Himannv
General_Elegancia/Invictus
Himannv
Formation: 4-4-2
Tactics:
Beckenbauer:
The support cast:
Videos of key players:
Zagallo was such a little guy but he worked his socks off and was skilled on the ball as well.
General_Elegancia/Invictus
DEFENSE
Andoni Zubizarreta: as the goalkeeper of the Dream Team at Cruyff's Barcelona, Zubizarreta was technically accomplished, a forward-thinking organizer, adept at rushing off his zone and playing with high defensive lines, had a keen positional sense, was stylish yet efficient as a distributor of the ball, and also a noteworthy shot-stopper. Good fit for the approach, and possesses the skill set to consistently and directly feed the ball to Di Stéfano.
David Alaba: part of several aggressive teams that employed high lines over the years with Bayern (from Heynckes' Champions League winners to Flick's Champions League winners), one of the best ball-playing defenders of his generation, an intelligent presser and counter-presser, proficient at effortlessly transitioning from defense to attack, could shunt up and down the flank but also tuck in if need be. Good fit for the approach; and wrt. Di Stéfano, Alaba could stretch the field on the left, provide industry and movement and guile, and also link up at the edge of the inside-left zone of midfield.
Ruud Krol: the quintessential totaalvoetbal defender, utterly complete in a myriad aspects. Intuitive strategist and very active off the ball, very smooth on the ball, above-average recovery speed and speed in general, comfortable in wider areas, and possessed a sixth-sense for danger. Good fit for the approach, matches the totaalvoetballing principles of the GOAT (who was arguably the most complete footballer of them all) and can also use his passing range to bring Di Stéfano into the game.
To get a sense for how good he was as a central defender, Krol won the Guerin d'Oro for Player of the Year, had a more impressive performance index than the likes of Scirea and was rated as the best foreign player in Serie A from 1980 to 1982:
Virgil van Dijk:
The complete package, so to speak — one of the landmarks of defending at the peak of his powers. van Dijk is peculiar in the sense that he has next to no discernable weaknesses — simultaneously a rugged, immovable rock from a purely defensive standpoint and a cultured ball-player for possession oriented teams, excellent at anticipating and diagnosing situations before they develop but also possessing the explosiveness to make split-second interventions if he has to, wins the vast majority of aerial duels but also imperious on the ground, spectacular at manning islands of spaces on his own (centrally or through half spaces) but effective when asked to defend compactly in numbers, and rarely caught out position because of his footballing IQ. One of the most influential players for his side during set-pieces to boot (aided by athleticism and massive 6'5" frame), and has an keen sense for resorting to tactical fouls when his team is under tremendous pressure. Perfect central defender for this scheme, in our opinion; and his defensive nous, passing ability and mentality will be appreciated by a savant in Di Stéfano.
Sandy Jardine: Mr. Consistent for most of his career...capable in all phases of the game; a tenacious fullback who boasted good technical skills, pace in offensive and defensive transitions, stamina to go up-and-down and present himself as an option for the ball, and the discipline to always mind his positional duties. The fact that McGrain was often moved to the left for Scotland does say a thing or two about Jardine's performances back in the day. Good fit for the approach, should offer himself as a a receiving option out wide (when Di Stéfano targets that part of the pitch) and could also ping the ball to the main man from advantageous positions.
MIDFIELD
Wim Jansen: a no-nonsense, energetic, selfless, combative and versatile player who could operate as a defensive midfielder, defensive box-to-box midfielder, fullback or even central defender on occasion. Good fit for the approach because the famous organization and press of the Dutch national team was predicated on his characteristics as a tackler and stabilizer in midfield, along with his tactical intelligence and nose for covering spaces; and well suited to an archetypal water-carrier role in service of the leading light, Di Stéfano.
Bernd Schuster: a spielmacher with a wide range of stand-out qualities. Exquisite dribbler, innovative passer in short, medium and long ranges, dynamic in and out of possession, aggressive in the tackle, scored a lot of goals over the course of his career, and athletically a force of nature who could forcefully traverse vast spaces. Good fit for the approach; and also, he forged a short-lived but wonderful alliance with Maradona at Barcelona, which should suit Di Stéfano — with Schuster being his trusted partner, buzzing in the vicinity...sometimes alongside and sometimes behind or ahead (the Blonde Engel to go with the Blond Arrow).
ATTACK
Paul van Himst: an international debutant in 1960 at the age of 17, the precocious Paul van Himst combined mesmerizing technical ability with such deadly finishing that he soon earned the nickname ‘the White Pele’. The four-time Belgian Footballer of the Year racked up goals with startling regularity — averaging better than a goal every other game for a total of almost 300 at club level, and 30 from 81 appearances at international boot. Plus, he was effortlessly versatile, a determined worker and a consummate team-player; those qualities make him a good fit for the approach and a trusted ally for Di Stéfano as he takes on the opposition scourge...
Jupp Heynckes: in his footballing days, Heynckes struck a telepathic understand with the fabled controller, Günter Netzer. A wing forward by nature, he made significant contributions during the build-up stages, was a willing and tireless runner both on and off the ball, possessed an excellent turn of pace and rhythm and was a threat in the air, and had a memorable 3 year peak where he plundered 129 goals in 139 matches at club level for a goals-per-game ratio of 0.93. Good fit for the approach, and also a smashing fit with Di Stéfano given his movement, industriousness, tactical foresight and eye for goal.
Carlos Tévez: an irrepressible force of nature whose infectious work rate spread throughout the team. A multi-faceted center forward, Tévez could function as the point of attack or in a twin-pronged strike force, and is one of the absolute best fits for the approach as he had an incredible drive to win and worked his bollocks off and even engaged in a fair bit of shithousery, offered plenty of verve up front, brought deeper players into the game and scored with aplomb (300+ career goals). Terrific fit with Di Stéfano as the latter would appreciate Tévez's footballing ability, movement, selflessness and workmanlike attitude and appetite for loose balls in his vicinity, tireless pressing capabilities and unflinching Argentinian “grinta”.
General_Elegancia/Invictus
Himannv
Formation: 4-4-2
Tactics:
- Team built to give Beckenbauer freedom to impact the game in defense, midfield, and attack.
- There is pressing involved but the team generally holds shape, particularly in the defensive phase.
Beckenbauer:
- Drops deeper to collect the ball from the keeper or defense when needed.
- Generally runs the game from midfield.
- Looks to pick out one of the strikers up front.
- Switches the play to flanks when one of the wingers or fullbacks are free.
- Steps forward into attacking areas to either create a chance for someone else or score himself.
The support cast:
- Keegan is great at receiving long passes and makes runs off the ball.
- Krankl plays off the shoulder of the last man and constantly makes runs to get on the end of passes and score.
- Mackay acts as the DM when Kaiser steps forward and also acts as a secondary creative force in midfield if Kaiser is blocked.
- Zagallo and Conti add defensive workrate and help support the midfield when they don't have the ball, but are good options for out balls wide.
- The fullbacks are balanced and help out both offensively and defensively.
- McGrath helps with playing out from the back
- Ferri is a pure stopper and an ever-present defensive presence.
Videos of key players:
Zagallo was such a little guy but he worked his socks off and was skilled on the ball as well.
General_Elegancia/Invictus
- Formation: fairly straight-forward and vertically oriented 4—3—3, with Alfredo Di Stéfano as the box-to-box “architect” of the team.
- Style: Relentless and proactive from start to finish, lots of pressing and also interplay given the personnel at hand, and a near-constant emphasis on the attacking side of the game.
- Special instruction(s): target Beckenbauer, as containing him would dramatically decrease the opposition's ability to influence the proceedings (given the general dearth of game-regulating playmakers in possession). Tactically foul him early and often in the center of the park if need be, and isolate him with the “quadrilateral of death” (starting with Tévez if he withdraws every now and then, and passing through Schuster, Jansen and Di Stéfano himself if he wants to get his hands dirty). The objective is to ensure that our game-regulator has a cleaner platform and superior foothold than their game-regulator.
- How the role suits the GOAT: healthy combination of industry and technical prowess around him, well-timed runs and movement in and out of possession, the freedom to influence the proceedings and proverbially be at the heart of the game at almost all times, the absence of some megalomaniac twerp who will challenge his authority in vain, capable deputies to lend a helping hand, and also the chance to regularly explore the inside-left segment of the pitch...
- How the Peaches suit the GOAT (and the philosophy at large):
DEFENSE
Andoni Zubizarreta: as the goalkeeper of the Dream Team at Cruyff's Barcelona, Zubizarreta was technically accomplished, a forward-thinking organizer, adept at rushing off his zone and playing with high defensive lines, had a keen positional sense, was stylish yet efficient as a distributor of the ball, and also a noteworthy shot-stopper. Good fit for the approach, and possesses the skill set to consistently and directly feed the ball to Di Stéfano.
David Alaba: part of several aggressive teams that employed high lines over the years with Bayern (from Heynckes' Champions League winners to Flick's Champions League winners), one of the best ball-playing defenders of his generation, an intelligent presser and counter-presser, proficient at effortlessly transitioning from defense to attack, could shunt up and down the flank but also tuck in if need be. Good fit for the approach; and wrt. Di Stéfano, Alaba could stretch the field on the left, provide industry and movement and guile, and also link up at the edge of the inside-left zone of midfield.
Ruud Krol: the quintessential totaalvoetbal defender, utterly complete in a myriad aspects. Intuitive strategist and very active off the ball, very smooth on the ball, above-average recovery speed and speed in general, comfortable in wider areas, and possessed a sixth-sense for danger. Good fit for the approach, matches the totaalvoetballing principles of the GOAT (who was arguably the most complete footballer of them all) and can also use his passing range to bring Di Stéfano into the game.
To get a sense for how good he was as a central defender, Krol won the Guerin d'Oro for Player of the Year, had a more impressive performance index than the likes of Scirea and was rated as the best foreign player in Serie A from 1980 to 1982:
Virgil van Dijk:
The complete package, so to speak — one of the landmarks of defending at the peak of his powers. van Dijk is peculiar in the sense that he has next to no discernable weaknesses — simultaneously a rugged, immovable rock from a purely defensive standpoint and a cultured ball-player for possession oriented teams, excellent at anticipating and diagnosing situations before they develop but also possessing the explosiveness to make split-second interventions if he has to, wins the vast majority of aerial duels but also imperious on the ground, spectacular at manning islands of spaces on his own (centrally or through half spaces) but effective when asked to defend compactly in numbers, and rarely caught out position because of his footballing IQ. One of the most influential players for his side during set-pieces to boot (aided by athleticism and massive 6'5" frame), and has an keen sense for resorting to tactical fouls when his team is under tremendous pressure. Perfect central defender for this scheme, in our opinion; and his defensive nous, passing ability and mentality will be appreciated by a savant in Di Stéfano.
Sandy Jardine: Mr. Consistent for most of his career...capable in all phases of the game; a tenacious fullback who boasted good technical skills, pace in offensive and defensive transitions, stamina to go up-and-down and present himself as an option for the ball, and the discipline to always mind his positional duties. The fact that McGrain was often moved to the left for Scotland does say a thing or two about Jardine's performances back in the day. Good fit for the approach, should offer himself as a a receiving option out wide (when Di Stéfano targets that part of the pitch) and could also ping the ball to the main man from advantageous positions.
MIDFIELD
Wim Jansen: a no-nonsense, energetic, selfless, combative and versatile player who could operate as a defensive midfielder, defensive box-to-box midfielder, fullback or even central defender on occasion. Good fit for the approach because the famous organization and press of the Dutch national team was predicated on his characteristics as a tackler and stabilizer in midfield, along with his tactical intelligence and nose for covering spaces; and well suited to an archetypal water-carrier role in service of the leading light, Di Stéfano.
Bernd Schuster: a spielmacher with a wide range of stand-out qualities. Exquisite dribbler, innovative passer in short, medium and long ranges, dynamic in and out of possession, aggressive in the tackle, scored a lot of goals over the course of his career, and athletically a force of nature who could forcefully traverse vast spaces. Good fit for the approach; and also, he forged a short-lived but wonderful alliance with Maradona at Barcelona, which should suit Di Stéfano — with Schuster being his trusted partner, buzzing in the vicinity...sometimes alongside and sometimes behind or ahead (the Blonde Engel to go with the Blond Arrow).
ATTACK
Paul van Himst: an international debutant in 1960 at the age of 17, the precocious Paul van Himst combined mesmerizing technical ability with such deadly finishing that he soon earned the nickname ‘the White Pele’. The four-time Belgian Footballer of the Year racked up goals with startling regularity — averaging better than a goal every other game for a total of almost 300 at club level, and 30 from 81 appearances at international boot. Plus, he was effortlessly versatile, a determined worker and a consummate team-player; those qualities make him a good fit for the approach and a trusted ally for Di Stéfano as he takes on the opposition scourge...
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Jupp Heynckes: in his footballing days, Heynckes struck a telepathic understand with the fabled controller, Günter Netzer. A wing forward by nature, he made significant contributions during the build-up stages, was a willing and tireless runner both on and off the ball, possessed an excellent turn of pace and rhythm and was a threat in the air, and had a memorable 3 year peak where he plundered 129 goals in 139 matches at club level for a goals-per-game ratio of 0.93. Good fit for the approach, and also a smashing fit with Di Stéfano given his movement, industriousness, tactical foresight and eye for goal.
Carlos Tévez: an irrepressible force of nature whose infectious work rate spread throughout the team. A multi-faceted center forward, Tévez could function as the point of attack or in a twin-pronged strike force, and is one of the absolute best fits for the approach as he had an incredible drive to win and worked his bollocks off and even engaged in a fair bit of shithousery, offered plenty of verve up front, brought deeper players into the game and scored with aplomb (300+ career goals). Terrific fit with Di Stéfano as the latter would appreciate Tévez's footballing ability, movement, selflessness and workmanlike attitude and appetite for loose balls in his vicinity, tireless pressing capabilities and unflinching Argentinian “grinta”.
And finally, a bit on our lord and savior...
