EARVIN:
ISOTOPE/HIMANNV:
TEAM EARVIN:
INTRODUCTION:
Hi everyone, this is a writeup to present the strength of the team I assembled. The objective of this team is going to maintain possession and create the maximum number of scoring occasion out of it since this strategy is unanimously regarded as one of (if not the most) effective in football and I believe this team has the players to carry this task. This is how I envision the team’s organization when attacking.
Starting from a 4-4-2 shape, the team will be shifting to a 2-3-2-3, with Iniesta drifting inside, Alba moving up the pitch and Trent Alexander Arnold joining up the midfield as an inverted fullback. I took inspiration from Manchester City’s most recent season which saw them start games in a 4-4-2 before shifting to a 2-3-2-3 while attacking, as in this disposition, they can ensure that they have a constant numerical superiority in the midfield while maintaining a good defensive balance. This write-up is going to be composed of 8 sections (yes, I know that’s a lot). The first 6 sections are going to cover the different roles of the team and the strength of the players fulfilling those roles. These are advanced playmakers (a.k.a the players in the Half spaces), Wing play, Striker, Midfield, Factor X, and defense. The last two sections are going to cover the potential criticism that this team might receive and a conclusion which will summarize everything that has been said, if you do not want to read everything I suggest going straight to that part.
Advanced playmakers:
Iniesta will not operate as a classic winger but will drift inside to occupy the left Half space, it’s a role he already played most notably with Spain in 2012 where he started as a left winger on the team sheet but operated more like a wide playmaker or an advanced 8. This performance got him the title of best player of the tournament and was instrumental in him being named UEFA player of the year that season (Finished in front of Messi’s 73 goals season). His creative dribbles and passing will be instrumental in breaking down opponent’s lines and defense, and I believe he is one of the very best players I could’ve get to fulfill that role.
The right Half space will be occupied by Italian artist Francesco Totti, while he does not have Andres Iniesta’s close control, he is himself one of the most creative passers of the last 30 years and can add a credible secondary goalscoring threat.
Wing play:
On the wings I have 2 different profiles with Ribery and Alba. Deployed on the right wing is Franck Ribery, which can seem like an odd choice since he played his best years as a left winger in Bayern Munich, however he has no problem playing as a right winger as he proved by putting up a solid performance during the 2006 WC with France in that position even netting a beautiful goal against Spain. Indeed, his playstyle was always closer to one of a traditional winger compared to his teammate Arjen Robben who operated as an inside Forward. He was always more of a playmaker than a goal scorer. He used to cut outside quite often even if it meant putting him on his weak foot to shoot/cross. I believe that by putting him on the right wing, we might rip even more benefits from his playmaking since it will enable him to playmake using his right foot.
His role is going to be to play the 1 v 1 against the opponent fullback, wreaking havoc on the wing and creating from there. Considering that at his peak he used to register more than 5 dribbles, and 3 chances created per 90, it is fair to say that he is one of the very best who could fulfill that role. (Since the data is collected, only Lionel Messi was able to put up similar numbers, even playmakers such as Eden Hazard fall short by a distance). He can also use his pace to receive through balls provided by the teams playmakers, which adds a touch of versatility to his already dangerous profile. His quick passing and combinations with Totti will also be something to look up to since it could easily collapse the defensive structure of the opponent’s team.
Thus, I believe this team possess a ballon d’or level threat on its right wing.
On the left wing, Alba will stretch the opposition’s defense. His runs will be a dangerous outlet for the team’s playmakers. He provides directness, in a team that overall relies on quick passing and penetrative dribbles to create an advantage. The objective of picking him was also to recreate his partnership with Iniesta on the left wing which led Spain to European glory in 2012.
Striker:
The striker of this team is Robert Lewandowski. I am using his most recent version, the one that is banging goals left and right (2019 onwards). Having him feels like cheating since I believe he was the best striker available. In the 2020/21 season, he had a better goal scored per 90 minutes ratio than Cristiano Ronaldo ever managed to reach in his career(1.5 gp90 to 1.39 gp90). This is a testament to his otherworldly finishing ability, so with him on the team I expect that most chances are going to end up in a goal scored. More than goalscoring, he also provides an interesting tactical option thanks to his back to the goal game and hold up play. He is also a good passer who will have no problems adapting to the possession heavy style of the team.
Midfield play:
The midfield is composed of two world class players in Claude Makelele and Andrea Pirlo.
Pirlo has perhaps the most important role in this team. He is the Regista organizing the play from deep and progressing the ball to the forwards. In terms of ability, I believe that he is the best passer of the last 30 years alongside Xavi. As a Barcelona fan, he is the only player for which I’m confident that replacing Xavi with him wouldn’t lead to a significant drop in performance of the Pep team. I think Xavi is better in terms of ball retention and progressive carries, while Pirlo might be a tad better on long balls. Of course, Xavi is greater since he was the heart of the Pep team and the Spanish national which were way more dominant than any team Pirlo was part of, but in terms of pure ability I see them as pretty close.
The other midfielder is Claude Makelele whose Job will be to carry on the defensive duties in the midfield. His quickness and agility made him one of the very best in that domain and he was the backbone of one of the greatest defensive team of modern history (Chelsea 2004-06). His presence in the team provides defensive stability. He is also good enough technically to contribute to the possession heavy playstyle of the team through his ball retention and close control (He started his career as a winger and his technical ability was always apparent even when playing as a DM).
I believe this is the best pair I could get since it provides a good defensive security in the midfield (Pirlo himself was not a liability on the defensive end) and provides the perfect setting for a possession heavy play thanks to the technical ability of Pirlo.
Factor X:
One of the key factors to maintain possession, is to create numerical superiority in the midfield. This is why I chose Trent Alexander Arnold as a right back so that he can drift inside and create that numerical superiority. Iniesta can also drop back if needed to provide an additional option.
I think that the choice of TAA as a right back can be seen as controversial since he is very young and perhaps not everyone in here have realized yet just how insanely good he is. It’s simple, he is on track to be one of the very best if the not the very best right back ever. This is partly due to the evolution of the modern game which allowed fullbacks to take on a bigger responsibility thanks to the inverted fullback role. Him and Cancelo are two of the best Premier league playmakers nowadays, but I consider Trent to be the better player, so picked him over the Portuguese.
Trent is in his own league when it comes to create danger from passing, he ranked third in 2021 in terms of expected assists in the top 5 leagues and first in progressive passes even besting Lionel Fecking Messi in that domain. He is also first in xT* created in the top 5 leagues this season by a wide margin.
This dude is a right back and is more productive in terms of playmaking than any other midfielder, winger or forward in the top 5 leagues of Europe. That is an insane feat in itself, and I don’t know if any other right back in the history of football can boast about accomplishing such a feat. I’m confident that in a few years, and if injuries leave him alone, he will be regarded as one of the greatest at his position.
Here are the sources to the claims that I made in this section about TAA abilities:
Source of these tweets are the websites FBREF and soccerment.
xT*: It’s a metric that is still not mainstream, so I’ll provide a quick explanation for those who are not familiar with it. Basically, it gives a value to each area of the pitch. The more dangerous actions can be created from that area, the higher its value will be. The players who move the ball to the most dangerous area of the pitch tend to get the highest xT score. It is a nice tool to value playmaking without necessary looking at just the ability to do the final pass since that’s what the current metrics like xA and chance created consider.
Here is an interesting article if you want to read more about it. https://karun.in/blog/expected-threat.html
So now, that we’ve established how much of an offensive powerhouse, we’ll talk about his defensive aspect of the game, since he has the reputation of being a weak defender and while that might have been true in his younger days, since 2020 he made a big improvement in that domain and is now elite in that regard.
Here is a visual representation of his talent.
The pass around the 3:00 time stamp is absolutely ridiculous.
Thus, in the team, he will work as a deep lying playmaker, a role not different from the one he occupies in Liverpool. With him and Pirlo, that is two extremely creative players operating from deep which amplifies the creative ceiling of the team to absurd levels.
Defense:
The center back pair is formed by Ronald Koeman and Raphael Varane.
Koeman is one of the best defenders of all time, he will be a challenge to overcome for the opponent’s team forwards, while also enabling the team to build from the back thanks to his passing abilities. He is also the free kick taker of the team and considering that he scored 60 of them during his career (8 most all time) I expect that all free kicks will lead to a potentially dangerous situation.
Varane on the other hand might not be the flashiest name, however I chose him because his profile is what the team needs to be balanced. Indeed, he is very complete as a defender. Solid in his duels, good with his head, technically gifted enough to be press resistant and build from the back. He shined at the highest level considering that he is a World cup winner and won 4 Champions league as a starter.
His most important attribute though which led me to choose him is his speed considering that he is lightning quick, which is going to be a very important asset considering we are playing a high line, thus he will help mitigate the impact of quick opponent players wishing to go on a counterattack.
Here is a compilation showcasing Varane’s Speed. You can see that Messi, Mane and Neymar are some of his victims.
Answer to potential criticism:
Following my interactions with some members in the forum, I feel that some users hold the belief that Possession heavy side are bound to be vulnerable to counter attacking teams who will take advantage of the space behind the high line of defenders. However, I believe that using this argument to discredit this team isn’t valid and I will present two reasons for that.
Firstly, I would point that there are 3 players in this team which occupy deep positions and are very fast footballers who will have no issue whatsoever in retreating and thus slowing down an opponent counterattack. These players are TAA, Makelele and Varane
Secondly, I would like to point out that some of the best defenses of the last 15 years were achieved by possession heavy sides such as Pep’s Barça, Heynckes Bayern or more recently Pep’s Manchester City. And this was often achieved thanks to an although good but not extraordinary center back pairing ( Pique-Puyol or Boateng-Dante). That is because the team’s system is so good that it makes a better collective defense compared to having an average team but with a great center back pairing. (The Spanish national team also holds the record for the fewest goal conceded by a winner with 2 goals, and their backline was Pique-Puyol).
The intense pressing of the team and the fact that the opponent will be deprived of the ball most of the time is going to be enough in itself to ensure a great defense, while World Class defenders Koeman and Varane are only going to make it better.
Concluding thoughts/TLDR:
Here I summarize all the main points and the reasons for which I believe that this team has more chances to win the game. This team just has too many ways to hurt its opponents, it can do so through dribbles and carries thanks to Iniesta and Ribery, or by through balls and creative passing thanks to Iniesta, Totti, TAA and Pirlo (that’s a lot of playmakers, danger could come from anywhere). Pirlo and TAA function as deep lying playmakers and ensure that the ball is always progressing, so the forwards always get plenty of chances. Ribery and Alba are great outlet runners for the team’s playmakers which is yet another way for this team to hurt the opposition.
Lewandowski provides physicality and hold up play back to the goal which is yet another tool that the teams can use to break down opponent’s defense.
And the above paragraph doesn’t even include the team’s most potent weapon which is going to be quick passing to upset the opponent’s organization.
Thus, I believe that this team is a playmaking machine which will create a lot of chances each game since they possess a vast repertoire and so many tools to hurt the opposition. And with a striker as lethal as Lewandowski (and Totti as second striker), I believe that we are not going to need many chances to bang in goals. As in many possession heavy sides, the collective transcends individual qualities and makes each player even better.
On the defensive end, we maintain a high line, an intense pressing, and quick players (Makelele, Varane, TAA) able to recover in case the opposition get a counterattack. This is a recipe for a great defense as was showcased by many possession heavy sides such as Pep/Enrique’s Barça, or Heynckes Bayern.
Oh, and if the defense was to fail in containing an opponent attack, they will have this guy waiting for them in the cages. A.K.A the best goalie ever. (The Caf said it)
TEAM ISOTOPE/HIMANNV:
Formation: 4-4-2
Tactics:
The above image shows the concept of the gegenpress or the gang press. It makes use of the following pressing tactics:
Team features
ISOTOPE/HIMANNV:
TEAM EARVIN:
INTRODUCTION:
Hi everyone, this is a writeup to present the strength of the team I assembled. The objective of this team is going to maintain possession and create the maximum number of scoring occasion out of it since this strategy is unanimously regarded as one of (if not the most) effective in football and I believe this team has the players to carry this task. This is how I envision the team’s organization when attacking.
Starting from a 4-4-2 shape, the team will be shifting to a 2-3-2-3, with Iniesta drifting inside, Alba moving up the pitch and Trent Alexander Arnold joining up the midfield as an inverted fullback. I took inspiration from Manchester City’s most recent season which saw them start games in a 4-4-2 before shifting to a 2-3-2-3 while attacking, as in this disposition, they can ensure that they have a constant numerical superiority in the midfield while maintaining a good defensive balance. This write-up is going to be composed of 8 sections (yes, I know that’s a lot). The first 6 sections are going to cover the different roles of the team and the strength of the players fulfilling those roles. These are advanced playmakers (a.k.a the players in the Half spaces), Wing play, Striker, Midfield, Factor X, and defense. The last two sections are going to cover the potential criticism that this team might receive and a conclusion which will summarize everything that has been said, if you do not want to read everything I suggest going straight to that part.
Advanced playmakers:
Iniesta will not operate as a classic winger but will drift inside to occupy the left Half space, it’s a role he already played most notably with Spain in 2012 where he started as a left winger on the team sheet but operated more like a wide playmaker or an advanced 8. This performance got him the title of best player of the tournament and was instrumental in him being named UEFA player of the year that season (Finished in front of Messi’s 73 goals season). His creative dribbles and passing will be instrumental in breaking down opponent’s lines and defense, and I believe he is one of the very best players I could’ve get to fulfill that role.
The right Half space will be occupied by Italian artist Francesco Totti, while he does not have Andres Iniesta’s close control, he is himself one of the most creative passers of the last 30 years and can add a credible secondary goalscoring threat.
Wing play:
On the wings I have 2 different profiles with Ribery and Alba. Deployed on the right wing is Franck Ribery, which can seem like an odd choice since he played his best years as a left winger in Bayern Munich, however he has no problem playing as a right winger as he proved by putting up a solid performance during the 2006 WC with France in that position even netting a beautiful goal against Spain. Indeed, his playstyle was always closer to one of a traditional winger compared to his teammate Arjen Robben who operated as an inside Forward. He was always more of a playmaker than a goal scorer. He used to cut outside quite often even if it meant putting him on his weak foot to shoot/cross. I believe that by putting him on the right wing, we might rip even more benefits from his playmaking since it will enable him to playmake using his right foot.
His role is going to be to play the 1 v 1 against the opponent fullback, wreaking havoc on the wing and creating from there. Considering that at his peak he used to register more than 5 dribbles, and 3 chances created per 90, it is fair to say that he is one of the very best who could fulfill that role. (Since the data is collected, only Lionel Messi was able to put up similar numbers, even playmakers such as Eden Hazard fall short by a distance). He can also use his pace to receive through balls provided by the teams playmakers, which adds a touch of versatility to his already dangerous profile. His quick passing and combinations with Totti will also be something to look up to since it could easily collapse the defensive structure of the opponent’s team.
Thus, I believe this team possess a ballon d’or level threat on its right wing.
On the left wing, Alba will stretch the opposition’s defense. His runs will be a dangerous outlet for the team’s playmakers. He provides directness, in a team that overall relies on quick passing and penetrative dribbles to create an advantage. The objective of picking him was also to recreate his partnership with Iniesta on the left wing which led Spain to European glory in 2012.
Striker:
The striker of this team is Robert Lewandowski. I am using his most recent version, the one that is banging goals left and right (2019 onwards). Having him feels like cheating since I believe he was the best striker available. In the 2020/21 season, he had a better goal scored per 90 minutes ratio than Cristiano Ronaldo ever managed to reach in his career(1.5 gp90 to 1.39 gp90). This is a testament to his otherworldly finishing ability, so with him on the team I expect that most chances are going to end up in a goal scored. More than goalscoring, he also provides an interesting tactical option thanks to his back to the goal game and hold up play. He is also a good passer who will have no problems adapting to the possession heavy style of the team.
Midfield play:
The midfield is composed of two world class players in Claude Makelele and Andrea Pirlo.
Pirlo has perhaps the most important role in this team. He is the Regista organizing the play from deep and progressing the ball to the forwards. In terms of ability, I believe that he is the best passer of the last 30 years alongside Xavi. As a Barcelona fan, he is the only player for which I’m confident that replacing Xavi with him wouldn’t lead to a significant drop in performance of the Pep team. I think Xavi is better in terms of ball retention and progressive carries, while Pirlo might be a tad better on long balls. Of course, Xavi is greater since he was the heart of the Pep team and the Spanish national which were way more dominant than any team Pirlo was part of, but in terms of pure ability I see them as pretty close.
The other midfielder is Claude Makelele whose Job will be to carry on the defensive duties in the midfield. His quickness and agility made him one of the very best in that domain and he was the backbone of one of the greatest defensive team of modern history (Chelsea 2004-06). His presence in the team provides defensive stability. He is also good enough technically to contribute to the possession heavy playstyle of the team through his ball retention and close control (He started his career as a winger and his technical ability was always apparent even when playing as a DM).
I believe this is the best pair I could get since it provides a good defensive security in the midfield (Pirlo himself was not a liability on the defensive end) and provides the perfect setting for a possession heavy play thanks to the technical ability of Pirlo.
Factor X:
One of the key factors to maintain possession, is to create numerical superiority in the midfield. This is why I chose Trent Alexander Arnold as a right back so that he can drift inside and create that numerical superiority. Iniesta can also drop back if needed to provide an additional option.
I think that the choice of TAA as a right back can be seen as controversial since he is very young and perhaps not everyone in here have realized yet just how insanely good he is. It’s simple, he is on track to be one of the very best if the not the very best right back ever. This is partly due to the evolution of the modern game which allowed fullbacks to take on a bigger responsibility thanks to the inverted fullback role. Him and Cancelo are two of the best Premier league playmakers nowadays, but I consider Trent to be the better player, so picked him over the Portuguese.
Trent is in his own league when it comes to create danger from passing, he ranked third in 2021 in terms of expected assists in the top 5 leagues and first in progressive passes even besting Lionel Fecking Messi in that domain. He is also first in xT* created in the top 5 leagues this season by a wide margin.
This dude is a right back and is more productive in terms of playmaking than any other midfielder, winger or forward in the top 5 leagues of Europe. That is an insane feat in itself, and I don’t know if any other right back in the history of football can boast about accomplishing such a feat. I’m confident that in a few years, and if injuries leave him alone, he will be regarded as one of the greatest at his position.
Here are the sources to the claims that I made in this section about TAA abilities:
Tweet
— Twitter API (@user) date
Tweet
— Twitter API (@user) date
Tweet
— Twitter API (@user) date
Source of these tweets are the websites FBREF and soccerment.
xT*: It’s a metric that is still not mainstream, so I’ll provide a quick explanation for those who are not familiar with it. Basically, it gives a value to each area of the pitch. The more dangerous actions can be created from that area, the higher its value will be. The players who move the ball to the most dangerous area of the pitch tend to get the highest xT score. It is a nice tool to value playmaking without necessary looking at just the ability to do the final pass since that’s what the current metrics like xA and chance created consider.
Here is an interesting article if you want to read more about it. https://karun.in/blog/expected-threat.html
So now, that we’ve established how much of an offensive powerhouse, we’ll talk about his defensive aspect of the game, since he has the reputation of being a weak defender and while that might have been true in his younger days, since 2020 he made a big improvement in that domain and is now elite in that regard.
Tweet
— Twitter API (@user) date
Here is a visual representation of his talent.
The pass around the 3:00 time stamp is absolutely ridiculous.
Thus, in the team, he will work as a deep lying playmaker, a role not different from the one he occupies in Liverpool. With him and Pirlo, that is two extremely creative players operating from deep which amplifies the creative ceiling of the team to absurd levels.
Defense:
The center back pair is formed by Ronald Koeman and Raphael Varane.
Koeman is one of the best defenders of all time, he will be a challenge to overcome for the opponent’s team forwards, while also enabling the team to build from the back thanks to his passing abilities. He is also the free kick taker of the team and considering that he scored 60 of them during his career (8 most all time) I expect that all free kicks will lead to a potentially dangerous situation.
Varane on the other hand might not be the flashiest name, however I chose him because his profile is what the team needs to be balanced. Indeed, he is very complete as a defender. Solid in his duels, good with his head, technically gifted enough to be press resistant and build from the back. He shined at the highest level considering that he is a World cup winner and won 4 Champions league as a starter.
His most important attribute though which led me to choose him is his speed considering that he is lightning quick, which is going to be a very important asset considering we are playing a high line, thus he will help mitigate the impact of quick opponent players wishing to go on a counterattack.
Here is a compilation showcasing Varane’s Speed. You can see that Messi, Mane and Neymar are some of his victims.
Answer to potential criticism:
Following my interactions with some members in the forum, I feel that some users hold the belief that Possession heavy side are bound to be vulnerable to counter attacking teams who will take advantage of the space behind the high line of defenders. However, I believe that using this argument to discredit this team isn’t valid and I will present two reasons for that.
Firstly, I would point that there are 3 players in this team which occupy deep positions and are very fast footballers who will have no issue whatsoever in retreating and thus slowing down an opponent counterattack. These players are TAA, Makelele and Varane
Secondly, I would like to point out that some of the best defenses of the last 15 years were achieved by possession heavy sides such as Pep’s Barça, Heynckes Bayern or more recently Pep’s Manchester City. And this was often achieved thanks to an although good but not extraordinary center back pairing ( Pique-Puyol or Boateng-Dante). That is because the team’s system is so good that it makes a better collective defense compared to having an average team but with a great center back pairing. (The Spanish national team also holds the record for the fewest goal conceded by a winner with 2 goals, and their backline was Pique-Puyol).
The intense pressing of the team and the fact that the opponent will be deprived of the ball most of the time is going to be enough in itself to ensure a great defense, while World Class defenders Koeman and Varane are only going to make it better.
Concluding thoughts/TLDR:
Here I summarize all the main points and the reasons for which I believe that this team has more chances to win the game. This team just has too many ways to hurt its opponents, it can do so through dribbles and carries thanks to Iniesta and Ribery, or by through balls and creative passing thanks to Iniesta, Totti, TAA and Pirlo (that’s a lot of playmakers, danger could come from anywhere). Pirlo and TAA function as deep lying playmakers and ensure that the ball is always progressing, so the forwards always get plenty of chances. Ribery and Alba are great outlet runners for the team’s playmakers which is yet another way for this team to hurt the opposition.
Lewandowski provides physicality and hold up play back to the goal which is yet another tool that the teams can use to break down opponent’s defense.
And the above paragraph doesn’t even include the team’s most potent weapon which is going to be quick passing to upset the opponent’s organization.
Thus, I believe that this team is a playmaking machine which will create a lot of chances each game since they possess a vast repertoire and so many tools to hurt the opposition. And with a striker as lethal as Lewandowski (and Totti as second striker), I believe that we are not going to need many chances to bang in goals. As in many possession heavy sides, the collective transcends individual qualities and makes each player even better.
On the defensive end, we maintain a high line, an intense pressing, and quick players (Makelele, Varane, TAA) able to recover in case the opposition get a counterattack. This is a recipe for a great defense as was showcased by many possession heavy sides such as Pep/Enrique’s Barça, or Heynckes Bayern.
Oh, and if the defense was to fail in containing an opponent attack, they will have this guy waiting for them in the cages. A.K.A the best goalie ever. (The Caf said it)
TEAM ISOTOPE/HIMANNV:
Formation: 4-4-2
Tactics:
The above image shows the concept of the gegenpress or the gang press. It makes use of the following pressing tactics:
- High defensive line - Used to reduce space for the opposition to operate in and as such make it easier to press.
- High press - Everyone contributes off the ball, including the front two.
- Counter attacking - The tactic operates off the theory that a team is in its most vulnerable state as soon as it loses possession.
- Hunting in packs - Attack the ball carrier aggressively with everyone in the vicinity and the others cut out all immediate passing lanes.
Team features
- Everyone contributes in defensive workrate with the aim of winning the ball back as soon as possible and when attacking, this team is incisive and deadly.
- Hardworking off the ball forward line in Keegan and Kempes.
- Creative and skilful Nedved and Littbarski are both hard working off the ball and contribute both wider and centrally.
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- Good passer Tigana and Bremner in midfield who will run all day and work very hard off the ball and on it.
- Fullbacks who are both excellent defensively with good defensive workrate, and good attacking options to provide width when needed.
- Argentinian CBs who know each other well and are both as tough as they come and good in the air. There is top tier quality on the ball from Passerella in particular if we need to play it out.
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- Yashin the best keeper of all time and well suited to a high line.
- Excellent team at set pieces with many aerially dominant players.
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