, particularly Xavi and Ribery.
Fluid Front Three: Attacking - Nothing has changed here, 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 Ramos found out last season. I want Bale to do the same on the other side to Marcelo.
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 & Alonso
Corners: Özil & Reus
Penalties: Vidal
His team
The full backs is a key area here, both are two of the best around. On the right it will be Lahm vs Reus. Lahm is an all round solid RB, but Reus has already proved he can get the better of his German compatriot having scored goals against Bayern for both Gladbach and Dortmund. On the left you have Marcelo, excellent going forward but not as strong defensively, Bale can get at him here, especially when he cuts in on his left foot.
The Centre backs: Again, Lewandowski has proved he is more than a match for both centre backs, having scored against Dante numerous times and destroying Ramos in the CL with a brilliant hat-trick.
The Midfield Battle: I think Mac is taking Xavi and will have a trio of Mascherano, Yaya and Xavi. Where I think I have the edge here is intelligence and positional awareness, with Alonso and Özil, they know their roles and stick to them. For all of Yaya' strengths, his positional sense is suspect and he can come across as lazy when playing the box-to-box role. I’m guessing Mascherano will be sticking to Özil, with his intelligent movement, he can drag Masherano leaving space for Bale and Reus to cut into and Alonso to ping through balls.
Forward line: David Silva will naturally cut in so that leaves Luis dealing with Lahm, which is fine. It will also leave Reus with a lot of space down the left to attack. Macs Left side is the threat; as a result, I have moved Vidal to that side of the pitch to help Zabaleta deal with the threat of Ribery. Bale has the pace and stamina to track Marcelo.
Prediction
Scroobiusmac - Formation/bio/tactics
Bios
Thibaut Courtois
At the tender age of 21 Courtois already has 65 cleansheets in 3 seasons. After being named Genk’s player of the season and winning the Belgian league aged just 18 Courtois was snapped up by Chelsea and subsequently farmed out to Atletico Madrid. He has been quite a revelation combining excellent shot-stopping with an excellent penalty box presence. He has Europa League and Copa del Rey victories to his name - he has only ever lost one cup tie.
Phillip Lahm
Combines pace and stamina to match any winger with superb technical ability. Lahm finished second for assists in Bundesliga behind Ribery in 12/13. A major factor in both Bayern’s superb defensive record and ability to change tempo from possession based football to swift and decisive counter-attacks. Named in the team of the tournament for Euro 2008 and 2012 and the World Cup.
Sergio Ramos
Like Lahm, Ramos was named in the team of the tournament at both Euros and the World Cup. Two appearances in the UEFA team of the season, three in FIFA’s. 111 caps for the greatest international side of all time and the youngest player ever to reach 100 caps. A huge part of Spain’s World Cup and Euro triumphs where they conceded only 3 goals in 13 games and none in the knock-out stages. Brilliant in the air and tackle as well as excellent at dribbling and passing the ball out of defence. Also has a knack of scoring crucial goals.
Dante
A late-bloomer, Dante played a huge role in Bayern’s defensive record of 12/13. Bayern set numerous records keeping 21 clean sheets, conceding only 7 away goals, conceded only 18 goals in total and finished with an astonishing goal difference of +80. Dante is able to combine ball-playing ability with power, strength, tough-tackling and aerial prowess. In 12/13 Champions League he finished with an astonishing 84% success rate in aerial duels. He was also central to Mochengladbach finishing 4th in 11/12 and conceding only 24 goals in the season.
Marcelo
Everything you could ask for in a modern full-back. Marcelo possesses tenacity, pace, stamina and really impressive dribbling. He also possesses a mean cross and bullet shot contributing 22 goals and 30 assists for club and country over this period. In 09/10 he was second only to Messi for assists in La Liga. He was also a key figure in Real Madrid’s record breaking 11/12 season earning plaudits from Paolo Maldini and Roberto Carlos. Named in UEFA and FIFA’s team of the season in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
Javier Mascherano
A proper defensive midfielder Mascherano is extremely disciplined has superb positioning and excellent tackling. Although converted to a centre-back for Barcelona his best position is still arguably in midfield. He played a large role in Liverpool’s 2nd place finish in 2009/10 before joining Barcelona and helping them win two La Liga titles and a Champions League win in this period. He has been a regular for Argentina and captain since 2010 and has an Olympic Gold Medal from 2008 to his name.
Yaya Toure
Alongside Guardiola and Messi, Toure helped kick-start the era of Barcelona dominance by providing the defensive foil that allowed Xavi and Iniesta the freedom to express themselves. After Toure was snapped up by Manchester City he became a force to be reckoned with. Able to boss midfields, break up opposing attacks, drive forward a City counter or pick out a pass. A Champions League and 3 league titles to his name over this period, Toure was also named African Footballer of the Year in 2011 and 2012.
Xavi
96 assists and 54 goals for club and country. 4 La Ligas, 2 Champions Leagues, 2 European Championships, 1 World Cup. FIFA and UEFA team of the year every single season. The most successful Spanish player of all time. Finished behind only the ineligible Messi and Ronaldo for Ballon D’or/FIFA World Player of the year in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Xavi combines the supreme ability in controlling tempo, close control, threading a pass and finding space to operate within.
David Silva
74 assists for club and country within this period. Possessed with superb close control, brilliant vision, Deep Blue-esque decision making and artistry to the weighting of his passes. Utilised as both a creative attacking midfielder and an interior winger Silva has been incredibly influential in City’s style of play. He has the patience and timing to pick passes through teams who have parked the bus whilst also having the quickness of mind to split teams open on the counter. Used on the right-wing Silva started all 6 games of Spain’s Euro 2012 campaign, scoring 2 goals and creating 3 others and was named in the team of the tournament.
Sergio Aguero
Consistent 1 in 2 goal scoring record for both club and country over this period of 139 goals in 279 games. Aguero is a marvellous mixture of penalty box predator and awareness in dropping between the lines. After helping Atletico Madrid to the Euoropa League in 09/10 Aguero went on to score 27 goals in 10/11 before joining Manchester City. His performances led City to their first Premier League title with Aguero scoring one of the most iconic goals in Premier League history.
Franck Ribery
One of brightest of the many stars of Bayern’s last 3 seasons. In 12/13 he was pivotal in Bayern’s brilliant counter-attacking against Barcelona, and in the league provided 10 goals and 14 assists in just 24 starts. In total he has 79 goals and 83 assists for club and country in this period. Considering he has struggled with injury to an extent for a couple of these years these are phenomenal numbers. Tricks galore, a superb cross and excellent through balls Ribery is able to create numerous opportunities for his team-mates whilst his role as an inverted winger sees him able to cut onto his fearsome right foot.
Tactics
My tactical set-up will aim to control the space and time that Orpheus’ team have on the ball. Offensively the aim will be to transition quickly and effectively with options from all areas of the pitch giving Orpheus’ team a nightmare in terms of predicting who and how he will have to defend. I have players who have been key members of teams which have played this style of football with the addition of Xavi the emphasis will shift from not only hitting hard through the middle but spending more time controlling the tempo of play.
Defensive Tactics
My aim will be to stifle Orpheus’ outlets of creativity and therefore nullifying his more direct threats. By cutting off the supply-line of Alonso and Ozil I hope to render Orpheus much less effective.
In order to do this I will require my team to press tirelessly in all areas. In addition to an overall high-press I will focus on Alonso and Ozil. Mascherano will be tasked with keeping a close eye on Ozil, whilst I don’t want him to necessarily man-mark Ozil (as then his movement could leave me open) he is instead to execute pressing when Ozil advances and tackle/interceptions before Ozil aims to play through-balls. Alonso will be taken care of by the hard-work of Aguero and Yaya Toure and, to a lesser extent, Xavi and the wingers should he drift wider. If Vidal embarks on any driving runs then, depending on location and proximity, he will engaged by Toure or by Ramos or Dante with Mascherano offering cover in defence.
I also aim to play a relatively high-line. Whilst this may appear suicidal against Reus and Bale I believe it will actually help prevent them causing damage. First, the high-line compresses the space within which Orpheus is able to operate and therefore adds to his difficulty in creating chances for the front 3. Second, it aids my tactics of constantly pressing Orpheus as there’s less distance to press over. Third, it will suit my defensive players as they are adept and playing in this way. Dante in particular is fantastic at stepping in with a crucial tackle to stop any potential attacks. Lewandowski, whilst a fine player, requires no particular tactics to stop him IMO – if the CBs do their job then he will be kept quiet.
Defending the flanks will require hard-work from both full-backs and wingers. They will also be aided by both CBs being comfortable in stepping across into the full-back position. Marcelo is a lot more tenacious than he is given credit for and is an excellent tackler. Lahm is a super player and combines athleticism with positioning and timing. Ribery, particularly in the last year, is very hard-working and will aid Marcelo a lot. Silva is less defensively adept and whilst he will still be asked to press he will also be aided by having Lahm behind him and Yaya Toure keeping an eye on that flank.
Offensive Tactics
My offensive tactics are centred on winning the ball and overwhelming Orpheus’ defence with the variety of options that will be thrown at them.
Down the flanks Silva and Ribery are playing inverted roles looking to bring the ball in from the wing. Complimenting them and adding width you couldn’t ask for two better overlapping full-backs than Lahm and Marcelo. Marcelo and Lahm are both incredibly comfortable on the ball and as good at driving into the box dribbling and passing as they are crossing. Likewise Ribery and Silva are both excellent at dribbling, crossing and carry decent goal threat. This combination down the flanks should bamboozle Zabaleta and Felipe Luis whilst drawing Reus and Bale away from goal and creating space for Xavi, Toure and Aguero in the middle.
Aguero will play up top in this formation. In addition to harassing Alonso when Orpheus has the ball he will drop in and out of the spaces between the lines. This will give Orpheus’ defence a lack of a fixed point to mark and move around. This aims to both exploit Luiz’s potential for clangers and Puyol’s lack of pace within this time frame. It also has the advantage of allowing Aguero to use his devastating acceleration over short distances to burst through lines and attempts on goals. In terms of movement it also allows the wingers to drift into the box or Toure to burst in with an effort whilst it is a system which Xavi is supreme at exploiting.
Good luck Orpheus.
