All Time Premier League Fantasy Draft - R1: VivaJanuzaj/ctp vs diarm

[Moby]

vs

................................. Team VivaJanuzaj/ctp ...................................................................................... Team diarm..........................................


Team VivaJanuzaj/ctp

Tactical Synopsis

Team VivaJanuzaj/ctp:

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Team Tactics:
Attacking:
The team is based on fluidity and flexibility, lead by Bergkamp on a free role to create havoc in the opponent's defense. When the team will attack, Evra will be given freedom to bombard forward, while De Jong will play the water carrier's role and drop just above the two CBs. Ivanovic will sometimes attack and sometimes tuck in as RCB while De Jong is more advanced or caught out of position.
Width can come in various ways, the team has two options of attacking with Joe Cole and Bergkamp as the key to it. As mentioned before, Bergkamp is playing on a free role behind Owen, while Joe Cole who was equally good on both wings switches between them throughout the match to create troubles for the opposition. When Cole is on the right(see the formation above), Cole will provide the width on the RW while Evra/Modric create it on the left.

Spoiler: Team's shape when Cole is switching flanks

When Joe Cole switches to the left, him and Evra will cause a lot of pressure on the left wing, while Hargreaves, who played for United in 2008 as RM(see more on Hargreaves later), along with Bergkamp and Ivanovic, will widen the play to the right. Modric will push from the Central midfield and run the show.
Creativity is not an issue, from deep we've got both Hargreaves and Modric who are capable of starting attacks, with the mighty Bergkamp as the heart of creativity in the attack. These three great passers all have superb vision, and with the movement of Bergkamp, Owen & Cole I don't see any problem. The build up from the back will start mostly from the flanks, with Reina distributing to either full back, than with Hargreaves/Modric dropping deep to start building we'll move forward up the pitch to our strikers.
Defending:
Our CBs aren't top class in the draft's context, but both Jagielka and Bould are very formidable and reliable, and neither of them are slow or weak. Ivanovic will play his favorite role of RCB, and depending on the flow of the game he'll be allowed to push forward from time to time. With Evra giving a lot of freedom in order to create left width, De Jong will act as the water carrier. De Jong was never the smartest player out there, and can be accused of over aggression at times, but he's athleticism is exactly what I need. He won't be required to think too much, just basically stay behind, don't get caught out of position and win back balls. Fairly simple right? And if he'll fail we've got another safety net with Ivanovic acting as somewhat the third CBs fairly often. The bottom line is this: When we attack, there's always at least three players staying behind to face van Persie-La Tissier.
Hargreaves' role is unique and strange, but it's nothing he's uncommon in doing in the PL. Hargreaves' performances in the 2008 season(before the bad injuries happened), Hargreaves played in several roles for United - CM, RM, and even RB. Even when he was troubled with injuries, Hargreaves' understanding of the game was top notch, and he'll the perfect man to find balance between the midfield battle, adding width to the right and covering for Ivanovic when he's bombing forward.

Why we will win?
Bergkamp - As mentioned before, Bergkamp will get the freedom of a free role behind Owen. With Batty occupied by Modric, Bergkamp and Owen are left alone against the two CBs - Pallister-Hendry. Not a bad CB pairing of course, but certainly not one to stop the magical Bergkamp from linking up with the young and deadly Michael Owen. Bergkamp will use his free role to move around from left to right behind the young Owen, and leading the attack.
Lack of pressure from opponent's strikers - diarm's attackers aren't the type of one's who'll create too much pressure on my defenders while starting attacks, so the lack of ball playing ability in the CB-DM spine won't be a problem.
Ivanovic vs Bale - These two fought a few times, only one when Ivanovic played RB and Chelsea won with Bale not scoring nor assisting. The other time they met, Ivanovic played RCB and yet again, no goals or assists for Bale. In fact, every time they both played in a match against each other, Bale didn't score or assist. Doesn't mean Bale won't be a factor, but Ivanovic knows him and in a role where he isn't required to push forward too much, he's the one of the best guys to stop him.
Modric - This little Croatian guy is one of the best creative CMs in this generation of footballers. Was the main man for Tottenham a lot before Bale started showing skills, Modric is the player who was perfect for United - Class touch, superb vision, amazing passing and range. Modric is the kind of players who just sees you making the movement and passes it just in the right time. Batty will have to contain that all by himself, with Sherwood being his only partner in that CM. Modric, who was able to dominate the game against the Spanish midfield, will be a thorn in Batty's ass, and won't have too much problem dictating the tempo of the game.

 

[Moby]

Team diarm

Substitute: Paolo Di Canio(Whu)
Manager: @diarm
Assistant Manager: @dannymc1309
Formation: Modified 441

Team "Philosophy":

From the Back:

Marshalled by David Seaman, this defence has been created to ensure perfect balance between defence and attack. The tried and tested Premier League partnership of a hard edged stopper and a more technically able, ball playing centre back has been honoured with two of the finest examples in their roles that the league has seen.

Hendry will be the stopper, providing the uncompromising muscle as the last line of defence. He will be the strong aerial presence in the box, attacking the ball to clear from set pieces and marking the larger, more abrasive forward opponents.

Pallister will provide the guile. His pace will be used to counter quicker, more elusive forwards as well as to cover the full backs when they are further up the field. When in possession, Pallister’s ability to move forward with the ball and to pass accurately will help to build attacks from the back.

Both fullbacks are solid defenders, quick and strong in the tackle but with impressive attacking capabilities. In particular, both are excellent crossers of the ball. When appropriate, either will make use of space down their flanks, Jones in particular using the more withdrawn and narrower style of Beckham to exploit space down the right hand side. The defensive qualities of Batty, Sherwood and Beckham, along with the pace of Pallister, will be more than adequate to cover any risk from allowing our full backs this licence to use their attacking prowess.


In the Middle:

Team Diarm is not a side that will be bullied in the middle of the park. With two of the most tenacious, abrasive and hard working central midfielders the league has seen, opposing midfielders will not have a second of uninterrupted time on the ball to create their attacks.

With both Batty and Sherwood having great engines and no small amount of bite in the tackle, a key focus of this side will be the intense pressure placed on opponents in the middle third of the pitch.

While both midfielders are well capable of efficient, accurate and intelligent ball passing, neither can be called midfield magicians. When possession is won back, both will use the ball quickly in order to bring the more creative members of the side into play.

Beckham will be utilised in a more withdrawn, right sided midfielder role. He will provide a more cultured touch in the middle of the park and use his extraordinary long range passing ability to allow both Bale on the wide left, and Van Persie on the shoulder of the centre backs, to exploit space behind the defence. When appropriate, Beckham will stay wider and receive the ball in areas where he can deliver crosses or set Jones free on the overlap.


Moving Forward:

Both Bale and Le Tissier will be available at the edge of the final third to receive the ball from the midfield. Bale, with his ability to run at defenders and turn them inside or out, will create opportunities as well as space, both on the outside for Bjørnebye or on the inside for Le Tissier and Van Persie.

When Le Tissier, Beckham and Jones have the ball in advanced positions, Bale will look to join Van Persie in attack, using his pace to enter the box from deep and looking to get on the end of through balls, long passes and crosses.

Le Tissier can drift between the lines as well as any attacking midfielder in Premier League history. With his ability to score from anywhere and the disguise he can put on through balls and intelligent passes, he will be instructed to keep defenders guessing by testing the keeper from distance as well as by mixing up passes and through balls to both Bale and Van Persie.

Van Persie will look to split the centre backs and play off the shoulder of the last defender. A master of receiving balls over the top or being first onto a through ball, there are few better attackers to exploit the genius of Beckham and Le Tissier.

Van Persie is a perfect lone man up front as he has the ability not only to ruthlessly finish opportunities, but also to hold up play, bringing Bale and Le Tissier into the attack and to create opportunities himself from seemingly innocuous positions.


In Short:

When not in possession, the team will work hard to win the ball back quickly and in the middle third of the pitch. Fast fullbacks and tenacious midfielders will put heavy pressure on opposing play makers and look to disrupt attacks before they begin. Hendry will mark large, strong attackers while Pallister will take the faster, more agile forwards.

When in possession, the team will look to move the ball quickly, either to our ball players in Beckham and Le Tissier, or to our danger men in Bale and Van Persie. Our full backs will offer consistent wide options and look to deliver accurate crosses to our attackers.

The magic will come from Beckham and Le Tissier while the razor sharp edge will be provided by Bale and Van Persie. The patience and finesse of the right hand side and centre of our attack will be well complimented by the fast, direct and unpredictable dynamism of the left hand flank.


Set Pieces:

Defensive Corners
Seaman will direct the defence and claim anything in and around his 6 yeard box. Hendry will attack balls in the air outside this, dominating the box and clearing danger from corners and wide free kicks. Pallister will mark the tallest attacker while Batty, Sherwood and Beckham will pick up other attackers. Jones and Bjørnebye will take a post each while Le Tissier will remain at the edge of the box, looking to receive the clearance and put Bale or Van Persie away on the counter attack.

Defensive Free Kicks
Seaman will direct a wall consisting of Beckham, Batty, Sherwood and Le Tissier. Hendry, Pallister, Jones and Bjørnebye will mark other forwards and Bale will remain outside the box, looking to receive clearances and drive forward on the counter.

Attacking Corners
Not known for their goal scoring exploits; Jones, Bjørnebye and Batty will remain back for attacking set pieces. Pallister and Hendry will attack the 6 yard box while Van Persie will attack the near post. Bale will attack the far post while Le Tissier will remain at the edge of the box, looking to latch onto half clearances or flicks back. Sherwood will remain outside the box, aiming to feed the ball back in when necessary or to quickly break down counter attacks from clearances.

Attacking Free Kicks
Beckham – Doesn’t need to be expanded upon.

Penalty Kicks
Le Tissier has one of the finest penalty taking records in football history (scoring 48 of his 49 spot kicks) and will take any penalties awarded during the game.

 

[Moby]

Tailored Match Tactics:

Team VivaJanuzaj possesses strong full backs, forwards and a good creative midfielder in Modric but their central defenders and wingers are not the strongest in the competition.

While Modric and Bergkamp are wonderful playmakers when given time on the ball, both can struggle when faced with abrasive and aggressive defensive players putting pressure on them. Batty, Sherwood and Hendry will be in their faces throughout the game and will look to knock them off their stride.

Michael Owen is a quick and dangerous finisher but he relies on good service from his midfield. Pallister is up there with the quickest centre backs and by putting pressure on Modric and Bergkamp in particular, we will look to isolate and frustrate Owen by preventing his supply.

Evra is a wonderful defender but his abilities will be negated somewhat by the deeper role Beckham will occupy. As Beckham does not need to beat his opponent in order to deliver dangerous balls to our attackers, Evra will be forced to close him down further up and inside the field. This will result in space on the right hand flank for Jones to move into and punish.

De Jong at City was a solid, combative midfielder who will look to break up our play. Unfortunately he will have his work cut out as neither Joe Cole, nor Modric are renowned for their defensive work rates. Split between attempting to close down both Beckham and Le Tissier, as well as preventing Batty and Sherwood moving the ball quickly to Bale or the fullbacks, the effectiveness of De Jong will be spread thin.

Bould and Jagielka are definitely a pairing that will struggle against the movement of Van Persie. Neither is the quickest, nor the sharpest on the turn and RVP would relish the chance to move beyond and outmanoeuvre them to through passes or balls over the top.

Likewise, for all his talents, Ivanovic is not blessed with out and out pace. Unfortunately for him, he is up against one of the quickest players there is in Gareth Bale. Bale will exploit this by getting in behind Ivanovic and both Le Tissier and Beckham will look to make use of this mismatch in quickness

This video illustrates perfectly what Beckham will bring to a deeper lying, playmaking role within the team:

Spoiler: Beckham - Passing

While this next clip shows exactly how Van Persie will use this supply to torment Phil Jagielka:

Spoiler: Van Persie vs Jagielka

Incidently, in the only 3 full league games in which Van Persie and Jagielka faced each other while Van Persie was at Arsenal, the Dutchman scored 3 goals. In a 4th game where Jagielka came on as a 2nd half substitute, Van Persie registered an assist.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, We believe that Team Diarm possesses more hard working, disruptive players than Team VivaJanuzaj. We have the stronger, more balanced centre backs and much better wide players.

With the contrasting skill sets and attributes of Bale, Beckham and Le Tissier, we have the more varied attack and in Van Persie, we have a forward who can create goals from nothing, even if his supply is somehow stemmed.

Best of luck to our opponents Team VivaJanuzaj, we're looking forward to a good match!

 

[Moby]

Team Profiles

Spoiler: Defence

David Seaman
Arsenal 1992-2003
3 Premier League Titles, 4 FA Cups, 1 League Cup, 1 UEFA Cup Winners Cup.
1 x PFA Team of the Year, EURO 96 Team of the Tournament.
142 clean sheets in 344 Premier League games. 40 clean sheets in 75 International caps.

A rock at the heart of a successful Arsenal side for over a decade and a goalkeeper they have taken more than a decade to replace, Seaman is easily the best English keeper to play in the Premiership.

Along with superb positional sense, strong reflexes and a great aerial presence, Seaman was a real presence at the back of a strong Arsenal defence, a brilliant manager of his defenders and a keeper who any attacker would rather play with than against.

Rob Jones
Liverpool 1992-1999
1 x PFA Team of the Year
155 Premier League games and 8 International caps.

One of the finest Liverpool defenders of the Premier League era, Jones’ career at international level in particular, was unfortunately cut short by injury.

Blessed with good pace and a fantastic cross, Jones was highly effective in bombing down the right flank and delivering goal scoring opportunities from wide areas.

His best attributes were always in defence however. Strong in the tackle and with the mobility to keep pace with tricky wingers, Jones was famous for marshalling some of the leagues most famous attackers. At his peak, during the 1994-95 season, Jones was as good a fullback as any in Europe.


Colin Hendry
Blackburn Rovers 1992-1998
Premier League Title 1995
2 x PFA Team of the Year
8 goals in 203 Premier League appearances. 3 goals in 53 International caps.

An old fashioned, “hard as nails” centre back who owned his penalty area during his time at Blackburn in the mid 90’s.

Tough and uncompromising on the floor, it was in the air where Hendry made his mark as undoubtedly one of the strongest aerial defenders the Premiership has ever seen.

Along with Flowers, Sherwood and SAS, Hendry was a true leader and key member of Blackburn’s title winning side in 1995. A beast of a man, impossible to bully and able to strike fear in the heart of attackers everywhere.

Gary Pallister
Manchester United 1992-1998
4 Premier League Titles, 3 FA Cups, 1 League Cup,
5 x PFA Team of the Year, 1 x PFA Players Player of the Year
8 goals in 207 Premier League appearances. 22 International caps.

One of the most decorated Centre Backs of all time, Pallister made up half of maybe the Premier Leagues greatest ever defensive partnership.

Blessed with pace, agility, intelligence and great technical astuteness, Pallister was the perfect foil to the traditional, uncompromising defender. His physical ability, along with a keen awareness of the game, allowed him to cover his more abrasive partner, mopping up attacks before they began and negating the threat of the quick forward.

Aside from his wonderful defensive capabilities, Pallister had an uncanny knack for scoring goals at crucial moments including cup semi-finals and title-deciding show downs.

Stig Inge Bjørnebye
Liverpool 1992-2000
1 League Cup
1 x PFA Team of the Year
2 goals in 119 Premier League appearances. 1 goal in 76 International caps.

Another Liverpool fullback with a talent for overlapping on the flank and swinging in accurate and consistent crosses, Bjørnebye had one of the sweetest left foot strikes in the league.

Solid and effective in defence, the Norwegian wide man peaked under the management of Roy Evans, making the PFA Team of the Year for his fine performances in 1996/97 and the notable number of chances he created for Stan Collymore and Robbie Fowler from his exploits down the left hand side.

Spoiler: Midfield

David Beckham
Manchester United 1992-2003
6 Premier League Titles, 2 Fa Cups, 1 Champions League
4 x PFA Team of the Year, Premiership Team of the Decade, Premiership Goal of the Decade
1 x UEFA Team of the Year, 1 x UEFA Club Footballer of the Year, 1 x FWA Tribute Award
1 x Ballon D’Or - 2nd Place, 2 x Fifa World Player of the Year - 2nd Place, 1 x England Player of the Year

Quite simply, the greatest right sided midfielder in Premier League history.

Beckham was the poster boy for the class of 92, a gifted footballer with one of the greatest deliveries of any player ever. Hard working in midfield and along the entire right flank, Beckham was a team player with an extraordinary gift for long range passing, for crossing and for set pieces.

Beckham occupied a role deeper, and more withdrawn than the modern winger. He was an integral part of the midfield rather than an out and out wide man, often choosing to use his brilliant ball striking technique and vision to beat his opponent rather needing to round him.

He linked the central midfield to the attack with quick and accurate short passing and was well able to beat a man on the outside, or put his overlapping fullback away when he needed to. In short, Beckham was one of the key individuals in a United team that won everything in club football and one of the great England players of his generation.

David Batty
Newcastle United 1996-1998
1 Premier League Title,
3 x PFA Team of the year
3 goals in 83 Premier League appearances. 42 International caps.

David Batty arrived in Newcastle already boasting an impressive record at Leeds United, as well as a Premier League title and place on the PFA Team of the Year with Blackburn.

It was on Tyneside however that Batty reached his peak, twice being named on the Team of the Year and trusted by Kevin Keegan as his midfield general in a side that came within a whisker of Premier League glory.

One of the best holding midfielders ever to grace the Premier League, Batty’s tireless work rate, tenacious tackling and selfless, efficient use of the ball provided the rock on which Newcastle’s more glamourous footballers built their attacks.

Tim Sherwood
Blackburn Rovers 1992-1999
1 Premier League Title
1 x PFA Team of the Year
24 goals in 235 Premier League appearances. 3 International caps.

Captain of the 1995, title winning Blackburn side, Sherwood was a real leader by example on the field. A combative and no nonsense footballer, he bossed the midfield with hard tackling, determined pressing of his opponents and a keen sense of position and anticipation.

Economical but intelligent with the ball, Sherwood was so effective at Blackburn that owner Jack Walker famously rejected the opportunity to sign Zinedine Zidane.

Gareth Bale
Tottenham Hotspurs 2007-2013
3 x PFA Team of the Year, 2 x PFA Players Player of the Year
2 x UEFA Team of the Year, 1 x FWA Player of the Year
42 goals in 146 Premier League appearances. 17 goals in 50 International caps.

The most expensive footballer of all time.

In 2013, Real Madrid paid £85.3 million for a player who had terrorised Premier League (as well as European) right backs for the previous 3 seasons following his progression from defender to attacker.

Player of the Year in 2011, Bale hit his undoubted peak in 2012/13, again picking up the award and registering 21 goals and 9 assists from midfield as Manchester United and Real Madrid circled in pursuit of his signature.

An impeccable athlete, Bale adds great skill and agility to his blistering pace and on several occasions towards the end of his spell in a Spurs shirt, was a simply unplayable force.

 

[Moby]

Spoiler: Attack

Matt Le Tissier
Southampton 1992-2002
1 x PFA Team of the Year, Multiple Goal of the Month/Season Nominations and Wins.
101 goals in 270 Premier League appearances. 8 International caps.

The first midfielder to score 100 Premier League goals and one of the greatest penalty kick takers of all time, “Le God” as he was known to the Southampton faithful, was so much more than the statistics or indeed, international records show.

A player of immense technical ability, Le Tissier is a footballer that still invokes fond images in the memory of any Premier League fan over the age of 25. A devious and wonderful passer of the ball, Le Tissier could and often did, score incredible goals from anywhere he wanted to.

As a young United fan growing up in the 90’s, staying up for Match of the Day on a Saturday evening was 60% about watching United and 40% looking forward to seeing Le Tissier’s contribution to this weeks Goal of the Month selection! A true Premiership legend.

Paolo Di Canio
West Ham United
1 x UEFA Intertoto Cup
Goal of the Season 1999/00
48 goals in 118 Premier League Appearances.

At times tempestuous and controversial, Di Canio was above all, a gifted footballer.

Scorer of one of the finest goals in Premier League history, the fiery Italian was capable of mixing outrageous technique and vision with a strong and aggressive attacking presence. Great technical skill and a fine goal scoring record helped Di Canio go down in the history books as a thorn in the side of his opponents but a real Hammers hero.

Robin Van Persie
Arsenal 2004-2012
1 Premier League, 1 FA Cup, 1 UEFA Cup
1 x PFA Players Player of the Year, 1 x PFA Fans Player of the Year
1 x FWA Player of the Year, 1 x ESM Team of the Year, 1 x Premier League Golden Boot
96 goals in 194 Premier League appearances. 49 goals in 98 International caps.

Van Persie was signed by Arsenal in 2004 to replace the great Thierry Henry. His earlier career at the club was disrupted by injury but towards the end of his time in London, he had become the complete forward.

Smart, powerful and with an ability to create and score goals from nothing, Van Persie was every defender’s worst nightmare. Most at home on the shoulder of bamboozled centre backs, RVP was blessed with an impeccable first touch, quick feet and pure finishing ability.

During his final season at Arsenal (and his undoubted peak), Van Persie was the leagues best player by a distance, scoring 30 league goals and adding 14 assists as he paved the way for a move to Manchester United where he would go on to play a large part in winning his first, and Sir Alex Ferguson’s final Premier League title.

 

[Moby]

Phew, that was one giant OP @diarm haha, had to re arrange a bit so let me know if something is missing.

@VivaJanuzaj @ctp

Good luck fellas.

 

[diarm]

Phew, that was one giant OP @diarm haha, had to re arrange a bit so let me know if something is missing.

@VivaJanuzaj @ctp

Good luck fellas.

Looks good Aldo thanks!
Best of luck Viva.

 

[VivaJanuzaj]

First of all, thank you @Aldo and Good luck @diarm. I'm voting for myself to see the scores.

Now, to address some problematic issues with diarm's writeup:

When not in possession, the team will work hard to win the ball back quickly and in the middle third of the pitch. Fast fullbacks and tenacious midfielders will put heavy pressure on opposing play makers and look to disrupt attacks before they begin. Hendry will mark large, strong attackers while Pallister will take the faster, more agile forwards.

Between Ivanovic-Evra-Modric-Hargreaves-Joe Cole-Bergkamp I don't think my team will struggle against your players' pressure, moreover, you can't really expect to play pressure football when you've got two strikers who weren't really known for pressing defenders.

While Modric and Bergkamp are wonderful playmakers when given time on the ball, both can struggle when faced with abrasive and aggressive defensive players putting pressure on them. Batty, Sherwood and Hendry will be in their faces throughout the game and will look to knock them off their stride.

Modric and Bergkamp live under pressure! Bergkamp won't be stopped by pressure from neither of Batty/Sherwood(who is really far away) or Hendry. If Hendry will go forward to deal with him on a free role, it takes one mistake to let Bergkamp get pass you, and Hendry isn't a top notch defender who won't do a mistake like that. The minute Hendry puts a foot wrong and Bergkamp skillfully passes by him, which will happen often in these spaces, it's Bergkamp and Owen against Pallister.

Michael Owen is a quick and dangerous finisher but he relies on good service from his midfield. Pallister is up there with the quickest centre backs and by putting pressure on Modric and Bergkamp in particular, we will look to isolate and frustrate Owen by preventing his supply.

Okay, yeah Palli is no slouche and can frustrate Owen, but that will leave Hendry vs Bergkamp all by himself with Batty on Modric, see the answer above.

Evra is a wonderful defender but his abilities will be negated somewhat by the deeper role Beckham will occupy. As Beckham does not need to beat his opponent in order to deliver dangerous balls to our attackers, Evra will be forced to close him down further up and inside the field. This will result in space on the right hand flank for Jones to move into and punish.

Evra will actually love Beckham's deeper role. If you take a look at our OP you can see Evra is somewhat of a LWB and is ordered to provide width. If a player like Bale was on that flank he would get caught out often, the fact that Becks isn't the fast running type of winger and is more of a passer from right midfield plays straight into Evra's hands, who will have much less space to go back after roaming before catching up with the winger.

De Jong at City was a solid, combative midfielder who will look to break up our play. Unfortunately he will have his work cut out as neither Joe Cole, nor Modric are renowned for their defensive work rates. Split between attempting to close down both Beckham and Le Tissier, as well as preventing Batty and Sherwood moving the ball quickly to Bale or the fullbacks, the effectiveness of De Jong will be spread thin.

Modric is very solid defensively, Joe Cole has nothing to do with Le Tissier or Beckham anyway so I don't know whats the issue here, De Jong is playing like a water carrier, with even Ivanovic staying back there's always three-four players against your attack. De Jong's role will be to deny Le Tissier the long balls when you try so start a counter, and to chase Le Tissier/Bale down when you do receive it. He's athleticism is perfect for the role.

 

[VivaJanuzaj]

If you forgot for a second how amazing Bergkamp was, and you think he can be dealt by Hendry pressuring him, hopefully this will remind you:



As for Modric, well tell that to Del Bosque and one of the best pressing teams in history, because on the summer of 2012, just after a great season at Spurs, Modric's Croatia met Spain in the European Championship and this is how Modric dominated the Spanish midfield single-handedly:


So yeah, NT performances count for nothing, but saying Batty can pressure him out of the game or minimize his influence is beyond unreasonable, because Bosquets couldn't, Chelsea couldn't, and many more in the PL.

 

[bleezy]

I much prefer the formation with Joe Cole on the left. You'd need to double up on Bale, which means Hargreaves more on the wing tracking back. Without that, I think Bale will get the better of Ivanovic. Beckham putting in balls over Van Persie's shoulder would be deadly, and I'm not sure Jagielka could stop that. I think Diarm's wingplay wins this for him. His own fullbacks are a weakness but there's nobody to really commit them and make them pay here.

 

[VivaJanuzaj]

I much prefer the formation with Joe Cole on the left. You'd need to double up on Bale, which means Hargreaves more on the wing tracking back. Without that, I think Bale will get the better of Ivanovic. Beckham putting in balls over Van Persie's shoulder would be deadly, and I'm not sure Jagielka could stop that. I think Diarm's wingplay wins this for him. His own fullbacks are a weakness but there's nobody to really commit them and make them pay here.

Read the OP mate, in real life Bale never scored/assisted while playing against Ivanovic in the PL/FA Cup.
Besides, Hargreaves is much greater help to the RB than Cole, and the reason I've put up both formations is because in the dynamics of the game things change and switch around, both options will occur during the match especially with two versatile players like Bergkamp and Cole

 

[crappycraperson]

I much prefer the formation with Joe Cole on the left. .

Same

 

[diarm]

I'm on my phone so will have to wait a couple of hours to weigh in with the heavy debate but I will point out that the pressure I spoke of will be focused in the middle of the park.

Neither Bergkamp or Owen were known for receiving long balls and holding up play so I'm not so worried about allowing your defenders have the ball deep in your half.

Bale, Beckham, Batty and Sherwood will hound your midfielders when they have possession.

Viva's tactics seem heavily based on Bergkamp (Owen is a finisher and never a creator)while his defence will need to contend with Bale, Beckham, Le Tissier and Van Persie.

The video in my OP already shows what Van Persie can do to Jagiela, and that is without the wealth of attacking options behind him or the pinpoint delivery of Beckham.

 

[Gio]

Some good research here, credit to both gaffers.

A few points:

• The Rob Jones overlap looks like a clear route to getting crosses into the box from promising positions.
• Evra high on Beckham makes sense. Craig Brown deployed a similar tactic to stop Beckham getting crosses into the box, sticking a centre-half at left-wing-back, in the play-off between England and Scotland for Euro 2000. It worked a treat as well, England were gash.
• Imagine a lot will come down to Bergkamp against Batty and Le Tissier against De Jong.

 

[bleezy]

Read the OP mate, in real life Bale never scored/assisted while playing against Ivanovic in the PL/FA Cup.
Besides, Hargreaves is much greater help to the RB than Cole, and the reason I've put up both formations is because in the dynamics of the game things change and switch around, both options will occur during the match especially with two versatile players like Bergkamp and Cole

I did read it, you said there are two examples. But then knowing Chelsea, they always had a winger or Ramires who tracked back and helps the full back. I think with Hargreaves on that duty, De Jong mindful of Le Tiss, it leaves Modric on his own in the middle when defending. I like your four of Owen, Bergkamp, Cole and Modric going forward and I think that'd cause a lot of problems.

The poll isn't up and I was going to leave off voting anyway until more discussion has taken place, but I am slightly in favour of Diarm's side at the moment.

 

[Physiocrat]

I much prefer the formation with Joe Cole on the left.

Agree, it makes so much sense. The main one with an RCB Hargreaves arrow going backward and Cole as a RW makes zero sense.

Owen is a finisher and never a creator

That's not entirely true. Keegan used him as a 10 in his later days at Newcastle but that wasn't his forte and isn't the player on the pitch at present.

 

[VivaJanuzaj]

Agree, it makes so much sense. The main one with an RCB Hargreaves arrow going backward and Cole as a RW makes zero sense.

Hargreaves is a RCM, the arrow backwards doesn't mean he'll drop to RCB it means he'll also play the role of helping out on that flank when Ivanovic finds time to venture forward.

Moreover, we added the second formation as a way of showing the versatility our side has with the ability to switch flanks and cause different types of problems. I don't see a reason why it should play against us. Both formations are ways our team will stand in throughout a long match, don't ignore the fact that a match is long and not static.

 

[diarm]

Some good research here, credit to both gaffers.

A few points:

• The Rob Jones overlap looks like a clear route to getting crosses into the box from promising positions.
• Evra high on Beckham makes sense. Craig Brown deployed a similar tactic to stop Beckham getting crosses into the box, sticking a centre-half at left-wing-back, in the play-off between England and Scotland for Euro 2000. It worked a treat as well, England were gash.
• Imagine a lot will come down to Bergkamp against Batty and Le Tissier against De Jong.

Three fair points.

The difference as I see it, is if Batty stifles Bergkamp and De Jong stifles Le Tissier, I think Bale and Van Persie will create a lot more than Joe Cole and Owen.

Can see both sets of fullbacks getting some joy down the flanks but from their deliveries, I reckon RVP and Bale will get more joy in the air from Jagielka and Bould than Owen and Bergkamp will from Hendry and Pally.

 

[ctp]

While Modric and Bergkamp are wonderful playmakers when given time on the ball, both can struggle when faced with abrasive and aggressive defensive players putting pressure on them. Batty, Sherwood and Hendry will be in their faces throughout the game and will look to knock them off their stride.

De Jong at City was a solid, combative midfielder who will look to break up our play. Unfortunately he will have his work cut out as neither Joe Cole, nor Modric are renowned for their defensive work rates. Split between attempting to close down both Beckham and Le Tissier, as well as preventing Batty and Sherwood moving the ball quickly to Bale or the fullbacks, the effectiveness of De Jong will be spread thin.

Viva mentioned this already, but your description of Modric is so very wrong, it seems almost deliberate . In the real world, Modric is a very composed player and excellent under pressure. Furthermore, he is a great allround midfielder, whose defensive contribution should not be underestimated. He played much of his club career in a midfield two next to a more defensive player - same as here - and was dominant.
I know it has no bearing on this draft, but Real were solid with him in midfield even next to a comparatively lightweight player in Kroos.

 

[VivaJanuzaj]

I did read it, you said there are two examples. But then knowing Chelsea, they always had a winger or Ramires who tracked back and helps the full back. I think with Hargreaves on that duty, De Jong mindful of Le Tiss, it leaves Modric on his own in the middle when defending. I like your four of Owen, Bergkamp, Cole and Modric going forward and I think that'd cause a lot of problems.

The poll isn't up and I was going to leave off voting anyway until more discussion has taken place, but I am slightly in favour of Diarm's side at the moment.

When defending, Ivanovic always gets help from either Hargreaves or Cole, that's the idea of the formation. Both have the time and work rate to track back and help him. But more than that, does he really need it? The fact is, Ivanovic knows Bale well, and knows how to stop him from influencing the game. That's a fact. And even if in Chelsea he had a work horse like Ramires helping him, in Chelsea he also has way more width creating roles. In Chelsea, Ivanovic is often the key player in width when venturing forward, so he needs support. In this match, with Ivanovic much more defensive, we're playing him as a RCB so he won't need to meet Bale halfway across the pitch. When he meets him closer to the box, Bale's speed advantage becomes less important and Ivanovic's positioning and tackling because much more influent on the battle between them.

What RB in an RCB role can stop Bale if not Ivanovic? The setup is perfect to prevent Bale-Beckham to be the key factor in the match, with the perfect countering for Bale LW Beckham RM with Ivanovic RCB and Evra LWB to meet the two players at the area of the pitch where they're advantages are reduced.

On the other hand, I'm not really sure how Pallister-Hendry can stop Bergkamp-Owen if Modric is troubled by Batty only.
The way diarm drew it, it's pretty much Pallister on Owen, Hendry on Bergkamp and Batty on Modric. Just imagine it, there are so many scenarios to create goals from this: Modric getting the better of Batty, than he has a free pass for either Bergkamp or Owen on the move, jesus that's scary looking. Another scenario? sure. Modric passes it to Bergkamp who nicks it past Hendry(It's Hendry, he can't stop Bergkamp for full 90 minutes!), Than it's two vs one Bergkamp-Owen against Palli. That's without even considering the scenarios when Hargreaves, Joe Cole or Evra manage to pass a through ball to the movement of Bergkamp or Owen.

And seriously, the whole Hendry-Bergkamp thing again, it's the classic two strikers against two CBs matchup, we tackled it by adding De Jong and Ivanovic as extra shields, diarm's team has only Batty who isn't capable of stopping that attacking flow. When Bergkamp, who plays a free role, draws Hendry out of the defensive line, it won't take much for him/Modric/Cole/Hargreaves to find Owen with a through ball.

 

[VivaJanuzaj]

Some good research here, credit to both gaffers.

A few points:

• The Rob Jones overlap looks like a clear route to getting crosses into the box from promising positions.
• Evra high on Beckham makes sense. Craig Brown deployed a similar tactic to stop Beckham getting crosses into the box, sticking a centre-half at left-wing-back, in the play-off between England and Scotland for Euro 2000. It worked a treat as well, England were gash.
• Imagine a lot will come down to Bergkamp against Batty and Le Tissier against De Jong.

Fair points, except the last one which is not completely true. It will come down to Bergkamp, but he's not facing Batty. Batty will need to deal with Modric(otherwise Modric is free to run the show in the middle) with Sherwood on Hargreaves. So it's basically Bergkamp-Owen against Hendry-Pallister. Two on two with Bergkamp and a lethal finisher against two good(but not top notch) CBs? I'll take it.

Three fair points.

The difference as I see it, is if Batty stifles Bergkamp and De Jong stifles Le Tissier, I think Bale and Van Persie will create a lot more than Joe Cole and Owen.

Can see both sets of fullbacks getting some joy down the flanks but from their deliveries, I reckon RVP and Bale will get more joy in the air from Jagielka and Bould than Owen and Bergkamp will from Hendry and Pally.

That's the thing mate, I don't claim that De Jong will "stifle" Le Tissier, he will however, cause him problems receiving the long balls. On the other hand, Batty is nowhere near Bergkamp, and even if he was it would make Modric's route to goal very very simple with no one taking him.

Batty has to take Modric, which forces Hendry/Pallister to Bergkamp, which is bound to end up badly for you.

Bergkamp is the best player on the pitch without proper defender against him. Yes, I'm counting on him to be the difference here and it will all go down to him, but it's fecking Bergkamp and he can do whatever he wants here with no proper defending.

 

[VivaJanuzaj]

Batty takes Bergkamp while Owen is being occupied by Pallister and Hendry? No problem. Bergkamp will pull a little backwards and wait for Modric to sneak in with no one defending against him(according to diarm's tactics), giving him one of his "magical balls"

 

[antohan]

I prefer Cole on the left, but I prefer the default setup with him on the right.

 

[VivaJanuzaj]

I prefer Cole on the left, but I prefer the default setup with him on the right.

I do too, but with Bergkamp on a free role he'll get the chance to play both. I know you are one of the guys who understands that a game is not static as formations tend to show in these draft games. That's why I added it in the OP as a way of showing the team will switch around from both, with the first being the main formation.

 

[Marty1968]

Tricky one this....Love Owen and Bergkamp with Modric but then Hargreaves and De Jong aren't good enough for me. On the other side, superb distribution from Beckham and Le Tis, with deadly pace/directness of Bale and finishing quality of RVP. Although I do like teams that defend from the front and the likes of RVP, Le Tis and Bale don't really do this...

Plus Reina has never been world class...whilst keepers don't get taken into account that often in these drafts (even though I think they should do), Reina would struggle against RVP, Bale and the brilliance of Becks and Le Tissier

Will read a bit more debate from others before voting on this one I think.

 

[ctp]

Tricky one this....Love Owen and Bergkamp with Modric but then Hargreaves and De Jong aren't good enough for me. On the other side, superb distribution from Beckham and Le Tis, with deadly pace/directness of Bale and finishing quality of RVP. Although I do like teams that defend from the front and the likes of RVP, Le Tis and Bale don't really do this...

Plus Reina has never been world class...whilst keepers don't get taken into account that often in these drafts (even though I think they should do), Reina would struggle against RVP, Bale and the brilliance of Becks and Le Tissier

Will read a bit more debate from others before voting on this one I think.

*cough* Golden Gloves *cough*



Reina actually has more clean sheets per game than any keeper bar Cech. He is certainly at least on par with Seaman.

 

[diarm]

There is a lot of bluff being spoken here.

It seems assumptions are being made that Bergkamp will find his way past Hendry at least once in 90 minutes but Bale won't find his way past Ivanovich at all, that Ivanovich (who will have his hands full) and De Jong will provide a great shield but Batty, Sherwood and Beckham won't.

Batty will be spending a lot of quality time with Bergkamp, Sherwood and Beckham will be more than capable of making Modric and Hargreaves lives difficult in the midfield.

Remember that even at his best, Modric's strengths lie in bringing others into play. With only Joe Cole as a wide option, his outlets are really limited.

Viva's says Hendry and Pallister are good but not top notch centre backs. If this is true it makes Bould and Jagielka no better than average. Pallister is second only to Rio in the list of ball playing CB's and Hendry was a beast in true PL hard man fashion.

What this boils down to is whether a side with weaker centre backs and poor wide options but containing the brilliant Dennis Bergkamp, can beat a side with a top CB partnership and 2 of the top 4 wide men in the draft.

Unfortunately for Viva, the second team also contains a Robin Van Persie that scored 30 league goals in a season and consistently bettered Jagielka and Matthew Le Tissier.

 

[diarm]

Sherwood is being completely disregarded as well.

Another factor that must be considered is how much more effective my side is from set pieces.

I have probably the best free kick taker and the best penalty taker in the draft. In Bale, Van Persie, Pallister and Hendry I have players who will prove a real threat from corners and will be more than capable of defending the minimal aerial threat Vivas team poses.

 

[Marty1968]

*cough* Golden Gloves *cough*


Reina actually has more clean sheets per game than any keeper bar Cech. He is certainly at least on par with Seaman.

Good job I've got Petr Cech in my team then...

 

[Marty1968]

Think Sherwood and Batty would certainly out-muscle De Jong and Hargreaves here...

 

[VivaJanuzaj]

My team is much more ready to defend against his. His playing on the counters trying to take take advantage of Bale's speed, but Ivaovic staying deep counters it to the best possible way. De Jong and Hargreaves aren't top class in this draft, no doubt about it, but aren't they good for their role here? If you can give De Jong one thing is his tackling and athleticism. He's in the water carrier role he can definitely do a job on defending against the counters.
Hargreaves at his best season in 2008 was very reliable and played RB RM and CM, did all three very solidly. He still had his vision, understanding and passing from his pre injury times - which were all top class. I have no doubt he can do a job in this game.

Reina? won the golden glove as ctp mentioned, I wouldn't see it as a problem. you're looking for soft spots where there are non.

There is a lot of bluff being spoken here.

It seems assumptions are being made that Bergkamp will find his way past Hendry at least once in 90 minutes but Bale won't find his way past Ivanovich at all, that Ivanovich (who will have his hands full) and De Jong will provide a great shield but Batty, Sherwood and Beckham won't.

Batty will be spending a lot of quality time with Bergkamp, Sherwood and Beckham will be more than capable of making Modric and Hargreaves lives difficult in the midfield.

Remember that even at his best, Modric's strengths lie in bringing others into play. With only Joe Cole as a wide option, his outlets are really limited.

Viva's says Hendry and Pallister are good but not top notch centre backs. If this is true it makes Bould and Jagielka no better than average. Pallister is second only to Rio in the list of ball playing CB's and Hendry was a beast in true PL hard man fashion.

What this boils down to is whether a side with weaker centre backs and poor wide options but containing the brilliant Dennis Bergkamp, can beat a side with a top CB partnership and 2 of the top 4 wide men in the draft.

Unfortunately for Viva, the second team also contains a Robin Van Persie that scored 30 league goals in a season and consistently bettered Jagielka and Matthew Le Tissier.

Bergkamp will find his way past Hendry much more than once. Hendry will go out from the defensive line to meet him and Bergkamp will surely beat him more than once.

Besides, Bale < Bergkamp and Hendry < Ivanovic. So I don't see the point. Of course Bale won't be completely shut down by Ivanovic, but he'll definitely have harder time than Bergkamp against Hendry.

Pallister Hendry are better than Bould-Jagielka. I never said they aren't, but my attackers are better than yours. Bergkamp is the best player on the pitch and the protection you got against him is really poor.

 

[VivaJanuzaj]

Think Sherwood and Batty would certainly out-muscle De Jong and Hargreaves here...

Again, why do everybody ignore Modric? Who takes him? We're talking about the guy who was the best player in most Spurs' sides and wasn't contained by the best Spanish midfield in history. Why is he being disregarded?? If Batty needs to take him(A role that Bosquets and Essien couldn't do), than Batty can't do anything against Bergkamp.

The linkup between Bergkamp-Modric-Owen in the middle against Pallister-Hendry-Batty is the best route to goal in the match. Better than Bale vs Ivanovic, better than La Tissier-Van Persie vs De Jong-Jagielka-Bould(3vs2), and better than Beckham vs Evra.

And Sherwood isn't being disregarded, Hargreaves is still there, and De Jong can come out to him if he's in the final third alone. With the counter attacking idea I don't see him being as a big goal threat here.

 

[VivaJanuzaj]

Joe Cole isn't going to be an easy threat to manage for either of Jones or Bjorenbye, he's pressure on the final third was always felt and between his two feet, his work rate, dribbling and versatility he was a very tough player to stop at his prime. He had great movement between defenders and can find gaps for Bergkamp Hargreaves and Modric to pass to, or find Owen/Bergkamp with a through ball between the two CBs.
In 2007-08 he was practically the third most important player in the squad after Lampard and Drogba, leading him to win Chelsea Player of the year in 2008.
He won 3 PL titles as a first team player, 3 FA cups, almost a CL medal, 3 league cup titles. That's impressive, what does Rob Jones has to show for it? A league cup and a FA cup.

 

[diarm]

Counter attacking is not the focus of my side.

We have the ability to counter from set pieces and deep positions when necessary because we have a much more multi-faceted attack.

But we will also work the ball a lot through the middle. Beckham, Le Tissier and Van Persie are wonderful footballers and well able to match Modric, Bergkamp and Owen in the only attacking style Team Viva has.

The difference is we have the variety to attack on the flanks that Viva simply hasn't.

Bale will take everything Ivanovic has to contain and will still find opportunities and Le Tissier will score against Reina.

Van Persie is the only player on the pitch who has scored 30 league goals in a season and one of the best players at pulling off a centre backs shoulder in the PL era. There is noone in the draft better at finding Van Persie in such positions than Beckam.

I'm Bergkamp biggest fan. He's a great player but the one dimensional nature of Vivas attack will not be enough to overcome the several ways we can attack his weaker defence.

 

[diarm]

Joe Cole was a fine player in his prime but Owen and Bergkamp are not Drogba and Hendry,Pallister and Seaman are not going to struggle with their aerial threat.

You are bluffing if you think Cole is going to offer the goalscoring threat of Bale or Beckham.

 

[VivaJanuzaj]

What this boils down to is whether a side with weaker centre backs and poor wide options but containing the brilliant Dennis Bergkamp, can beat a side with a top CB partnership and 2 of the top 4 wide men in the draft.

You would like it to boil down to this, because you don't have any power in midfield to stop Modric. Yes, you have a better CB pair and yes, you have better options out wide but individual abilities don't decide the scores, what do decide it is matchups and tactics.

Here we've got a key matchups, and this is what it really boils down to:
On my attack:
Joe Cole vs Jones/Bjorenbye - Joe cole at his prime was brilliant, a key player in Chelsea's route for 3 league titles, 3 FA cups and more. He could play either wing and attack the full backs with his two footed skills. See what mentioned above. Joe Cole is no Bale of course, but your full backs aren't exactly Evra/Ivanovic either.
Modric-Bergkamp-Owen vs Batty-Pallister-Hendry - The best SS in the draft, is being supplied by one of the best creative CMs in the draft, setting up for one of the best goal scorers in the draft, against a good DM, top notch CB, and a very good CB. Yep, I'm happily admitting I'm relying on Bergkamp, because with movement from my four attacking players he'll control the game and do as he pleases. Yes, nothing short of that. Bergkamp will receive the ball mostly outside the box, and when facing the goal he'll see only Hendry against him. I've said it time and time again, even the best man marker couldn't contain Bergkamp for full 90 minutes with so much space, so Hendry will be a sour loser in this battle and it could get ugly. If I were you, I didn't want a 3vs3 fight throughout the match, especially not against these attackers, but I'll happily take it.
On diarm's attack:
Bale vs Ivanovic - Ivanovic is one of the best defending RBs in the draft, equally comfortable on CB, Bale NEVER scored or assisted against Chelsea's Ivanovic when both were on field. Never. Ivanovic here has much less attacking responsibility than he has in Chelsea, so he's up for the fight. It will be a very tough battle, which will demand both for full attention, but Ivanovic is one of the few who can make it.
Beckham vs Evra - Yeah, Beckham is always a threat against any team, but the fact is our tactics played perfectly against diarm's tactics. Having Evra higher up the pitch won't allow Beckham as much space as he wants in these midfield areas, which will allow Evra to press him high up the pitch and force him to pass quicker than usual. That's the best way to stop Becks, and that's whats being done. I'm not saying Beckham won't influence the game, but that's the best way to make it hard on him.
La Tissier-Van Persie vs De Jong-Jagielka-Bould - At his prime, Bould was a superb CB. Not enough to stop LT-VP combo with Jagielka alone, so hey, lets add another DM to the equation to toughen it up. This is exactly what diarm failed to do to protect his defense with the 4-4-2, he's got a terrible 3vs3 matchup in the middle. Very scary stuff, so for me it's not a gamble we're willing to take, so we made it 2vs3. Not perfect, but definitely better.

It's not about who it is against who, it's how the setup will stop the key players from influencing the game. The best player on the pitch by a distance is Bergkamp, and the setup by diarm will allow him all the time and space he wants. And that is the key route to goal.

 

[VivaJanuzaj]

Joe Cole was a fine player in his prime but Owen and Bergkamp are not Drogba and Hendry,Pallister and Seaman are not going to struggle with their aerial threat.

You are bluffing if you think Cole is going to offer the goalscoring threat of Bale or Beckham.

You have to stop saying I'm bluffing, it's getting kind of annoying. When you say nonsense you don't see me laughing it out.
Bergkamp is no Drogba? You need to go and watch some Bergkamp videos mate, he's ten times the player Drogbs was.

Counter attacking is not the focus of my side.

We have the ability to counter from set pieces and deep positions when necessary because we have a much more multi-faceted attack.

But we will also work the ball a lot through the middle. Beckham, Le Tissier and Van Persie are wonderful footballers and well able to match Modric, Bergkamp and Owen in the only attacking style Team Viva has.

The difference is we have the variety to attack on the flanks that Viva simply hasn't.

Bale will take everything Ivanovic has to contain and will still find opportunities and Le Tissier will score against Reina.

Van Persie is the only player on the pitch who has scored 30 league goals in a season and one of the best players at pulling off a centre backs shoulder in the PL era. There is noone in the draft better at finding Van Persie in such positions than Beckam.

I'm Bergkamp biggest fan. He's a great player but the one dimensional nature of Vivas attack will not be enough to overcome the several ways we can attack his weaker defence.

I'm not attacking one sided, you make it look like Evra and Cole won't do shit in the game while in reality, your full backs are much weaker than mine. I'm choosing to put more input on the fact that we have the upper hand going through the middle not because we can't do it differently, but because it's the easiest matchup. You are trying to deflect the attention away from it because you know goals will come from there.
You wan't me to talk about wings? here you go. With Bergkamp so free and 1on1 against Hendry, Owen will push to one side, while Cole cuts inside from the other, and you've got two players running in across goal with Bergkamp and Modric as the guys who need to pass it through, it doesn't get any better. Want another one? Evra/Modric or Cole(Mostly Cole, but Evra/Modric will get a couple of chances wide left) get the ball out wide? They go one on one with the full back and manage to find a through ball? I don't see Pallister-Hendry being able to confidently stop the very quick Owen-Bergkamp who both have superb movement.

Come on, I'm speaking about the middle because it's an easier route to goal. We can hypothetically score from wide positions as well, it's not as if we don't have width, we do have it, and against weak full backs, but we just don't need it to be our main threat. You do.

 

[sajeev]

this should be an easy win for @diarm but there is way too much bluffing and misrepresentation which happens in these drafts.

 

[VivaJanuzaj]

And I'm sure Hendry can comfortably stop this on his own

 

[VivaJanuzaj]

this should be an easy win for @diarm but there is way too much bluffing and misrepresentation which happens in these drafts.

What's with the bluffing again? When did I bluff(not even sure what its supposed to mean)? If anything, the fact that diarm conveniently has Bergkamp doing nothing because Hendry(or Batty, I've lost track who is the guy that this time stops him) is containing him, while Bale is scoring in double figures against a player he never scored against and one of the best RBs on pitch.