Sjor Harmsopoly R1: OneNil vs MichaelF7

[Physiocrat]

OneNil

MichaelF7

OneNil Tactics

Team Ten Nil to Pelé and Cruyff

This team obviously revolves around Pelé and Cruyff two players who would have loved playing together:
“People would always ask me, ‘Which players do you wish was Brazilian?’ I would say, ‘No-one. There are some incredible players, I admire watching them, but I don’t wish any were Brazilian. Then I saw Cruyff. I wished he was Brazilian. He was a joy to watch.” Pelé
"Pele was the only footballer who surpassed the boundaries of logic." Johan Cruyff

Tactically we are built around controlling the ball first. This means keeping it away from the opponent and minimizing any star player on the opponent's side by not allowing them to get going. With Xavi and Busquets we have the absolute masters of controlling the midfield and being press-resistant. Ballon d'Or winner Allan Simonsen is the perfect complement on the right wing with his dribbling, ball control, passing and excellent footballing IQ.

Defensively all of our players are both positioning sound and physical monsters. Yaya Toure, in his peak form, can go head to head against midfielder and Stam and Nesta have both the tactical nous and physical presence to counter any threat. Thuram and Pearce slot in nicely as being smart, physical defenders who can also get up the pitch and assist in the attack (Pearce had a whopping 16 goals from left-back in one of the seasons covered here).

The opponent has a phenomenal team but Pelé and Cruyff will deliver the victory here.

MichaelF7

My team will play a 4-2-3-1 formation. I will firstly outline some of the advantages/strengths that I have imo. Then I will give information on the players who do not have their career peaks before lastly providing info on the 3 less well known players in my line up (N'kono, Beattie and Chislenko).

Strengths/Advantages

• The biggest advantage that I think I have in this match up is Diego Maradona up against onenil's potential DM choices (De Rossi, Busquets or Yaya Toure)
• Chislenko vs. Pearce particularly if it can be made a 1 on 1 match up by quick passes from deep by Figueroa and Beattie should be a match up that benefits me.
• My opponents goalkeeper Higuita was known as El Loco (the madman) and I might well be gifted a goal from him doing something silly like deciding to try and dribble near the halfway line is a good idea

Non Career Peaks

Berti Vogts (Monchengladbach) - Played his entire career at Monchengladbach so this is effectively a career peak

Rainer Bonhof (Monchengladbach) - Spent 8 years at Monchengladbach between 1970 and 1978 during which time he was in kicker's Bundesliga team of the season 3 times (73/74, 76/77 and 77/78) as well as being in World Soccer's Overseas Editor Eric Batty's team of the year in 1975 and 1977. During this time frame with the national team Bonhof also won the World Cup in 1974 and was in the Euro 1976 Team of the Tournament as well as being in the World Cup Team of the Tournament chosen by sofascore for both 1974 and 1978 and by the Castrol Index for 1978.

Roy Keane (Manchester United) - Spent 12 years at Man Utd (1993 to 2005) being included in this time frame in the PFA Team of the Year 4 times (96/97, 99/00, 00/01 and 01/02) as well as being chosen by both the Football Writers and the PFA as the Footballer of the Year in 2000.

Dragan Dzajic (Red Star Belgrade) - Dzajic had 2 spells at Red Star Belgrade, the first of them 12 years (1963 to 1975) before returning for his last season (77/78). His 2 top 10 Ballon d'Or finishes (3rd in 1968, 6th in 1970) both occurred while at Red Star Belgrade as did his 2 inclusions in Eric Batty's World XI (1969 and 1973). During his Red Star timeframe, with the Yugoslav national team he was also both included in the Team of the Tournament and was the top goalscorer at the 1968 Euro's.

Player Profiles

Thomas N'kono was African Footballer of the year twice (1979 and 1982) as well as being chosen in 2021 by the IFFHS in their All Time African XI. N'kono's performances at the 1990 World Cup inspired Gianluigi Buffon to play as a Goalkeeper.

Kevin Beattie was an English defender (mainly a CB although he could also play as a LB) who won 9 England caps between 1975 and 1977. He was originally offered a trial at Liverpool when he was 15 years old and impressed Bill Shankly enough that he was invited to sign for the club but the deal fell through when Beattie assumed that they had lost interest due to no-one from the club turning up in the hour after he arrived at the train station and years later Shankly would tell Beattie that it was one of the biggest mistakes that he'd made (Source). Shortly after this when he signed for Ipswich manager Bobby Robson told his cheif scout that if he missed him he'd lose his job. Kevin Beattie debuted for Ipswich on the openning day of the 1972/73 season and played at the club over the next 9 seasons during which time Ipswich only finished outside the top 6 once (in 1977/78 when they won the FA Cup but finished 18th in the league) which is a considerable accomplishment considering the fact that in the 4 seasons between Ipswich being promoted to Division 1 in 1967/68 and Beattie's debut their highest league finish was 12th. After his debut against Manchester United Bobby Charlton told Beattie that he reminded him of Duncan Edwards. Kevin Beattie was the inaugural winner of the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 1974 and was included in the PFA 1st Division Team of the Year 3 seasons in a row between 1974/75 and 1976/77. Following this Beattie had frequent injuries, particularly in his knees, and over the next 4 seasons (his last 4 at Ipswich), Beattie never made more than 26 appearances in a season. After leaving Ipswich, Beattie never played top flight football again although in 1987 he did score more than 60 goals in one season in the 4th tier of Norwegian football. The only major trophies Beattie won was an FA Cup in 1977/78 and the UEFA Cup in 1980/81 although he might have won the 1st division league title in 1976/77 if he hadn't gotten injured in the following way:

I was burning some leaves inside a tin drum and, when the flames appeared to go out, I decided to stoke the fire up with petrol. What can I say? The flames blew up on me and my face and hair caught fire.

Source

Following this injury Ipswich lost 4 of their last 6 games finishing 5 points behind champions Liverpool (this was in the era of 2 points for a win). This wasn't the only odd happening during his career as a BBC article mentions the following:

Anecdotes include getting his foot stuck in a hotel shoe cleaner on the eve of the FA Cup final, being duped into appearing in a photo shoot with "Spain's biggest porn star" and being locked up overnight in a Bermuda prison for fears he was too drunk and would get in trouble.

Source

During his time at Ipswich, Beattie played many games in Europe against top opposition, some of which were as follows:

• In the 1973/74 UEFA Cup 1st Round Beattie played in both legs of a 1-0 aggregate win over a Real Madrid team that featured Pirri and in the 1st leg Netzer. Beattie would play in every European match as Ipswich would eventually make the Quarter Finals beating Lazio (6-4 on aggregate), and Twente (3-1 on aggregate) before losing to Lokomotiv Leipzig on Penalties after a 1-1 aggregate draw despite Beattie scoring Ipswich's only goal in the tie as well as converting his penalty in the shootout
• In the 1975/76 UEFA Cup 1st Round, Ipswich beat a Feyenoord team that featured Wim Jansen and in the 2nd leg van Hanegem 4-1 on aggregate. Beattie also played in the 1st leg of the following round against Club Brugge which Ipswich won 3-0 but did not participate in the 2nd leg which Ipswich lost 4-0.
• In the 1977/78 UEFA Cup 3rd Round, Beattie plays in the 3-0 1st leg win at home over a Barcelona side featuring both Cruyff and Neeskens although he missed the 2nd leg due to a knee injury (even though Beattie insisted he could play) as Ipswich were knocked out on penalties.
• In the 1978/79 Cup Winners Cup Beattie played in both legs of a 2-0 aggregate win over an AZ Alkmaar team that featured Wim van Hanegem and John Metgod. He also played in the 2nd leg of the Quarter Final against a Barcelona team featuring Neeskens and Hans Krankl where Ipswich were eliminated on away goals after losing the 2nd leg 2-1.
• In the 1980/81 UEFA Cup which Ipswich won Beattie only played more than 34 minutes twice. In the 2nd leg of the 2nd Round he was man of the match in a 2-0 win over Bohemians Prague team that featured Panenka and he also played the full 90 minutes in the 4-1 away win in the first leg of the Quarter Final against a St Etienne team that featured both Michel Platini and Johnny Rep

In his 2005 autobiography, Bobby Robson, who as manager at Ipswich throughout Beattie's time at the club summarized his ability as follows:

George Best aside, I rate Kevin Beattie as the best player these islands produced in 25 years. George was special, as were Bobby Charlton and Denis Law from the same era. Duncan Edwards was colossal, strong and a destroyer, but Beattie had pace as well. He just had pure natural ability.

Source

Bobby Robson also made the following remarks about Beattie's strengths as a player:

What a left foot he had. He could crack a ball 60 yards from a defensive midfield position to outside-right. A pass like that could change a game.

Source

He was a big tackler, and nobody could get near him in the air. At Everton, he once scored from above the crossbar. He jumped so high he could have seen the town clock and told you the time.

Source

Nobody, but nobody, could outrun him. He would give opponents a half-yard start on purpose to trick them into thinking they could out-sprint him. He would invite the pass down the gully and then outrun the intended recipient.

Source

Beattie also got high praise from his teammates at Ipswich with Terry Butcher stating the following:

He was my hero, the player I aspired to be and the best I’ve ever seen in my position apart from Bobby Moore. ‘He and Bobby Moore would have been the ultimate partnership at centre half. We called him Monster; he was a monster of a guy, a monster of a player and a monster of a character. I was never going to reach his level, never in a million years, but he was the best player to model yourself on.

Source

Butcher also said that:

He had spring-like legs. His spring and timing was immaculate. When he went up to head the ball, nobody else was going to win it. When he used to shoot with his left foot it was like an Exocet.

Source

Ipswich RB George Burley said that:

He was quicker than anybody, stronger; he was fantastic in the air, he had a left foot that was like a sledgehammer - he virtually scored from the halfway line in one game

Source

Beattie's CB partner and Northern Ireland international Allan Hunter said that:

He was the greatest thing I ever played with, and that includes George Best

Source

Igor Chislenko was a Soviet RW who won 53 caps between 1959 and 1968. In the award for the Best 33 Football Players of the Season in the USSR where the best 3 players for each position were chosen by the National Coaches Council and confirmed by the Presidium of the Soviet Federation Chislenko finished 1st in his position in 1963, 1964, and 1966, finished 2nd in his position in 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1965 as well as finishing in the top 3 in 1967 (the top 3 were not ordered that year but he was the highest placed Soviet footballer in that year's Ballon d'Or finishing 9th). When they played against each other Chislenko generally got the better of Giacinto Facchetti who I consider one of the three best LB's ever. Chislenko's career effectively ended in June 1968 at the age of 29 when he injured his knee in an Olympic match against Czechoslovakia (link). Chislenko was described by legendary Soviet striker Vsevolod Bobrov (who also managed CSKA Moscow from 1967-69 and 1977-78) as follows:

He can be considered a model a modern winger. He does not limit his actions to the narrow area of the field, and often effectively shifts to the center, giving its movements are extraordinarily sharp. Chislenko is always actively fighting for the ball, when the opponent has it, turns into an additional midfielder, as it were. In short, he plays the way modern football requires of a winger.

Source

Former USSR manager Konstantin Beskov describes Chislenko as follows:

I noticed him back in the FShM. It was impossible not to Very talented, unconventional, inventive, quick and decisive

Source

He was also described in a 1994 Futbol Weekly article by Oleg Kucherenko as follows:

We can safely say that Chislenko, as a player, was ahead of his time. Nominally he was considered the right wing of the attack, but he did not play strictly in his place, As was customary at that time, but operated along the entire front of the attack, retreating deep back to help the defense. Excellent dribbling, dribbling, enviable starting speed," took off like a breeze, a rare skill instantly Prepare the ball for the kick and the shot itself – sharp, strong and accurate, made its one of the most notable players in the world in the 60s.

Source

 

[Physiocrat]

@Michaelf7777777 @Enigma_87

Game on!

 

[GodShaveTheQueen]

• My opponents goalkeeper Higuita was known as El Loco (the madman) and I might well be gifted a goal from him doing something silly like deciding to try and dribble near the halfway line is a good idea

 

[Physiocrat]

 

[GodShaveTheQueen]

Very good teams but this is one match thread which deserves a lot of discussion, so many great match ups.

Will purely be voting based on debate for this one.

 

[Michaelf7777777]

I have two additional advantages/strengths now that I know the opponents formation/peaks:

• Vogts defending Cruyff's flank should be a good match up given the 1974 World Cup final
• Given I'd rank peak Dzajic vs. peak Thuram as even, I think I have an edge here as Dzajic was at his peak at Red Star while Thuram was not at his peak at Monaco.

 

[Šjor Bepo]

brilliant write up on Beattie @Michaelf7777777
what versions of Pele and Yaya are here? @oneniltothearsenal

 

[oneniltothearsenal]

Thought the match was going to be yesterday so not sure how much I can check back here but even against a side with big names, I think our team will win more times out of 10.

We'll be able to control the game with our midfield and limit the chances that Diego will have frustrating him and perhaps forcing him to get a red card for a handball.

The opponents team has more passengers in the defensive phase where even our front 3 are all true total footballers who will work in the defensive phase. This helps because even Stuart Pearce at LB has a season where he put in 16 goals so any defensive passengers makes things easier for us since we can pull goals from all over..

"Cruyff created 36 chances for his team-mates during the 1974 World Cup, an average of 5.1 per 90 minutes. It’s an average that hasn’t been matched by other legendary players at their best, including Pelé (4.7 in 1970), Diego Maradona (3.9 in 1986) and Xavi (4.3 in 2010)"

While the opponent does have Maradona, we have 3 of the 4 players who have created the most chances in a WC. The opponent's side cannot match with chance creation potential.

Even in the 1974 WC Final, Cruyff was able to create a goal by setting up Neesken's penalty and had other key passes in the match which Pelé, Simonsen and Yaya are capable of finishing off.

Allan Simonsen in European Footballer of the Year form will slot into a fluid front 3 with Pelé and Cruyff that will pose all sorts of problems for more man marking focused defenders. With the passing qualities of Xavi and the front three, man markers like Gentile will be exposed like when Zico and Sócrates were able to bypass Gentile with superb passing sequences. Teh footballing IQ of the front 3 plus Xavi captaining the midfield is capable of unlocking any defense.

Beattie is the weakest CB on the pitch and he'll have to deal with either Pelé or if Elias covers Pelé, then Cruyff, Simonsen or a rampaging Yaya.

Stam and Nesta have both the tactical and positional awareness and physicality to cause problems for Diego all day long and Lewandowski has had problems in big matches against superb defenses.

what versions of Pele and Yaya are here? @oneniltothearsenal

Career peak for Yaya with the 13/15 and 14/15 seasons and early peak Pelé when Santos was dominant so 59-60 to 62-63

 

[Michaelf7777777]

The opponents team has more passengers in the defensive phase where even our front 3 are all true total footballers who will work in the defensive phase. This helps because even Stuart Pearce at LB has a season where he put in 16 goals so any defensive passengers makes things easier for us since we can pull goals from all over..

Who do you think will be a passenger defensively. Lewandowski has played at the top level in modern football including under Pep. Dzajic started his career as a LB. Chislenko's defensive work rate, as stated in the opening post, was described by legendary Soviet Striker Vsevolod Bobrov as follows:

Chislenko is always actively fighting for the ball, when the opponent has it, turns into an additional midfielder, as it were.

Source

Lastly, Maradona's workrate was respected by former AC Milan manager Arrigo Sacchi who said the following:

Diego was the emblem of football because he was the individualist who sacrificed the most for the whole team.

Source

He was a midfielder who when necessary could turn into a grim full-back capable of marking the greats of Real Madrid in a silent Santiago Bernabeu.

Source

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Love both teams, but think will come down to Diego magic.

Onenil will have possession, but that one counter will equal things up. You can't keep Diego off the ball all game, but I don't see anyone in onenil midfield stopping him when he does get the ball.

Pele vs Beattie is a mismatch but having Gentile, Keane and Figueroa is as much as a good support as can be expected.

Giving this to M7 by a sliver.

 

[GodShaveTheQueen]

Vogts and Don Elias operating in zones where Pele and Cruyff loved the most is a big plus.

Also not a fan of Pele and Cruyff together. They might have had huge appreciation for each other, but I don't think that always translates to great chemistry.

Pele centrally will always be the more influential one in the game and that will never be acceptable to Cruyff.

Both having high leftward tendencies is also a minor quip between having that perfect synergy.

Giving this to Mike, but he really needs to make better formation pictures, these are just borderline terrible.

 

[Jim Beam]

Michael team is brilliant, was a clear top 2 or 3 half way through the draft, but then he got some shit luck. Still, runs 1-0 very close, even GK's are of similiar quality. Great on their day, but with a possible brainfart around the corner. Giving this one to 1-0.

Not 100% convict in Pele - Cruyff chemistry, but reckon if there is one player Cruyff would be willing to take (not back seat, but an equal one) it would be Pele and they would be more immersed in playing to each other strengths while not traying to have a dick contest.

 

[Himannv]

I really like the info about Beattie in Michael's writeup and considered voting for him based on that. However, I think these are really good teams and hard to split so not voting for either at the moment. Will keep reading to see if something sways me to vote for one ahead of the other.

 

[Gio]

Have swung both ways on this game but struggling to separate the teams. Had been edging towards Onenil for the accumulative strength, but then Michael has Maradona and Dzajic who can unlock a goal in an instant. Both very strong and unfortunate to be drawn against each other (I mean I suspect you'd both have twatted my team aside for example).

Like the Beattie write-up - good to have the reputationally weaker player highlighted by Michael despite the array of superstars who could have been his focus in the write-up. I also rate him highly from what I've seen of that fine Ipswich side of the late 70s and early 80s. One of the best teams never to win the top division.

 

[Šjor Bepo]

its younger pele so have no idea why people have issues with the pair....my issue is that yaya was often a passanger in midfield and not sure if xavi and busquets can work like that. Its still a brilliant team so so far im struggling to vote. Also, while i dont rate Pearce he really is a poor fit for the side

 

[Enigma_87]

so, who won here?

 

[Šjor Bepo]

so, who won here?

mike

 

[Enigma_87]

mike

isn't it 2-2 for neutral votes or I'm mistaken?

 

[Michaelf7777777]

One of one nil's votes was not explained in the match thread (as the rules for this draft require for a vote to count) so I think I won 2-1

 

[Enigma_87]

One of one nil's votes was not explained in the match thread (as the rules for this draft require for a vote to count) so I think I won 2-1

Ah ok makes sense.

 

[Jim Beam]

What if @2mufc0 comments and explains his vote now?

Pretty stupid rule, quality/quantity of discussion depends mostly on those who participate in the match. That is why scrappy always has pretty much 2 pages guaranteed no matter against who he plays. You won't lift the discussion this way, you will just reduce voting numbers.

 

[Šjor Bepo]

What if @2mufc0 comments and explains his vote now?

Pretty stupid rule, quality/quantity of discussion depends mostly on those who participate in the match. That is why scrappy always has pretty much 2 pages guaranteed no matter against who he plays. You won't lift the discussion this way, you will just reduce voting numbers.

id say match threads are a bit more lively and managers if they want get a bit eaiser entry to possible debate as they can just reply to others rather then initiate the whole thing on their own.

as for reduced votes, dont care. Rather have 2 proper votes then 20 casual ones

 

[2mufc0]

Absolute mental rule, drafts are already dying and this rule would add another nail onto the coffin.

 

[Physiocrat]

Absolute mental rule, drafts are already dying and this rule would add another nail onto the coffin.

Discussion has been better this draft so far.

 

[oneniltothearsenal]

So I lost because @2mufc0 didn't comment in time? I'd rather lose to a coin flip