70s Retro Football Fantasy Championship - DRAFT THREAD

Neville was very good that year, he stepped up his game after Beckham left, defensively he covered for Ronaldo, offensively he improved his runs and crossing, you should watch the season review dvds again.
The votes were in well before the season ended. Doubt the PFA members knew months in advance that Arsenal would finish the league unbeaten.



That Okacha had an outstanding year and his fellow professionals deem him deserving of recognition? Some players go through purple patches in form and are given due recognition by fellow professionals. Not that hard to accept.

It's a bit odd getting nominated then Pires or Vieira gets ahead of you in team of the year don't you think? Of that team of the year only 4 were nominated for player of the year. That only makes sense if many players from the same position get nominated. It's real easy to know how to vote these things.
 
I would say Ronaldo and Vieri, but I would, wouldn't I?

Honestly, they would complement each other better. You have no aerial threat in the box. With Beckham on that's a crying shame. You do have it from midfield though.

Shevchenko was a good header.
 
Shevchenko was a good header.

Can head a ball yes (good distinction as Ronaldo was rubbish at it full stop), not aerially dominant though.

Great players nonetheless, I'm just arguing why another partner for Ronaldo would be better.
 
It's a bit odd getting nominated then Pires or Vieira gets ahead of you in team of the year don't you think? Of that team of the year only 4 were nominated for player of the year. That only makes sense if many players from the same position get nominated. It's real easy to know how to vote these things.

Because Pires and Vieira were deserving of recognition as well. It is understandable when people have a number of candidates that they have difficulty separating, they find a way to share the spoils. Just like Fabregas winning Young Player of the Year with Ronaldo scooping the main award.
 
Do people want to do the semi finals tomorrow or is everyone happy for them to start on Monday? They'll be 2-day long polls, FWIW.

Think I'm going to just take a gamble and go out on the attack with this team:

346747_Czech_Republic.jpg
 
Do people want to do the semi finals tomorrow or is everyone happy for them to start on Monday? They'll be 2-day long polls, FWIW.

Think I'm going to just take a gamble and go out on the attack with this team:

346747_Czech_Republic.jpg

Will be great when you have the ball against an inferior midfield, but against Antohan's midfield? and when his team has the ball....

He could possibly line-up like this to leave Davids and Pirlo chasing shadows in midfield

346988_France.jpg
 
Will be great when you have the ball against an inferior midfield, but against Antohan's midfield? and when his team has the ball....

He could possibly line-up like this to leave Davids and Pirlo chasing shadows in midfield

Ssssshhhhh! :nono:

Btw, you seem to have misplaced your reply in a 2002 thread.

It was a monumental fail back then but you really seem to have brought it alive :lol:
 
I respect Brwned's and Polaroid's symmetry with their lineups. I really appreciate people giving a hoot about stuff like that.
 
I respect Brwned's and Polaroid's symmetry with their lineups. I really appreciate people giving a hoot about stuff like that.

Cold_Boy's team has gone a long way since:

341150_Dream_Team.jpg


:lol: would have been hilarious if he started that against Dan
 
Ssssshhhhh! :nono:

Btw, you seem to have misplaced your reply in a 2002 thread.

It was a monumental fail back then but you really seem to have brought it alive :lol:

No idea how it ended up there, short circuit in the server perhaps :lol:

Anyway, you can see why i urged him to go for Veron instead of Ayala the last round. Veron is defensively better than Valeron and offensively better than Tacchinardi. Hyypia is more suited against Vieri than Ayala.

347221_A_C__Milan.jpg


His midfield will be harder to play through and when in possession, more difficult to get the ball off. With Davids and Rivaldo capable of exploiting the inside-left channel or going left to link up with Zambrotta, Veron and Larsson likewise on the right with Sagnol, his team would not be short of width and attacking variations when needed.
 
No idea how it ended up there, short circuit in the server perhaps :lol:

Anyway, you can see why i urged him to go for Veron instead of Ayala the last round. Veron is defensively better than Valeron and offensively better than Tacchinardi. Hyypia is more suited against Vieri than Ayala.

347221_A_C__Milan.jpg


His midfield will be harder to play through and when in possession, more difficult to get the ball off. With Davids and Rivaldo capable of exploiting the inside-left channel or going left to link up with Zambrotta, Veron and Larsson likewise on the right with Sagnol, his team would not be short of width and attacking variations when needed.

That's an outstanding team, especially with the potential of bringing in Zidane for Larsson after the semi.
 
That's an outstanding team, especially with the potential of bringing in Zidane for Larsson after the semi.

Yes, Zidane in for Larsson or Nesta in for Hyypia, what a team that would have been!
 
surely any team has a space for Scholes!

I have to say, I was watching him yesterday and wondering how I could possibly not take him. In a different league from anything kps had.

Decisions...
 
What do people think about this?

348002_Football_Manager_Team.jpg


All three central midfielders have a great workrate which should help match Brwned's more defensive-minded arrangements.

In possession it would be pure sex.
 
Tempted to say it's a bit generous to say Seedorf had great work-rate, but I can't think of a way to back that up. He tended to be a bit passive sometimes, don't you think? Which is why he was often played in wide-ish positions at pretty much every club he played at. I'm not saying that in terms of criticising your team as it's well balanced - although it's daring to go without a holding midfielder - but just in general terms, Seedorf tended to drift in and out to some degree.
 
I think it's a wee bit attack-minded. Only Luis Enrique would do a proper defensive shift in there.
 
This is just an option.

What do people think of this?

348025_Fifa_Team.jpg


Subs:
Litmanen
Wiltord
Hamann
Albelda
 
You can't play Di Natale wide in a 442. I'd have Litmanen out there ahead of him, never mind Wiltord.
 
Cold Boy's main problem is he has a traditional wide right midfielder and no one on the left.
 
Tempted to say it's a bit generous to say Seedorf had great work-rate, but I can't think of a way to back that up. He tended to be a bit passive sometimes, don't you think? Which is why he was often played in wide-ish positions at pretty much every club he played at. I'm not saying that in terms of criticising your team as it's well balanced - although it's daring to go without a holding midfielder - but just in general terms, Seedorf tended to drift in and out to some degree.

Nah, his workrate was very good, lately he obviously has toned it down (age). It would be fair to say he wasn't as aggressive as I would like him to be - which is the reason I'd rather take on Davids.

That's where my issue is, I have enough holding midfielders on the bench as it is. If I added Gattuso he would promptly join them once I got Davids.

In the meantime, Scholes is a vastly superior player to Gattuso in every way except pressing and tackling. But he does put in a very good shift, Seedorf and Luis Enrique in particular do as well, it doesn't massively concern me.

And once I have the ball it's a completely different proposition to have Scholes in there than Gattuso. At the end of the day, possession is part getting it and part what you do with it. Whatever I lose in the "getting" stakes I more than make up in the "what you do with it" stakes.
 
This is just an option.

What do people think of this?

348025_Fifa_Team.jpg


Subs:
Litmanen
Wiltord
Hamann
Albelda

Why don't instead go for a traditional 4-4-2, rather than these fancy formations.
 
Cold Boy, I think people won't be keen on Beckham too far up on the right flank - and it might be a wise move to have him in a straight line or thereabouts with Keane and Ballack. Most teams seem to be playing a midfield five now (not sure who you've got next) and therefore the more you can solidify your midfield four, the better.
 
Nah, his workrate was very good, lately he obviously has toned it down (age). It would be fair to say he wasn't as aggressive as I would like him to be - which is the reason I'd rather take on Davids.

That's where my issue is, I have enough holding midfielders on the bench as it is. If I added Gattuso he would promptly join them once I got Davids.

In the meantime, Scholes is a vastly superior player to Gattuso in every way except pressing and tackling. But he does put in a very good shift, Seedorf and Luis Enrique in particular do as well, it doesn't massively concern me.

And once I have the ball it's a completely different proposition to have Scholes in there than Gattuso. At the end of the day, possession is part getting it and part what you do with it. Whatever I lose in the "getting" stakes I more than make up in the "what you do with it" stakes.

I agree with picking Scholes, you'd be mad to pick Gattuso over him because Simeone's does the job perfectly well. And I think how you're setup is best, it's just daring. Might as well have a go in the semis, though.
 
What about Simeone instead of Seedorf then?

Yeah that would be a welcome compromise for me. A lot depends though on how Brwned lines up. If it's Seedorf, Scholes and Luis Enrique against Valeron, Davids and Pirlo, then I think you'd be okay.
 
Cold Boy's main problem is he has a traditional wide right midfielder and no one on the left.

Nor will Overmars be a traditional left midfielder if he gets him so that lop-sidedness is there to stay. That's why I had suggested formations other than 4-4-2.

In any case, I think Cold_Boy will be better off playing Wiltord. He is facing Gary Kelly so it can't go too badly.

It is weird how these two have great natural wide players and average fullbacks while we have the best fullbacks but no exceptional wide players.
 
So shall we just postpone the matches until tomorrow?
 
Yeah that would be a welcome compromise for me. A lot depends though on how Brwned lines up. If it's Seedorf, Scholes and Luis Enrique against Valeron, Davids and Pirlo, then I think you'd be okay.

If he fields that midfield he is dead. He will definitely have to play Tacchinardi, the question is whether he plays Valerón at all.

And that's the thing, when he has Tacchinardi and Davids in midfield he may edge it a bit if I don't play Simeone. But once he gets the ball he would have Davids and Tacchinardi on the ball and Pirlo pressed by Zidane and/or Forlán, how good is his build up?

When I get the ball I will have Scholes, Seedorf or Luis Enrique on the ball with either Zidane or Forlán roaming freely.
 
If he fields that midfield he is dead. He will definitely have to play Tacchinardi, the question is whether he plays Valerón at all.

And that's the thing, when he has Tacchinardi and Davids in midfield he may edge it a bit if I don't play Simeone. But once he gets the ball he would have Davids and Tacchinardi on the ball and Pirlo pressed by Zidane and/or Forlán, how good is his build up?

When I get the ball I will have Scholes, Seedorf or Luis Enrique on the ball with either Zidane or Forlán roaming freely.

If it's Davids and Tacchinardi he'll certainly have more ball-winning ability than that three, but less scope to do much with it. There's a decision to be made about starting Valeron or Larsson. Rivaldo and Valeron might be better to beef up the creative aspects of the midfield.
 
You're definitely not ready today then antohan?
 
I wonder how Luis Enrique's seen by those not old enough to have seen him at his peak. Have to say I knew very little of him before I watched a few Barca games of Ronaldo and Figo, and I was surprised how good he was. I've still seen very little of him but I do know he was very good. And he must've played about 6 different positions in that Spanish cup final alone.
 
I wonder how Luis Enrique's seen by those not old enough to have seen him at his peak. Have to say I knew very little of him before I watched a few Barca games of Ronaldo and Figo, and I was surprised how good he was. I've still seen very little of him but I do know he was very good. And he must've played about 6 different positions in that Spanish cup final alone.

One of my concerns about playing Simeone instead of Seedorf, I end up with two non-whippersnapper-friendly midfielders.

Luis Enrique was a monster, I'm not exaggerating when I say he was "Keano with goals" (25 in 47 as a CM!, 1 in 2 in Europe throughout his Barca career). The most complete Spanish player as far back as I can remember.

There are a lot of fancy Spanish players in that time, some (less) really great at their roles and up there for WPOTY contention... But Luis Enrique could play several different roles and be immense at any one of them. Him and Keano completely redefine "big game player".

Before I get ignorants saying I'm bigging up my player I'll admit Davids was a better defensive midfielder (the best) but either of those two had it in them to match him by sheer will. Sparks will fly there.

It's a mentality thing, you compare Keano and Vieira and on paper, as an athlete and maybe even technically, Vieira was the superior player. Particularly as his best years coincided with Keano being on his way down from his peak. Yet Keano beasted him all the time, on and -famously- off the pitch.