Christmas Tree Draft - R1 - Sjor Mustard vs King Kendrick

With all players at their peak, which team do you think would win this game?


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Himannv

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Sjor Mustard's Starting XI



vs

King Kendrick's Starting XI



Sjor Mustard's Tactics

Theme


Thinking behind it
One of the rare drafts where you know exactly how your opponent is going to play(ofc unless you play @Enigma_87 in other drafts!) so why not exploit it?
Its a narrow formation where midfielders and fullbacks are main source of width so from a start that setup will struggle against a high press as you avoid that not only through ability on the ball but also through width, its pure logic - the bigger you make your pitch the tougher it is for opponent to press you. Not only that, you also lose "easy" ways out through wide attackers.
Also, as fullbacks are crucial for the offensive part why not make a living hell for them to go up? Let them face two hardworking wingers, both brilliant dribblers with good to great athletic abilities.

Blueprint
Pep's Man City side, not a remake by any means nor a copy of the whole philosophy but we stole few things here and there from the way he set-up his side sometimes.

Tactics
  • High defensive line, high press
  • Direct quick attacking football
  • Positional fluidity
Idea is to keep the opposition under constant pressure and just power snuggle them like the current Liverpool side do for example.

Individual Roles
Essien and Netto - something similar to what Delph did for Pep. In possession they will sit in the central areas providing platform for Schuster and Lucho to roam around and to their thing while Blokhin and Conti will keep width until the final third, once we move the ball there they will get a bit more freedom to cut in and combine with others like Sane did for Pep.
On the defensive front they move where they needed, if and when opposition fullbacks/midfielders cut through our wide channels they will be there to sniff any danger. Its a key role where we needed tactically intelligent midfielders that are also comfortable defending in wide areas which was the reason why we went early for both.

Mauro Silva - destroyer who is also good on the ball

Schuster and Lucho - two way players that work harder then anyone else in roles where they have complete freedom in both phases of play. Do their magic in possession and press like motherfeckers when team defends.

Eto'o - with what is behind him, this goalscoring pressing machine would and should flourish.


King Kendrick's Tactics

Rooney and Lampard on the same side, Rivera and Ballack. They are on these specific sides to try and balance out between attack and defense, Rooney especially having great ability to track back and defend and covering for Lampards trademark late runs into the box. Most of the width will be provided by the full backs coming forward, but Rivera and Rooney can drift to the outside. Drogba can be comfortable dropping the ball off to either of those two as they have plenty of experience being second strikers, but looking to get into the box and get his headers in. Ballack and Lampard can both be water carriers, but Ballack will share more of the defensive duties as Lampard will roam forward more. Defense is pretty self explanatory, Koeman much more comfortable playing passes forward, Lucio rock solid.
 

Himannv

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@Šjor Bepo by my reckoning, Essien and Netto are not the correct players for this formation. They'd have to be normally wingers playing there like Beckham or Nedved - at a stretch I'd think fullbacks comfortable further forward or centrally. VVD and Mozer are also ideally supposed to be fullbacks. I didn't disallow it since it's an approved formation, but the representation is incorrect to me. Pep's City don't play this tactic.
 

harms

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Certainly looks more like 2-3-5 than 4-3-3 to me (compared to another team with a similar approach).
 

harms

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@Šjor Bepo by my reckoning, Essien and Netto are not the correct players for this formation. They'd have to be normally wingers playing there like Beckham or Nedved - at a stretch I'd think fullbacks comfortable further forward or centrally. VVD and Mozer are also ideally supposed to be fullbacks. I didn't disallow it since it's an approved formation, but the representation is incorrect to me. Pep's City don't play this tactic.
Why would a false fullback in Pep's interpretation need to be a winger? Netto is perfect for this. I have some reservations about Essien, although he had played as a right back for Madrid.
 

Himannv

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Why would a false fullback in Pep's interpretation need to be a winger? Netto is perfect for this. I have some reservations about Essien, although he had played as a right back for Madrid.
Maybe I don't know enough about Netto and Essien then. :lol:

I also have my doubts about VVD and Mozer being comfortable wider, but perhaps I'm just not seeing it.

I'll wait for Sjor to educate me.
 

Šjor Bepo

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@Šjor Bepo by my reckoning, Essien and Netto are not the correct players for this formation. They'd have to be normally wingers playing there like Beckham or Nedved - at a stretch I'd think fullbacks comfortable further forward or centrally. VVD and Mozer are also ideally supposed to be fullbacks. I didn't disallow it since it's an approved formation, but the representation is incorrect to me. Pep's City don't play this tactic.
i honestly have no idea what you talking about and cant even envisage your interpretation tbh.....so you want wingers in place of defensive midfielders and fullbacks in for centerbacks? First of all, the second is just bizarre but regarding the first one. Its a completely defensive role, why would you want Beckham or Nedved there as their qualities are first and foremost attacking ones, their defensive sides are just a bonus.
As for the Pep comment, we dont want to play like Man City, its not a remake of that team, its just little things we stole from and the Pep comment was there for people to have easier job to imagine how it would look like because it certainly helps me in this type of cases.
 

Šjor Bepo

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Maybe I don't know enough about Netto and Essien then. :lol:

I also have my doubts about VVD and Mozer being comfortable wider, but perhaps I'm just not seeing it.

I'll wait for Sjor to educate me.
Mozer and VVD are playing the most classical role of a high line centerback. Essien and Netto are the ones that would cover out wide when needed, obviously sometimes CB will get dragged there given the tactics so it was crucial to get great 1v1 defenders that have immense athletic capabilities.
 

Šjor Bepo

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Regarding Essien, no idea where the reservation regarding his fit as he is pretty much perfect. Tactically astute, great defensive side, comfortable both inside and wide.

credit to old fart Mustard who digged this out while drinking with his midget friend....
What fascinates now is where Guus Hiddink decides to play the 26-year-old. His testosterone-and-stamina fuelled ability to tackle and surge at, and beyond, opponents makes him a head coach's dream for the attacking midfield berth.

Yet versatility has been a virtue that all his clubs have benefited from. In the four years since signing from Lyon for £24.4m, Essien has played in central midfield, central defence and at right-back, as he did against United in last May's Champions League final, from where he created Frank Lampard's opener. For Ghana he often operates as a classic number 6, controlling the play from deep midfield, a position now played for Chelsea by John Obi Mikel following Claude Makelele's departure.

Where does Hiddink see Essien's best position? "In the inner midfield. I like to always play with options of systems and he can play there with two holding midfielder players or one. And we can also play sometimes with one holding and two more attacking, so he can play in those inside positions."

Hiddink is fully appreciative of the variation that Essien allows him as he starts to plot the crucial phase of Chelsea's season. "He can play in various spots – that's nice, especially in the modern era of football. When you have players who are versatile you have more options as a manager because nowadays you must have the ability to defend if a striker, and make the play as well from defence."

Essien began at centre-back as a 13-year-old turning out for Liberty Professionals in Ghana before moving into midfield. When joining Bastia eight years ago he had settled in this position, though he also played everywhere across the French club's defence.

Before the move to west London, Essien spent three seasons at Lyon where, equally peripatetic, his wandering included a two-month spell deputising for the injured Claudio Caçapa, now of Newcastle United, in central defence as well as playing in right-midfield and even wider on the wing – where he started for Chelsea in Tuesday's triumphant second leg against Juventus in the Champions League.

Of his travels around the football field Essien himself said immediately before joining Chelsea: "In the changing room, the guys laugh about it. Pierre-Alain Frau [Lyon striker] takes the mickey when he sees me putting on my boots with the screw-in studs because he knows that means I'm playing in defence. When I'm in midfield I wear moulded studs.

"I don't like wearing screw-in studs, but I do it for the team. You have to put the team first. My orders are to defend well and leave no spaces, but sometimes I just have this urge to go forward, it's a bit frustrating."

On Tuesday in Turin it appeared a dilution of Essien's muscular abilities when Hiddink stymied his rampages through the middle by sticking him out on the right wing in a 4-1-3-2 shape. Chelsea began somewhat patchily before the mercurial Dutch coach fiddled the formation by asking Nicolas Anelka to drop back to make the extra man in midfield, and Essien scored the opener before half-time.

Hiddink, crafty as ever, revealed his thinking behind the change and once again it relied on Essien's adaptability. "The other day against Juventus he played more with width because we knew Pavel Nedved would play inside [from his left-wing position]. Tactically our right full-back – José Bosingwa in this case – might have become confused as to whether he should stay in his area or he should go with Nedved defensively into midfield.

"That was one reason to put Essien there because he can play tactically in the inside against Nedved, and Bosingwa could play against their full-back."
 

Šjor Bepo

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Here we have Bruno Conti masterclass in the World Cup final against a good Germany side, him being directly against Briegel while having a very narrow defence behind himself.
 

Himannv

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so you want wingers in place of defensive midfielders and fullbacks in for centerbacks?
I'll clarify. As you know, a formation graphic normally represents the defensive structure of the team, so this is basically 2-3-4-1 in a defensive phase. So obviously that means the following:
  • This is a team that aims to win the ball high up the pitch for most part.
  • You'd need a front line of five players that will press - which you have.
  • A midfield that will support the press both centrally and wide - which I think you have.
  • A midfield that will offer creativity from both wide areas and centrally when you have the ball - which, in my view you didn't have (I read that post about Essien though and I think you might have swayed me here).
  • A defensive line that has to clean up both centrally and out wide if needed - which I'm not sure you have.
Regarding that last point - they don't need to be fullbacks exactly, but players who will be comfortable out wide when needed. I mean, just look at that hole over there in the formation graphic if you need to see what I mean. Bergomi, Gentile, Krol, Kohler - all lovely fits. Not too sure about VVD and Mozer in comparison.
 

Šjor Bepo

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  • A midfield that will offer creativity from both wide areas and centrally when you have the ball - which, in my view you didn't have (I read that post about Essien though and I think you might have swayed me here).
  • A defensive line that has to clean up both centrally and out wide if needed - which I'm not sure you have.
Regarding that last point - they don't need to be fullbacks exactly, but players who will be comfortable out wide when needed. I mean, just look at that hole over there in the formation graphic if you need to see what I mean. Bergomi, Gentile, Krol, Kohler - all lovely fits. Not too sure about VVD and Mozer in comparison.
  • We have 2 solutions for that problem, first solution are wingers that can offer a lot of things out wide and the other are two 8/hybrids that love to drift wide so once they do and the moment is right(final third) the wingers will get a bit more freedom in their movement.
  • Ohh thats correct but thats the case in any high line defence and in any of those you want your centerbacks being centerbacks not fullbacks. From your list obviously Kohler is the GOAT but apart from him i wouldnt take any of the mention ones instead any of our 3(sou you can add T.Silva as well there). Mozer is one of the fastest centerbacks ever, absolute beast physically and athletically and on top of that he was a damn good defender. Big Virg we all know everything, completely transformed Liverpool alongside Alisson and all that while playing in a pretty high line next to a fullback that is boombing up every single attack.
 

Physiocrat

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That's a great 433/235 from Sjor Mustard but a Christmas Tree it is not
 

2mufc0

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That's a great 433/235 from Sjor Mustard but a Christmas Tree it is not
Yeah I agree. Mods should have been more strict about it as its not the only one we've seen.
 

Šjor Bepo

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* IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING POINT 12 - You are free to get creative with the Christmas Tree formation and various different versions or perversions of it will be accepted
not our fault people have crap imagination
 

Zlatan 7

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King Kendricks tree is on the wonk and looks unloved, I’d prefer a nicely presented upside down tree.

also looks like the midfield would need to get a bus to see each other
 

Gio

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Did you think about Luis Enrique in Essien's role? Not that I think Essien is a poor fit, in fact he has all the physical attributes and defensive mindset for those mad space-covering dual roles - the only question mark is that he didn't always fully convince at RB on the rare occasions I saw him there? But that may have been once out of several appearances. Undoubtedly Enrique can play anywhere, but would probably prefer him with some big space to attack in some sense if you catch my drift. Love the CB choices as I already said in the main draft thread - if there are two guys who can pull this shape off, it is them. For Kendrick though, it's a lovely Chelsea theme. The midfield plus Drogba means you can bypass the opposition press which could be quite effective here.
 

Šjor Bepo

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Did you think about Luis Enrique in Essien's role? Not that I think Essien is a poor fit, in fact he has all the physical attributes and defensive mindset for those mad space-covering dual roles - the only question mark is that he didn't always fully convince at RB on the rare occasions I saw him there? But that may have been once out of several appearances. Undoubtedly Enrique can play anywhere, but would probably prefer him with some big space to attack in some sense if you catch my drift. Love the CB choices as I already said in the main draft thread - if there are two guys who can pull this shape off, it is them. For Kendrick though, it's a lovely Chelsea theme. The midfield plus Drogba means you can bypass the opposition press which could be quite effective here.
Not really, as i said earlier its a very defensive role so playing someone like Lucho there would be a waste of his talents. As for Essien, might be wrong but most of his games at RB were post his peak after he completely destroyed his knee.
Here he isnt playing as a fullback, he is playing as a side DM that will cover a side once the opposition fullback breaks the line or a midfielder drifts there, it has very little to do with fullback roles or qualities. Looking at opposition team, Cole isnt the most offensive fullback so id be very comfortable that Conti can stop him and Lampard wont go too much out wide nor is dynamic enough to cause problems there so its only really Rooney and i cant think of a better player then Essien to pay attention to Rooney, he pretty much can match him in every physical and athletic aspect of the game.
 

GodShaveTheQueen

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Went with the second best built team here.

Pat/Sjor team is quite beautiful and fresh keeping the Christmas tree aside.

I do like Essien there. Against narrow oppositions, he should be pretty fine.

@King Kendrick , the team has a nice core, if you do win, I look forward to where you take it from here.
 

Zlatan 7

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Went with the second best built team here.

Pat/Sjor team is quite beautiful and fresh keeping the Christmas tree aside.

I do like Essien there. Against narrow oppositions, he should be pretty fine.

@King Kendrick , the team has a nice core, if you do win, I look forward to where you take it from here.
I agree beps team is good but your reason for not voting me is that it wasn’t a tree :lol: