The First Redcafe Sheep Draft

I wouldn't mind a draft where the likes of Matthaus, Rijkaard, Messi etc are banned from the start along with Maradona.
 
What do people think of sully and my team?

Currently a 3-5-2
Kaka to really have a floaring role. Cafu and Leonardo to be wingbacks.

938654_Dream_Team.jpg
 
I wouldn't mind a draft where the likes of Matthaus, Rijkaard, Messi etc are banned from the start along with Maradona.

I'm thinking about something along those lines. Not dropping them but being somewhat penalised for having them.
 
I don't understand this obsession with back fives and wingbacks when most teams play one striker and wingers/widemen. What are the three defenders there for?
 
I don't understand this obsession with back fives and wingbacks when most teams play one striker and wingers/widemen. What are the three defenders there for?

The beauty of players like Nadal, Litmanen and Kaka is that they can float around. Nadal next to Makelele and Kaka and Litmanen to the wings if needed. It gives us unlimited flexibility for our next pick
 
If done properly it can actually be quite effective knackering out the lone front man. Cruyff talked about strikers having to chase back to cover the side centre backs if they made any ventures forward which would eventually render a lot of them useless then going forwards as they would be too knackered from running back towards their own goal.
 
I don't understand this obsession with back fives and wingbacks when most teams play one striker and wingers/widemen. What are the three defenders there for?

Depends on how well it's done, I think. I suppose the obvious difficulty would be if you go overkill on defense you'll be dominated in midfield and up front? As NM pointed out though we can be be quite flexible here so I wouldn't think that'd be too much of a problem.
 
If done properly it can actually be quite effective knackering out the lone front man. Cruyff talked about strikers having to chase back to cover the side centre backs if they made any ventures forward which would eventually render a lot of them useless then going forwards as they would be too knackered from running back towards their own goal.

He talked about that re: the 3-4-3 diamond whereby the outside defenders were the fullbacks/wingbacks (e.g. Sergi and Ferrer either side of Koeman) and the frontmen couldn't just let them bomb forward and provide no support, leaving their midfield outnumbered. It relies on both having a great engine, endless stamina and discipline (e.g. Brehme and Sagnol).

Gamarra and Mexes won't be knackering anyone with their forward runs, will probably end up stranded in no man's land themselves! Not that NM said he was doing that, at all.
 
The beauty of players like Nadal, Litmanen and Kaka is that they can float around. Nadal next to Makelele and Kaka and Litmanen to the wings if needed. It gives us unlimited flexibility for our next pick

Essien is the name out of place for me, a box to box player with a bit more going forwards and I think the balance is very good.
 
He talked about that re: the 3-4-3 diamond whereby the outside defenders were the fullbacks/wingbacks (e.g. Sergi and Ferrer either side of Koeman) and the frontmen couldn't just let them bomb forward and provide no support, leaving their midfield outnumbered. It relies on both having a great engine, endless stamina and discipline (e.g. Brehme and Sagnol).

Gamarra and Mexes won't be knackering anyone with their forward runs, will probably end up stranded in no man's land themselves! Not that NM said he was doing that, at all.

It also worked a treat on CM 97/98 which is the basis of all my tactical knowledge.
 
Essien? Nothing wrong with him specifically. I would much rather have seen him and Makelele with a Lampard type in a 4-3-3 though.
 
Essien? Nothing wrong with him specifically. I would much rather have seen him and Makelele with a Lampard type in a 4-3-3 though.

There isn't a lot wrong with a lot of these players, but if he does intend on setting up as shown I think he can afford to be rid of one of either Essien or Makalele and Nadal can step out of that three on occasion and help out in that area.
 
It also worked a treat on CM 97/98 which is the basis of all my tactical knowledge.

Really? I kept trying to replicate it and conceded goals left, right and centre :annoyed:

Five at the back with wingbacks was a brilliant away tactic but three at the back with two attacking fullbacks and the midfielders at the centre of the diamond being midfielders (not widemen) never worked under any scenario. It was bizarre, you handpicked a side that did exactly that successfully in real-life yet on CM they were no better than us currently, producing completely erratic outcomes.

Still loved the old CMs, hasn't been anywhere near as good/playable since they split up.
 
There is a way to make it work sir, although it looks more like a 3-6-1 on the game.

3 CB's

D L/C. SW/DC. D R/C

This does work with Phil Neville on the left of the three generally John Curtis in the middle and Gary on the right.

The DLC makes a one block green run left and the DRC makes one to the right
SW has a little line straight back, as small as it can be.

DMC (Keane) making one green block run into the CM area

LM (Giggs) and RM (Beckham) one block run straight forward (or two blocks if you are a mentalist)

Three AMC's with the middle one making a run up to the ST.

Although for some reason Nicky Butt simply must play on the left of the three, then Scholes, then Terry Cooke. (No runs forward for Butt or Cooke)

Solskjaer hits form of you persist with him up front after he gets back from injury but generally Erik Nevland does the business.

switch to "Direct" and watch goals fly in and reign over Europe. And good luck keeping Ronny Johnsen happy.

@antohan





I wasted my life.
 
What do people think of sully and my team?

Currently a 3-5-2
Kaka to really have a floaring role. Cafu and Leonardo to be wingbacks.

If opponent man-marks Kaka out, then you lose all creativity and have to rely on long crosses from wing-backs + Essien to bridge the gap. Not an optimal scenario.
Again a 3 man defence is ONLY good against 2 strikers. If opponent is playing 4-2-3-1 it becomes counterproductive. This is one of the core reasons @Annahnomoss simply walking away with the finals win in last draft.
 
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This does work with Phil Neville on the left of the three generally John Curtis in the middle and Gary on the right.

You have to be kidding.

LM (Giggs) and RM (Beckham) one block run straight forward (or two blocks if you are a mentalist)

Always had them with two!!!!

Three AMC's with the middle one making a run up to the ST.

Starts to sound like my 3-5-2 away formation when I hadn't been able to buy proper wingbacks or they were injured.

Although for some reason Nicky Butt simply must play on the left of the three.

Solskjaer hits form of you persist with him up front after he gets back from injury but generally Erik Nevland does the business.

And good luck keeping Ronny Johnsen happy.

I can attest to all of that. Never ever played Terry Cooke though.

No wonder Ronny was unhappy when you played Curtis. He was unhappy with me being a starter!
 
John Curtis turns into a beast on the game easily averages above 7.5 over the course of a season, if you must play with 4 at the back move Gary into CB and have Michael Clegg play right back...don't ask why, he just turns brilliant.

Phillip Mulryne does amazingly well subbing in for either Butt or Cooke also.

Ronny Johnsen is handy as Roy Keane cover in the DMC position.

And don't get me started on Tommy Svindal Larsen. That man is my hero.
 
Differently from you @Stobzilla, I used to work with a charity at the time coordinating projects in Africa and India. Despite explaining to the Directors that project staff worked their assess off during the day and we had calls after their working day was finished they demanded I comply with a 9 to 5. So for three years I showed up at 9am, played CM or C&C right in front of their noses from 9 to 12, went for lunch, and then worked 1-8pm.

That's dedication for you!
 
John Curtis turns into a beast on the game easily averages above 7.5 over the course of a season, if you must play with 4 at the back move Gary into CB and have Michael Clegg play right back...don't ask why, he just turns brilliant.

I know, Clegg was brilliant, as was Curtis. I just always started Johnsen for the season or so I could get out of him before he invariably threw a tantrum.

Phillip Mulryne does amazingly well subbing in for either Butt or Cooke also.

Never tested him or Svindal Larsen.

Ronny Johnsen is handy as Roy Keane cover in the DMC position.

Aye, always played him when using a DMC, never Keano who I always kept in midfield. That's why I never played Cooke, it was Butt-Scholes-Keane or when playing four in the middle Scholes-Keane with Butt as the sub. And yes, every time Butt came on for Keane I swapped them around, he did indeed seem to do better on the left :lol: Butt dictating where Scholes plays, only on CM!
 
If opponent man-marks Kaka out, then you lose all creativity and have to rely on long crosses from wing-backs + Essien to bridge the gap. Not an optimal scenario.
Again a 3 man defence is ONLY good against 2 strikers. If opponent is playing 4-2-3-1 it becomes counterproductive. This is one of the core reasons @Annahnomoss simply walking away with the finals win in last draft.

This is true, except I don't think it's a particular problem for us as Nadal can push forward into midfield (was used as a midfielder and libero at Barcelona on occasion).
 
. I am happy that at least I won't be a complete walk over now. Very happy with the attack- Drogba will be a beast upfront, Cantona orchestrating things behind him, Andrei stretching play on the right and Pires providing width+linking up with everyone.
 
Le God is actually more common name for Le Tissier. Cantona is Le Roi.

Both mean the same thing anyway, so I'm a good for nothing pedant.
 
Giggs vs Xavier
Donadoni vs Djimi

:lol:

But it's unfortunate that Crappy has to reduce Vieira to just a holding midfielder in his team. He was always capable of much, much more.

He will be going proper box to box.

May make me more vulnerable defensively but so be it. It's a proper homage to premiership 442. If Keane-Scholes can be a great MF pair, I see no reason why Lamps-Vieira can not be as well. If anything Lampard is better than Scholes when it comes to tackling.

And yeah, given your wingers, u are probably the worst opponent I can get here.
 
What do people think of sully and my team?

Currently a 3-5-2
Kaka to really have a floaring role. Cafu and Leonardo to be wingbacks.

938654_Dream_Team.jpg
I think you might suffer for the same reasons Cutch struggled in the last draft. It is a very similar set-up. And the attack looks narrow, even just shunting RVN back a bit may help to counter that impression.
938637_Dream_Team.jpg


Easily becomes something along the lines of:

938639_Dream_Team.jpg


Much flexibility, the 3-4-3 is mainly about easily pressing and marking space anyway rather than matching up man for man like cave folk.
A 4-2-3-1 with Mata, Van Persie and Beckham behind Weah would be the way I play it. Beckham seems a logical choice to be a wing-back, but Keegan tried it with England and he got caught out from time to time. That may have primarily been the difficulties of introducing a 3-5-2 set-up at international level with players accustomed to 4-4-2 and lacking the experience to shuffle across and cover wing-backs high up the park.
 
Well, with everyone posting their 532 and 343 and 352, here's my German version of a 3/5 man defense :)

abGqVLaaey.jpg


I really like Müller in that 2nd striker role, because he can provide width on both wings. Sammer and Effenberg should add enough steel to the midfield battle, Kroos and Basler enough creativity.