............................ Team @antohan ...................................................................... Team @The Red Viper ...............................................
Team Changed. Raul subbed for Vieiri Score: antohan 10 - 10 the Red Viper
TEAM antohan
TACTICS
While in the previous game I was happy fielding an exceptionally high line, it's clearly too risky here so we will build from a strong base and rely on quick transitions with exceptional attacking players.
There's plenty of room for a "throw-the-kitchen-sink" Plan B here, I just don't think it's necessary but it's worth bearing that in mind. I can't see any credible kitchen sink that can be thrown at me if needs be, not one that can't be dealt with competently.
IN POSSESSION
It's pretty self-explanatory as all players are in roles they are well suited to and where they thrived. Baggio is loving this '94-style. Nedved will roam in that left-to-centre area, playmaking and going deep down the flank occasionally, but can cross and play beautiful balls from anywhere. By assigning Amoros to the right flank, Boniek is given the freedom that best utilises him terrorising defences on the break and probing across the backline.
Manuel will be the only defender pushing forward and will cross from deep or make the overlapping runs he was best known for. While Amoros is away, the others form a back three effortlessly. Both Effenberg and Neeskens will have more freedom too, not to go all gung-ho but to get really involved in support and making the occasional surging runs. They are both intelligent, strong-willed and dogged midfielders that will dominate the centre of the pitch.
Finally, I picked Rául ahead of Vieri, which was a tough call, but unfortunately for Bobo TRVs defence is not one that will be seen easily beaten aerially (he still averaged a goal a game against beastly Italian defences, but that's how this works: good header vs. good header = no goal, for some reason). Raúl will be much harder for them to deal with and his interaction with Nedved and Baggio is bound to be
Free-flowing attacking moves aside, this is the kind of goal we are also expecting from him here:
WHEN POSSESSION IS LOST
As mentioned, I won't be playing a high line by default as before, but the defence will still aim to keep no sizable gaps between the lines. It's also a defence that is very well protected, rarely have we seen a midfield so well suited to protect their back four: Nedved-Effenberg-Neeskens-Boniek
All four midfielders are excellent at their pressing game and will be onto TRVs men like a rash.WHY I WILL WIN
Quality across the board, a side that works seamlessly together and GOAT-level excellence in critical roles. The game can be controlled and gradually but surely taken down the path of victory. And if luck or other "outside influences" require that we go up a gear, we can: just look at our bench and his!
2-0/3-1 this
PLAYER PROFILES
____________________________________________________________________________________________
TEAM The Red Viper
THE TEAM
We will play a 4-2-1-3 formation. Oliver Kahn is the goalkeeper. Willy Sagnol and Sergi Barjuán would be the full-backs. Gaetano Scirea and Jaap Stam would form the central defence. Gaetano Scirea would play in his natural role as a sweeper while Jaap Stam would be the stopper. The midfield comprises of a three man midfield of Marcel Desailly, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Rui Costa. Marcel Desailly would be the defensive midfielder/enforcer who would look to break the plays and win back the possession for us. Marcel Desailly would play the same role he did for AC Milan in the nineties. Bastian Schweinsteiger would play as the central midfielder while Rui Costa would play as a number ten/attacking midfielder.
The attacking triumvirate comprises of Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto'o and Arjen Robben. Samuel Eto'o would lead the lines and look to play on the shoulders of the last defender. Arjen Robben would play as a right wing forward in a free role. It would be similar to the role he plays at Bayern Munich where he takes on his man by isolating him in one-on-one situations. Thierry Henry would play off Samuel Eto'o as the left sided second striker. A role, similar to what he played under Pep Guardiola's Barcelona but here, he would have more freedom since he is the main man in attack. Throughout his career, he loved drifting out wide on the left and then attacking that space between the right back and right centre back. Here, he would do the same as well. Most of his trademark goals, especially the ones from the counters have usually come from that flank.
THE TACTICS
We would play a normal back-line. Gaetano Scirea would initiate attacks from the back. Whenever Gaetano Scirea would his trademark attacking runs from the defence, Marcel Desailly would cover for him. Under Fabio Capello's AC Milan, Marcel Desailly was a beast of a defensive midfielder. He was a master at breaking the attacks and covering the back-four. He would do the same role here as well. Antohan would most likely start with Roberto Baggio playing in the hole. If he does, then having someone like Marcel Desailly would be crucial because of his experience both as a centre back and as a defensive midfielder. Marcel Desailly can deal with someone like Roberto Baggio quite well because he would be equally comfortable either dropping deep and becoming the third centre back when Roberto Baggio plays in and around the box or pushing forward to keep track of Roberto Baggio when he drops deep.
I doubt Antohan would start Raúl as the main striker. It will most probably be Christian Vieri. In Jaap Stam, there is a player who had the power and strength to not only match Vieri's physical play but also negate it to a good extent. At the same time, both Jaap Stam and Sergi would keep a close eye on that space between them which someone like Zibì Boniek likes to attack. They will ensure there ain't much space in that zone for Zibì Boniek to exploit. Bastian Schweinsteiger would help Sergi out while dealing against Zibì Boniek, especially when Amoros overlaps. This way, we would ensure Sergi doesn't get outnumbered on that flank.
I'm expecting Antohan to start with a midfield duo of Johan Neeskens and Stefan Effenberg. Two very good central midfielders but neither of them were exactly holding midfielders/defensive midfielders. While Johan Neeskens was a complete central midfielder and can be used in that role, his best was alongside another holding midfielder which mostly used to be Arie Haan. If Antohan uses him there, he will be restricting Johan Neeskens big time. Rui Costa would play in a very advanced position and exploit that free space between the central defence and central midfield, and there would be plenty since there is no natural holding midfielder in Antohan's team. Samuel Eto'o would press Thiago Silva when he is in possession. We will make sure the transition of his team isn't quick and as a result one of Johan Neeskens or Stefan Effenberg drops deep regularly to provide another option to pass to.
If Antohan has Amoros play normally like he does, then his defence would be under huge threat from counters as it would be Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto'o and Arjen Robben up against Ciro Ferrara, Thiago Silva and Eric Abidal most of the times on counters. One on one, all three of Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto'o and Arjen Robben have the pace and penetration to exploit that defence. Eric Abidal is a good defender but he doesn't have a good experience against Arjen Robben. Even though Real Madrid lost that game 2-6 against Barcelona, I specifically remember Arjen Robben tormenting Eric Abidal throughout that game. Eric Abidal had no clue how to handle him. I have posted Arjen Robben's compilation from that game against Eric Abidal, below. If Antohan has Pavel Nedved tracking back to help Eric Abidal out against Arjen Robben, Willy Sagnol would overlap and ensure Arjen Robben has support on the outside. This would mean, Pavel Nedved then has to keep track of Willy Sagnol as he can't let Willy Sagnol to cross freely from those dangerous attacking positions.
Last edited:
