70s Fantasy Draft - Cling Bak v Gio

[Brwned]

Cling Bak

SUB: F.Morientes


Some light reading

Edwin Van der Sar
820 Career appearances
130 International caps
8 League titles
2 Champions Leagues
1 UEFA Cup
Best European Goalkeeper (2): 1995, 2009
PFA Premier League Team of the Year (3): 2006–07, 2008–09, 2010–11
UEFA Euro 2008 Team of the Tournament
UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year (1): 2009

Gary Kelly
531 Leeds United appearances (11 PL sesons)
51 International caps
PFA Team Of The Year: 1993-94, 1999-00

Ricardo Carvalho
467 Career appearances
75 International caps
6 League titles
5 Premier Cups (FA/Copa Del/Portugese)
1 Champions League
1 UEFA Cup
Portuguese League Footballer of the Year: 2002–03
UEFA Club Best Defender of the Year: 2003–04
UEFA Team of the Year: 2003–04
UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament: 2004
FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2006
Chelsea Players' Player of the Year: 2007–08

Martin Laursen
UEFA Champions League: 2002-03
Serie A: 2003-04
53 International caps
219 Career league appearances

Joan Capdevila
Over 300 La Liga appearances
60 International caps
FIFA World Cup: 2010
UEFA European Football Championship: 2008
Started both WC & EC finals

Edmilson
French League: 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04
La Liga: 2004–05, 2005–06
UEFA Champions League: 2005–06
FIFA World Cup: 2002
Started both CL and WC finals

Ze Roberto
84 caps for Brazil
Over 100 league apps for Bayern Munich & Bayer Leverkusen
Fußball-Bundesliga: 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008
La Liga: 1997

Juan Roman Riquelme
Career league appearances: 377, League goals: 92
15 league goals, 2004/05
12 league goals, 2005/06
Argentine Footballer of the Year: 2000, 2001, 2008
South American Footballer of the Year: 2001
La Liga: Don Balón Award (Foreign Player of the Year) 2004–05
FIFA Confederations Cup: Silver Ball 2005
Copa Libertadores: Most Valuable Player 2007

Steve McManaman
Career apps: 579, Goals: 80
142 assists for Liverpool in 364 appearances
PFA Team of the Year: 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998
Two time Champions League winner, Champions League Final Man of the Match: 2000

Marc Overmars
Career apps: 398, Goals: 78
Netherlands caps: 78, Goals: 17
Four league titles, one Champions League

Thierry Henry
Career apps: 694, Goals: 321, Assists: 166
PFA Team of the Year (6): 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06
Premier League Golden Boot (4): 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06.
UEFA Team of the Year (5): 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006
All time France top goalscorer

F.Morientes
573 Career appearances, 204 goals
47 Spain caps, 27 goals
3 League titles
3 Champions Leagues (and final appearances)
UEFA Forward of the Year: 2004
UEFA Champions League: Top Scorer 2004

THIS IS HOW THE GAME STARTED. TACTICS HAVE CHANGED SINCE AT 9-5, SEE BELOW FOR GIO'S UPDATED TACTICS

Gio

Tactics (4-2-3-1):
Davids, Veron and Mendieta will dominate and dictate from the centre of the park. Mendieta's Valencia team-mates, Pablo Aimar and Claudio Lopez complete an imposing five-man midfield and will link up with expert finisher and talented frontman Roy Makaay. German wing-backs Babbel and Ziege will overlap when Mendieta cuts inside and Lopez pushes into attack. The centre-half pairing of Naybet and Gamarra is rock-solid and unfussy.

Gregory Coupet
Lyon legend who kept goal during seven consecutive title triumphs. With Coupet at the helm, Lyon's defensive record in 2004/05 was the second best in Ligue 1 history. Perhaps best known for this sensational double-save against Barcelona's Rivaldo.

Markus Babbel
Close to signing for Man Utd for £5m in 1996 which would have made him the most expensive defender in the country. Rock-solid right-back and superb man-marker, a lynchpin of the German side which won Euro 96.

Noureddine Naybet
Regarded by many as the greatest African defender of all-time, Naybet was the heart of Deportivo's defence for seven seasons which were the club's greatest years. Sir Alex Ferguson held him in similar regard, arranging a deal for the swashbuckling centre-back in 1999 which fell through due to ultimately unfounded fears over the Moroccan's knees. United's loss was Depor's gain as they went on to win La Liga the following season. John Toschak, former Real Madrid, Deportivo, Real Sociedad and Sporting manager, rates Naybet as the best defender under his management.

Carlos Gammara
Highly respected South American centre-half, Gamarra saved his best for Paraguay who he captained during three World Cups. Kept clean sheets against formidable Spanish and Bulgarian attacks before France squeezed past in extra time in the knockout stages. Physically imposing yet such a smooth operator that he didn't concede a single foul in the 1998 tournament.

Christian Ziege
Classy wing-back who was a dynamic and incisive weapon for Germany at Euro 96. Set-piece expert who was one of only four left-backs to be voted for the Ballon D'Or between 1991 and 2005 (the others being Maldini, Carlos and Lizarazu).

Edgar Davids
Tenacious central midfielder whose dominance of the centre of the park was the platform for the great Juventus and Holland sides of the late 1990s.

Juan Sebastian Veron
Technically immaculate playmaker whose height and muscular frame enabled him to showcase his exceptional vision from central midfield. Orchestrated domestic and European success for Parma and Lazio during his prime years. South American Player of the Year awards at 33 and 34 demonstrate his class despite the diminishing aspect of age.

Gaizka Mendieta
The hearbeat of the great Valencia team which reached consecutive Champions League finals. Mendieta won back-to-back UEFA Champions League Midfielder of the Year awards which was testament to his stature in an era of great midfielders. At home in an inside-right or a central role, Mendieta married aggressive pressing and commitment in the tackle with penetrating attacking play and considerable goal threat.

Pablo Aimar
"You can see that he will be a great, great player. He has everything, everything to be a player that can make the difference in Europe. A new star." Johan Cruyff's eulogy following Aimar's debut for Valencia against United reflected the excitement the Argentine's arrival generated. Aimar's time at the top would be curtailed due to injury and illness, but at his best he was a mazy dribbler, elusive and slippery, who linked midfield with attack effortlessly.

Claudio Lopez
Electric forward who spent a number of excellent seasons at Valencia. Equally at home on the left wing or in attack, his 30 goals in 1998/99 were perhaps the statistical highlight but it was his leading role in the regular demolitions of reigning European champions Real Madrid (see the 6-0 hammering) and Barcelona which really caught the imagination.

Roy Makaay
Gifted forward who was both a great goalscorer and a scorer of great goals. 108 goals in just three seasons while at Deportivo and Bayern testify to his onion-bag-rattling ability. Normally deployed as the lone frontman in Irureta's 4-2-3-1, Makaay was excellent at finishing from range with both feet, while a 6ft 2' frame made him a potent threat in the air.

Sub:

Robbie Fowler
Precocious goalscorer who took the Premiership by storm during his emergence in the mid-1990s. His range of finishing was largely driven by a multi-faceted left foot that helped him to over 30 goals in three consecutive seasons.

 

[Zen]

Another tough one, but I went for CB's in the end, just seems a bit more natural to me. Henry up top with Riquelme pulling the string....and VDS in goal with a strong defence in front(well not really Gary Kelly...)

As with most of my picks....still having regrets about it, but this is all too close.

 

[Jayvin]

Bloody hell this one is tough. I like the balance of Cling Bak's midfield, but then again it's up against Davids/Mendieta/Veron.

Might have to abstain from this one if i can't decide soon.

 

[antohan]

I'm in two minds here as well.

Naybet and Gammarra are probably the slowest CB partnership around, which doesn't bode well when faced with Henry, Overmars and McManaman. I can't see Ziege and Babbel going forward and overlapping at all. If they do, Riquelme will sooner or later release one of those into space, probably several times.

On the other hand, Edmilson and Ze Roberto are not a match for Gio's midfield subject to what Mendieta is supposed to be doing (neither here nor there). Riquelme is not exactly the sort who will get stuck in so he is hugely reliant on those two having a stormer.

That really is the only thing that stops me going for Cling Bak yet. I can only see Gio winning this by sitting back, absorbing any pressure (not as easy as it is to write it), establishing midfield dominance and then rely on Aimar/Lopez/Makaay to nick one or two.

Could they? Yes. But so far, with fullbacks committed to going forward, Cling Bak is 2-0 up in my book.

 

[Gio]

subject to what Mendieta is supposed to be doing (neither here nor there).

The rationale for Mendieta's inside-right position is that while he was perfectly capable in the middle or wide right, that was his strongest position. Close enough to the middle to win the battle in the middle of the park, but with enough liberty to break into the attacking third. It's a classic lopsided 4-2-3-1.

I'm not too concerned about pace at the back. Gamarra's slow admittedly, but the full-backs are both nippy and have deep starting positions as part of the back line, while Naybet is well versed in partnering a slower centre-back, such as he did with Depor when alongside the 40-year-old Donato.

 

[antohan]

The rationale for Mendieta's inside-right position is that while he was perfectly capable in the middle or wide right, that was his strongest position. Close enough to the middle to win the battle in the middle of the park, but with enough liberty to break into the attacking third. It's a classic lopsided 4-2-3-1.

I would always expect Mendieta to break if the opportunity arises. I would just rather see him in the middle of the park ensuring Ze Roberto and Edmilson are chasing shadows. In practice I suppose he is going to be there though.

I'm not too concerned about pace at the back. Gamarra's slow admittedly, but the full-backs are both nippy and have deep starting positions as part of the back line, while Naybet is well versed in partnering a slower centre-back, such as he did with Depor when alongside the 40-year-old Donato.

Naybet was pretty damn slow himself. Admittedly, it may be my later years recollection of him.

I don't have a fundamental problem with CB pairs being slow if you are defending deep, but if you are more positive and your fullbacks are meant to provide an attacking outlet (which is what I interpret from your initial tactics explanation) then you have a problem. You can't have both in my eyes, not without leaking goals, particularly against that front three.

 

[TheReligion]

Tight game.

Not sure on Mendieta's role really in Gio's side but then again Gary Kelly is a total mismatch

 

[Team Brian GB]

What it not be easier going if Cling Bak organised his team as a 4231?

 

[Gio]

Moving Veron forward for a genuine 4-2-3-1:

 

[antohan]

This group is very difficult to call. I'll go with Gio's better midfield three, so long as his fullbacks stay disciplined at the back.

The Lice will tear a new one into Kelly.

 

[Snow]

I went for Cling. Better balanced team and obviously got the best tactic there is. Doesn't help Gio that Coupet is playing sweeper.

 

[antohan]

I went for Cling. Better balanced team and obviously got the best tactic there is. Doesn't help Gio that Coupet is playing sweeper.

I noticed the same, both goalies are playing sweeper actually and Henry and Makaay are forever offside

Good fair win from Cling here.