I've tried 4
think it's a phone issue to be honest. I've managed to get it on imjurNostalgia Draft - Winner - Isotope
- Thread starter Physiocrat
- Start date
think it's a phone issue to be honest. I've managed to get it on imjurSend you now my formation and tactics at PM, so if you please can confirm if it is ok so I can send it forward.
Because am not angry, I actually consider you a "Fontaine of football knowledge" and would be absolutely thrilled if I can get your approval and vote after 3 years.
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"Jim, let it go..."
Yeah, I can't get it to work on the phone either, only PC
I envy on that tagline. Look at mine.
We all get what we deserve, I "invested" hours of late night flirting with @Scarlett Dracarys into getting mine. A bit of a rollercoaster, sometimes she scratches you in the face, sometimes she purrs. Either way, I'll take that over your men in low socks, no doubt about that.
is there a limit to how low? Full ankle exposure?
we know you want to show your ankles so just do it
I can't be too predictable now. A little crazy never hurt nobody
I have no idea why you so obsessed with my vote.
Because it is the ultimate recognition mate.I have no idea why you so obsessed with my vote.
You really want to play dumb game?I have no idea why you so obsessed with my vote.
First of all, it is a biiiiiiit suspicious that you never voted for me. Let's put that 15 votes aside, so I had to react a bit.
But no sir you won't get me banned and I will hold my feelings.
But no sir you won't get me banned and I will hold my feelings.
I have nothing against you mate. If my vote really bothered you so much, i will stay away from your match thread in the future.
See? Settled.
I actually believe we will become great friends in the end. <3
Not pleased about recent developments at all. I've lost a vote even before the game started! Need to even things out by bribing Bepo.
Sorry I'm chocca until the weekend. How does late Sunday or Monday fit?Ffs, I really counted on @Gio ’s vote with Gio & Brian in my side
Also, Litmanen’s gone! He was my favorite part of that set up.
Any day is okay. Let’s do Monday for convenience.
Sure not babe, the ups and downs in the dance of courtship are half the fun. They also get you all pumped up for the other halfI can't be too predictable now. A little crazy never hurt nobody
OK, that drooling smilie looks fecking creepy
I'm starting to see the elements for a new award. The @BlackShark_80 Vote Award.
Still not sure if it goes to whoever gets the most over the course of all games or acts as the ultimate insult to whoever gets him to vote for Beam.
@TheReligion when are we playing?
haha if I remember correctly we ended up fighting the whole game. We pretty much both wanted the other person dead. Come to think of it that is what modern courtship is these daysSure not babe, the ups and downs in the dance of courtship are half the fun. They also get you all pumped up for the other half
Sunday?. Friday is England and I don't think you can do Saturday.
I'll be rough on Sunday but not an issue my write up is already in so just let Physio etc know whenever you're free
Are you going on a session Saturday? Ha ha
Antohan's squad peak caveats and random rants
I get the “3-year peak” as a standard to avoid one-season wonders, fleeting periods of form, or to highlight “player versions” but I personally prefer longer peaks and certified quality over an extended period. Will use three years where clearly relevant, particularly where a player’s “version” is concerned.
FULLBACKS:
My unbreakable two:
Roberto Carlos and Javier Zanetti. Hard to pinpoint a specific three-year peak, anywhere between 1997 and 2003 for Carlos, Zanetti even longer than that, he was nicknamed The Tractor but was a fecking Rolls-Royce.
GOALKEEPERS:
Gianluca Pagliuca (1993-98), best Italian goalkeeper of the 90s, second only to Buffon in the period and easily Top 5 in the world through the decade. A wall for Sampdoria, Inter and Italy. Also a sweeper-keeper before it got so fashionable.
Óscar Córdoba (1999-02), an absolute boss guarding the sticks for Boca in two Libertadores and one Intercontinental Cup win. Only keeper to ever win the Copa América without conceding a single goal. IFFHS ranked him second only to Oliver Kahn in 2001.
DEFENDERS:
Matthias Sammer (1994-97), an unfortunately short peak as libero and cornerstone for Dortmund’s and Germany’s success. Ballon d’Or to boot. It was still enough to make him the GOAT of liberos (not the pure sweeper, nor a defender breaking off a back four, proper spare man free to influence the game and be where his instincts tell him to be).
Carles Puyol (2007-10), a rock for club and country through their most decorated periods. World Cup, Euro and 3x UEFA Team of the Year, that’s some peak.
Giorgio Chiellini (2007-12), while most of his success and honours at the heart of the Juve defence came after 2012, that’s about team and managerial stability more than the player himself. He was after all the Serie A Defender of the Year for three consecutive years in 2008, 2009 and 2010. I could just point to those and how he switched from LB to CB in late 2007, making that position his own for club and country (he was actually better at Euro 2008 than 2012, where he played through injuries). The way he handled the 2010-12 period though is a huge testament to his character and professionalism. Managers changing, tinkering that goes with it, he got shifted back to LB, then back to CB in a pair, then back to LB and finally Conte hit the nail on the head with the trio that settled down as the starting platform for club and country for the next half decade or so.
Manuel Sanchís (1992-99), Madrid’s captain and a regular feature at the heart of their defence for 13 years. I’m just shaving off the last two here in which his performance and appearances decidedly dropped, but if I had to focus on a period it would be 1997-99 as that is exactly the player I’m going for here: the experienced, tactically intelligent and positionally sound defender who would slot into a CB or sweeper role, and with a specific man-marking detail if required. That didn’t make him a utility squad player, he was a nailed-on starter, the question was which of the other defenders had to make way depending on the game at hand.
MIDFIELDERS:
Andrea Pirlo (2002-2015), take Milan and Italy in the mid-00s if you will but he was the best deep-lying playmaker around for over a decade and it's hard to argue against him being the best of all time. The mastermind behind Italy's World Cup win and Milan's two CL victories (could have been three but for fecking Istanbul ).
Daniele De Rossi (2005-09), this is the period which more clearly portrays the complete box-to-box midfielder he was. He could be both a defensive bull terrier or play as an #8/#8.5 to exploit his passign, vision and powerful long shooting. World Class and can hold his own against anyone in this era.
Luis Enrique Martínez (1996-99), he kept great form well after that, particularly in Europe, but this is the guy Bobby Robson plucked from Real Madrid and instantly transformed into the immense “todocampista” which LvG then fully embraced and I call “Keano with goals”. The guy was fecking everywhere, a man on a mission, completely unplayable. As before with Sanchís and De Rossi, a nailed-on starter. Not the first name on the teamsheet though, that could be Ronaldo, Figo or Rivaldo, Lucho was more a case of where best to play him “by default” for maximum effect and then over the course of the game could easily end up redeployed to go sort out some pesky motherfecker having a blinder… until then. Injured.
Krasimir Balakov (1994-97), I have to start at the World Cup as that’s when he caught my eye. Guy was a baller, proficient in defensive and offensive phases, and that was having only seen his -fecking brilliant- corners as Hristo wouldn’t give him a chance to take his jaw-dropping free kicks. For Queiroz’ Sporting he was the wide-left midfielder in a 4-4-2, a young Figo being on the right. Then at Stuttgart he played in more advanced roles and wound up a classic #10 playing in the hole, arriving in the box for a cross or letting fly from range. He still got stuck in and would regularly start his mazing runs from midfield, which is in line with what is expected of him here when transition from defensive to attacking phases. Was in the 1994 World Cup Team of the Tournament, Bulgarian footballer of the year in 1995 and 1997, and made the Bundesliga Team of the Year three years on the trot. Peak is 93-96 when starting in midfield, 95-98 if playing behind the strikers.
FORWARDS:
Raúl (1998-01), as far as individual achievements are concerned that has to be it: two Pichichis, two CL top scorer, World Top scorer, Euro TotT, 2nd or 3rd in BallsD’Or/WPOTY, and whatnot. If I extended one year on either side I’d catch an additional Champions League win so will stick to the three-year nonsense here to avoid controversy. Notice he also produced that goalscoring form largely played as a wide forward, in the hole behind the strikers, or as a support striker during this period, not some lamp post relying on others getting him the ball. His understanding with Roberto Carlos on that left flank is second to none, they won THREE Champions Leagues together, with Galácticos or without them, same outcome, same constants.
Wayne Rooney (2007-10), harsh to constrain United's and England's record goalscorer to a three-year period, but with Rooney it's fair to say we need to know which one is on the pitch. In principle, we are not going with the line-leading striker post-Ronaldo, but instead with the force of nature that didn't give two shits about being top dog or playing second-fiddle, only winning. Whatever SAF needed from him, he would deliver, and boy he did. Give me ten Wayne Rooney's any time, they will win.
Edinson Cavani (2009-12), 2009-10 is his first World Cup and final Palermo season, they came 5th and have been on a slippery slope to the depths of the Italian League system ever since. He then wins Copa America with Uruguay, gets two 30+ goal seasons under his belt and becomes Napoli’s all-time top scorer in European competitions by 2012 (surpassed since but still comfortably first on a goals per game basis). nowhere near his 0.7gpg record). Cavani was already the finished article then and his third and final 2012-13 Napoli only confirmed what was already smacking anyone in the face: he was deadly and easily one of the top 5 strikers in the world.
Hernán Crespo (1998-01), this one is indeed a peak, before and after he was more akin to a poacher/fox-in-the-box. His last two seasons at Parma he was a complete centre-forward leading the line in a team playing in a very similar tactical setup to mine. Him scoring for fun wasn’t enough to elevate Parma to Serie A winners but made them pretty damn good at knockout competitions (UEFA Cup and Coppa Italia). That made him the world record transfer leading to a capocannonieri season for Lazio: 26 goals, Ronaldo in his best season didn’t score that many against those Serie A defences. In the meantime, Argentina played the best football I’ve seen them play in my lifetime, they just smashed anything before them and qualified for the 2002 World Cup with an all-time record points total. Crespo was the top scorer in those Conmebol qualifiers. Then Bielsa mysteriously decided to play Batistuta despite him not being involved much at all since the 1998 World Cup. No wonder they call him "El Loco".
Gianfranco Zola (1992-95), while we all fondly remember his quality and flair shining brightly in the Premiership, Zola’s best years were already behind him. As he left Napoli, Maradona said the club need not worry as his successor was already there. Zola made his case by scoring at a similar rate (mid-teens), while also being the top assist provider in the league in 1992-93. Being an Italian club, Napoli of course just went and sold the gnome. Napoli’s loss was Parma’s gain, and also Zola’s as he was surrounded by better players and now scored 20+ goals a season, helping Parma mount serious league challenges and lift the 1995 UEFA Cup.
Now that’s the end of my “peak period” but, lest we forget, Zola was top scorer every full season he played at Parma. They still jumped at the opportunity to sign Hristo Stoichkov in 1995-96, benched Zola as a result… and Midget van Nistelrooy still finished that season as their top scorer. Outrageous stuff. So Parma changed manager and Sindromo Pandemicus Italiano Mentalista struck again, as Ancelotti couldn’t fit Zola into his system, so they sold Derek Zoolander to Chelsea. The rest is far more familiar history and nostalgia.
Outside the peak, on his last legs and in his last game, but this humiliation of Jamie Carragher does warrant a video:
I get the “3-year peak” as a standard to avoid one-season wonders, fleeting periods of form, or to highlight “player versions” but I personally prefer longer peaks and certified quality over an extended period. Will use three years where clearly relevant, particularly where a player’s “version” is concerned.
FULLBACKS:
My unbreakable two:
Roberto Carlos and Javier Zanetti. Hard to pinpoint a specific three-year peak, anywhere between 1997 and 2003 for Carlos, Zanetti even longer than that, he was nicknamed The Tractor but was a fecking Rolls-Royce.
GOALKEEPERS:
Gianluca Pagliuca (1993-98), best Italian goalkeeper of the 90s, second only to Buffon in the period and easily Top 5 in the world through the decade. A wall for Sampdoria, Inter and Italy. Also a sweeper-keeper before it got so fashionable.
Óscar Córdoba (1999-02), an absolute boss guarding the sticks for Boca in two Libertadores and one Intercontinental Cup win. Only keeper to ever win the Copa América without conceding a single goal. IFFHS ranked him second only to Oliver Kahn in 2001.
DEFENDERS:
Matthias Sammer (1994-97), an unfortunately short peak as libero and cornerstone for Dortmund’s and Germany’s success. Ballon d’Or to boot. It was still enough to make him the GOAT of liberos (not the pure sweeper, nor a defender breaking off a back four, proper spare man free to influence the game and be where his instincts tell him to be).
Carles Puyol (2007-10), a rock for club and country through their most decorated periods. World Cup, Euro and 3x UEFA Team of the Year, that’s some peak.
Giorgio Chiellini (2007-12), while most of his success and honours at the heart of the Juve defence came after 2012, that’s about team and managerial stability more than the player himself. He was after all the Serie A Defender of the Year for three consecutive years in 2008, 2009 and 2010. I could just point to those and how he switched from LB to CB in late 2007, making that position his own for club and country (he was actually better at Euro 2008 than 2012, where he played through injuries). The way he handled the 2010-12 period though is a huge testament to his character and professionalism. Managers changing, tinkering that goes with it, he got shifted back to LB, then back to CB in a pair, then back to LB and finally Conte hit the nail on the head with the trio that settled down as the starting platform for club and country for the next half decade or so.
Manuel Sanchís (1992-99), Madrid’s captain and a regular feature at the heart of their defence for 13 years. I’m just shaving off the last two here in which his performance and appearances decidedly dropped, but if I had to focus on a period it would be 1997-99 as that is exactly the player I’m going for here: the experienced, tactically intelligent and positionally sound defender who would slot into a CB or sweeper role, and with a specific man-marking detail if required. That didn’t make him a utility squad player, he was a nailed-on starter, the question was which of the other defenders had to make way depending on the game at hand.
MIDFIELDERS:
Andrea Pirlo (2002-2015
), take Milan and Italy in the mid-00s if you will but he was the best deep-lying playmaker around for over a decade and it's hard to argue against him being the best of all time. The mastermind behind Italy's World Cup win and Milan's two CL victories (could have been three but for fecking Istanbul ).Daniele De Rossi (2005-09), this is the period which more clearly portrays the complete box-to-box midfielder he was. He could be both a defensive bull terrier or play as an #8/#8.5 to exploit his passign, vision and powerful long shooting. World Class and can hold his own against anyone in this era.
Luis Enrique Martínez (1996-99), he kept great form well after that, particularly in Europe, but this is the guy Bobby Robson plucked from Real Madrid and instantly transformed into the immense “todocampista” which LvG then fully embraced and I call “Keano with goals”. The guy was fecking everywhere, a man on a mission, completely unplayable. As before with Sanchís and De Rossi, a nailed-on starter. Not the first name on the teamsheet though, that could be Ronaldo, Figo or Rivaldo, Lucho was more a case of where best to play him “by default” for maximum effect and then over the course of the game could easily end up redeployed to go sort out some pesky motherfecker having a blinder… until then. Injured.
Krasimir Balakov (1994-97), I have to start at the World Cup as that’s when he caught my eye. Guy was a baller, proficient in defensive and offensive phases, and that was having only seen his -fecking brilliant- corners as Hristo wouldn’t give him a chance to take his jaw-dropping free kicks. For Queiroz’ Sporting he was the wide-left midfielder in a 4-4-2, a young Figo being on the right. Then at Stuttgart he played in more advanced roles and wound up a classic #10 playing in the hole, arriving in the box for a cross or letting fly from range. He still got stuck in and would regularly start his mazing runs from midfield, which is in line with what is expected of him here when transition from defensive to attacking phases. Was in the 1994 World Cup Team of the Tournament, Bulgarian footballer of the year in 1995 and 1997, and made the Bundesliga Team of the Year three years on the trot. Peak is 93-96 when starting in midfield, 95-98 if playing behind the strikers.
FORWARDS:
Raúl (1998-01), as far as individual achievements are concerned that has to be it: two Pichichis, two CL top scorer, World Top scorer, Euro TotT, 2nd or 3rd in BallsD’Or/WPOTY, and whatnot. If I extended one year on either side I’d catch an additional Champions League win so will stick to the three-year nonsense here to avoid controversy. Notice he also produced that goalscoring form largely played as a wide forward, in the hole behind the strikers, or as a support striker during this period, not some lamp post relying on others getting him the ball. His understanding with Roberto Carlos on that left flank is second to none, they won THREE Champions Leagues together, with Galácticos or without them, same outcome, same constants.
Wayne Rooney (2007-10), harsh to constrain United's and England's record goalscorer to a three-year period, but with Rooney it's fair to say we need to know which one is on the pitch. In principle, we are not going with the line-leading striker post-Ronaldo, but instead with the force of nature that didn't give two shits about being top dog or playing second-fiddle, only winning. Whatever SAF needed from him, he would deliver, and boy he did. Give me ten Wayne Rooney's any time, they will win.
Edinson Cavani (2009-12), 2009-10 is his first World Cup and final Palermo season, they came 5th and have been on a slippery slope to the depths of the Italian League system ever since. He then wins Copa America with Uruguay, gets two 30+ goal seasons under his belt and becomes Napoli’s all-time top scorer in European competitions by 2012 (surpassed since but still comfortably first on a goals per game basis). nowhere near his 0.7gpg record). Cavani was already the finished article then and his third and final 2012-13 Napoli only confirmed what was already smacking anyone in the face: he was deadly and easily one of the top 5 strikers in the world.
Hernán Crespo (1998-01), this one is indeed a peak, before and after he was more akin to a poacher/fox-in-the-box. His last two seasons at Parma he was a complete centre-forward leading the line in a team playing in a very similar tactical setup to mine. Him scoring for fun wasn’t enough to elevate Parma to Serie A winners but made them pretty damn good at knockout competitions (UEFA Cup and Coppa Italia). That made him the world record transfer leading to a capocannonieri season for Lazio: 26 goals, Ronaldo in his best season didn’t score that many against those Serie A defences. In the meantime, Argentina played the best football I’ve seen them play in my lifetime, they just smashed anything before them and qualified for the 2002 World Cup with an all-time record points total. Crespo was the top scorer in those Conmebol qualifiers. Then Bielsa mysteriously decided to play Batistuta despite him not being involved much at all since the 1998 World Cup. No wonder they call him "El Loco".
Gianfranco Zola (1992-95), while we all fondly remember his quality and flair shining brightly in the Premiership, Zola’s best years were already behind him. As he left Napoli, Maradona said the club need not worry as his successor was already there. Zola made his case by scoring at a similar rate (mid-teens), while also being the top assist provider in the league in 1992-93. Being an Italian club, Napoli of course just went and sold the gnome. Napoli’s loss was Parma’s gain, and also Zola’s as he was surrounded by better players and now scored 20+ goals a season, helping Parma mount serious league challenges and lift the 1995 UEFA Cup.
Now that’s the end of my “peak period” but, lest we forget, Zola was top scorer every full season he played at Parma. They still jumped at the opportunity to sign Hristo Stoichkov in 1995-96, benched Zola as a result… and Midget van Nistelrooy still finished that season as their top scorer. Outrageous stuff. So Parma changed manager and Sindromo Pandemicus Italiano Mentalista struck again, as Ancelotti couldn’t fit Zola into his system, so they sold Derek Zoolander to Chelsea. The rest is far more familiar history and nostalgia.
Outside the peak, on his last legs and in his last game, but this humiliation of Jamie Carragher does warrant a video:
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Please add you game to this schedule if you haven't already
Tuesday 15th June - PNut vs TheReligion; Skizzo v Boris
Wednesday 16th June - Physio vs Sjor
Thursday 17th June - Joga vs Isotope / antohan vs Enigma
Monday, 21st June - Michael vs EAP
Tuesday 15th June - PNut vs TheReligion; Skizzo v Boris
Wednesday 16th June - Physio vs Sjor
Thursday 17th June - Joga vs Isotope / antohan vs Enigma
Monday, 21st June - Michael vs EAP
Will it be ok if we have our game tomorrow @Isotope
@antohan @Enigma_87 Are you two still playing today? If so please send tactics
will send in couple of hours mate. Think anto also said he's occupied till afternoon or something.
Cool
I'll send soon. Just finished my Zoom.
Sent my write up to @Physiocrat . We can go ahead with it today if that's still ok with you btw
100%
Please add you game to this schedule if you haven't already
Tuesday 15th June - Skizzo v Boris
Wednesday 16th June - Physio vs Sjor
Thursday 17th June - Joga vs Isotope / antohan vs Enigma
Sunday 20th June - PNut vs TheReligion
Monday, 21st June - Michael vs EAP
Tuesday 15th June - Skizzo v Boris
Wednesday 16th June - Physio vs Sjor
Thursday 17th June - Joga vs Isotope / antohan vs Enigma
Sunday 20th June - PNut vs TheReligion
Monday, 21st June - Michael vs EAP
I've sent mine also.