vs
................................. Team Skizzo / Pat ...................................................................................... Team Tuppet..........................................
Team Skizzo/Pat
Tactical Synopsis
We'll be lining up in 433/4231 formation, with a solid defensive unit, and a fluid front 4. Our defence is a strong, quick, physical unit, with enough defensive solidity to help keep the best player on the pitch free to do what he does best.
Defense:
We will play a Mourinho inspired low defense which suits Campbell and Desailly to perfection and undeniably also the full backs Wayne Bridge and Gallas who were members in Mourinho's defense at Chelsea.
The defense is lead by Desailly, who was elected in the team of the decade between 92-02 ahead of notable figures like Jaap Stam and Steve Bruce. After just having won the World Cup and being included in the team of the tournament he moved to Chelsea and he continued to dominate and was again part of the team of the tournament in the '00 Euros - showing great form.
His defensive partner is Sol Campbell, three times included in the Team of the Season, and a key part in The Invincibles era. Desailly was a very good short passer and was used to playing with a physical centre-back like Gallas. While Campbell partnered Keown who himself was very physical.
Midfield:
Juninho will be our little magician, breaking forward from midfield to link with our forwards. He was quick, even with the ball at his feet, and could turn on a dime. His dribbling caused headaches for defenders, and he had a good eye for a pass. With the movement and pace ahead of him, I expect Juninho to have a lot of joy finding space in between the lines. He is arguably the best Brazilian import in the Premier League, although that could also be shared with another of our midfielders.
Gilberto Silva was a key part of the famous Invincibles side, and a fantastic shield for the back 4. He was a tremendous ball winner, and kept things simple with moving the ball quickly on to a more adventurous midfielder. Never afraid to by physical, Gilberto will be our main ball winner in the middle of the park, and will be more than a match for most midfielders to compete with.
Lastly, to link our midfield and forwards, we have the Spaniard Arteta. Originally thought of as a defensive midfielder, or pivot, he thrived when allowed a more attacking role. Here he will be playing deep, but expected to use his incisive passing to spring our team forward. Up against a two man midfield, he will have enough time and space to pick his passes and help advance.
Attack:
SAF said:
Realistically, not much really needs to be said. United's best player since the likes of Best and Charlton, and the first since then to win the Ballon D'or. Hard working and dedicated, Ronaldo transformed his physique in his early years at United. Able to play on either wing, his pace, skill, and eye for goal has been on display throughout his time at United. While he struggled with his end product at first, he soon became a key part of one of United's most recent successful teams. Hitting double figures in goals in each of his last 3 seasons with United, he won the European Golden Shoe with a ridiculous 31 league goals. He can be more deadly from the wing than most strikers, and in somewhat of a free role, he will drift to find space and look to exploit it with his pace.Johann Cryuff said:
With Juninho playing as the attacking midfielder, they will look to interchange positions, with Juninho drifting wide on occasion, and Ronaldo drifting centrally to link with Saha, who he enjoyed some success with.
Kewell will be offering a direct, pacey threat on the right side, The full backs will need to be on their toes, and won't be able to venture too far forward. Kewell had a cracking left foot, and his pace caused problems for many a defender. Australia's finest footballing export was also comfortable playing centrally behind a striker. We have a fluid front 4 that can cause all sorts of problems with their movement and pace. All are capable of beating a man (or two or three!) on the dribble, and have the pace to get in behind and cause problems.
Up front we have Louis Saha who had a fantastic 03-04 season peak, scoring 20 goals in 33 EPL games. In his peak he combined world class pace and acceleration with great intelligent movement. As well as being able to link up great with whoever he played with, whether it was RVN, Ronaldo or Rooney.
His runs behind the defense and ability to beat the offside traps requires constant attention and back peddling from the opponents centre backs which opens up space for Ronaldo to cut inside. Or to do what he did best of all, challenge his full back in a 1 on 1.
Keys to victory/Why we will win:
1) Tuppet has the option to field Cole and Yorke, however neither of them are their United incarnations. While they could still strike up a fruitful partnership, playing two up front here will leave Tuppet exposed in the midfield and the front two will struggle for service. If he elects for one up front with Mata in behind, neither Cole or Yorke are suited for a lone striker role, especially against our center back pairing.
2) Cole and Yorke, if both played, will also struggle against the pace and physicality of Campbell and Desailly. Neither of our defenders will be standing around as Yorke and Cole link up, and they will struggle to find the space to exploit in our deep line.
3) The movement of our front 4 will wreak havoc on that defence. Saha's movement will cause openings, and all three of Ronaldo, Juninho, and Kewell can interchange positions to cause chaos.
4) Biggest mismatch on the field, by a comfortable margin, will be Ronaldo against Berg. Assuming Berg takes up his usual role at RB, as he did for Blackburn, he'll be absolutely roasted by Ronaldo time and time again. Ronaldo is comfortably the best player on the pitch as it is, and Berg just would not have the ability to stop him running riot here.
5) Also worth mentioning that while Southall was a great keeper, his time in the Premier League was far from his best. None of his Team of the Season appearances came after the Premier League formed, and Southall conceded on average 1.34 goals a game. Compare that to Joe Hart with .097 goals conceded per game, plus with 4 Golden Glove awards...we are comparing an International keeper in his prime form in the Premier League, against a World Class keeper who peaked long before the Premier League, and often struggled for form during.
Premier League Accolades between players:
Premier League Titles - 14
Premier League Team of the Year Appearances - 15
PFA Young Player of the Year - 2
PFA Players' Player of the Year - 2
FWA Footballer of the Year - 2
Barclays Player of the Year - 3
Premier League Golden Boot - 2
Ballon D'or - 1
World Player of the Year - 1
English Football Hall of Fame - 1
Team of the Decade - 1
Premier League Golden Glove - 4
Good luck Tuppet
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