Chain Draft (Main Thread)

[The Stain]

We've done this to death now. The only person I needed to explain myself to was GS. I didn't argue anything at all during the game and my vote was irrelevant anyway.

TBH, I had given up on Pepe (said as much during my game) and had a cracking path planned that would have brought together the remainder of that '66 side and Enzo. An all-time Peñarol of sorts.

Mind, it was handy GS went out as once I realised how the rules really worked that was shot to pieces (game was long finished by then though).

Ye, i'm not accusing you of anything just pointing out the facts. At the end of the day everyone is entitled to think which side should win and not be accused of tactical voting, that is all. I had predicted GS to win even before a single match was played and i had no links to his players. I only got 5/8 correct though...

 

[diarm]

Balls.

 

[diarm]

I've only just realised Cutch still has Conti. I thought he was in one of the other (defeated) sides and picked Voller to get at him. Worse still I just spent 30 minutes penning an ode to his brilliance.

Was literally about to hit send, went to copy paste the teams across and saw his name.

 

[antohan]

Whoever is going to play you is so quoting from that thread

I know, I've been laughing my arse off since I decided to go down this path. At one point I thought I should just skip him altogether and play Altafini but this was too good to give it a miss. I think those Swedes deserve a good run for once as well.

 

[Moby]

I voted against anto in that game

Me too.

It was definitely a tough draw for us early on, specially as anto's strategy was leaving the Brazil, Argentina and Germany picks for late on hoping to grab the big guns in the reinforcements. so we really needed that first win and then expectedly we welcomed players like Beckenbauer, Pele and Maradona through the course and win it in the end. ('we' is being generous, it was 99.9% anto). The one player per nation is my favourite format so far, won the one in newbs and then won as AM in the mains.

I also think it was the ones after the 70s one here, where anto had Vieri and spent the draft till the final bigging him up (the infamous GaryKellanazo) so the Vieri on steroids comment by Gio surely provoked anto.

 

[antohan]

I've only just realised Cutch still has Conti. I thought he was in one of the other (defeated) sides and picked Voller to get at him. Worse still I just spent 30 minutes penning an ode to his brilliance.

Was literally about to hit send, went to copy paste the teams across and saw his name.

 

[Moby]

I've only just realised Cutch still has Conti. I thought he was in one of the other (defeated) sides and picked Voller to get at him. Worse still I just spent 30 minutes penning an ode to his brilliance.

Was literally about to hit send, went to copy paste the teams across and saw his name.

Unlucky.

 

[antohan]

Ye, i'm not accusing you of anything just pointing out the facts. At the end of the day everyone is entitled to think which side should win and not be accused of tactical voting, that is all. I had predicted GS to win even before a single match was played and i had no links to his players. I only got 5/8 correct though...

As I said, I wasn't pointing any fingers, just saw a pattern which ran counter to how the rest of the vote was going and thought it was a bit stupid and unfair on mazhar that I was withholding my vote when everyone else was voting against him. I had already done enough by not interfering or helping him argue his case.

 

[Cutch]

I've only just realised Cutch still has Conti. I thought he was in one of the other (defeated) sides and picked Voller to get at him. Worse still I just spent 30 minutes penning an ode to his brilliance.

Was literally about to hit send, went to copy paste the teams across and saw his name.

I dont mind if you want to send this good work to me

 

[The Stain]

As I said, I wasn't pointing any fingers, just saw a pattern which ran counter to how the rest of the vote was going and thought it was a bit stupid and unfair on mazhar that I was withholding my vote when everyone else was voting against him. I had already done enough by not interfering or helping him argue his case.

No prob, that's what you get for holding your vote to so late hehe

 

[antohan]

It was definitely a tough draw for us early on, specially as anto's strategy was leaving the Brazil, Argentina and Germany picks for late on hoping to grab the big guns in the reinforcements. so we really needed that first win and then expectedly we welcomed players like Beckenbauer, Pele and Maradona through the course and win it in the end. ('we' is being generous, it was 99.9% anto). The one player per nation is my favourite format so far, won the one in newbs and then won as AM in the mains.

I also think it was the ones after the 70s one here, where anto had Vieri and spent the draft till the final bigging him up (the infamous GaryKellanazo) so the Vieri on steroids comment by Gio surely provoked anto.

That was an amazing draft, everything fell into place almost perfectly. People keep moaning about how lucky we were but fact is that, differently from others, we took the risk in not having the headache of picking -say- Maradona at the cost of a Redondo-sized hole in midfield.

AFAIC the best drafts are those that allow for that, i.e. storming ahead at reinforcements on the back of good planning, decision-making and risk-taking during the initial draft.

 

[antohan]

I dont mind if you want to send this good work to me

I think half his ode is probably about the player next in line. The one MJJ would surely call Paolo.

 

[diarm]

I dont mind if you want to send this good work to me

I remembered something when Anto was quoting Gianni Brera earlier. There are some nice quotes about him gliding and creating as though he were a professional dancer which I worked into it. I'm not giving it all to you because you'll end up beating me with it in the next round and I'll feel worse than when I lashed 5 penalties on the bounce at Shay Given.

 

[diarm]

Also who the feck blocked Boniek? Highly inconsiderate.

 

[Cutch]

I remembered something when Anto was quoting Gianni Brera earlier. There are some nice quotes about him gliding and creating as though he were a professional dancer which I worked into it. I'm not giving it all to you because you'll end up beating me with it in the next round and I'll feel worse than when I lashed 5 penalties on the bounce at Shay Given.

 

[Cutch]

Any neutral around for a second opinion?

 

[antohan]

Also who the feck blocked Boniek? Highly inconsiderate.

Finally someone is as pissed off as I was. Or was it you? That would be too funny, but no, it was @Joga Bonito

 

[diarm]

Finally someone is as pissed off as I was. Or was it you? That would be too funny, but no, it was @Joga Bonito

No it wasn't me. I blocked Seedorf and someone else I can't remember.

 

[diarm]

I think I'm sorted but am quintuple checking.

 

[Joga Bonito]

Also who the feck blocked Boniek? Highly inconsiderate.

Finally someone is as pissed off as I was. Or was it you? That would be too funny, but no, it was @Joga Bonito

Far too versatile both role and position wise (which is critical in this draft) and some nice juicy links. All that without considering his individual quality, so was a no-brainer to me really.

Actually the real reason was that I knew that there was no way I was going to get my hands on him, so decided no one else can have him.

 

[diarm]

I think I'm sorted but am quintuple checking.

I wasn't.

 

[Skizzo]

Far too versatile both role and position wise (which is critical in this draft) and some nice juicy links. All that without considering his individual quality, so was a no-brainer to me really.

Actually the real reason was that I knew that there was no way I was going to get my hands on him, so decided no one else can have him.

Very calculated.

I've just decided that every time we nominate a block, I'm picking Thuram. Never had him in a draft myself...and it always seems to piss someone off

Although I might just pick Maldini from now on @Edgar Allan Pillow

 

[Moby]

I'm picking Thuram. Never had him in a draft myself...and it always seems to piss someone off

Me! And I'm not even playing.

 

[diarm]

Balls anyway. Fabulous player but I'm not sure it's going to help me with what I need.

I pick Bernd Schuster (Völler - Bayer Leverkusen 1994-95)

mazhar13: 1. P. Falcao 2. di Bartolomei (Roma) 3. Tassotti (Milan) 4. Savicevic (Milan) 5. Jugovic (Red Star) 6. J. Zanetti (Inter) 7. R. Carlos (Inter) 8. Rivaldo (Palmeiras) 9. Couto (Barcelona) 10. Popescu (Barcelona) 11. van Breukelen (PSV) 12. Nielsen (PSV) 13. Puyol (Rivaldo-Barca) 14. Eto'o (Barcelona)

antohan: 1. Facchetti 2. Boninsegna (Inter) 3. Scirea (Juve) 4. Altafini (Juve) 5. L. Buffon (Milan) 6. Julio César Abbadie (Genoa) 7. O. Varela (Peñarol) 8. V. R. Andrade (NT) 9. Juan Eduardo Hohberg (Peñarol) 10. Néstor Gonçalves (Peñarol) 11. Elías Ricardo Figueroa (Peñarol) 12. T. Cubillas (Ft. Lauderdale Strikers) 13. J.A. Schiaffino (Andrade-Peñarol) 14. Nordahl (AC Milan)

MJJ (crappy): 1. Romario 2. Guardiola (Barca) 3. Figo (Barca) 4. Vieira (Inter) 5. Henry (Arsenal) 6. Deschamps (Juve) 7. Kohler (Juve) 8. Sammer (Dortmund) 9. Kahn (NT) 10. Kroos (Bayern) 11. Marcelo (Real) 12. Thiago Silva 13. Lahm (Kahn-Bayern) 14. Neuer (Bayern)

diarm: 1. R. Baggio 2. Tacconi (Juve) 3. Tardelli (Juve) 4. G. Baresi (Inter) 5. Klinsmann (Inter) 6. Campbell (Spurs) 7. Scholes (NT) 8. Cantona (United) 9. Amoros (Marseille) 10. Bokšić (Marseille) 11. Veron (Lazio) 12. Gary Neville (United) 13. Völler (Amoros-OM) 14. Schuster (Leverkusen)

Cutch: 1. Passarella 2. Bergomi (Inter) 3. Bergkamp (Inter) 4. Davids (Ajax) 5. Vierchowod (Juve) 6. Conti (Roma) 7. P. Rossi (NT) 8. Evani (Milan) 9. Donadoni (Milan) 10. Panucci (Milan) 11. De Rossi (Roma) 12. Morgan De Sanctis (Roma) 13. Cafu (Panucci-Roma)

Skizzo: 1. J. Charles 2. O. Sivori (Juve) 3. Del Sol (Juve) 4. Santamaria (Real) 5. Pirri (Real) 6. Camacho (Real) 7. Chendo (Real) 8. Hierro (Real) 9. L. Enrique (NT) 10. Riquelme (Barcelona) 11. Tevez (Boca) 12. Buffon (Juve) 13. Cannavaro (Buffon-Juve)

The Stain: 1. Robson 2. Giggs (United) 3. Stam (United) 4. Kaka (Milan) 5. Essien (Real) 6. A. Cole (Chelsea) 7. Beckham (NT) 8. Van Nistelrooy (United) 9. Iwan (PSV) 10. Koeman (Feyenoord) 11. Gerets (PSV) 12. Preud'homme (Standard) 13. Robben (RvN-Real)

Tuppet (VivaJ): 1. Van Hanegem 2. Gullit (Feyenoord) 3. Costacurta (Milan) 4. Nesta (Milan) 5. Nedved (Lazio) 6. Del Piero (Juve) 7. Peruzzi (Juve) 8. Reuter (Juve) 9. Kopke (Nurnberg) 10. Makelele (Marseille) 11. Benzema (France) 12. Arbeloa (Real Madrid) 13. Augenthaler (Reuter-Bayern)

@Cutch

 

[antohan]

Far too versatile both role and position wise (which is critical in this draft) and some nice juicy links. All that without considering his individual quality, so was a no-brainer to me really.

Actually the real reason was that I knew that there was no way I was going to get my hands on him, so decided no one else can have him.

That's no way to make friends with @diarm

I thought you may have factored in the route into Roma and over to Brazil via Falcao. I guess not.

 

[antohan]

Very calculated.

I've just decided that every time we nominate a block, I'm picking Thuram. Never had him in a draft myself...and it always seems to piss someone off

Although I might just pick Maldini from now on @Edgar Allan Pillow

I didn't even care much until I kept bumping into him when looking for links. Boy did he have a stellar career!

 

[antohan]

Balls anyway. Fabulous player but I'm not sure it's going to help me with what I need.

I pick Bernd Schuster (Völler - Bayer Leverkusen 1994-95)

I love how popular Bernd has become @Chesterlestreet (that's my new drool by the way, post has feck all to do with you mate).

 

[Skizzo]

I didn't even care much until I kept bumping into him when looking for links. Boy did he have a stellar career!

Yeah I didn't realize it myself until he cropped up everywhere! I'd like to say it was great planning on my part to block a versatile pick...But nah.

 

[Skizzo]

@diarm has quite an interesting collection of players now.

 

[antohan]

@diarm has quite an interesting collection of players now.

He is hogging all the central playmakers

 

[diarm]

He is hogging all the central playmakers

Yeah. I decided if nobody was going to let me have any wingers I'll just hoover up every fecker I can find who can pass a ball in the middle of the park!

 

[Joga Bonito]

Thinking about Boniek led to T.Müller and then to another thing. What would be your all time selfless/accommodating/team elevating etc (for want of a better word) XI be. The term water-carrier crept into my mind but that's too degrading a label for some of the attacking players, anyway you get the point - no Cruyff, Garrinha, Platini Maradona etc ho need "tactical accommodation" and no top-tier GOATs who'd otherwise qualify for the team - Charlton etc. Doesn't mean the players in this XI aren't greats but it's just to dissuade the shoe-horning of certain contestable greats.

It's obviously subjective. For instance, Xavi can be construed as a selfless playmaker etc but he has far too much tactical baggage for me (need the system to be built around them to excel etc) and won't get into my XI (also a top tier great to boot). On the other hand the Spanish L.Suárez was a bloody good playmaker but also much more tactically versatile and would be more in line with the requirements of this particular XI.

Law and Laudrup popped up into my minds straight away but decided to try something else and felt like I was cheating with them. Cheating with most of these players too (esp Suárez, Boniek and Schuster) but no absolute top-tier GOATs (disputable of course and Suárez belongs there imo but just couldn't leave him out).

Goalie

Bossis.......Hansen......CB........LB

Schuster......v.Hanegem

Müller......L.Suárez.......Boniek

Seeler

​

Couldn't think of any other defenders. Thought of Scirea (not complementary with Hansen) and Brehme but they are top 3 players in their positions. Perhaps Deschamps instead of v.Hanegem would be more suitable but feck it.

What would be yours?

Subs - Gullit, Czibor, Falcao, Scholes etc

 

[Joga Bonito]

That's no way to make friends with @diarm

I thought you may have factored in the route into Roma and over to Brazil via Falcao. I guess not.

Think Falcão left just before Boniek came to Roma. Played as a CM too and it would have been great to see them together.

 

[antohan]

Thinking about Boniek led to T.Müller and then to another thing. What would be your all time selfless/accommodating/team elevating etc (for want of a better word) XI be. The term water-carrier crept into my mind but that's too degrading a label for some of the attacking players, anyway you get the point - no Cruyff, Garrinha, Platini Maradona etc and no top-tier GOATs who'd otherwise qualify for the team - Charlton etc. Doesn't mean the players in this XI aren't greats but it's just to dissuade the shoe-horning of certain contestable greats.

It's obviously subjective. For instance, Xavi can be construed as a selfless playmaker etc but he has far too much tactical baggage for me (need the system to be built around them to excel etc) and won't get into my XI (also a top tier great to boot). On the other hand L.Suárez was a bloody good playmaker but also much more tactically versatile and would be more in line with the requirements of this particular XI.

Law and Laudrup popped up into my minds straight away but decided to try something else and felt like I was cheating with them. Cheating with most of these players too (esp Suárez, Boniek and Schuster) but no absolute top-tier GOATs (disputable of course and Suárez belongs there imo but just couldn't leave him out).

Goalie

Bossis.......Hansen......CB........LB

Schuster......v.Hanegem

Müller......L.Suárez.......Boniek

Seeler

​

Couldn't think of any other defenders. Thought of Scirea and Brehme but they are top 3 players in their positions. Perhaps Deschamps instead of v.Hanegem would be more suitable but feck it.

What would be yours?

No idea. If you have Suárez there I could say almost every single fecker who played for Uruguay and understood what that meant. Enzo makes the cut, without a shadow of a doubt.

Seeler is the standout there, so underrated around here

I've no idea how you can put Schuster in a selfless/accommodating category. This is the same guy who didn't get on with half the German squad and kicked up a fuss over being subbed in a final so stormed out of the stadium with the game still on! I love the player and he had a clear winning mentality but the character/team ethic side of things is pretty suspect.

 

[antohan]

Think Falcão left just before Boniek came to Roma. Played as a CM too and it would have been great to see them together.

I was thinking along the lines of Juve player => Boniek => Conti => Falcão => Figueroa => Manga => Jairzinho/Gerson => Carlos Alberto (NT)...

Basically a reverse of what you did and on a collision course.

 

[Joga Bonito]

I've no idea how you can put Schuster in a selfless/accommodating category. This is the same guy who didn't get on with half the German squad and kicked up a fuss over being subbed in a final so stormed out fo the stadium with the game still on! I love the player and he had a clear winning mentality but the character/team ethic side of things is pretty suspect.

Mentally of course he was bit of a nutter but tactically he was quite malleable imo. The star of the team, yes, just like Suárez was, but fairly accommodating on the pitch tactically, imo. Perhaps Falcão would have been a more suitable choice there.

Seeler is the standout there, so underrated around here

He is underrated but Luisito Suárez is the standout in that team for me.

 

[diarm]

Thinking about Boniek led to T.Müller and then to another thing. What would be your all time selfless/accommodating/team elevating etc (for want of a better word) XI be. The term water-carrier crept into my mind but that's too degrading a label for some of the attacking players, anyway you get the point - no Cruyff, Garrinha, Platini Maradona etc and no top-tier GOATs who'd otherwise qualify for the team - Charlton etc. Doesn't mean the players in this XI aren't greats but it's just to dissuade the shoe-horning of certain contestable greats.

It's obviously subjective. For instance, Xavi can be construed as a selfless playmaker etc but he has far too much tactical baggage for me (need the system to be built around them to excel etc) and won't get into my XI (also a top tier great to boot). On the other hand L.Suárez was a bloody good playmaker but also much more tactically versatile and would be more in line with the requirements of this particular XI.

Law and Laudrup popped up into my minds straight away but decided to try something else and felt like I was cheating with them. Cheating with most of these players too (esp Suárez, Boniek and Schuster) but no absolute top-tier GOATs (disputable of course and Suárez belongs there imo but just couldn't leave him out).

Goalie

Bossis.......Hansen......CB........LB

Schuster......v.Hanegem

Müller......L.Suárez.......Boniek

Seeler

​

Couldn't think of any other defenders. Thought of Scirea and Brehme but they are top 3 players in their positions. Perhaps Deschamps instead of v.Hanegem would be more suitable but feck it.

What would be yours?

I'm not sure even Schuster's mother would call him selfless! Wonderful player but a bit of an all round prick by most accounts!
It's tough this one because you really need to have watched players at decent length to form such an opinion of them. I'll go for:

Keeper
Irwin Adams Kohler De Boer
Nedved Seedorf Gattusso Pires
Bergkamp Benzema
​

 

[antohan]

Mentally of course he was bit of a nutter but tactically he was quite malleable imo. The star of the team, yes, just like Suárez was, but fairly accommodating on the pitch tactically, imo. Perhaps Falcão would have been a more suitable choice there.

Hmmmmm... Malleable yes, but prone to hold a grudge if he isn't happy with it. With Maradona he obviously knew he was dealing with a great of the game and adapted to that, but you must have missed his sour grapes at Matthäus performance during Euro 80s. He pretty much accuses him of single-handedly putting that campaign in jeopardy.

He is underrated but Luisito Suárez is the standout in that team for me.

I rate Müller higher myself.

 

[Joga Bonito]

Hmmmmm... Malleable yes, but prone to hold a grudge if he isn't happy with it. With Maradona he obviously knew he was dealing with a great of the game and adapted to that, but you must have missed his sour grapes at Matthäus performance during Euro 80s. He pretty much accuses him of single-handedly putting that campaign in jeopardy.

Aye, not exactly someone whom you could call an ideal team-mate but perhaps a bit of bias there on my part. Can't deny his all-round game and malleable game-play though.

I rate Müller higher myself.

Fair enough but Suárez for me is an all-time great who was integral to two of the greatest team of the 50-60s and perhaps in the history of the game - the latter team at least. He was arguably the crown-jewel, alongside Kubala, of the gung-ho and adventurous Barca side which won 2 la ligas and 2 Copa del Reys against di Stefano's Real and made the European Cup final. They unfortunately lost that against Benfica - Suárez was the best player on the pitch after Coluna imo. It would take Barcelona another 25 years to make the European Cup final again, with Schuster at the helm.

He then went to La Grande Inter and was the star of the side alongside Mazzola and Facchetti, completely reinventing himself and helped himself to two European Cups - including a man of the match display against Real in the final. His international career wasn't so glittering but still, he managed to lead Spain to the Euro 1964 against the holders Soviet Union and was the best player in that tournament. His display in that final was one of the best and most complete performances from a midfielder that I've ever seen.

He's also won a ballon d'Or, came 2nd twice, 3rd once and 4th once, in an era littered with greats. In fact it was foolish of me to include him in my team but I just couldn't leave him out as he was the epitome of the meshing of quality, tactical flexiblity and a selfless nature - exactly the type of player I was alluding to in my opening para. It was just disheartening to see him go for 10m in the recent all-time draft .

Müller is a fantastic player and his impact in the WCs and for Bayern cannot be denied but he still has some way to go before he overtakes Suárez for me. Think he has what it takes though and he will probably be there by the end of his career.

 

[Annahnomoss]

I'm not sure even Schuster's mother would call him selfless! Wonderful player but a bit of an all round prick by most accounts!
It's tough this one because you really need to have watched players at decent length to form such an opinion of them. I'll go for:

Keeper
Irwin Adams Kohler De Boer
Nedved Seedorf Gattusso Pires
Bergkamp Benzema
​

Tough one, will have a go too, seems difficult. Pires definitely shouldn't be in there considering he was given permission to not work hard defensively because Vieira and company knew he'd make up for it offensively.