Manager draft

[Gio]

Bottom line is for all his excellence from the right in 2008/09, you shouldn't be moving Messi from the middle unless in exceptional circumstances. Everything else is just tactical masterbation.

Was there any difference between the 10/11 false 9 Messi and the earlier winger in terms of workrate? I don't think his workrate dropped at first when he moved to the middle and he wasn't the ultimate goalscoring machine he became from 2012 onwards either. You just need to watch the 5-0 thrashing of Real Madrid to see him work hard and create for others. It's in my opinion the peak of Guardiola's Barca side because they didn't need Messi to score to destroy opponents. Messi was part of a well working attacking unit and did his share of pressing and tracking just like he did in 08/09, he was just individually better and more influential in the team.

There may have been a short transition period, but I'd say there was. Certainly remember him not pressing in 2010/11 both to keep him fresh and in space for when the ball was recovered. His work-rate was always a little over-rated because he made the occasional lung-bursting run back into his own half to track a runner. But that certainly became less frequent from 2010 onwards.

I rate Eto´s extremely high; in his peak seasons he was on a level with the very best forwards ever played. Sadly his peak didnt last very long. So it really depends on how you take peak vs lenght into consideration.

I don't think he was clinical enough at his peak to merit that sort of comparison. However, his record in the big games was very good - 3 Champions League wins, scoring vital match-winning goals in two of them - and was always good for turning over some of the top boys when he was at Mallorca.

 

[Skizzo]

@harms

I sent my stuff to @Annahnomoss so he can put it up whatever time on wednesday.

 

[The Red Viper]

@The Red Viper Have pmed my tactics to annah! Best of luck.

I have also sent mine now. And, Good luck to you as well, mate!

 

[Annahnomoss]

Should I start it now?

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Go go go!

 

[antohan]

Disagree. Messi was fantastic coming from the right side.

And Robben isn't?

I would understand the dilemma if TRV had Valencia, but he has absolutely no need to shift Messi right.

 

[harms]

@harms

I sent my stuff to @Annahnomoss so he can put it up whatever time on wednesday.

I will finish mine today

EDIT I sent mine too. @Skizzo

 

[Skizzo]

I will finish mine today

EDIT I sent mine too. @Skizzo

Ok cool. Should be a good game looking forward to it

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

@Cutch when are we playing?

 

[Cutch]

@Cutch when are we playing?

Gonna try and do a quick write up now before the football starts. Havin a busy week, so maybe start Thursday afternoon?

 

[Cutch]

Who do i send to @Edgar Allan Pillow

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Annahnomoss

 

[Cutch]

Aye sent it a while ago to him. @Annahnomoss, start it on Thursday please

 

[harms]

Maybe it's time to start the game? @Annahnomoss @Skizzo

 

[Balu]

What games are starting today? If Annah isn't around, you can send your tactics to me as well. I'm online the next 2 hours.

 

[Joga Bonito]

Sent my write up to Annah, ready for the match anytime tomorrow.

@Balu @PedroMendez
Good luck

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

So, the final 2 games are tomorrow. Annah has both our writeup's too!

Should be a interesting day.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

When does our game start @Annahnomoss ?

 

[Balu]

Quarterfinals (winners in bold):

1: The Red Viper (Pep) vs MJJ (Lippi)
2: Harms (Trap) vs Skizzo (Lattek)
3: Joga Bonito (Lattek) vs Balu/PedroMendez (Guttmann)
4: Cutch (Fergie) vs Edgar Allan Pillow (Capello)

Remaining teams:

01. Harms:- Giovanni Trapattoni - 1. Platini 2. Scirea 3. Boniek 4. Bergomi 5. Gentile 6. Cuccureddu 7. Benetti 8. P. Rossi 9. Furino 10. Zoff 11. Causio 12. Bettega. 13. Tardelli 14. Batistuta

08. Balu/PedroMendez:- Béla Guttmann - 1. Bozsik 2. Puskás 3. C. Maldini 4. Grosics 5. Mauro Ramos 6. Coluna 7. Augusto 8. Eusebio 9. Joya 10. Gonçalves 11. Matosas 12. Caetano 13. Liedholm 14. Zizinho

12. Edgar Allan Pillow:- Fabio Capello - 1. P. Maldini 2. Nedved 3. Redondo 4. Desailly 5. Savićević 6. Costacurta 7. Albertini 8. Donadoni 9. Panucci 10. Suker 11. Casillas 12. Montero 13. Baresi 14. Van Basten

13. The Red Viper:- Pep Guardiola - 1. Lahm 2. Robben 3. Puyol 4. Xavi 5. Iniesta 6. Henry 7. Piqué 8. Busquets 9. Messi 10. Neuer 11. Abidal 12. D. Alves. 13. Eto'o 14. Ribéry

draft order starts from the top this time, if I'm not mistaken @Annahnomoss ? Which means @harms would pick first.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Having barely scraped past Ronaldo, I bet I'll get Messi this round

 

[harms]

Interesting, it's the second time in a row that I haven't got an alert.

 

[Balu]

Having barely scraped past Ronaldo, I bet I'll get Messi this round

Peanuts, if you play against me, your defense will shit their pants. Your attack might be excited though.

 

[harms]

And Trap picks...

Spoiler

Roberto Baggio

@Balu

 

[Balu]

Who would have thought that Team Guttmann could actually make it through to the semifinals? We're a bit lost here, when it comes to reinforcements, so we add a bit more Hungarian firepower from Guttmann's Honvéd exile team. We've talked a lot more about Benfica, Peñarol and Milan than about Guttmann's country of birth so far. This has to change (unless picking from that exile team leads to too much controversy , I hope it doesn't).

Their careers were too connected with each other to separate them now, so we pick both of them at once. Here's a brilliant short documentary about their time together at Barca with lots of interviews and stories about their whole careers. It's better than anything I could write.

 

[Balu]

01. Harms:- Giovanni Trapattoni - 1. Platini 2. Scirea 3. Boniek 4. Bergomi 5. Gentile 6. Cuccureddu 7. Benetti 8. P. Rossi 9. Furino 10. Zoff 11. Causio 12. Bettega. 13. Tardelli 14. Batistuta 15. Baggio

08. Balu/PedroMendez:- Béla Guttmann - 1. Bozsik 2. Puskás 3. C. Maldini 4. Grosics 5. Mauro Ramos 6. Coluna 7. Augusto 8. Eusebio 9. Joya 10. Gonçalves 11. Matosas 12. Caetano 13. Liedholm 14. Zizinho 15. Czibor 16. Kocsis

12. Edgar Allan Pillow:- Fabio Capello - 1. P. Maldini 2. Nedved 3. Redondo 4. Desailly 5. Savićević 6. Costacurta 7. Albertini 8. Donadoni 9. Panucci 10. Suker 11. Casillas 12. Montero 13. Baresi 14. Van Basten

13. The Red Viper:- Pep Guardiola - 1. Lahm 2. Robben 3. Puyol 4. Xavi 5. Iniesta 6. Henry 7. Piqué 8. Busquets 9. Messi 10. Neuer 11. Abidal 12. D. Alves. 13. Eto'o 14. Ribéry

@Edgar Allan Pillow

 

[harms]

While I'm at it, I have to share this - first 11 minutes of this video is Benigni talking about Baggio. This is fantastic, he didn't even once stop to catch a breath

 

[crappycraperson]

Is it one or two reinforcements?

 

[Balu]

Is it one or two reinforcements?

B6 - There will be 2 reinforcements per round after R1 till finals.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Is it one or two reinforcements?

Two

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

@The Red Viper

 

[crappycraperson]

Jeez.. Cafu and Guilt for Edgar then. Can't see him losing this now. Only a combined Lattek side would have been up for the job.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Who would have thought that Team Guttmann could actually make it through to the semifinals? We're a bit lost here, when it comes to reinforcements, so we add a bit more Hungarian firepower from Guttmann's Honvéd exile team. We've talked a lot more about Benfica, Peñarol and Milan than about Guttmann's country of birth so far. This has to change (unless picking from that exile team leads to too much controversy , I hope it doesn't).

Magyars with Eusebio

Jeez.. Cafu and Guilt for Edgar then. Can't see him losing this now. Only a combined Lattek side would have been up for the job.

Guilt? I don't want any!

Touch wood, but it's open for grabs now. No favourites against Barca, Juventus and Magyars.

Too bad, but your Ajax would have fit in perfectly in that esteemed group.

 

[Balu]

Magyars with Eusebio

I have to figure out a way to play Kocsis, Eusebio and Puskas though . It's not necessarily a natural fit.

 

[Skizzo]

Jeez.. Cafu and Guilt for Edgar then. Can't see him losing this now. Only a combined Lattek side would have been up for the job.

I don't want to talk about it

 

[Balu]

Jeez.. Cafu and Guilt for Edgar then. Can't see him losing this now. Only a combined Lattek side would have been up for the job.

I think I consider a full strength Trap side as better. I'm a bit surprised about harms' first pick though, I did expect him to add 2 different players.

 

[Theon]

Aye, Baggio is a surprising pick IMO

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

You can rarely go wrong with Baggio, but then with Boniek and Platini, it sure is a odd choice.

Edit if he drops Boniek and plays a 4-3-1-2 with Platini behind Baggio/Batigol....

 

[Theon]

You'll rarely go wrong with the likes of Matthaus and Brehme either - lots if great players are available for Trap. Dropping Boniek would be a bizarre move so I think he'll play him, but I don't think it'll he the most natural fit for those players.

 

[Balu]

Edit if he drops Boniek and plays a 4-3-1-2 with Platini behind Baggio/Batigol....

It would be a great way to start a fight with anto, not sure it's good for anything else.

 

[crappycraperson]

I think I consider a full strength Trap side as better. I'm a bit surprised about harms' first pick though, I did expect him to add 2 different players.

Thought he would go for Lothar and Cabirini. Don't need Kohler