Draw at the minute!
What happens if it stays like this?
What happens if it stays like this?
All-Time Fantasy Draft - EDogen v Brwned
- Thread starter Brwned
- Start date
Last time we gave the deciding vote to one of the managers that didn't vote - it was Polaroid back then, Gio at the moment. Other than that we just had a series of bad ideas I think!
Regarding Romario... I feel there's been a major omission made in the comments thus far, but I'd rather put it out there after this contest is settled one way or the other.
All in all, this is shaping up to be an interesting contest.
Okay cool, still 15 minutes for someone to decide it!
Great number of votes already, think this is the highest I've seen. Hopefully all the matches have this much interest.
Great number of votes already, think this is the highest I've seen. Hopefully all the matches have this much interest.
I think it is only fair you put it out there now if it is relevant.
Imagine EDogens team with Keane in there 
Would this be the fact that Romario wasn't much of a big game player (partly because of his overall attitude)? He did fluff a lot of chances in that '94 final If it's to do with his limited time at the very top then I've just disregarded that entirely because we're taking his peak as 93/94 and judging him solely off of that.
In fact, Fortitude, you should be voting as well! No fence-sitting! You've been around all along, I'm sure either manager would rather you gave a fair coup de grace than some randommer not explaining his reasons.
Nah.
Don't like the idea of biasing anything.
Prefer to remain impartial. Just something I thought would be discussed quite extensively, is all.
Man that '94 final was bad. A mate of mine levels Baggio as not a big game player because of that match. To me, he was injured and delivered on so many other occasions though.
Looks like this match could go the same way as the '94 final.
Yepp, rather someone who knows his stuff than a randomer whatever the vote will be. This is great fun, what a game!
That '94 World Cup was pretty bad all round wasn't it? Take away Romario, Baggio and that Bulgaria side and I'm not sure there's anything to remember it for. You can't even take that final into account when looking at Baggio, he was just a completely different player. So immobile and lacking in any kind of oomph. It'd be like saying Pelé bottled it in '66!
After this comeback, and with such a core, I can see Brwned's side catching some tail-wind and going on to win it.
Amazing scenes! Brwned is in front for the first time deep in injury time!!!!
feck, what a turnaround
Draw again! 
And we have a tie!
So, who of the managers didn't vote?
I really enjoyed the '94 finals. Far better than Italia '90. Sweden and Romania were great to watch, Ireland produced a huge shock against Italy, Oleg '5 goals in 1 game' Salenko and Argentina had a really fantastic side which looked capable of winning it; but fell apart post Maradona and were out-played by Romania in the last 16.
Germany's exit was also pretty pleasing! I hated their 1990's teams.
1 minute later...
Fortitude would be a good man to settle this
Those sweaty, sweaty shirts... Terrible manufacture!
So, what's going to happen?
What a game! Well done to both managers.
I'm split on the '94 tournament: it can get a harsh rep because England weren't there, although it was probably better than '90 and '96. The heat stifled a lot of games and Norway's group was tedious. On the other hand, Romania, Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria and Nigeria all entertained and were involved in classic ties.
Dumitrescu's goal against Argentina is one of my favourite WC goals and one of the all time great WC team goals; for some reason it's rarely discussed!
USA '94 is my first real memory of a World Cup. Was too young for Italia '90. I really enjoyed it. Thought Romario & Bebeto were brilliant, the baby celebration, Leonardo's elbow, Baggio carrying his team after Houghton's wonder goal. Maradona off his face, Sweden & Bulgaria getting to the semi's. Letchkov's header vs Germany, the tragic news about Escobar. Nigeria were also superb & the Saudi bloke who scored one of the best goals in world cup history.
And well done to all the 50 voters, nice turn out that!
Really knows his stuff. Good shout.
What a contest this has been. Great to see. I wish i was old enough to have watched all these players, could have voted. Wont be fair not having seen half of them. Lets hope someone good decides it.
Saaed Owairan! Will never forget that name. A few looses touches, but what a run.
"He's taking them all on!"
Helped by the fact that they had the baggiest kit of all time. Was that a long or short sleeved shirt?!
I can't believe he wasn't drafted.
Good point about the shirt. Look at those sleeves! 3/4 length.
Great match up this.
Both teams: were this a real match-up, who would your penalty takers be, 1-5?
Good question! Up first would have to be the king, Don Alfredo; next up is ultra-reliable Andreas Brehme; then Giggsy who very rarely let you down from the spot; goalscorer extroardinaire Alberto Spencer with the 4th; and Roy Keane - scorer of the 5th to keep us in the shootout v Arsenal in 2005 - taking the final one.
First Cruyff, second Romario, then Figo with the third, then we have Guardiola with the 4th and in this sub-trial world the 5th would have gone to Dzajic (and if that was not okay, Redondo would have taken it otherwise).
Whoops, been busy since I posted.
What I thought would be pointed out is that Romario (and I love the guy) was one of the most lazy, utterly reliant on natural brilliance type of top tier strikers there has been.
His game was based around very short, elusive bursts of acceleration across diagonals and he always played with a support striker in close vicinity to him to not only act as a decoy but to be the perfect buffer in tabela type (one-two's etc) build-ups.
He was also a notoriously awful trainer - because for his type of game he never had to make much effort as he's a naturally brilliant player, ergo, his general stamina as a man leading the line in a 4-3-3 should be questioned.
As with the two paragraphs above, Romario was also not a player who would arse himself to run or even jog if a play wasn't on. In a 4-3-3, or any system where he has to 'run the line' for himself or others, there should be serious question marks about not only his stamina and ability to do so, but his willingness, as well.
If we're going to pick up on Garrincha being a forward; someone absolutely renowned for not tracking back or doing any work outside of the final third, we should probably be picking up on Romario's numerous idiosyncracies as well.
In terms of effort and work-rate, Berbatov is about the closest to Romario you're going to find out there, the big difference being Romario was devastating with the few bits of effort he would put into a game and never marveled at his own brilliance. As far as Romario was concerned, as long he got a couple of goals or won his side the match, he was golden, and he got a free pass for being so idle a player because of his propensity for delivering.
As soon as I saw Edogen's formation and attacking personal, I thought the Romario question marks would be raised quite vigorously - he is not a guy who is going to lead a line or appreciate being tasked with doing so as his game was about subtlety, guile and outright deception. He won't compensate for his height by running more either..
I've got to wonder how long he would be interested in ploughing a lone furrow. Personally, I don't think he would last a half if he was doing all the things a lead the line striker is supposed to do rather than playing as he did.. and if he played as he did, I don't see how he is going to give those supporting him enough.
An issue with some of the sides in the draft is in marrying systems and logistics of undeniably brilliant players and in Cruyff - who comes from an ideology of complete effort and graft, you've a massive clash with the staccato motions of the Brazilian up front who came to life in minute bursts of intensity with that natural languid style he had. I could see it working if Romario would 'try harder' but his entire career and his adamance as an individual suggest that if things weren't going smoothly, he'd just shut up shop.
Once again, this isn't a knock on Romario or Edogen; Romario is one of my favourite players of all-time, but outside of a South American or Latin system, I do not see him being optimized.
As for voting, I'd rather not. Just here for the show!