All-time Fantasy Draft - JakeC v Stobzilla

[Brwned]

my team - My team is based on 3 main factors, work rate, technique, and determination.

All of my players are winners, Fillol, Maldini, Ronaldo, Deschamps are just some of my players that won the world cup, with Gento being the most decorated player in the history of the champion’s league.

Defence
Maldini, in my opinion is the greatest defender of all time, he had it all, he will be on the left side of my defines, the opposite side of Paul Jane, the best ever pre-war fullback, who was deadly with set pieces, as well as being one of Germanys most consistent players of all time.
Jaap Stam, was a beast, a phenom, and most importantly, a winner. He won trophies everywhere he went, and last but not least, is Gamarra, a terrier of a defender, who was fearless in a tackle, and unbeatable in the air.

Overall my defence consists of equal amounts of composure, class and footballing ability, with sheer defensive power and aggression, Maldini and Jane are both conservative in defence, but extremely dangerous going forward, Gamarra was also famed for his ability to score and set up, so when Maldini drops back, Gamarra can push up on that left hand side.

My midfield is made up of 2 ''box to box midfielders'' in Giles and Peters, Giles, to me was as creative as Paul Scholes, but as industrious as Roy Keane, and although he may not of had the defensive abilities of Keane, he more than made up for it with his technique, an outstanding passer, complimented by England’s world Cup hero, Martin Peters, who was also a complete midfielder, known for his accurate passing with both feet, great long shot, and sheer aggression in the tackle, he could play anywhere.

Gento, is the quickest player of all time, nobody in the draft was more dangerous down that left hand side, and he had a tremendous work rate, and can cut in and cause problems to any defenders, I'm really not exaggerating his pace, he was the quickest ever. Augusto, was a member of Benficas best ever team, and has been dubbed the greatest out and out winger to come out of Portugal, an 8 time Portuguese winner, and 2 times European cup winner, Augusto was an insanely quick winger with a tremendous cross.

I don't even know where to begin with my strike force, this is what should bring me through, Law and Ronaldo, they guarantee you goals, they're the type of player that can take any game by the scruff of the neck and drag their team through, two world class players.

I'd like to point out that I've learned a lot over the past week or two, and although I don't expect to win this, especially as I had to stay off this for the last few days due to personal issues, I've thoroughly enjoyed it.

Due to stobzillas creative threat, I've decided to pack the midfield, to try and stop Scholes, and particularly Zidane from having too much time on the ball, my two wingers will step out of the fray, and Deco and Deschamps will come in, Deschamps is a warrior, who will strike fear into any offensive players, amassing 103 caps for France, carrying his team to the 1998 world cup final, where he played a huge role in bringing the trophy home. Deco, on the other hand, will be able to slice open a team that although great technically, doesn't seem to have the gile, determination, or winning experience to deal with his, along with Giles and Peters, all round technique.

Team Jake

Team Stobzilla

​

Yashin - The best goalkeeper to ever live, only one ever to win a ballon d'or.

Montero - Regular fixture in a virtually un breakable Juventus defence, featured all along the back line. Offers my defence a fantastic balance.

Cafu - 3 time World Cup winning right back with Brazil, constant engine as accomplished going forward as he was defending, featured heavily for Milan's dominant side early last decade.

Puyol - Defensive lynchpin and captain of one of the greatest club sides ever assembled, fighting spirit with great ability to match. His three European Cup medals sit nicely alongside his World Cup and Euro's medals won with Spain.

Happel - The first European example of a libero. Fantastic distribution and a tendency to roam forward with a rocket shot was matched with a brilliant tactical mind and a commanding leadership of his back line.

Souness - The engine upon which Liverpool relied on during their glory years. could do the work of two men and was very much a split personality type of player he could tackle you into next week or provide a deft touch multiple time European cup winner.

Scholes - Never before have I seen a central midfielder make the most complex things look so easy, the calm in amongst the chaos, finding space where no one was looking and picking teams apart one pass at a time. A spectacular strike at goal and an impeccable sense of timing makes him England's best since Bobby Charlton.

Zidane - unplayable. Dragged a French side to a World Cup final and won one final by himself as well. You expected magic every time he touched the ball and he would invariably deliver and often when it mattered most

Savicevic - Could play anywhere in midfield a gifted dribbler at pace whose touch never deserted him. Also had a fantastic in game intelligence and stole the show in his Champions league final with Milan Assisting one and helping himself to a sublime chip.

Kubala - voted Barcelona's greatest ever player in 1999 and scored 194 goals in 256 games, this from a player who regularly started games on the wing and as a No. 10. A free kick specialist with a dribbling ability unlike any other in his day.

Van Nistlerooy - Arguably the most deadly finisher in Manchester United's long list of great goalscorers, but more than that, a great touch outside of the box and an excellent hold up player. Give him an inch and he'll give you a goal.

It is all in the midfield for me, in Souness I have an midfield battler and one of many leaders all over the pitch it is very much a Keane - Scholes esque centre of midfield. I am confident in Souness' ability to Anchor and provide a platform for the others to work.

Scholes acts as an enabler to those in front of him with his own licence to contribute in attack as well arriving late in and around the box as he did throughout his whole career whilst also being able to hold and retain possession with some fantastic ball players in every position. He already has an understanding with RVN as well which works well for me.

Zidane is the man which everything magical will flow however he will bring others into play and also be constantly switching positions with Kubala and Savecevic, all of them are capable of playing all along that line behind Ruud to a world class standard the interchanging of positions would be far too much for any defence to handle.

In Puyol and Happel I have two centre backs of the highest calibre not just defensively but also with the ball at their feet linking the defence to midfield shall not be a problem Montero provides a perfect defensive counter balance to Cafu's more attacking instinct. The latter will provide ample width should the play need stretching if Savicevic Kubala and Zidane find themselves too central.

Van Nistlerooy will thrive with such creative players behind him and will no doubt have a field day with players pulling balls back from the by-line or getting to a cross from Cafu.

 

[NM]

No discussion here??

 

[antohan]

Not much to discuss. Jake's downfall started when MBR picked Breitner despite it being Jake's turn. Ever the gentleman, he opted not to pick Breitner, when he was actually considering him... and got Deschamps.

Then got Deco and was pissed off about it not even a minute later, and followed that up by picking a second first teamer from Portugal.

There's some really good quality in his side, but those 2-3 drafting incidents have really left him in a difficult position to compete.

There's merit to how he is trying to work his way around it, but Stobzilla actually rounded up his side quite phenomenally making some inspired late defensive picks when his side initially looked completely mental.

I really can't see him standing a chance.

 

[NM]

I know - I just feel bad as Jake put a lot of effort in. I really wanted to vote for him but just couldn't.

 

[Moby]

Consolation vote for Jake.

Clicked on the wrong name accidentally, actually.

 

[antohan]

I know - I just feel bad as Jake put a lot of effort in. I really wanted to vote for him but just couldn't.

Same here, we kept taking the piss, but it was clear he didn't have as much time in his hands to follow it and apparently had other issues to deal with.

Still couldn't vote for him, but reckoned his attitude throughout should be commended, particularly the Breitner stuff and taking it on the chin without throwing his toys out of the pram when he picked that second Portuguese chap and wasn't allowed to backpedal.

Top bloke.

 

[Gio]

There's some really good quality in his side, but those 2-3 drafting incidents have really left him in a difficult position to compete.

Had he picked up Redondo rather than Deschamps and then a better option rather than Deco, his team would be more than competitive. Especially with a Maldini and Gento left flank and Ronaldo up top. The only positive from the Deschamps pick is up against Zidane, a training partner at club and international level, they would likely be very familiar with one another's games to somewhat nullify the big man's influence.

 

[antohan]

Had he picked up Redondo rather than Deschamps and then a better option rather than Deco, his team would be more than competitive.

Agreed. Deschamps was a shocker really, there were so many much better players around, and it also somewhat limited his options for midfield. A bit like getting Makelele early lays down a marker on what else you need. Risky plays to make so early in a draft.

Especially with a Maldini and Gento left flank and Ronaldo up top.

That's where the double-Portuguese pick screwed him as Deco himself was not a great pick, but Augusto on the right left him completely tied up. To play Gento he had to play Augusto and bench Deco. Total mindfeck.

 

[Balu]

Gave my vote to Jake out of sympathy, mainly for picking Paul Janes. He's the only german player pre-Beckenbauer picked in the draft which is really sad (though understandable). Would have loved to read more about his team, some very promising ideas.

 

[antohan]

Gave my vote to Jake out of sympathy, mainly for picking Paul Janes. He's the only german player pre-Beckenbauer picked in the draft which is really sad (though understandable). Would have loved to read more about his team, some very promising ideas.

Could you tell us more about him Balu? I had literally never heard of him.

 

[Balu]

Could you tell us more about him Balu? I had literally never heard of him.

I've never seen him play, never watched footage of him besides a few highlights, seconds within documentations. So I can only write what I read and heard about him. When I watched "Das Wunder von Bern", a german movie about the world cup win in 54, with my grandfather, he told me about Paul Janes, the one player who deserved a world cup win more than anyone else in his opinion. Sadly, he never played again after the war. He was expected to make a comeback in 1950, but broke his leg, so his career basically ended before the war.

Paul Janes was known as "the silent man". He never talked about his achievements. Most of his games for the german national team were during the Nazi regime. He was used for propaganda despite having any interest in politics and never commented on political issues. He's one of the sad examples of important public figures used against his will to manipulate the people. There's a book about him and his "role" in that time, written by Michael Bolton, and named after the most famous quote about him. Sepp Herberger once said, he's able to shoot a fly from the post. His shot was a rocket, but still extremely accurate. There are stories about him hitting the post and it still shaking an hour later or hitting the bar from the penalty spot with the ball flying back onto the pitch, coming down in the opposite half.

He captained the german nationalteam and hold the record for most caps until Uwe Seeler took over in the seventies. He would have had more than 100 caps without the war (retired with 71). He's probably best known during his time as part of the "Breslau Eleven". My grandfather talked about that game, when germany won 8:0 against Denmark in 1937. That team won 10 out of 11 games that year and probably would have had a shot at winning the world cup in 38. But with Austria and Germany playing as one country, several players from austria had to be included even though the team was significantly worse because of that. Germany lost to Switzerland in the first round while Sweden went straight to the second round without playing because Austria was qualified but didn't have a nationalteam anymore.

He's still loved in Düsseldorf, his home town, where he played all his career and won the club's only national championship in 1933. The old stadium is still named after him. He was an magnificent defender, quick, a strong header, great positional sense. He played as a sweeper later on but excelled as right back.

 

[Brightonian]

I can see what JakeC is trying to do here, but there's no real way around the superior quality of Stob's midfield, despite a worthy set of strikers. In general I think Stob's defence is stronger too. Not entirely sure about Happel in a straightforward CB pairing, but then with Puyol and Montero to either side not much can go wrong. That is a gritty, unmoveable pair of defenders if I ever saw one. And, you know... Cafu

I always think it's a bit awkward having a fullback who'd make a better CB that the CB, which I think is possibly what Jake's got in Maldini-Gamarra.

 

[antohan]

I've never seen him play, never watched footage of him besides a few highlights, seconds within documentations. So I can only write what I read and heard about him. When I watched "Das Wunder von Bern", a german movie about the world cup win in 54, with my grandfather, he told me about Paul Janes, the one player who deserved a world cup win more than anyone else in his opinion. Sadly, he never played again after the war. He was expected to make a comeback in 1950, but broke his leg, so his career basically ended before the war.

Paul Janes was known as "the silent man". He never talked about his achievements. Most of his games for the german national team were during the Nazi regime. He was used for propaganda despite having any interest in politics and never commented on political issues. He's one of the sad examples of important public figures used against his will to manipulate the people. There's a book about him and his "role" in that time, written by Michael Bolton, and named after the most famous quote about him. Sepp Herberger once said, he's able to shoot a fly from the post. His shot was a rocket, but still extremely accurate. There are stories about him hitting the post and it still shaking an hour later or hitting the bar from the penalty spot with the ball flying back onto the pitch, coming down in the opposite half.

He captained the german nationalteam and hold the record for most caps until Uwe Seeler took over in the seventies. He would have had more than 100 caps without the war (retired with 71). He's probably best known during his time as part of the "Breslau Eleven". My grandfather talked about that game, when germany won 8:0 against Denmark in 1937. That team won 10 out of 11 games that year and probably would have had a shot at winning the world cup in 38. But with Austria and Germany playing as one country, several players from austria had to be included even though the team was significantly worse because of that. Germany lost to Switzerland in the first round while Sweden went straight to the second round without playing because Austria was qualified but didn't have a nationalteam anymore.

He's still loved in Düsseldorf, his home town, where he played all his career and won the club's only national championship in 1933. The old stadium is still named after him. He was an magnificent defender, quick, a strong header, great positional sense. He played as a sweeper later on but excelled as right back.

Very interesting Balu, thanks for that. Some of this players we will never have sufficient footage for but, despite some degree of mythology that will invariably be associated with accounts from admirers (I have the same issue with my grandfather!), the context in which they played, those little stories about how Germany had to integrate Austrian players in '38... Always very interesting to know and it helps get an appreciation for the real people behind what is otherwise just a name.

It actually reminded me of that other chap Sindelar, who by all accounts would have improved the German team, but always claimed an injury or whatnot when called up... until he was found dead on his bed along with his girlfriend. "Accidental" carbon monoxide poisoning

 

[antohan]

I can see what JakeC is trying to do here, but there's no real way around the superior quality of Stob's midfield, despite a worthy set of strikers. In general I think Stob's defence is stronger too. Not entirely sure about Happel in a straightforward CB pairing, but then with Puyol and Montero to either side not much can go wrong. That is a gritty, unmoveable pair of defenders if I ever saw one. And, you know... Cafu

I always think it's a bit awkward having a fullback who'd make a better CB that the CB, which I think is possibly what Jake's got in Maldini-Gamarra.

Stob actually has Briegel and could have played Montero centrally and Briegel on the left. I can only assume he was readying himself to get a better German in and wouldn't want to go into the quarters promoting a sub.

Quite an impressive backline considering he left it for last. I was hoping Montero would slip through as a possible sub pick but didn't get lucky there

 

[Balu]

It actually reminded me of that other chap Sindelar, who by all accounts would have improved the German team, but always claimed an injury or whatnot when called up... until he was found dead on his bed along with his girlfriend. "Accidental" carbon monoxide poisoning

Yes, Sindelar was one of the austrian players who chose to never play for the new formed nationalteam. He died a few month after the world cup 39. Really sad story. Afaik the police confirmed later on that the chimney who caused the carbon monoxide poisoning wasn't defect, but of course no one was found guilty of "murder". Probably the best ever austrian footballer but hard to find any footage of him. He destroyed the german team twice in 1931, scoring 3 and assisting 2 goals in the 5-0 win in Vienna ( the first game ended 0-6 in Berlin).