This is simple. Even though Cal has two of my favourite United players in his team, I'm afraid Cling's team is so much more balanced and will outplay Cal's team.
New Fantasy Draft: brought to you by Cal?: The Big Final
- Thread starter Dr. Dwayne
- Start date
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
Fair point - Im pretty stuck on PL and whoever else i spot in CL really
I'm sure it's the same with most others, as it should be!
I think I still agree Cling's is better though, Anderson-Wilshire(-Augusto) just doesn't work for me while his midfield's much more balanced, if a capable holding player like Sahin was in there maybe it'd be different...
I think I still agree Cling's is better though, Anderson-Wilshire(-Augusto) just doesn't work for me while his midfield's much more balanced, if a capable holding player like Sahin was in there maybe it'd be different...
That's it for me as well, Clings team has the better balance - decent defence and that amazing midfield with Busquets and Henderson sitting back and Ozil doing the creative work - then plenty of supply for Bojan from the top class wide players.
I actually think Cal's midfield is a bit weak - strong forward line though and he did well to get 2 popular United players which always makes the difference in these votes!
I actually think Cal's midfield is a bit weak - strong forward line though and he did well to get 2 popular United players which always makes the difference in these votes!
Busquest is a bit better than Wilshere, but surely Anderson is a bit better than Henderson. I don't really see Cling's CM all that much better.
Busquets is more than "a little" better than wilshere based on current and past achievments
You arent really comparing like with like there Cal
It should be:
Ozil vs Wilshire - easily Ozil at the moment
Henderson vs Anderson - one is a Prem League regular, capped this season for England and just moved for best part of £20m; the other promised alot a few years ago but is yet to deliver on his early potential and mostly warms the bench (albeit for a far better club).
and then Busquets is arguably the best holding player in the world at the moment - better than any of your midfield trio IMO.
Plus you have no real holding player so a distinct lack of balance in the middle. For me there is no argument on the midfield, Cling's is far superior - defence and attack is a different story.
It should be:
Ozil vs Wilshire - easily Ozil at the moment
Henderson vs Anderson - one is a Prem League regular, capped this season for England and just moved for best part of £20m; the other promised alot a few years ago but is yet to deliver on his early potential and mostly warms the bench (albeit for a far better club).
and then Busquets is arguably the best holding player in the world at the moment - better than any of your midfield trio IMO.
Plus you have no real holding player so a distinct lack of balance in the middle. For me there is no argument on the midfield, Cling's is far superior - defence and attack is a different story.
Indeed - one having been an integral part of CL and World Cup winning teams - the other having won feck all.
Dont forget Cal - you said this was based on what players have acheived thus far, not on future potential.
I'm also surprised it's so in Cals favour. I think Clings is very well balanced with top players, whereas Cal also has top players but it seems like he's tried to cram them all in so they're there, just not in their natural positions.
Unless I've been watching different Arsenal games, Wilshere has very much been more of a holding player with Fabregas or Nasri in the Ozil role.
Anderson is on the edge of the Brazil squad and has won Premier League and Champions League medals playing regularly. Henderson is still playing for the U21s.
Busquets is arguably the best holding player in the world, that I agree.
My front 3 rivals the very best clubs in the world.
You have to be kiddink mate. Bojan, Henderson, Richards?
Those guys are nowhere near top class level. Bojan was all hype when he was 17 and it died out before his 19th birthday. By the way talking Bojan i found it weird that considering how much stick PS team got in first 2 games for playing Pato alone upfront, but noone is criticizing Cling for playing Bojan as lone striker. Cal? team star power is overwhelming and this aint the area there you should compare to him Rood. Instead of talking of all ALL STARS in his team, its better to mention who aint. Uchida with over 40 caps for his country being one of the most experienced players in this game. and Anderson who is kinda hot and cold figure.
But individual star power aint all of course. Plenty of examples in football when a good team with average individuals (like German) achieves much more than a team that just puts their 11 best players on the pitch (like England). Renato, Mata are almost strikers, Pato obviously is a striker. which makes that 4 incredible attacking minded. Cal? doesnt have an Anchor man to protect them , recycle possession. He can say that Anderson and Wishlere can do the job playing deep. But surely that is not the optimal use of their talents. Not even mentioning that Bale is wasted at defence. So Cling with better balancing his lesser players can catch up. But for me there Cal? edges the match is central defence. In this very attacking match, he has 1 of 2 best Budesliga and Seria A defenders to actually put some layer of protection from Cling attacks. And on the other end of the pitch not much is standing between Clig goal posts and Cal? strikers trying to put the ball into net.
I'm not. Cal's defense clinched it for me. I've seen every one of the players play football and his defense is much better. Richards as a DC doesn't do it for me. I just think it lacks discipline. I really rate Marcelo but that's the only defender there I really rate. Coleman plays more in right midfield. Busquets I'm not sure will work as well in a non-Barcelona type tactic.
Well we can argue about Wilshire's role (not a holding player at all IMO) but regardless, he hasnt reached the level of Ozil yet.
Anderson has never been a regular for us and is not in the Brazil squad for the Copa, been very hit and miss for a while now - at most I'd probably put him about equal with Henderson based on last couple of years.
and as you say, there is no argument on Busquets so that is why I say there is no contest in the midfield
Individually maybe - but you have pretty much got 4 strikers in there and I have no clue how they would play together - it really isnt a team at all!My front 3 rivals the very best clubs in the world.
Again, Wilshere is not in the Ozil role to be compared with him, I don't think he did too badly against Busquets when Arse played Barca.
Anderson v Henderson we can agree to disagree, he is on the edge on the Brazil squad, hence making the 28 but not the final 22. I just don't see why Henderson is suddenly hot property only based on the dippers forking out 20m on him.
Anyway, I'll concentrate on talking about my front 3, mouth-watering...
Good points Valentino and very fair of you to make them - in fact I just noted the same about the distinct lack of balance in Cals team. Regardless of star power, I just cant see them playing well together - unlike Cling's team which is perfectly balanced all over.
Mata has spent a lot of his career on the wings, so playing left forward in a Villa kind of role definitely suits him.
Pato has been moved further upfront, but again, has played right forward very often for Milan.
The formation is supposed to mirror the Barca system back when Etoo was there, Chicharito the speedy forward, Pato in the Messi role and Mata on the opposite side.
The match maybe should be closer than it is right now. If Cling just had a proper striker it may very well be going to the wire this very moment.
Cling's England based players are definitely not the best in the age group (Krul, Coleman, Richards, Henderson) and Bojan. So there is a lot of relatively average players in the line-up compared to Cal's
But how many people have actually seen Sippel, Uchida, Rannocchia, Subotic and Augusto?
Before anyone who has seen them pounces on that to suggest I am saying they're not good - I am not saying this.
Maybe it's easier to criticise the English based players sometimes when you can't pick a weakness in the other players you haven't seen, though. I'm beginning to learn this. No-one seems to have slagged off Douglas, for example, and though he definitely doesn't deserve it, nor do many others but they are because they're the one's people see.
For the record, Coleman and Richards have regularly played right and centre back respectively and these are - and will prove to be - their best positions. They've both had excellent seasons as well.
Bojan as a lone striker? Look at how they're lined up. It isn't a 4-5-1. Ignoring the fact that Bojan has exceptional individual skill, a front three of Di Maria, Bojan and Walcott is not to be sniffed at. Not with that midfield in behind as well.
I'm astounded that Cal's team is winning by such a huge margin.
i was going to even say that in my post, that it is easier to criticize your team because they are seen more often and in most cases aren't as highly rated by United fans. And again even Walcott's ability is usually under question on this board, as is Bojan's.
Into the final stretch with a healthy lead.
I've been informed by the newbies that their winner has a kind of similar team to mine:
Apparently he's deciding between these 2 formations:
or
I've been informed by the newbies that their winner has a kind of similar team to mine:
Apparently he's deciding between these 2 formations:
Most of my players in the Bundesliga and Serie A play for the top teams, so it's not like they're mid-table random players.
i know, but it is still more logical that more people on this board who voted are more likely to know the weaknesses of the England-based players than the others
For the record, I voted for you
Fair enough, thanks.
Definitely. Wasn't a criticism of your side, but because their names belong to those clubs and many won't have seen much of them, they're harder to criticise.
I like the newb's team a lot especially the second formation
Me too, both very good teams of course but there is no way there should be that much difference in the voting - Cal has done a better job on the PR side than Cling though (I tried to help but I think it was a case of too little, too late!)
Winner of the New Fantasy Draft Mains Divison - Me
the Game is Over. Congratulations to Cal? with a convincing win and championship title. Very impressive side u got there kid.
As i said earlier the title is all Cal?. However i would like to mentione my perfect record in this fantasy game 4 wins and none losses. Its also pretty impressive. And i am pleased with my performances during the whole season.
As i said earlier the title is all Cal?. However i would like to mentione my perfect record in this fantasy game 4 wins and none losses. Its also pretty impressive.
And i am pleased with my performances during the whole season.can I be the first one to say "fix!" ?
The winner of newbies league should be promoted to mains so he could play in top division next year doesnt he?
Hey, I only started 6th in the picks, I didn't do the draw, so there was nothing I could fix.
Anyway Dr, is it possible to setup concurrent polls in here and the newbie football forum? There's a supercup game to be played, even though it might be a bit of a farce with the 2 teams sharing 4-5 players.
I guess we could demote, I mean relegate, phelan's shorts.
I've no idea...two separate polls could be done but I wonder if I could copy a poll over to another forum? I may give it a try when I have some time. Set up your Supercup and I'll do the best I can.Hey, I only started 6th in the picks, I didn't do the draw, so there was nothing I could fix.
Anyway Dr, is it possible to setup concurrent polls in here and the newbie football forum? There's a supercup game to be played, even though it might be a bit of a farce with the 2 teams sharing 4-5 players.
I did the draw. it may have been some major epic conspiracy to be honest.
Why relegate PS? He certainly didn't do badly compared to some others.
Thanks, will liaise with the guy who setup the competition in the newbies first...
Don't go spreading rumours now... 
why, he finished top 4.
By the way as you mentioned them. i like to dedicate my medal to that team to Holtby and other great lads. its been a pleasure coaching them.