I think Fiore was much more flexible in that role as he was also a winger and played in central midfield too. Moller is much closer to a classic #10.Re the Totti debate. It's perhaps not optimal, but in fairness Italy's 3-5-2 in Euro 2000 had Totti in front of Fiore, who himself was a reasonably attacking central midfielder. And Totti did well in that tournament.
An idea of the movement of the front three.
(obviously in an ideal world without defenders on the pitch )
But the question, for me, remains who tracks the movement and interchange between Moller and Totti. You can pose the argument about does it get them at their best, and we can discuss that...but with Totti's position, either Lucio steps out of defense, or Totti remains in space. If Lucio steps out, it opens that space in behind him for Moller to run into from deep, or Klinsmann to explode into.
With my question posed, this is where I see the opportunity.
The last sequence is the biggest question mark...as to whether Gustavo follows Moller to the right of the field, or tries to pick up the run of Totti across Lucio into the space vacated by Klinsmann's run.
Cheers. @Šjor Bepo has raised the stakes again in that regard
I think Fiore was much more flexible in that role as he was also a winger and played in central midfield too. Moller is much closer to a classic #10.
Also in that sense you have Enrique who naturally will go forward but he's here on the left, while traditionally played on the right. He filled in but LCM is the least often position I'd see him at.
I think as a whole the whole front three and Enrique doesn't click for me, you have IMO a lot of zones that would overlap. I'm not sure how you see the whole frontline and midfield working.
Also will the Skizzo/Pat midfield pair do the job against Modric/Davids? I think a lot of creativity and service to the front three will be cut out by our midfield.
@Skizzo
Who do you have on the bench?
Am I the only one who thinks Villa, Shevchenko and Kaka is less than optimal? It really needs a playmaking 10 in there which Kaka really isn't.
gifs and now this....you have your missus, leave something for us peasants ffs
Fiore never convinced out wide and was always a classic no8 for me.I think Fiore was much more flexible in that role as he was also a winger and played in central midfield too. Moller is much closer to a classic #10.
i gotta say, I admire the way you can question almost everything about another team, but remain baffled by the attention your keeper gets.
Look at the post on Totti from earlier. It shows him dropping deep in the rightish side of the field, turning, and running at the defence.
Look at any of our posts on Moller. We've shown his runs beyond the strikers, and drifting wide.
Talking of zones overlapping, you have Modric who is best as a creative player, but you will be channeling most of your offense through Kaka. Plus he's never played with an AM like Kaka has he?
Your arguments of my midfield not having time on the ball are odd, as that cuts both ways. You argue that my midfield can't attack or they risk being out of position. Surely your full backs are given the same consideration?
Now I know why @Aldo had those questions about your instructions, because you've somehow got the midfield dominated, defence locked down, and my players are all confused about what to do. Even though it was your team prepared for the wrong set up and made a sub 10 minutes into the match.
Now to the point whether Enrique, Moller and Totti will fit well in that role.
To me Enrique as a CM is a bit of a waste.
Matches as
Right Wing 42
Right Midfield 26
Attacking Midfield 19
Right-Back 6
Centre Forward 6
Left Midfield 6
Central Midfield 5
Left Wing 3
Centre Back
according to transfermarkd. Note it's only an excerpt but having in mind percentage wise Central midfield was the position he least played bar Left wing and center back.
Sure he was pretty versatile, but to me he's better up front either on the right or in #10, the CM one is a bit odd looking to be his best position.
Yeah, I see it the same as antohan. It's not really a problem in terms of ability, I just find it odd that you would use him at right midfield simply because he is versatile and not because he excelled as a right midfielder. It's like using Zanetti as a left midfielder because he had played there sometime in his career, or using Schweinsteiger as a winger because he played there before 2009 or using Raúl as a left winger because he was played there during a season.
I just find it odd because Enrique was just a decent right midfielder, when he played there. For all of his versatility and ability, he wasn't that notable on the right. My memory's a little fuzzy so I don't remember everything, that's why I keep looking back to press at the time.
In 1995-96 for example he was regarded as the 8th best right midfielder in La Liga. MD, 1996 (scroll to the bottom, look for "Volante Derecho")
1994-95, 2nd best right midfielder. MD, 1995 (same instructions)
1993-94, not in the top 8. MD, 1994
1992-93, not in the top 5. MD, 1993
1991-92, not in the top 5. MD, 1992
But from what I've shown you earlier, as soon as he was moved to the left and then to the centre he was seen as someone "who's ability was maximised" as per one of the pieces I referred to in my last post. And that certainly fits in line with how his productivity skyrocketed at Barcelona.
I don't know who other teams are playing on the right, but I know for certain that Enrique isn't better than Figo there. If anything I would've just sold Rui Costa and played Enrique in the middle, and get a real right midfielder. But that's just me, I don't know what everyone else is going to notice when they look at your team.
You really think so? Come on.
In 1996-97 he was regarded as the best left midfielder in La Liga and one of the best overall. Mundo Deportivo 1997
Hell, even before the 1996-97 season he was expected to play left midfield at Barcelona. MD, June 1996
In 1997-98 he was playing much more centrally. Media attributed his surge in goals because LVG was playing him in the middle more. "Louis van Gaal también está sacando el máximo rendimiento de él. El técnico holandés lo ha hecho alinearse como medio centro [central midfielder], como interior [interior midfielder], como mediapunta [attacking midfielder], como extremo [winger] y como delantero centro [centre forward]." MD, January 1998
And just to add on to the claim that he played more centrally in 1997-98 ... MD, August 1997 There's a certain quote from Enrique that adds on to it. "Ésta es una posición diferente a las que estaba acostumbrado porque no es en banda y porque es de enlace entre la defense y la delatera. Sólo me queda jugar de central." The headline is the charm.
He rarely, if ever played on the right during his best period at Barcelona. That was Figo's position and he didn't miss many matches. Figo played 88% of league matches from 1996-97 to 1999-00. Enrique played only 73% of league matches in that same time span. Sure, Enrique had one-offs like against Depor in 1998 but those are rarities.
I'll let Enigma and Skizzo keep slugging it out after this, but I had to answer this one:
Its just demonstrably untrue to say Luis Enrique was better on the right. Firstly, Transfermarkt was only founded in 2000 and I doubt it was the juggernaut of a site then that it later developed into. Their positional info doesn't cover anywhere close to his full career and it isn't particularly reliable as a source of positional information for older players in general. Secondly, he hit a new level of performance after he joined Barcelona, where he initially played from the left (Figo was on the right wing) and then moved centrally. As our dear departed friend Pippa explained:
Pirlo at the base, here we have Gustavo. Then you have Seedorf and Gattuso in the same way we have Modric and Davids only on the opposite sides. We have Davids as our engine in the same mold as Gattuso but obviously better, and Modric as deeper playmaker in the same mold as Seedorf.
I don't see that much difference in the roles we have here.
@Enigma_87
Well as your formation shows Villa is playing in the Sheva role and Sheva in the Crespo role.
Also in both the formations above Kaka had two creative players behind him, Seedorf and Pirlo. In your case it's only Modric who is and he has more defensive responsibility than he's used to. Also playing RCM in a diamond is rather different than in a 433
Showing those two formations just highlights how you don't have the same set up for either player...
In the 433, Modric has the space ahead to move into since theres no one there. Here you have Kaka dominating that area of the field for your team.
In the Milan team, you lack the two players behind Kaka in style, and don't have the two similar strikers ahead.
edit: physio beat me to it.
This isn't exactly clear speech for my money. Firstly, you have Gustavo at the base – as you say – whereas the formation you cite has Pirlo. The only thing similar about that, given what we're talking about, is that both formations have a player at the base.
Secondly, you compare Modric – as a deep lying playmaker of sorts – to Seedorf, who is nowhere near that description. Pirlo is the playmaker in that formation – and it's that role of his you don't have a replicate for. At best you can claim that Modric is capable of doing some deep string pulling, but you seemingly don't intend for him to function as a designated playmaker (but rather as something like a Seedorf – which is confusing at best).
The criticism pertaining to Kaka (see above) is that you lack a proper playmaker – unlike that Milan side you refer to, who did have that, in the shape of Pirlo.
In the first one we have Ambrosini - I think his role is quite the same as Gustavo one. Modric and Davids are both creative players in the same mold as Seedorf/Pirlo are. Davids offers the engine like Seedorf while Modric the playmaker role Pirlo has. Obviously different players, but if we look at their playing style are they any different to what we see here?
Seedorf and Davids are greatly different players. The former is a creative 8 with a good engine whereas the latter is a brilliant, technically accomplished box-to-box dynamo. There skill sets and style of play are significantly different.
For Luis Enrique as I've mentioned that data is incomplete, it's more of an excerpt and also was directed at him playing in CM. I think you can agree that he was better as a wide player when he's deployed in midfield, not the role you have him here.
I've tried to implement Schneider in the same role in our game vs Aldo but that didn't go all too well
Sure, he'll work in that role, but having in mind he'll be preoccupied with defensive work I'm not sure if you are not wasting him there. And he's up against pretty formidable midfield here I think so he'll have a lot to cover.
Sure, but let's see their respective roles here. I think given their playing styles Modric can fill in Pirlo's playmaking shoes. It's what he does for Real anyway. Sure he's different player but if we look at his qualities, can he fill in that role?
So how is that heat map different to his position in the above formation? As already mentioned Pirlo in DLP has the space to distribute the ball, but if we put a #10 in the same mold you have here it's natural to have Gustavo there. Also Pirlo played in that position at Milan as well, with Ambrosini holding.That heat map just undermines your argument. I have no problem accepting that Modric is an outstanding passer, but he's clearly occupying a completely different zone to the deep midfield positions Pirlo took up for Milan.
@Pat_Mustard you have few more over here - https://www.redcafe.net/threads/la-...s-sjor-bepo-anant.415872/page-2#post-18967104
Cheers mate, we may well have to shamelessly steal your hard work soon!
The heat map is near-identical to the position you're playing him in, but its nothing close to the position Pirlo played for Milan in the formation graphic you posted.
No, mate I think you mixed them up.
Alright, but in fairness your presentation above did very little to prevent that from happening.
You posted two different formation pics: What was the purpose of the one with Pirlo at the base?
I'll grant you that the one with Ambrosini at the base somewhat resembles your formation, but it's hardly a carbon copy. You still don't have a player who can offer what Pirlo does in terms of being the main playmaker - and as pointed out above, Davids isn't a perfect match for the Seedorf role either. A direct comparison between your team and the Milan formation (the relevant one) isn't favourable: The criticism (right or wrong) is that you lack some creativity and that Kaka ends up with too much playmaking responsibility: Well, compared to the Milan formation, it's like this in terms of creativity/playmaking ability:
Seedorf > Davids
Pirlo > Modric
In short, I don't see why you'd want to go down that road in the first place. If you actually aim to emulate that team in terms of - say - balance, you're bound to face plenty of criticism, as it really isn't a carbon copy by any stretch.
You mean this one?
The other was illustration if we have Gustavo in LCM like the last match and the possibility to move Modric there, but I already mentioned that in this case due to playing against another diamond the best way is to do what we have did and use Modric/Pirlo in the above comparison with Ambrosini holding.
It was in relevance to some of the concerns issued of the players roles and if we have the players to fulfill those roles.
Of course Modric and Davids didn't play for Milan, but if we see what their abilities are, and especially tactical awareness and discipline I don't see an issue playing them in that role, which was the main case in point.
Going to bed as tomorrow is kinda big day. I'll leave you off and address all points that come up in the morning. Night all and good luck. As always no grudges held
@Pat_Mustard, he was quite versatile alright so as I said in the opening post regarding him he can fill in many positions. In all those examples I think he played in more advanced position from the start. As you mentioned even with Figo on the right and him on the left he was more of a winger than LCM in the way you are depicting him here.
An idea of the movement of the front three.
(obviously in an ideal world without defenders on the pitch )
But the question, for me, remains who tracks the movement and interchange between Moller and Totti. You can pose the argument about does it get them at their best, and we can discuss that...but with Totti's position, either Lucio steps out of defense, or Totti remains in space. If Lucio steps out, it opens that space in behind him for Moller to run into from deep, or Klinsmann to explode into.
With my question posed, this is where I see the opportunity.
The last sequence is the biggest question mark...as to whether Gustavo follows Moller to the right of the field, or tries to pick up the run of Totti across Lucio into the space vacated by Klinsmann's run.
And looking, again, at Totti's positioning throughout a match not being reliant on his starting position. Just because theres Moller who will be another playmaker/goalscorer on the field, doesn't mean they'll step on each others toes.
Here's Totti playing deep and occupying space on the right at times.
Or dropping deep to pick up the ball and run at the defense
Or dropping behind the forward line, with two runners moving ahead (Klinsmann and Moller?)
Or Totti pushing up against the defense, and flicking it along to the runner (Moller) from deep
Totti dropping to receive the ball and flick it over to a player who had made a run wide (Klinsmann)
Or again, pushing up against the defense and finding the runner far post (Klinsmann)
Okay, another one for you, this time from the Super Cup vs Borussia Dortmund in January 1998.
He plays in a 3 man midfield with De La Pena and Celades, with Rivaldo, Soony Anderson and Figo as the attacking trio ahead of them.
and scores another cracking goal from the edge of the penalty area.
To the extent that he's got a challenging defensive duty in picking up Modric you've got a point, but the nitpicking about his position is baseless, especially when you've erroneously stated that he was better from the right wing than the left.
Well right footed, started predominantly on the right from what I remember, was shifted on the left due to Figo, at least those are my memories of him. If you put him in the LCM position you are sacrificing his attacking talent IMO a lot since he has much to do in midfield being up against Modric/Davids. Can't have it both ways. Also that's a good example of a game but, I don't think he started that regularly in that LCM position you are playing him here jut filled in.