In a rush so may have missed someone.
The UEFA Euro Fantasy Draft
- Thread starter Balu
- Start date
In fairness, that's how Pluskal ends up there. Sure, could go van Moer but a midfield of van Moer and Masopust doesn't work, does it? We always complain how TotT are really unbalanced, don't we?
Elkjaer I had to drop for Dzajic, he was immense for harms, and has a better Euro to boot. Do you know how painful it was to break up Elkenigge AND make Preben the fallguy?
Also, you made the rules: three must be pre-66:
- Puskas? THAT would be boring.
- Sindelar/Sarosi: Platini is a (if not the) Euro GOAT and was also integral to Joga's win
- Czibor: Dzajic was better
- Suarez: Masopust was better for EAP
- Amancio/Meazza: Both Kalle and Gullit deserved it before him
Which leaves Masopust, Pluskal and Yashin as nailed on starters. Shrojf did have some random luck with penalty picks but was under pressure throughout and I hear he dropped a few clangers in the final, just like he did in 1962.
You can't have three Czechs either, your rules DraftMaster
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Nah, no way Durkovic should be there, he was at fault for all the goals (votes) EAP conceded. Nightmare. You may as well play Zebec to fill the pre-66 quota.
What I do buy is dropping Marco for an extra midfielder, which does bring van Moer back into it (or Schuster for that matter, but nationality screws him).
It also makes the frontline more akin to what won the tourno as well.
Zebec should have featured at CB, he was monstrous.
Can't I just criticise the technical study group for doing a shit job without actually doing the job myself?
We should do a serious TOTT as Anto and Annah have done and an alternative one for the characters that made the draft what it is.
This would be my choice:
Mmmm... to be honest when putting it together (and since looking at all the other input) it is abundantly clear that while your front trio was very impressive and carried you to the final it didn't look as complete/fluid as others.
Czibor-Zidane-Amancio looked brilliant
Dzajic-Sarosi-Meazza had a lot going for it
Elkjaer-Platini-Rummenigge seemed to have the best blend out of what the others offered
Puskas-vanBasten-Gullit? It screamed goals, but you somehow couldn't get a grip on how it would work as a unit to unlock a defence.
Not sure this is what you are looking for, but scanning through the names, this is what jumped at me:
Goalkeeper: Shrojf and his penalty heroics left out again on the grounds of nationality. You wouldn't think being Czech would be a problem, but it clearly was. In any case, karma (or was it crappiness?) caught up with him in the final. Not the case with Platzer, aka Taibi, who spent the entire semi shitting his pants at the sight of Gyorgiy Sarosi who unfortunately kept shooting off target this time.
Branko Zebec: as he really should have been played (but IIRC Kaiser was there). Or maybe he should have been in midfield. In fact, I did place him in midfield too, just in case, but had three Croats. I'll leave @Chesterlestreet to ramble on and on about him.
Rossetta: Not the stone, can't remember his first name. He was known for his pinpoint passes but somehow ended at RB ahead of Vogts so that the mighty Traianos Dellas could start in defence. It didn't work.
Khurtsilava: The only player I had literally never ever heard of. Apparently he was every bit as good as Jaap Stam. Mysteriously disappeared from the starting lineup never to return.
Durkovic: Durkovic joins Fefo Eyzaguirre in the pantheon of heroes who tried but failed to replicate Gary Kelly's 70s draft heroics. Never again will a team win with a crap rightback, or at least one that no one could tell whether he was any good at all. He is absolutely fine here in a back five though, free to deliver his overlapping runs without worrying about Zoltan Czibor tearing him a new one.
Steve McManaman: What on earth was he doing there? Seriously, it boggles the mind that @Joga Bonito won this when you go back to his first starting lineup. It all looked rather... desperate. The bizarre thing was he had Anatoliy Demyanenko on the bench instead
Pluskal: Honest to god, who else looked at that midfield with McManaman and thought "Not to worry, Svatopluk Pluskal is there"? Yes, that really is a name, Svatopluk, would make for a great drinking game, just repeat with me Svatopluk Pluskal Svatopluk Pluskal Svatopluk Pluskal.
Theo Zagorakis: Jammiest player ever, didn't only jam a Euro winners medal and Euro POTT Award, when @The Stain dropped him for Davids the fans shouted his name with iron lungs until Hacki Wimmer made way.
Ferenc Vukas: No, unfortunately he wasn't called that or @Theon would have let you know. He is called Bernard. Bernard, what kind of name is that for a Croat? Surely must have been a pioneer of the Brazilian diaspora to Balkan clubs?
Antonin Puc: Not sure why he is here, @crappycraperson really should have got a player like him but on the right. Broken record, much? Truth is, when contemplating the Svatopluk Pluskal drinking game it reminded me of Captain Puc and his many glasses of wine. There you go.
Florian Albert: The entire caf creamed at a clip of his playing against Brazil. Somehow, people saw it fit to clarify that was not a Euro performance. No shit Sherlock. Joga, who had just scraped through the near death experience of fielding Steve feckin' McManaman as a left wingback, prepared feverishly for his quarter-final game. His entire defence and gameplan revolved around stopping @Aldo's most important player, the star who could make it all end in tears. He never showed up, leaving Desailly running around like a headless chicken wondering what he was meant to be doing.
What on earth was he doing there? Seriously, it boggles the mind that @Joga Bonito won this when you go back to his first starting lineup. It all looked rather... desperate. The bizarre thing was he had Anatoliy Demyanenko on the bench instead
Leave bananaman alone!
You should do another one of your Top 3 BOTD awards
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He was a fantastic defender to be fair, and probably had a better domestic career than Schesternyov, for example. But he was unlucky as the golden USSR generation came to an end when he peaked. The best Georgian player of the last 50 years too - it was a tough choice between him and Van Moer (who to bench) but Rijkaard can do everything that Khurtsilava could but better and then some.Definetely better player/defender than Ondrus too, but Ondrus' Euro credentials were shinier (and aerial ability helped)
Quality post, a good laugh after a great draft, thanks!
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Not sure this is what you are looking for, but scanning through the names, this is what jumped at me:
Goalkeeper: Shrojf and his penalty heroics left out again on the grounds of nationality. You wouldn't think being Czech would be a problem, but it clearly was. In any case, karma (or was it crappiness?) caught up with him in the final. Not the case with Platzer, aka Taibi, who spent the entire semi shitting his pants at the sight of Gyorgiy Sarosi who unfortunately kept shooting off target this time.
Branko Zebec: as he really should have been played (but IIRC Kaiser was there). Or maybe he should have been in midfield. In fact, I did place him in midfield too, just in case, but had three Croats. I'll leave @Chesterlestreet to ramble on and on about him.
Rossetta: Not the stone, can't remember his first name. He was known for his pinpoint passes but somehow ended at RB ahead of Vogts so that the mighty Traianos Dellas could start in defence. It didn't work.
Khurtsilava: The only player I had literally never ever heard of. Apparently he was every bit as good as Jaap Stam. Mysteriously disappeared from the starting lineup never to return.
Durkovic: Durkovic joins Fefo Eyzaguirre in the pantheon of heroes who tried but failed to replicate Gary Kelly's 70s draft heroics. Never again will a team win with a crap rightback, or at least one that no one could tell whether he was any good at all. He is absolutely fine here in a back five though, free to deliver his overlapping runs without worrying about Zoltan Czibor tearing him a new one.
Steve McManaman: What on earth was he doing there? Seriously, it boggles the mind that @Joga Bonito won this when you go back to his first starting lineup. It all looked rather... desperate. The bizarre thing was he had Anatoliy Demyanenko on the bench instead
Pluskal: Honest to god, who else looked at that midfield with McManaman and thought "Not to worry, Svatopluk Pluskal is there"? Yes, that really is a name, Svatopluk, would make for a great drinking game, just repeat with me Svatopluk Pluskal Svatopluk Pluskal Svatopluk Pluskal.
Theo Zagorakis: Jammiest player ever, didn't only jam a Euro winners medal and Euro POTT Award, when @The Stain dropped him for Davids the fans shouted his name with iron lungs until Hacki Wimmer made way.
Ferenc Vukas: No, unfortunately he wasn't called that or @Theon would have let you know. He is called Bernard. Bernard, what kind of name is that for a Croat? Surely must have been a pioneer of the Brazilian diaspora to Balkan clubs?
Antonin Puc: Not sure why he is here, @crappycraperson really should have got a player like him but on the right. Broken record, much? Truth is, when contemplating the Svatopluk Pluskal drinking game it reminded me of Captain Puc and his many glasses of wine. There you go.
Florian Albert: The entire caf creamed at a clip of his playing against Brazil. Somehow, people saw it fit to clarify that was not a Euro performance. No shit Sherlock. Joga, who had just scraped through the near death experience of fielding Steve feckin' McManaman as a left wingback, prepared feverishly for his quarter-final game. His entire defence and gameplan revolved around stopping @Aldo's most important player, the star who could make it all end in tears. He never showed up, leaving Desailly running around like a headless chicken wondering what he was meant to be doing.
Much much better.. this alternate XI has to be a regular feature.
Not sure this is what you are looking for, but scanning through the names, this is what jumped at me:
Goalkeeper: Shrojf and his penalty heroics left out again on the grounds of nationality. You wouldn't think being Czech would be a problem, but it clearly was. In any case, karma (or was it crappiness?) caught up with him in the final. Not the case with Platzer, aka Taibi, who spent the entire semi shitting his pants at the sight of Gyorgiy Sarosi who unfortunately kept shooting off target this time.
Branko Zebec: as he really should have been played (but IIRC Kaiser was there). Or maybe he should have been in midfield. In fact, I did place him in midfield too, just in case, but had three Croats. I'll leave @Chesterlestreet to ramble on and on about him.
Rossetta: Not the stone, can't remember his first name. He was known for his pinpoint passes but somehow ended at RB ahead of Vogts so that the mighty Traianos Dellas could start in defence. It didn't work.
Khurtsilava: The only player I had literally never ever heard of. Apparently he was every bit as good as Jaap Stam. Mysteriously disappeared from the starting lineup never to return.
Durkovic: Durkovic joins Fefo Eyzaguirre in the pantheon of heroes who tried but failed to replicate Gary Kelly's 70s draft heroics. Never again will a team win with a crap rightback, or at least one that no one could tell whether he was any good at all. He is absolutely fine here in a back five though, free to deliver his overlapping runs without worrying about Zoltan Czibor tearing him a new one.
Steve McManaman: What on earth was he doing there? Seriously, it boggles the mind that @Joga Bonito won this when you go back to his first starting lineup. It all looked rather... desperate. The bizarre thing was he had Anatoliy Demyanenko on the bench instead
Pluskal: Honest to god, who else looked at that midfield with McManaman and thought "Not to worry, Svatopluk Pluskal is there"? Yes, that really is a name, Svatopluk, would make for a great drinking game, just repeat with me Svatopluk Pluskal Svatopluk Pluskal Svatopluk Pluskal.
Theo Zagorakis: Jammiest player ever, didn't only jam a Euro winners medal and Euro POTT Award, when @The Stain dropped him for Davids the fans shouted his name with iron lungs until Hacki Wimmer made way.
Ferenc Vukas: No, unfortunately he wasn't called that or @Theon would have let you know. He is called Bernard. Bernard, what kind of name is that for a Croat? Surely must have been a pioneer of the Brazilian diaspora to Balkan clubs?
Antonin Puc: Not sure why he is here, @crappycraperson really should have got a player like him but on the right. Broken record, much? Truth is, when contemplating the Svatopluk Pluskal drinking game it reminded me of Captain Puc and his many glasses of wine. There you go.
Florian Albert: The entire caf creamed at a clip of his playing against Brazil. Somehow, people saw it fit to clarify that was not a Euro performance. No shit Sherlock. Joga, who had just scraped through the near death experience of fielding Steve feckin' McManaman as a left wingback, prepared feverishly for his quarter-final game. His entire defence and gameplan revolved around stopping @Aldo's most important player, the star who could make it all end in tears. He never showed up, leaving Desailly running around like a headless chicken wondering what he was meant to be doing.
brilliantWhat? I mean, seriously - what?
You think the bloke played alongside Masopust in a 4-2-4 of sorts that made it to the World Cup final in 1962 just because the manager thought he had a funny name?
You reckon he was selected for the "rest of the word" side that faced England for the FA centennial match because he was considered a comic relief?
You're well off the mark here, mate. I mean, I usually get on here while drunk - but even I would've struggled to come up with that load of bollocks.
Unless it was sarcastic. In which case my post is sarcastic too. Or something. Remember, they key point is that I usually post whilst drunk.
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Come back when you are sober.
Viva la Alcohol!
The funny thing is that out of all the players, the one triggeering a response was the drinking game one. I suppose he just destroyed his last functional neurones while repeating Svatopluk Pluskal, which is the entire point of drinking games!
It's true.
Woke up earlier today after a week-long bender, brought on by feckin' Pluskal and his strangely hypnotic name.
Sorry about the post, man – I was totally hammered at the time, and brimming with righteous indignation over your scurvy treatment of the legendary Pluskal – who, to add insult to injury, was not picked in this (current) draft, let's not forget that.
Legendary Pluskal?
Legendary Pluskal?
You're not that good with drunken hyperbole, are you?
Which is a bit odd, given your track record.
Legendary? Well, perhaps not. But he was part of a legendary duo. He was Masopust's side kick. That's at least semi-legendary. And in the early sixties he was considered one of the best midfielders in the world – that is beyond all doubt.
I was the only one picking him in the Team of the Tournament. The proper one, not that jokey one.
Legendary Pluskal?
Would have been interesting to see Pluskal, Vukas and Puskas in the same team.
Chill mate. Being Friday evening, I'm obviously under glorious influence. I was just stuck with the word Legendary!
I like him and actually wanted to do Masopust more justice than what I did last draft, but wanted a change. Even last draft I actually wanted Pluskal but got stuck in the 4-3-3 and never had guts to do my thing!
Vukas
Thought @Theon just lost because he never sold Vukas properly. Immense team let down by Vukas, imo!
Just noticed, 6 players from the eventual winner Joga, 4 players from me (well, Yashin is a 50/50 probably, as I only picked him up later) and only Masopust from Edgar. Speaking of a preliminary finalNah, no way Durkovic should be there, he was at fault for all the goals (votes) EAP conceded. Nightmare. You may as well play Zebec to fill the pre-66 quota.
What I do buy is dropping Marco for an extra midfielder, which does bring van Moer back into it (or Schuster for that matter, but nationality screws him).
It also makes the frontline more akin to what won the tourno as well.
I know. But that point was lost on me at the time of composing the rant.
Good man!
I've been to one of the most horrible job related dinner slash representation duty...things I've ever attented, and I'm well on my way to another Pluskal style blackout.
I feel you mate! Can't get drunk with clients present and get blasted after. Terrible!
Drunk till 4:00am. Anyone drafting?