Šjor Bepo
Wout is love, Wout is life; all hail Wout!
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- Mar 29, 2011
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Team 2mufc0/theon
DEFENCE
Our defence is marshalled by one of the best defensive generals of all time in Gaetano Scirea - he provides world class distribution from the back whilst remaining the gold-standard defensively as a sweeping, covering defender. Complimenting his strengths is the stand-out defender of the modern era in Diego Godin (creating a classic sweeper / stopper partnership) whose physicality, aerial ability and ball-winning compliments the abilities of his defensive partner. At full-back Cole & Amoros provide elite defensive cover and also offer support in the attacking phases - given the lack of any clear wide-threat from the opposition we have chosen the more attaching Invincibles version of Cole here who was voted in the PFA Team of the Year three years in a row and should probe that Jusufi / Jardine flank which looks the weakest link on the park. Rounding off the defence is Preud'homme who remains the best Belgian keeper of all time and was twice voted the second best goalkeeper in the world by the IFFHS during this period (later winning the award in '94).
MIDFIELD
With the upgraded Voronin the midfield looks monstrous to play-through, filled with technical quality, work-rate and physicality which looks tailor-made to curb the influence of Maradona. The heart of the team remains our two box-to-box machines who we expect to wrestle control of game and provide the platform for our offence - of the two the dynamic Paul Breitner (in his later midfield incarnation, runner-up in the Ballon d'Or, 1-in-2 goal record for Bayern) will be given more freedom to break forward to utilise his goal scoring strengths while Roy Keane sits deeper as a controlling, defensive box-to-box player. One of the best defensive midfielders of all time comes into the team - Valery Voronin has been selected as a dominant defensive presence and the perfect counter against Maradona, he will screen in front of the back-line whilst spraying the ball from deep with his passing range. Whilst dominant off-the ball, all three also possess excellent passing skills and are well suited to playing sharp passes between the lines to feed our attackers - both Keane and in particular Breitner were also known for bursting forward and scoring goals and have the perfect platform to do that here.
ATTACK
Whilst he has various GOAT versions, in attack we have selected the MSN version of Lionel Messi which is probably Messi at his best in terms of complimenting other star attackers and utilises his peak-playmaking whilst maintaining the overall goal threat - in terms of role Messi has freedom to roam and interchange across the pitch and we see him linking well with Oleg Blokhin whose movement from the central striker role was about as fluid and dynamic as it gets.
On the left we have the explosive Juan Joya from 60's Penarol whose speed and incision cutting inside looks tailor-made for Messi's passing (that cross-field right-to-left pass to Alba was one of the signature characteristics of Messi's playmaking - looks devastating here behind Jusufi). Up front we have opted for Oleg Blokhin in the role which saw him win the Ballon d'Or in Lobanovsky's 4-1-3-2 formation - whilst equally comfortable from the left, this central role maximises the breadth of Blokhin's talents as a hard-working, lightening quick goal-scorer who will lead the press from the front (a core facet of Lobanovsky's style). In this position Blokhin's intelligence and movement will be key to create space for others to exploit and we think his raw pace should pose Kohler serious problems (more so than the physical style of Lubanski) - with 72 goals in 120 games over this period he looks a potential match-winner and another player who should compliment the passing ability of Messi.
THOUGHTS ON THE GAME
1. OPPOSITION LACK OF WIDTH - Fortitude has a talented collection of players but looks very centrally orientated without a consistent wide presence outside of Facchetti (who has his hands full with Messi). Our central core of Breitner / Keane / Voronin / Godin / Scirea is as rock-solid as it gets defensively and looks perfectly setup to counter his threat through the middle. With regards to Maradona in particular the work-rate and ball-winning of Voronin and Keane should pressure him in possession and the overall area looks highly congested anyway (no less than seven central midfielders on the park) which should blunt some of his main threats. Briefly on Van Basten he looks well-marshalled by Godin / Scirea with the Uruguayan in particular set to relish the physical battle - more importantly though that lack of wide presence doesn't seem to get the best out of Van Basten who was such a prolific header of the ball from crosses.
2. EXPLOIT THE LEFT CHANNEL - In terms of our attack, we will look to exploit the weakest defender on the pitch in Jusufi through the lightening quick combination of Juan Joya and Oleg Blokhin - both exceptional goal scorers with clever off-the-ball movement to get in behind Fortitude's back-line. Part of the logic for choosing Blokhin in the middle was his natural ability to drift and probe across the front line where the opposition is weakest - in practise we think there's going to be a few times during the game where that left channel gets overloaded and it looks like a real problem for Fortitude.
Michel Preud'homme (88-91) GK- Belgian 1st Division, UEFA Cup Winners Cup, European Super Cup, Belgian Golden Shoe, Belgian GK of the Year x 3.
Gaetano Scirea (79-82) CB - Seria A x 2, Copa Italia, Fifa World Cup 1982, UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament 1980.
Diego Godin (14-17) CB - La Liga x1, Supercopa de Espana, UEFA Europa League, CL runner up x 2, La Liga Player of the Month x 2, La Liga Team of the Season x 2, UEFA Team of the Year 2014, La Liga Best Defender 2015, ESM Team of the Year 2015.
Manuel Amoros (84-87) RB - Ligue 1 1987, Coupe de France 85, EUEFA Euro Champion 1984, Onze d'Argent: 1984, French Player of the Year 1986, FIFA WC All Star Team 1986, FIFA XI 1986.
Ashley Cole (08-11) LB - Premier League 09-10, FA Cup x 3, FA Community Shield 09, UEFA Champions League 11-12, PFA Team of the Year 10-11, UEFA Team of the Year 2010, Chelsea Players Player of the Year x 2, England Player of the Year 2010, Premier League 20 Seasons Awards (1992–93 to 2011–12).
Valery Voronin (64-66) DM – Soviet Footballer of the Year 1964, 1965; Soviet Top league 1965;
Roy Keane (98-01) CM - Premier League: 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, FA Cup: 1998–99, UEFA Champions League 98-99, Intercontinental Cup 1999, PFA Team of the Year 99-00, 00-01, 01-02, PFA Team of the Century: (1907–2007), FAI Senior International Player of the Year: 2001, Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 1999, 2000, RTÉ Sports Person of the Year: 1999, FWA Footballer of the Year: 2000, PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2000, ESM Team of the Year: 1999–2000, Premier League 10 Seasons Awards: (1992–93 to 2001–02), Premier League 20 Seasons Awards: (1992–93 to 2011–12).
Paul Breitner (79-82) CM - Bundesliga: 1979–80, 1980–81, DFB-Pokal: 1981–82, kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season:1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, Footballer of the Year in Germany: 1981, Ballon d'Or: 1981 (Runner-up), IOC European Footballer of the Season 1980–81, FIFA World Cup All-Time Team, FIFA 100, Bayern Munich All-time XI.
Lionel Messi (14-17) RW - La Liga: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, Copa del Rey: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, Supercopa de España: 2016, UEFA Champions League: 2014–15, UEFA Super Cup: 2015, FIFA Club World Cup: 2015, FIFA Ballon d'Or: 2015, FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 2014, European Golden Shoe: 2016–17, 2017–18, Copa América Golden Ball: 2015, UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award: 2015, La Liga Best Player: 2014–15, La Liga Best Forward: 2014–15, 2015–16, Pichichi Trophy: 2016–17, 2017–18, FIFA Club World Cup Silver Ball: 2015, IFFHS World's Best Playmaker: 2015, 2016, 2017, Olimpia de Plata (Argentine Footballer of the Year): 2015, 2016, 2017, FIFA FIFPro World11: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, UEFA Team of the Year: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, La Liga Team of the Season: 2014–15, 2015–16, FIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2014, Copa América Dream Team: 2015, 2016, Argentine Football Assn. Team of All Time (published 2015).
Juan Joya (64-67) LW - Primera División Uruguaya: 64,65,66,67, Copa Libertadores: 66, Copa Intercontinental: 66.
Oleg Blokhin (73-75) – Hardworking wide forward – Soviet Top League 1974, 1975; Soviet Cup 1974; UEFA Cup Winners Cup 1975; UEFA Super Cup 1975; ; Soviet Top League top scorer 1973, 1974, 1975; Ballon d'Or 1974 – 19th, 1975 – 1st
Gaetano Scirea (79-82) CB - Seria A x 2, Copa Italia, Fifa World Cup 1982, UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament 1980.
Diego Godin (14-17) CB - La Liga x1, Supercopa de Espana, UEFA Europa League, CL runner up x 2, La Liga Player of the Month x 2, La Liga Team of the Season x 2, UEFA Team of the Year 2014, La Liga Best Defender 2015, ESM Team of the Year 2015.
Manuel Amoros (84-87) RB - Ligue 1 1987, Coupe de France 85, EUEFA Euro Champion 1984, Onze d'Argent: 1984, French Player of the Year 1986, FIFA WC All Star Team 1986, FIFA XI 1986.
Ashley Cole (08-11) LB - Premier League 09-10, FA Cup x 3, FA Community Shield 09, UEFA Champions League 11-12, PFA Team of the Year 10-11, UEFA Team of the Year 2010, Chelsea Players Player of the Year x 2, England Player of the Year 2010, Premier League 20 Seasons Awards (1992–93 to 2011–12).
Valery Voronin (64-66) DM – Soviet Footballer of the Year 1964, 1965; Soviet Top league 1965;
Roy Keane (98-01) CM - Premier League: 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, FA Cup: 1998–99, UEFA Champions League 98-99, Intercontinental Cup 1999, PFA Team of the Year 99-00, 00-01, 01-02, PFA Team of the Century: (1907–2007), FAI Senior International Player of the Year: 2001, Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 1999, 2000, RTÉ Sports Person of the Year: 1999, FWA Footballer of the Year: 2000, PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2000, ESM Team of the Year: 1999–2000, Premier League 10 Seasons Awards: (1992–93 to 2001–02), Premier League 20 Seasons Awards: (1992–93 to 2011–12).
Paul Breitner (79-82) CM - Bundesliga: 1979–80, 1980–81, DFB-Pokal: 1981–82, kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season:1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, Footballer of the Year in Germany: 1981, Ballon d'Or: 1981 (Runner-up), IOC European Footballer of the Season 1980–81, FIFA World Cup All-Time Team, FIFA 100, Bayern Munich All-time XI.
Lionel Messi (14-17) RW - La Liga: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, Copa del Rey: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, Supercopa de España: 2016, UEFA Champions League: 2014–15, UEFA Super Cup: 2015, FIFA Club World Cup: 2015, FIFA Ballon d'Or: 2015, FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 2014, European Golden Shoe: 2016–17, 2017–18, Copa América Golden Ball: 2015, UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award: 2015, La Liga Best Player: 2014–15, La Liga Best Forward: 2014–15, 2015–16, Pichichi Trophy: 2016–17, 2017–18, FIFA Club World Cup Silver Ball: 2015, IFFHS World's Best Playmaker: 2015, 2016, 2017, Olimpia de Plata (Argentine Footballer of the Year): 2015, 2016, 2017, FIFA FIFPro World11: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, UEFA Team of the Year: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, La Liga Team of the Season: 2014–15, 2015–16, FIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2014, Copa América Dream Team: 2015, 2016, Argentine Football Assn. Team of All Time (published 2015).
Juan Joya (64-67) LW - Primera División Uruguaya: 64,65,66,67, Copa Libertadores: 66, Copa Intercontinental: 66.
Oleg Blokhin (73-75) – Hardworking wide forward – Soviet Top League 1974, 1975; Soviet Cup 1974; UEFA Cup Winners Cup 1975; UEFA Super Cup 1975; ; Soviet Top League top scorer 1973, 1974, 1975; Ballon d'Or 1974 – 19th, 1975 – 1st
Team Fortitude
Initial set up is an extremely dynamic 4-2-2-2, which will switch to a plethora of systems as and when the situation demands, most prominent of which, will be Maradona turning his '2' into a '1' as he drifts to and from the final third.
However, the underpinned tactics are as follows:
- A Narrow, compacted backline.
- Both full-backs tucked inside.
- Facchetti man-marking Messi, but always remaining on the inside of him.
- Two midfielders holding.
- Modric is a third, floating CM
- Maradona floats between the AM and final third lines with a brief to breach space off the ball at times.
- Bene will sometimes drift outside of his CB per tactical instruction.
- Van Basten is withdrawn and will be instructed to take more long range shots.
- Players will remain equidistant in possession, but will swarm in 2's and 3's in defensive phases.
- Outside of quick shifts of feet to then pass, the ball will do all the work until the attacking midfield phase, from there, heavy utilisation of dribbling and distanced shooting.