Criteria Draft R1 - Pythagoras vs EAP

With players at their peak, who would win?

  • Total voters
    13
  • Poll closed .

Fenômeno

Everything is fair game in capitalism!
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Dragon of Dojima
Team Pythagoras
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VS

Team EAP
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Pythagoras Tactics
Formation: direct and aggressive 4-3-3 (false 9). I have built an XI to maximise the influence of Cruyff. Surrounded by intelligent footballers, enhancing the synergy with him.

Attackers: forwards who can create space for eachother, interchange positions and unsettle the opposition defence through their movement, pressing and trickery. Both Blokhin and Tostão will cut in. Blokhin the direct runner, Tostão both the goalscorer and creator of chances.

Midfielders: Matthäus drives forward into the space Cruyff creates. Van Hanegem the central playmaker, aids our direct verticality with his passing range. Matthäus and Van Hanegem will support Haan in the defensive phase too, both tenacious ball-winners. Haan will break down our opponent’s play and cover for his teammates. All three midfielders are also goal threats.

Defenders: Dani Alves is the attacking fullback who will overlap Tostão, while Ashley Cole is the balanced fullback on the opposite flank. The connection between Dani Alves with the attackers will be a pleasure to watch. Telepathic passing, technical skills and intelligent movement with Tostão and Cruyff, and accurate crosses to Blokhin. Figueroa-Campbell is a formidable ball-playing-stopper centreback partnership. Dasayev can initiate quick counters with his long throws. Figueroa can also start counter-attacks from deep with his excellent passing.
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EAP Tactics
Standard 4-3-3

Messi in a free role dynamic front 3 with lots of movement and interplay. Elkjaer's ability to lead the line and drift wide both ways will create a flexible attack that's hard to defend.
Voronin's defensive solidity, Beckham's B2B workrate and excellent passing/crossing will be a robust platform for Fabregas to pull strings from the midfield. Hardworking and creative midfield.
Dependable GK, Solid CBs flanked by top notch one man flank fullbacks provide creativity and ability to bring the ball up from the deep.
 
Pythag has a very interesting side. One immediate question though is how well would Matthaus get on with Cruyff.

@Edgar Allan Pillow any idea how well Beckham played at Milan in the RCM role?
 
Physiocrat said:
@Edgar Allan Pillow any idea how well Beckham played at Milan in the RCM role?
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Not just in Milan, but he has played often in 2 man midfield roles even for United. Lots of videos on his crossing ability, but his passing was a good from the midfield. His long range passing will push Fabregas to move into advanced playmaking role when needed.

Good team from @Pythagoras . Well built. Only a couple of minor concerns...
- He could have picked a more suitable forward than Tostao here. Being predominantly a left footed player, even in his 1970 role, he was far more influential from the Inside Left position...which Blokhin and Cruyff will hog here. Good player and will adapt here, but this role isn't what brings the best of of him imo.
- Matthaus and van Hanegem are just too similar B2Bs making this midfield feel a bit more defensive than it needs to be. Both are top players and will add impetus, but someone more creative from the deep would have been more complimentary.
 
Beckham is a great fit as a third attacking CM, with the death of 442, if he was around in the modern game he would be playing this role and would be great at it imo.
 
Edgar Allan Pillow said:
- He could have picked a more suitable forward than Tostao here. Being predominantly a left footed player, even in his 1970 role, he was far more influential from the Inside Left position...which Blokhin and Cruyff will hog here. Good player and will adapt here, but this role isn't what brings the best of of him imo.
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For that particular Brazil side from the 1970 World Cup I wouldn't pigeonhole Tostão as just an 'inside left forward'. Tostão was influential across the attack - it was his tenacious hustling and self-sacrificing runs that created space for the likes of Pele (withdrawn forward), Rivelino (left sided playmaker), Jairzinho (free role forward), Gerson (central playmaker) and Carlos Alberto (overlapping fullback). His clever link up play with his teammates was on both wings, in and around the box and deeper centrally. This makes him ideal to fulfil the role I have given him: be a clinical finisher and creator, while still working in tandem with a withdrawn forward, inverting wing forward and overlapping right back.


Just from these brief highlights you get to appreciate how he popped up everywhere, getting stuck in, beating a defender with skill, sniffing blood in the box and playmaking in various zones (he would be great for the modern 'position-less' game):

 
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Edgar Allan Pillow said:
- Matthaus and van Hanegem are just too similar B2Bs making this midfield feel a bit more defensive than it needs to be. Both are top players and will add impetus, but someone more creative from the deep would have been more complimentary.
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Matthaus and Van Hanegem share some qualities (leadership, tenacious tackling, high workrate, long range shooting, football intelligence) but they are different central midfielders: Matthaus, the complete box-to-box midfielder, whose endless running, leadership, passing and all-round game will be key here. The prime-Matthaus we saw at Inter Milan was also creative and a dangerous threat in the last third in more of a free role, helped by having a defensive holding midfielder and controlling presence behind him (Haan and Van Hanegem fulfil these roles). Van Hanegem was not as fast or mobile as Matthaus, but his incredible vision, positional versatility and elite passing range allowed him to be just as influential with the ball. He was crucial in making the pitch big when his team was in possession. He is certainly one of the creative midfield GOATs. His curved passes to Blokhin and Dani Alves on the flanks will help stretch your defence, creating gaps for my attackers to exploit.
 
Pythagoras said:
Matthaus and Van Hanegem share some qualities (leadership, tenacious tackling, high workrate, long range shooting, football intelligence) but they are different central midfielders: Matthaus, the complete box-to-box midfielder, whose endless running, leadership, passing and all-round game will be key here. The prime-Matthaus we saw at Inter Milan was also creative and a dangerous threat in the last third in more of a free role, helped by having a defensive holding midfielder and controlling presence behind him (Haan and Van Hanegem fulfil these roles). Van Hanegem was not as fast or mobile as Matthaus, but his incredible vision, positional versatility and elite passing range allowed him to be just as influential with the ball. He was crucial in making the pitch big when his team was in possession. He is certainly one of the creative midfield GOATs. His curved passes to Blokhin and Dani Alves on the flanks will help stretch your defence, creating gaps for my attackers to exploit.
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Yeah, I wouldn't describe Matthäus as being too defensive in this setup. In fact, in such a system, he can thrive with his creativity and passing vision. Same with van Hanegem. Honestly, this is the most complete and compatible midfield that I've seen in this draft.
 
two brilliant teams but edgar steals the show with his nonsense :drool:
 
Agree with others Matthaus- WVH is complementary and works.

Struggling to vote in this one as I really like EAPs front 3 and can see Messi having a good game.
 
Two beautiful teams.

I disagree with Van Hanegem and Matthaus being similar at all. And even if they were there is no suggestion it won’t work. On the contrary I really like the use of Van hanegem as this gives him more freedom and is closer to his prime rather than being shunted as a sidekick as always.

Having said that I prefer slightly Edgar’s team due to Messi factor and the use of Becks and generally that front 6.

Love Villa as always and Elkjaer glues the attack together.
 
Edgar Allan Pillow said:
I wasn't saying this was a mistake. Haan - Matthau's is more than sufficient for this teams requirement. They would be complimented more with a proper central/attacking playmaker.
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I already have another elite playmaker in Johan Cruyff (false 9) to support my midfield:




“Proper attacking playmaker” - a dedicated #10 would take away from our verticality in transition, plus, minimise our ball winning ability higher up. Whereas in my current 4-3-3, both Van Hanegem and Matthaus can alternate between defending, creating and attacking with freedom.
 
Pythagoras said:
Matthaus and Van Hanegem share some qualities (leadership, tenacious tackling, high workrate, long range shooting, football intelligence) but they are different central midfielders: Matthaus, the complete box-to-box midfielder, whose endless running, leadership, passing and all-round game will be key here. The prime-Matthaus we saw at Inter Milan was also creative and a dangerous threat in the last third in more of a free role, helped by having a defensive holding midfielder and controlling presence behind him (Haan and Van Hanegem fulfil these roles). Van Hanegem was not as fast or mobile as Matthaus, but his incredible vision, positional versatility and elite passing range allowed him to be just as influential with the ball. He was crucial in making the pitch big when his team was in possession. He is certainly one of the creative midfield GOATs. His curved passes to Blokhin and Dani Alves on the flanks will help stretch your defence, creating gaps for my attackers to exploit.
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Agreed.

Both nice teams. Like Edgar's defensive unit, but ideally I'd like a more relentless ball-circulator than Beckham in the RCM role.
 
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