Edgar Allan Pillow vs.—————————————————————- Don Alfredo/ Enigma
Vs.
Tactics Edgar Allan Pillow
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Tactics: Balanced approach with quick flanks and creativity through the middle.
Why I'd win:
1. Superior wingers. No further explanations necessary. They have a startling advantage over his fullbacks at both flanks and will torment them all game. No way to keep them out.
2. Lack of Busquets: Alex Ferguson clearly indicated the importance of Busquets to that set-up. Still a good midfield but not a complete or a dominant one. Flawed.
3. My team is better suited to handle his attack than vice versa. His weakness is my strength, but not vice versa.
Defence: The goal is manned by Amadeo Carrizo, one of the early proponents of sweeper-keeper, he's comfortable stepping out of his line to close gaps and able to initiate quick counters with his goal kicks. The defence is flanked by two balanced fullbacks in Bossis and Sagnol who are capable of manning the flank all on their own. Defensively astute with good attacking output, they will ably support the wingers. Picchi and Kohler provide a nice balance between physicality and ball playing ability and are both intelligent and well rounded top class center backs.
Midfield: Mackay-Blanchflower is the dynamic duo between the successful Spurs side of early 1960s. Blanchflower, the thinking man’s footballer, was esteemed as the brains of the team but Mackay was very much more than the brawn. Blanchflower was the captain but Mackay was the spiritual leader on the pitch, the cement in their bond off it and their bridge to the fans.
Blanchflower was a player who could do anything in the middle of the pitch; he had an engine, could tackle, pass, shoot, cross, head, he was the complete player. Possibly his best attribute was his marvellous ability to read the game, almost to the point that opposition struggled to get past him. he had very good anticipation and intelligence. He had the guile and creativity to start attacks with his passing range and rejoin later in the attack to finish the move or set someone else up. His leadership skills brought the best of his team-mates, a great man-manager on the field. He was a gentleman footballer, rarely booked, never retaliated, never argued, though he was a good tackler.
Dave Mackay often described as a brawn to Blanchflower's brain...which was a grave injustice to his talent. Described by the late, great Brian Clough as 'Tottenham's greatest ever player', Dave Mackay was a fearless all action defensive midfielder who galvanised all those around him. To say that Dave Mackay was a warrior both on and off the football pitch would be something of an understatement. Though Blanchflower had better ability on the ball he was perfectly complemented by Mackay's iron will and determination. If Blanchflower was the technician of that Spurs outfit, then Mackay was the engine room and both players were hugely significant cogs in what was, under the management of Bill Nicholson, a well-oiled machine.
George Best: "the hardest man I have ever played against – and certainly the bravest"
Blanchflower's sublime brilliance in running the game combined with Mackay's intensity and inspirational all action game has dazzled oppositions. A complete and complementary midfield duo that'll serve as shield for the defence and base for the attack.
Attack:
Trinity!
Bobby Charlton - Denis Law - George Best + Stanley Matthews
Doubt any lengthy introduction is needed for the Trinity in this forum. They had it all, pace, power, creativity, goals. A trio of perfection. Add in Stanley Matthews probably the greatest RW except Garrincha and this attack is capable of exceptional performance and ability to dominate any opposition.
Tactics Don Alfredo/Enigma
Formation:- 4-3-3 with a false 9. Press the opponent into mistake, possession based, take control of midfield
Defensive line:- Normal to high.
Style:- Cruyff inspired 4-3-3. Form triangles and employ short, but more direct passing than tiki taka. Look for openings, stretch the opposition defence and a lot of movement in midfield and the front line. We're looking for quick passes using the space, forming triangles, double passes, depth, pausing, rhythm and thus open up the pitch in the attacking third.
GK:- Ray Clemence - A goalkeeper that doesn't get enough dues. A stand-out as Liverpool’s greatest-ever goalkeeper and the standard by which all other Reds keepers are judged, Clemence was between the sticks when Liverpool were in their pomp. Clemence had it all as a keeper – he was consistent, reliable, a great shot stopper, comfortable with crosses, a good distributor of the ball, a good organiser of his defence.
RB:- Dani Alves - the finest RB Barca ever had. He helped Barca put 23 trophies in the cabinet over a glorious eight-year stay at the club, won 2 EL with Sevilla and even in his 30's continued his success winning Seria A and the French league. And if the trophy cabinet doesn't say enough his individual records speak for itself - Dani Alves was the third player in La Liga history to register 100 assists after Lionel Messi and Luis Figo. Not only that but at Barca and Sevilla he came against one of the best modern day wingers/forwards and often came on top - Ronaldinho, Cristiano, which speaks volumes for his defensive acumen.
CB:- Elias Figueroa - Don Elias is one of the finest defenders in history. Someone who neutralized Gerd Muller at the biggest stage and yet further afield he was a central defender playing at the very peak of his game during this era, a player good enough to be voted South American Player of the Year three times in succession between 1974 and 1976. Elías Figueroa was a revelation: a cultured sweeper with style, fine technique on the ball and an unusual penchant for clean play – he was sent-off on just one occasion during his 18-year career. His human qualities were considerable, too. This was a natural leader who was given the captaincy of every club he played for and who racked up no end of individual awards for his consistent excellence. To this day he’s considered the best foreign footballer to have played in both Uruguay and Brazil.
CB:- Hector Chumpitaz - One of the finest South American defenders, he was excellent on the ball - which dovetails our style pretty well. Fast, strong, solid defender who was part of Peru's golden generation that won Copa America in 75'
LB:- Eric Abidal - Abidal is one of the most decorated French footballers in recent history. A powerful left-back, he amassed over 400 club appearances, as well as 67 international caps, across a career spanning 15 years. At club level, Abidal won it all: eight league titles, a pair of Champions League trophies, a Club World Cup and numerous other cup competitions. He challenged himself across three different countries and succeeded in each.
DM:- Mauro Silva - He was a defensive wall. One of the 90's best defensive midfielders. Deportivo legend and World Cup winner. He was voted Deportivo's best player in their history and considering their success and some of the top players that wore the shirt in the 90's it says a lot. He brings the samba flair but also the solidity at the back and the ability and stage for Xavi to run the game.
RCM:- Xavi - At his peak, Xavi controlled every game he was ever part of. What Xavi engineered was trust. There was an old video that showed how him and Iniesta were so linked that they made the same gestures on the field. When Xavi was at his best, he transmitted that to all of his teammates. His Barcelona were so devastating because it seemed like they didn’t have to look to pass the ball, everything moved so fluidly because players could touch the ball into space knowing that their teammate would be there, or on the way there.
LCM:- Andres Iniesta - Him and Xavi are probably the best midfielders of its generation. He is brilliant in every aspect of the game. There is no other more complete footballer than Andres Iniesta. He can attack, defend, create and score. Probably the most versatile and unique player of all-time and one of the best players of his era. Under Rijkaard he played as a false 9, attacking midfielder and winger. Iniesta is a player who can not only win leagues but also matches when it matters with his consistency and sheer prowess.
LW:- Rivaldo - After a storming season with Deportivo Rivaldo came into prominance at Barca. Deceptively quick, often using sideways step-overs and feints, and with the ability to drill low, powerful shots from seemingly any distance, Rivaldo was deployed by Van Gaal on the left of midfield in the Dutchman’s Ajax model. Rivaldo would drift inside, often to devastating effect on slaloming runs or to unleash swerving, bending shots from all angles. All with that unique long-legged gait and magical left foot.
The opposition knew what was coming but still found it impossible to stop him. In fact, the longer Rivaldo remained at Camp Nou, the more important and effective he became, with his goal tally rising every season until his last. After Valencia (10 goals), Real Sociedad (7 goals) and local rivals Espanyol (7 goals), Rivaldo’s next most favoured opponents while at Barça were Real Madrid, against whom he scored five goals. Four of them were decisive.
RW:- Allan Simonsen - Another Ballon D'or winner who won the European Footballer of the Year Award in 1977, beating Kevin Keegan and Johan Cruyff in the process. Simonsen was part of the Borussia Mönchengladbach side that hammered by Liverpool in the 1977 European Cup final. He scored a cracker in the Rome final and the only player to have scored in the European Cup, UEFA Cup, and Cup Winners' Cup finals.
False 9:- Johan Cruyff - One of the GOAT's. His claim to the best ever wasn't the pure goal number. His intelligence on the pitch, his awareness, and team work has higher importance than his personal goal tally. He hasn’t scored 1,000 goals in his career but he has assisted many and was involvement very much in every goal his team used to score. Whether it’s Ajax, Barcelona, or Dutch national team, each one of them owe something to Cruyff.
Defence:- Marshaled by Elias Figueroa, we have 2 excellent CB's on the ball, with two great stylistic fits in Dani Alves and Abidal. Both full backs will provide width in attack, and cover their man defensively. Figueroa and Chumpitaz will form and impassable wall for the opposition forwards and are both physical and great in the air and on the deck. We've added non other than Dani Alves at the RB position and his chemistry with Xavi is well known. He will be able to boss that right wing but also be an excellent defensive presence against Best.
Midfield:- A midfield unit build around Xavi. He forms a familiar Xaviesta pairing and Mauro Silva is anchoring behind them in his holder role. Mauro Silva will break up the game, intercept opposition counters and link the defence and midfield and his ability on the ball will be well appreciated and combined with the Xavi/Iniesta quality ahead of him should give us control of the game. An actual term in urban dictionary it has the best representative of their play - the amazing and god like combination of xavi and iniesta on the same pitch playing together with a telepathic like ability to find themself and others on the field.
Attack:- Ballon D'or winners Simonsen, Cruyff and Rivaldo will lead our attack. In their favorite roles, they will dovetail nicely and are one of the biggest match winners on the pitch. Allan Simonsen was a majestic footballer on the ball, he is able to press the opposition into mistake link up with our attack and score important goals.
vs Edgar:- Edgar has based his team around his great attack and no doubt United greats are excellent vote pullers.
However we do have a significantly better midfield and defence.
Our defence is marshaled by the best pure defender on the pitch in Figueroa, in a complimentary partnership with Chumpitaz who is fast as hell and Dani Alves who is a great stylistic fit to Best.
In midfield of course I think it's no brainer that we have the edge. Xaviesta will control the proceedings whilst Mauro Silva has the physicality and the positional awareness and tactical acumen to be a good fit for Sir Bobby.
Our attack is not that far off either - a GOAT in Cruyff to pull the strings in the final third, one of Brazil's finest in Rivaldo and another Ballon D'or winner in Simonsen.
Our superior centerbacks will be covering for our other defenders and also if we have the majority share of possession, we will have to do much less defending. Possession is not a dogma here, it is the mean to have more time on the ball, create more chances and have more scoring opportunities. Xavi's and Iniesta's passing ability to decide the match sounds obvious, but it is our best bet.
Also Edgar has no defender who can keep up with the quick feet of Cruyff, Simonsen, Rivaldo - they all have a fantastic burst of speed on the first few meters and can turn those "traditional" defenders inside out.
Tactics Edgar Allan Pillow
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Tactics: Balanced approach with quick flanks and creativity through the middle.
Why I'd win:
1. Superior wingers. No further explanations necessary. They have a startling advantage over his fullbacks at both flanks and will torment them all game. No way to keep them out.
2. Lack of Busquets: Alex Ferguson clearly indicated the importance of Busquets to that set-up. Still a good midfield but not a complete or a dominant one. Flawed.
3. My team is better suited to handle his attack than vice versa. His weakness is my strength, but not vice versa.
Defence: The goal is manned by Amadeo Carrizo, one of the early proponents of sweeper-keeper, he's comfortable stepping out of his line to close gaps and able to initiate quick counters with his goal kicks. The defence is flanked by two balanced fullbacks in Bossis and Sagnol who are capable of manning the flank all on their own. Defensively astute with good attacking output, they will ably support the wingers. Picchi and Kohler provide a nice balance between physicality and ball playing ability and are both intelligent and well rounded top class center backs.
Midfield: Mackay-Blanchflower is the dynamic duo between the successful Spurs side of early 1960s. Blanchflower, the thinking man’s footballer, was esteemed as the brains of the team but Mackay was very much more than the brawn. Blanchflower was the captain but Mackay was the spiritual leader on the pitch, the cement in their bond off it and their bridge to the fans.
Blanchflower was a player who could do anything in the middle of the pitch; he had an engine, could tackle, pass, shoot, cross, head, he was the complete player. Possibly his best attribute was his marvellous ability to read the game, almost to the point that opposition struggled to get past him. he had very good anticipation and intelligence. He had the guile and creativity to start attacks with his passing range and rejoin later in the attack to finish the move or set someone else up. His leadership skills brought the best of his team-mates, a great man-manager on the field. He was a gentleman footballer, rarely booked, never retaliated, never argued, though he was a good tackler.
Dave Mackay often described as a brawn to Blanchflower's brain...which was a grave injustice to his talent. Described by the late, great Brian Clough as 'Tottenham's greatest ever player', Dave Mackay was a fearless all action defensive midfielder who galvanised all those around him. To say that Dave Mackay was a warrior both on and off the football pitch would be something of an understatement. Though Blanchflower had better ability on the ball he was perfectly complemented by Mackay's iron will and determination. If Blanchflower was the technician of that Spurs outfit, then Mackay was the engine room and both players were hugely significant cogs in what was, under the management of Bill Nicholson, a well-oiled machine.
George Best: "the hardest man I have ever played against – and certainly the bravest"
Blanchflower's sublime brilliance in running the game combined with Mackay's intensity and inspirational all action game has dazzled oppositions. A complete and complementary midfield duo that'll serve as shield for the defence and base for the attack.
Attack:
Trinity!
Bobby Charlton - Denis Law - George Best + Stanley Matthews
- 365 goals in 293 matches!
- 4x Balon d'Or Winners!
Doubt any lengthy introduction is needed for the Trinity in this forum. They had it all, pace, power, creativity, goals. A trio of perfection. Add in Stanley Matthews probably the greatest RW except Garrincha and this attack is capable of exceptional performance and ability to dominate any opposition.
Tactics Don Alfredo/Enigma
Formation:- 4-3-3 with a false 9. Press the opponent into mistake, possession based, take control of midfield
Defensive line:- Normal to high.
Style:- Cruyff inspired 4-3-3. Form triangles and employ short, but more direct passing than tiki taka. Look for openings, stretch the opposition defence and a lot of movement in midfield and the front line. We're looking for quick passes using the space, forming triangles, double passes, depth, pausing, rhythm and thus open up the pitch in the attacking third.
GK:- Ray Clemence - A goalkeeper that doesn't get enough dues. A stand-out as Liverpool’s greatest-ever goalkeeper and the standard by which all other Reds keepers are judged, Clemence was between the sticks when Liverpool were in their pomp. Clemence had it all as a keeper – he was consistent, reliable, a great shot stopper, comfortable with crosses, a good distributor of the ball, a good organiser of his defence.
RB:- Dani Alves - the finest RB Barca ever had. He helped Barca put 23 trophies in the cabinet over a glorious eight-year stay at the club, won 2 EL with Sevilla and even in his 30's continued his success winning Seria A and the French league. And if the trophy cabinet doesn't say enough his individual records speak for itself - Dani Alves was the third player in La Liga history to register 100 assists after Lionel Messi and Luis Figo. Not only that but at Barca and Sevilla he came against one of the best modern day wingers/forwards and often came on top - Ronaldinho, Cristiano, which speaks volumes for his defensive acumen.
CB:- Elias Figueroa - Don Elias is one of the finest defenders in history. Someone who neutralized Gerd Muller at the biggest stage and yet further afield he was a central defender playing at the very peak of his game during this era, a player good enough to be voted South American Player of the Year three times in succession between 1974 and 1976. Elías Figueroa was a revelation: a cultured sweeper with style, fine technique on the ball and an unusual penchant for clean play – he was sent-off on just one occasion during his 18-year career. His human qualities were considerable, too. This was a natural leader who was given the captaincy of every club he played for and who racked up no end of individual awards for his consistent excellence. To this day he’s considered the best foreign footballer to have played in both Uruguay and Brazil.
CB:- Hector Chumpitaz - One of the finest South American defenders, he was excellent on the ball - which dovetails our style pretty well. Fast, strong, solid defender who was part of Peru's golden generation that won Copa America in 75'
LB:- Eric Abidal - Abidal is one of the most decorated French footballers in recent history. A powerful left-back, he amassed over 400 club appearances, as well as 67 international caps, across a career spanning 15 years. At club level, Abidal won it all: eight league titles, a pair of Champions League trophies, a Club World Cup and numerous other cup competitions. He challenged himself across three different countries and succeeded in each.
DM:- Mauro Silva - He was a defensive wall. One of the 90's best defensive midfielders. Deportivo legend and World Cup winner. He was voted Deportivo's best player in their history and considering their success and some of the top players that wore the shirt in the 90's it says a lot. He brings the samba flair but also the solidity at the back and the ability and stage for Xavi to run the game.
RCM:- Xavi - At his peak, Xavi controlled every game he was ever part of. What Xavi engineered was trust. There was an old video that showed how him and Iniesta were so linked that they made the same gestures on the field. When Xavi was at his best, he transmitted that to all of his teammates. His Barcelona were so devastating because it seemed like they didn’t have to look to pass the ball, everything moved so fluidly because players could touch the ball into space knowing that their teammate would be there, or on the way there.
LCM:- Andres Iniesta - Him and Xavi are probably the best midfielders of its generation. He is brilliant in every aspect of the game. There is no other more complete footballer than Andres Iniesta. He can attack, defend, create and score. Probably the most versatile and unique player of all-time and one of the best players of his era. Under Rijkaard he played as a false 9, attacking midfielder and winger. Iniesta is a player who can not only win leagues but also matches when it matters with his consistency and sheer prowess.
LW:- Rivaldo - After a storming season with Deportivo Rivaldo came into prominance at Barca. Deceptively quick, often using sideways step-overs and feints, and with the ability to drill low, powerful shots from seemingly any distance, Rivaldo was deployed by Van Gaal on the left of midfield in the Dutchman’s Ajax model. Rivaldo would drift inside, often to devastating effect on slaloming runs or to unleash swerving, bending shots from all angles. All with that unique long-legged gait and magical left foot.
The opposition knew what was coming but still found it impossible to stop him. In fact, the longer Rivaldo remained at Camp Nou, the more important and effective he became, with his goal tally rising every season until his last. After Valencia (10 goals), Real Sociedad (7 goals) and local rivals Espanyol (7 goals), Rivaldo’s next most favoured opponents while at Barça were Real Madrid, against whom he scored five goals. Four of them were decisive.
RW:- Allan Simonsen - Another Ballon D'or winner who won the European Footballer of the Year Award in 1977, beating Kevin Keegan and Johan Cruyff in the process. Simonsen was part of the Borussia Mönchengladbach side that hammered by Liverpool in the 1977 European Cup final. He scored a cracker in the Rome final and the only player to have scored in the European Cup, UEFA Cup, and Cup Winners' Cup finals.
False 9:- Johan Cruyff - One of the GOAT's. His claim to the best ever wasn't the pure goal number. His intelligence on the pitch, his awareness, and team work has higher importance than his personal goal tally. He hasn’t scored 1,000 goals in his career but he has assisted many and was involvement very much in every goal his team used to score. Whether it’s Ajax, Barcelona, or Dutch national team, each one of them owe something to Cruyff.
Defence:- Marshaled by Elias Figueroa, we have 2 excellent CB's on the ball, with two great stylistic fits in Dani Alves and Abidal. Both full backs will provide width in attack, and cover their man defensively. Figueroa and Chumpitaz will form and impassable wall for the opposition forwards and are both physical and great in the air and on the deck. We've added non other than Dani Alves at the RB position and his chemistry with Xavi is well known. He will be able to boss that right wing but also be an excellent defensive presence against Best.
Midfield:- A midfield unit build around Xavi. He forms a familiar Xaviesta pairing and Mauro Silva is anchoring behind them in his holder role. Mauro Silva will break up the game, intercept opposition counters and link the defence and midfield and his ability on the ball will be well appreciated and combined with the Xavi/Iniesta quality ahead of him should give us control of the game. An actual term in urban dictionary it has the best representative of their play - the amazing and god like combination of xavi and iniesta on the same pitch playing together with a telepathic like ability to find themself and others on the field.
Attack:- Ballon D'or winners Simonsen, Cruyff and Rivaldo will lead our attack. In their favorite roles, they will dovetail nicely and are one of the biggest match winners on the pitch. Allan Simonsen was a majestic footballer on the ball, he is able to press the opposition into mistake link up with our attack and score important goals.
vs Edgar:- Edgar has based his team around his great attack and no doubt United greats are excellent vote pullers.
However we do have a significantly better midfield and defence.
Our defence is marshaled by the best pure defender on the pitch in Figueroa, in a complimentary partnership with Chumpitaz who is fast as hell and Dani Alves who is a great stylistic fit to Best.
In midfield of course I think it's no brainer that we have the edge. Xaviesta will control the proceedings whilst Mauro Silva has the physicality and the positional awareness and tactical acumen to be a good fit for Sir Bobby.
Our attack is not that far off either - a GOAT in Cruyff to pull the strings in the final third, one of Brazil's finest in Rivaldo and another Ballon D'or winner in Simonsen.
Our superior centerbacks will be covering for our other defenders and also if we have the majority share of possession, we will have to do much less defending. Possession is not a dogma here, it is the mean to have more time on the ball, create more chances and have more scoring opportunities. Xavi's and Iniesta's passing ability to decide the match sounds obvious, but it is our best bet.
Also Edgar has no defender who can keep up with the quick feet of Cruyff, Simonsen, Rivaldo - they all have a fantastic burst of speed on the first few meters and can turn those "traditional" defenders inside out.
surely even you dont believe that....