I haven't voted yet.
If I recall, you predicted Cutch to win, right?
AldoJinx strikes again. Beware Tito
Redcafe Sheep Draft QF2 - Cutch vs Thisistheone
- Thread starter Moby
- Start date
If I recall, you predicted Cutch to win, right?
AldoJinx strikes again. Beware Tito
Part of me would like to see Mendieta in the middle there with Mauro Silva, albeit I can understand the rationale for closing out the space TITO's front five will gravitate towards. Still he's probably got the highest peak of any central midfielder on the park and it seems a waste not to involve him.
If I recall, you predicted Cutch to win, right?
AldoJinx strikes again. Beware Tito
I can see the Totti tears already!
If I remember correctly the reason Laudrup was benched at this match is because he was bound to leave at the end of that season and had a dispute with Cruyff so the latter punished him by not playing him in the finals, don't think it was over confidence or complacency.No idea whether I'll wake up before this finishes so leaving a temp vote for Tito here.
I have the opposite problem to Viva, I love all of Cutch's players bar the midfield two. Switch those two for something more tasty and risky and you don't necessarily have a better team but one that will win or lose but always entertain. With this one I can't help but feel it is relying too much on counters while not having the personnel at the back to keep Tito from scoring one or two goals.
That 1994 CL Final comes to mind. Barca had won 15 games on the trot and were shitting on anyone they met, while Milan had lost their Dutchmen, struggled to score and had stumbled across the finishing line in Serie A (I think they hadn't won a game for a month or two). Capello had alienated all the classy players, and Savicevic in particular. Milan were fecked with injuries and suspensions and were forced to field a side which really should have been blown out of the water.
But no, they got overconfident, Cruyff even took pictures with the trophy before the game, he also benched Laudrup who he probably considered surplus to requirements with Baresi and Costacurta out. Yet the Italians, i.e. the second string ones, defended the way we all know they can defend and completely tore apart Barcelona. 60% of that tearing was Savicevic, hands down the MotM. I have a feeling the same could happen here, the more fancied frontline being contained while the less fancy one turns out an effective display. The players are certainly capable of it.
On the other hand, I think about Lucho arriving at the far post...
Anyway, about the match, I think that TITO can counter well too, but the fact is that about 95% of TITO's attacks will be by open play with him dominating(as in the area of 65%) possession, so counters won't be the thing Cutch will have to worry about, while I can see TITO's players(especially Scholes, Deco, Cafu, Pessoto) getting really frustrated about Cutch's deep and extremely tough to crack defensive line and venture more forward and with one time Hierro intercepts the ball with some space - Enrique/Alves, Kaka, Romario & Stoichkov go running and end up 3vs3/4vs4/3vs4 and I just think it's bound to hit TITO on the break more often than TITO's open plays will. I'm not even talking about Cutch's open play action because I don't think he'll get much joy against TITO's midfield in open play.
And Stoichkov is so perfect for those counter attacks he was lightning quick!
No one at that level in this game for me.Still busy making babies? Who's the lucky one in this game
Higher than Scholes'?
Anyway that might be a case of placing better players but not playing an actual tactic.. One of the things I love about Cutch's team, actually I love it about both teams, is that unlike some teams in these drafts who just place a bunch of good players in the formation sheet they actually built teams that I can imagine how they'll play and it makes sense.. I'd like to believe my team was like that too.
I might change my vote if Mandieta were to be placed instead of either DMs.
If I recall, you predicted Cutch to win, right?
AldoJinx strikes again. Beware Tito
But in all seriousness this is a really tough one to predict. No battle that would be massively one sided and could decide the game. No particular part of the pitch that would be dominated by one team and no particular issues in tactics either.
IMO if this game was played 10 times it would end up 6-4 in one side and that side could be any one of them.
Aren't you forgetting Tito's counters? With Totti adding muscle to create and Suarez arrowing into the box, that front line is a lot more flexible and difficul to track and so are much more lethal than Cutch's! Esp with Alves commited forward in attack.
But because Cutch won't have much on the ball in open play so Cutch won't stretch his defense as much as TITO will.
You took the lead, now wait for another vote. It probably ends like that: 14-12, 5 minutes to go, Anto comes on, and changes his vote with that new unvote function and all of a sudden the game finishes 13-13
There's a thought...
It was what prompted me to dig into that CM pair earlier in the game. It just didn't feel right that Mendieta had no role to play... but he doesn't start really.
13-13
You shouldn't be changing votes unless some big change has happened in the game. This is why I didn't bring up the presence of the unvote function, was worried it would be misused.
Bugger!
I'd argue that only misclicks are a good reason to change a vote. If you're not sure who to vote for and believe that subs/tactical changes could have an impact, then wait a while longer. Changing vote sucks, because the scoreline could have had an impact on the decision that lead to the tactical changes, it's like taking early goals away in the end to change the outcome of the game.
All of a sudden, everyone could feel like he needs to change close wins into draws or something like that, when that's clearly not the idea behind the voting.
Exactly.
Laudrup and Cruyff had an ongoing dispute which resulted in him leaving, indeed. We've joked about it before, Cruyff was going all Mourinho on him for not being consistent enough or really performing at the level he could for the entire 90 minutes.
The difference with a Casillas or Mata was Barca had no one even remotely close to Laudrup and what he provided. The Dream Team ceased to exist the moment Laudrup left, not Koeman, Stoichkov or Romario.
For the final, there was that pesky 3-foreigner rule that often troubled us. One of them four had to be dropped. It's a tough call with significant repercussions whichever one you drop. At the time I thought it would be Stoichkov, purely due to the extent of cover in his position. With hindsight it's obvious that Cruyff would have dropped the one he called inconsistent and which he felt couldn't be relied upon to show up. Harsh, I don't think Laudrup showing up in important games was ever an issue, but you can see how Cruyff would have preferred to win it that way and Milan's apparent weaknesses going into the game would have given him further confidence.
Manic, absolutely fecking manic. You could rauxa that Italian team all day long, it was the pause and the nous that could dissect them, not sheer will. Milan probably would have won anyway, it's one of those games that are just destined to end that way even if you replay them in your mind ten times.
That's where we disagree. I think Tito can crack it without overcommitting himself and affording Cutch the counter potential he hopes to get here.
I actually agree, but reserve the right to change it. Just because.
Last hour.
Mendieta (and David Villa) might be more eyecatching picks but it would require a shift in tactics that i don't think would be as effective for this particular game. I'd rather have something i know that works than just picking the 11 best players.
Dunga and Mauro Silva have a key role to stop the supply and congest the area TITOs star player would wish to drop into and to give my fullbacks a sound platform to get forward.
They know eachothers game inside out and have won the biggest prize of all together. Proven peak form.
Dunga and Mauro Silva have a key role to stop the supply and congest the area TITOs star player would wish to drop into and to give my fullbacks a sound platform to get forward.
They know eachothers game inside out and have won the biggest prize of all together. Proven peak form.
Since Cutch is gone, I'll bow out with a Paul Scholes tribute and leave the rest to the voters!
The Shy Genius
What a video! How we miss him.
Patrick Viera
Dennis Bergkamp
Ediur Gudjohnsen
Ferguson
Socrates
Marcelo Lippi
Edgar Davids
Zinedine Zidane
Thierry Henry
Lionel Messi
Pep Guardiola
That Guardiola quote is really something, considering he's worked with Xavi & Iniesta
The Shy Genius
What a video! How we miss him.
Patrick Viera
Dennis Bergkamp
Ediur Gudjohnsen
Ferguson
Socrates
Marcelo Lippi
Edgar Davids
Zinedine Zidane
Thierry Henry
Lionel Messi
Pep Guardiola
That Guardiola quote is really something, considering he's worked with Xavi & Iniesta
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I knew that would get a bite. Frankly yes, a 1998-2001 Mendieta was in a group of two or three of the best proper midfielders in Europe at the time. Obviously Keane, Davids, Vieira and Veron were in about there at different stages as well. Scholes of course shits on him for longevity, and is the best midfielder England have produced in a long time, however I'm not sure at what point in his career you could justifiably say he was the best in Europe. Which is what Mendieta was for much of his Valencia spell.Higher than Scholes'?
Anyway that might be a case of placing better players but not playing an actual tactic.. One of the things I love about Cutch's team, actually I love it about both teams, is that unlike some teams in these drafts who just place a bunch of good players in the formation sheet they actually built teams that I can imagine how they'll play and it makes sense.. I'd like to believe my team was like that too.
I might change my vote if Mandieta were to be placed instead of either DMs.
Scholes was there or thereabouts in the same way Mendieta was for much of his career. It's hard to pick a best season but when he returned from injury in 2007 he was simply phenomenal.
I don't think Mendieta had a higher peak than Deco either.
I'm not convinced Deco dominated in the same influential fashion as Mendieta at Valencia.
I'd say if it's a group of 2-3 then Scholes was there at different points in his career.
Opinion of course. There's also a flaw in the argument when comparing whether someone was amongst the best in Europe "at a certain time". Over the last 2-3 seasons many would argue Kompany has been one of the best in Europe, yet if you went back to the early 00s there would be several defenders not held as the best in Europe then who would shit on him.
I voted Cutch in the end. It was extremely close as both teams are brilliantly set up and the individual match-ups are even all over the pitch.
What made me vote for Cutch was that I look at his team and instantly know he packs a punch - and the average performance from his offense will be enough to reach his level.
In team TITO I feel that it is a lot more intricate, with brilliant passers and interchanging front men who want great link-up etc etc. I think that the chance of them not clicking perfectly, is quite high and if they don't then TITO would lose.
So on that extremely fine margin I would say that Cutch would be more likely to win, even if it is so close it could go either way.
What made me vote for Cutch was that I look at his team and instantly know he packs a punch - and the average performance from his offense will be enough to reach his level.
In team TITO I feel that it is a lot more intricate, with brilliant passers and interchanging front men who want great link-up etc etc. I think that the chance of them not clicking perfectly, is quite high and if they don't then TITO would lose.
So on that extremely fine margin I would say that Cutch would be more likely to win, even if it is so close it could go either way.
I assume this one liner means Theon is sticking up for Scholes and Deco. For once, I agree, and I do rate Mendieta. In any case, the fact remains Cutch is right: the other two are a better fit.
Cheers Annah, thanks for the feedback!
Oh boy, Tito has got a one vote lead here.
How cruel would it be if, in an attempt to get penos, more than one person unvotes?
Probably as cruel as him blocking my path to Henry Not once but twice! And picking Suárez when he was my Plan B
How cruel would it be if, in an attempt to get penos, more than one person unvotes?
Probably as cruel as him blocking my path to Henry
Not once but twice! And picking Suárez when he was my Plan B
I feel harsh, because I feel you(TITO) have a higher maximum skill-ceiling. I got no complaints on your team, or critique, I think you've co-oped as well as you could possibly do with that your players are maybe a notch below his.
So even if the tactical match-up favours you, Cutch did a great job too.
EDIT: After Anto's post I don't feel harsh, I feel sane.
So even if the tactical match-up favours you, Cutch did a great job too.
EDIT: After Anto's post I don't feel harsh, I feel sane.
Anto that would hurt more than this did:
Anto that would hurt more than this did:
Great minds think alike, just what I was googling
Mwahahahahaha!!!!
Fair dos, you know more about Mendieta than me no doubt so I wouldn't argue too much there. My real point I guess was that Deco was absolute top quality when he was at Barcelona. He was up there with the best midfielders in Europe for a good three or four years. His Chelsea stint hasn't done much for his reputation in England, but he was a different beast at Barca.
I'm sure Gio is waiting for the last minute to vote as usual.
anto is a loose cannon here.
anto is a loose cannon here.
Last 10 mins...
I sweated as a couple of posters started changing votes . Bought down the difference twice as fast!
I sweated as a couple of posters started changing votes . Bought down the difference twice as fast!
10 mins to go!
I'm sure Gio is waiting for the last minute to vote as usual.
anto is a loose cannon here.
He better not or this could really go awry!
Gio + Aldo double vote for Cutch seconds before the final whistle?