Behind the Curtain draft (Eastern Europe) | SF | Raees vs Gio 7:8

[harms]

@Raees ______________________________________________________ @Gio @Theon

The draft thread with lots of additional information
Write-ups on specific players

Raees

TACTICAL BLUEPRINT

4-2-3-1 built on the best defence in the draft, an all conquering midfield which contains 2 Ballon D'or winners (and the world's best midfielder of the 20's) and the lethal trio of Làszlô Kubala (Voted Barcelona's greatest player of the century) the electric dynamo who was seen as the equal of Di Stefano during the late 50's, Ferenc Puskàs (top 7 player of all time and the best player in this draft) and enigmatic, complete forward 'Gundi' Asparuhov up top (voted Bulgaria's all time best player ahead of Stoichkov).

DEFENSIVE STRATEGY

1. 'IVAN THE TERRIBLE' VS 'GOLDEN HEAD'

Spoiler: Discussion

• Kocsis was not a tall battering ram of a centre-forward like a Nordahl or a Vieri but actually 5ft 9 and a nippy, agile, technically complete centre forward who happened to be majestic in the air. With his scoring record, you can't guarantee you'll keep him quiet but if anyone is best suited to pulling off this task it has to be Albert Shesternyov (with the safety net of none other than the legendary best defender in Eastern European history Velibor Vasović) who will stay touch-tight to Kocsis and be very aggressive in ensuring he doesn't get time and space in the box, forcing him to operate deeper with his back to goal.

• Shesternyov was an ideal candidate in trying to mark a 'complete' centre-forward. Mixture of sweeper/stopper.. he can deal with quick twists, turns, battle with them in the air and had a great defensive feel for the game. Considered one of the fastest defenders in history,, strong, agile.. sort of like a 60s equivalent of Pietro Vierchowod. He came to fame by marking Gianni Rivera out of the game in a qualifier in 1963 (Proving his ability to deal with silky attackers as well as powerhouses), and helped Russia to 1964 Euro Final, 1966 World Cup semi final, 1968 semi finals, and 1970 WC QF's. As a defender he was selected in Ballon D’or rating 4 times, getting the best rating of 10th.

2. DEALING WITH THE ELECTRIC DUO OF BLOKHIN AND STOICHKOV

Spoiler: Discussion

• Having scouted Gio's attack, have to agree with Harms assessment that if anything Blokhin is a bigger threat than Stoichkov, purely because he's bit more unpredictable and has better footwork. One thing that will be thrown at me is that compared to his side, I lack traditional width but having studied Blokhin close up.. whilst he could make runs out wide like we saw against Bayern, he was actually more of a free role attacker who played more as a second striker. He would drift wide onto either flank to cause damage but predominantly he needed to be central to be effective.. the same goes for Stoichkov, who could cross the ball rather well but in reality, he wanted to come in off the flank and get in between the lines and score goals.

• Therefore Gio's attack is potentially more narrow than he would care to admit despite their ability to use their pace to go round the outside, which could make it more easier for me to defend as I feel my attack is better in tighter spaces whereas his attack needs space in which to run into otherwise they could get frustrated. With Stanković tucking in, almost challenging Blokhin to go round the outside.. the goal threat we face from that flank is reduced, as Blokhin doesn't really want to be whipping balls in, he isn't that type of player. Likewise with Stoichkov down the right, if Demyanenko forces him down the line all the time, it will reduce his threat because his right foot is considerably weaker than the right. Of course Gio might try to surprise me and play them on opposite wings, in which case the principle remains the same although we will need to be vigilant and ensure Stoichkov isn't given free reign to cross the ball.

• Imagine Cristiano being reduced into a Beckhamesque winger, he'd get frustrated at having to be a support act. Ideally Gio would want a Czibor/Dzajic hugging the touchline, which would give more space on the other flank to a wide forward coming in off the flank like Blokhin or Stoichkov. Both of them in the same side, is like having two Cristiano type wingers and against a well drilled defence, there could be potential question marks on the subtlety about that wide threat.

3. LACK OF BUILD UP PLAY IF 'KADA' PESEK SHACKLES SEKURLAC

Spoiler: Discussion

• After seeing off Hagi and Stojkovic, 'Kada' comes face to face with another gifted 10 in Sekurlac. Sekurlac was a showman, crowds adored him for his dribbling ability but he was called self-obsessed and not a team player. Criticisms also involved him going AWOL, if he didn't feel like he was the star of the show. In a heated match like this and against one of the toughest DM's in the draft.. I think there are big question marks over his mental ability to influence proceedings.

• Santiago Bernabeu once stated that Pele, Di Stefano and Kada were the three best players he had ever seen.. now when you consider he was a defensive mid, one would have to conclude there are not many midfielders out there who would be better equipped to take on Sekurlac. Kada had bags of endurance, renowned for his astute reading of the game, peace of mind under pressure and immaculate tackling.. he had faced up to the likes of Sindelar in the mid to late 20's and came up trumps. Just to illustrate his influence, when the Czechs were the best nation in europe during the 1920's, his sheer presence ensured they won some big games:

Spoiler: RESULTS WITH/WITHOUT KADA PESEK

• CZE 6-1 YUG (KADA captain) 1921 vs CZE 3-4 YUG (KADA DNP) 1922

• CZE 5-1 ITA (KADA captain)1923 vs CZE 1-1 ITA (KADA DNP) 1922

• CZE 2-1 AUSTRIA (KADA captain) 1926 vs CZE 1-2 AUSTRIA (KADA DNP) 1926

• The other issue Gio faces is, Stoichkov and Blokhin are not really elite level 'playmakers'.. they can't contribute to the build up as much as Kubala and Puskàs, so if Sekurlac is shackled, and Voronin is trying to focus on his defensive duties (tracking Masopust or Albert).. there is no one in his side who can focus on effectively controlling the tempo.

ATTACKING STRATEGY

1. KUBALA THE 'ALL-ACTION' DYNAMO AND RECREATING THE PUSKÀS/HIDEGKUTI DYNAMIC

Spoiler: Discussion

• Thanks to Joga and Enigma, I went from being quite flummoxed by Kubala to falling in love with him once I watched more full games of him. The most interesting thing about him apart from his brilliantly physical yet elastic style of dribbling with the ball, with its jinky step overs and ferocious body swerves was his tactical brain and work-rate. In the games I watched, he was like a Boniek type player in one sense in that he would get back and take up good positions defensively, but what separates him is his agility going forwards.. he was very unpredictable with his trickery and he could score himself (217 goals in 327 games) or put in world-class crosses, as Mr Kocsis will testify. The battle against Lovchev who is athletically gifted, will be one that Kubala will relish..they're evenly matched on that front but in all fairness, there is a class deficit in this battle. Kubala is simply one of the greatest footballers of all time, and Lovchev will surely have question marks over his head regarding whether he'll be able to anticipate what Kubala throws at him.

• If Albert and Puskàs had played together in 1960, or even at World Cup 1958.. Hungary would surely have put to bed the miracle of Berne from 1954. It would have rekindled memories of Puskas' love affair with Hidegkuti but in all fairness to the false 9 maestro, Albert was even more of a match winner and someone who could carry a side of his own back not just facilitate other great players. If you watch that memorable Albert performance v Brazil, you see a attacking midfielder who can drift to both flanks and wreak havoc.. which is very important in giving my side some penetration and pace out wide, especially if Puskas cuts in. Puskas is playing in his 1954 role and looking to wreak havoc with his dribbling, majestic footwork and utilise his next dimensional finishing/through passing ability. He will also seek to ping balls onto to Asparuhov's head if slotting him through doesn't work.

2. DEMYANENKO AND MASOPUST WILL CONTROL THE GAME BY MASTERING LEFT FLANK

Spoiler: Discussion

• In a game this tight, where the teams are pretty even.. controlling particular zones of the pitch will be crucial. Win enough key battles and you will eventually win the war. One side of the pitch where I am hoping to dominate is the left flank. On my left flank, I have Puskas, Masopust and Demyanenko.. He has Stoichkov and Bezonov. Of course his mids can come out wide to join the battle, but they won't be effective going forwards down the flanks.. I have three players who can all interplay down the left and Gio will find it very hard to stop my side from building up play down that flank time and time again. He can frustrate me down that flank, but he can't build up down that flank like I can.

• Even on the other flank, you could argue that Kubala and Stankovic is an outstanding right wing pairing, full of class going forwards and robust defensively, with higher tier tactical intelligence and edges Blokhin/Lovchev down that side as a pairing. His combinations on either flank are packer, granted but in terms of tactical astuteness and quality in possession, on both flanks my side is more measured with the ball and off it.

• Due to the threat of my attack, I can't envisage him letting his full-backs bomb on all that much, in all fairness I am in a similar boat. Just to make it clear, Kubala was terrific at tracking back out wide in the 1961 EC final, a real work-horse considering he was meant to be a virtuoso type talent, will track back Lovchev and Masopust will track Bezsonev... Voronin isn't really a goal-threat, so I don't need to worry too much about him bombing forward, he'll be more concerned with helping Pluskal out against Albert.

FULL BACK STRETCHING PLAY WHILE MASOPUST JINKS AND SLOTS THROUGH BALL IN WORLD CUP QF (IMAGINE PUSKAS GETTING ON END OF THAT)

3. FERENC F***ING PUSKÀS (1954 VERSION)

Spoiler: Discussion (with Gifs)

As his Hungarian teammate Jeno Buzansky put it, "If a good player has the ball, he should have the vision to spot three options... Puskas always saw at least five." Raymond Kopa once remarked that goalkeepers were terrified of Puskas, even if the Hungarian striker was 35 meters away from goal. His shot was stinging and precise. He is considered to have the best shot of all time in terms of accuracy and that is just one minor facet of what made him one of the greatest footballers of all time. He scored in every game he played in the 1954 World Cup, including the opening goal in the world cup final (With a hairline fracture).

If the Ballon D'or existed from post war onwards, I think it is fair to say from 1948-54.. he was the best player in the world and probably would have had at the very least 3-4 Ballon D'ors. No one on the pitch comes close to that sort of pedigree.

I think it is fair to say he was the Messi of the late 40-early 50's.. velcro like first touch, insane passing ability (outside of the foot passes, scoop passes, crossing using all parts of the foot, slide through passes, reverse passes), superb close control when running with the ball, quick feet, the ability to control a game with clever movement, integrating team-mates and god-like finishing ability. Below are some clips, from the game v England in 1953.

ASSIST TO HIDEGKUTI (LEFT INSIDE FORWARD POSITION)



BECKHAMESQUE CROSS TO HIDEGKUTI



THE LEGENDARY PUSKAS V TURN



DRIFTS TO RIGHT FLANK (HITS OUTSIDE OF FOOT THROUGH BALL)



CLEVER HOLD UP PLAY



PERFECTLY WEIGHTED THROUGH BALL



SKIPS PAST A MAN BY CUTTING IN FROM LEFT AND RELEASES BEAUTIFUL PASS



SLALOMING DOWN THE LEFT



MAGICAL FIRST TOUCH FOLLOWED BY STUNNING DIAGONAL OUTSIDE OF FOOT PASS



LEAVING FULL BACK FOR DEAD DOWN LEFT FLANK



BEATING PLAYERS WITH HIS FIRST TOUCH

Gio (Theon)

TACTICS:

We set up in a rock-solid 4-3-3 formation defined by searing pace out wide and a blend of steel and class through the spine. Two of the strongest full-backs in the pool, Vladimir Bezsonov and Evgeny Lovchev, man the flanks and will be expected to defend narrowly in the absence of any genuine wide threats. The central defensive unit is led by the great Khurtsilava whose world-class reading, anticipation and positioning will be vital in dealing with the centrally-orientated threats posed by Puskas and Kubala. Next to the elite sweeper/covering centre back we have the perfect complimentary partner in the physical West German stopper 'the Bull' Wolfgang Weber whose athleticism and dynamism makes him one of the standout stoppers in the pool and helps to square directly up to Gundi Asparuhov.

The midfield is led by the the peerless Captain Valery Voronin, who will be focused on keeping it tight in the crowded midfield areas and commanding the centre of the park in possession. Completing a solid and intimidating central midfield partnership is Svatopluk Pluskal, arguably the best destroyer in the draft who provides a perfect counter to the very area where Raees is strongest. Our creative influence from midfield is one of the handful of truly special Eastern European #10's in Dragan Sekularac. His exceptional dribbling ability and close control should be too much for Pesek to handle and should provide the attack with a steady stream of service.

On the right of the attack is Barcelona legend Hristo Stoichkov, the 1994 Ballon D'Or winning dynamo who screams goals and penetration. The point of the attack is the finest #9 in the pool Sandor Kocsis (75 goals in 68 games internationally). The final piece of the jigsaw is the greatest USSR footballer of them all, 1975 Ballon D'Or winner Oleg Blokhin, the left-sided flying machine whose lightning pace is a constant threat on the counter and who is well places to create opportunities from the left when Stankovic pushes forward in Raees's narrow set-up.

WHY WE WILL WIN:

• We have strengths to counter where Raees's quality lies - The opposition is likely to line up with three support strikers all jostling for the same space in the hole, the very space occupied by the formidable Voronin and Pluskal. We all know Voronin's qualities but even more important in countering this central threat will be the imposing and defensively ruthless Pluskal. In our view Pluskal is the best man in the draft for such a destructive job in front of the defence. He was the keystone behind the two-man midfield, liberating Masopust, that propelled Czechoslovakia to become the first European team to reach a World Cup final outside of the continent.

• Building on the above the lack of attacking width for Raees will allow our full-backs to defend narrowly, squeezing the space available to throttle the forwards in the middle. On the other side, our world class wide-men will stretch Raees' defence and create gaps for Kocsis centrally - most importantly the presence of Stoichkov-Blokhin will create problems whenever Raees's fullbacks push forward, both forwards were lightening quick, wonderful dribblers and elite level goalthreats who are absolutely devastating on the counter.

• As much as it was clear that Pesek was one of the foremost midfielders in the early 1900s, as a man who was playing professionally in 1913, the guile and speed of thought of Sekularac is likely to give him an uncomfortable time.

• Ultimately we believe that we have the more balanced team and complimentary attack - Blokhin and Stoichkov flanking Kocsis is a barnstorming, fluid and penetrating front three which comprises two Ballon D'Or winners and one of the greatest goalscorers of all time. The pace of the wide men makes them devastating on the counter, whilst the movement, technique and predatory instincts of Kocsis provide a focal point for more patient build-up.

 

[harms]

PLAYER PROFILES by @Raees

Spoiler: DEFENCE

RINAT DASAEV

One of the most complete keepers of all time.. The goalkeeper known as “The Iron Curtain” would only take the Soviets to the second round despite solid performances in the early stages of competition. Dasaev was the highest ranked goalkeeper in the Ballon d’Or – European Player of the Year award – in 1982, 1983, 1985 and 1988.

Known as the second best keeper in Russian history behind Yashin and second best in the draft. His distribution and triggering of counters through quick throws is an often understated goalkeeping attribute which sets him apart (see video from 2:28).

BRANKO STANKOVIC

A true pioneer of the modern day fullback, in the top tier of eastern European full-backs and arguably one of if not the best out and out right back from the region. He mainly played for Red Star Belgrade and was capped 61 times for Yugoslavia. He participated at two World Cups and twice at Olympic Games. Because of his elegant playing style and international renown he earned his nickname Ambassador.

VELIBOR VASOVIĆ

A complete defender and peerless in this draft. Quick, tactically astute, never-say-die attitude, excellent in the air, always in the right place at the right time. Vasovic is in an elite club of defenders (e.g. Beckenbauer, Facchetti) who revolutionised the game and the art of defending in the 60s and early 70s by being equally brilliant with the ball as trying to win it. A legendary leader as well (Cruyff referred to him as his older brother), he captained both Partizan Belgrade and Ajax to three European Cup finals, winning one and scoring his side's only goal in the two he lost. It has been said, had he been born dutch and captained the 1974 Dutch side .. they wouldn't have lost.

ALBERT SHESTERNYOV -

Best defender in Soviet football history and the captain of great forgotten Soviet team. He was voted, by Ballon d'Or, the 14th, 11th, 10th and then 22nd best footballer in the world in 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1971 respectively. During these years he was regarded as one of the best defenders in the World and if he had chosen to join one of the many European big teams that were chasing him, many said he would have been even more so highly regarded in the footballing world. He was however always commended for his one club career.

A brilliant athlete, at 17 years age he ran 100 meters in 11 seconds and was champion of all of the Moscow and Moscow region. He also showed excellent results in the 200 metres, long and triple jump. He could have had fantastic athletic career but his heart was set on football. His athleticism combined with his mentality and tactical intelligence mean he was the youngest ever debutant of CSKA Moscow history and their youngest ever captain at the age of 21. He remained a one club man for his life and captained CSKA Moscow team for 10 years. After leading CSKA to their first national title in 19 years he chose to retire from football on a high at only 30.

In 1970 he was chosen the Soviet footballer of the year while coming at third place in 1964 and 1965. His great achievements for national team came in European championships, where he was selected in UEFA team of tournament in 1968. One of the unluckiest captain in that tournament, he lost to eventual winners Italy via a coin toss, after his team's 0-0 draw with Italy – a match in which he had commanded the Soviet defense with customary fortitude and authority.

ANATOLIY DEMYANENKO

Demyanenko spent the entire 1980s dominating flanks throughout Europe for Dynamo Kiev and Soviet Union, thanks to his exceptional stamina and rounded skill-set to operate as a left winger.

Spoiler: MIDFIELD

KADA 'PEŠEK'

Considered the best midfielder in europe during the 1920's and due to his olympic exploits in both the football and Ice Hockey, a national superstar. Very fit, great positional awareness, ferocious tackling ability and a leader.

Santiago Bernabeu once stated that Pele, Di Stefano and Kada were the three best players he had ever seen.. now when you consider he was a defensive mid, one would have to conclude there are not many midfielders out there who would be better equipped to take on Sekurlac. Kada had bags of endurance, renowned for his astute reading of the game, peace of mind under pressure and immaculate tackling.. he had faced up to the likes of Sindelar in the mid to late 20's and came up trumps.

JOSEF MASOPUST

One of only two centre mids to win the Ballon D'o (other being Lothar Matthaus). The classic half-back transforms very well into the modern box-to-box midfielder and his engine, defensive ability and tactical nous makes him perfect for this role, . He was famous for his preference of the left side, incisive runs with the ball (which were trademarked by the fans as the «Masopust’s slalom»), vision and passing ability, stepping up at the international stage (he won Ballon D’Or in 1962 after leading his team to the World Cup final) when it really matters.

FLORIAN ALBERT

Like many great forwards Albert went through a transformation in his career where he dropped deeper and deeper and at his peak in 1966 WC he was mostly a midfielder. A different player from 62 WC's golden boot winner he did not score a single goal in 66 but was a better and a more influential player. In this game he would take the same role, and would be playing as primary playmaker of my team.

Spoiler: ATTACK

LASZLO KUBALA

Kubala, in his role as a modern attacking midfielder, introduced innovative football techniques, fuelled with his enthralling tricks, defence-ripping through-balls and toxic shots. He was also one of the greatest free-kick specialists around. In Barca: A People’s Passion (reissued) by Jimmy Burns (Bloomsbury, 2009), Burns described the player as someone who “brought a combination of skills that the club had until then rarely seen. He was quick on and off the ball, demonstrated extraordinary control when dribbling, showed an unrivalled vision and was always accurate in shooting and deadfalls.” Above all this, “it was around Kubala’s charisma and footballing skills that Barça overcame its post-war loss of confidence and shattered organisation, developing one of its strongest and most successful teams.”

During this period of immense success, the Barcelona grounds of Les Corts, which had an eventual capacity of 60,000 spectators, could no longer satisfy the demands of ‘Kubalamania’. As fans poured into the stadium, Barça was outgrowing it. The Hungarian’s arrival was deemed to be the motivating factor behind the Camp Nou coming into existence.

The Hungarian’s decade at the club (1951-’61), in which he played 329 games and scored 256 goals, resulted in: 4 league titles; 5 Copa del Generalísimo, 2 Inter-Cities Fairs Cups; 2 Copa Eva Duarte; and a Latin Cup. And the cherry on the cake…a tally of 14 hat-tricks!

He was voted as the best Barça player of all-time by the fans in the club’s centenary year in 1999.

FERENC PUSKAS

Arguably the greatest European player of all time. “The Galloping Major” Ferenc Puskas - The Captain and leader of the “Mighty Magyars” and part of Real Madrid's historic side which won five European Cups in a row. Over the course of an exceptional career Puskas scored 616 goals in 620 games at club level, 84 goals in 85 games internationally and remains the only player to score a hat-trick in two European Cup Finals.

GUNDI ASPARUHOV

Standing at 1.85m and equally competent with both feet, 'Gundi' was a fearsome opponent; strong, elegant in possession, lightning fast, unbeatable in the air and very, very difficult to dispossess. His bag of tricks and dribbles would give defenders nightmares, and his outstanding footwork, passing and vision would make every midfielder jealous. His uncanny ability to score from very awkward positions, and especially on the volley, was feared of across Europe.

Asparuhov was full of exquisite and beautiful play, and would later be described by legendary Hungarian striker and Ballon D'Or winner Florian Albert as "an artist, a footballer of the rare kind who give spectators pure joy."

 

[Raees]

Best of luck @Gio @Theon .. will let people chew over what has been written thus far before providing feedback on points we have raised.

 

[Skizzo]

Should be a good one. Good luck to the managers!

 

[Gio]

PLAYER PROFILES​

Spoiler: Defence

IVO VIKTOR
Amongst goalkeepers only Buffon and Yashin have finished higher than the 3rd place Viktor came in the 1976 Ballon D'Or. That was due reward for a sensational year as the bedrock behind Czechoslovakia's Euro 1976 victory. Not that he was a one-season wonder by any stretch, 5 times securing the Czechoslovakia Player of the Year among what was a golden generation of his teammates. Imperious in the air and an exceptional shot stopper.

VLADIMIR BEZSONOV
One of the greatest right-backs of the 1980s and a greyhound down that right flank for Kiev and the USSR. Competitive and sometimes featured in the centre of midfield.

EVGENY LOVCHEV
Electric left-back who was both fleet of foot and quick of mind. Tidy on the ball, shining particularly in the USSR's run to the Olympics final in 1972 when he was also awarded Soviet Union Player of the Year.

WOLFGANG WEBER
Nicknamed the Bull for his imposing and uncompromising style of play, Weber is one of the greatest West German stoppers of all time, one of the biggest icons of Köln's success in the 1960s with Karl-Heinz Schnellinger and Wolfgang Overath, the scorer of West Germany's equalizer in the 1966 final vs England, was the highest ranked defender in the German Footballer of the Year award in 1965, and was voted World Class twice by Kicker. Weber combined excellent man marking skills with tackling intuition, superior heading, and immense commitment to emerge as the defensive anchor for a Köln team that won 2 German championships, and 3 DFB-Pokal titles; apart from turning out 53 times for the West German national team.

MURTAZ KHURTSILAVA
One of the finest Eastern European defenders of all time. His reading of the game, positioning and anticipation were all world-class. Excellent on the ball as well, as shown by his thundering effort off the bar against West Germany in the 1972 European Championships Final.

Spoiler: Midfield

VALERY VORONIN
Hugely influential in the Soviet Union team of the 1960s, Voronin was a commanding presence in the heart of midfield, was named in the 1962 World Cup team of the tournament and twice won the national Player of the Year award in 1964 and 1965.

SVATOPLUK PLUSKAL
Defensive warhorse who was the backbone behind the Czechoslovakia team that reached the 1962 World Cup final. Imposing and defensively rock solid, his ability to anchor the midfield freed up Masopust so thrillingly in '62. Selected in the 1963 Rest of the World XI amongst a pantheon of greats, he stood out both in midfield and at centre-half. Full profile.

DRAGAN SEKULARAC
Held in rarefied levels of esteem in Belgrade, Seki was a quick and crafty inside-right who stands alongside any others produced by Yugoslavia and its successor states. Much sought after by Juventus in the late 1950s, he was later named in the 1960 Euro Team of the Tournament, one of 5 stars of Red Star, and ranked as the 8th greatest attacking midfielder of all-time by France Football in 1985.

Spoiler: Attack

HRISTO STOICHKOV
Fiery wide-forward who starred for Barcelona in a front three and often in a more talismanic role for Bulgaria. Won the Ballon D'Or in 1994 and brings penetration and punch to the mix. Will love feeding off Sekularac's service, and will equally relish linking up with Lubanski and Blokhin.

OLEG BLOKHIN
Electric wide forward who beat peak Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer to the Ballon D'Or in 1975. That was part recognition for an outstanding solo effort against Bayern Munich in winning the Super Cup. One of the greatest left-sided attackers of all time.

SANDOR KOCSIS
Incredible goal machine whose phenomenal international record (75 goals in 68 games) stands the test of time. Powerful line leader and consummate number 9.

 

[Gio]

Best of luck @Gio @Theon .. will let people chew over what has been written thus far before providing feedback on points we have raised.

And you.

 

[harms]

Really wanted Raees to pick Czibor to be honest, although it wasn't an obvious path. 4 preliminary central attacking players - even the classic WM had 3. His team is still amazing, with only Pesek being somehow an unknown quality, but his credentials are impecable.

Gio has Weber, Lovchev and Sekularac who can be seen as relatively weak links at this stage, although Raees' lack of natural width can be seen as an advantage for Gio's backline. Can see Demyanenko helping out a lot offensively (and Masopust too), but on the right, Stankovic was more defensive iirc?

 

[Gio]

Really wanted Raees to pick Czibor to be honest, although it wasn't an obvious path. 4 preliminary central attacking players - even the classic WM had 3. His team is still amazing, with only Pesek being somehow an unknown quality, but his credentials are impecable.

Gio has Weber, Lovchev and Sekularac who can be seen as relatively weak links at this stage, although Raees' lack of natural width can be seen as an advantage for Gio's backline. Can see Demyanenko helping out a lot offensively (and Masopust too), but on the right, Stankovic was more defensive iirc?

While Raees has had an excellent defence through the draft, I wouldn't say that those players are weak links at this stage. The pool is full of class sweepers, but Weber is one of the standout thoroughbred stoppers. His pedigree for West Germany and multiple world-class Kicker rankings testifies to that.

At left-back, I think the fact that Lovchev won Soviet Union Player of the Year award in 1972 - a high water mark for the Soviets when they won bronze in the Olympics and were runners-up in the Euros - proves his credibility. Demyanenko has the edge in terms of their respective careers (and certainly Zebec within this pool), but Lovchev, like Weber, fits very well with his sheer pace and tidy left peg to provide natural width (whereas Demyanenko is likely to cut onto his stronger right, compounding Raees width issues).

I see Sekularac in a group of #10s all around the same sort of level - be it the other Stars of Red Star like Stojkovic or Savicevic, or others like Hagi. None of them look out of place in a final to me and, importantly for us, I think we've given Sekularac a clearer platform to shine with more obvious passing targets in wider areas and less overlap with other creatives.

 

[Physiocrat]

I love that Raees thinks Sharemytactics has insufficient arrows (I happen to agree)

 

[Raees]

Stankovic was more defensive iirc?

BRANKO STANKOVIC - ATTACKING CREDENTIALS...

Stankovic whilst being known as defensively brilliant was also renowned for being a 'pioneer' by being one of if not the first full back to attack and do so effectively, hence why he was seen as the prototype modern day full back.

From the article I posted before on him..

As a versatile right-back, who could play left back.. he possessed high quality, was super fit, elegance in every movement, extreme coolness and refined technique, thanks to heavy stress, he was able to effectively and shook the net (suggests he had strong shot power).

He played for SK "Glory" - Sarajevo (1937-1941) and "BSK" - Belgrade (1941-1944), a celebrated in the red and white jersey "Red Star" - Belgrade (1945-1958), where in 13 years played 495 official games (36 goals), of which 195 in the championship game (15 goals). He has won 4 national championship titles (1951, 1953, 1956 in 1957.), And 3 winning Yugoslav Cup trophies (1948, 1949, 1950)..

As a Serb, April in 1941. run by the Ustasha henchmen. In Belgrade dress shirt KSF, multiple champion of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Stankovic was then twenty years old, but has already been established as a football player. He is out of the ordinary quality. He was strong, fast, bold, excellent heads, has a violent blow (again mention of his shot power).

Fit, as he was intimately called not only to others but the club and the fans, has a fine technique, sense of play, successfully dribbling and forcefully penetrated (penetrative runs from out wide). Long before all the world's experts, he was a "modern quarterback," in today's sense of the word - he went on the attack, deftly crossed and posed a threat to the opponent, always as a surprise, because in that style no one before him has played. He was later imitated byt Bruno Belin, then Fahrudin Jusufi Milovan Djuric, Petar Krivokuća ...

Of course, in the current WM system. He played with a special elegance, technical ease, almost effortlessly, like Pavarotti singing. (again suggests he was technically gifted).

For the record..

Robert Carlos (65 Career Goals)
Cafu (15 Career Goals)
Beszonov (27 Career goals)
Lovchev (40 Career Goals)
Demyanenko (30 Career goals)

So he has a really strong goal-scoring record considering the era he played in and the fact he was renowned for being defensively solid. There was a reason he was known as a 'pioneer' and it was his forays forward which distinguished him from his peers.

 

[Enigma_87]

but on the right, Stankovic was more defensive iirc?

Stankovic was the first overlapping full back for the national team, later succeeded by Jusufi. He was very good in attack and had decent shot on him as well. Wouldn't say Raees team is narrow in the attacking third - both Puskas and Kubala can provide width.

Will look later a bit more into the game. Two great teams.

 

[antohan]

Gio's side looks more balanced and clear cut. Raees' leaves a lot to the imagination.
But then, trying to imagine Puskas, Albert, Kubala and Masopust playing together is quite

 

[harms]

While Raees has had an excellent defence through the draft, I wouldn't say that those players are weak links at this stage. The pool is full of class sweepers, but Weber is one of the standout thoroughbred stoppers. His pedigree for West Germany and multiple world-class Kicker rankings testifies to that.

At left-back, I think the fact that Lovchev won Soviet Union Player of the Year award in 1972 - a high water mark for the Soviets when they won bronze in the Olympics and were runners-up in the Euros - proves his credibility. Demyanenko has the edge in terms of their respective careers (and certainly Zebec within this pool), but Lovchev, like Weber, fits very well with his sheer pace and tidy left peg to provide natural width (whereas Demyanenko is likely to cut onto his stronger right, compounding Raees width issues).

I see Sekularac in a group of #10s all around the same sort of level - be it the other Stars of Red Star like Stojkovic or Savicevic, or others like Hagi. None of them look out of place in a final to me and, importantly for us, I think we've given Sekularac a clearer platform to shine with more obvious passing targets in wider areas and less overlap with other creatives.

I know about 1972 and Lovchev, of course. Still, don't rate him as an elite left back in this pool, although there are very few clearly ahead of him. Perhaps my wording wasn't ideal, but there are still gulp in class between the left backs, #10s and center backs, even though they are not competing directly. Who knows, if he would've played at the Euros maybe I would've rated him higher

And not a fan of Sekularac as a #10, I think I stated it before, but, for me, he lacks intelligence and passing game to compete with the likes of Hagi or Savicevic (or Albert here)

Lovchev-Weber have the right mentality to overcome the slight difference in class though, that I'll give you. And it's possible that I underrate Weber

 

[Chesterlestreet]

And not a fan of Sekularac as a #10, I think I stated it before, but, for me, he lacks intelligence and passing game to compete with the likes of Hagi or Savicevic (or Albert here)

Yes, more of an unpredictable free-role sort of creator than an actual No10, if we're thinking along the lines of a string puller/orchestrator.

Still, the question has to be what they need in terms of overall balance. You could probably argue that the latter is well taken care of, with different kinds of creativity offered by the quartet of Voronin, Blokhin, Stoichkov - and then Sekularac as the icing on the cake, serving up wild and unexpected runs and moves with the ball.

There's no pure string puller there, though - that's a point worth making.

 

[Enigma_87]

Looking at the teams here are my observations.

Two excellent teams in all phases. Solid defences, midfield and great attacks.

For Gio/Theon's side I don't like Stoichkov on the right as last game so that hasn't changed. Apart from that I feel a playmaker in the mold of Platini/Zidane, even Ronnie would make that side even better, compared to Sekularac there.

Khurtsilava was a great addition, making a nice defensive combo - both on the ball and solid and rugged enough to make it work. Kocsis up top is great addition, but then again here's where Stoichkov position also becomes a negative. Stoichkov was excellent crosser from the left side. He had a lot of assists from there. On the right he's more of a wide forward cutting in, so there the supply for Kocsis is decreased, especially with Blokhin who is also a lot similar to Stoichkov in the sense of being more of a wide forward than an out and out winger.

With Kubala and Puskas in Raees side and Gio/Theon fullbacks defending narrowly I don't see the same service Kocsis will get as having someone like Czibor on the left wing.

Raees side to me seems more balanced, despite the concerns for width. For one Raees's side has better CB core with the probably two best CB's in the pool, protected by Pesek and complimented by Masopust. That central core will allow Demyanenko and Stankovic to move vertically and support the attack giving options for Kubala and Puskas - it's pretty much close to their natural game, the difference being the width is provided by the fullbacks, while in the WM they had outside attackers.

To me Raees side has a more defined conductor in the middle in Masopust, Albert who won't step on his toes and probably the two best attackers in the pool behind a pure #9.

For me Raees side edges it due to the better defence(including the keeper) and Masopust able to control the game and pull the strings from the middle.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Not sure Masopust-Puskas is an optimal duo. Add in Albert and somehow it lacks balance. Overlaps with no actual width. Still quality players.

Pluskal vs Masopust should be interesting. More balanced side from Gio and easier to imagine how they'd go about things. Not sure why Sekularac is getting stick. From what I can glean, he seems to be OK for that role.

 

[Annahnomoss]

Forgot I can't vote here. Wonderful defense from Raees with a risky offense that is hard to imagine how it would work, but if it did it'd be a thing of beauty. Gio on the other hand with great midfield and an interesting front line with the ability to score from everywhere, would be a nightmare to deal with in particular if he went a goal up and could play on the counter.

 

[Gio]

A bit more on Sekularac. I do see him as an extremely creative player which should complement the defensive prowess of Pluskal and the pragmatic all-roundedness of Voronin behind him. He has been described as a maverick and I think that dovetails well with what's around him. At the same time, that Yugoslavia outfit were well known for their short, passing football, particularly against the physicality of some of the Western European teams, and by all accounts he seemed to shine in that setting as well.

Yugoslavia meanwhile were winning their key match 3-1 against Uruguay, with Sekularac in such transcendent form, working such wonders of control and construction that the very Uruguayans bore him off on their shoulders in the end!

Third-Place play-off with Chile:
...lost to a much more committed Chile with a last-minute goal; the commanding Soskic would have saved it had the shot not been deflected. Sekularac, however, was splendid.

Yugoslavia won fourth thanks to a bird named Dragoslav Sekularac who no defender could catch.

Davy Gibson, former Scottish internationalist and inside forward

 

[Raees]

One thing that has been taken as a given here is the complimentary nature of Gio's attack..

Well Kocsis thrived on two kinds of service, either inside forwards like Puskas, Hidegkuti, providing him with clever intricate passes for him to get on the end of.. or he thrived on wingplay and crosses, from the likes of Czibor or Kubala when he played out wide.

Now playing alongside wide forwards like Blokhin/Stoichkov, obviously all of them are good players so it isn't going to be a weak trio but I question how complimentary that attack is and if it gets the best out of Kocsis. Is it a really subtle attack? Its not like my side hasn't been drilled on his strengths and is going to leave spaces in behind for him to counter, we are fully aware of his strengths and the way his side will attack is arguably more predictable than the elusive nature of my attack.

Stoichkov in particular thrived from playing with clever strikers like Romario who can feed him with delicate inventive passes in on goal and likewise Laudrup on the opposite flank.

Here he has a attack full of runners with the ball who are quite selfish (I include Sekularac in this).. so for me it shouldn't be as simple as saying he has three big individuals in attack and it will be a seamless fit.

 

[Raees]

Article on Sekularac

Edwards.. does a number on Sekurlac and he isn't seen again, which highlights his weak mentality for a game of this nature.

When he was spotted in the backyard of the second male high school by Dimitrije Milojevic, the legendary “Uncle Mitke”, who was a former player of BSK, coach and “Politika” reporter, it was clear that the little boy with crooked legs, beside a brilliant technique also had an understanding for the game fuelled by imagination.

As a great talent hunter he immediately brought him to Red Star, but Dragoslav earned the “right to residence” in the club of his life, due to various, sometimes paradox circumstances (some people were even laughing at him!?!) only after the third attempt. Born in Stip on 30th of November 1937, Dragoslav Sekularac finished high school as well as the metrological school in Belgrade. However he never really cared for school because football was always his major preoccupation, life obsession and final goal. His statistics aren’t really the best which only proves the general impression that Dragoslav Sekularac didn’t achieve all that he could or that, which is closer to the truth.

Some events prevented him to reach the biggest of heights. The incident that happened in autumn 1962. with referee Pavle Tumbas (he slapped him in the middle of full stadium during Radnicki – Red Star match) kept Dragoslav Sekularac away from football for 18 months, in fact a lot longer since he was at the highest point of his career at the time. Thereafter he injured his back and transferred, with a bad back, to Karlsruhe from Germany where he wasn’t even a shadow of his a true World Cup hero in Chile 1962. He didn’t do any better in Columbian Santa Fe from Bogotá but he didn’t give up: he continued to play indoor soccer in USA because the name he made for himself opened all doors for him. Why was it exactly this incident in Nis that was the turning point of his career?

Dragoslav Sekularac returned from the World Cup 1962. as a great hero and a moral winner. For all objective people he was the best player of the tournament but the official joint winners were the Brazilians Garinho and Amarildo, because their national team had won the title. Upon his return, Juventus offered a record transfer fee for his football artistry (600.000 dollars) but leading politicians of the country didn’t allow him to leave Red Star and the army of club fans. “Something broke inside of me and the worst thing happened” Dragoslav Sekularac said in an interview in December 1962. in Bileca, where he served the army in the school of reserve officers. Still, the fact is that his popularity and achievements on the pitch are inversely proportional. Isn’t that the proof that his game (but also his character) contained some kind of magic? He possessed the technique of a virtuoso, brilliant overview of the game and a mastery that can’t be copied. When he kicked the ball for the first time he swore that he will never be just a role player. He suffered when he wasn’t the central character of the match especially in the derbies against Partizan. His internal being carried a weird mix of self absorbance and offensive ambition: he always wanted to influence the game and determine the events on the pitch. The mastery of Dragoslav Sekularac, who sometimes forgot the interest of the team for the price of his personal show, was connected to the biggest exhilaration of the fans.

He was individualist, dedicated to his tricks and dribblings..

 

[Gio]

Edwards.. does a number on Sekurlac and he isn't seen again, which highlights his weak mentality for a game of this nature.

Because he binned him with the sort of agricultural tackle that was allowed back in the 1950s and would see a straight red in today's game. I'll happily take someone with the mentality to be:

• In the 1960 European Championships Team of the Tournament
• Regarded by many as one of the stars of the 1962 World Cup
• Ranked 8th by France Football in their all-time list of attacking midfielders in 1984

 

[Gio]

As well as having a lot more tactical cohesion in attack, with genuine wide forwards in wide areas, I think we've got a big quality advantage in our line leader Sandor Kocsis compared to Gundi Asparuhov. I rate Gundi quite highly, but Kocsis is at least a couple of rungs above him in any pool, never mind just this one. Probably only Ronaldo, Muller and possibly Romario match or better him in the number 9 stakes.

 

[harms]

Here he has a attack full of runners with the ball who are quite selfish (I include Sekularac in this).. so for me it shouldn't be as simple as saying he has three big individuals in attack and it will be a seamless fit.

Who is selfish, apart from Sekularac? Stoichkov maybe, although not overly so, Blokhin and Kocsis? Not for me.
Plus you have to access the movement behind Kocsis, for example I would expect for Stoichkov to appear on the left quite often (pinging crosses on the golden head), with Blokhin moving to the right

 

[Enigma_87]

Who is selfish, apart from Sekularac? Stoichkov maybe, although not overly so, Blokhin and Kocsis? Not for me.
Plus you have to access the movement behind Kocsis, for example I would expect for Stoichkov to appear on the left quite often (pinging crosses on the golden head), with Blokhin moving to the right

Not according to the gameplan.

On the right of the attack is Barcelona legend Hristo Stoichkov, the 1994 Ballon D'Or winning dynamo who screams goals and penetration.

I don't think the setup is ideal for Kocsis. Stoichkov is shunted to the right where he can't get those crosses in. Blokhin's game is not about crossing and he has only Sekularac as an inside forward of sorts to combine with, but a more of a playmaking #10 would be much better for both Stoichkov and Kocsis IMO.

 

[Gio]

Not according to the gameplan.

It's fairly obvious that Kocsis is the reference point through the middle with Blokhin and Stoichkov providing the width and variety of threats from different angles. It's been a clear part of the approach throughout the draft that we have a fluid attack capable of interchanging and making life tremendously difficult for the defenders tasked with marking them.

Indeed as the gameplan says:

Blokhin and Stoichkov flanking Kocsis is a barnstorming, fluid and penetrating front three

 

[Raees]

Who is selfish, apart from Sekularac? Stoichkov maybe, although not overly so, Blokhin and Kocsis? Not for me.
Plus you have to access the movement behind Kocsis, for example I would expect for Stoichkov to appear on the left quite often (pinging crosses on the golden head), with Blokhin moving to the right

Selfish is the wrong choice of word to use for Stoichkov and Blokhin. We are dealing with Ballon D'or winners here and I do not want to insult their intelligence, nor Gio's.

I meant as in their styles of play thrive on being the penetrative threat.. Blokhin included. Him and Stoichkov are very direct aggressive players.. of course they can interlink to a high degree, they're quality players but is this lineup going to get the best out of them? I disagree. Kocsis is a proven fit with nimble link up players as well as wingers.. sort of guy who has a good chemistry in a Barcelona lineup as well as a United 4-4-2 lineup. What we have here is not either of those.. it is more Real Madrid. That doesn't mean it can't work, of course it can.. but it takes a leap of faith. Now with Madrid, they usually have a Modric, or a Di Maria or someone who takes control of the game with the wide threats are being blunted as they lack the subtlety themselves. Here his number 10 also lacks that top tier brain to give a monster of a DM like Kada Peskek the run around. He's faced the likes of Sindelar and won games, i don't think Sekularac is in that league of 10.

If you had a out and out winger, then i could see Kocsis and an inside forward working well.. or perhaps a Blokhin in this set up.

But when your number 10 is a dribbler, and you've got two wide forwards who like to be the penetrative player in their set up, i don't think that brings the best out of either of them or Kocsis.

The other point is I've got two quality full backs and the best CB pairing, so if they want to come in side and be a goal threat, they're not going to get bundles of joy out of that defence which is super quick and tough as they come. He has a pretty aggressive but one-directional attack.. whereas my attack might lack the express pace his has, but will dominate possession and is more unpredictable as it can hurt the other side in a number of ways not to mention Albert can actually run a game unlike Sekularac who will be more concerned with putting on a show for the fans.

Final point is that fluid, penetrative attack only works if I fall into his trap of being gung-ho and leaving space in behind, I have zero intention of doing that. I want him to be in front of me trying to pass their way through and his side will lack the intricate passing to break through.

 

[Gio]

Selfish is the wrong choice of word to use for Stoichkov and Blokhin. We are dealing with Ballon D'or winners here and I do not want to insult their intelligence, nor Gio's.

I meant as in their styles of play thrive on being the penetrative threat.. Blokhin included. Him and Stoichkov are very direct aggressive players.. of course they can interlink to a high degree, they're quality players but is this lineup going to get the best out of them? I disagree.

If you had a out and out winger, then i could see Kocsis and an inside forward working well.. or perhaps a Blokhin in this set up.

But when your number 10 is a dribbler, and you've got two wide forwards who like to be the penetrative player in their set up, i don't think that brings the best out of either of them or Kocsis.

The other point is I've got two quality full backs and the best CB pairing, so if they want to come in side and be a goal threat, they're not going to get bundles of joy out of that defence which is super quick and tough as they come. He has a pretty aggressive but one-directional attack.. whereas my attack might lack the express pace his has, but will dominate possession and is more unpredictable as it can hurt the other side in a number of ways not to mention Albert can actually run a game unlike Sekularac who will be more concerned with putting on a show for the fans.

I'm not really sure I get that angle. Stoichkov played his best Ballon D'Or winning club football supplying Romario, perhaps the most direct, lazy and selfish striker of all. Blokhin too was an integral and exemplary part of that tremendously selfless and collective Lobanovskiy unit. Neither player needed everyone else servicing their presence on the park. Granted they were phenomenal individuals, both both were proper team players capable of operating in a variety of attacking roles.

 

[Raees]

I'm not really sure I get that angle. Stoichkov played his best Ballon D'Or winning club football supplying Romario, perhaps the most direct, lazy and selfish striker of all. Blokhin too was an integral and exemplary part of that tremendously selfless and collective Lobanovskiy unit. Neither player needed everyone else servicing their presence on the park. Granted they were phenomenal individuals, both both were proper team players capable of operating in a variety of attacking roles.

See I think Romario is abit underrated on that front. He was actually a very astute passer of the ball and a typical Brazillian in that sense who could wrong foot a defender and slip someone in.. bit like Aguero but a much much better passer of the ball.



He is a great passer for a so called selfish striker and for me he was a very all-round player. Now Kocsis was an excellent link up player but in terms of the killer pass, that wasn't his game.. he could link up with great passers but wasn't a strong assister if that makes sense.

Stoichkov got on well with Romario because Romario could supply him in return.

Blokhin in the games I watched, was a selfless runner, but he was very much the go to man in that side, the guy who supplied the edge to that team.. looking for spaces, getting on the ball and looking to cause havoc.. he wasn't a build up play kind of guy and his passing was decent, but lets be real not in the same league as a Puskas/Kubala.. he's a different type of player to that and more akin to Stoichkov.

 

[Enigma_87]

It's fairly obvious that Kocsis is the reference point through the middle with Blokhin and Stoichkov providing the width and variety of threats from different angles. It's been a clear part of the approach throughout the draft that we have a fluid attack capable of interchanging and making life tremendously difficult for the defenders tasked with marking them.

Indeed as the gameplan says:

I didn't see anywhere the wingers changing flanks as part of tactical approach. I don't think it was mentioned in our game as well after the argument on the right. With Kocsis presence him on the right IMO makes the matter worse as he would be far more useful on the left with his crosses. His game was a bit different on the right when played there occasionally - more direct and cutting in mostly. Cruyff used it most as a surprise move for example the game against us when he put Jordi on the left (in 92 I think it was it?).

Personally I like a lot your attack individually, but the lack of designated playmaker and Stoichkov on the right is a real put off. Kocsis won't get the best service and to me(others might not agree of course) Stoichkov is misused there in this set up, especially since putting him on the left gives you a clear route to goal.

If Blokhin and Stoichkov change flanks, during the game, fixes one of that issue tho especially if you guys are playing counter attacking football?

 

[Raees]

Spoiler: Puskas down the left

PUSKAS DOWN THE LEFT

ASSIST TO HIDEGKUTI (LEFT INSIDE FORWARD POSITION)



BECKHAMESQUE CROSS TO HIDEGKUTI




SLALOMING DOWN THE LEFT



MAGICAL FIRST TOUCH FOLLOWED BY STUNNING DIAGONAL OUTSIDE OF FOOT PASS



LEAVING FULL BACK FOR DEAD DOWN LEFT FLANK

 

[harms]

Those gifs are already in the OP, at least put them in spoilers for those of us with mobile phones, @Raees

 

[Gio]

I didn't see anywhere the wingers changing flanks as part of tactical approach. I don't think it was mentioned in our game as well after the argument on the right. With Kocsis presence him on the right IMO makes the matter worse as he would be far more useful on the left with his crosses. His game was a bit different on the right when played there occasionally - more direct and cutting in mostly. Cruyff used it most as a surprise move for example the game against us when he put Jordi on the left (in 92 I think it was it?).

Personally I like a lot your attack individually, but the lack of designated playmaker and Stoichkov on the right is a real put off. Kocsis won't get the best service and to me(others might not agree of course) Stoichkov is misused there in this set up, especially since putting him on the left gives you a clear route to goal.

If Blokhin and Stoichkov change flanks, during the game, fixes one of that issue tho especially if you guys are playing counter attacking football?

It wasn't a surprise tactic for Cruyff to play Stoichkov off the right. It was their modus operandi for the successful 1993/94 campaign as the countless examples of him playing off the right showed in our match thread. But let's not bore everyone repeating that one again.

We've used the word 'fluid' frequently throughout the course of this draft when describing our attack. It's pretty clear that allows for and encourages interchanging of positions. I don't expect Kocsis to do any work out wide, he is always a central reference point, but the other two have the flexibility to make that huge variety of runs they are capable of.

 

[Gio]

Stoichkov got on well with Romario because Romario could supply him in return.

I don't think that was ever a serious part of Romario's game to any meaningful extent to justify the basis of your argument here.

Blokhin in the games I watched, was a selfless runner, but he was very much the go to man in that side, the guy who supplied the edge to that team.. looking for spaces, getting on the ball and looking to cause havoc.. he wasn't a build up play kind of guy and his passing was decent, but lets be real not in the same league as a Puskas/Kubala.. he's a different type of player to that and more akin to Stoichkov.

Indeed. But the reason he was the 'go-to' man was because he was Kiev and the Soviet Union's greatest forward. In his later days as his physical powers faded in the 1980s when the Russian team grew in attacking strength with the emergence of Zavarov, Belanov and Protasov, Blokhin more clearly showcased the wider and more creative aspects of his game.

His goal against Atletico was a thing of beauty too. Like you mention, he wasn't just a pace merchant (although his explosiveness really defined his style) but a gifted all round footballer, and that was plain apparent watching him play in the eighties for Kiev (that side )and USSR after he'd lost a fair bit of his pace.

This is the role he had in the 1985 Cup Winners Cup demolition of Atletico, dropping into midfield to create, and making late runs off either flank to cut it back for the cavalry or go on himself (as he did for the goal).

 

[Raees]

FWIW Gio, I full expect your side to interchange flanks.. think I even made reference to it in my OP, so I won't argue that point against you. It is very much in Blokhin's nature to drift flank to flank and I'd expect Stoichkov to do the same. I imagine they'd be pretty effective in doing that.

Disagree on the Romario point.. what makes him a more all-round (but not necessarily better) threat than a Gerd Muller, was that ability to slip someone through. He was a typical brazillian, full of skills, tricks, cute passes through the eye of a needle.. that aspect of his game is very, very underrated in addition to being one of the finest box players of all time.

 

[antohan]

FWIW Gio, I full expect your side to interchange flanks.. think I even made reference to it in my OP, so I won't argue that point against you. It is very much in Blokhin's nature to drift flank to flank and I'd expect Stoichkov to do the same. I imagine they'd be pretty effective in doing that.

Disagree on the Romario point.. what makes him a more all-round (but not necessarily better) threat than a Gerd Muller, was that ability to slip someone through. He was a typical brazillian, full of skills, tricks, cute passes through the eye of a needle.. that aspect of his game is very, very underrated in addition to being one of the finest box players of all time.

He had Maradonesque traits indeed. Far from the one dimensional poacher lazying around the box that is often depicted.

Not sure what the point is though. Why discuss Romario in an Eastern Europe draft?

 

[Pat_Mustard]

It wasn't a surprise tactic for Cruyff to play Stoichkov off the right. It was their modus operandi for the successful 1993/94 campaign as the countless examples of him playing off the right showed in our match thread. But let's not bore everyone repeating that one again.

We've used the word 'fluid' frequently throughout the course of this draft when describing our attack. It's pretty clear that allows for and encourages interchanging of positions. I don't expect Kocsis to do any work out wide, he is always a central reference point, but the other two have the flexibility to make that huge variety of runs they are capable of.

Yeah, I think it was established quite conclusively that he played from the right for much of that season. Its a bit unfair that you have to deal with that particular argument again in this match TBH.

As regards your attack, there's no doubt that Blokhin and Stoichkov will provide width and are lethal starting from there and driving at the defence. Raees does have a point in that they don't seem like they're going to provide Kocsis with the stream of crosses that he'd ideally like though. Also, have you got much on Kocsis' link up play/assisting? Its an aspect of his game that I'm unsure about, as the likes of Puskas/Hidegkuti are inevitably the ones that catch the eye in that regard when watching clips from that Hungary team. On that note, I can't help but think that Hidegkuti as a facilitating false 9 would have been fecking great in the centre of your attack instead.

 

[Raees]

He had Maradonesque traits indeed. Far from the one dimensional poacher lazying around the box that is often depicted.

Not sure what the point is though. Why discuss Romario in an Eastern Europe draft?

My point was that a CF who is a poacher, to really be a good fit with two wide forwards who are really direct like Blokhin/Stoichkov, would need to be able to turn a man and put them in i.e. stretch my defence and slot a through ball. If none of them are 'killer-passers' and the 10 is also a dribbler, there is a lack of penetration there despite the trio up top being known as predators. They can run with the ball all day long, or make clever runs but if no one has the imagination to spot the runs or the subtlety to execute the pass to wrong foot a top tier defence like mine, it won't result in goal attempts.

I don't see anyone who can supply the killer ball in his set up. Keen to hear your thoughts in case you disagree.. for me I rate Kocsis nimbleness and one touch lay-offs/hold up play and he was intelligent enough to link up with Puskas/Hidegkuti.. but was he the one actually supplying the killer pass or was he keeping it simple and moving the ball around?

@Pat_Mustard .. Hidegkuti would definitely be an amazing fit, or Sindelar/Albert imo. Also that is Enigma's point re: the Right wing, I have no qualms about it.

 

[Joga Bonito]

what makes him a more all-round (but not necessarily better) threat than a Gerd Muller, was that ability to slip someone through. He was a typical brazillian, full of skills, tricks, cute passes through the eye of a needle.. that aspect of his game is very, very underrated in addition to being one of the finest box players of all time.

Romario might have possessed a better incisive pass on him but in terms of team ethic, selfless linkup play and team oriented plays and movement, Gerd easily trumps the Brazilian and most other top notch forwards.

 

[Enigma_87]

It wasn't a surprise tactic for Cruyff to play Stoichkov off the right. It was their modus operandi for the successful 1993/94 campaign as the countless examples of him playing off the right showed in our match thread. But let's not bore everyone repeating that one again.

We've used the word 'fluid' frequently throughout the course of this draft when describing our attack. It's pretty clear that allows for and encourages interchanging of positions. I don't expect Kocsis to do any work out wide, he is always a central reference point, but the other two have the flexibility to make that huge variety of runs they are capable of.

Yeah sure, my point was towards utilizing his crossing to Kocsis in the box which IMO would be clear goal scoring route for your team.

With your fullbacks defending narrow I'm not sure what service he'll get and whether your forward trio would outscore the opposition. On the ground Vasovic, Shesternev, Demyanenko and Stankovic are good fit defensively. In the air Kocsis will get the advantage, but I don't see the service to provide the crosses.

I imagine you are set for counter attacking football then moving it on the ground and looking for free space on the wing for Stoichkov and Blokhin?

 

[Enigma_87]

Romario might have possessed a better incisive pass on him but in terms of team ethic, selfless linkup play and team oriented plays and movement, Gerd easily trumps the Brazilian and most other top notch forwards.

Indeed, Gerd is always described as a fox in the box and poacher, but his link up game and movement is hugely underrated. Muller to me is the better forward out of the two. Romario possesses better dribbling, more raw pace, silkier with his passing and skills, but Gerd trumps him everywhere else. His positioning, movement off the ball, selflessness, work rate, finishing and general team play to me is better.