All Time Chain Draft - SF: The Stain vs MJJ/crappy

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

vs

...................................... Team The Stain ...................................................................................... Team MJJ/crappy ..............................


Team The Stain:

4-2-3-1:​

Playing from out the back; Scirea will have permission to bring the ball out from defence. His tactical intelligence will surely set up Giggs and Robben down the wings. Robson/RvN will benefit from the odd through-/long-ball. Ashley Cole will be focused more on defence, just like he thrived in. Same with Gerets but it doesn't mean they won't join in attack. Just that they will take the "defend-first" approach.

When defending; Gerets will be on Henry like a plaster. Gerets was a man marker with high mentality/tenacity who provided deep cover. He could run all day, his stamina was superb. He was also known for his over-lapping runs. Cole consistently went up against Cristiano Ronaldo and won. Figo was a tricky player, like Ronaldo, but slower. I can see Figo struggling here. Stam/Scirea is a well balanced central defence. Stam's athleticism, pace and aggression suits his stopper role. Scirea's world class tactical ability and vision will suit his covering role.

Schweinsteiger will play the more holding midfield role in the central mid partnership. Robson will play his box-box role. That's one mean, ball winning duo. Giggs is playing his normal wing role. Robben to, taking on anyone in his way, cutting inside to deliver the pass or shot. The pace on the wings gives me a great counter-attacking outlet.

I have such an array of great passers. Scirea in defence, Bastian in the holding midfield role. Above him is the extraordinary attacking playmaker, through-ball and dribbling specialist; Laudrup. He will will orchestrate the attacks. I imagine they want Kohler to mark Ruud. RvN will target Thiago Silva so in that scenario, his central defense will be pulled close together, leaving gaps for my other attackers to exploit.

I have several match winners and leaders in the team. We have many ways to goal:​

Laudrup's playmaking, direct play from Scirea/Bastian, Giggs crossing and challenging his full-back, Robson linking up withthe attackers, Robben's unpredictability and cutting inside, RvN's dribbling and playing off the shoulder of opposition defence, long shots, set pieces, etc.

We will defend as a cohesive unit and pounce on the opportunity to counter-attack.

Attack:​

• Leading the line is the lethal striker Ruud van Nistelrooy. He scored 150 goals in 219 matches for United, 35 of those in the CL which is still a record for the club. The greatest target striker in the world in the first half of the 00's. Finished 6th in the Ballon d'Or 03' & 07'. RvN was known for his instinct, strength, technique and speed. I think my favourite goal of his was against Charlton. Rooney goes past a few players on the left. Dribbles into the penalty area and chips it towards RvN who has his back against the goal and is marked by a defender. He chest's the ball, does a 180 and smacks it high into the net.

Midfield:​

• Flying down the left wing is Ryan Giggs. One of the greatest legends for United, he is the clubs longest servant with 962 matches and 150 goals.

• On ther other side is Arjen Robben. Robben is known for his dribbling skills, speed, crossing ability and his accurate left foot long-range shots from the right wing. An unstoppable, prolific scorer for Bayern.

• In the hole is magician Michael Laudrup. A world class playmaker who had the ability to play his way through tight situations and find the right pass to his team mates, no matter how impossible it seemed. 3 years after he left Real he was named best foreign player in the past 25 years in La Liga.

• In central mid we find the team captain marvel; Bryan Robson. A complete midfielder capable of driving on the whole team to victory. 345 matches and 74 goals for United. Known for his great tackles, ball winning and passing abilities he was also a good header of the ball. What set him apart from other midfielders was his ability to get to the goal. Robson captained both Manchester United and England for more than a decade.

• Next to him is Bastian Schweinsteiger. In Sjor's words; "a true warrior on the field and a natural born leader". Legend for Bayern and Germany who has won most trophies.

Defence:​

• On the left is major cnut; Ashley Cole. Best left-back in the world in the early 00's. Arguably England's best left-back ever. He shut down C. Ronaldo consistently and will be a handful for any winger in the draft.

• On the other side is Eric Gerets. "The Lion", a warrior that at his peak was regarded as one of the top right-backs in Europe. Captained PSV when they won the European Cup (CL) in 88'. Part of the Belgian teams (captain 82'-90') that finished runner up in EURO 80' and 4th in the WC 86.

• In central defence we find one of the best defenders of all time; Gaetano Scirea. He was a graceful sweeper or central defender with great vision, ball controlling skills and tactical ability. He would always be in the right place at the right time and rarely needed to tackle to make interceptions. Best defender at the EURO 80', WC 82' winner, won all UEFA competitions and the Seria A 7 times with Juve.

• His partner is Jaap Stam. Explosive central defender who possessed great pace, strength and ball-playing abilities. Voted best defender 2 consecutive CL's; 98'-00'.

• In goal is Belgian Michel Preud'homme. He was one of the best goalkeepers in the world during the late 80's and the early 90's. Won the Lev Yashin award (best keeper) at the WC 94'. Highest place in Ballon d'Or was 10th in 89'.

Subs:

• David Beckham
• Kaká
• Ronald Koeman
• Michael Essien

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Team MJJ/crappy:

Formation : 4-3-3

Attack

The best forward in the draft, Romario leads the line. Figo will run the right wing, capable of taking on any full back in this draft. He will be further strengthened by added support of Lahm. The attack is rounded off by Henry as a left forward. Combined together are handful for any defense complied in this draft. With Lizarazu's support, Henry will be cutting in from the left and linking up with Romario. Both he and Figo are capable of creating from either the wing or through the middle. Absence of a designated number 10 in 433 will allow Henry to play a more free role from the left and influence the game more rather than just play as a traditional left inner forward. We have 3 match winners in attack. All 3 attackers are capable of winning the game on their own.

Midfield

A powerhouse of a midfield with Sammer playing his natural libero role. Matthias Sammer excelled in that libero position, he has the nous to know where he needs to be in, in defense to cover for someone or join the midfield battle. Given the opposition in this matchup he will be spending most of the time in front of the defense, stiffing any central creativity of the opposition.
Vieira and Tigana will play their natural box to box role. Vieira can battle it out with anyone in the central midfield area and is capable of buckling down and playing a defensive role alongside Sammer if needed. Tigana, far from a passenger in midfield battle, will have slightly more freedom to link up with the attack. He is a very underrated passer and playing alongside two beats like Sammer and Vieira will allow him to shine. All in all the midfield 3 has every quality you would want in a trio.

Defense

Kohler-Thiago are a dream pairing. Both compliment each other perfectly. Kohler is a man marker extraordinaire, tough enough to go against any forward in footballing history. Thiago Silva, the best defender in modern day football, possess every defensive facet required and adds some pace to the defensive line. Lahm on the right gets to play in his best role and will will play the role of a modern day full back who will attack and defend, providing an engine out wide for the whole team. Lizarazu linked up with Henry for the French NT team and they will be rekindling that partnership here. As part of a WC and Euro winning team, he can take on any forward in this draft. Finally, we have the best keeper of current era in Martin Neuer as the final wall.

Why we will win

- Sammer on Laudrup : Laudrup is without a doubt one of the best playmakers in this draft. Here he will run into Sammer marshaling the very area he would be attacking from. Sammer won't be man marking Laudrup per-say, but his very position in front of the defense as a dedicated DM would make it much harder for Laudrup to influence the game.

- Ruud vs Kohler : Stain's attack seems will be somewhat reliant on Ruud to score his goal or provide a presence upfront for his wingers and AM. Kohler will be a nightmare for Ruud to deal with. As good as header of ball he was, I don't think Kohler will allow him to score a header. Add to it someone like Thiago and it will be slim picking for Ruud.

- Wing battle : Stain has two very good wingers himself in Giggs and Robben. But we would argue that our set of winger/wing-forward combo in Figo and Henry has that extra edge over those two. Both played at a higher level than either of Giggs or Robben had/have so far.

- Romario : Despite the quality on the pitch, he is the only forward in a different tier all together. In such a tight game, he is the one who can swing it for us.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Game On~

@The Stain @MJJ @crappycraperson

All the best!

 

[Gio]

What a bloody game.

 

[crappycraperson]

What a bloody game.

Yes.

And please, come on, no Cole shut down CR7 so no winger will have a chance against it. It is bad it is when this kind of logic is used with Maldini, with Cole it is just plain absurd.

I will just come out and say that all 4 full backs are at a similar level. If I had to vouch for one, I would probably pick Lahm as the best of the bunch. The point we made regarding our wing options being at slightly higher levels holds true for me and could be that slight difference here.

 

[Skizzo]

What a bloody game.

Sums it up quite well.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

What is the actual definition of libero? Does it indicate any player having a free role?
I actually put it like a CB who has authority to move up to attack and be the last man for offside traps?
Was Hierro a sweeper?

 

[crappycraperson]

What is the actual definition of libero? Does it indicate any player having a free role?
I actually put it like a CB who has authority to move up to attack and be the last man for offside traps?
Was Hierro a sweeper?

I would say by definition a libero is someone with a free role. Whether you can afford to have such a playe rin back 4 is a different issue.

Here with Romario to deal with up top, it is questionable as to how much of his libero role Scirea will be able to play, since he is in a 4 man backline rather than 5.

 

[diarm]

What a bloody game.

Yep. This is a ridiculous match up. Think MJJ has slightly the better front 3 but Stain has a more attacking peak to his midfield with Laudrup and I prefer his centre backs (Stam over Silva - the other two are magnificent). Elsewhere it is very even with brilliant players all over the pitch.

Looking forward to reading this match even if I can't vote.

 

[crappycraperson]

Yep. This is a ridiculous match up. Think MJJ has slightly the better front 3 but Stain has a more attacking peak to his midfield with Laudrup and I prefer his centre backs (Stam over Silva - the other two are magnificent). Elsewhere it is very even with brilliant players all over the pitch.

Looking forward to reading this match even if I can't vote.

Center backs are not facing each other. His duo is facing Romario, our is facing Ruud. There is a gulf of different between the level of difficult each duo is facing here.

 

[The Stain]

What is the actual definition of libero? Does it indicate any player having a free role?
I actually put it like a CB who has authority to move up to attack and be the last man for offside traps?
Was Hierro a sweeper?

I would say by definition a libero is someone with a free role. Whether you can afford to have such a playe rin back 4 is a different issue.

Here with Romario to deal with up top, it is questionable as to how much of his libero role Scirea will be able to play, since he is in a 4 man backline rather than 5.

It's not an issue here. Scirea was an excellent defender first and an attacking outlet second. He played the central defender role as well as sweeper. It's possible he won't have as much of an attacking influence in this game but he'll certaintly be useful when building play from deep.

Center backs are not facing each other. His duo is facing Romario, our is facing Ruud. There is a gulf of different between the level of difficult each duo is facing here.

Not a gulf in difference between them. I'd say Ruud consistently faced better defences through his career than Romario and only scored 50 less goals (club record). Ruud played 4 full season in the PL, scoring over 20 goals in the league in each. Then 2 seasons at Real with over 20 goals. Romario only had 1 prolific season with Barca and it's hard to judge how good defences were in the Eredivisie late 80's/early 90's. At international level Ruud has 35 in 70. Romario 55 in 70 so he edges it there.

Romario was the better striker, but there isn't a guuuuulf between them. Difference here is the support our teams give our strikers. I have Laudrup in an attacking position. They will rely on passing from their deeper central midfielders. Is it enough? Them having Sammer deeper gives me an opportunity to attack and with my central defence i don't need a dedicated DM.

Like i wrote in my write-up; Ruud will target Thiago Silva, follow him around. Like Pelle on Blind the first 30 mins in Utd's last game. They have Kohler following Ruud so he'll be pulled out of position. Leaving room for Laudrup/Robben/Giggs to exploit.

 

[crappycraperson]

Like i wrote in my write-up; Ruud will target Thiago Silva, follow him around. Like Pelle on Blind the first 30 mins in Utd's last game. They have Kohler following Ruud so he'll be pulled out of position. Leaving room for Laudrup/Robben/Giggs to exploit.

That's absurd. Ruud is not the kind of forward to target or follow someone. He was excellent at a lot of things but taking on or dribbling past players was not one of them. A forward like Henry can target certain defenders. Even Romario has the ability to create for himself. Ruud does not. If Kohler is marking him, that's how it will be. He can't make it to switch to Thiago by himself.

 

[Gio]

Not a gulf in difference between them. I'd say Ruud consistently faced better defences through his career than Romario and only scored 50 less goals (club record). Ruud played 4 full season in the PL, scoring over 20 goals in the league in each. Then 2 seasons at Real with over 20 goals. Romario only had 1 prolific season with Barca and it's hard to judge how good defences were in the Eredivisie late 80's/early 90's. At international level Ruud has 35 in 70. Romario 55 in 70 so he edges it there.

Romario was the better striker, but there isn't a guuuuulf between them. Difference here is the support our teams give our strikers. I have Laudrup in an attacking position. They will rely on passing from their deeper central midfielders. Is it enough? Them having Sammer deeper gives me an opportunity to attack and with my central defence i don't need a dedicated DM..

Romario and Ruud will both put any chances away that come their way. But the major difference there is that Romario is much more likely to create something out of nothing.

 

[Donaldo]

Voted for Stain

 

[The Stain]

Romario and Ruud will both put any chances away that come their way. But the major difference there is that Romario is much more likely to create something out of nothing.

True. I just feel my attack is more well balanced when it comes to creators/finishers. I imagine both Henry and Romario want to be the main man which can cause friction between them.

 

[RedTiger]

The Stain has a lovely spine to the team, but I gotta go with mjj and crappy, their team is just sooo balanced with an excellent midfield that will be hard to break, also with sammer dropping to defence Lahm and Lizarazu can easily play as wingbacks.

 

[crappycraperson]

Voted for Stain

You always vote against my teams And my last teams have had DB, Henry etc.. yet you are swayed by likes of Cashley

 

[harms]

So far there is only one thought in my head - like when a referee should call an offside decision in favor of attacking team, I want to vote for a team with Laudrup, dedicated AM in midfield. Not sure how fair is it though, so I'll abstain for a moment and will look how the conversation goes. I rate Scirea - Stam higher than Kohler - Silva but "the gulf" between RVN and Romario is about the same size.

 

[crappycraperson]

Romario

 

[The Stain]

Martin Neuer

Who had a Mike Smalling moment here?

 

[crappycraperson]

So far there is only one thought in my head - like when a referee should call an offside decision in favor of attacking team, I want to vote for a team with Laudrup, dedicated AM in midfield. Not sure how fair is it though, so I'll abstain for a moment and will look how the conversation goes. I rate Scirea - Stam higher than Kohler - Silva but "the gulf" between RVN and Romario is about the same size.

Sammer is as good a DM you can find to stop Laudrup here. Only better DM I can think of is Rijkard who is banned. Plus I am sure you will agree that Henry + Figo also have that extra edge over Giggs + Robben. The combos are not facing each other but the quality of full backs they are facing is in same ball park. If I had to rate all 4, I would rate Henry and Figo in first 2 positions.

 

[Cutch]

Always loved that first Romario gif goal.

 

[harms]

Sammer is as good a DM you can find to stop Laudrup here. Only better DM I can think of is Rijkard who is banned. Plus I am sure you will agree that Henry + Figo also have that extra edge over Giggs + Robben. The combos are not facing each other but the quality of full backs they are facing is in same ball park. If I had to rate all 4, I would rate Henry and Figo in first 2 positions.

Yeah, that's why I didn't vote. But Laudrup and Schweinsteiger have the ability to control the game in the way that Vieira, Tigana and Sammer can't, imo, they are neat passers but that's about it. Your creativity is too high up the pitch, mostly in Figo's legs, and that's not ideal.

 

[crappycraperson]

Yeah, that's why I didn't vote. But Laudrup and Schweinsteiger have the ability to control the game in the way that Vieira, Tigana and Sammer can't, imo, they are neat passers but that's about it. Your creativity is too high up the pitch, mostly in Figo's legs, and that's not ideal.

Interesting. I would argue that Schwein will be forced to play his DM role here given he is paired with Robson. Don't think he will be a creative influence from that position. You are also underrating Tigana's passing here. He is not a play-maker supreme ala Platini but he is capable of linking the MF with attack here. That was more an issue when we had Deschamps instead of him

 

[harms]

He is not a play-maker supreme ala Platini but he is capable of linking the MF with attack here

He and Vieira and even Sammer all are capable. But if I was forced to decide I would've probably preferred a team with a dedicated playmaker

 

[Joga Bonito]

Yeah, that's why I didn't vote. But Laudrup and Schweinsteiger have the ability to control the game in the way that Vieira, Tigana and Sammer can't, imo, they are neat passers but that's about it. Your creativity is too high up the pitch, mostly in Figo's legs, and that's not ideal.

You could throw in Scirea there as well.

Interesting. I would argue that Schwein will be forced to play his DM role here given he is paired with Robson. Don't think he will be a creative influence from that position. You are also underrating Tigana's passing here. He is not a play-maker supreme ala Platini but he is capable of linking the MF with attack here. That was more an issue when we had Deschamps instead of him

Some would say it's Schweinsteiger's peak role, controlling the midfield as the deepest midfielder and knitting things around - recall Balu making several posts touching on the same issue. He obviously is not a static pivot ala Alonso/Pirlo but rather a more dynamic midfielder but I don't get why it's always made out to be like Schweinsteiger is being shoehorned into the DM position. Fwiw, I thing he is an equally cracking b2b player too. Can see his partnership with Robson working a treat with Robson being the more adventurous, yet industrious, midfielder and Schweinsteiger being the more conservative one. (Think Schweinteiger should be on the right and Robson on the left though, esp with Henry cutting in around that area.)

Don't see an issue with the lack of a dedicated playmaker as your team is about directness and getting the ball to the forwards asap, with some forward runs through the midfield. You've got the right midfield for that imo. A Neeskens/Schuster/van Hanegem could have been a wee bit better and more unpredictable, without losing any of the dynamism or solidity, but that midfield is fine enough as it is.

 

[crappycraperson]

You could throw in Scirea there as well.



Some would say it's Schweinsteiger's peak role, controlling the midfield as the deepest midfielder and knitting things around - recall Balu making several posts touching on the same issue. He obviously is not a static pivot ala Alonso/Pirlo but rather a more dynamic midfielder but I don't get why it's always made out to be like Schweinsteiger is being shoehorned into the DM position. Fwiw, I thing he is an equally cracking b2b player too. Can see his partnership with Robson working a treat with Robson being the more adventurous, yet industrious, midfielder and Schweinsteiger being the more conservative one. (Think Schweinteiger should be on the right and Robson on the left though, esp with Henry cutting in around that area.)

Don't see an issue with the lack of a dedicated playmaker as your team is about directness and getting the ball to the forwards asap, with some forward runs through the midfield. You've got the right midfield for that imo. A Neeskens/Schuster/van Hanegem could have been a wee bit better and more unpredictable, without losing any of the dynamism or solidity, but that midfield is fine enough as it is.

I have not said that DM is a bad role of Schwein. I do think it is not his peak role, that would be a B2B for me. Also as a DM I would disagree that Schwein is more effective or capable of controlling the game more so than Sammer.

 

[The Stain]

Some examples of Ruud's scoring range:

Marked in the box:

Something out of nothing:

For good measure:

 

[The Stain]

(Think Schweinteiger should be on the right and Robson on the left though, esp with Henry cutting in around that area.)

I see your point. Just thought Robson needed to be up against Vieira to play more aggressive against him so he will have trouble getting the ball to Henry. Gerets is already marking Henry and i have another aggressor; Stam as the last man to beat.

 

[Joga Bonito]

I have not said that DM is a bad role of Schwein. I do think it is not his peak role, that would be a B2B for me.

Fair enough, still don't agree. Schweini never really played a classic box to box role next to a deeper sitting partner. He always did the build-up from deep, often dropped between the centerbacks and I don't see how Carrick has done that better than him. Schweinsteiger was clearly the deeper playing midfielder next to van Bommel/Khedira/Kroos. Even next to Gustavo and Martinez he was usually behind them in the build-up. He offers more going forward, is more mobile and physical than Carrick, so a more disciplined partner like Martinez gave him an even better platform to shine and influence the game all over the pitch as it was next to gung-ho, headless chicken Khedira or in a 3 man midfield with Kroos and Özil.

But Schweinsteiger's prefered and best role clearly is one where he has the whole game in front of him and he's the one dictating the play between defense and attack. It was one of the reasons why he never found his place at Bayern last season. He came into the team after a long injury break and Alonso had that role, who is incredibly dominant on the ball himself, needs the game running through him. Carrick is quite happy to share that area or play 2nd fiddle in the build-up, just like he did next to Scholes. That's why Schweinsteiger and Carrick together can work. Schweini + Alonso on the other hand was a clusterfeck, way too similar in how they want to play the game.

So I really think that:

is a pretty accurate description. And that's no slight on Carrick at all, he has been fantastic in his role. But Bastian can play the disciplined deep role just as good and additionally offers even more.

Once again, I think he is a great b2b but many would say the current position he is playing is his best one - rate both of them equally myself fwiw.

 

[crappycraperson]

I see your point. Just thought Robson needed to be up against Vieira to play more aggressive against him so he will have trouble getting the ball to Henry. Gerets is already marking Henry and i have another aggressor; Stam as the last man to beat.

You are putting too much credence in Gerets marking Henry.

This is Henry against a defense that had Nesta, Cannavaro and Maldini. He especially torments Nesta and Cannavarro here. I doubt Gerets is going to keep him quiet.

 

[The Stain]

You are putting too much credence in Gerets marking Henry.

This is Henry against a defense that had Nesta, Cannavaro and Maldini. He especially torments Nesta and Cannavarro here. I doubt Gerets is going to keep him quiet.

Sure, he will create some chances. Difference is you don't have a Zidane/Bergkamp to really get the best out of him. He's linking up primarily with his fullback and from there on he will most likely try to create something on his own. Like i said earlier; both him and Romario wants to be the main man. I can see them both frustrated when the other goes for goal.

 

[crappycraperson]

Sure, he will create some chances. Difference is you don't have a Zidane/Bergkamp to really get the best out of him. He's linking up primarily with his fullback and from there on he will most likely try to create something on his own. Like i said earlier; both him and Romario wants to be the main man. I can see them both frustrated when the other goes for goal.

This is like saying Rivaldo and Ronaldo won't work together since both would want to be the main men. Henry has shown himself perfectly capable of creating for others if needed. With Figo, the attack is as varied it can be.

Too much is being made about absence of a playmaker as well. I already said in the last game that this is more of a functional team ala Brazil 2002. You have a front 3 which will hurt any defense and a rock solid defense and midfield to support it. All 3 of midfield are capable of kick-starting an attack from the back or move forward to link up with the attack. So the lack of play-maker issue really comes down to if you always prefer 4231 over 433.

 

[crappycraperson]

8-3.. was hoping for a close game. No real weakness in either side but Stain's United contingent is tough one to battle in terms of votes.

 

[The Stain]

So the lack of play-maker issue really comes down to if you always prefer 4231 over 433.

Wouldn't say so. Just feel your mid would have benefited from a more creative passer like for example Gerson, Falcao or Xavi. Tigana was a nice upgrade but i'm not sure it's enough here.

 

[MJJ]

Sure, he will create some chances. Difference is you don't have a Zidane/Bergkamp to really get the best out of him. He's linking up primarily with his fullback and from there on he will most likely try to create something on his own. Like i said earlier; both him and Romario wants to be the main man. I can see them both frustrated when the other goes for goal.

Robben and Ruud will be akin to Ronaldo and Ruud leading to your team fighting each other while we score goal after goal after goal

 

[MJJ]

Sure, he will create some chances. Difference is you don't have a Zidane/Bergkamp to really get the best out of him. He's linking up primarily with his fullback and from there on he will most likely try to create something on his own. Like i said earlier; both him and Romario wants to be the main man. I can see them both frustrated when the other goes for goal.

Henry never really performed that well with zidane from what I remember. Here he has figo, romario to partner him in attack which means he wont be double teamed as per usual. Is going to create a lot of chances down that left hand flank which will further move stam from the center and allow romario the space he needs to succeed.

Romario also doesnt need as much help as RVN and I doubt schweign and robson would create a lot when they are up against tigana and vieira.

 

[MJJ]

Team Comparison:-

Neuer> Preudhomme ( Lets just get this out of the way first).

The midfield I would say are on par, its basically schweign and robson vs vieira and tigana. I would say thats pretty much equal with neither having an edge.

Laudrup would be engaged in a fine battle with sammer, which again I consider par with neither having a clear edge advantage.

Where our side wins it is in attack. Romario is a far better striker than RVN, Giggs is a united legend but he has never really had the peak where he was terrorizing defenses day in and day out ala ronaldo or henry. And Figo is slightly better than robben for me, and has had a more illustrious career in terms of awards.

Out of the fullback duo, I would say lahm is the best then cole with lizarazu and gerets on par. Gerets is against Henry though, which is probably the worse match up on the pitch.

In my very biased opinion, our attack is better than his at creating and finishing chances which will lead to a victory for us but a close one, probably 2-1.

 

[The Stain]

All i could see from that video was sideways passing, failed through ball attempts and him getting nutmegged. On Platini's goal he drives the ball, the defender tackles him and the ball luckily lands at Platini's feet. Surely there are better videos?

In my very biased opinion, our attack is better than his at creating and finishing chances which will lead to a victory for us but a close one, probably 2-1.

My midfield is more creative. Your attackers will be isolated from lack of support from midfield along with my team defending cohesively. Narrow game with me winning 2-1 .

 

[MJJ]

All i could see from that video was sideways passing, failed through ball attempts and him getting nutmegged. On Platini's goal he drives the ball, the defender tackles him and the ball luckily lands at Platini's feet. Surely there are better videos?


My midfield is more creative. Your attackers will be isolated from lack of support from midfield along with my team defending cohesively. Narrow game with me winning 2-1 .

Which is countered by my midfield being more defensively solid. In the end, it will be down to both attacks as neither midfield will gain a foothold. Thats where I will win it.