Wine Draft R1: Zlatan 7 vs Prolifik

With players at their peak, who would win?

  • Total voters
    7
  • Poll closed .

Physiocrat

Has No Mates
Joined
Jun 29, 2010
Messages
9,568
Zlatan 7

aFOzPxvl.jpg


Prolifik

Beer-Wine.png


Zlatan 7 Tactics

My team would play a counter attacking style with my defenders winning the ball deep and then Pirlo playing passes up the field. Kante would be doing The dog work with hight work rate chasing the ball. Pirlo can either play long balls behind the defence for my wingers or a nice short pass to Zidane for him to carry it. My inverted wingers and my striker would dart into the penalty area with runs off and on the ball, however if my wingers got into trouble my attacking wing backs push up and overlap / support or Zidane is an option inside. Rossi will be a target man in the box poaching and carrying the ball.

Prolifik Tactics

We will play a high-tempo 4-3-3 with an emphasis on exploiting the pace and skill of our front three. Figo and Mbappé are probably the best pair of wingers in the draft, and Torres is an excellent target for them both on the deck and in the air. Between Alonso's range of passing in the holding role, Pirri's surging runs from deep, and the acceleration and trickery of Silva, we have the means to turn defence into attack rapidly, allowing our front three to run riot on the counter.

Silva will be key to our attacking play with his constant movement to find space where it's most advantageous - sometimes drifting out to the wings to create overloads, sometimes running directly at the heart of the defence and slipping passes in behind for Torres or Mbappé. This poses a challenge for Zlatan as Pirlo isn't the most mobile defensive player, and the threat of Pirri's runs will keep Kanté occupied.

Defensively, we have a rock solid back five well shielded by Alonso and Pirri. We will also task the ever willing Silva and Torres with pressuring Pirlo in turns to ensure he can't receive the ball at his leisure and dictate possession.
 
@Zlatan 7 How do you see Pirlo working here? Popul perception is that he needs two workhorses near him to compnesate for his lack of defensive prowess.
 
Physiocrat said:
@Zlatan 7 How do you see Pirlo working here? Popul perception is that he needs two workhorses near him to compnesate for his lack of defensive prowess.
Click to expand...
My team will be sitting deep and compact to minimise exposing pirlo and also minimising the space in behind where Torres and mbappes pace would be a danger. Although mbappe is dangerous I couldn’t think of a better right back in Thuram to neutralise that threat and Torres would struggle for room between Ramos and varane, a proven centre back pair. And then once the ball is won the team would use the speed on the wings and the intelligence of pirlo and zidane to launch a counter attack.
 
Physiocrat said:
@Zlatan 7 How do you see Pirlo working here? Popul perception is that he needs two workhorses near him to compnesate for his lack of defensive prowess.
Click to expand...

I really like Pirlo in those two ball-winning CM set-ups but I do think that’s a bit overplayed. This system isn’t too dissimilar to Italy 2006 where Pirlo was a fair shout for player of the tournament, with Kante / Zidane being stylistically similar to Gattuso / Totti in many ways.
 
Theon said:
I really like Pirlo in those two ball-winning CM set-ups but I do think that’s a bit overplayed. This system isn’t too dissimilar to Italy 2006 where Pirlo was a fair shout for player of the tournament, with Kante / Zidane being stylistically similar to Gattuso / Totti in many ways.
Click to expand...

Didn't they have Perotta at LM and Caromenesi at RM? Italy 2006 seems much more like a midfield 4 than this 4231.
 
tbf he has 3 runners next to him
 
Physiocrat said:
Didn't they have Perotta at LM and Caromenesi at RM? Italy 2006 seems much more like a midfield 4 than this 4231.
Click to expand...

Yes they certainly did but the system was still similar to what Zlatan has here imo. Unlike most Pirlo set-ups (whether that’s for Milan, Juve or Italy) it was a clear two-man midfield with Pirlo and Gattuso as his lone partner. Camoranesi and Perotta were more advanced wide players in that system with Italy using a 4-2-3-1 in possession.

I think if the thrust of what you’re getting at is that the wingers were hard-working defensively then I’d agree with that - it’s still the same shape as Zlatan though and I don’t think Ribery / Futre were lazy players. There may be a trade-off between defensive / offensive contribution in the two sets of wingers, but I don’t think it’s that significant to undermine the whole set up and Zidane offers more than 2006 Totti defensively particularly given he played that tournament half-injured.

However if you’re saying that they were so defensive it operated like a flat midfield 4 to get bodies around Pirlo then I definitely don’t agree - in contrast to normal Pirlo sides it was a very uncongested midfield with Perrotta and in particular Camoranesi were regular out-balls in that side.

Have a look at this MOTM performance vs Germany in the semis - it’s a clear midfield two with Gattuso generally the only one near him:



You can contrast that to more typical Pirlo set ups where they did get bodies around him, typically in a flat three man midfield eg Marchisio / Vidal or Seedorf / Gattuso at Milan - there’s loads of those compilations and he’s notably less isolated in the middle of the park compared with the 2006 set-up.

I think with Kante there he should be okay for Zlatan, he has a similar all-action, pressing style to Gattuso and the lack of positional discipline should be okay given that’s more where Pirlo’s strengths lay defensively. If the wingers don’t track back that might cause problems, but that can be a problem for every side.
 
Thank you for your input @Theon

I think pirlo gets seriously underrated if it’s claimed he needed Atleast 2 people beside him to be able to play.
 
Good win pro, i think the midfield did it for you.

I let zlatan jr pick this team and write up / debating so thanks for the comments whoever did towards his team. He was happy to get just the one vote! And it’s probably one more than what I would have got if I’d done the team :lol:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.