Edgar Allan Pillow
Ero-Sennin
......................................... Team Tuppet ................................................................................... Team The Stain ................................
Team Tuppet:
New Addition:
Our team welcomes one of the best man marker to have played game in Kohler and one of the most outrageously talented player of all time in Baggio.
Tactic:
We’ll be playing a fluid 4-3-3 formation. At this stage of an all time draft pretty much all the players at the pitch are fantastic and there is not much to say about individual quality. I really like The Stain’s team and can’t pick any glaring weakness in it. So here I describe a few observations about my team & tactic and leave the rest on the judgement of voters -
1. Breathtaking attack - Baggio and Rummenigge playing their favored inside left forward and inside right forward roles respectively, this just screams goals !!. They are two of the best ever in their role. Stain’s defense is pretty great, but IMO no defense can sustain Baggio-Carlos from left and Rummenigge - Reuter from right for 90 minutes. Baggio would provide trickiness, mazy dribble and creativity while Rummenigge gives powerful runs from the deep, great athleticism and finishing ability.
Eto’o fits perfectly in this attack, with his work ethic, searing pace and ability to run channels, as well tactical flexibility (played all over the front line and in both wings) would provide chances to my deadly duo of inside forwards. Eto’o himself is no slouch - 3 times champions league winner !! 2 times consecutive winner with 2 different clubs. Man of the match in champions league final 2006 and opened the scoring against European champions Manchester United in champions league final 2009 against the fabled defense of Ferdinand - Vidic. Obviously a guy for big occasions, his fantastic technique and finishing means he could come up with a goal on his own here.
2. Dominating midfield - Equal part physical and creative my midfield has everything tenacity, creativity and tactical intelligence. Van Hanegem is the standout midfielder on the park, a genius who is referred in the same breath as the likes of Cruyff and Neeskens. He is aided in his job by Gullit, who would play as the most advanced midfielder, using his unique versatility (which allows him to play and be awesome everywhere from sweeper to midfield, right wing or striker) and great tactical intelligence allows him to contribute in both defensive and attacking phase of the game. A physical, force of nature he would provide plenty of muscles for midfield battle. Finally rounding off is Makelele, one of the finest defensive midfielder, he would be playing his usual Makelele role, shielding the defense. His role is very crucial for my team as we use attacking full backs to provide width. When one of my full back goes on the attacking run, Makelele would drop deeper, acting as a third defender helping in covering the space left by my full back and maintaining back four.
3. World class complementary partnership at center defense - At the heart of defense we have fantastic partnership of Kohler - Nesta, two of the best modern day center backs who compliments each other very well. Kohler’s aggressiveness and Nesta’s elegance, it’s not going to be easy to breach this defense.
4. Rampaging wing backs - In Reuter and Roberto Carlos I have two wingbacks adapt to own the flank on their own. Both are used to play in wingless formations and have won champions league playing same role. Particularly on left I can see Roberto Carlos - Baggio, to be similarly devastating as Roberto Carlos - Rivaldo. Not to say Reuter is any less of threat on the other side. He is probably a bit less technical than Carlos but his physicality is as good as any wingback in history. They are my main source of width in this game as both of my wide forwards tend to cut inside.
Now this is not to say that they are weak defensively, this is the beauty of having someone like Makelele in midfield who can provide ample cover when one of them go on their attacking runs. Not that they would need it all the time as both are adapt defenders who with their pace and stamina would run up and down the pitch all day. Van Hangem’s tendency to drift to left and Gullit drifting to right also helps in covering any gaps.
5. Aerial threat - In Gullit I have a fantastic header of the ball. His runs from midfield, to connect with a deep cross from Carlos, Reuter or Van Hanegem is a fantastic route of goal for our team. Speaking of Van Hanegem him and Rummenigge are two others who are fantastic in the air.
Decades breakdown:
40s - Van Hanegem
50s - Rummenigge,
60s - Reuter, Kohler, Baggio, Gullit
70s - Roberto Carlos, Nesta, Peruzzi, Makelele
80s - Eto’o
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