Moby
Dick
The aim of this poll is to decide the winner in this fantasy game contested between two sides assembled through the method of drafting. For the purpose of this game, all players would be considered as being at their respective peaks. I invite all posters to go through the formations, tactics and arguments that will follow in the thread and kindly leave their vote. Thanks.
Polaroid's tactics
The team lines up in a modern 4-2-3-1 formation.
Defence
Cannavaro in the stopper role, Rio covering, Neuer sweeping up behind. The brief for Gallas is tailor-made to leverage on his strengths – a pure man-marking job on Giggs to get the ball before him. Alaba's pace and intelligence will be leveraged on to support Bale when the right window of opportunity opens.
Midfield
Zidane-Redondo will be ably supported by the tactical awareness, astute positioning and intelligent passing of Busquets. Busquests is the perfect foil for Redondo - the one-touch tango getting past opponents and opening up gaps, linking up with Zidane-Eto'o-Bale-Laudrup to exploit the openings, Busquets' presence will provide the stable and secure platform for the Zidane-Redondo axis to dictate the flow of the game.
Flanks and upfront
The pace, dribbling and crossing from Bale and Laudrup will stretch the opposition, open up gaps and supply gilt-edged opportunities to the goalscorer extraordinaire Eto'o
Where the game will be decided
1. Midfield - How will Pippa's team handle defensive to offensive transitions and who is setting the team's tempo, playmaking and keeping the supply lines open? which midfield will have a more balanced, coordinated display or unbalanced and disjointed? That will almost singlehandedly decide the flow and outcome of the game
2. Eto'o vs Van Nistelrooy - both are extraordinary goalscorers. The key is to limit Van Nistelrooy by keeping him out of the box and isolated of supply, where his relative lack of pace and ability to create opportunities will count against him.
No midfield playmaker and an isolated striker who is outmatched in pace and unable to create opportunities on his own.
Important points:
▪ Zidane will be man-marked by Desailly, also known as “The Octopus”. In his midfield role that he made his own in Milan, Desailly was known to mark out opponents with ease. Defensively speaking, he is the at the top of the draft for midfielders.
▪ Gullit and Vieira, two extremely physical midfielders, will be matching up against Redondo and Busquets in the centre of the pitch. By pressing aggressively in the defensive third, they will force Busquets and Redondo to play back into defence in order to recycle possession.Jari Litmanen could barely breathe. The Finnish No 10 huffed and puffed, his hollow cheeks now red, the contours of his face wet with perspiration. Louis Van Gaal had no choice but to haul him off. It was the 69th minute of the 1995 Champions League Final and Ajax were playing Fabio Capello's all-consuming Milan. "I suffer from asthma," Litmanen sighed. When asked to explain what that had anything to do with it, he replied: "They put Desailly on me and Desailly is a tough marker."
For over an hour, one of the most talented playmakers in Europe had toiled away but to no avail. Litmanen simply couldn't find a way past the tentacles of Milan's No 8. No sooner had he got the ball than it was gone. At the time Desailly was known in Italy simply as the Octopus. It was a particularly fitting description. When told of his nickname during an interview with Il Corriere della Sera, the Frenchman smiled typically and said: "I like it. That's my role in the middle of the pitch, just like an Octopus."
"Marcel replaced Frank Rijkaard who had more quality and would get forward more," recalled Stefano Eranio. "Now we had a guy who did a disproportionate amount of defensive work. This took some of the defensive pressure off the other players, who felt more free to push on."
Source: Thiago Silva - The Brazilian heir to Desailly
▪ The battle on the wing between Donadoni and Alaba. Not only three weeks ago did we see Alaba struggle defending 1v1 against Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, so can you imagine what one of Italy’s greatest wingers will be able to do against him?
▪ William Gallas — a central defender who is shoehorned at right back. Offers very little going forward, so you can expect him to play deep in order to confront Giggs in offensive situations. That will only lead to Laudrup being isolated mostly on the right, similar to when Inter used to play Iván Córdoba as a fullback.
▪ Thiago Silva and Miroslav Djukic as a pairing. Silva has operated as both a central defender and as a holding midfielder, whereas Djukic has played as both a sweeper and central defender. Not only is Silva a fantastic defender, he is a leader — one recognised by Paolo Maldini, who likened Silva’s defensive impact to Franco Baresi. Djukic was the defensive chief of the Depor side which conceded a Spanish record 18 goals in 38 matches in 1994.
▪ I realise Polaroid’s team is geared towards keeping possession. The goal is to let him crowd the central areas to find no space available, playing the ball backwards. By constricting space in the final third, it forces the team to aimlessly play the ball in defence or deep in midfield.
▪ van Nistelrooy is a forward who’s movement and skill can occupy two central defenders. He has the ability to control almost any ball with his first touch and is able to play with his back to goal. He is explosive when making a run inside of the box and is deadly at converting headers and shots into goals. Almost the perfect lone striker, with wingers like Giggs and Donadoni and midfielders like Vieira and Gullit.
▪ Polaroid has no physicality in midfield. His midfielders rely more on intelligence and teamwork, which is something that my midfielders have in abundance. However, the likes of Zidane, Busquets and Redondo will not be running marathons or pressing forwards — but my midfielders can.
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