vs 
............................................ TEAM CTP ............................................................................................. TEAM P-NUT ............................................
The Set-Up
- Philosophy: Think about what this term means to you. Do you remember the feelings watching that kind of football brought out in you? Well, prepare for the exact opposite! This is a team designed to attack and create and excite. This is a team full of players that played for the greatest attacking sides in history - Hungary '54, Brazil '70 and '82, Germany '72, United '99, the current Bayern side. Even on the bench there's 70s Ajax, 90s United, Pep's Barca, and another Magical Magyar.
Prepare for outrageous dribbling, slick interplay, pinpoint crosses, and great goals. Prepare to be entertained!
- Attack: I'd describe the shape as a 4-2-4 in attack. Let's go through the build-up from the back: Boateng is the more accomplished passer than Stam, so playing the ball out of defence is mainly his responsibility. He has licence to hit his long diagonals if there is a good opportunity, but playing it short is preferred.
Netzer is the main man in the middle running the game, who will drop deep to receive the ball and then pass or carry it forward. He has support of the highest calibre in the form of Matthäus in the centre, and Carlos Alberto and Júnior on the wings. Either will drop into the centre to help with the build-up (if necessary) before moving up and linking with their winger.
Kocsis and Walter will be occupying the opposition centre backs up top and pushing them back, ideally leaving a defensive midfielder marking no one (depending of course on P-Nut's set-up). Walter will drop into the hole on occasion to pull defenders out of position or to receive the ball in a dangerous area.
For goalscoring, creativity is the name of the game, and my team has that in spades - the goals can come from any direction. Netzer and Matthäus are both capable of the defence-splitting pass as well as the long range strike. There are two dangerous winger/fullback pairs, especially on the right wing of course, who will mainly create chances for my strikers but can chip in with a goal here and there too. Kocsis is the main goalscorer for my side, he'll get on the end of passes and crosses, and finish them reliably. Fritz Walter adds yet more goalscoring threat, plus quick interplay and passes around the box to further confound the defence. It's too many threats to focus on - there will be goals!
- Defence: Off the ball we'll settle into a compact 4-4-2 shape, short distances between the lines and squeezing the game. P-Nut's team will be mostly left alone in their half of the pitch, the press will start once his midfielders (or Baresi) cross the half-way line.
Zonal marking as you'd expect with this shape, with a little extra focus on Platini by Matthäus. The second bit of extra focus is on closing down the passing lanes through the middle, denying Ronaldo the opportunity, if not the space, to run in behind.
- The Right Wing of Death: it really doesn't get any better, the greatest right winger of all time, Mané Garrincha, supported by World Cup winning captain Carlos Alberto. Together they'll terrorise any opponent's left side - Ashley Cole will have nightmares after this game.
- So the right wing is amazing, the left is not too shabby either, and I have the strikers to capitalise: Kocsis is one of the best "pure" strikers around, give him the ball in the box and he'll put it in the back of the net; and that's not just with his feet, he's a superb header of the ball as well.
Supporting him is Fritz Walter, another legendary World Cup winning captain, who is invaluable for offering both another goalscoring presence as well as great playmaking around the box.
- Beating quantity with quality in midfield: Netzer and Matthäus have the quality to hold the centre and not lose the midfield battle even against superior numbers. Both also have the uncanny ability to skip past opponents at speed, creating space for themselves and their team.
- Good counters to P-Nut's main threats - Platini and Ronaldo: Short distances between the lines are key to combating Platini, denying him the space to roam. Matthäus's energy and defensive nous will play an important role as well.
Ronaldo is perhaps even harder to combat, but between Boateng's pace and Stam's defensive anticipation and physicality we stand a good chance.
- Fantastic Leadership: three World Cup winning captains, several more charismatic players with great attitude on the pitch, this team will never give up and fight to the bitter end, it will never let it's supporters down. Spirit of Champions!
TEAM P-NUT
P-Nut - 1. Ince 2. Batistuta 3. Baresi 4. Ronaldo (fenomeno) 5. Gentile 6. Platini 7. Vieira 8. Maicon (10m) 9. L. King (10m) 10. Oblak (35m) 11. Cole (37m) 12. Scholes (26m) 13. Makélélé (30m) 14. Weah (30m) 15. Thiago Silva (15m) 16. Bale (10m)
The Set Up
I've modelled my team on a couple of different tactics with a slight tweak to them. The Juve diamond of the past couple of seasons and also the diamond Mourinho played whilst at Inter.
The key element of the team is to be completely solid defensively and the team has been picked to represent that. In defence I have 4 players whose first priority is to defend which cannot be said for all defenders nowadays. From left to right we have Cole, Baresi, Gentile and Maicon.
The Defence
Both fullbacks are excellent defensively but are more than capable going the other way as well. Their primary function in this game will be to defend however and keep things compact. They will be allowed to push on but only when the midfield is in place and the opposite full back hasn't already gone forward.
Both centre backs bring something different to the table. Baresi is an excellent all rounder and needs no introduction. Having him in the side eliminates the need for a deep lying playmaker as he is more than capable of running the game from deep. I have paired him with Gentile, another player whose reputation proceeds him. The hard man of Serie A Gentile will be the enforcer of my defence. No nonsense CB to go with the ball playing Baresi.
The Midfield Diamond
At the base of the diamond I have the player synonymous with the role, Makelele has now become a household name for any football fan, despite playing one of the least glamorous roles on the pitch. Seen as a killjoy by many casual fans, Makelele is known for his ability to read the game and put out fires. His game is a joy to watch for myself and I am sure many more. His role in this game will be the same as always, disrupt the opposition and kill their creativity, with the ball he'll take the simple option every time and keep possession.
Flanking Makelele I have gone with two conventional B2B midfielders, however mine both come with an edge. Viera and Ince don't just go box2box they were midfield generals in there own time. They won the battle first and then the game and this style will work perfectly in ensuring that I am solid defensively. Both are capable going forward and will be comfortable moving forward with the ball with pace and power.
The creative force of the side is the maestro Platini. He will have no job but to create. He has no defensive burden with the players surrounding him. He will run the game for me and go wherever he wants to. His scoring rate is up there with some of the strikers regarded as greats and he has had a team built around him to let him thrive here.
Strikers
Up top I have gone for a two man strikeforce. The postioning of Ronaldo on the formation graphic tells the wrong story. Just like Platini he will have a free role, he'll drift wide and run at players, trying to isolate them where he will inevitably create chances for himself and others. Batistuta is the final piece to the jigsaw and what a piece to finish with. The complete striker 'Batigol' had it all. Pace and power all rolled into one footballer. His strikes look like he is trying to rip the net off the back and he is a guaranteed goalscorer.
Why I'll win
The tenacity in midfield will lead to lots of turnovers. I aim to bully my opponent into submission basically. Just imagine lining up on the opposite team to Ince, Makelele and Viera. You know you will be in for a war and one you are unlikely to win.
Busquets whilst an excellent deep lying playmaker and reader of the game will struggle to keep tabs on Platini . And with Ronaldo dovetailing the defensive side of Busquets game could become exposed.
Goals, goals and more goals! Platini has a 1 in 2 record from midfield while Batistuta and Ronaldo are regarded as 2 of the finest examples of strikers the world has ever seen. Combine that with the solid defensive side of my team and there is only one outcome.
It might not be pretty but its effective
