The Redcafe Champions League Draft

[Theon]

You don't seem to grasp the concept of a formation. They are meant to give you as much information as possible not just tell you how many midfielders/defenders/strikers a team has.

A 4-4-2 and another 4-4-2 can be widely different without becoming a new formation and you can portray that in a formation. You can put your wing-backs further forward and people will know that they are more offensive, you can put them further back and they are more defensive. You are not stupid enough not to get this you obviously just want to make a fuss about it.

fecking hell..

So we agree they are both the same formations then? That is what the whole debate was over.

I'm not talking about tactics or how attacking he chooses to play each of the diamonds, my only point was that they are the same general formation i.e. the first one was not a 5-3-2 because it only had two centrebacks.

 

[Snow]

You're original point is correct Theon but you didn't make yourself clear enough. You did mention tactics and I also seems that you confused Annahnomoss and nahalaei together at one point.

Both these formations show a team playing 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield. That much is clear. Tactics might be vastly different but the tactics are almost identical.

 

[Theon]

You're original point is correct Theon but you didn't make yourself clear enough. You did mention tactics and I also seems that you confused Annahnomoss and nahalaei together at one point.

Both these formations show a team playing 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield. That much is clear. Tactics might be vastly different but the tactics are almost identical.

Bolded supposed to say formations?

Fair enough, dunno how I could have been anymore clear though

 

[Annahnomoss]

You're original point is correct Theon but you didn't make yourself clear enough. You did mention tactics and I also seems that you confused Annahnomoss and nahalaei together at one point.

Both these formations show a team playing 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield. That much is clear. Tactics might be vastly different but the tactics are almost identical.

I think the older days descriptions were better as people didn't get as easily confused. They named formations instead of just calling everything a 4-4-2. If you look at the Metodo you will see that it is 99.9% similar to a 4-3-3 but people still realized they were different ways to line-up and play.

In the Metodo you had more offensive wing-backs in comparison and that was all it take to define it as a different formation.

Naming the formations 4-2-3-1, 4-5-1, 4-4-2 of course creates a lot of problems as people then think a formation is just about counting amount of defenders, midfielders and strikers on the pitch.

The only difference between a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-4-1-1 is that the wingers are more offensive in a 4-2-3-1 which makes it different enough to justify calling it by its own name.

 

[Buchan]

Naming the formations 4-2-3-1, 4-5-1, 4-4-2 of course creates a lot of problems as people then think a formation is just about counting amount of defenders, midfielders and strikers on the pitch.

Pretty much this.

 

[Theon]

I think the older days descriptions were better as people didn't get as easily confused. They named formations instead of just calling everything a 4-4-2. If you look at the Metodo you will see that it is 99.9% similar to a 4-3-3 but people still realized they were different ways to line-up and play.

In the Metodo you had more offensive wing-backs in comparison and that was all it take to define it as a different formation.

Naming the formations 4-2-3-1, 4-5-1, 4-4-2 of course creates a lot of problems as people then think a formation is just about counting amount of defenders, midfielders and strikers on the pitch.

The only difference between a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-4-1-1 is that the wingers are more offensive in a 4-2-3-1 which makes it different enough to justify calling it by its own name.

You're off on one again.

As Snow said, "Both these formations show a team playing 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield. That much is clear."

Which was my whole point, there is no 5-3-2 there it is just a different tactical approach to the same formation i.e. playing the fullbacks as more attacking, or instructing a striker to drop off slightly.

The base formation is the same though.

Either way, I think Nahealai is looking great and will be a tough test for Gio. A lot will depend on how they both sell their team and if it seems like the tactic would work in practise.

 

[Feeky Magee]

I'm just gonna ask my guys to kick it in the goal.

 

[NM]

good man annahnomoss. Tire out Theon before my game with him

 

[Buchan]

Which was my whole point, there is no 5-3-2 there.

On the graphic, Busquets is firmly in line with the wing-backs, yet you refer to the defence as a "back four", despite me saying that he'll play as a third centre-back at times as the wing-backs will be going forward. Busquets will be a lot deeper than Lizarazu and Irwin for large periods of the game, and will join Couto and Marchena in central defence.

If Lizarazu and Irwin are referred to as defenders, then strictly Busquets is as well. Not to mention the fact that I've strictly said this numerous times when outlining his role in the side.

It's quite extraordinary that this is somewhat controversial by the way when the write-ups haven't been published yet. I'm sure every team will outline their intentions and tactics in full detail when the match threads go live. It's ridiculous to be arguing over it now when nothing has been said.

 

[Pat_Mustard]

So I'm thinking this with Mijatovic as the sub.

Thoughts ?

I quite like it. That's how I thought you'd line up when you'd completed the draft. Gerrard played some of the most productive football of his career from the right of midfield, and its probably best to maintain a little distance between him and Veron as I could see them getting in each other's way a bit of Gerrard was central. I like the thought of Gerrard playing the occasional crossfield pass to Henry as he peels off to the left as well...I seriously overthink these imaginary football matches at times!

Stam was very quick once he got going but at times was a bit slow from a standing start.

That's how I remember him. His pace seemed to desert him when he was less than fully fit too.

 

[Pat_Mustard]

On the graphic, Busquets is firmly in line with the wing-backs, yet you refer to the defence as a "back four", despite me saying that he'll play as a third centre-back at times as the wing-backs will be going forward. Busquets will be a lot deeper than Lizarazu and Irwin for large periods of the game, and will join Couto and Marchena in central defence.

If Lizarazu and Irwin are referred to as defenders, then strictly Busquets is as well. Not to mention the fact that I've strictly said this numerous times when outlining his role in the side.

It's quite extraordinary that this is somewhat controversial by the way when the write-ups haven't been published yet. I'm sure every team will outline their intentions and tactics in full detail when the match threads go live. It's ridiculous to be arguing over it now when nothing has been said.

Wouldn't that be the case even in your 4-4-2 formation though? Busquets has spent his entire career dropping into central defence regularly to allow the full backs to bomb forward. Its not worth arguing over really, but I completely see Theon's point that because of the personnel involved (namely Busquets), your 5-3-2 and 4-4-2 options seem to amount to practically the same thing.

 

[Annahnomoss]

Wouldn't that be the case even in your 4-4-2 formation though? Busquets has spent his entire career dropping into central defence regularly to allow the full backs to bomb forward. Its not worth arguing over really, but I completely see Theon's point that because of the personnel involved (namely Busquets), your 5-3-2 and 4-4-2 options seem to amount to practically the same thing.

I also see his point but it is stupid. It is like thinking thinking a left/right midfielder plays as offensive as a winger.

How do you know whether a player is playing as a winger or as a midfielder? They are pushed slightly forward on the formation.

How do you know whether a midfielder is a DM or a CM or an AM? Also slight adjustments to their position. It takes one ignorant person to think that defenders can only play in one way, that there are no more offensive wing-backs than full-backs etc.

He obviously got what Naha meant as well and just wanted to cry about it for whatever reason.

 

[Fergus' son]

There's no difference between these two man

Completely agree, they are the same formation!

My write up will be done by tommorow night...

 

[Gio]

So I'm thinking this with Mijatovic as the sub.

Thoughts ?

This has turned out well for you. Think that would work okay. Mata and Gerrard can do a useful job in inside-left/inside-right positions while Neville is a strong overlapper and Mihaljovic's delivery will be a danger from the left.

 

[Theon]

I also see his point but it is stupid. It is like thinking thinking a left/right midfielder plays as offensive as a winger.

How do you know whether a player is playing as a winger or as a midfielder? They are pushed slightly forward on the formation.

How do you know whether a midfielder is a DM or a CM or an AM? Also slight adjustments to their position. It takes one ignorant person to think that defenders can only play in one way, that there are no more offensive wing-backs than full-backs etc.

He obviously got what Naha meant as well and just wanted to cry about it for whatever reason.

What the hell! I’m starting to think you are genuinely mental.

Who is crying here?

There's no difference between these two man

Are you for real? You can't see the obvious difference? In one of them the wing-backs are expected to be more offensive and Xavi/Ballack are slightly further ahead aka more offensive which means Busquets will have to do bigger defensive job.

You really don't get ANYTHING from those two pictures? For you it is like looking at the exact same picture?

You just completely overreacted to an innocuous post and came across as a complete tit. I have no idea what your problem is but you seem very bothered about those formations - you need to chill out and calm down, it isn’t that important.

Nobody agrees with you which makes this all the more bizarre because you’re acting as if they do. When you were banging on about how ‘one formation beats another formation’ antohan, Fergus and Aldo all disagreed with you but you ploughed on anyway, if anything you got more short tempered that not everyone shared the same view as you! Now Snow, Pat and Fergus have also said that those two formations are practically the same, yet again you are refusing to budge and have resorted to acting like a dick because nobody agrees with you.

You just come across as a child and I don’t even know why I’ve been sucked in to trying to debate with you.

To make this clear - nobody is talking about how attacking those two tactics are. The point is merely that both of those formations are a 4-4-2 diamond. It isn’t a 5-3-2 because Busquets is not playing in defence, he is in the exact same anchoring midfield position as the other picture. If he was playing as a centre back then he wouldn’t be positioned as a midfield anchor.

It isn’t complicated, I have no idea why you are struggling so much to grasp this.

Either way.. I think they both look great and Nahealai has a very good chance of beating Gio, his midfield is one of the best in the entire draft.

 

[Fergus' son]

Yeah, if anything it will work against Nahelai if he tries to pass of his diamond as a 532. Bound to get people bringing up the fact that Busquets never plays as one of the back line and always plays as a midfielder, and there's also the fact that Irwin wasn't a wingback.

Keep the diamond, explain that the full backs will be bombing forward (this becomes believable when people see the personelle, rather than anything else) and that Busquets will shield the defence (should be obvious anyway).

 

[Gio]

PLAYER PROFILES

Claudio Taffarel
Almost flawless at three World Cups for Brazil as he racked up 101 caps for the Selecao. Expert at pulling off big saves when it mattered most, see his penalty shoot-out stops against Holland (1998 World Cup Semi-Final) and Italy (1994 World Cup Final), his fantastic save from a Thierry Henry header in the UEFA Cup Final or even this save-of-the-tournament in the last minute of the group stages against Scotland (had that gone in we would've qualified for the knockout stages for the first time in our history - you cnut Taffarel).

Javier Zanetti
Along with Thuram and Cafu from this generation, he is one of the greatest right-backs of all time. Probably the most complete player of the last 20 years bringing together physical (check out the size of those thighs), technical (gifted user of the ball, as shown by his finish against England in '98) and mental (versatile, consistent and even at 37 see his snuffing out of a prime Messi in the 2010 CL semi-final) attributes into one supreme package.

Rio Ferdinand
The Premiership's outstanding defender and the best centre-back in the world between 2006 and 2008. Complete centre-half who thrives next to a hardman like Montero in the mould of a Vidic, Terry or Campbell.

Nemanja Vidic
Dominant centre-half who renews his proven partnership with Ferdinand.

Paolo Montero
Uncompromising, left-footed and classy, Montero complements Ferdinand and Zambrotta perfectly. A key component of the great 1990s and early 2000s Juventus sides. Very highly rated in South America, he was a huge influence on the success of the Uruguayan national team.

Gianluca Zambrotta
Another member of that great Juventus side who also counts Barcelona and AC Milan amongst his employers. Excelled internationally at Euro 2004 and World Cup 2006 where in both instances he was named in the official team of the tournament. Only five Italians have more internationals caps than the all-rounder Zambrotta who was reliable and capable on either flank or in midfield.

Patrick Vieira
Over a decade on from their peaks Keane and Vieira remain the gold standard amongst central midfielders.

Cesc Fabregas
From 2008 to 2012 Fabregas was the Premiership's outstanding midfielder, racking up more assists than any other midfielder in Europe. Precociously gifted with a penetrating eye for a pass.

Mauro Silva
Along with Dunga, Brazil's most influential central midfielder of the last 30 years. Together their midfield-anchoring ability changed the way Brazil played with a host of copycat-but-not-quite-so-good midfielders following in their considerable footsteps. At club level, Mauro Silva remains a legend at Deportivo and it's no coincidence that his time at the club aligns exactly with the rise and best years of Super Depor.

Nobody could get through Brazil in 1994 as they kept 5 clean sheets in 7 matches (essentially 6 out of 7 for Mauro who left the fray prior to Sweden's equaliser in a group stage dead rubber). With Silva absent in 1998, they managed just 1 in 7 as opposing attacking midfielders had a field day (Zidane, Laudrup, Jorgensen all netting). Many La Liga followers will remember his display in the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid, a match effectively set up to celebrate Madrid's centenary and the inevitable victory of Perez's all-conquering Galacticos. Silva spoiled the party with one of the great defensive midfield performances, his domination such that Zidane and Raul were reduced to taking petulant swipes after they were dispossessed for the umpteenth time.

Pavel Nedved
Goalscoring midfielder brimming with energy and commitment. His repertoire of goals in Serie A was exceptional such was his ability to find the net from long range. Two-footed and aggressive, he inspired Juventus to the CL final in 2002-03, only to miss the match as a result of suspension. No less of a legend on the international stage as his talismanic performances at Euro 1996 and 2004 testify.

Rivaldo
Between Maradona and Messi, nobody bettered the peak that Rivaldo achieved with Barcelona and Brazil (Ronaldinho and Ronaldo hit similar zeniths). Possessor of one of the greatest and most multi-faceted left-feet the game has ever seen, he was a scintillating and talismanic match-winner between 1998 and 2002. His hat-trick against Valencia on the last day of the 2000/01 season remains one of, if not the greatest performances in the history of the game.

Ronaldinho
Phenomenal talent who was head and shoulders above everybody else between 2003 and 2006. Extraordinary dribbler, inventive passer and deadly from distance. His manipulation of the ball in tight spaces is unmatched in this draft.

Romario
Easily the most devastating penalty-box striker since Muller, his low centre of gravity, ability to turn on a six-pence and blistering acceleration ensured no defender could live with him.

Lionel Messi
The best since Maradona and a contender for the greatest of all time, whether scoring freely through the middle or laying a trail of destruction through his dribbling from the right.

Michael Owen
Embarrassed an array of world-class defenders during his career thanks to his blistering pace and always reliable finishing - particularly on the biggest stages. Plundered a hat-trick the last time he faced Oliver Kahn.

Roy Makaay
Gifted forward who was both a great goalscorer and a scorer of great goals. 108 goals in just three seasons while at Deportivo and Bayern testify to his onion-bag-rattling ability. Normally deployed as the lone frontman in Irureta's 4-2-3-1, or occasionally wide right in recognition of his rounded skillset, Makaay was excellent at finishing from range with both feet, while a 6ft 2' frame made him a potent threat in the air.

Joaquin
Between the fall of Figo and the rise of Ronaldo, Joaquin was the outstanding right-winger in Europe. Orthodox winger who was Spain's best player at the 2002 World Cup and wasfantastic for Betis, a level he did not maintain at Valencia and Malaga. In his peak form (2002-2005) likely to get the better of a number of the weaker left-backs in the draft.

 

[Cutch]

Good writeups Gio.

Theon, do we just send you a PM then the night before the game? Sorry if you've already stated this somewhere. What time we kickin off on Wednesday?

 

[NM]

Good team Gio.. but, and this goes for all write ups, is all the hyperbole really needed?

 

[Gio]

Challenge anything you don't agree with. That's the whole point and we can cut through the bullshit / hyperbole.

 

[Cutch]

I'm all for the hyperbole. Bold statements and no holding back. Makes for good arguments.

Bit curious here, Mauro Silva. Genuinely had no idea he was rated so highly. Is there any reason why he stayed at Depor and never moved to a larger club?

 

[Thisistheone]

Impressive write-up Gio. It's a fine team.

My player-profiles:


Fabian Barthez (France 87 Caps)
The maverick goalkeeper - who won everything in the game - actually finds himself with a bit of a negative reputation, unfairly judged on some bad games for Utd. But when Barthez was in his prime he was a world class keeper. He shares the record for the most World Cup finals clean sheets with Peter Shilton, with 10. This is the important bit to remember: When it came down to the big games, the knock-out tournaments, he NEVER let his side down. Crucially in this draft he again lines up alongside his country-men Laurent Blanc & Marcel Desailly, re-uniting the incredibly successful triangle that won a back-to-back World Cup and European Championships. A superb shot-stopper, Barthez-Blanc-Desailly is the best & most proven axis in the whole draft with 300 International caps between them.
Honours: World Cup 1998, Euro 2000, Champions League 1993, Premier League 2000-01 and 2002-03,European Footballer of the Year Best Goalkeeper: 1998 and 2000, Most World Cup clean sheets: 10

Marcel Desailly (France 116 caps, 3 goals)
One of the best players of the last 20 years. A colossus at the back or in midfield. Desailly’s game had it all - Pace, Power, intelligence and desire. He won basically everything there was to win in the game. A Champions League title with two different clubs. Only 3 other players have achieved this, one of which is his team-mate here; Paulo Sousa. Desailly’s physical presence & pace was ideally suited next to the great anticipation & technical skills of Laurent Blanc. Named in Premier League team of the decade.

Laurent Blanc (France 97 caps 16 goals)
Amazingly, Blanc scored 134 goals in his club career. One of the most dangerous players around from set plays. At 6’4’’ he was dominant in the air but also extremely comfortable on the ball, possessing the technique of a playmaker. He specialized in making those around him calm and collected. Blanc could read the game brilliantly, was intelligent & had a masterful grasp of tactics which proved crucial as games unfolded.

Dani Alves (Brazil 68 caps, 5 goals)
The best right back in the world for the last 5 or 6 years, Dani Alves offers the team an extra man in attack with his incredible engine, getting up and down the right flank all day long. He will provide width for the team and an over-lap if Di Maria wishes to cut inside. Incredibly quick, he’s also brilliant on the ball, as we seen in the Champions League with some of his through balls and various other assists. Cristiano Ronaldo said of him: "I usually don't have a problem with defenders when it comes to outracing them, but when playing a match against Barcelona it happens to be complicated with Daniel Alves"

Fabio Grosso (Italy 48 caps 4 goals)
The Italian left back is of course famous for scoring a stunning goal against Germany in the World Cup semi-final, the winning penalty in the World Cup final and also his Marco Tardelli-like celebration. Grosso began his career as a left winger until he was converted to left back when he was 24. Once that happened he soon got his first cap after catching Marcelo Lippi’s eye with some brilliant performances at Palermo. A fast, intelligent player, with good stamina, Grosso can get up and down the left flank for his team all day, offering width and supplying crosses for the forwards, or linking up with Rooney like Evra did in 2006-2009.

Paulo Sousa (Portugal 51 caps 6 goals)
An integral part of the “Golden Generation” that came out of Portugal in the early 1990’s, Sousa spent his best days in Serie A at a time when it was the strongest league in the world. Sousa's greatest skill was doing the unselfish things required to win a game. For every goal or clever pass, there were a dozen other little things that went unnoticed but were vital. One of Europe’s best midfielders during the mid to late 90’s. Successful at the highest level in the Champions League, Winning it twice; with Dortmund and Juventus. He was an excellent reader of the game, able to play the role of defensive midfielder while possessing superb technical ability. Similar to Michael Carrick in that he was a deep lying, ball playing midfielder. A team-player, the type to make those around him stand out even more. A vital component in any successful side. His connection with country-man Rui Costa will be a big plus for the side. With Essien next to him, he will have the perfect complimentary team-mate.

Michael Essien (Ghana 52 caps 9 goals)
The ultimate box-to-box midfielder & the sides engine room. Essien’s energy, power and abrasive ability will allow him the freedom to protect and support playmakerRui Costa while Paulo Sousa assists the defence and directs the distribution. Essien is like having an extra man in the middle - One minute putting fires out in defence and the next supporting the likes of Rui Costa & Ronaldo in attack. Before his injury nightmare he was probably the most complete midfielder in the world. As Utd fans, our first taster came in the Champions League against Lyon when he gave Roy Keane and the rest of our side hell for 90 minutes. The way Utd missed Fletcher in the 2009 CL final would be similar if this side lost Essien.

Manuel Rui Costa (Portugal 94 caps 26 goals) II Maestro
The team’s play-maker. One of my favourite players growing up, Rui Costa put the fantasy into football. Incredible vision and execution of the pass, he was simply a brilliant footballer. But to use him properly, the platform for him to best operate needs to be present, which he certainly gets from Paulo Sousa & Essien. Even The incredible work-rate of Rooney favours him. He’ll be able to unlock the tightest of defences as he proved through-out his career, mainly with Fiorentina, and link up beautifully with Ronaldo, Rooney & Di Maria. From the back four, with Sousa, Essien & Rui Costa, the balance in the team and the link from defence through the midfield and forwards is finely tuned.


Not great quality but you watch it and you can’t help but actually miss him. We’ll never see another Rui Costa.
– enjoy the music

 

[Moby]

I'm all for the hyperbole. Bold statements and no holding back. Makes for good arguments.

Bit curious here, Mauro Silva. Genuinely had no idea he was rated so highly. Is there any reason why he stayed at Depor and never moved to a larger club?

It wasn't just him, Depor had a fantastic team and looked the business Players like Naybet, Mauro, Valeron were the top names in their positions in that time in the team. He could have definitely made a move, few names can do his job better than him, very very few.

 

[Cutch]

It wasn't just him, Depor had a fantastic team and looked the business Players like Naybet, Mauro, Valeron were the top names in their positions in that time in the team. He could have definitely made a move, few names can do his job better than him, very very few.

Yeah, i suppose they had Bebeto around this time aswell, and were challenging for the league a couple of years.

 

[Gio]

It wasn't just him, Depor had a fantastic team and looked the business Players like Naybet, Mauro, Valeron were the top names in their positions in that time in the team. He could have definitely made a move, few names can do his job better than him, very very few.

Well yes Toshack said he was the best player in his position in the world.

I'm not sure why he didn't move Cutch. He was fairly humble and low-key so was always unlikely to engineer a move elsewhere. It was also a different, more competitive era in Spain, when the top players weren't automatically snapped up by Real or Barca. And as Aldo said, his time at the club coincided with their best years. In his first season I think they were a last-minute penalty pick away from winning the league, but they'd go on to lift the title in 2000 and were very close to picking up the Champions League in 2004. So there was little incentive for him to move, especially when there was a constant stream of fellow Brazilians in the squad, such as Bebeto, Rivaldo, Donato and Djalminha.

 

[NM]

I'm all for the hyperbole. Bold statements and no holding back. Makes for good arguments.

Bit curious here, Mauro Silva. Genuinely had no idea he was rated so highly. Is there any reason why he stayed at Depor and never moved to a larger club?

The whole Deor team was great.. Very good team. Loved watching them... Wasn't only him. A bunch of good plaers.. Super Depor... those were the good ol days.

 

[Theon]

Good writeups Gio.

Theon, do we just send you a PM then the night before the game? Sorry if you've already stated this somewhere. What time we kickin off on Wednesday?

Nah man, no PM's. The word limit was so low in the AllTime draft I thought it would be better to do it this way so we weren't so restricted.

Just post your tactics and formation graphic as one post in this thread and then it will be copied into the match thread - the way Polaroid did with the Premiership draft.

So every team needs in their post,

1) The formation from footballuser
2) Any other arguments they want to make, this can be player profiles, an explanation of tactics etc. Try not to focus on the opponent too much in this, it should be more of a description of your own team and why it will win the game.

Does this make sense mate?

 

[Gio]

No problem Theon, I'll add the rest of my spiel in on Thursday morning.

 

[Buchan]

Squeaky-bum time. Nice write up, Gio. I'll post mine later if I get a chance. If not, it'll be tomorrow.

 

[Theon]

No problem Theon, I'll add the rest of my spiel in on Thursday morning.

Do you think this way is alright Gio?

Never ran one of these before so just checking everyone else thinks it's alright. The Premiership one had so much more info in the OP's compared with the AllTime, so it gave voters a better initial idea of the tactics and provided a better base from which to discuss things from.

The only downside I guess is that you can see your opponents tactics before kick off.. But that's what you did in the 70's draft and it worked fine, as well as the Premiership one.

 

[Buchan]

We used to PM the line-ups and tactics before the match thread was launched in the Newbies, which worked well. Nobody got an advantage in terms of seeing opposition tactics and what not. The only downside is that you need a volunteer to receive the PMs and set up the individual match threads.

 

[Theon]

We used to PM the line-ups and tactics before the match thread was launched in the Newbies, which worked well. Nobody got an advantage in terms of seeing opposition tactics and what not. The only downside is that you need a volunteer to receive the PMs and set up the individual match threads.

Yeah we did that for the last one, but the PM limit was tiny and everyone ended up putting links in the match thread back to posts in the draft thread which had their player profiles.. just to get around the word limit.

This way is just easier IMO, player profiles/tactics all in the OP, no need to link back to other posts etc, and you all get more than enough space to explain your team.

Here is an example of the way I am suggesting we go for, you don't have to go into anywhere near as much detail as Polaroid did, but even Gio's write up is way more than what you can fit in a PM.

https://www.redcafe.net/threads/premier-league-20-seasons-final-team-polaroid-vs-team-gio.360296/

 

[Fergus' son]

Yeah we did that for the last one, but the PM limit was tiny and everyone ended up putting links in the match thread back to posts in the draft thread which had their player profiles.. just to get around the word limit.

This way is just easier IMO, player profiles/tactics all in the OP, no need to link back to other posts etc, and you all get more than enough space to explain your team.

Here is an example of the way I am suggesting we go for, you don't have to go into anywhere near as much detail as Polaroid did, but even Gio's write up is way more than what you can fit in a PM.

https://www.redcafe.net/threads/premier-league-20-seasons-final-team-polaroid-vs-team-gio.360296/

So, Gios more than capabale of guiding a lesser team to victory.

 

[Moby]

We used to PM the line-ups and tactics before the match thread was launched in the Newbies, which worked well. Nobody got an advantage in terms of seeing opposition tactics and what not. The only downside is that you need a volunteer to receive the PMs and set up the individual match threads.

Yeah and the word limit at times was an issue, and multiple PMs were also troublesome at times with the 20 PM limit.

IMO the best thing to do is post the player profiles here, exactly like Gio has done. That takes a lot of space of the match thread and is usually information people are already aware of, specially in a draft like this where 99% players are extremely familiar. And post the tactics for the particular match in the match thread either by PMing it to whoever is setting up the thread or posting directly in the thread as soon as the OP is posted.

 

[Gio]

So, Gios more than capabale of guiding a lesser team to victory.

Hey Rob Jones was a great player.

 

[Cutch]

Think i prefer the PM way to be honest. Means you can throw the odd curveball with a selection or formation the opponent won't have expected. Teams and short tactics on a PM so that the matchday OP is pretty short. Then you can copy and paste in anything you want to add to it as you go along.

 

[Theon]

Think i prefer the PM way to be honest. Means you can throw the odd curveball with a selection or formation the opponent won't have expected. Teams and short tactics on a PM so that the matchday OP is pretty short. Then you can copy and paste in anything you want to add to it as you go along.

Not a fan of the short OP, the aim is to get some discussion going and making it semi-interesting for the voters to read.

Putting all the detail throughout the thread just became haphazard IMO and hard to follow. I think it would be better to have a decent, fairly detailed summary in the OP to give an initail description of how each team will win the game.

Agree that the formation would ideally be kept till kick off though. Gio has just done player profiles so maybe that's the way to go then, but instead of linking back to this thread (which I doubt 90% of voters would do) I could just copy them in to the OP.

How does this sound? Anybody else have any ideas?

 

[Fergus' son]

Not a fan of the short OP, the aim is to get some discussion going and making it semi-interesting for the voters to read.

Putting all the detail throughout the thread just became haphazard IMO and hard to follow. I think it would be better to have a decent, fairly detailed summary in the OP to give an initail description of how each team will win the game.

Agree that the formation would ideally be kept till kick off though. Gio has just done player profiles so maybe that's the way to go then, but instead of linking back to this thread (which I doubt 90% of voters would do) I could just copy them in to the OP.

How does this sound? Anybody else have any ideas?

I was planning to post it just before the game begins for that element of surprise.

 

[Theon]

I was planning to post it just before the game begins for that element of surprise.

That's what I did too.

In that draft we had groups though instead of straight knockouts, so after the first game everyone knew how you were lining up anyway.

 

[Fergus' son]

Player Profiles




Pepe Reina - a safe and reliable pair of hands, Reina won the premier leagues golden glove award three years in a row from 05-08, keeping clean sheets in more than half of his first 200 games.

Denis Irwin -best known for his long and successful stint at Manchester United, where he established himself as one of the most important players in the United team that won a host of domestic and European trophies in his time there between 1990 and 2002. He has been regarded by Alex Ferguson as pound for pound his greatest ever signing. Comfortable on either foot and had a great balance between being defensively sound and helping out his wing partner with attacking contributions.

Roberto Ayala - Regarded as one of the best central defenders of his generation, Ayala captained the Argentine national team for more matches (63) than anyone. He played in three World Cups and made a total 115 international appearances, with only Javier Zanetti getting more caps for Argentina.

Walter Samuel - Samuel has been regarded as one of football's toughest defenders, with teammate and Inter captain Javier Zanetti referring to him as the "hardest player" he has played with. Gifted with natural power and pace, Samuel played a key role in Inter's treble success in the 2009–10 season under José Mourinho and has accumulated over 50 caps for the Argentine national team. His strong, uncompromising style of play has earnt him the nickname Il Muro ("The Wall").

Lilian Thuram - the most capped player in the history of the France national team, and one of the twenty most capped players of all time, he is widely regarded as one of the best RBs to ever play the game, and the best defensive RB ever.

Claude Makelele - considered one of the greatest defensive midfielders of all time, so much so that many have dubbed the position 'the Makelele role'. When Real sold him and bought Beckham, this is what Zidane had to say "Why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you are losing the entire engine?"

Bastian Schweinsteiger - Dubbed the "Midfield Motor", Schweinsteiger is also a superb reader of the game and has scored spectacularly due to his good positioning. He has been called "the brain" of the German national team by his coach Joachim Löw and is a key component of the treble winning Bayern team.

Paul Scholes - Needs little introduction, regarding by his peers as one of the best and most complete midfielders of his generation.

Lionel Messi - Needs no introduction, arguably the greatest of all time.

Cristiano Ronaldo - One of the greatest of all time, both for Manchester Utd and Real Madrid.

Gabriel Batistuta - he is Argentina's all-time leading goalscorer, with 56 goals in 78 national team matches, with an all-round game with clinical finishing, heading and free-kick taking abilities, he is known as one of the most complete strikers of his generation. Diego Maradona has also said that Batistuta is the best striker he has ever seen play the game.

Substitues:

Thomas Muller - the most versatile and one of the most effective players in the game today, Muller was vital to the treble winning Bayern team. Müller plays as a midfielder orforward, and has been deployed in a variety of attacking roles—as an attacking midfielder,second striker, and on either wing. He has been praised for his pace, technique and composure, and has shown consistency in scoring and creating goals.

Pablo Aimar - one of the most gifted number tens of his generation, he is a fantastic playmaker, with great vision, passing and shot.

Andreas Moller - He was a playmaker known for his range of passing and goalscoring ability and a vital part of the success of the German national team and Dortmund during the mid 90's.











David Villa - Equally at ease as a striker or as a wing forward, Villa is one of the best and most successful players of his generation. He has played a key part in winning every trophy possible for his club and country, and is currently the leading goalscorer for the Spanish national team.