Post by Kieran on Oct 22, 2013 22:11:44 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 KK and Lewis
KK - Formation/bio/tactics
**NOTE:
Still have no internet access so had to shorten what I intended to write**
Bios
Tactics
Lewinick - Formation/bio/tactics
Bios
Tactics
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 KK and Lewis
KK - Formation/bio/tactics
**NOTE:
Still have no internet access so had to shorten what I intended to write**
Bios
J.Cesar - Literally saved Inter time and time again as his performances only grew stronger to further contribute to the success Inter enjoyed during his time there in the interval given. (3 Serie A, 2 Coppa Italia, 1 FIFA Club World Cup, 1 CL)
Kompany: The best CB in the Prem and one of the best in the world. Honors include a Prem title and an FA Cup. Was also named EPL Player of the season in 11\12.
Pepe - Not much has to be said here. An extremely hard-working, versatile player who is deservedly seen as one of the best CBs around. Honors in the required interval include 2 La Liga wins and 1 Copa Del Rey.
Maicon - Unanimously agreed upon as the best right back of the required interval.
A. Cole - No comment.
Kroos - Has become an integral regular to Bayern Munich's best side in years. His ability to spray pinpoint passes from deep being his most notable attribute. Honors: too many to name.
J.Martinez - At only 25, J. Martinez has cemented his spot amongst the very best DMFs in the world. Helped Bilbao win silver medals once in the EL, twice in the Copa Del Rey and once in the Spanish Super Cup. Was swooped up by Bayern where he won the CL, Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal & UEFA Super Cup. International honors include a FIFA World Cup gold medal in 2010, a Euros gold medal in 2012 and a silver medal in the 2013 FIFA Confederations cup. Personal honors include the La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2010
Iniesta - No comment.
Gotze - Widely seen as one of the most brilliant wingers of recent times. Represented by the fat amount of money Bayern spent on him. For honors, look above (Hummels).
Hamsik - The V8 engine to Cavani's Ferrari, Hamsik had been one of the most consistent performers of the interval.
Cavani - No comment.
Kompany: The best CB in the Prem and one of the best in the world. Honors include a Prem title and an FA Cup. Was also named EPL Player of the season in 11\12.
Pepe - Not much has to be said here. An extremely hard-working, versatile player who is deservedly seen as one of the best CBs around. Honors in the required interval include 2 La Liga wins and 1 Copa Del Rey.
Maicon - Unanimously agreed upon as the best right back of the required interval.
A. Cole - No comment.
Kroos - Has become an integral regular to Bayern Munich's best side in years. His ability to spray pinpoint passes from deep being his most notable attribute. Honors: too many to name.
J.Martinez - At only 25, J. Martinez has cemented his spot amongst the very best DMFs in the world. Helped Bilbao win silver medals once in the EL, twice in the Copa Del Rey and once in the Spanish Super Cup. Was swooped up by Bayern where he won the CL, Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal & UEFA Super Cup. International honors include a FIFA World Cup gold medal in 2010, a Euros gold medal in 2012 and a silver medal in the 2013 FIFA Confederations cup. Personal honors include the La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2010
Iniesta - No comment.
Gotze - Widely seen as one of the most brilliant wingers of recent times. Represented by the fat amount of money Bayern spent on him. For honors, look above (Hummels).
Hamsik - The V8 engine to Cavani's Ferrari, Hamsik had been one of the most consistent performers of the interval.
Cavani - No comment.
Tactics
Natural Partnerships:
Again, J. Martinez & Kroos and Hamsik & Cavani will implement the natural partnerships they have developed playing together.
Internal Tactics:
A.Cole & Maicon will balance their offensive and defensive duties evenly as their abilities span across both segments.
Hamsik will be the link-up player between the CMs & the front 3.
Iniesta and Gotze will cut inside to provide offensive reinforcements.
External Tactics:
When the ball is with Lewis' team, Iniesta and Gotze will drop deep to their respective wings to lessen the harm that could be caused by Coentrao & Alves.
J.Martinez will man-mark Sneijder. This should disrupt the flow of Lewis' team as it will act as an obstacle to the link-up play between his CMs and the front 3.
Kompany & Pepe will double-up on RVP (Unless other obvious targets present) and thus limit the space he could use to cause harm.
Again, J. Martinez & Kroos and Hamsik & Cavani will implement the natural partnerships they have developed playing together.
Internal Tactics:
A.Cole & Maicon will balance their offensive and defensive duties evenly as their abilities span across both segments.
Hamsik will be the link-up player between the CMs & the front 3.
Iniesta and Gotze will cut inside to provide offensive reinforcements.
External Tactics:
When the ball is with Lewis' team, Iniesta and Gotze will drop deep to their respective wings to lessen the harm that could be caused by Coentrao & Alves.
J.Martinez will man-mark Sneijder. This should disrupt the flow of Lewis' team as it will act as an obstacle to the link-up play between his CMs and the front 3.
Kompany & Pepe will double-up on RVP (Unless other obvious targets present) and thus limit the space he could use to cause harm.
Lewinick - Formation/bio/tactics
Bios
Hugo Lloris - A brilliant goalkeeper, not as outstanding as others in this draft but certainly one who can be counted upon. Excellent with the ball at his feet, as well as sweeping up
in behind defenders when needed. Notable individual honours include France GKOTY 2009, 2010 & 2012.
Dani Alves - In my humble opinion, the best full back of his generation, certainly the most successful. The complete modern full back, as good offensively as he is
defensively. Has played a crucial role in much of Barcelona's ludicrous success, particularly offering an alternative option for the deeper players to hit.
Rio Ferdinand - Doesn't really need me to big him up, we all know just how good he is/has been during this time period. Possibly the best defender in Europe in 2008,
winning the PL & CL, as well as being in the PL & World XIs.
John Terry - Captain Leader Legend etc. Unfashionable because he's a berk. Doesn't hide the fact that he's one of the standout defenders of the 00's. Uefa TOTY 2008, 2009. Uefa Best defender 2008, 2009. Should compliment Rio very well, even if they'd like to poke each others eyes out.
Fabio Coentrao - Like Dani Alves, another brilliant modern full back. Offers a huge amount going forward, as well as being a very good defender. Was named in the Euro 2012 TOTT for his exceptional performances for Portugal.
Sergio Busquets - Don't think it's unreasonable or hyperbolic to say he's the best defensive midfielder of his generation. The complete footballer, few read the game better, pass better, tackle better,make more interceptions. Could yada on for 2000 words about him and his honours since 2008, don't think I need to.
Bastian Schweinsteiger - A manager's dream, complete midfielder who's able to play a variety of roles in the midfield to a very high level. Consistently excellent across the whole period, he is the engine room of both Bayern and Germany.
Wesley Sneijder - Between 2008-2010, not many would argue that Sneijder was one of (if not the) best attacking midfielders in world football. Named in the TOTT at Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010, he was also MoM in the 2010 UCL final, a vital part of Inter's glittering season. A brilliant reader of the game, he's known for his passing and long range shooting, as well as capability
to split even the best defences.
Eden Hazard - An explosive winger who's a nightmare for defenders, best known for his pace and trickery, supplemented by incredible goals and asssits tallies. In his final 3 years at Lille Hazard notched 44 goals and 38 assists, form which he's carried on at Chelsea notching 13 goals and 20 assists in a debut year where he was named
in the PL TOTS.
Luis Suarez - After Busquets, probably the key player in the side. Suarez will play as a wing forward, something he's been accustomed to at Liverpool and Uruguay. Scored 77 goals in his final 2 seasons at Ajax, and has carried on that form at Liverpool, albeit with fewer goals, but in a more difficult league. Named in the PL TOTS in 2013 as well as winning POTT at the Copa America 2011, which Uruguay won.
Robin Van Persie - Arguably the best out and out striker in World football over the past 3 years. Don't think I need to write much here, we all know what he's known for and how he operates. Just as capable of scoring from 30 yards he is from 3, in his full season so far at Man Utd he won the golden boot, the PL and provided a series of match winning performances. Match winner.
in behind defenders when needed. Notable individual honours include France GKOTY 2009, 2010 & 2012.
Dani Alves - In my humble opinion, the best full back of his generation, certainly the most successful. The complete modern full back, as good offensively as he is
defensively. Has played a crucial role in much of Barcelona's ludicrous success, particularly offering an alternative option for the deeper players to hit.
Rio Ferdinand - Doesn't really need me to big him up, we all know just how good he is/has been during this time period. Possibly the best defender in Europe in 2008,
winning the PL & CL, as well as being in the PL & World XIs.
John Terry - Captain Leader Legend etc. Unfashionable because he's a berk. Doesn't hide the fact that he's one of the standout defenders of the 00's. Uefa TOTY 2008, 2009. Uefa Best defender 2008, 2009. Should compliment Rio very well, even if they'd like to poke each others eyes out.
Fabio Coentrao - Like Dani Alves, another brilliant modern full back. Offers a huge amount going forward, as well as being a very good defender. Was named in the Euro 2012 TOTT for his exceptional performances for Portugal.
Sergio Busquets - Don't think it's unreasonable or hyperbolic to say he's the best defensive midfielder of his generation. The complete footballer, few read the game better, pass better, tackle better,make more interceptions. Could yada on for 2000 words about him and his honours since 2008, don't think I need to.
Bastian Schweinsteiger - A manager's dream, complete midfielder who's able to play a variety of roles in the midfield to a very high level. Consistently excellent across the whole period, he is the engine room of both Bayern and Germany.
Wesley Sneijder - Between 2008-2010, not many would argue that Sneijder was one of (if not the) best attacking midfielders in world football. Named in the TOTT at Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010, he was also MoM in the 2010 UCL final, a vital part of Inter's glittering season. A brilliant reader of the game, he's known for his passing and long range shooting, as well as capability
to split even the best defences.
Eden Hazard - An explosive winger who's a nightmare for defenders, best known for his pace and trickery, supplemented by incredible goals and asssits tallies. In his final 3 years at Lille Hazard notched 44 goals and 38 assists, form which he's carried on at Chelsea notching 13 goals and 20 assists in a debut year where he was named
in the PL TOTS.
Luis Suarez - After Busquets, probably the key player in the side. Suarez will play as a wing forward, something he's been accustomed to at Liverpool and Uruguay. Scored 77 goals in his final 2 seasons at Ajax, and has carried on that form at Liverpool, albeit with fewer goals, but in a more difficult league. Named in the PL TOTS in 2013 as well as winning POTT at the Copa America 2011, which Uruguay won.
Robin Van Persie - Arguably the best out and out striker in World football over the past 3 years. Don't think I need to write much here, we all know what he's known for and how he operates. Just as capable of scoring from 30 yards he is from 3, in his full season so far at Man Utd he won the golden boot, the PL and provided a series of match winning performances. Match winner.
Tactics
Tactics for this match will be largely similar to those employed against AB in the previous round. Concentrating on my own team, build up will be played through the centre of the pitch. Busquets and Schweingsteiger are two of the best midfielders in the draft, they'll both play a key role in maintaining possession and also pressing to win the ball back. Schweingsteiger is a marked improvement on Carrick in the sense that he's a bit more of an all rounder, he has the pace and nous to play box to box, exploding forward in possession when needed, but equally play a more conservative role if the pressure is on. Even against a midfield pairing as good as Kroos and Martinez I'd still expect SB & BS to come out on top, both are more experienced at the very highest level and are just that bit better
The biggest threats coming from KK's side for me will be Iniesta imo. He'll cause trouble weaving in and out, particularly on the side where Alves will often be well forward. Alves is however incredibly athletic and so should be able to cover all but the most rapid counter attacks. I think my team could limit KK's to a lot of counter-attacking, given the strength of my midfield. In these scenarios, I've got Busquets and Schweini to cover like they do best. Although Gotze and Iniesta are known to be tricky and excellent ball-players, neither are blessed with devastating pace, nor is Hamsik, and so I'd expect to see my defensive players cope with the majority of said attacks. Whilst Hamsik has been very good in patches over the period, I don't think he's up to the level of Gotze, and certainly not Iniesta, I'd expect Busquets to be able to cope with Hamsik very comfortably.
Attacking
As you can see I've drawn an an example of the kind of attacks I expect my team to launch. Again the full backs are key, stretching the play and providing KK's full backs with headache's on who to mark. I think Alves could find himself in a lot of space often, with Iniesta having drifted in side to help out his fellow midfielders. As shown by the diagram, Suarez will be able to cut inside leaving the space for Alves to exploit and whip balls in for Van Persie & Suarez to finish, or even a late run from Schweinsteiger. When ball is played or carried through the middle, Sneijder will come into his own, looking to supply his Holland team mate Van Persie or occasionally launch the sort of shot he was renowned for at his peak around 2010. The overall scheme when attacking will be to attempt to overwhelm and swamp KK's defensive players, with Busquets sitting deeper always prepared to cover if Scweinsteiger decides to go and support the attack, this move won't always happen though and Schweinsteiger can always sit deep and look to pick a pass.
Defending
As you can see from the picture the two holding players will play a key role in combatting KK's main threats, Iniesta and Gotze. Alves and Coentrao will have their hands full with forward runs from Maicon and Cole, although Cole may be a little more reserved and less effective in attacking areas. It's expected that Gotze and Iniesta will come inside looking for space to attack, and so this area will be flooded by the centre halfs and the holding midfielders. I don't envisage a great deal of late runs from Kroos or Martinez, and so Sneijder can pressure them higher up the field.
The biggest threats coming from KK's side for me will be Iniesta imo. He'll cause trouble weaving in and out, particularly on the side where Alves will often be well forward. Alves is however incredibly athletic and so should be able to cover all but the most rapid counter attacks. I think my team could limit KK's to a lot of counter-attacking, given the strength of my midfield. In these scenarios, I've got Busquets and Schweini to cover like they do best. Although Gotze and Iniesta are known to be tricky and excellent ball-players, neither are blessed with devastating pace, nor is Hamsik, and so I'd expect to see my defensive players cope with the majority of said attacks. Whilst Hamsik has been very good in patches over the period, I don't think he's up to the level of Gotze, and certainly not Iniesta, I'd expect Busquets to be able to cope with Hamsik very comfortably.
Attacking
As you can see I've drawn an an example of the kind of attacks I expect my team to launch. Again the full backs are key, stretching the play and providing KK's full backs with headache's on who to mark. I think Alves could find himself in a lot of space often, with Iniesta having drifted in side to help out his fellow midfielders. As shown by the diagram, Suarez will be able to cut inside leaving the space for Alves to exploit and whip balls in for Van Persie & Suarez to finish, or even a late run from Schweinsteiger. When ball is played or carried through the middle, Sneijder will come into his own, looking to supply his Holland team mate Van Persie or occasionally launch the sort of shot he was renowned for at his peak around 2010. The overall scheme when attacking will be to attempt to overwhelm and swamp KK's defensive players, with Busquets sitting deeper always prepared to cover if Scweinsteiger decides to go and support the attack, this move won't always happen though and Schweinsteiger can always sit deep and look to pick a pass.
Defending
As you can see from the picture the two holding players will play a key role in combatting KK's main threats, Iniesta and Gotze. Alves and Coentrao will have their hands full with forward runs from Maicon and Cole, although Cole may be a little more reserved and less effective in attacking areas. It's expected that Gotze and Iniesta will come inside looking for space to attack, and so this area will be flooded by the centre halfs and the holding midfielders. I don't envisage a great deal of late runs from Kroos or Martinez, and so Sneijder can pressure them higher up the field.
