It ain't a wrong decision. Nedved himself would punish if you give him space like he did against Madrid in 2003. Its just that, I would prefer Boniek on the left and Nedved on the right but you will still be fine in that aspect.
The Reality Draft - Finals: VivaJanuzaj vs antohan
- Thread starter Edgar Allan Pillow
- Start date
It ain't a wrong decision. Nedved himself would punish if you give him space like he did against Madrid in 2003. Its just that, I would prefer Boniek on the left and Nedved on the right but you will still be fine in that aspect.
Viva, you have no reason to be discouraged. You are in the final and you are only few votes behind antoh, while he pulled every dirty trick to allure the voters. What should other managers say, who lost in the previous rounds. Sometimes these discussions just heat up and shots are fired. Dont take it personal.
I think thats Antohan´s best lineup in this draft and the first time that everything falls perfectly into place. His offence is incredible attuned with great synergy. Everyone adds something slightly different with the perfect balance between them.
Actually thats one of my favourite teams in all drafts that I watched in this forum.
Yeah, I don't think Theon meant anything negative really. So, Viva shouldn't be taking it personally.
As for his MK picks, even I would have picked Romario. Because RvN in a narrow system without proper width ain't ideal. I simply meant when he picked someone like Kohler, I think he should have picked a sweeper.
I empathise mate, sometimes you just have something in your mind and feel certain options are a copout. Yes, Sammer for you would be a clear as day copout, even if it made the team more balanced and formidable. I found the option crappy mentioned more interesting/intriguing (Breitner at LB, Falcão as playmaker next to Keane and Savicevic further up). TRV is right, Seedorf simply isn't doing it for you there. I love a bit of Seedorf but have had him before and it always pans out that way with him, liked him betteer in previous teams of yours though.
Very much so. As I mentioned earlier, I would have been mental to pick Romario, Vieri-Baggio is just awesome yet seems to have been overlooked for the uncomfortable pairing of Rummenigge without a Hrubesch/Allofs/Völler, alongside a Romario with no service.
Viva, you have no reason to be discouraged. You are in the final and you are only few votes behind antoh, while he pulled every dirty trick to allure the voters
I think thats Antohan´s best lineup in this draft and the first time that everything falls perfectly into place. His offence is incredible attuned with great synergy. Everyone adds something slightly different with the perfect balance between them.
Actually thats one of my favourite teams in all drafts that I watched in this forum.
That's the price you pay when you have a certain team in mind and stick to it despite not having the players yet
Ask Annah, I told him a couple of rounds ago when he was banging on about Hierro and the lack of a true holding midfielder: Hierro is only there until I get Sammer, and I also need Neeskens.
Abidal-Thiago-Ferrara were picked to last all the way, it has been hard to stick up for them at times, but that's the three that could nail this, who else would really? Have a go, which defenders would work better in this setup? I'm not playing them because I lack options, I'm playing them because they are the right options. Fernando Hierro is on the bench for a reason.
To be fair to VivaJ here, Neeskens would hand him his arse on a plate. Stielike would have been perfect.
Granted, but depends on how it shaped up with Sammer and Baggio shuttling back.
As we enter the closing stages of the game, Anto receives the signal from the runaway's WAG in the stands:
VivaJ's also suffered from not really getting the right upgrade opportunities in the second half of the draft IIRC. As Anto said, the improvement of VJ's XI slowed down while others caught up.
Aye - that's perhaps the biggest advantage of fielding Neeskens in that role: He is FAR better at hounding/defending/call-it-what-ye-will than almost any other (attacking) midfielder who is suited for the job. Veron needs time on the ball - if he doesn't get that, he's completely neutralized.
As for Abidal - for whom anto is now very close to have set a potential precedence in terms of draft appreciation - could he have been upgraded, given the system and the (other) reinforcements anto went for? Hard to tell, actually - the big question is how instrumental Sammer really is here. Not least how important he will turn out to have been in terms of votes.
This late bunch of votes for VivaJ is really screwing things up for me. I planned to send on a few subs for a runaround while I could have a celebratory shag with the WAG. Instead they have gone back to the dressing room early.
Not sure what Freddie's plan is with moustachioless Mario
But he looks interested
Lucho isn't impressed
But Fernando also looks hypnotised
While Raúl hears something and breaks the flower-power mood
What's going on? Where's the gaffer? Why did Stevie go?
Not sure what Freddie's plan is with moustachioless Mario
But he looks interested
Lucho isn't impressed
But Fernando also looks hypnotised
While Raúl hears something and breaks the flower-power mood
What's going on? Where's the gaffer? Why did Stevie go?
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I doubt it really. It's interesting how Cutch floundered with a similar set-up (but with better defenders and less industrious midfielders).
VivaJanuzaj - 19
.
Theon,
crappycraperson,
Raees,
Joga Bonito,
.
kps88,
ha_rooney,
Paolo Di Canio,
Thisistheone,
Edgar Allan Pillow,
montpelier,
BobbyManc,
|Neo|x,
MTR,
Speak,
2mufc0,
antohan - 22
.
Jayvin,
Chesterlestreet,
The Red Viper,
harms,
.
devilish,
DanNistelrooy,
sajeev,
MJJ,
AngeloHenriquez,
manikandan nair,
Mibabalou,
Balu,
Revan,
Isotope,
Kazi,
rpitroda,
PedroMendez,
quackattack,
.
Theon,
crappycraperson,
Raees,
Joga Bonito,
.
kps88,
ha_rooney,
Paolo Di Canio,
Thisistheone,
Edgar Allan Pillow,
montpelier,
BobbyManc,
|Neo|x,
MTR,
Speak,
2mufc0,
antohan - 22
.
Jayvin,
Chesterlestreet,
The Red Viper,
harms,
.
devilish,
DanNistelrooy,
sajeev,
MJJ,
AngeloHenriquez,
manikandan nair,
Mibabalou,
Balu,
Revan,
Isotope,
Kazi,
rpitroda,
PedroMendez,
quackattack,
Sammer is crucial, I wouldn't have played it this way with Hierro and a libero like Scirea wouldn't pull it off either. As I said earlier, that would have been Davids picked then:
Or a mumbo-jumbo like this:
Competitive, yes, but nowhere near the imposing and dominant side I had in mind to begin with. Love the way it has turned out and doubt I could ever put a better team together.
I doubt it really. It's interesting how Cutch floundered with a similar set-up (but with better defenders and less industrious midfielders).
I was well aware of that precedent, but the trick is in the possession and dominance upfront and the ability to press at the source. The only real similarity there is that there is a back three, everything else works differently!
There are other options for Abidal (dunno if they were available in this draft)l, but there is an obvious problem that often reflex on these drafts: Most all time great CBs played deep with great protection around them.
Just compared terry - cahill in the season before Mourinho joined them with how they played last season. One year they look almost done and the next almost worldclass. It really comes down to the individual ability of players if they would be able to adapt to a more adventurous lineup. I think there are a couple, where you could make a legit case that they would be brilliant. Eventually there are also some fullbacks that could play in this role. Anyway. I think most people see Abidal as solid pick who can do a decent job, but he´ll never be a player, who wins votes. Kind of a "blank". Solid defender, who is suited to this tactics, but nothing fancy. I think thats a fairly accurate way to rate him.
cutch´s side is messed up in midfield. the back3+Pep is fantastic, but I have problems with his other 6 players.
Just compared terry - cahill in the season before Mourinho joined them with how they played last season. One year they look almost done and the next almost worldclass. It really comes down to the individual ability of players if they would be able to adapt to a more adventurous lineup. I think there are a couple, where you could make a legit case that they would be brilliant. Eventually there are also some fullbacks that could play in this role. Anyway. I think most people see Abidal as solid pick who can do a decent job, but he´ll never be a player, who wins votes. Kind of a "blank". Solid defender, who is suited to this tactics, but nothing fancy. I think thats a fairly accurate way to rate him.
cutch´s side is messed up in midfield. the back3+Pep is fantastic, but I have problems with his other 6 players.
Tbh, it's not that big a advantage here. He has Keane on the other end.
Despite the lineup, I see anto team more of a 4-4-2. Without Sammer constantly being there, Brietenigge against Abidal will be a total mismatch. So Sammer though positioned near middle in the picture would not be that adventurous going forward. That leaves Neeskens and Effenberg to do the shuttling in the middle. Two better players for that role are scarse, but they are CM's and I really don't see Neeskens in the AM role. So Keane there rather than a libero makes more sense imo.
Keane there makes more sense to defend when one of them is attacking and then move on when his team has possession. With Seedorf and Brietnwe drifting to the wings Keane's simple and short passing will be more than sufficient to move the ball forward, yet give a much needed defensive boost.
How can the Breit in Breitnigge be anywhere near challenging Abidal without Sammer being in the picture? That pair was great, and it's all well and good, but some of you are blowing it completely out of proportion by now. Even Balu, a Bayern fan and far more familiar with these players has voted against it.
It's amazing, VivaJ sticks three battling midfielders in the middle and they seem to count for five, while having four battling midfielders + a sweeper cum holding midfielder, you somehow see me as having two fighting it out. Have a word, seriously.
Where the hell is Breitner upon recovery? Forming this imaginary brickwall deep in his half. Likely will need to get past Nedved nearby, possibly Neeskens, Sammer is between him and Rummenigge... Yet "Breitnigge is challenging Abidal". Nonsense, complete and utter nonsense.
So, what's the final score?
Precisely what role Sammer plays here is crucial - as anto has said himself. If you regard his set-up as a 4-4-2 of sorts - then Viva wins no questions asked. But I don't regard it as such. The bit in bold is crucial also. If you don't buy Neeskens as an AM, then...yes, I get your point, but for me that isn't a hard-sell at all. He has all the tools to play that role - he was a complete midfielder, complete to a degree we have rarely seen.
Wait, what? I thought we had another hour. Isn't the caf on GMT?
Balls, needed to get those pesky subs out of the showers.
Balls, needed to get those pesky subs out of the showers.
An hour to go. Tight as hell.
Poll closed 1 minute ago.
Whoops! I thought we were on GMT.
Jaysus - is it a tie?
Congrats anto. A well deserved win.
Great draft EAP was a real pleasure for the most of it and went really smoothly
Great draft EAP was a real pleasure for the most of it and went really smoothly
My Caf is an hour behind my regular time, so it should be on GMT. If not then I just missed an important meeting
Totalling it now...
Seeing Boniek's mug blown up like that he looks not unlike John Holmes. Just saying. Not that I know who John Holmes is. Just saying.
I'll spare you the embarrassment, you wouldn't want that to cloud an excellent draft.
23-19
VivaJanuzaj - 20
.
crappycraperson,
Raees,
Theon,
Joga Bonito,
.
kps88,
ha_rooney,
Paolo Di Canio,
Thisistheone,
Edgar Allan Pillow,
montpelier,
BobbyManc,
|Neo|x,
MTR,
Speak,
TheRedDevil'sAdvocate,
2mufc0,
antohan - 22
.
Jayvin,
Chesterlestreet,
The Red Viper,
harms,
.
devilish,
DanNistelrooy,
sajeev,
MJJ,
AngeloHenriquez,
manikandan nair,
Mibabalou,
Balu,
Revan,
Isotope,
Kazi,
rpitroda,
PedroMendez,
quackattack,
Congrats @antohan
Great draft @VivaJanuzaj
.
crappycraperson,
Raees,
Theon,
Joga Bonito,
.
kps88,
ha_rooney,
Paolo Di Canio,
Thisistheone,
Edgar Allan Pillow,
montpelier,
BobbyManc,
|Neo|x,
MTR,
Speak,
TheRedDevil'sAdvocate,
2mufc0,
antohan - 22
.
Jayvin,
Chesterlestreet,
The Red Viper,
harms,
.
devilish,
DanNistelrooy,
sajeev,
MJJ,
AngeloHenriquez,
manikandan nair,
Mibabalou,
Balu,
Revan,
Isotope,
Kazi,
rpitroda,
PedroMendez,
quackattack,
Congrats @antohan
Great draft @VivaJanuzaj
MJJ had 2 votes and Theon had 1, or is it another way around now? Not that it matters, really
Good thing the AWOL is Stevie. If it had been Terry, he'd be running around celebrating full-kit-wanker style right about now.
Yes, 22-20 if you ignore your own rule of Theon x 1 and MJJ x 2...
Good thing it didn't come to that, huh?
Good thing it didn't come to that, huh?
Awesome, this means I can still make it to my meeting. Off I go, great game Viva!
It doesn't matter either way. But for future reference I repeat my earlier query regarding the kosher-ness of both managers voting.