Rivals Draft QF - NM vs Michaelf7

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

vs

Team NM

The team is set up to unleaseh the creativity of the attackers - Neymar, Johnstone, Socrates and Kane. The goal of the midfield will be to break up play and set a platform to relase the front 4. The CBs are hard while the full backs have the ability to both shut down opposition wingers and contribute when they go forward.

We will also always have an out ball if under pressure. Johnstone and Zebec's speed, Kane and Neymar's hold up ability, van Hanegemem's passing, Socrates' dribbling and intelligence etc. means that I would plan for plenty of possession and the ability to dominate the other team.

Team Michael

My team will play a 4-2-3-1 formation. I will first provide information on my team before detailing what I believe some of the strengths of my team are.

Toni Schumacher (Fenerbache): Spent 3 seasons at Fenerbache (88/89-90/91) when aged 34-37. In 1988 and 1989 he shared the Footballer of the Year Award in Turkey as well as winning the Most Successful Foreign Athlete of the Year in Turkey award. After originally retiring aftwe leaving Fenerbache, he was signed by Bayern Munich in October 1991 to play in goal when their top 2 goalkeepers were both injured.

Francisco Arce (Palmeiras): Arce was at Palmeiras for 5 seasons between 1998 and 2002. During those 5 seasons Arce was always included in the ideal team of the America's (finishing joint 2nd in the South American Footballer of the Year in 1999) and won the Bola de Prata as the best RB in the Brazilian top flight in 1998, 2000 and 2001. Arce's strengths were his crossing and free kicks.

Sol Campbell (Tottenham Hotspur): Campbell was at Tottenham between 1992 and 2001 being included in the PFA Team of the Year for 1998/99 and winning 40 England caps between 1996 and 2001 while at Spurs. When he left Tottenham, both Barcelona and AC Milan were interested in him before he signed for Arsenal. Campbell's strengths included pace, strength and aerial ability.

Anatoli Bashashkin (CSKA Moscow): Bashashkin spent two spells at CSKA Moscow from 1947-1952 and from 1954-1958. He played for Spartak Moscow after CSKA Moscow was dissolved by Stalin and Beria following the USSR's defeat to Yugoslavia at the 1952 Olympics with Bashashkin also losing the National Team Captaincy. While at CSKA Moscow, he was chosen by the National Coaches Council as the best player in his position 4 times (1950, 1951, 1955 and 1956) with Bashashkin also finishing 1st in 1953 while at Spartak Moscow and the list not being chosen in 1954. In 1952 no CSKA players were chosen as the best 3 in their position, despite 5 players being in the Olympics squad (including 4 who played in a majority of the USSR's matches) and having 8 1st's, 1 2nd and 1 3rd in the previous years award which suggests that the National Coaches Council were not willing to risk Stalin's anger given his reaction to the Olympics defeat mentioned earlier. In 2003, Valentin Babukin who played for the USSR national team and played at club level for Lokomotiv Moscow during Bashashkin's era, opined that he thought that Bashashkin would still be one of the best CB's in European Football today (in 2003) (Source). Former club and national teammate (as well as future CSKA and USSR National Team Manager) Valentin Nikolayev said that Beckenbauer reminded him of Bashashkin in the following way:

In terms of physique, style of play and behavior on the field, reliability and technique of playing on defense, speed, game thinking, if they were put side by side, it would be indistinguishable from each other. Of course, this only applied to defensive actions, attacking raids with the completion of attacks, which Beckenbauer brilliantly practiced, were not encouraged in our times.

(Source)

Babukin also described Bashashkin's on ball abilities as follows:

Bashashkin began to organize the attack of his team. Instantly assessing the situation on the field, he gave an accurate pass to a partner in a better position

(Source)

Tommy Gemmell (Celtic): In my opinion the greatest ever Scottish LB (with only Andy Robertson as a rival), Tommy Gemmell made 247 league appearances for Celtic in 10 years from 1961 to 1971 winning league titles in his last 6 seasons at the club in addition to 18 caps for Scotland and winning the 1967 European Cup (scoring in both that final and defeat in the 1970 final). Gemmell was 2 footed and capable of playing on either side was a good tackler and had a powerful shot. Gemmell finished 6th in the 1967 Ballon d'Or.

Didier Deschamps (Marseille): In 4 seasons at Marseille between 1989 and 1994 (He spent the 1990/91 season on loan at Bordeaux), Deschamps made 188 appearances for Marseille winning two French league titles and captaining them to victory in the 1993 Champions League on the only occasion that the European Cup/Champions League has been won by a French club. In 2010, he was chosen by more than 1.3 million voters in an All Time Marseille XI (Source). Deschamps strengths were his tactical intelligence, leadership and stamina while being skilled enough on the ball to get the ball forward to more creative players.

Zlatko Čajkovski (Partizan Belgrade): Cajkovski spent 10 years at Partizan between 1945 and 1955 during which time he won 2 league titles (never finishing lower than 6th) and 3 cup titles while winning 55 Yugoslavia caps. Cajkovski had high levels of stamina and tenacity as well as great marking skills and metronomic passing. His zigzag dribbling style also made him difficult to predict when he chose to run with the ball. Here are some quotes from this @Enigma_87 post with more details on Cajkovski:

His jump and header was something special. He never marked opposition's attacker so closely, when the ball was in the air and going toward them. First, he always knew where the ball is going to fall, and then when he realized where the ball is going, he would start to run and then jumped (that gave him advantage in the air, because everybody else waited for the ball, and then jumped from the place they were standing all that time). Using all of these things (his jump, reading of the game, positioning), he was often superior in the air, even when he guarded much higher players.

Hungarian national team coach from '50s, Gusztáv Sebes, gave a statement, after seeing friendly game between Partizan and Honved, that before the game he couldn't decide who is better half player in Europe, Čajkovski or Bozsik. After the game he was completely sure that Čajkovski is the best half player in Europe.

Čik had a lot of legendary duels with the opposition attackers, during his career, but one probably stands out from the others. Partizan was on the South-American tour and they had to play against Peñarol (beside other teams). The day of the game came, players came out on the field, referee was there, fans were there, but the start of the game was being postponed. Partizan players were wondering what is happening, and than they saw. 10-15 minutes after the game should start, the biggest star of Peñarol, Schiaffino, was coming on the field, with the crowd cheering like they were in trans. While he was coming on the field, Bobek said something to Čik, that probably struck the nerve. Čik was very eager to play, and he couldn't wait for the game start. Since the game started and right until the end, Schiaffino couldn't be found on the field. He was so outplayed by Čik, that he couldn't receive the ball for 15 minutes in a row. On top of that Čik dribbled, assisted and joined the attack. Miloš Milutinović later said that all Partizan players knew, that after that "movie star" entrance made by Schiaffino and Bobek's words, Čajkovski is going to be the best player on the field.

José Manuel Moreno (River Plate): Moreno played for 13 seasons in 2 spells at River 1935-1944 and 1946-1948 winning 6 league titles (interesting trivia: Moreno was the first player to win top flight league titles in 4 different countries). In 1999 IFFHS chose him as one of the 25 best footballers of the 20th century and in 1980 was given the Konex Platinum Award as the best player in the history of Argentine Football. In 4 seasons, between 1936 and 1939 in the Argentine league scored 24 in 33, 32 in 31, 24 in 31, and 20 in 24. In this post from 2005 at bigsoccer argentine soccer fan describes Moreno as follows:

He was a complete player with great ball skills who could play right, left, anywhere on the the field, went back to retrieve the ball, defended, and joined the attack, and was very capable of both creating chances and finishing them.

In this post @Pat_Mustard posted a profile which described Moreno as follows:

Moreno had the permanent magnetic presence of a rotating star for the fans. Very few came so close to such a unanimous admiration of the general public, and the attraction of multitudes of people to witness his masterful goals, his combinations, his dribbling, his vigorous headers (each cross from Peucelle that Moreno headed was generally a goal, especially in the NT) and elasticity, his conduction of attacks, his job as a hard worker for the ball in the back-line to build up progress going forward, his unsurpassed resistance, and his Apollo-like athletic figure that was admired by the people. He was the leader for his clubs and the NT. He had it all: speed, skill, mischief, and a panoramic view of the entire field which was a repertoire that made him as complete as anyone. He was a winner that gave his all and demanded all from his teammates. No one was more valiant than him – capable of playing injured with blood dripping or his tooth’s knocked out. His total personality brought the stands to their feet with the magnetism that’s reserved for the true idols – that was Moreno, an irreplaceable figure, which left a trail of unforgettable memories.

Kylian Mbappe (PSG): Kylian Mbappe has spent 6 seasons so far at PSG scoring 148 league goals in 176 league appearances. Mbappe has been the Ligue 1 top goalscorer for each of the last 5 seasons. Excluding the 19/20 season where awards weren't given, during his time at PSG Mbappe has always been in the Ligue 1 team of the season and has been the Ligue 1 Player of the Year 4 out of 5 times.

Erling Haaland (Dortmund): In 2 and a half seasons at Borussia Dortmund, Haaland got 86 goals and 23 assists in 89 games for Borussia Dortmund. He was included in the German Professional Footballers Union team of the season in all 3 seasons being included in both the Bundesliga's and Kicker's Team of the Season for both of his full seasons at Dortmund and being the Bundesliga's Player of the Season in 2020/21.

Ivica Šurjak (Hajduk Split): Surjak spent 10 years at Hajduk between 1971 and 1981 winning 3 Yugoslav league titles and in the league scoring 52 goals in 272 games. Surjak started his career as a LB but could play in many positions (particularly in the national team where he could play up front or in central midfield to accommodate Dzajic. Surjak's best skills were his pace and crossing.

Strengths/Advantages

• The Right Hand Flank of Arce/Mbappe
• I think both Haaland and Mbappe have a pace advantage over the opposition's defenders
• Cajkovski and Deschamps provide an ideal defensive base in midfield
• Haaland's height and Moreno's heading ability makes full use of the crossing abilities of Arce and Surjak

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

@NM @Michaelf7777777 All the best

 

[Himannv]

Voted for NM here as I like his team and Socrates nicely brings everything together. Haaland and Mbappe sounds devastating though.

Shouldn’t be playing Pepe though since he’s an illegal pick.

 

[Šjor Bepo]

both teams would be better if they swapped their strikers

 

[NM]

Voted for NM here as I like his team and Socrates nicely brings everything together. Haaland and Mbappe sounds devastating though.

Shouldn’t be playing Pepe though since he’s an illegal pick.

Why is Pepe illegal?

Agree. Socrates was the key pick for me imo.

 

[harms]

Why is Pepe illegal?

He was picked by someone before you, I believe.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Just checked, Iso has Pepe. It is an illegal pick.

Unfortunately this would mean a DQ for you NM. Absolute shame it was not noticed by anyone before.

 

[harms]

Unfortunately this would mean a DQ for you NM. Absolute shame it was not noticed by anyone before.

It was.

Is that the same Pepe that my team have?

 

[Jim Beam]

Edgar, you have a firm grip on this draft. Zero doubt about that.

 

[Pat_Mustard]

Edgar, you have a firm grip on this draft. Zero doubt about that.

 

[Šjor Bepo]

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

It's not my role to check every pick.

 

[NM]

Just checked, Iso has Pepe. It is an illegal pick.

Unfortunately this would mean a DQ for you NM. Absolute shame it was not noticed by anyone before.

Nowhere in the rules does it say that a player can't be picked twice if he played for two clubs. There have been several drafts with one player of a certain era or certain club.

That being said it's your draft so your game, your rules.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Nowhere in the rules does it say that a player can't be picked twice if he played for two clubs. There have been several drafts with one player of a certain era or certain club.

That being said it's your draft so your game, your rules.

It's kind of implied, else it'd cause confusion in pretty much most drafts that happened before. In no previous drafts do I recall same player in two different teams.

I assumed everyone knew about this. Anyway, will add it explicitly for next draft.

 

[NM]

It's kind of implied, else it'd cause confusion in pretty much most drafts that happened before. In no previous drafts do I recall same player in two different teams.

I assumed everyone knew about this. Anyway, will add it explicitly for next draft.

Edgar,
Your game your rules, but you are tying yourself up in knots by trying to explain it.

It was never implied (even though I didn't pick that way - I missed it too), and not being explicit means that you are changing the rules / adding to them in the middle of the game. Don't do that. Just say I'm the draft master and my rules go.

Secondly, there was a draft where we could pick players in 5 year increments so Messi 05-10 in one team and Messi 10-15 in another etc. so clear precendent.

Like I said - I'm cool with it but don't justify it. Use the big stick!

Anyway gg to @Michaelf7777777 ..

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Secondly, there was a draft where we could pick players in 5 year increments so Messi 05-10 in one team and Messi 10-15 in another etc. so clear precendent.

I'm curious to which draft this was.