40's Draft - Round 1 - Aldo vs mazhar13

[Balu]

Team Aldo
​

The team will be playing a counter attacking formation with a three pronged attack that unites relentless pace, power, technical ability, dazzling dribbling and creativity, big game players and plenty of goal threat. The midfield and defence would provide a strong platform for this attack to shine.

Starting with the keeper, no introduction needed for our European Cup winning keeper. No one can forget the heroic save he made against Eusebio in the final. I strong and reliable keeper, he will be forming a watertight unit with the two centerbacks ahead of him.

Firstly, there is Hector Chumpitaz, one of the greatest defenders of all time and a standout one in this draft, the complete defender, Chumpitaz would provide a strong physical presence here as well as the sort of drive and determination you need from your centre half in this sort of a match. Partnering him is the "Iron Rinus", Rinus Israel, who compliments Chumpitaz perfectly in bringing the calm and collected presence at the back. The two of them are one of the best CB pairs in the draft, and would be keeping Hurst quiet for most of the game. Not to forget while on the ball, both provide an outlet which is essential to this counter attacking setup.

Out wide, the Liverpool legend Lawler assumes his defensive fullback role, an accomplished CB, he was defensively astute and would tuck in to form a cohesive defensive unit. On the other side the Benfica legend Cruz would be asked to stay in shape with the rest of the backline.

Protecting the defence is the Italian workhorse Furino. Known as "Furia", Furino would provide endless reserves of tenacity and stamina and aggression, constantly winning the ball back and possessing good enough technical ability for a DM to turn defence into attack quickly.

Partnering him would be Madrid and Spanish legend and one of the best midfielders in the draft, Jose Pirri. An absolutely complete player, he has the tendency to be everywhere on the pitch and influence the game in both phases of the game. In this game he will be helping out against Jairzinho defensively and then quickly break forward to support the attack. Being as tactically aware and intelligent as he was, I expect him to make the crucial decisions in the middle of the park and dictate the game.

Starting the attack, sort of, the playmaker of the team is Ademir Da Guia, "The Divine One". An immense playmaker and dribbler, he brings exquisite passing and creative ability to the team that would unlock the tightest of defences. He will be starting in a deeper role in midfield which he preferred and in tandem with Pirri, both with receive the ball and start counters without a second invitation. Lightning quick thinking and passing ability would be devastating with the front line ahead of him.

Talking of which, the left flank will be occupied by Pierino Prati, the hat trick hero in the 1969 European Cup win for Milan, Prati packs electric pace, control, technique and goal threat in one nice package. He will be playing off Boninsegna (already played together) and making his runs inside from the left channel. Up front is the opportunistic Boninsegna, a constant menace to the opposition defence and on the ball and complete force in himself.

Lastly, the fifth Beatle, or whatever, George fkin Best. Best player on the pitch, easily, he is given a complete free role in the team to run absolutely anywhere across the frontline. He will be supplied the ball time and again by the rest of the team and run at players with pace and intent, leaving defenders for dead all over the place.

The team has been setup for a counterattacking setup and any lack of pace and concentration from the opposition would be duly punished. The backline and all the midfielder are more than capable of handling themselves on the ball, which is a great asset to have and enables the counters as swiftly as possible. However it is not a route 1 team, there will be some neat interplay between the likes of Ademir, Best, Pirri and Prati which would be mesmerising to watch.

Best's free role is also well supported and complemented by those around him. Prati, like Best, was equally versatile and happy to play anywhere across the frontline, so there'll be plenty of fluidity with the tactic of switching flanks being applied if needed. The three up front along with Ademir are all capable of hurting the opposition in various ways, there is ample width as well central threat. e.g. Bestie stretching the defence and putting in a ball with an incoming Ademir/Pirri/Prati while Boninsegna occupies the CBs is a viable route to goal.

Good luck Mazhar!

vs

mazhar13 made a small switch in his team after halftime

Spoiler: starting XI

 

[Balu]

Team mazhar13​

Formation: 4-2-3-1

This team is one of the most complete teams in the draft with players complementing each other everywhere. As well as this, my team is very fluid going forward with many avenues towards the goal. This team has lots of flair, directness, creativity, and lots of goalscoring threats, combining those with aggression, tenacity, and organisation.

However, I'd like to start off with the rock-solid back 5. Zoff is a proper legend of the game who covers the goal with his large frame, astute positioning, world class anticipation, and excellent ball-handling skills. As well as this, his leadership and composure ensured that defences in front of remained settled, confident, and secure.

In front of him is a back 4 that is complete with players complementing each other on all fronts. Starting with the central defensive pair, Hunter and Buchan is a perfect defensive partnership. Hunter's the tenacious, aggressive defender who stops players from doing much on the ball and keeping them unsettled with his crunching tackles and in-your-face approach. His reading of the plays and dangers will be very useful in stopping Aldo's attacking players from becoming influential. Beside him, Buchan will take care of sweeping up the ball with his astute positioning and excellent reading of the game. Always being in the right place at the right time, Buchan was so reliable for Man. Utd. that, whenever he was not in the team sheet, fans would be concerned about their chances of getting a result. Also, if he was to make a rare mistake, he has the pace to recover and stop the danger from elevating. On the ball, both Hunter and Buchan are good enough to move it forward and pass it to the more capable players.

The full backs I have are those I am proud to have in my team. Both of my full backs were reliable and key members of their respective teams. Starting off with the right back, Johnny Hansen was a solid, reliable defensive figure at the back. He'll be perfect for Jairzinho's more attacking nature, staying back and covering the right flank. He was a great man-marker who could stay on his man and nullify their danger, and he was also very good in covering for central defenders with his reading of the game and astute positioning. If one of Hunter or Buchan are out of position, expect Hansen to cover that area. Not only this, but he was quite good in the air, so any cross coming into the far post from Aldo's right side can be dealt with by Hansen. With a defensive right back, I complement that with an attacking, aggressive left back in Bernard Dietz. If Lawler's a prolific full back, then Dietz is a proper goalscorer with his .177 goals/game ratio (70 in 396 as a left back) vs. .111 of Lawler (61 in 549). Other than his attacking prowess as a left back, he was a tenacious, hardworking defender who'd stay at the feet of the opposing players and prevent them from playing their own game. Going forward, he's perfect for Simoes who's a fully creative player.

The midfield pairing of Lodetti and Giles is also perfect and complete. Lodetti was one of the most important players for Rocco's Milan and provided the foundation for the attacking players to play their natural game. His astute defensive positioning, marking, anticipation, and reading of the game made him a perfect shield for the defence. On the ball, he's quite underrated by others, as he possesses a good passing range and ability, making him perfectly capable of starting off attacks. His partner, Giles, is the perfect player to make up for Lodetti's more conservative approach. Giles, a winger converted to a midfielder, had amazing passing and ability on the ball, and he'll be our main playmaker like he was for Leeds and Ireland. Of course, along with his excellent passing, vision, and technique, he was tenacious and aggressive off the ball, hassling the opposing players and preventing them from settling into the match. He's almost Keane-like in that he never gave up and did his utmost to win matches, and this quality is essential for me in my midfield.

Now, onto the front 4, which is one of the best in this draft. It has everything in its locker, and it's capable of unlocking any defence it faces. We have prolific goalscorers in Jairzinho and Hurst, impressive creators in Jensen, Simoes, and Jairzinho, fantastic, speedy dribblers in Simoes and Jairzinho, aerial threats in Jensen and Hurst, hardworking forwards in Hurst and Jensen, and, all in all, a front 4 that perfectly complements each other. Jairzinho will be seeking the spaces and making incisive runs, stretching defences with his movement and directness. On the ball, his dribbling and speed will cause opposing markers all sorts of problems, and his finishing will make him dangerous in front of goal. To complement such directness, Simoes comes in as more of a team player and assister of goals. Regarded as one of, if not the best, winger in the world at the age of 20, he burst into the scene at the age of 18 and became a Benfica legend during their most successful period ever. His dribbling, passing, vision, and teamwork made him perfect for teammates and tough for the opposition. In the middle, I have an all-rounded forward in Jensen who was a good goalscorer but preferred to be more involved in the final rather than look for goal. He was the perfect foil for goalscoring players in Monchengladbach, Real Madrid, and Ajax. His dribbling, movement, and passing made him perfect for dragging defences around and providing the final pass for goalscorers, and he also possessed good heading ability, making him an extra target for wingers to spot. Up front is the West Ham and England legend Sir Geoff Hurst. The only player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, Hurst was a clinical, hardworking striker with excellent finishing and heading. With the supply that he has behind him, he's perfect for getting into the end of chances. Plus, his strong hold-up play will allow Jensen and Jairzinho to get into spaces and score goals.

TL;DR: My team's complete with players complementing each other everywhere. I have a solid back 5 with defensive solidity and attacking threat. My midfield is complete with defensive reliability, tenacity, bite, creativity, and attacking prowess. Up front, my front 4 has flair, speed, creativity, aerial prowess, and lots of goals. I am bound to open up Aldo's defence with the movement, directness, and creativity of my attack as well as keep his team out with solid defensive organisation, bite, and composure.

Good luck @Aldo @mazhar13

 

[crappycraperson]

2 hours no posts

 

[mazhar13]

I can't get involved in discussions at this moment as I'm really busy, but I will make myself available in a couple of hours' time.

 

[Moby]

I doubt many neutrals would post much in these games. Will appreciate some feedback from managers.

 

[harms]

At the first glance, @Aldo seem to edge it - I prefer his CB pairing, his midfield and his star man. Will vote later though, I hope that @mazhar13 will contribute something to the thread first

 

[Gol123]

I feel that Best may run rampant here in a way Jairzinho won't.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

An attacking Dietz against Best seems a bad idea. Also Hansen (comparable to Burgnich) is not complementary to Jairzinho. First thoughts ofc.

 

[crappycraperson]

Can't vote until I read up on players!

 

[Brwned]

Chumpitaz, Pirri and Ademir - 3 of their 4 best players - being used in a counter attacking team doesn't make any sense to me. Chumpitaz in particular being asked to sit back and soak up pressure makes no sense. With those two wingers and Hurst up front, an aerial bombardment against a team sitting back is inevitable and I can easily see Chumpitaz being exposed there.

 

[harms]

Chumpitaz, Pirri and Ademir - 3 of their 4 best players - being used in a counter attacking team doesn't make any sense to me. Chumpitaz in particular being asked to sit back and soak up pressure makes no sense. With those two wingers and Hurst up front, an aerial bombardment against a team sitting back is inevitable and I can easily see Chumpitaz being exposed there.

Good point, Aldo has very short CB's and Furino isn't a giant either.

 

[mazhar13]

Chumpitaz, Pirri and Ademir - 3 of their 4 best players - being used in a counter attacking team doesn't make any sense to me. Chumpitaz in particular being asked to sit back and soak up pressure makes no sense. With those two wingers and Hurst up front, an aerial bombardment against a team sitting back is inevitable and I can easily see Chumpitaz being exposed there.

I was just about to mention that. If Aldo set his team up to counter me, then my setup is well-set to take him on. With the players at my disposal, I'm perfectly able to maintain pressure on Aldo's team and break them open through multiple avenues.

I feel like Simoes is not getting much love in this match. He was one of Benfica's most threatening players only second to Eusebio. His dribbling, speed, and creativity caused lots of problems to the opposition, and his selfless approach was of a huge, huge benefit to Eusebio. In my team, Hurst and Jairzinho will love the supply from Simoes, and Simoes' more team-oriented approach should also benefit some of my more direct players. Lawler will definitely have a very tough time against such a dangerous winger 1-on-1.

To add on, Pirri focusing more on Jairzinho will provide Giles more space to play his own game. If Furino decides to press up on Jensen, then Jensen will have ample space in the hole to cause havoc with his dribbling, runs, and passes. If not, then Giles will have ample space to play passes around and put through Jairzinho, Jensen, or Hurst.

An attacking Dietz against Best seems a bad idea. Also Hansen (comparable to Burgnich) is not complementary to Jairzinho. First thoughts ofc.

Dietz won't mindlessly be going forward, of course. He's never been such a player throughout his career at Duisburg. Plus, he even became a solid libero for Schalke and Duisburg in his older years, indicating that he does have a strong defensive sense. As a left back, he'll pick his spot and moment to make forward runs and support Simoes. Also, I'm confident in him playing this role because he was very quick in recovering back to his position. My defensive players aren't mugs, so they'll make sure to slow down any counters by Aldo's team (I'll expand on this soon). Dietz is quick and energetic enough to go back and forth, and I have no worries about him ever leaving a gaping hole at my left side.

Now, onto Aldo's counterattacking setup, this plays perfectly into my hands. With players like Giles, Lodetti, and Hunter in my team, Aldo's front 3 + Ademir won't get the adequate time on the ball that they'll need to settle into the game. Plus, with Buchan and Hansen, I have players who can mop up any loose ball and take care of any through passes behind them. With my attacking players, I'll be bound to cause lots of problems aerially for Aldo's back two, particularly through Hurst. Not only that, but the movement of my team will be tough to contain, particularly for Furino and Pirri, who'll be prone to being dragged around, creating space for themselves and others to exploit.

 

[mazhar13]

The best way to stop someone like George Best is to snap at his heels and prevent him from settling on the ball. With players like Dietz, Hunter, Lodetti, and Giles, there's no way Best will be able to settle on the ball wherever he is without having someone get at him. Dietz, Hunter, and Lodetti were all very accomplished defensive players, being key components in their respective teams, so I have no doubt in them stopping Best whenever he enters their respective areas.

I'll also add on that Simoes is a right-footed player playing on the left wing, and he's also capable of cutting inside and causing problems through the middle if needed.

 

[mazhar13]

Well, this match is dead all of a sudden. I'm not sure how I can come back from this when there's no one else interested in participating in this match.

 

[green_smiley]

Not a good choice to start a match on weekends. Will read up later

 

[Jippy]

Chumpitaz, Pirri and Ademir - 3 of their 4 best players - being used in a counter attacking team doesn't make any sense to me. Chumpitaz in particular being asked to sit back and soak up pressure makes no sense. With those two wingers and Hurst up front, an aerial bombardment against a team sitting back is inevitable and I can easily see Chumpitaz being exposed there.

You underestimate Chumpitaz's sweeper skills. He had a real eye for the block and his game knowledge made up for a lack of pace imo.

 

[green_smiley]

Out wide, the Liverpool legend Lawler assumes his defensive fullback role, an accomplished CB, he was defensively astute and would tuck in to form a cohesive defensive unit. On the other side the Benfica legend Cruz would be asked to stay in shape with the rest of the backline.

Isn't Lawler an attacking full-back? His goal-per-game ratio is quite good at Liverpool. Though he was a cultured defender as described by articles, not sure if it will bring the best out of him to stay defensive and tuck-in most of the time

 

[green_smiley]

Had a look on Aldo's team and overall it is looking great, especially the midfield and attack. Chumpitaz with aerial weakness seems to be the highlight. Not sure how much it will hurt Aldo's team, but I think his quality in other aspect (positioning, ball-playing skill) will more or less balance it out

 

[green_smiley]

@mazhar13 as I read, Hunter is a heavy left-footer. Do you think it is better for Hunter and Buchan to swap position in defense?

Both are good defenders and complimentary pair, but I am not sure if they are good enough to negate Aldo's attacking threat

 

[green_smiley]

Need more GIFs or youtube from both managers for someone less knowledgeable like me

E.g. Dietz vs Keegan 6:10-6:13 would be a good start

 

[mazhar13]

@mazhar13 as I read, Hunter is a heavy left-footer. Do you think it is better for Hunter and Buchan to swap position in defense?

Both are good defenders and complimentary pair, but I am not sure if they are good enough to negate Aldo's attacking threat

First of all, I thought I placed Hunter at the left side instead of Buchan. I wonder why he isn't there now. I'll have @Balu change that up.

Second of all, no great attacking threat can ever be contained by any defence. The objective here is (and it is quite a trivial one, as well) to concede less goals than the opponent. Is my defence capable of that? Definitely.

Not only that, but unlike what I've done, Aldo has had to accommodate Lawler into a role that isn't that familiar for him. Every time I've seen him play, he's always wanted to go forward and enter final third. Restricting him to such a role will reduce his influence, and he'll be a good avenue for Simoes and Dietz to take on, particularly as Best won't track back and help out with Lawler.

Plus, whilst Chumpitaz is a good sweeper, the lack of a physical stopper will cause him some issues. Same goes for Israel. Who'll apply the pressure to my attacking players? Who'll close them down? The lack of bite in Aldo's team will allow my team to create lots of problems for Aldo's team. Jairzinho isn't just a wide forward; he often looked to receive the ball and run at the defence along with making runs and looking for open spaces. Hurst himself isn't a static forward like Greaves; he's a hardworking forward who moves around, looking to receive the ball and hold it up for others. Neither Israel nor Chumpitaz have the strength to handle Hurst, and that'll play in my hands as Jensen is very good at running into spaces along with Jairzinho.

 

[mazhar13]

@Balu I've PM'ed you the latest formation graphic. I've basically switched around Hunter and Buchan so that Hunter's at the left and Buchan on the right.

 

[green_smiley]

Isn't Lawler an attacking full-back? His goal-per-game ratio is quite good at Liverpool. Though he was a cultured defender as described by articles, not sure if it will bring the best out of him to stay defensive and tuck-in most of the time

@Aldo

 

[green_smiley]

Still need some time to go through mazhar13's first eleven before I decide whom to vote for

 

[Balu]

@Balu I've PM'ed you the latest formation graphic. I've basically switched around Hunter and Buchan so that Hunter's at the left and Buchan on the right.

done.

 

[mazhar13]

Here's a clip I found about Simoes. Here, Simoes and Jose Augusto describe Simoes the player along with a couple of short clips of the player.

Spoiler: 7:24 - 8:14

 

[mazhar13]

With all of the praise and recognition about Chumpitaz' positional and on-the-ball skills, I'll let this video aptly describe Hunter's all-rounded ability combined with his aggressive hard-man style.


There's no way that it'd be easy for Aldo's team to handle Hunter on both the attack and defence. His ability to bring the ball forward will be key, and he also has a good chemistry with Giles. Buchan's the perfect covering partner for him as well, and Hansen can easily slot back to a more central area to cover for Hunter if needed. Don't forget, there's also Lodetti shielding the defence.

 

[green_smiley]

@mazhar13 how good is Henning Jensen? He is one of best Danish players of all-time, but how much influence he has on your team?

 

[mazhar13]

@mazhar13 how good is Henning Jensen? He is one of best Danish players of all-time, but how much influence he has on your team?

He's going to play his favoured deep-lying forward role in this side. As I mentioned in the OP, he'll be roaming around vertically and laterally, linking up with Giles, the wingers, and Hurst. He'll always be on the ball and be quite involved in the final third. He's a very capable player with great dribbling, link-up plays, and incisive passing. His role will be more of a creative role, but he'll also be given the freedom to get into goal, very much similar to the role he held at Monchengladbach where Heynckes and Simonsen were more goalscoring players whilst Jensen played something like a false 9 role at that time.

He's definitely a key player in my team in creating spaces for Jairzinho and Hurst as well as exploiting the spaces created by the other players in the attacking trio. He'll basically be the player to link the middle third with the final third, bringing Giles into play and affording him greater freedom in his attacking game. Jensen's ability to roam around will make it tough for Furino to shield the defence and contain our attacking threat, particularly as Jensen likes to go out to the left and stretch opposing defences. This will allow Simoes to cut inside and put through passes to the attacking players or crosses with his right foot (stronger foot).

 

[harms]

Heh, I'm glad that I forgot to vote here, would've hated to be a decider on this one. Penalties? @Aldo @mazhar13 @Balu

 

[Moby]

Haha guess so. I'll send mine in a minute.

 

[Balu]

Can someone else do the penalty shootout? I just came home and I'm away again for the next few hours. And what the feck happened here? It was 6-1 when I voted.

 

[harms]

Can someone else do the penalty shootout? I just came home and I'm away again for the next few hours. And what the feck happened here? It was 6-1 when I voted.

The greatest comeback that nobody saw

 

[mazhar13]

Wow, I actually came back from a large deficit!

Who do I send my penalties to? What do I have to send as well, just 5 positions (left, right, middle)?

 

[Pat_Mustard]

Heh, I'm glad that I forgot to vote here, would've hated to be a decider on this one.

Same here, glad I fell asleep before the deadline. I intended to vote for Aldo as he has the better set of players imo, but I wanted to see how he addressed the criticisms of his counter-attacking approach first.

 

[crappycraperson]

Come on folks who has the pens?

 

[mazhar13]

I don't know what I have to do for the penalties. Do I just pick specific spots and send them to someone?

 

[Moby]

Send mine to Balu a while back. If anyone else is doing it then let me know.

 

[Joga Bonito]

I don't know what I have to do for the penalties. Do I just pick specific spots and send them to someone?

You send in 5 kicks (choose between left, center, right).

Eg.

1st Puskas - Left
2nd van Basten - Center
3rd Ronaldo - Center
4th di Stefano - Right
5th Koeman - Right

Then you send in the 5 saves for your goalie

Eg.

1st - Stay central
2nd - Dive Right
3rd - Dive Left
4th - Dive Left
5th - Stay Central

If I'm not wrong, the goalie dives from his point of view. Say if Aldo chooses left for his first shot, then your goalie must dive right to save it.

Also you get to start one up, for sporting United legend Alex Stepney in goal, in accordance to the new peno rules drafted up by goalie crusaders Chester & harms. hehehe

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Same here, glad I fell asleep before the deadline. I intended to vote for Aldo as he has the better set of players imo, but I wanted to see how he addressed the criticisms of his counter-attacking approach first.

Same here. Was driving all day and came to vote Aldo!