The Redcafe Champions League Draft

Fergus - Messi, Scholes, Irwin
Theon - Maldini, Xavi, Shevchenko
Edogen - Zidane, Buffon, Pires
Gio - Ronaldinho, Vieira, Vidic
Akash - Henry, Lizarazu, Ballack
Ralaks -Stam, Campbell, van Nistelrooy
TITO - Figo, Carlos
Kps -Redondo, A. Cole
 
Fergus - Messi, Scholes, Irwin
Theon - Maldini, Xavi, Shevchenko
Edogen - Zidane, Buffon, Pires
Gio - Ronaldinho, Vieira, Vidic
Akash - Henry, Lizarazu, Ballack
Ralaks -Stam, Campbell, van Nistelrooy
TITO - Figo, Roberto Carlos, Toldo
Kps -Redondo, A. Cole​
 
Hugo Lloris

Fergus - Messi, Scholes, Irwin
Theon - Maldini, Xavi, Shevchenko
Edogen - Zidane, Buffon, Pires
Gio - Ronaldinho, Vieira, Vidic
Akash - Henry, Lizarazu, Ballack
Ralaks -Stam, Campbell, van Nistelrooy
TITO - Figo, Roberto Carlos, Toldo
Kps -Redondo, A. Cole, Lloris​
 
Just so you know I will be back in Sweden tuesday night so would like my game earliest Thursday if that is possible.
 
Gio has reinforced best here, by a mile. Ralaks also has used this very well though.

Theon's Xavi pick provides a barca plan b but has massive brainfart potential. Thought Kaka belonged in that team.

Can't believe Angloma didn't remain in the game, Edogen would have been up there with gio taking him and not pires.
 
I'm back now, totally happy with the players I ended up getting, when I was looking at the players available and the ones probably getting picked before my team this is basicly the team I hoped to go get, with minor alterations (Would've prefered Maldini to Stam if I could, but he was always going before).

VDS​
Rafael Stam Campbell Capdevila​
Beckham Keane Effenberg Overmars​
Del Piero​
Nistelrooy​
I wanted to stay with 4-4-2 as far as it can take me, so given CL qoutas and draft order I think I did fine, managed to heavily reinforce my central defence as well as getting one of the finest front men to hit in Beckham crosses ever.​
 
Keane and Stam, and Beckham and Van Nistlerooy!

I don't think I rate RVN as much as the rest of the cafe but linking him and Beckham up again is brilliant, guaranteed a goal IMO.
 
I think I'll compile the numbers at some point myself to properly debunk the myth but I'm absolutely certain the Beckham-RvN partnership was nowhere near as prolific as some people remember. Despite Ruud scoring more in his first two seasons than Yorke in his entire time here I've no doubt Yorke scored a fair few more from Beckham assists.
 
Ralaks said:
I'm back now, totally happy with the players I ended up getting, when I was looking at the players available and the ones probably getting picked before my team this is basicly the team I hoped to go get, with minor alterations (Would've prefered Maldini to Stam if I could, but he was always going before).

VDS​
Rafael Stam Campbell Capdevila​
Beckham Keane Effenberg Overmars​
Del Piero​
Nistelrooy​
I wanted to stay with 4-4-2 as far as it can take me, so given CL qoutas and draft order I think I did fine, managed to heavily reinforce my central defence as well as getting one of the finest front men to hit in Beckham crosses ever.​
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After the confeds final everyone "joked" you needed to get rid of the defensive pair and you also were screwed as far as the CL quota is concerned.

It was quite pleasing to see you pull it off, vastly improving your side in the process and improving it not just with names but players who will perform exceptionally well in that setup. It's hard not to go into muppet mode in this reinforcement round, which makes it even more impressive.

Your next man would obviously be Giggsy :drool: and fingers-crossed, you could get Zambrotta next.
 
antohan said:
After the confeds final everyone "joked" you needed to get rid of the defensive pair and you also were screwed as far as the CL quota is concerned.

It was quite pleasing to see you pull it off, vastly improving your side in the process and improving it not just with names but players who will perform exceptionally well in that setup. It's hard not to go into muppet mode in this reinforcement round, which makes it even more impressive.

Your next man would obviously be Giggsy :drool: and fingers-crossed, you could get Zambrotta next.
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Are you under the impression that the semi final draw as been made?
 
Brwned said:
I think I'll compile the numbers at some point myself to properly debunk the myth but I'm absolutely certain the Beckham-RvN partnership was nowhere near as prolific as some people remember. Despite Ruud scoring more in his first two seasons than Yorke in his entire time here I've no doubt Yorke scored a fair few more from Beckham assists.
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Please do.

I just consider RVN to be a much better player with Beckham in the team personally.
 


There you go. 10 assists in two seasons. Yorke might've matched that in just the one!
 
Fergus' son said:
I don't think I rate RVN as much as the rest of the cafe
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Makes me wonder how little you must rate Vieri then!

Brwned said:
I think I'll compile the numbers at some point myself to properly debunk the myth but I'm absolutely certain the Beckham-RvN partnership was nowhere near as prolific as some people remember. Despite Ruud scoring more in his first two seasons than Yorke in his entire time here I've no doubt Yorke scored a fair few more from Beckham assists.
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No idea about the stats, very likely with Yorke being much better at route 1 than Ruud. But I think it isn't just assists but playing style. RvN clearly worked better with exceptional teamplayers selfelessly focused on what was best for the side (with that pretty much being working for/around van Nistelrooy). It's not just Beckham but Solskjaer himself worked better as a right winger with him than many actual right wingers would.
 
Wow, surprised at that. Beckham was a better player in '99 IMO, but still.

I'm sure you've delighted Ralaks by making that information public! :lol:

Nice Utd connection running through the team though, I'm sure you'de agree. Has Ramos's stock fallen so much that he isn't even considered to be better than Rafael is now, when he was at his peak?
 
antohan said:
Makes me wonder how little you must rate Vieri then!



No idea about the stats, very likely with Yorke being much better at route 1 than Ruud. But I think it isn't just assists but playing style. RvN clearly worked better with exceptional teamplayers selfelessly focused on what was best for the side (with that pretty much being working for/around van Nistelrooy). It's not just Beckham but Solskjaer himself worked better as a right winger with him than many actual right wingers would.
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I just think Van Nistlerooy is overrated by our fans, when he was at the club I remember the Henry vs RVN debates, and there's only one winner there, despite the protestations of the Utd fans!

Both he and Vieri are great strikers, RVN I prefer. Has there ever been a striker as one footed as Vieri?
 
I'm just pissing about, not sure what gave you that impression. I just pointed out Ralaks' only hope of a fullback upgrade is Zambrotta, given the CL constraint.
 
Oh right, something you said about tito and theon having to be worried about Gio.
 
Fergus' son said:
I just think Van Nistlerooy is overrated by our fans, when he was at the club I remember the Henry vs RVN debates, and there's only one winner there, despite the protestations of the Utd fans!
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I agree Henry was the superior player. I don't think either side would have swapped players though. As the squad worsened, RvN carried United in a way Henry hardly would have.

Both he and Vieri are great strikers, RVN I prefer. Has there ever been a striker as one footed as Vieri?
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You make him sound like the left footed version of TonyV. His right was functional. Not tremendous as his left, but functional.
 
Fergus' son said:
Oh right, something you said about tito and theon having to be worried about Gio.
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That was directed at Aldo. He was upset at my suggestion Gio could let them have Ronnie and pick him up later. I told him he shouldn't be worried about how Gio reinforced for semis (as it would imply him being out!) but that Theon and Tito should (one of them a definite semifinalist).
 
Aboutreika18 said:
Adriano.
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Good shout.

antohan said:
I agree Henry was the superior player. I don't think either side would have swapped players though. As the squad worsened, RvN carried United in a way Henry hardly would have.



You make him sound like the left footed version of TonyV. His right was functional. Not tremendous as his left, but functional.
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Course we would've swapped, RVN was turfed out soon later anyway and we were winning feck all with him.

Can't get that open net at 2006 out of my head, he missed with his right from a yard. You might be right though.
 
antohan said:
That was directed at Aldo. He was upset at my suggestion Gio could let them have Ronnie and pick him up later. I told him he shouldn't be worried about how Gio reinforced for semis (as it would imply him being out!) but that Theon and Tito should (one of them a definite semifinalist).
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Confusing as two of me, Ralaks, Edogen and kp are also definite semi finalists.
 
Fergus' son said:
Course we would've swapped, RVN was turfed out soon later anyway and we were winning feck all with him.

Can't get that open net at 2006 out of my head, he missed with his right from a yard. You might be right though.
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We were winning feck all because we were terrible, without RvN we certainly wouldn't have won it in 2003. There have been few as deadly in the box as RvN in the last decade and I'd say Henry isn't one of them. He was a better footballer overall and his assist/goalscoring stats are better at his peak, but even at his peak he wouldn't be as clinical as Ruud was even when feeding on scraps.

Not sure what miss you are referrig to, looks a bad one. Watch his 64 goals in 92 games for Real and tell me you don't see a deadly finisher.



Fergus' son said:
Confusing as two of me, Ralaks, Edogen and kp are also definite semi finalists.
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They were the ones who had laughed at my comment before Aldo took issue, wasn't going to list all 6 others either.
 
You could've just said, 'the rest of the teams'.

I was referring to a Vieri miss, might've been 2002.

Of course I see a deadly finisher in RVN, did I actually say otherwise? We would've been a much better team with Henry instead of RvN and won more though IMO.
 
Fergus' son said:
I was referring to a Vieri miss, might've been 2002.

Of course I see a deadly finisher in RVN, did I actually say otherwise? We would've been a much better team with Henry instead of RvN and won more though IMO.
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Ah, OK, I thought the miss thing was something making you underrate RvN. I know what you are referrig to now (Italy-Korea 02) but I don't think that was one-footedness. He was lunging at a ball and mishit/miscued it, shit happens. Had he had time on the ball you could say it is the result of one-footedness.

I don't think we will agree on the RvN-Henry thing, except for both considering Henry the superior player overall.
 
antohan said:
Ah, OK, I thought the miss thing was something making you underrate RvN. I know what you are referrig to now (Italy-Korea 02) but I don't think that was one-footedness. He was lunging at a ball and mishit/miscued it, shit happens. Had he had time on the ball you could say it is the result of one-footedness.

I don't think we will agree on the RvN-Henry thing, except for both considering Henry the superior player overall.
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Yeah, that's it, he would've buried it on his left foot IMO.

Imagine Henry - Rooney - Ronaldo, would've been something else!
 
Oh yeah, once Ronaldo got going that three would have been immense. Henry was spent by then though.

That's why I wouldn't have traded RvN when both where at their peaks. It was probably self-reinforcing reliance on him, but we were set up in such a way that we needed RvN up there. Henry wouldn't have been as good at what RvN did best and was much better suited to Arsenal's free flowing attack.

Take Ralaks as an example, I would never play Henry in that side ahead of RvN.
 
I had 4 players taken.. Is that the most from the other teams?
 
Yeah, kps was unlucky Toldo didn't last.

Cutch, I can't see who would have picked Raúl TBH.

It's really among the non-CL ones you would look for surprises as they had brownie points for that. Still don't understand how EDogen didn't get Angloma. kps should also have gone for him to replace Salgado instead of Lloris.

Theon not picking Kaká is shocking as well. I can see the attractiveness in Shevchenko, but with Ronaldo to be picked next... I would have gone for Kaká and Toldo, less fancy than what he got but a better choice going forward.
 
BTW, Theon, you should update the op with winners, reinforcements from each team and QF dates.

Before you complain, I've done the actual hard work for you. It's just infinitely better for those who contribute here and there or wanting any clarification to be referred there, let alone for us to have one place to quickly check stuff.

kps88: 1. Cristiano Ronaldo 2. Kohler 3. Davids 4. Vieri 5. Riquelme 6. Costacurta 7. Cambiasso 8. Salgado 9. Gonzalez 10. Heinze 11. Peruzzi 12. Solskjaer 13. Redondo 14. A. Cole 15. Lloris
Thisistheone: 1. Ronaldo 2. Desailly 3. Rui Costa 4. Blanc 5. Essien 6. Dani Alves 7. Rooney 8. Paulo Sousa 9. Grosso 10. Barthez 11. Di Maria 12. Simao 13. Figo 14. Roberto Carlos 15. Toldo
Ralaks: 1. Keane 2. Del Piero 3. Effenberg 4. Beckham 5. Overmars 6. Ramos 7. Trezeguet 8. Piqué 9. Rafael 10. van der Sar 11. Capdevila 12. Higuain 13. Stam 14. Campbell 15. van Nistelrooy
akash02: 1. Romario 2. Cannavaro 3. Hagi 4. Guardiola 5. Lahm 6. McManaman 7. Petit 8. Chiellini 9. Baraja 10. Van Bronckhorst 11. Canizares 12. Recoba 13. Henry 14. Lizarazu 15. Ballack
Gio: 1. Rivaldo 2. Nedved 3. Ferdinand 4. Zanetti 5. Fabregas 6. Zambrotta 7. Montero 8. Joaquin 9. Owen 10. Mauro Silva 11. Taffarel 12. Makaay 13. Ronaldinho 14. Vieira 15. Vidic
EDogen: 1. Nesta 2. Giggs 3. Hierro 4. Van Persie 5. Enrique 6. Robben 7.Evra 8. Ferrara 9. Deco 10. Simeone 11. Sagna 12. Rustu 13. Zidane 14. Buffon 15. Pires
Theon: 1. Iniesta 2. Pirlo 3. Cafu 4. Gattuso 5. De Rossi 6. Crespo 7. Aguero 8. Thiago Silva 9. Candela 10. Nadal 11. Neuer 12. Kluivert 13. Maldini 14. Xavi 15. Shevchenko
Fergus'son: 1. Batistuta 2. Thuram 3. Ayala 4. Makelele 5. Schweinsteiger 6. Moller. 7. Villa 8. Muller 9. Aimar 10. Samuel 11. Reina 12. Tarnat 13. Messi 14. Scholes 15. Irwin

If I got any of the non-CL wrong let me know but it looks right off the top of my head. Will Gio try win it with an all non-CL XI? :eek:

You can tell who is having and will have trouble with that rule already. akash has been unlucky to plan that side so well and face someone not constrained at all by it.
 
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