GodShaveTheQueen —————————————-vs. Enigma/Don Alfredo
vs.
Tactics GSTQ
GSTQ (praying) : Oh great Footballing Gods of the world, please give me the recipe to build a perfect football team....
Football Gods : Its easy son. Fill your defense with some of the best Italian defenders of all time, fill your attack with some of the best Brazilian attackers of all time and finally add a German in the middle for luck. Victory shall be yours !!
Style of play : Quick counter attacking football. Build from the back when not counter attacking with the idea of pacing things up in the final third.
Tactics : Stay organized and in shape defensively as a unit when not in possession of the ball and hit them hard and fast on the counters after winning the ball.
Defending style : Zonal defending inspired by Mourinho's Inter Milan setup against Barcelona.
I have decided to not write a big OP this time as most people don't read it. So lets discuss things in the thread. Am sure there will be a lot of talking points.
Tactics Enigma/DonAlfredo
Formation:- 4-3-3 with a false 9. Press the opponent into mistake, possession based, take control of midfield
Defensive line:- Normal to high.
Style:- Cruyff inspired 4-3-3. Form triangles and employ short, direct passes and look to control proceedings. Look for openings, stretch the opposition defence and a lot of movement in midfield and the front line. We're looking for quick passes using the space, forming triangles, double passes, depth, pausing, rhythm and thus open up the pitch in the attacking third.
GK:- Ray Clemence - A goalkeeper that doesn't get enough dues. A stand-out as Liverpool’s greatest-ever goalkeeper and the standard by which all other Reds keepers are judged, Clemence was between the sticks when Liverpool were in their pomp. Clemence had it all as a keeper – he was consistent, reliable, a great shot stopper, comfortable with crosses, a good distributor of the ball, a good organiser of his defence.
RB:- Dani Alves - the finest RB Barca ever had. He helped Barca put 23 trophies in the cabinet over a glorious eight-year stay at the club, won 2 EL with Sevilla and even in his 30's continued his success winning Seria A and the French league. And if the trophy cabinet doesn't say enough his individual records speak for itself - Dani Alves was the third player in La Liga history to register 100 assists after Lionel Messi and Luis Figo. Not only that but at Barca and Sevilla he came against one of the best modern day wingers/forwards and often came on top - Ronaldinho, Cristiano, which speaks volumes for his defensive acumen.
CB:- Elias Figueroa - Don Elias is one of the finest defenders in history. Someone who neutralized Gerd Muller at the biggest stage and yet further afield he was a central defender playing at the very peak of his game during this era, a player good enough to be voted South American Player of the Year three times in succession between 1974 and 1976. Elías Figueroa was a revelation: a cultured sweeper with style, fine technique on the ball and an unusual penchant for clean play – he was sent-off on just one occasion during his 18-year career. His human qualities were considerable, too. This was a natural leader who was given the captaincy of every club he played for and who racked up no end of individual awards for his consistent excellence. To this day he’s considered the best foreign footballer to have played in both Uruguay and Brazil.
CB:- Hector Chumpitaz - One of the finest South American defenders, he was excellent on the ball - which dovetails our style pretty well. Fast, strong, solid defender who was part of Peru's golden generation that won Copa America in 75'
LB:- Eric Abidal - Abidal is one of the most decorated French footballers in recent history. A powerful left-back, he amassed over 400 club appearances, as well as 67 international caps, across a career spanning 15 years. At club level, Abidal won it all: eight league titles, a pair of Champions League trophies, a Club World Cup and numerous other cup competitions. He challenged himself across three different countries and succeeded in each.
DM:- Sergio Busquets - A pivot, he was the fulcrum of the entire midfield and was the single most important piece(ahead of Messi) on the pitch in terms of Barca's system. He encapsulated to roles seamlessly. A defensive midfielder, he was tasked with cutting out passing lanes and tackling the opposition. His brilliant reading of the games ensured his lack of pace was rarely an issue as he would rather cut out a dangerous pass than to chase it down and hack the opposition. As a holding midfielder he was solely responsible for carrying the ball forward from failed attacks(both oppositions and Barca's). His brilliant passing range and body feints would open up spaces in front of him out of thin air(and Xavi would pop up there out of thin air too). His vision and one-touch passing would frequently render one/two lines of opposition and free up his advance players to move in acres of space.
RCM:- Xavi - At his peak, Xavi controlled every game he was ever part of. What Xavi engineered was trust. There was an old video that showed how him and Iniesta were so linked that they made the same gestures on the field. When Xavi was at his best, he transmitted that to all of his teammates. His Barcelona were so devastating because it seemed like they didn’t have to look to pass the ball, everything moved so fluidly because players could touch the ball into space knowing that their teammate would be there, or on the way there.
LCM:- Andres Iniesta - Him and Xavi are probably the best midfielders of its generation. He is brilliant in every aspect of the game. There is no other more complete footballer than Andres Iniesta. He can attack, defend, create and score. Probably the most versatile and unique player of all-time and one of the best players of his era. Under Rijkaard he played as a false 9, attacking midfielder and winger. Iniesta is a player who can not only win leagues but also matches when it matters with his consistency and sheer prowess.
LW:- George Best - A great dribbler and goalscorer, Best was one of the first superstar footballers in England and one of the greatest stars in a Manchester United team, which included Bobby Charlton and Denis Law. A showman; a genius; a God and a Devil. A Red Devil, at that. George Best had it all. He was also brave as well as skillful and was the first modern-day footballer in the way he transcended the sport and became part of popular culture. But, above all, he was brilliant player even if he retired prematurely aged 28.
RW:- Allan Simonsen - Another Ballon D'or winner who won the European Footballer of the Year Award in 1977, beating Kevin Keegan and Johan Cruyff in the process. Simonsen was part of the Borussia Mönchengladbach side that hammered by Liverpool in the 1977 European Cup final. He scored a cracker in the Rome final and the only player to have scored in the European Cup, UEFA Cup, and Cup Winners' Cup finals.
False 9:- Johan Cruyff - One of the GOAT's. His claim to the best ever wasn't the pure goal number. His intelligence on the pitch, his awareness, and team work has higher importance than his personal goal tally. He hasn’t scored 1,000 goals in his career but he has assisted many and was involvement very much in every goal his team used to score. Whether it’s Ajax, Barcelona, or Dutch national team, each one of them owe something to Cruyff.
Defence:- Marshaled by Elias Figueroa, we have 2 excellent CB's on the ball, with two great stylistic fits in Dani Alves and Abidal. Both full backs will provide width in attack, and cover their man defensively. Figueroa and Chumpitaz will form and impassable wall for the opposition forwards and are both physical and great in the air and on the deck. We've added non other than Dani Alves at the RB position and his chemistry with Xavi is well known. He will be able to boss that right wing but also be an excellent defensive presence against Best.
Midfield:- A midfield unit build around Xavi. He forms a familiar Xaviesta pairing and even more so Busquets anchoring behind them in his holder role. Busquets will break up the game, intercept opposition counters and link the defence and midfield and his ability on the ball will be well appreciated and combined with the Xavi/Iniesta quality ahead of him should give us control of the game. An actual term in urban dictionary it has the best representative of their play - the amazing and god like combination of xavi and iniesta on the same pitch playing together with a telepathic like ability to find themselves and others on the field.
With the addition of Busquets we form arguably the most established and best midfield unit of all time. This trio was successful because of how each role was complementary to the other and the players played it to perfection. A dribbler and defence-splitting passer, a orchestrator who kept the ball flowing from back to front and flank to flank, and a defensive midfielder who could intercept and pass with a single touch, all came together to form a midfield that could squeeze out the opponents.
Attack:- Ballon D'or winners Simonsen, Cruyff and Best will lead our attack. In their favorite roles, they will dovetail nicely and are one of the biggest match winners on the pitch. Allan Simonsen was a majestic footballer on the ball, he is able to press the opposition into mistake link up with our attack and score important goals.
vs GSTQ:- Obviously GSTQ has a great spine, but we have the advantage on the wings and definite superiority in midfield.
- Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta - will take control of the midfield battle cutting the supply to Zico, Romario and Ronaldo. We should have the domination of the middle of the park and cut the passing lanes to the opposition forwards.
- Best/Abidal, Simonsen/Alves against opposition full backs - our wide options are superior compared to the opposition and Best/Cruyff/Iniesta supported by Abidal is a fantastic wide option where we can definitely do great damage against Ferrara and Leandro on the side.
- Chumpitaz/Figueroa against Ro-Ro duo - there are hardly any better CB pairing that could stop the Ro-Ro duo. Chumpitaz and Figueroa are obviously fantastic defenders but they also have pace to burn and excellent positional sense.
Tactics GSTQ
GSTQ (praying) : Oh great Footballing Gods of the world, please give me the recipe to build a perfect football team....
Football Gods : Its easy son. Fill your defense with some of the best Italian defenders of all time, fill your attack with some of the best Brazilian attackers of all time and finally add a German in the middle for luck. Victory shall be yours !!
Style of play : Quick counter attacking football. Build from the back when not counter attacking with the idea of pacing things up in the final third.
Tactics : Stay organized and in shape defensively as a unit when not in possession of the ball and hit them hard and fast on the counters after winning the ball.
Defending style : Zonal defending inspired by Mourinho's Inter Milan setup against Barcelona.
I have decided to not write a big OP this time as most people don't read it. So lets discuss things in the thread. Am sure there will be a lot of talking points.
Tactics Enigma/DonAlfredo
Formation:- 4-3-3 with a false 9. Press the opponent into mistake, possession based, take control of midfield
Defensive line:- Normal to high.
Style:- Cruyff inspired 4-3-3. Form triangles and employ short, direct passes and look to control proceedings. Look for openings, stretch the opposition defence and a lot of movement in midfield and the front line. We're looking for quick passes using the space, forming triangles, double passes, depth, pausing, rhythm and thus open up the pitch in the attacking third.
GK:- Ray Clemence - A goalkeeper that doesn't get enough dues. A stand-out as Liverpool’s greatest-ever goalkeeper and the standard by which all other Reds keepers are judged, Clemence was between the sticks when Liverpool were in their pomp. Clemence had it all as a keeper – he was consistent, reliable, a great shot stopper, comfortable with crosses, a good distributor of the ball, a good organiser of his defence.
RB:- Dani Alves - the finest RB Barca ever had. He helped Barca put 23 trophies in the cabinet over a glorious eight-year stay at the club, won 2 EL with Sevilla and even in his 30's continued his success winning Seria A and the French league. And if the trophy cabinet doesn't say enough his individual records speak for itself - Dani Alves was the third player in La Liga history to register 100 assists after Lionel Messi and Luis Figo. Not only that but at Barca and Sevilla he came against one of the best modern day wingers/forwards and often came on top - Ronaldinho, Cristiano, which speaks volumes for his defensive acumen.
CB:- Elias Figueroa - Don Elias is one of the finest defenders in history. Someone who neutralized Gerd Muller at the biggest stage and yet further afield he was a central defender playing at the very peak of his game during this era, a player good enough to be voted South American Player of the Year three times in succession between 1974 and 1976. Elías Figueroa was a revelation: a cultured sweeper with style, fine technique on the ball and an unusual penchant for clean play – he was sent-off on just one occasion during his 18-year career. His human qualities were considerable, too. This was a natural leader who was given the captaincy of every club he played for and who racked up no end of individual awards for his consistent excellence. To this day he’s considered the best foreign footballer to have played in both Uruguay and Brazil.
CB:- Hector Chumpitaz - One of the finest South American defenders, he was excellent on the ball - which dovetails our style pretty well. Fast, strong, solid defender who was part of Peru's golden generation that won Copa America in 75'
LB:- Eric Abidal - Abidal is one of the most decorated French footballers in recent history. A powerful left-back, he amassed over 400 club appearances, as well as 67 international caps, across a career spanning 15 years. At club level, Abidal won it all: eight league titles, a pair of Champions League trophies, a Club World Cup and numerous other cup competitions. He challenged himself across three different countries and succeeded in each.
DM:- Sergio Busquets - A pivot, he was the fulcrum of the entire midfield and was the single most important piece(ahead of Messi) on the pitch in terms of Barca's system. He encapsulated to roles seamlessly. A defensive midfielder, he was tasked with cutting out passing lanes and tackling the opposition. His brilliant reading of the games ensured his lack of pace was rarely an issue as he would rather cut out a dangerous pass than to chase it down and hack the opposition. As a holding midfielder he was solely responsible for carrying the ball forward from failed attacks(both oppositions and Barca's). His brilliant passing range and body feints would open up spaces in front of him out of thin air(and Xavi would pop up there out of thin air too). His vision and one-touch passing would frequently render one/two lines of opposition and free up his advance players to move in acres of space.
RCM:- Xavi - At his peak, Xavi controlled every game he was ever part of. What Xavi engineered was trust. There was an old video that showed how him and Iniesta were so linked that they made the same gestures on the field. When Xavi was at his best, he transmitted that to all of his teammates. His Barcelona were so devastating because it seemed like they didn’t have to look to pass the ball, everything moved so fluidly because players could touch the ball into space knowing that their teammate would be there, or on the way there.
LCM:- Andres Iniesta - Him and Xavi are probably the best midfielders of its generation. He is brilliant in every aspect of the game. There is no other more complete footballer than Andres Iniesta. He can attack, defend, create and score. Probably the most versatile and unique player of all-time and one of the best players of his era. Under Rijkaard he played as a false 9, attacking midfielder and winger. Iniesta is a player who can not only win leagues but also matches when it matters with his consistency and sheer prowess.
LW:- George Best - A great dribbler and goalscorer, Best was one of the first superstar footballers in England and one of the greatest stars in a Manchester United team, which included Bobby Charlton and Denis Law. A showman; a genius; a God and a Devil. A Red Devil, at that. George Best had it all. He was also brave as well as skillful and was the first modern-day footballer in the way he transcended the sport and became part of popular culture. But, above all, he was brilliant player even if he retired prematurely aged 28.
RW:- Allan Simonsen - Another Ballon D'or winner who won the European Footballer of the Year Award in 1977, beating Kevin Keegan and Johan Cruyff in the process. Simonsen was part of the Borussia Mönchengladbach side that hammered by Liverpool in the 1977 European Cup final. He scored a cracker in the Rome final and the only player to have scored in the European Cup, UEFA Cup, and Cup Winners' Cup finals.
False 9:- Johan Cruyff - One of the GOAT's. His claim to the best ever wasn't the pure goal number. His intelligence on the pitch, his awareness, and team work has higher importance than his personal goal tally. He hasn’t scored 1,000 goals in his career but he has assisted many and was involvement very much in every goal his team used to score. Whether it’s Ajax, Barcelona, or Dutch national team, each one of them owe something to Cruyff.
Defence:- Marshaled by Elias Figueroa, we have 2 excellent CB's on the ball, with two great stylistic fits in Dani Alves and Abidal. Both full backs will provide width in attack, and cover their man defensively. Figueroa and Chumpitaz will form and impassable wall for the opposition forwards and are both physical and great in the air and on the deck. We've added non other than Dani Alves at the RB position and his chemistry with Xavi is well known. He will be able to boss that right wing but also be an excellent defensive presence against Best.
Midfield:- A midfield unit build around Xavi. He forms a familiar Xaviesta pairing and even more so Busquets anchoring behind them in his holder role. Busquets will break up the game, intercept opposition counters and link the defence and midfield and his ability on the ball will be well appreciated and combined with the Xavi/Iniesta quality ahead of him should give us control of the game. An actual term in urban dictionary it has the best representative of their play - the amazing and god like combination of xavi and iniesta on the same pitch playing together with a telepathic like ability to find themselves and others on the field.
With the addition of Busquets we form arguably the most established and best midfield unit of all time. This trio was successful because of how each role was complementary to the other and the players played it to perfection. A dribbler and defence-splitting passer, a orchestrator who kept the ball flowing from back to front and flank to flank, and a defensive midfielder who could intercept and pass with a single touch, all came together to form a midfield that could squeeze out the opponents.
Attack:- Ballon D'or winners Simonsen, Cruyff and Best will lead our attack. In their favorite roles, they will dovetail nicely and are one of the biggest match winners on the pitch. Allan Simonsen was a majestic footballer on the ball, he is able to press the opposition into mistake link up with our attack and score important goals.
vs GSTQ:- Obviously GSTQ has a great spine, but we have the advantage on the wings and definite superiority in midfield.
- Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta - will take control of the midfield battle cutting the supply to Zico, Romario and Ronaldo. We should have the domination of the middle of the park and cut the passing lanes to the opposition forwards.
- Best/Abidal, Simonsen/Alves against opposition full backs - our wide options are superior compared to the opposition and Best/Cruyff/Iniesta supported by Abidal is a fantastic wide option where we can definitely do great damage against Ferrara and Leandro on the side.
- Chumpitaz/Figueroa against Ro-Ro duo - there are hardly any better CB pairing that could stop the Ro-Ro duo. Chumpitaz and Figueroa are obviously fantastic defenders but they also have pace to burn and excellent positional sense.
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