Premier League Draft R1 - Physio vs P-nut

Who will win the match?

  • Total voters
    17
  • Poll closed .

Šjor Bepo

Wout is love, Wout is life; all hail Wout!
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Team Physio

Tactics – Direct/ Mixed
Formation – 442
Defensive Line - Balanced
Marking – Zonal

Straight forward 442 that plays on the counter. The Chelsea version of Fabregas is the main man in midfield to release the forwards or either winger on the counter. Ruud had good link up and aerial ability so will provide an excellent foil for Owen. Duff and the Newcastle legend Nolberto Solano are the hard working wingers – Duff with more pace and flair, and Solano with expert crossing – he was also an accurate free kick taker who will have Ruud, Vidic, McGrath and Owen (he was actually a good header of the ball despite his size) to aim at. Fletcher will play his natural box-to-box game.

Arsenal stalwart Winterburn will play a relatively reserved game with Sagna getting forward that bit more. Imperious CBs in Vidic and McGrath will give any centre forward a hard time – McGrath’s anticipation and reading of the game will be essential in dealing with Ronaldo. Pepe Reina at his peak was an excellent keeper behind a mean Liverpool defence.

Here’s a nice compilation of Nobby Solano.




Team P-nut

Tactics

Bit of a mesh rebuild of Uniteds 08 side and Liverpools current team. Counter attacking style, with fast transitions vertically with less emphasis on keeping the ball for prolonged periods.

In attack Kane obviously replaces Rooney in the three pronged attack we used that season. Whilst Kane doesn't possess the same bullish workrate of Rooney, he adds a degree of playmaking and a much higher goals per minute than Rooney achieved. He's just as comfortable as Rooney dropping deep and allowing Tevez and Ronaldo to come inside into dangerous areas.

Midfield is built in the 433 style of Liverpool, Henderson with his normal role, JWP adding a degree of playmaking whilst keeping that work ethic needed in the middle of the park. And Barry anchors the midfield providing a rock solid base for the forwards to do their thing on the counter attack.

Defence is a standard 4 man defence, Evra is the star full back linking up with his old mate on the left flank, and Coleman is probably one of the bargains of the Premier league being a solid defender and an attacking output for Everton for years.
Kompany and Bruce are 2 leaders in the centre of defence, both captain material keeping that defence perfectly organised.

X-factor

Set pieces with this side would be a huge threat, be it corners or free kicks JWP is one of the best the premier league has ever seen and with Ronaldo, Kane, Bruce and Kompany to aim for it really is such a simple route to goal.
 
@P-Nut Given the Liverpool reference point how high will your defensive line be and what type of press will you be using?
 
whats the thinking behind Ruud Owen partnership? Looks very odd
 
Šjor Bepo said:
whats the thinking behind Ruud Owen partnership? Looks very odd
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Really? Classic big man little man combo. Ruud gets the knock downs and flick-ons for Owen to run through on goal. Clearly Ruud is not a Heskey striker who will just provide a platform for Owen but I can imagine them gelling well. Ruud also had a decent short pass on him so can see him linking with Owen quite well. I do see the argument that Owen and Shearer didn't work that well for England but Shearer was past his best and it was well England - players rarely play well for England
 
Whilst it is a 2 vs 3 man midfield given the transitionally nature of P-Nut's side I don't think possession will be that skewed in his favour. Also Cesc and Fletcher are individually much better players than Barry, Ward-Prowse and Henderson. I really liked Steve Bruce as a kid but my CB pairing is clearly of higher quality too. Yes, P-Nut has Ronaldo but McGrath is possibly the best CB to deal with him in this pool.
 
I think Kane Ronaldo has the potential to be as good as Ronaldo Benzema. Stylistically, can see Kane getting the best out of Ronaldo like Benzema used to. That wins my vote although physio has built a really great team too. Both teams deserve to be in R2 but a bad draw (considering the other teams I have seen so far)
 
Physiocrat said:
Really? Classic big man little man combo. Ruud gets the knock downs and flick-ons for Owen to run through on goal. Clearly Ruud is not a Heskey striker who will just provide a platform for Owen but I can imagine them gelling well. Ruud also had a decent short pass on him so can see him linking with Owen quite well. I do see the argument that Owen and Shearer didn't work that well for England but Shearer was past his best and it was well England - players rarely play well for England
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Its far from a classic big man little man combo, Ruud was never a Crouch/Sutton/Heskey type that would complete that classic combo....you ended up with two guys that are primarly goalscorers and masters of the penalty box, both will want to make similar runs and for me its a very strange combo.
Though other midfield is very average, can buy the current Pool theme in them but there is a serious lack of delivery behind(something Trent-Robbo provide) that front three. Also not seeing the God like partnership of Kane and Rony as scrappy, its a potentially a good one at best but nothing to wax lyrical about it.
 
Šjor Bepo said:
Its far from a classic big man little man combo, Ruud was never a Crouch/Sutton/Heskey type that would complete that classic combo....you ended up with two guys that are primarly goalscorers and masters of the penalty box, both will want to make similar runs and for me its a very strange combo.
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I can see that they might make similar runs on occasions but Ruud does offer the target man presence and link up that Crouch, Sutton and Heskey did. That they are both masters of the penalty box is a feature. Also Owen would generally pick up the ball much deeper than Ruud would so they're hardly that similar in style.
 
Šjor Bepo said:
Its far from a classic big man little man combo, Ruud was never a Crouch/Sutton/Heskey type that would complete that classic combo....you ended up with two guys that are primarly goalscorers and masters of the penalty box, both will want to make similar runs and for me its a very strange combo.
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Agreed, can't picture Ruud as the big man
 
Physiocrat said:
Why not?
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For me he was always the main man leading the attack and was selfish enough to not be that effective while being expected to lay off passes or lay downs for his partner. He might have the physical stature and to an extent the physicality of a big man, but his attributes strongly make a case for him being the little man in any such partnership.
 
Like peanuts front three. Being able to pick Kane late was a big advantage, already bagging Tevez/Cristiano. I'd probably liked a bit better RB on that side but for the first round is pretty functional.

On Physio, I'd probably echo the Owen/RvN partnership doesn't really look like a good fit for me. The rest of the team looks pretty bang on, although I don't rate Solano much but he's a nice fit.

Especially like Fabregas/Fletch combo in the middle it's nice to see the latter getting a center stage and he was excellent for us in the exact same role.

Edging this to Pnut so far but it's really tight.
 
GodShaveTheQueen said:
For me he was always the main man leading the attack and was selfish enough to not be that effective while being expected to lay off passes or lay downs for his partner. He might have the physical stature and to an extent the physicality of a big man, but his attributes strongly make a case for him being the little man in any such partnership.
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Fair enough. Probably should have started Berbatov alongside Owen.
 
I actually don’t hate that Ruud-Owen partnership. I agree there’s a lot of overlap, and both are used to being the beneficiary of a more selfless strike partner, but I think they could use their abilities in different areas and do well. Granted you do lose some playmaking from the front with two “poachers” but I think the rest of the team behind has a really good balance.

On the other side, I think Kane-Ronaldo works well, but not as well as Ronaldo-Benzema or Kane-Son. Kane’s ability to drop deeper and create will definitely be well used by Ronaldo though. Ronaldo against Sagna also looks rather fruitful in general.
 
Skizzo said:
I actually don’t hate that Ruud-Owen partnership. I agree there’s a lot of overlap, and both are used to being the beneficiary of a more selfless strike partner, but I think they could use their abilities in different areas and do well. Granted you do lose some playmaking from the front with two “poachers” but I think the rest of the team behind has a really good balance.
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That was my thinking
 
Sorry Physio only just woke up had a mad night at work.
 
Physiocrat said:
@P-Nut Given the Liverpool reference point how high will your defensive line be and what type of press will you be using?
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Not especially high. I'd say just a standard line, wouldn't call it a high press and I also wouldn't go full low block. Whilst there are elements of that Liverpool side the main similarity is in midfield, rather than defence.

The attack has similarities but that is purely because the United 08 side also had similarities with it.
 
Bit surprised the midfield isn't getting much love, especially in this game where they aren't up against the absolute greats of the PL.

To start with Barry is leading all time appearances and here has got no one at all marking him or applying pressure to him. Ruud or Owen aren't going to drop into midfield and help them out so Barry has time and space to pick the free man on the counter attack.

JWP was always going to be a contentious one. However he works incredibly hard and has an excellent passing range, along with the already mentioned dangers he poses from dead ball situations.

Henderson really unfortunately will go down as one of the Premier league greats. He makes that Liverpool side tick, and the difference when he isn't fit is huge.

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He makes the players around him better and that can't be understated when in a draft with just a few star players and the rest working as a cog in a machine
 
P-Nut said:
Henderson really unfortunately will go down as one of the Premier league greats. He makes that Liverpool side tick, and the difference when he isn't fit is huge.

DD-COMPOSITE-HENDERSON-2.jpg


He makes the players around him better and that can't be understated when in a draft with just a few star players and the rest working as a cog in a machine
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As someone who watches almost every game of Pool i completely disagree. Klopp by some miracle turned the fecker into a good player but thats all he is, nothing more nothing less.
 
Šjor Bepo said:
As someone who watches almost every game of Pool i completely disagree. Klopp by some miracle turned the fecker into a good player but thats all he is, nothing more nothing less.
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Oh I agree, his time before Liverpool was mediocre at best. But at Liverpool he's their best midfielder and I'd say by some distance. Everyone else in that midfield can be and has been replaced at different times with no noticeable drop off. When Henderson is missing though the levels drop massively.
 
P-Nut said:
Oh I agree, his time before Liverpool was mediocre at best. But at Liverpool he's their best midfielder and I'd say by some distance. Everyone else in that midfield can be and has been replaced at different times with no noticeable drop off. When Henderson is missing though the levels drop massively.
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This is where i disagree, both Fabinho and Wijnaldum are/were better. You can argue Hendo is more important because he is the only one in squad that can cover for Trent who is at this time hopeless defensive wise but that has very little with his quality, its more by lack of specific options in Lpool squad.
 
Šjor Bepo said:
This is where i disagree, both Fabinho and Wijnaldum are/were better. You can argue Hendo is more important because he is the only one in squad that can cover for Trent who is at this time hopeless defensive wise but that has very little with his quality, its more by lack of specific options in Lpool squad.
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I think that would be a well balanced midfield 3 with all performing slightly different roles. Fabinho the obvious defensive midfielder and Wijnaldum the one getting forward from midfield. Henderson I see as the link between the 2, helping both perform better with him there helping them both.

Similar to how Gundogen helps both Rodri and De Bruyne at City I suppose
 
sherrinford said:
Did you not consider playing Fabregas at no.10, behind Ruud, and using Arteta as a holding midfielder?
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No not really. I considered a 433 with Fletcher and Fabregas as 8s with Arteta as a DLP. That said it isn't too far from what you suggest. Either way if I had gone for something different it would have been Berba and Owen as the front two.
 
If it was any other striker, I would have given my vote to Physio, but Kane and his playmaking will be key here, and it is what wins makes peanut win for me.

While his midfield is mostly filled with work horses but disciplined and great help to the defense, but it creates an ideal platform for Kane to go deep, and having Tevez and Ronaldo will make it a menance for the defense.
 
Šjor Bepo said:
whats the thinking behind Ruud Owen partnership? Looks very odd
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Aye, I don't think they'd enjoy playing together at all. A shame as Physio probably has more of my lovely boys than anyone :drool: Vidic, McGrath, Fletcher, Duff and RVN, and I really liked Nobby Solano too. Underrated player. I'd still have voted for him against most Round 1 teams but Pnut's attack is incredible and establishes him as maybe the overall favourite imo. Kane in Round 8 was just a steal.
 
Feck sake! Not that my vote would've changed the result. Owen - van Nistelrooy kinda stopped me from voting but kudos for playing Cesc in his best role. I don't think that Premier League had a player who was as threatening with his direct vertical passing from deeper areas — out of those that can be compared to him Alonso was more defensive-oriented, Scholes would control the game better but he didn't play those through-balls through central areas often enough & De Bruyne generally plays higher up the pitch.

That early Arsenal Cesc was simply magical. Even the washed-up Chelsea version was pretty great to be fair, but the young Fabregas :drool:
 
Physiocrat said:
No not really. I considered a 433 with Fletcher and Fabregas as 8s with Arteta as a DLP. That said it isn't too far from what you suggest. Either way if I had gone for something different it would have been Berba and Owen as the front two.
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Yeah basically the same thing - though Fabregas at no.10 would have emphasised the freedom he had to attack with the security of two midfielders behind him, and meant you get Cesc at his best. Playing him in a midfield two is like using Gerrard or Toure there, and using a natural box to box player next to him and actually giving that player license to go box to box? So no no.6, or Fabregas holding? I don't think that works.

Van Nistelrooy was your best option at striker too, so it was in your best interest to include him.
 
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