Theon
Lord of the Iron Islands
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2011
- Messages
- 13,370
Team Stobzilla
VS
Team Thisistheone
Tactics and how the game will be won
A case of individuals over the collective
Stobz team has too many similar players. Too many attack minded players. What happens when Totti drops deep and gets in the way of Mata or Gerard or Veron or Henry? All these players are individuals, they become ineffective because they're not a team. These stars lack the ability to make sacrifices for the greater good of the side. Even Brazil 1970 had players capable of sacrifice in Gerson and Clodoaldo.
Stobz’s team only potentially has one in van Bommel, who lacks the pace and discipline. Too much weight will be placed on his shoulders. The lack of pace will leave this team exposed and very open. It's going to be quite easy for Essien or Dani Alves to by-pass van Bommel or Mata - it would be similar to the way Utd's Rafael and Valencia used the right side to expose Chelsea at Stamford Bridge knowing that with Mata, Hazard and Oscar, Chelsea didn't have the players tracking back. Stobzillas side has even less balance & graft than that so will be exposed onan even greater scale, all over the pitch, and against better players.
A match-up that suits me
There’s no denying the attacking prowess of Stobzilla’s team, which is why it’s lucky to have so much pedigree, power and knowhow in the defence/DMs. If anyone can neutralise his fantastic range of creative midfielders, it’s the dynamic and aggressive tacking of a young Essien with the experience and reading of the game you get from Sousa. Sousa’s main role will be to break up play along with Essien and distribute it sensibly and economically to the wide players cutting inside, or to Rui Costa, whose range of passing is as good as anyone. He was selected as a 3rd round pick as he is such a key element of the game plan.
Rooney, of course, also offers a lot more solidity down the left hand side, he can track back as well as join in with Ronaldo as a withdrawn forward when the game wears on and we inevitably begin to dominate possession against Stobzilla’s overly individualistic midfield.
Veron, Totti, Gerrard, Mata, Mijatovic – there’s barely a defensive, economical player in there, and most of them occupy the same areas of the pitch. At his peak Gerrard was hugely rounded, but that was with teams built around him - all these players need a team built around them, very few of them would sacrifice themselves for an overall performance. Van Bommel (if included) doesn’t really change that. Yes, he would break up attacks, but he can’t do it all himself, would doubtless end up chasing the game and giving away countless free kicks – at his peak this was still definitely a big part of his game.
Lack of pace
Also applies to the back 4 not just midfield. Di Maria, Rooney and Ronaldo are all too quick for the likes of Hyypia and Mihailjovic. A case of the pace & power of Dani Alves, Di Maria, Ronaldo, Grosso, Desailly, Essien, Rooney against the slow, basically non-mobile side of van Bommel, Hyypia, Neville, Veron, Mihailjovic, Totti. Exposed to the counter attack.
Rui Costa’s balance and unlocking of defences, Dribbling ability, running past the slow van Bommel and the non defensive Veron, supported by Ronaldo, Rooney, Di Maria and Essien, Sousa - When you have this balance in midfield, providing a platform for the mercurial Rui Costa, Vs a highly un-balanced side, it can really start to open doors, with the best striker in the draft in Ronaldo, ready to take opportunities.
In Mihajlovic and Neville there’s a clear lack of pace. Those flanks are very get-attable, particularly with no support whatsoever from wide midfield. With our wide forwards drifting and switching wings, Ronaldo dropping into the channels, Sinisa could easily be sent off by half time.
Discipline
In Mijhilovic and van Bommel there's a real nasty streak, two villains. Two cowards. Likely to get sent off or commit a silly foul. Di Maria loves the professional fall: Winning free kicks or penalties for the likes of Rui Costa to curl home or Ronaldo to put away. Di Maria offers the team width, fluidity and great balance (when he chooses to use it) capable of being a forward or a winger, direct dribbler or trickster, Seeing how often tight matches are decided by a penalty or free kick, it's worth having Di Maria run at the likes of Hyypia, van Bommel or Mijhilovic.
Width
Offered by Dani Alves and Grosso. Both attacking full backs. Alves the best attacking fullback in the world for 5 years, absolutely key to Barca.
Henry up against his French team-mates
Desailly in his pomp would be too strong and powerful for Henry with Blanc sweeping and anticipating if he does get past Marcel.
Extra graft & team-work
Dani Alves and Essien's endurance. Essien and Rooney's graft. These can go unnoticed but make all the difference on the field.
World Cup/Euro-winning defensive axis
Blanc-Desailly-Barthez. 300 Caps between them.
Solidity and dynamism in midfield
Sousa – Essien perfect combination: A deep lying, ball playing midfielder next to the energy and box to box capabilities of Essien (the lungs of the side) like a better version of the Carrick-Fletcher combo in 2009.
Ronaldo
And as much as anyone in the whole draft, Ronaldo will win you a game on his own. Picking it up from deep and running at people, drifting wide, leading the line and getting in behind defences, in 96/97 he was unplayable. Stam is a top centre half, but Hyypia, as reliable and solid as he was, would have no answer to Ronaldo’s pace and trickery.
There’s not as much individual flair as Stobzilla’s team, but there seems to have been little thought as to how these players compliment each other. This team is built with the mindset of maximising the qualities of our key players – namely Ronaldo and Rui Costa – whilst going a long way towards nullifying his. While Veron, Gerrard, Totti are all constantly attempting defence splitting passes, we’d have 60%+ of possession and gradually begin to dominate.
