Team RedTiger
Philosophy/Ideology of tactical set-up
...
Style possession
Central player
Playing his favoured position behind the striker. Having Leonardo and Scifo on the flanks means they will naturally come narrow bringing the oppo fullbacks out of position and allowing Del Piero to play close to a free role in the final third. A solid central mid partnership of Essien and Stankovic meaning not too much on del piero to come deep.
Defense
Defensive Line - Normal
Marking - zonal
Off the ball - tucking in defenders to form compact defense
On the ball - Build up play
Midfield
...
Attack
...
Player Roles
Del Piero - Free Role
Fullbacks - provide the bulk of attacking wide play.
Essien - B2B
Stankovic- Sitting Midfield
The wingers - AM/inside forwards
Zamorano - lead line
Specific Tactical Manoeuvres
Team Harms/Joga
Philosophy/Ideology of tactical set-up
The side is built around "the crazy man from Lokeren", Preben Elkjaer Larsen, and is mainly inspired by the legendary Danish Dynamite (Denmark's national side in the 80's) - while also keeping in mind the Italian Champions of 1985, Hellas Verona. And despite Verona achieving arguably the greatest underdog accomplishment in history (winning the league where the likes of Platini, Zico, Falcao and Maradona played for different competitive sides), you can already see the pattern - both teams never had a period of prolonged success because both were too romantic and, you can even say, a little naive. Elkjaer Larsen was the epitome of both sides - batshit crazy, energetic, direct and fearless, always running forward with the ball regardless of the amount and quality of defenders he faced; the style that will later be associated with the young Fenomeno.
We tried to fill our team with the players who were all incredibly direct (and sometimes even frustratingly so) and, which was quite probably as much important, who shared the same mentality and perception of the game itself. With Elkjaer being so incredibly all-rounded we tried to create as many different routes to goal as possible - be it an orthodox wing threat from the left, or a more sophisticated pairing of Kaltz and Bonhof on the right; and also Robson's and Tardelli's passing and runs from midfield and incredibly creative link up game from Streltsov.
Style
We won't try to dominate the possession - in fact, our side will be morbidly direct***. If there is a formation that is associated with a positive counter-attacking game, it's 4-4-2. If there is one thing that Preben needs most, it's the liberty and free space to execute his incessant off the ball runs. Our lopsided formation with unorthodox wingers leaves enough space out wide for him to exploit; and there are enough secondary goalthreat (Streltsov, Robson, and anyone from Demyanenko, Bonhof, Tardelli and Kaltz) for him not to be overburdened with it - despite him still being the main man and our most prominent goalscorer.
***Whilst we have an extremely direct side, the likes of Robson and Streltsov possess cool calm heads and are very much capable of providing the direction, composure and most importantly the leaderships qualities to go with the explosiveness. Vital qualities which shouldn't go under the radar.
Central player
If Laudrup characterized the genius at the heart of the Danish Dynamites, Lerby the sheer drive, then Elkjaer was the epitome of the sheer explosiveness and verticality behind his sides. Elkjaer on his trademark barnstorming rampages, like a man possessed was always quite the sight to behold. A potent blend of explosiveness, nifty footwork, pace and sheer physicality made Elkjaer a unique and at times unstoppable tour de force, capable of wreaking havoc on even the most sturdiest and organised defenses (just ask the peak eighties Serie A defenses).
He was determination incarnate, and his seemingly endless lung capacity is even more amazing given that he was a chain smoker. Often he would go on me-against-the-world runs, culminating most notably in famous strikes against Belgium and USSR. He would simply run through defenders (see his goal against Scotland in 1986) and if a brick wall got in the way, well, he'd take his chances. In short, nothing was going to stop him scoring, and it was fitting that, in the 1984-85 season in which he inspired little Verona to the Serie A title, he scored a superb solo goal against the reigning champions Juventus with no boot on his right foot, having lost it during a surge down the left. He nagged away at defenders constantly, inverting the 80s relationship between defender and attacker, and must have been a nightmare to play against.
Yet there was so much more to Elkjær than raw desire. He had wonderful balance and sublime skill: one ninja-like turn on Russell Osman during the 2-2 draw in 1982 boggles the mind almost as much as the famous Dennis Bergkamp goal at Newcastle; he developed the Elkjær turn, a spin-off of the Cruyff turn, when he was on holiday in Barbados and saw kids playing with coconuts on the beach. He was an incredibly aggressive finisher with both feet, from short – and long range; and if he was occasionally iffy in the air, his overall record – 38 in 69 games – brooks no argument. Truly, there have been very few forwards in the game's history with such a complete range of skills. He came third in the Ballon d'Or in 1984, second in 1985 and fourth in 1986. He also won the Bronze Ball at Mexico 86, the only instance of a player knocked out in the last 16 winning this award.
Defense
We went with a more traditional back four this time. Vierchowod will be the archetypical stopper, Schwarzenbeck will be a covering center back. Our unique wings (we will describe them later in detail) allow our fullbacks more freedom than they usually have in a flat back four - especially Kaltz will still play a key role in our attacking game.
Midfield
Right at the heart of everything we have Bryan Robson, the epitome of a talismanic attacking box-to-box (Stevie who?), flying into crunching tackles and scoring screamers, whilst critically allying it with tactical acumen and awareness, with the craft to be at the fore of the supplyline for the forward line, and the dynamism to dovetail with our incredibly dynamic attacking unit. Marco Tardelli seems perfect for a classic box to box duo - Robson as a more attacking one, Tardelli as more defensive. His expertise in defence (he regularly played there, either as a center back or as a fullback), should come in handy, but he also had a knack for scoring in important games, most notably in 1982 World Cup final.
Our wings deserve special attention though. On the left, we went with an unorthodox decision - pairing Lizarazu and Demyanenko; Emery's decision to play both Alba and Mathieu against Pep's Barca was one of the most interesting tactical experiments of the last decade; Pep himself was so impressed that he regularly played Alaba and Bernat as an interchangeable left flank at Bayern. Demyanenko has enough experience playing everywhere on the left, he is pretty much the perfect total footballer in Lobanovsky's interpretation - and if you're doubting his attacking game, in 1985 he scored 13 goals from a full back position. This decision puts another runner/grafter upfront, with a knack of scoring a rebound goals - and also providing a challenge for the opposing right back with Demyanenko and Lizarazu being free to change their roles as the game goes.
On the right, we have Rainer Bonhof ahead of Kaltz. Bonhof was the epitome of versatility - we already highlighted his defensive prowess in the last game, but here he plays a more complex role. He is a right midfielder, who can (and will) cover for Kaltz when needed, he will also drop centrally to assure midfield dominance, but most of the time he'll do what he can do best - just play that right midfield role to perfection. If you need evidence of him being suited to this role, here is what he had done in the World Cup and European Championship's finals (Bonhof's vital assists speak for themselves - Gerd Muller's winning goal in the 1974 World Cup final as well as 4 assists in the semi-final and final of the 1976 European Championship.):
Attack
Naturally it's built around Elkjaer, and he has the spatial freedom and tactical liberty to roam around, receiving a steady stream, and most importantly, a varied supplyline, whilst doing his thing - probing and opening up the gaps for his teammates (like he did for Briegel, Laudrup, Lerby et cetera). Streltsov combines outstanding physicality with his unique understanding of the game and willingness to bring others in play. It's really his link up play that made him that stand out, even though he was a goalscoring sensation in his early years. He also naturally drifts to the left, so they won't be bothering each other much - and Elkjaer will cherish all these smart flicks, one-twos and cheeky backheels.
Player Roles
H. Schumacher - Goalkeeper
B. Lizarazu - Left fullback
P. Vierchowod - Stopper
H.-G. Schwarzenbeck - Covering defender
M. Kaltz - Right fullback with full creative freedom
A. Demyanenko - Left midfielder
R. Bonhof - Right midfielder
B. Robson - Attacking box-to-box (more videos on the same channel)
M. Tardelli - Defensive box-to-box
E. Streltsov - Playmaking target striker (more videos here)
P. Elkær Larsen - Free-roaming striker
Specific Tactical Manoeuvres
Philosophy/Ideology of tactical set-up
...
Style possession
Central player
Playing his favoured position behind the striker. Having Leonardo and Scifo on the flanks means they will naturally come narrow bringing the oppo fullbacks out of position and allowing Del Piero to play close to a free role in the final third. A solid central mid partnership of Essien and Stankovic meaning not too much on del piero to come deep.
Defense
Defensive Line - Normal
Marking - zonal
Off the ball - tucking in defenders to form compact defense
On the ball - Build up play
Midfield
...
Attack
...
Player Roles
Del Piero - Free Role
Fullbacks - provide the bulk of attacking wide play.
Essien - B2B
Stankovic- Sitting Midfield
The wingers - AM/inside forwards
Zamorano - lead line
Specific Tactical Manoeuvres
Philosophy/Ideology of tactical set-up
The side is built around "the crazy man from Lokeren", Preben Elkjaer Larsen, and is mainly inspired by the legendary Danish Dynamite (Denmark's national side in the 80's) - while also keeping in mind the Italian Champions of 1985, Hellas Verona. And despite Verona achieving arguably the greatest underdog accomplishment in history (winning the league where the likes of Platini, Zico, Falcao and Maradona played for different competitive sides), you can already see the pattern - both teams never had a period of prolonged success because both were too romantic and, you can even say, a little naive. Elkjaer Larsen was the epitome of both sides - batshit crazy, energetic, direct and fearless, always running forward with the ball regardless of the amount and quality of defenders he faced; the style that will later be associated with the young Fenomeno.
We tried to fill our team with the players who were all incredibly direct (and sometimes even frustratingly so) and, which was quite probably as much important, who shared the same mentality and perception of the game itself. With Elkjaer being so incredibly all-rounded we tried to create as many different routes to goal as possible - be it an orthodox wing threat from the left, or a more sophisticated pairing of Kaltz and Bonhof on the right; and also Robson's and Tardelli's passing and runs from midfield and incredibly creative link up game from Streltsov.
Style
We won't try to dominate the possession - in fact, our side will be morbidly direct***. If there is a formation that is associated with a positive counter-attacking game, it's 4-4-2. If there is one thing that Preben needs most, it's the liberty and free space to execute his incessant off the ball runs. Our lopsided formation with unorthodox wingers leaves enough space out wide for him to exploit; and there are enough secondary goalthreat (Streltsov, Robson, and anyone from Demyanenko, Bonhof, Tardelli and Kaltz) for him not to be overburdened with it - despite him still being the main man and our most prominent goalscorer.
***Whilst we have an extremely direct side, the likes of Robson and Streltsov possess cool calm heads and are very much capable of providing the direction, composure and most importantly the leaderships qualities to go with the explosiveness. Vital qualities which shouldn't go under the radar.
Central player
If Laudrup characterized the genius at the heart of the Danish Dynamites, Lerby the sheer drive, then Elkjaer was the epitome of the sheer explosiveness and verticality behind his sides. Elkjaer on his trademark barnstorming rampages, like a man possessed was always quite the sight to behold. A potent blend of explosiveness, nifty footwork, pace and sheer physicality made Elkjaer a unique and at times unstoppable tour de force, capable of wreaking havoc on even the most sturdiest and organised defenses (just ask the peak eighties Serie A defenses).
He was determination incarnate, and his seemingly endless lung capacity is even more amazing given that he was a chain smoker. Often he would go on me-against-the-world runs, culminating most notably in famous strikes against Belgium and USSR. He would simply run through defenders (see his goal against Scotland in 1986) and if a brick wall got in the way, well, he'd take his chances. In short, nothing was going to stop him scoring, and it was fitting that, in the 1984-85 season in which he inspired little Verona to the Serie A title, he scored a superb solo goal against the reigning champions Juventus with no boot on his right foot, having lost it during a surge down the left. He nagged away at defenders constantly, inverting the 80s relationship between defender and attacker, and must have been a nightmare to play against.
Yet there was so much more to Elkjær than raw desire. He had wonderful balance and sublime skill: one ninja-like turn on Russell Osman during the 2-2 draw in 1982 boggles the mind almost as much as the famous Dennis Bergkamp goal at Newcastle; he developed the Elkjær turn, a spin-off of the Cruyff turn, when he was on holiday in Barbados and saw kids playing with coconuts on the beach. He was an incredibly aggressive finisher with both feet, from short – and long range; and if he was occasionally iffy in the air, his overall record – 38 in 69 games – brooks no argument. Truly, there have been very few forwards in the game's history with such a complete range of skills. He came third in the Ballon d'Or in 1984, second in 1985 and fourth in 1986. He also won the Bronze Ball at Mexico 86, the only instance of a player knocked out in the last 16 winning this award.
Defense
We went with a more traditional back four this time. Vierchowod will be the archetypical stopper, Schwarzenbeck will be a covering center back. Our unique wings (we will describe them later in detail) allow our fullbacks more freedom than they usually have in a flat back four - especially Kaltz will still play a key role in our attacking game.
Midfield
Right at the heart of everything we have Bryan Robson, the epitome of a talismanic attacking box-to-box (Stevie who?), flying into crunching tackles and scoring screamers, whilst critically allying it with tactical acumen and awareness, with the craft to be at the fore of the supplyline for the forward line, and the dynamism to dovetail with our incredibly dynamic attacking unit. Marco Tardelli seems perfect for a classic box to box duo - Robson as a more attacking one, Tardelli as more defensive. His expertise in defence (he regularly played there, either as a center back or as a fullback), should come in handy, but he also had a knack for scoring in important games, most notably in 1982 World Cup final.
Our wings deserve special attention though. On the left, we went with an unorthodox decision - pairing Lizarazu and Demyanenko; Emery's decision to play both Alba and Mathieu against Pep's Barca was one of the most interesting tactical experiments of the last decade; Pep himself was so impressed that he regularly played Alaba and Bernat as an interchangeable left flank at Bayern. Demyanenko has enough experience playing everywhere on the left, he is pretty much the perfect total footballer in Lobanovsky's interpretation - and if you're doubting his attacking game, in 1985 he scored 13 goals from a full back position. This decision puts another runner/grafter upfront, with a knack of scoring a rebound goals - and also providing a challenge for the opposing right back with Demyanenko and Lizarazu being free to change their roles as the game goes.
On the right, we have Rainer Bonhof ahead of Kaltz. Bonhof was the epitome of versatility - we already highlighted his defensive prowess in the last game, but here he plays a more complex role. He is a right midfielder, who can (and will) cover for Kaltz when needed, he will also drop centrally to assure midfield dominance, but most of the time he'll do what he can do best - just play that right midfield role to perfection. If you need evidence of him being suited to this role, here is what he had done in the World Cup and European Championship's finals (Bonhof's vital assists speak for themselves - Gerd Muller's winning goal in the 1974 World Cup final as well as 4 assists in the semi-final and final of the 1976 European Championship.):
Attack
Naturally it's built around Elkjaer, and he has the spatial freedom and tactical liberty to roam around, receiving a steady stream, and most importantly, a varied supplyline, whilst doing his thing - probing and opening up the gaps for his teammates (like he did for Briegel, Laudrup, Lerby et cetera). Streltsov combines outstanding physicality with his unique understanding of the game and willingness to bring others in play. It's really his link up play that made him that stand out, even though he was a goalscoring sensation in his early years. He also naturally drifts to the left, so they won't be bothering each other much - and Elkjaer will cherish all these smart flicks, one-twos and cheeky backheels.
Player Roles
H. Schumacher - Goalkeeper
B. Lizarazu - Left fullback
P. Vierchowod - Stopper
H.-G. Schwarzenbeck - Covering defender
M. Kaltz - Right fullback with full creative freedom
A. Demyanenko - Left midfielder
R. Bonhof - Right midfielder
B. Robson - Attacking box-to-box (more videos on the same channel)
M. Tardelli - Defensive box-to-box
E. Streltsov - Playmaking target striker (more videos here)
P. Elkær Larsen - Free-roaming striker
Specific Tactical Manoeuvres
- Demyanenko - Lizarazu interchange
- Bonhof - playing right wing; dropping back to cover for Kaltz; moving centrally to help out Robson and Tardelli
- Robson (and to a lesser extent, Tardelli) running to the box to score Lerby/Briegel's type of goal
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