Pre Premier League Draft - Quarter Finals - GreenSmiley vs. Tuppet

[Indnyc]

This is a Pre Premier League draft from 1971/72 to 1991/92 where managers assemble their squads by selecting players based on their playing performance during this time period only. Performances that fall outside this time period should not be considered. Neither should the players performance for their country/international tournaments be considered. As in any team, team tactics and balance also play a part.

Hence please carefully consider the abovesaid factors and evaluate the merits of both teams before voting for the team which in your opinion is likelier to win the match.

Team Green Smiley

VS

Team Tuppet

Tactics Green Smiley

Formation
4-4-2

Tactics during ball possession

• 2 attacking full-backs (Jardine and Lindsay) provide width and overlapping
• Ability to build-up play from the back with introduction of Buchan and Hughes
• 2 wide midfielders (Kennedy and Rocastle) drift inside, looking to occupy dangerous attacking position just outside the penalty box
• 2 center midfielders (Perryman and Bonds) provide channels for passing, retain possession and locate attacking players
• Inside-left forward (Cooper) torments opposition's defense on the left-hand side, stretching the play or cutting inside with excellent dribbling and close control
• Best striker of this draft (Rush), a goal-scoring predator with great pace and high work-rate

Tactics when opposition has the ball

• Pressing on all fronts to regain possession as soon as possible, followed by quick counter-attack
• Rush, team's first line of defense, pressing and harrying opponents into mistakes with his ceaseless running
  
• Strength, combative presence and intensity from midfield four
• Solid back four with upgraded center-back duo: Martin Buchan and Emlyn Hughes
• Buchan, stylish and a natural reader of the game, compliments well with Hughes, a powerhouse defender with a lion heart
• Best keeper of this draft (Jennings) as the last line of defense

Set-piece taker: Davie Cooper


Special instruction: Buchan to mark Beardsley when he is in final third

Tactics Team Tuppet

Formation - 4-4-2

Strikers:
Franny Lee - Top scorer 1971-72 season with 33 goals. Won first division with Derby in 1974-75
Peter Beardsley - PFA team of the year - 1987, 1988, 1990. Won first division - 1987-88, 1989-90

Up front we have a typical creator-scorer duo with Francis Lee instructed to stay on the shoulder of last defender to utilize his pace. Franny was a brilliant goal scorer, golden boot winner in 71-72 with 33 goals in league. Beardsley would be playing as a withdrawn striker, often drop deep to carry the ball forward using his brilliant dribbling and technique.

Midfield:
Bobby Murdoch - Won Scottish league - 1971-72, 1972-73
Alan Ball.

In the central midfield we have Murdoch & Ball. Murdoch would be playing as the central playmaker of our team. A meterenomic passer and combative ball winner he would be the tasked with running the game for our side. Along side him Alan ball with his exceptional tenacity and technique would be playing in a box to box role. Ball's defensive work rate as well as ability to pop up with important goals/crosses is very important for our midfield. We have sought to recreate the famous Auld-Murdoch partnership and Ball fits perfectly here.

Wingers:
John Barnes - PFA player of the year - 1988, FWA Footballer of the year - 1988, 1990, PFA team of the year - 1987-88, 1989-90, 1990-91, Won first division - 1987-88, 1989-90
Jimmy Johnstone - Won Scottish league - 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74

Probably the best wing combination in draft Johnstone and Barnes provide brilliant wing play. Jinky johnstone is one of the best player on the park, an exceptional winger who was arguably the best player in Britain in early 70s. One of the greatest dribbler of all time, he is given a free role here, where he could chose to provide chances to Lee & Beardsley while also able to cut inside to finish some chances himself. On left we upgraded Sharpe to Barnes. One of England's truly great winger, Barnes here resume his mesmeric partnership with Beardsely, that brought some great moments for both Liverpool & England.

Central defense:
Alan Hansen - 6 times PFA team of the Year, 8 times Won the English first division, 3 times won European cup.
Mike England - Won Uefa cup 1972, League cup 1971 & 1973

In central defense we have partnership of Hansen - England. Hansen is arguably the best CB in the draft. He would be in his usual ball playing role. Mike England as a towering center half compliments Hansen perfectly. Together this partnership should be able to deal with threats both on deck and in the air.

Fullbacks:
Terry Cooper - Fairs cup - 1971.
Paul Madeley - PFA team of the year - 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, Leeds player of the year - 1976, First division winner - 1973-74

In fullback positions we have Leeds duo of Terry Cooper and Paul Madeley. Cooper was a defender full of innovation. His fitness, skill and an ability to cross the ball meant he could perform a devastating overlap down the left flank. On the right side we have another Leeds legend in Madeley. While a player without profile who could play anywhere on the pitch he was immensely talented, racking up 711 appearances for an excellent Leeds vintage while winning Leeds player of the year in 76 and getting 3 times in PFA team of the year. He job is to stay balanced with a defense first attitude as in Jinky we have a very attacking presence in that wing.

Goalkeeper:
Peter Shilton - PFA Player of the year - 1977-78, IOC European Footballer of the Season: 1979–80, 10 times PFA team of the year, Nottingham Forest F.C. Player of the Year: 1981–82, Southampton F.C. Player of the Season: 1984–85, 1985–86
Our other reinforcement pick was used to upgrade Bonner to arguably the best goalkeeper in draft in Shilton. We don't need to say too much about him and his rewards tells it all. A brilliant goalkeeper that would go a long way to further secure our defense.

 

[Indnyc]

Good Luck @green_smiley @Tuppet

 

[green_smiley]

All the best @Tuppet

 

[green_smiley]

4-4-2 vs 4-4-2, similar tactics but with some differences

Similar to last game, I have 2 wide midfielders (Kennedy and Rocastle) with equal responsibility on both attacking and defensive play

1. Both players will make full use of space in front of them, whether to cut inside, delivering crosses into the box, or pushing forward from the flank (especially Rocastle)
2. Both players are strong, forward-minded, with great awareness of the game, and always looking for opportunity to create or score goals
3. Both players are not shy of challenges when opposition has the ball - always trying to win the ball back as soon as possible
4. Both players will be supported by attacking full-back (Lindsay and Jardine). They will provide width when Kennedy or Rocastle cuts inside

Both my center midfielders (Bonds and Perryman) have more defensive traits than the opposition pair, but also with ability to distribute the ball and start attacks, with an eye for long-range goal. During defensive phase, I can entrust them to stifle influence of their opponents in midfield

 

[green_smiley]

Sandy Jardine

Jardine is without a doubt one of the best right-back in this draft. As mentioned in Independent article, "Particularly in his premier position of overlapping right-back, he combined elegance, composure and natural ball skill with intelligent reading of the play, plus the speed, strength and resolution necessary to capitalize on those more subtle attributes"


David Rocastle

As a wide midfielder, Rocastle, "his character a combination of laid-back pleasant and fiercely combative, who on his day was able to conjure flashes of Brazilian-style magic for an Arsenal team whose success was generally earned, under George Graham, through more pragmatic means"

Liverpool vs Arsenal in 1988 League Cup

Finding his way and feeding the ball to attacking team-mate inside the box

Screamer from just outside the penalty box

Everton vs Arsenal in 1988/89 season

Pin-point cross into the box

Attacking play from the flank, creating goal

Defensive duty when opponent had the ball, and eventually created a goal-scoring opportunity with a beautiful flick into the dangerous zone

 

[green_smiley]

Battle on the Left Wing

Key Points

1. Johnstone, though still a good winger in the context of this draft, was not in his peak (60s)
2. Madeley is a more reserved right back and will not participate a lot (if any) in attack build-up
3. Limited defensive contribution from Johnstone

In contrast, Lindsay and Kennedy are equally astute in both attacking and defending, and were in their peak during the 70s

1977 FA Cup Final Liverpool vs Man Utd

Great defending from Kennedy (#5) and setting up attack

Note: this also includes Buchan (#6) given task to keep Keegan at bay, much like what Buchan is responsible to defend against Beardsley in this match

 

[green_smiley]

Martin Buchan

To defend against Beardsley, you need a defender who is calm, quick, great anticipation and reader of the game, and comfortable to defend in either side of defensive third. Buchan has exactly all these traits

If footballers could be likened to cars then I would say that Martin Buchan was a Rolls Royce. The man literally oozed class. He could bring the ball out of defence like Franz Beckenbaur and make vitally important timely challenges like Bobby Moore. In my view Martin Buchan has never really received the full praise and adulation his performances deserved. The man was very quick, extremely cool under pressure and had another Bobby Moore characteristic, that of being a natural reader of the game.

Aside from being a natural reader of the game, United soon found out he was a natural born leader as well. Manchester United made Martin Buchan club captain in 1975. It did not take a genius to figure out that Martin was club captain material. If not a footballer he could quite well have been a high ranking officer in the military. For Martin was extremely disciplined and liked things done properly. In fact you could probably have called him a perfectionist.

The Liverpool 1977 Cup Final

In this final Martin Buchan was tremendous hardly giving the darling of the kop Kevin Keegan a kick. However there was no singing of his own praises in fact any kind of boasting at all about his fine cup winning performance. As far as Martin Buchan was concerned it was all in a day’s work. It was a fine sight to witness that of skipper Martin Buchan lifting the cup aloft for Manchester United at Wembley. After the disappointment of losing to Southampton in the final 12 months previously, United and Buchan had returned, performed and triumphed.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Hughes as a CB? He was flexible and did fill in there, but his peak was a LB.

 

[Tuppet]

Best of Luck @green_smiley

A quick piece on the sensational Barnes & Beardsley partnership -


In the summer of 1987, Liverpool signed two players who would form an axis of excellence in one of the most exciting teams in history that stormed to the league title while sweeping aside all before them along the way.

Anfield has seen its fair share of great sides, but during the 1987/88 season, Liverpool produced a breathtaking brand of football thanks, in no small part, to John Barnes and Peter Beardsley; who would form one of the most explosive and exciting relationships the game had ever seen.

The Reds scored 87 goals that season on their way to amassing a tally of 90 points, hitting four past their opponents on no less than nine separate occasions and scoring five twice. They had the title sewn up with four games of the season left; but, in truth, it was all over long before that.

When Kenny Dalglish was appointed player-manager in 1985, following the resignation of Joe Fagan, his reign at the club couldn’t have started any better, winning the double at the first attempt; but there was no denying the fact that the group of players he had inherited was on the wane.

The side was ageing quickly and in need of major surgery, something that became clear the following season when Liverpool ended the campaign empty handed; prompting the relatively new boss to bring two of the most exciting talents in the English game to Anfield.

Barnes was signed from Watford for £900,000 that June while Peter Beardsley joined from Newcastle United a few weeks later for a record-breaking £1.9 million, and although far from being unknown quantities, nobody could have guessed just what an impact they would have on the club.

With the potent goal threat of John Aldridge - who would replace the outgoing Ian Rush - along with the services of his former Oxford United teammate Ray Houghton, Barnes and Beardsley completed a quartet that many felt was the best Merseyside had seen since John, Paul, George and Ringo.

The tantalising prospect of the newly signed pair playing alongside the likes of Aldridge, Houghton, Hansen, Nicol and McMahon, meant that expectation was high and Liverpool didn’t disappoint, setting off like a train and winning their opening game against a strong Arsenal outfit on a gloriously sunny day at Highbury.

But building work under the Kop meant that the home faithful would be kept waiting to see their new-look side in the flesh as their first three games would all be played away from home. Even so, that didn’t deter Dalglish’s men and as they lined-up for their first game of the season at Anfield that September they had already won two out of three and scored seven goals.

And when Barnes and Beardsley combined emphatically once again to demolish Queens Park Rangers 4-0 that October - in what Barnes himself describes as one of the greatest performances of his career - it fired Liverpool to the top of the table, a position from which they would not be budged for the rest of the season.

They also combined well for England...

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

https://twitter.com/OneBallForGazza/status/882528133982932994

That win over QPR was also one of four consecutive games that Liverpool hit four that autumn, having also thrashed Newcastle, Derby and Portsmouth in their previous three matches; all part of a stunning run that saw them go unbeaten in the league until March, when they were eventually defeated by Everton.

But the finest demonstration of Liverpool’s superiority undoubtedly came when they faced Nottingham Forest at Anfield that April in a performance that encapsulated the devastating way they had dominated throughout the entire campaign as they played Brian Clough’s men off the park.

Liverpool thrashed Forest 5-0 but it could have been double that as Barnes and Beardsley tormented the Forest defence along with the striking prowess of Aldridge - who scored 31 goals that season - in a performance that the great Tom Finney described as: “One of the finest exhibitions of football I’ve seen.”

A home win over Tottenham just ten days later confirmed the inevitable and Liverpool were crowned champions. They had won the league by nine points and had it not been for a Manchester United side, who did well to hang on to their coat-tails, it could have been over before Christmas.

Liverpool's frontline that season was simply sensational and whether it was the searing pace and skill of Barnes, who ghosted down the wing, while cutting inside to devastating effect, or the creative guile and individual brilliance of Beardsley, who regularly terrified defences, they seemed to have an answer to anything their opponents threw at them; leaving Kopites, who probably believed they had seen it all down the years, to think again.

 

[Tuppet]

Battle on the Left Wing

Key Points

1. Johnstone, though still a good winger in the context of this draft, was not in his peak (60s)
2. Madeley is a more reserved right back and will not participate a lot (if any) in attack build-up

Already mentioned this in last game but still -
1. Johnstone was at his peak in the early part of the 70s. His peak was obviously not just the one season when Celtic won the European cup. He was only 27 at the start of the 71 season. He helped Celtic reach two European semifinals, won 3 league trophies and 2 scottish cups. Scoring decisive goals in important games. He was also recognized as one of the best player in Britain -

1970's

​

By 1970 Celtic fans could boast that their man was the greatest player in Britain, eclipsing even the likes of Best, Charlton, Bremner and Ball. He proved it in the 1970 European Cup Semi final when he tore the much vaunted Leeds United defence apart over two legs. He was on song at Hampden in the second leg and tormented the great Leeds & English World Cup defenders, Charlton, Hunter and Cooper. This earned Celtic a place in the 1970 European Cup Final but they went down 2-1 to Feyenoord of Rotterdam. The Dutch side had a tight reign on Jimmy that night and he could not make an impression which was a terrible disappointment to everyone at Celtic.

At this time Rothmans selected a British best eleven side from a panel of experts and Jimmy was chosen in 1970, 1971 and 1972 which was a considerable achievement and showed that his talents were fully appreciated south of the border.

Jimmy was always the man for the big occasion and could be relied upon in the heat of Celtic v Rangers games. For a small man he became famous for his headed goals against Rangers. Twice at Ibrox he score the winning goal from headers. In 1971 with seconds remaining he out-jumped the Rangers defence to loop in a header for a 3-2 win. In 1973 he stooped to head a cross from Davie Hay past the lumbering figure of Peter McCloy. Jimmy often kept his best performances for Rangers games despite the heavy tackling and physical punishment often meted out to him.

The 1971 Scottish Cup Final replay is remembered as the 'Jimmy Johnstone final'. Stein gave him another roving role, and with his close control and ability to beat a man he was instrumental in Celtic's 2-1 victory in a game where the scoreline did not remotely represent Celtic's superiority. One year later, in the 1972 Scottish Cup Final. he was on song yet again when Celtic beat Hibs by a record 6-1 scoreline. At this time when Jimmy was on form the feeling was he was unstoppable. However he could not breach the Inter Milan defence in the 1972 European Cup semi final and Celtic lost on penalties.

There was the occasional disappointment and he was carried off injured in the 1971 League Cup Final against Partick Thistle early in the match after a bad tackle by future Celtic team mate Ronnie Glavin. Celtic went down 4-1 and it is thought had Jimmy remained fit on the field then it may have been a different result.

As the 1970's wore on Jimmy was still a regular in Stein's team but could be left out on occasions mostly through ill discipline. He roared back to form in the spring of 1973 when Celtic and Rangers were tied in a race for the league. Celtic triumphed on 28 April after a 3-0 win at Easter Road and the wee man was in great form that day. He had calmed the team from the start by keeping possession and creating space for other players around him helping to make it 8 League title in a row.

He was often a victim of brutality from defenders, none more so than against the 'animals' of Atletico Madrid in the 1974 European Cup semi final at Parkhead. Vicious tackles rained down on him that night and he was pictured next day covered in cuts and bruises all inflicted by the Spanish team's defenders. Celtic received no protection from UEFA's officials after three Atletico players had been ordered off and despite receiving death threats Jimmy played in Madrid as Celtic went down 2-0, bravely given the circumstances. They were deprived of a crack at the mighty Bayern Munich and the likes of Jimmy, Kenny Dalglish and Dixie Deans would have loved to pit their wits against the great Franz Beckembauer.

His last great Celtic performance came in 1974 when Celtic beat Hibs 6-3 in the League Cup Final. He scored the opening goal and created several others as Dixie Deans helped himself to a another Hampden hat trick against Hibs. Celtic's 10 in a row bid floundered at Ibrox in January 1975 on a day when Jimmy was named as sub, leading to rumours that he had enjoyed the excesses of the new year and had been punished by being dropped. Had he played the outcome could have been different.

He is quite clearly still the elite winger that he was known for, here are the highlights from the Jimmy Johnstone final -

 

[harms]

The only thing that I'm not entirely sure about — how close are Murdoch, Ball and Johnstone (already commented on) to their peaks?
A genuine question as I know them mostly from the 60's

 

[Pat_Mustard]

Lovely work with the videos so far @green_smiley , and nice to see Buchan and Barnes finding good homes .

Probably edging towards Tuppet so far but not really close to deciding yet. The reinforcements were particularly kind to him. I've bored everyone enough with my stance on Barnes but he's possibly the finest match-winner in the pool for me, and Shilton is another viable 'Best XI in the Pool' contender, although I prefer GS' man Jennings personally. On the other hand for all that GS now has a final-worthy CB pairing I felt Tommy Smith could easily have lasted at least another round longer, and a bit more star quality up further up the pitch would have made more of a difference. Pickings were slim at the wrong end of the reinforcement snake of course.

Hughes as a CB? He was flexible and did fill in there, but his peak was a LB.

He hit his peak at CB alongside Phil Thompson surely. As far as I can tell he played every one of his European competition finals at centre back.

 

[Tuppet]

The only thing that I'm not entirely sure about — how close are Murdoch, Ball and Johnstone (already commented on) to their peaks?
A genuine question as I know them mostly from the 60's

On Johnstone I posted some stuff above. My stance is that he is final ready and if I go through I am definitely not touching him as I am not sure there are any updates. He basically did all you can expect from a winger, trophies, important goals, European runs. Even if he is not at his European winner peak, its irrelevant as he is still probably the best right winger in the pool.

Alan Ball was even younger than Johnstone when he joined Arsenal in 1971. He played well enough to be named in top 50 Arsenal players - https://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/gunners-greatest-players-45.-alan-ball and became their captain. He was definitely at his physical peak. However he did not win anything at Arsenal, he came close losing FA cup final 1-0 to Leeds in 71 and finishing runner up in league in 72. I think he is a solid midfielder here.

Murdoch probably has most questions on him and thats mostly because of him getting injured in 71. His importance to the success of a great Celtic team was such that when Jock Stein was asked when he thought Celtic might win the European Cup again he replied "when Bobby Murdoch is fit".
Still he played 33 & 43 games in two seasons for Celtic where he won two league titles and one Scottish cup. Stein also credited Murdoch with being "just about the best player I had as a manager". Even for Middlesbrough he made around 125 appearances in 3 seasons, helping them to promotion to first division and finish 7th in first season in Div 1.

 

[green_smiley]

Hughes as a CB? He was flexible and did fill in there, but his peak was a LB.

His peak was at left centre-back. He could do a job as left-back, but not so effective in overlapping

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

His peak was at left centre-back. He could do a job as left-back, but not so effective in overlapping

What? He was Crazy Horse and played left midfield too. Sure he's competent in attack! Anyway I like him as CB too.

Tough match this.

 

[green_smiley]

Emlyn Hughes

Hughes started as a left-sided defender, but soon moved to the centre, where he would forge successive partnerships with Larry Lloyd, Tommy Smith and then Phil Thompson. For all his coltish dynamism (never better exemplified than by his post-goal celebrations, in which he would frequently run the length of the pitch, frenetically windmilling his arms), Hughes was also a level-headed reader of the game, with a sound touch and good passing range.

This brought him into his own in the early 1970s, when Shankly decided that if Liverpool were to prosper in Europe they must dispense with the traditional type of English centre-half, to whom the ball was an unwelcome stranger, and build their attacks from the back. It was the team's subsequent ability to blend British aggression and workrate with a Continental style of movement that made them nigh-irresistible for the next 15 years.

 

[green_smiley]

What? He was Crazy Horse and played left midfield too. Sure he's competent in attack! Anyway I like him as CB too.

Tough match this.

Essentially a right-footed player, he was never wholly at ease when used at left-back. His natural, adventurous instinct was to overlap down the flank, but whenever he did so, however many opponents he left behind, there was always that frustrating moment at the end of the run when he had to switch the ball from his weaker left foot to his powerful right, so that the cross was always an inswinger, after vital seconds had been lost. But he could play in three different positions.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

@green_smiley I know it's not really important in match context...but to do justice to the player...

Anyone lucky enough to see the late, great defender play will recall his never-say-die attitude, galloping forays into opposition territory and frantic goal celebrations. No wonder they called him 'Crazy Horse'.

His uninhibited style, the free-wheeling forays from defence to attack, the ebullient celebrations

Even as a CB he was always building from the back.... though persoally I believe his best position to be a left sided DM. He was good at LB and CB too.

We have seen lots of right footed LBs to consider them less effective just because of their strong foot.

 

[green_smiley]

@green_smiley I know it's nin really important in match context...but to do justice to the player...





Even as a CB he was always building from the back.... though persoally I believe his best position to be a left sided DM. He was good at LB and CB too.

Exactly as what I have quoted and also in my OP

I would say his best position is CB, followed very closely by LCM, then LB

 

[green_smiley]

Lovely work with the videos so far @green_smiley , and nice to see Buchan and Barnes finding good homes .

Probably edging towards Tuppet so far but not really close to deciding yet. The reinforcements were particularly kind to him. I've bored everyone enough with my stance on Barnes but he's possibly the finest match-winner in the pool for me, and Shilton is another viable 'Best XI in the Pool' contender, although I prefer GS' man Jennings personally. On the other hand for all that GS now has a final-worthy CB pairing I felt Tommy Smith could easily have lasted at least another round longer, and a bit more star quality up further up the pitch would have made more of a difference. Pickings were slim at the wrong end of the reinforcement snake of course.



He hit his peak at CB alongside Phil Thompson surely. As far as I can tell he played every one of his European competition finals at centre back.

Smith and Hughes weren't exactly best buddies, plus Buchan and Hughes combo is really nice

 

[green_smiley]

Perhaps Davie Cooper is not as well-known as the likes of Dalglish or Keegan, but his quality is definitley to be looked upon. Fantastic skillful player, unstoppable in his days. Ruud Gullit played against him in a friendly match for Feyenoord against Rangers, after which he called Cooper one of the greatest players he had ever seen. Gullit later named Cooper in his greatest XI in football magazine Four Four Two

 

[green_smiley]

A reminder of Davie Cooper's quality

GENIUS is an over-used tag but it applied to Coop. He possessed a left foot on a par with Baxter and dazzled defenders with his stunning wing play and magnificent crosses.

A match-winner in every sense of the phrase, his death from a brain haemorrhage at the age of 39 in 1995 stunned the nation.

Many rate him as one of the most gifted Scottish players of all time, up there with Denis Law, Jim Baxter and Kenny Dalglish. With the ball at his feet, no-one knew what to expect – except, perhaps, the unexpected.

He would run at defenders, show them a glimpse of the ball, pull it back, feint and then with a shimmy he would be gone – often past several players.

He could cross an inch-perfect ball to either head or foot and possessed such stunning shooting power that it made him a scorer of spectacular goals.

Two such gems among the 75 goals he scored for Rangers were a free kick against Aberdeen in the League Cup Final on October 25 1987 and his finest strike of all in the Drybrough Cup Final against Celtic on August 4 1979.

Against Aberdeen he hit the ball so hard past a wall of players that it rocketed into the far corner of the net beyond a helpless Jim Leighton.

Against Celtic, he received the ball on his chest with his back to goal on the edge of the box and seemingly nowhere to go. Cooper flicked it in the air four times with his left foot taking him past four Celtic defenders and put it in the net. [see below video, 1:35-1:50]

It was a majestic strike of outlandish flair and imagination and was voted the Greatest Ever Rangers Goal in a worldwide poll by fans.

It also summed up the essence of Cooper. For he was not at his best when receiving tactical instruction and told to stick to a plan. To bring out his genius, Cooper had to be given a free role and allowed to play the game as he saw it.

Former Scotland manager Andy Roxburgh once said of him: "Football is not about robots or boring tactics. It’s about excitement, emotion and individual flair and imagination as shown by Davie Cooper."

It is an appropriate epitaph for a man who brought a touch of magic to the beautiful game.

 

[Tuppet]

From the Arsenal website -

"I remember thinking that he must have been some player to wear those white boots - and Alan Ball was some player." It's hard to disagree with the words of David O'Leary.

Ball's arrival at Highbury in December 1971 was big news. Arsenal had just done the Double but, just months later, they were splashed out a British record transfer fee to land the World Cup-winning England star. It was money well spent.

Ball caught the eye in more ways than one. His technique and passing ability made Arsenal a more attractive side to watch. He got his fair share of goals - 52 in 217 appearances. And, of course, he sported those trademark white boots.

Surprisingly Ball didn't win a trophy with Arsenal. He came close - he was part of the team which was beaten 1-0 by Leeds United in the 1972 FA Cup final and finished as runners-up in the league the following season.

A natural leader, Ball took on the captaincy at the start of the 1973/74 campaign and became Arsenal's most influential performer as the Double side of 1971 fragmented and a new generation of players - including Liam Brady - began to emerge.

Injury denied Arsenal of Ball's services at the start of the 1974/75 season and results suffered in his absence. Relegation was averted but Ball lasted just one more full season at Highbury, helping the struggling Gunners secure their top-flight status for a second time in 1975/76. Without Ball, the unthinkable might well have happened.

Ball left Arsenal in December 1976 and joined Southampton, enjoying something of a renaissance as he helped the Saints win promotion to the top flight. He ended his playing days in America and went on to manage seven clubs over a 19-year period, including two spells at Portsmouth.

Awarded an MBE in 2000 for his services to football, Ball died of a heart attack at the age of 61 in April 2007. The tributes poured in from stunned former team-mates.

"In my opinion he was one of Arsenal's greatest players of all time," said Brady. "He helped me greatly and, with David O'Leary, Frank Stapleton and Graham Rix, I feel he contributed a great deal towards our careers, passing on his experience of the game."

 

[green_smiley]

To keep discussion going:

Reasons why my team have more chance of winning

1. Best striker in the draft - Ian Rush, not only in terms of goal scoring, but pressing from up-front when opponent has the ball
2. Supported by creativity and skills from Davie Cooper
3. 2 wide midfielders (Ray Kennedy, David Rocastle) with equal ability to defend and attack
4. Physical and commanding presence in the midfield from Billy Bonds and Steve Perryman
5. 2 attacking full-backs (Alec Lindsay, Sandy Jardine) given the nods to attack from the flanks
6. 2 excellent pair of centre-backs (Martin Buchan, Emlyn Hughes) capable of building up attack from the back
7. Clear tactical plan for Buchan to stifle Beardsley who is the creative source of opponent's team

 

[green_smiley]

Ian Rush

Just one word is needed to describe Ian Rush's Liverpool career: goals.

The Welshman scored 346 of them in 660 appearances, a club record which will take some beating.

Nothing shakes the Kop more than a goal, and no one has caused quite so much structural damage to the famous stand as Rush.

More importantly, his predatory instincts were instrumental in the Reds dominating the game for most of the 1980s. He was loved at Anfield, feared at every opposition ground and renowned throughout Europe.

Often described by his teammates as Liverpool's first line of defence, the Wales international was not just a goalscorer but a hard-working, selfless runner who never gave up the chase.

Electric pace and eagle-eyed anticipation meant he was also a nightmare to mark

The 1983-84 season was perhaps Rush's finest. A remarkable 47-goal haul (50 if you count his spot kick conversion in Rome and two goals for Wales) was enough to see him become the first British player to win Europe's Golden Boot. This was a perfect accompaniment to an unprecedented treble of league title, European Cup and Milk Cup, not to mention double player of the year recognition.

Running on to perfectly threaded throughballs was Rush's forte and when one-on-one with a keeper you'd bet your mortgage on him netting. But what made him stand out from the rest was the variation in his goals. Of course there were countless close-range tap-ins, but also in his locker were many well-timed volleys, the odd 25-yard pile-driver and occasional header.

Just a small example of his goals
Around 0:40 and 10:50 mark

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

Another great matchup, maybe heart over head but @green_smiley for me. Loved Buchan and Rush is the best "goalscorer" I've ever seen.

 

[Indnyc]

Very even match and hardly any major draw back for either team.. I like the right flank of Green Smiley a lot.. Jardine and Rocastle would make a fine combination to support Rush..

Similarly like the Left flank of Tuppet.. Barnes is as good as they get there.. It really is a toss up to decide which team would win..

 

[green_smiley]

Congrats @Tuppet

All the best

 

[Indnyc]

Congratulations @Tuppet. @green_smiley hard luck mate

 

[Tuppet]

that was close ! Hard luck mate @green_smiley