MICHAEL:
MUSTARD:
MICHAEL TACTICS:
My team will play a 4-2-3-1 formation with Heynckes as an inside forward from the right (in front of the more attacking fullback Okudera) and Littbarski as a winger on the left (behind the more defensive fullback Carboni). I will now detail some of the less well known members of my team before discussing some of the strengths of my team/advantages that I feel my team has in this match.
My right back is Yasuhiko Okudera. After starting his career in Japan, Okudera moved to Germany in 1977 signing for Cologne where he won a league and cup double in his first season mainly playing on the left wing for them. After 3 years at Koln and a year at 2nd division Hertha Berlin, Otto Rehhagel signed him for newly promoted Bundesliga team Werder Bremen where he was moved to an attacking fullback on the right. Okudera appeared in most league games for Werder Bremen as they finished 5th, 2nd, 5th, 2nd and 2nd in Okudera's 5 seasons at the club missing out to both Hamburg in 82/83 (the same year Hamburg won the European Cup) and Bayern in 85/86 on goal difference. In December 1983, Kicker picked him in a hypothetical best foreign players in the Bundesliga XI. Okudera then moved back to Japan and retired a couple of years later. Okudera was known for his pace and left footed shots. At Koln he was nicknamed the Oriental Computer for his ability, while not being technically excellent, to be precise and consistent.
My left back is the 33+ version of Amedeo Carboni which covers most of his Valencia spell (barring the 1st season) during which time he reached two champions league finals; won two La Liga's, a Copa del Rey, and a UEFA Cup; and was included as part of the IFFHS World Team of the Year in 2004 (when he was 39 years old).
My attacking midfielder is Kazimierz Deyna who finished 6th in the Ballon d'Or in 1972 and 1973 and 3rd in the Ballon d'Or in 1974 (behind Beckenbauer and Cruyff). At the 1974 World Cup he created the second most chances of anyone at a single world cup from 1966 onwards with 30 in 7 games (behind only Cruyff in 1974 and level with Xavi in 2010 although Xavi played slightly more minutes although of the top 10 Pele in 1970 and Hassler in 1994 also created chances more frequently although they played less matches than Deyna in 1974). After the 1974 World Cup, top clubs including AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Monaco, Real Madrid and Saint Etienne tried to sign Deyna although this did not happen as Deyna was an officer in the Polish army and was thus not allowed to move to a NATO country (although he was eventually able to sign for Manchester City in 1978). Deyna was also a capable goal scorer winning the golden boot at the 1972 Olympics (which were won by Poland) and scoring 41 goals in 97 games for Poland and 141 goals in 389 games for Legia Warsaw.
Strengths/Advantages
MUSTARD TACTICS:
Formation/Style of Play:
A modern-style 4-3-3 that can alternate between cultured possession-play and lethally quick transitions.
Mackay at CB:
After mulling over the merits of Beckham and Dalglish in the penultimate round of drafting, I opted instead for Dave Mackay due to the options he gave me. Firstly, I could have played a Mackay-Scholes-Edwards midfield and used the final round to pick the best available CB to partner Billy Wright. After landing Edwards and Scholes though, I had my heart set on partnering them with a dribbling-maestro needle player, and so when Modric became available I couldn't pass that up. If I'd faced a team with a hulking aerial threat in attack I'd have considered reluctantly moving the taller Edwards back to CB, but as luck would have it I'm able to play Mackay there, who has the much broader portfolio of performances at CB to call on.
A box-to-box midfield colossus for most of his career, Mackay enjoyed a late-career renaissance at CB under Brian Clough at Derby. He won the Football Writers' Footballer of the Year award as Derby ran away with the Second Division title, then continued to captain the side for another two seasons as they firmly ensconced themselves in the top half of the table in the top flight. He was a main man to the very end too, appearing in all 42 league matches in his final season. Clough raved about Mackay:
"When I look back across all the many and varied signings during my time in management...Dave Mackay has to be the best. Not only did he have everything as a player, but he was the ideal skipper: a supreme example to everybody else at the football club."
I'll share another nice passage from Clough that provides a more specific illustration of what he brings to our team. Billy Wright was an excellent pure defender but no virtuoso with the ball at his feet, so we clearly needed to partner him with a ball-player if we were going to have the requisite playing out from the back ability for a possession team.
"Looking back now, I can isolate two little incidents, perhaps insignificant in themselves, which signalled the beginning and the end of the empire on which Taylor and I had set our hearts and our ambitions. First was the moment when Dave Mackay, the truly great Dave Mackay, put his foot on the ball under the most intense pressure in his own six-yard area and then calmly and deliberately played us out of trouble with a pass that immediately switched defence to attack...When Mackay stopped the ball somebody else in the dug-out was yelling; 'Kick it, shift it, get rid.' Taylor whipped round and shouted: 'That's what we bought him for. That's what we want him to do - put his foot on it. They'll all be doing it from now on. We're on our way.' And we were. Confidence swept from one player to another and the successful Derby era was born."
Our Right Flank:
There's several partnerships and units in this team that I'm chuffed with, but I particularly wanted to highlight our right wing. Kimmich and Robben played together 81 times for Bayern, notching a combined 35 goals and 43 assists in those matches. Impressive numbers, and more so when you consider that the appearance number includes many short substitute cameos from both of them. And this was, increasingly, a post-peak Robben! Factor in the ball-retention and creativity of Modric on that side and that wing looks like an offensive juggernaut. Carboni was a great pick by Mike as a player that truly retained his level at 33+, but he has his work cut out here.
MUSTARD:
MICHAEL TACTICS:
My team will play a 4-2-3-1 formation with Heynckes as an inside forward from the right (in front of the more attacking fullback Okudera) and Littbarski as a winger on the left (behind the more defensive fullback Carboni). I will now detail some of the less well known members of my team before discussing some of the strengths of my team/advantages that I feel my team has in this match.
My right back is Yasuhiko Okudera. After starting his career in Japan, Okudera moved to Germany in 1977 signing for Cologne where he won a league and cup double in his first season mainly playing on the left wing for them. After 3 years at Koln and a year at 2nd division Hertha Berlin, Otto Rehhagel signed him for newly promoted Bundesliga team Werder Bremen where he was moved to an attacking fullback on the right. Okudera appeared in most league games for Werder Bremen as they finished 5th, 2nd, 5th, 2nd and 2nd in Okudera's 5 seasons at the club missing out to both Hamburg in 82/83 (the same year Hamburg won the European Cup) and Bayern in 85/86 on goal difference. In December 1983, Kicker picked him in a hypothetical best foreign players in the Bundesliga XI. Okudera then moved back to Japan and retired a couple of years later. Okudera was known for his pace and left footed shots. At Koln he was nicknamed the Oriental Computer for his ability, while not being technically excellent, to be precise and consistent.
My left back is the 33+ version of Amedeo Carboni which covers most of his Valencia spell (barring the 1st season) during which time he reached two champions league finals; won two La Liga's, a Copa del Rey, and a UEFA Cup; and was included as part of the IFFHS World Team of the Year in 2004 (when he was 39 years old).
My attacking midfielder is Kazimierz Deyna who finished 6th in the Ballon d'Or in 1972 and 1973 and 3rd in the Ballon d'Or in 1974 (behind Beckenbauer and Cruyff). At the 1974 World Cup he created the second most chances of anyone at a single world cup from 1966 onwards with 30 in 7 games (behind only Cruyff in 1974 and level with Xavi in 2010 although Xavi played slightly more minutes although of the top 10 Pele in 1970 and Hassler in 1994 also created chances more frequently although they played less matches than Deyna in 1974). After the 1974 World Cup, top clubs including AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Monaco, Real Madrid and Saint Etienne tried to sign Deyna although this did not happen as Deyna was an officer in the Polish army and was thus not allowed to move to a NATO country (although he was eventually able to sign for Manchester City in 1978). Deyna was also a capable goal scorer winning the golden boot at the 1972 Olympics (which were won by Poland) and scoring 41 goals in 97 games for Poland and 141 goals in 389 games for Legia Warsaw.
Strengths/Advantages
- Goalscoring - In addition to Romario's goalscoring threat whom I see the opposition having problems dealing with, Romario was, according to this profile at Pythagoras in Boots, also had the vision and technical ability to be brilliant at creating chances for others. This will help my team because in addition to Deyna's goalscoring ability mentioned earlier, Heynckes 3 season peak for goalscoring between the 72/73 and 74/75 seasons was immense scoring 47 goals in 53 games; 40 goals in 43 games; and 42 goals in 43 games for Borussia Monchengladbach in those 3 seasons.
- While my opponent has a strong midfield as well, I still feel that midfield is a strength of my team and I'd rate its chances highly in a battle against any other midfield.
- I feel as a central defensive partner to Rio Ferdinand that Marcel Desailly is an upgrade on Nemanja Vidic.
MUSTARD TACTICS:
Formation/Style of Play:
A modern-style 4-3-3 that can alternate between cultured possession-play and lethally quick transitions.
- A modern GK in Courtois - no Neuer with the ball at his feet but nonetheless a keeper who has become one of the world's best in a modern, proactive team.
- A strong seam of ability in possession in the backline. Facchetti and Kimmich are both genuine difference-makers in the attacking phase, and more on Mackay to follow.
- A balanced midfield compromising a first-rate ball-winner and defensive shield in Edwards, the metronomic deeper playmaker Scholes, and the supreme needle-player Modric, who has not only maintained a world-class level but actually managed to elevate his historical standing yet higher aged 33+.
- Benzema has few peers historically in terms of his technique, creativity and selflessness from the CF position, and he's about as proven as it gets as a foil to maximise the output of a goal-hungry wide attacker. Not that he'll have to sacrifice himself to that degree here, with both Rensenbrink and Robben being more collective-orientated than he who will not be named.
Mackay at CB:
After mulling over the merits of Beckham and Dalglish in the penultimate round of drafting, I opted instead for Dave Mackay due to the options he gave me. Firstly, I could have played a Mackay-Scholes-Edwards midfield and used the final round to pick the best available CB to partner Billy Wright. After landing Edwards and Scholes though, I had my heart set on partnering them with a dribbling-maestro needle player, and so when Modric became available I couldn't pass that up. If I'd faced a team with a hulking aerial threat in attack I'd have considered reluctantly moving the taller Edwards back to CB, but as luck would have it I'm able to play Mackay there, who has the much broader portfolio of performances at CB to call on.
A box-to-box midfield colossus for most of his career, Mackay enjoyed a late-career renaissance at CB under Brian Clough at Derby. He won the Football Writers' Footballer of the Year award as Derby ran away with the Second Division title, then continued to captain the side for another two seasons as they firmly ensconced themselves in the top half of the table in the top flight. He was a main man to the very end too, appearing in all 42 league matches in his final season. Clough raved about Mackay:
"When I look back across all the many and varied signings during my time in management...Dave Mackay has to be the best. Not only did he have everything as a player, but he was the ideal skipper: a supreme example to everybody else at the football club."
I'll share another nice passage from Clough that provides a more specific illustration of what he brings to our team. Billy Wright was an excellent pure defender but no virtuoso with the ball at his feet, so we clearly needed to partner him with a ball-player if we were going to have the requisite playing out from the back ability for a possession team.
"Looking back now, I can isolate two little incidents, perhaps insignificant in themselves, which signalled the beginning and the end of the empire on which Taylor and I had set our hearts and our ambitions. First was the moment when Dave Mackay, the truly great Dave Mackay, put his foot on the ball under the most intense pressure in his own six-yard area and then calmly and deliberately played us out of trouble with a pass that immediately switched defence to attack...When Mackay stopped the ball somebody else in the dug-out was yelling; 'Kick it, shift it, get rid.' Taylor whipped round and shouted: 'That's what we bought him for. That's what we want him to do - put his foot on it. They'll all be doing it from now on. We're on our way.' And we were. Confidence swept from one player to another and the successful Derby era was born."
Our Right Flank:
There's several partnerships and units in this team that I'm chuffed with, but I particularly wanted to highlight our right wing. Kimmich and Robben played together 81 times for Bayern, notching a combined 35 goals and 43 assists in those matches. Impressive numbers, and more so when you consider that the appearance number includes many short substitute cameos from both of them. And this was, increasingly, a post-peak Robben! Factor in the ball-retention and creativity of Modric on that side and that wing looks like an offensive juggernaut. Carboni was a great pick by Mike as a player that truly retained his level at 33+, but he has his work cut out here.