Formation: 3-5-2/5-3-2
This is the most difficult tactical write up we’ve written in this draft, partly due to the quality of Cal’s team, and even more so because we have no idea how he’s going to line up. He can persist with the Xaviesta, tiki taka style that has brought him this far, dispense with the Barca brigade entirely, or opt for something in between. Each has its strengths and its weaknesses, and initially we’re guessing he’ll go for the final option.
We continue with the 3-5-2/5-3-2 from our previous match versus Green Smiley, with a straight substitution of Rijkaard coming in for Tardelli, as its well equipped for dealing with any of those options. Our reasons are twofold:
1) Whichever formation Cal chooses, he’s going to be playing inverted wingers. There’s few more capable or suitable centre backs for them to be turning infield to than Ruggeri or Figueroa. Ruggeri the rugged stopper who can nullify Ronaldo in the air, Figueroa the teak-tough, sublime all-rounder who can match up with Messi as well as any defender in the draft. As he was against Di Stefano last time around, Scirea is one of the very best available to keep tabs on the deeper-lying, playmaking incarnation of Pele.
2) The truly great liberos, of which Scirea was one of a tiny few, give such a great range of in-match tactical options. If Cal sits deeper, then Scirea can advance into defensive midfield. The options are magnified by our central midfielders – Rijkaard himself has played the pivotal hybrid defender/midfielder role for the great Ajax 1995 team, while Van Hanegem can advance into attacking midfield with all the ability that his 1 goal in 3 matches for Feyenoord record suggests.
Where We’ll Win:
Versus Tiki-Taka:
Probably the most dangerous and voter-friendly option available to Cal, yet the one that we’re particularly well-matched against tactically. We’ll gladly allow Cal an edge in possession, whilst we sit deep and allow our superb defence and wonderful midfield shield to regain possession and quickly shift play to Maradona/Eusebio/Van Basten. With two ultra attacking full backs in Roberto Carlos and Dani Alves, coupled with a high line defence, our attackers will pulverise them.
As for the high press neutralising our counter, that’s highly unlikely in this company. Our one defender who is relatively poor in possession, Ruggeri, will be nearest Ronaldo, the most blatant weak link in Cal’s high press. Van Hanegem and Rijkaard could hardly be better suited to dealing with the high press. Van Hanegem in particular, has the footwork to evade it and the passing to exploit the gaps. GIFs to follow for any non-believers.
Versus non-Tiki-Taka:
We doubt Cal will opt for this, as it would entail the nuclear option of dropping Messi for Robben. It would still be a good team, albeit one that would still run into the difficulty of inverted wingers vs our all-time great defence. We’ll have a pivotal advantage here in midfield – Rijkaard/Van Hanegem/Maradona is the better unit than Makelele/Schweinsteiger/Zidane, and most pivotally Maradona will have so much more joy versus Makelele than Zidane will versus Rijkaard.
Conceding his stylistic advantage entirely, we’d be happy to go head to head in terms of player quality, and we have Gullit ready to come off the bench to press home our advantage against Carlos on the left side of his defence.
Versus The Hybrid:
Ultimately this is where we think Cal will go, but the fundamentals of our tactics remain intact – the three man central defence versus his inverted wingers and Pele, the brilliantly balanced midfield of Rijkaard/Van Hanegem.
Cal himself has been the most vocal exponent of Messi only thriving in a specific style of play, so we’ll reserve further comment on our attacking tactics, and on this tactic in general, until the match begins!
Why we'll win:
We've already explained how we plan on stopping his threat. Everything comes centrally. Pele dropping deep, Ronaldo and Messi both cutting inside, and Zidane pushing up into the hole. We have not only a stacked defence with Figueroa, Ruggeri and Scirea, but with Van Hanegem and Rijkaard ahead of them, they form an impressive shield in front of Jennings. If Cal does opt to play how we think he will (in the hybrid, with Zidane and Makelele coming in for Iniesta and Bastian) then he nullifies some of his own biggest threats.
Without a Barca midfield, Xavi isn't the same player, and (possibly more importantly) neither is Messi. Cal has made that point countless times himself, which we'll be glad to highlight through the match, that Messi without a Barcelona set up built around him isn't as effective.
Also, with Carlos and Alves, you need a shield in front that will help protect the defence. However he lines up, his midfield will be too "lightweight" to stop the threat of Maradona, Eusebio, Van Basten, and Rijkaard/Van Hanegem attacking when the chance arises.
Cal will also play on Ronaldo's aerial ability. With the defensive space as crowded as it will be, Ronaldo won't be able to find as much space to attack in the air, plus we have players who are very good in the air defensively as well. On the flip side, we still have VB and Eusebio who can be just as dangerous aerially, especially with the space to run into when Cabrini/Amoros get space to cross.
---------------------------------TEAM SKIZZO
--------------------------------------VS
----------------------------------TEAM CAL
Substitutes made(Old Tactic)
Tactics - Cal?
Firstly, no more Tiki-taka for this game, Skizzo is clearly going with a Catenaccio (the modern day Mourinho A380) tactic, and like it or not, it's probably had the most success against Pep's Barca sides.
So, I'll still be looking to dominate possession in this game, but with a more conventional 4-3-3. His lack of wingers should allow my very attacking pair of FBs to press high up the field, at the same time, with arguably the best DM ever in Makelele helping to cover the defence against the threat of Maradona and when he does that, Messi can drop into midfield to help maintain/win back possession whilst Cristiano and Pele will still provide plenty of threat for his defenders. My defence now has 2 of the quickest CBs in Maldini and Rio who both excel at the reading of the game and will make it very hard for Maradona, Van Basten or his partner to get any room.
In midfield, ahead of Makelele, are Zidane and Xavi, 2 of the greatest midfielders the world as ever seen, providing balls for the ultimate front 3, Messi, Pele & Ronaldo really should need no introduction.
GK
Schmeichel (96-99), probably the best keeper ever.
DF
Roberto Carlos (00-03), one of the best attacking LBs ever, one of the original Galaticos when they actually won a lot.
Maldini (01-04), one of the best defenders ever, winning everything there is to win with Milan in a career that span more than 2 decades, 5 time CL winner.
Ferdinand (06-09), needs no introduction here, our best CB in Sir Alex's best period.
Dani Alves (08-11), a key part of the Barca Sextuple.
DM
Makélélé (00-03), key player for Real's Galaticos I, and his sale basically cased the collapse of the Zidane & Pavon model.
MF
Xavi (08-11), basically won everything there is to win in those 3 seasons, the World Cup, the Euro, 2 CLs, 3 La Ligas, including that Sextuple in 2009.
Zidane (00-03), the ultimate big game player and one of the greatest players ever, 2 goals in a WC final and maybe the best CL final goal ever.
FW
Cristiano Ronaldo (11-14), 166 goals for Real Madrid during those 3 seasons, Ballon d'Or 13 & 14, La Liga in 12 and finally La Decima in 2014, possibly the greatest player ever.
Messi (08-11), Ballon d'Or in all 3 years, winning everything with Barca, also possibly the greatest player ever.
Pelé (68-71), Widely accepted as one of the 2 best players ever until around 2010. 1283 goals in 1363 games, a ratio unseen over prolonged periods until the other 2 of my forwards came onto the scene.
SUBS
Lahm (11-14), 3 players where he won everything there is to win as a key player for Bayern & Germany.
Vidic (06-09), formed a great understanding with Rio during those years we dominated Europe.
Schweinsteiger (11-14), key player for the Bayern side which halted Barca's reign, winning the Treble in 2013 and the World Cup in 2014.
Iniesta (08-11), World Cup final winner, the other half of the Xaviesta partnership that won everything.
Andriy Shevchenko (01-04), one of the best strikers of the 00s in his Milan days, Ballon D'Or winner in 2004.
Robben (11-14), some believe to the the 3rd best player in the world, a key player for Bayern's recent domination in Germany and also Treble winner in 2013.
Opposition
Skizzo will have his team set up to defend, and get to ball to Maradona to set up his attacks. I've set my team up to exploit the fact that he's not playing any wingers and also have Makelele to help defend against Maradona. Further up the pitch, my all star front 3 will have plenty of supply from Zidane and Xavi, 2 of the greatest at finding passes in tight areas. The fullbacks will also have the chance to venture forwards to supply crosses and who better than Cristiano to get at the end of those.
This is the most difficult tactical write up we’ve written in this draft, partly due to the quality of Cal’s team, and even more so because we have no idea how he’s going to line up. He can persist with the Xaviesta, tiki taka style that has brought him this far, dispense with the Barca brigade entirely, or opt for something in between. Each has its strengths and its weaknesses, and initially we’re guessing he’ll go for the final option.
We continue with the 3-5-2/5-3-2 from our previous match versus Green Smiley, with a straight substitution of Rijkaard coming in for Tardelli, as its well equipped for dealing with any of those options. Our reasons are twofold:
1) Whichever formation Cal chooses, he’s going to be playing inverted wingers. There’s few more capable or suitable centre backs for them to be turning infield to than Ruggeri or Figueroa. Ruggeri the rugged stopper who can nullify Ronaldo in the air, Figueroa the teak-tough, sublime all-rounder who can match up with Messi as well as any defender in the draft. As he was against Di Stefano last time around, Scirea is one of the very best available to keep tabs on the deeper-lying, playmaking incarnation of Pele.
2) The truly great liberos, of which Scirea was one of a tiny few, give such a great range of in-match tactical options. If Cal sits deeper, then Scirea can advance into defensive midfield. The options are magnified by our central midfielders – Rijkaard himself has played the pivotal hybrid defender/midfielder role for the great Ajax 1995 team, while Van Hanegem can advance into attacking midfield with all the ability that his 1 goal in 3 matches for Feyenoord record suggests.
Where We’ll Win:
Versus Tiki-Taka:
Probably the most dangerous and voter-friendly option available to Cal, yet the one that we’re particularly well-matched against tactically. We’ll gladly allow Cal an edge in possession, whilst we sit deep and allow our superb defence and wonderful midfield shield to regain possession and quickly shift play to Maradona/Eusebio/Van Basten. With two ultra attacking full backs in Roberto Carlos and Dani Alves, coupled with a high line defence, our attackers will pulverise them.
As for the high press neutralising our counter, that’s highly unlikely in this company. Our one defender who is relatively poor in possession, Ruggeri, will be nearest Ronaldo, the most blatant weak link in Cal’s high press. Van Hanegem and Rijkaard could hardly be better suited to dealing with the high press. Van Hanegem in particular, has the footwork to evade it and the passing to exploit the gaps. GIFs to follow for any non-believers.
Versus non-Tiki-Taka:
We doubt Cal will opt for this, as it would entail the nuclear option of dropping Messi for Robben. It would still be a good team, albeit one that would still run into the difficulty of inverted wingers vs our all-time great defence. We’ll have a pivotal advantage here in midfield – Rijkaard/Van Hanegem/Maradona is the better unit than Makelele/Schweinsteiger/Zidane, and most pivotally Maradona will have so much more joy versus Makelele than Zidane will versus Rijkaard.
Conceding his stylistic advantage entirely, we’d be happy to go head to head in terms of player quality, and we have Gullit ready to come off the bench to press home our advantage against Carlos on the left side of his defence.
Versus The Hybrid:
Ultimately this is where we think Cal will go, but the fundamentals of our tactics remain intact – the three man central defence versus his inverted wingers and Pele, the brilliantly balanced midfield of Rijkaard/Van Hanegem.
Cal himself has been the most vocal exponent of Messi only thriving in a specific style of play, so we’ll reserve further comment on our attacking tactics, and on this tactic in general, until the match begins!
Why we'll win:
We've already explained how we plan on stopping his threat. Everything comes centrally. Pele dropping deep, Ronaldo and Messi both cutting inside, and Zidane pushing up into the hole. We have not only a stacked defence with Figueroa, Ruggeri and Scirea, but with Van Hanegem and Rijkaard ahead of them, they form an impressive shield in front of Jennings. If Cal does opt to play how we think he will (in the hybrid, with Zidane and Makelele coming in for Iniesta and Bastian) then he nullifies some of his own biggest threats.
Without a Barca midfield, Xavi isn't the same player, and (possibly more importantly) neither is Messi. Cal has made that point countless times himself, which we'll be glad to highlight through the match, that Messi without a Barcelona set up built around him isn't as effective.
Also, with Carlos and Alves, you need a shield in front that will help protect the defence. However he lines up, his midfield will be too "lightweight" to stop the threat of Maradona, Eusebio, Van Basten, and Rijkaard/Van Hanegem attacking when the chance arises.
Cal will also play on Ronaldo's aerial ability. With the defensive space as crowded as it will be, Ronaldo won't be able to find as much space to attack in the air, plus we have players who are very good in the air defensively as well. On the flip side, we still have VB and Eusebio who can be just as dangerous aerially, especially with the space to run into when Cabrini/Amoros get space to cross.
---------------------------------TEAM SKIZZO
--------------------------------------VS
----------------------------------TEAM CAL
Substitutes made(Old Tactic)
Tactics - Cal?
Firstly, no more Tiki-taka for this game, Skizzo is clearly going with a Catenaccio (the modern day Mourinho A380) tactic, and like it or not, it's probably had the most success against Pep's Barca sides.
So, I'll still be looking to dominate possession in this game, but with a more conventional 4-3-3. His lack of wingers should allow my very attacking pair of FBs to press high up the field, at the same time, with arguably the best DM ever in Makelele helping to cover the defence against the threat of Maradona and when he does that, Messi can drop into midfield to help maintain/win back possession whilst Cristiano and Pele will still provide plenty of threat for his defenders. My defence now has 2 of the quickest CBs in Maldini and Rio who both excel at the reading of the game and will make it very hard for Maradona, Van Basten or his partner to get any room.
In midfield, ahead of Makelele, are Zidane and Xavi, 2 of the greatest midfielders the world as ever seen, providing balls for the ultimate front 3, Messi, Pele & Ronaldo really should need no introduction.
GK
Schmeichel (96-99), probably the best keeper ever.
DF
Roberto Carlos (00-03), one of the best attacking LBs ever, one of the original Galaticos when they actually won a lot.
Maldini (01-04), one of the best defenders ever, winning everything there is to win with Milan in a career that span more than 2 decades, 5 time CL winner.
Ferdinand (06-09), needs no introduction here, our best CB in Sir Alex's best period.
Dani Alves (08-11), a key part of the Barca Sextuple.
DM
Makélélé (00-03), key player for Real's Galaticos I, and his sale basically cased the collapse of the Zidane & Pavon model.
MF
Xavi (08-11), basically won everything there is to win in those 3 seasons, the World Cup, the Euro, 2 CLs, 3 La Ligas, including that Sextuple in 2009.
Zidane (00-03), the ultimate big game player and one of the greatest players ever, 2 goals in a WC final and maybe the best CL final goal ever.
FW
Cristiano Ronaldo (11-14), 166 goals for Real Madrid during those 3 seasons, Ballon d'Or 13 & 14, La Liga in 12 and finally La Decima in 2014, possibly the greatest player ever.
Messi (08-11), Ballon d'Or in all 3 years, winning everything with Barca, also possibly the greatest player ever.
Pelé (68-71), Widely accepted as one of the 2 best players ever until around 2010. 1283 goals in 1363 games, a ratio unseen over prolonged periods until the other 2 of my forwards came onto the scene.
SUBS
Lahm (11-14), 3 players where he won everything there is to win as a key player for Bayern & Germany.
Vidic (06-09), formed a great understanding with Rio during those years we dominated Europe.
Schweinsteiger (11-14), key player for the Bayern side which halted Barca's reign, winning the Treble in 2013 and the World Cup in 2014.
Iniesta (08-11), World Cup final winner, the other half of the Xaviesta partnership that won everything.
Andriy Shevchenko (01-04), one of the best strikers of the 00s in his Milan days, Ballon D'Or winner in 2004.
Robben (11-14), some believe to the the 3rd best player in the world, a key player for Bayern's recent domination in Germany and also Treble winner in 2013.
Opposition
Skizzo will have his team set up to defend, and get to ball to Maradona to set up his attacks. I've set my team up to exploit the fact that he's not playing any wingers and also have Makelele to help defend against Maradona. Further up the pitch, my all star front 3 will have plenty of supply from Zidane and Xavi, 2 of the greatest at finding passes in tight areas. The fullbacks will also have the chance to venture forwards to supply crosses and who better than Cristiano to get at the end of those.
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