It's my same old qualm with drafts. Shinier names triumph more natural fits. Heyy, but as long as it works, who cares. It's not like Tigana-Falcao is losing you any votes
It's getting almost as tiresome as my Zanetti crusade, but at least I don't pretend that it has anything to do with football.
You've criticised Falcão & Neeskens (with Netzer ahead of them) and that was fair enough, as that partnership took a lot from Neeskens' game. If you remember, after I "religiously defender" (when?) that partnership, I picked Voronin and unleashed those 2 in a more attacking roles.
You've criticised Robson & Luis Suarez behind Platini and that was fair enough, as that partnership took a lot from Robson's game.
You're criticising Falcão & Tigana because it takes a lot from whom exactly? A few quotes not from myself, as I've said enough words on the matter, I couldn't resist as I've only recently watched tons of Tigana games for France, Bordeaux & Marseille. I'd consider Tigana's 1984 Euros tournament as his peak performance, not that the real tournament performances matter more than your hypotheticals, as we've seen with Cannavaro.
Every great team is composed of different characters. There may be a few stars in the team, but there also those that keep their feet grounded and work for the team tirelessly and constantly. These individuals are also the reason why the marquee stars of the side are capable of showing their best qualities because they don’t need to sacrifice any part of their game, there are others who will do the necessary. And for Michel Hidalgo’s French national team in the early 1980s, that selfless individual was none other than Jean Tigana. ---- (he was literally a player that allows marquee stars to shine, not another "big name" that was picked in spite of the team's balance - harms)
Tigana’s influence on French football can be observed in today’s modern box-to-box midfielders like N’Golo Kanté, Blaise Matuidi, Tanguy Ndombele. Much like Tigana’s style of play, these players venture forward when necessary and contribute to offensive football, however, their main purpose is to maintain the balance of play in the middle of the park and ensure that defensive solidity is maintained. This assurance in midfield allows the more creative players to express themselves freely without having to worry about tracking back or marking opposition attackers.
Tigana was a player for every manager. His attitude was top class and his work ethic was of the highest order. Although he was deployed usually as a holding midfielder, Tigana’s tireless work-rate in midfield was also complemented by the occasional stride forward to support his attackers in the final third. This tendency to dominate the middle of the park defensively made him popular in France in the early ‘80s and also led to his call-up to the French national team under Hidalgo. Tigana’s loyalty to Bordeaux was unflinching and the combative midfielder earned a great reputation with the Girondins fans. Although Tigana wasn’t tall or muscular, like many modern box-to-box midfielders, he was a tireless worker and used to impose himself by pressing the opposition’s attackers into giving up the ball. Slowly and gradually, the man built his reputation and became one of Europe’s finest box-to-box midfielders. While Giresse was the classy midfielder who was a composed figure on the ball and knew how to make his way past a defence, Fernández was the deepest of the four and played the role of the deep playmaker, however, he did not play a major role in the defensive aspects of Hidalgo’s side, that was Tigana’s work.
Another no-name who probably doesn't know enough about the French football of the 80's. Notice that for whatever reason the first quality he highlights is Tigana's unreal defensive ability and engine.
Arsene Wenger said:
I remember Tigana was 63kg, a defensive midfielder and he was unbelievable defensively. He had that technique. I played against him [in a kickabout] at the European Championship in Sweden in 1992 and he was still the same – he won every challenge.
Jean Tigana spent his entire career as a water-carrier, even though he was probably the most elegant water-carrier that ever existed. Even for Bordeaux, where his playmaking side was understandably highlighted more he was often the deepest midfielder that took care of the opposition's AM. We can call him a box-to-box as a reference to his engine, and I'd definitely call him that, although I'd put him in the defensive box-to-box category. But if we look at the literal definition of that term, basically it's a player that wins the ball in his box and then drives forward to score, say, a header at the other side of the pitch — Bryan Robson would be the perfect example of such a player. You would almost never see Tigana in the opposition's penalty box though. In fact, he scored 37 times in 16 seasons of his professional career. The likes of Robson & Neeskens can probably score as many in 2 - 2,5 seasons. He was a great passer of the ball and a fantastic dribbler, but most of his assists also came after his passing from deep. What does this role takes from his game? What attributes does he lack to perform a role that I ask of him?
I prefer to go for symmetrical formations with the roles either defined or assumed by the nature of the given players.
