Team Paceme
My team is set up in a pretty simple 4-2-3-1. I will play a high tempo game to get the most out of my brilliant front line which has creativity and goals in abundance. Del Piero will have licence to cut in, safe in the knowledge that Abidal will stay back and cover for him. While on the the other side Figo and Ibarra will be a nightmare to defend against, creating massive overloads for their fullback to deal with. Cambiasso will play a defensive role giving Y. Toure the freedom to use his physical ability to create problems when running from deep and add an extra goal threat. My defense is solid with Vidic one of the greatest defenders of the modern ago partnered with a talented ball player who has proven himself to be an outstanding defender in the last 2 seasons at arsenal after a rocky start. Ibarra will have licence to move forward with the defense able to move over to cover his loss with Abidal staying back.
Team Chesterlestreet
Customized. Looks like a 4-3-3 of sorts but with specialized roles. Van Bommel is there to do the donkey work, mainly. That's clear enough. But as mentioned he does know how to pass the ball intelligently too. Prosinečki is the main creator among the three: he seeks to beat his man, create an imbalance, seek out one of the killers further up field to capitalize. Mendieta plays as a central midfielder, but one who seeks out wide at times. He plays almost an hybrid role here – part central, part wide midfielder. Given the chance he can combine with Reiziger on the right in an almost traditional full back/winger sense.
Bergkamp and Stoichkov both have free-ish roles. The former will play as a second striker at times, and as an offensive midfielder at times. The latter will roam around the box on both sides, operating almost like a winger at times. The corresponding makeshift “traditional” combo on the left – to Reiziger/Mendieta on the right – will then be Stoichkov and Pessotto, whose intelligence will allow him to determine when to come forward in support of the Bulgarian. The unknown big bastard (with the big nose) will lead the line. His role is that of a striker. Pure and simple. But his natural inclination (so I've been told) is to drop deeper at times and involve himself in the build-up. Which is a pure bonus, as both Bergkamp and Stoichkov are extremely dangerous in the box and more than capable of finishing off the attacks generated with Big Nose in a more creative function.
Adams and Walker will defend. That's what they do. Walker is very fast and capable of pressing high up the pitch without getting caught out. That is a bonus. It doesn't mean I'll instruct the defense as such to press high up the pitch all the time. It's a back four capable of playing different kinds of defensive football – they have speed, sheer defensive muscle and tactical acumen. And they have Oliver Kahn behind them.
The formation, as stated is a customized 4-3-3. If one so wishes, however, one might visualize it even as a diamond of sorts with Bergkamp as the tip (but one has to keep in mind that the roles are specialized and individual – Stoichkov is neither a second striker nor a winger, he has a free attacking role, and so does Bergkamp).
My team is set up in a pretty simple 4-2-3-1. I will play a high tempo game to get the most out of my brilliant front line which has creativity and goals in abundance. Del Piero will have licence to cut in, safe in the knowledge that Abidal will stay back and cover for him. While on the the other side Figo and Ibarra will be a nightmare to defend against, creating massive overloads for their fullback to deal with. Cambiasso will play a defensive role giving Y. Toure the freedom to use his physical ability to create problems when running from deep and add an extra goal threat. My defense is solid with Vidic one of the greatest defenders of the modern ago partnered with a talented ball player who has proven himself to be an outstanding defender in the last 2 seasons at arsenal after a rocky start. Ibarra will have licence to move forward with the defense able to move over to cover his loss with Abidal staying back.
Team Chesterlestreet
Oliver Kahn. One of the best keepers ever. A leader and inspirational force on the pitch. And so forth. You know who Kahn is.
Michael Reiziger. Won the CL with Van Gaal's Ajax at a young age, arguably as a decidedly offensive fullback. Developed into more of a rounded fullback with experience and became defensively very solid (at the expense of his offensive contributions, yes, that is usually the case).
Gianluca Pessotto. Tactically brilliant fullback who can contribute at both ends of the pitch with ease. An ideal man for a fullback role which demands both.
Des Walker. One of the best English defenders of his generation. His speed and his superb marking are his main traits. Well, he was a brilliant tackler too – rarely made a foul when he went for the ball in a one-on-one.
Tony Adams. One of the best English defenders of all time. A wall of a man.
Mark Van Bommel. Tactically excellent, mentally superb. A real cnut too. The sort of man you do not want to play against for all kinds of reasons. Very good passer of the ball too, far from being just a destroyer.
Robert Prosinečki. Brilliant technically, excellent passer and dribbler. An unpredictable, cocky, fearless player who will always seek to create something, even in the tightest of spaces.
Gaizka Mendieta. Tactically impeccable. A player with no real weaknesses. Versatile, disciplined, extremely intelligent and hard working to boot. Not too shabby, eh?
Dennis Bergkamp. A player who is comfortable all over the attacking half. Superbly clever, ice cold, and a proper bastard to boot. A creator and a finisher.
Hristo Stoichkov. The dagger. He will kill you. The most dangerous player on the pitch.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic. As per usual I give a perfectly unknown player a chance in my team. I don't know anything about this man, but his nose looks great and he's a big bastard too. Should be able to do some damage in the box. Possibly from outside the box too.
Sub: Some old geezer I brought along for the ride. Should be good for some yarns about bygone times. He probably played with Julius Cesar (harpastum or whatever the Romans called it) by the looks of him.
Michael Reiziger. Won the CL with Van Gaal's Ajax at a young age, arguably as a decidedly offensive fullback. Developed into more of a rounded fullback with experience and became defensively very solid (at the expense of his offensive contributions, yes, that is usually the case).
Gianluca Pessotto. Tactically brilliant fullback who can contribute at both ends of the pitch with ease. An ideal man for a fullback role which demands both.
Des Walker. One of the best English defenders of his generation. His speed and his superb marking are his main traits. Well, he was a brilliant tackler too – rarely made a foul when he went for the ball in a one-on-one.
Tony Adams. One of the best English defenders of all time. A wall of a man.
Mark Van Bommel. Tactically excellent, mentally superb. A real cnut too. The sort of man you do not want to play against for all kinds of reasons. Very good passer of the ball too, far from being just a destroyer.
Robert Prosinečki. Brilliant technically, excellent passer and dribbler. An unpredictable, cocky, fearless player who will always seek to create something, even in the tightest of spaces.
Gaizka Mendieta. Tactically impeccable. A player with no real weaknesses. Versatile, disciplined, extremely intelligent and hard working to boot. Not too shabby, eh?
Dennis Bergkamp. A player who is comfortable all over the attacking half. Superbly clever, ice cold, and a proper bastard to boot. A creator and a finisher.
Hristo Stoichkov. The dagger. He will kill you. The most dangerous player on the pitch.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic. As per usual I give a perfectly unknown player a chance in my team. I don't know anything about this man, but his nose looks great and he's a big bastard too. Should be able to do some damage in the box. Possibly from outside the box too.
Sub: Some old geezer I brought along for the ride. Should be good for some yarns about bygone times. He probably played with Julius Cesar (harpastum or whatever the Romans called it) by the looks of him.
Customized. Looks like a 4-3-3 of sorts but with specialized roles. Van Bommel is there to do the donkey work, mainly. That's clear enough. But as mentioned he does know how to pass the ball intelligently too. Prosinečki is the main creator among the three: he seeks to beat his man, create an imbalance, seek out one of the killers further up field to capitalize. Mendieta plays as a central midfielder, but one who seeks out wide at times. He plays almost an hybrid role here – part central, part wide midfielder. Given the chance he can combine with Reiziger on the right in an almost traditional full back/winger sense.
Bergkamp and Stoichkov both have free-ish roles. The former will play as a second striker at times, and as an offensive midfielder at times. The latter will roam around the box on both sides, operating almost like a winger at times. The corresponding makeshift “traditional” combo on the left – to Reiziger/Mendieta on the right – will then be Stoichkov and Pessotto, whose intelligence will allow him to determine when to come forward in support of the Bulgarian. The unknown big bastard (with the big nose) will lead the line. His role is that of a striker. Pure and simple. But his natural inclination (so I've been told) is to drop deeper at times and involve himself in the build-up. Which is a pure bonus, as both Bergkamp and Stoichkov are extremely dangerous in the box and more than capable of finishing off the attacks generated with Big Nose in a more creative function.
Adams and Walker will defend. That's what they do. Walker is very fast and capable of pressing high up the pitch without getting caught out. That is a bonus. It doesn't mean I'll instruct the defense as such to press high up the pitch all the time. It's a back four capable of playing different kinds of defensive football – they have speed, sheer defensive muscle and tactical acumen. And they have Oliver Kahn behind them.
The formation, as stated is a customized 4-3-3. If one so wishes, however, one might visualize it even as a diamond of sorts with Bergkamp as the tip (but one has to keep in mind that the roles are specialized and individual – Stoichkov is neither a second striker nor a winger, he has a free attacking role, and so does Bergkamp).
