............................. TEAM HARMS .............................................................................. TEAM ECSTATIC ........................................
Team harms
Building a perfect 4-4-2 is a must for every drafter. The supposed simplicity of that formation highlights every little imperfection, and it becomes an incredibly entertaining challenge to get rid of all of them.
Francesco Toldo - Complete GK: pretty much the perfect modern goalkeeper, consistent with cat-like reflexes, also great with his feet due to playing outfield during the youth
Antonio Cabrini - Balanced FB: his role in Italy/Juve's back 4 is resembles the one of today's balanced fullback, impressive attacking contribution without any defensive weaknesses
Rafa Márquez - Ball-playing CB: elegant on the ball and fearless in tackles, Rafa's time in Barcelona saw him becoming one of the best center backs in the world. His intelligence and leadership makes him invaluable to this side.
Roberto Ayala - Stopper CB: "he was phenomenal — strong, resolute, aggressive, quick, all the attributes you need to be a top defender", - Rio explained his inclusion in his Champions League XI.
Dani Carvajal - Balanced FB: he has been the best right back in the world for quite some time now, leading post Alves/Lahm generation. Definitely the most complete one.
Ryan Giggs - Rampaging LW: we all remember young Giggs - incredible pace and dribbling ability, one of those players that kept you on the edge of your seat
Bryan Robson - Attacking B2B: one of the most complete midfielders of his time, he combined great technique and goalscoring with tactical intelligence and never-say-die attitude on and off the pitch. Captain.
Valery Voronin - Defensive midfielder: a player who was capable both of man-marking the likes of Eusebio and Albert out of the game, and orchestrating the play for USSR and Torpedo. Don't hesitate to ask more about him
Luis Figo - Playmaking RW: less incisive, more creative, Figo occupies his preferred right wing in a role that saw him winning Ballon D'Or and WPOTY when the likes of Ronaldo, Zidane were around.
Luigi Riva - Target striker: Italy's all-time top scorer, a battering ram with added dribbling and creativity. Make sure to check out the compilations I've made of his games that will be posted at the bottom.
Thomas Müller - Raumdeuter: Football Manager made a specific role only for him, Raumdeuter, the interpretor of space. Second striker with the freedom to move around as he wants, his workrate and off the ball movement is key for my team — again, check his video at the bottom.
Bench: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Kevin Keegan, Manfred Kaltz
Midfield
Probably the most crucial task is to find the right balance in midfield. In many games your 2 central midfielders would be outnumbered, so they both need to be outstanding defensively and physically (see Rijkaard-Ancelotti, Keane-Scholes, Schweinsteiger-Martinez), while at the same time possessing enough skill to contribute in attack, both in terms of playmaking and goalscoring.
In Valery Voronin I have the outstanding defensive presence combined with sublime technique and spatial awareness (thanks to Joga’s PR machine I no longer sound like a biased lunatic). And I’m being honest here in saying that I won’t trade him for anyone else in the pool — not that Redondo or Varela are worse, but with fine margins I’m going with the personal favorite. Partnering him, is the colossal figure of Bryan Robson. He isn’t usually mentioned alongside the very best in history, but in his career he often faced absolutely astonishing opposition (Maradona, Platini, Laudrup, Gullit, Rijkaard, Schuster, Tigana and such), and not once was he outclassed by those players, despite usually playing for a lesser side (be it England or United of 80’s) — and even outplaying them on some memorable occasions, like Maradona in 1984 or Laudrup in 1991. An all-rounded midfield powerhouse, with countless energy, great technique, anticipation and positional awareness but, above all, unrivaled winning mentality and leadership.
Not much is there to say about my wingers, just the tactical perspective maybe. I always prefer slightly lop-sided formations, and the blueprint here is Fergie-esque classic 4-4-2 with Giggs and Beckham and Bayern’s Robbery partnership. Creative, almost playmaker-ish wide midfielder on the right in Luis Figo (more akin to Beckham than to Ribery, but with added world-class dribbling ability), and the incisive runner on the other side, like Robben for Bayern or Ryan Giggs himself for United.
Bonus: Ryan Giggs on Bryan Robson's influence
Defence
My defensive unit is also pretty straight-forward. Marquez/Ayala is the typical ball-playing/enforcer center back combo. Both are very complete and adaptable, Rafa Márquez especially thrived in Barcelona’s high line defence, and they will make a good proactive duo, that won’t be lost if the opponent forced them to defend deep in the box though. Roberto Ayala, in the words of Rio Ferdinand: "He was phenomenal, outstanding. He was 5’10 but could jump like he was 7’3. He was a typical Argentinian player: strong, resolute, aggressive, quick – all the attributes you need to be a top defender". You can’t ask for more experience either — they have 258 caps combined, being the undisputed leaders of their respective defensive units. Antonio Cabrini and Dani Carvajal will play as a pair of modern fullbacks, both aren’t gung ho wing backs, even though they are known for their attacking contribution, and will adapt their roles depending on the situation. Carvajal especially is the master of it, playing with Marcelo on the other side of the pitch. Pretty happy with Carvajal’s assigned pick by the way, it’s not a coincidence that the guy won 3 CL titles in his 4 seasons at Madrid, gradually earning the status of the best right back in the world. Behind them I have the great Francesco Toldo, who managed to get in Euro 2000 Team of the tournament despite competing with Buffon himself for the place in the national team.
Attack
My attack is spearheaded by Luigi Riva. In the age when old records are being beaten right and left he still holds the title of Italy’s all-time goalscorer. He combined physical strength and fantastic aerial game with immaculate touch and great dribbling, something that he learned while playing as a winger when he was a young player. Legendary player for his nation, he also lead his team to the unlikely title win in 1970 — up to this point Cagliari remains the only non-continental Italian club to win Serie A. I’ve made two match game compilations from the 1970 World Cup, you will see him destroying a more than decent Mexican side in the QF and shining against the favorites, West Germany, in what would later be known as «the game of the century», especially showcasing his hold up play and aerial prowess in the second half, pretty much on his own battling with the whole German back four, with the rest of Italian team sitting deep and soaking pressure.
Partnering him is Thomas Müller, the great raumdeuter. With Riva being the focal point of the attack, a one-man towering presence straight from the catenaccio, and the variety of service from all over the pitch, Müller will thrive, interpreting the space like he knows and loves. It also helps that he has a pedigree of overcoming 4-3-3 (with Xavi and Iniesta, no less), in 4-4-2, where his midfield contribution and constant movement was absolutely crucial.
Probably the most crucial task is to find the right balance in midfield. In many games your 2 central midfielders would be outnumbered, so they both need to be outstanding defensively and physically (see Rijkaard-Ancelotti, Keane-Scholes, Schweinsteiger-Martinez), while at the same time possessing enough skill to contribute in attack, both in terms of playmaking and goalscoring.
In Valery Voronin I have the outstanding defensive presence combined with sublime technique and spatial awareness (thanks to Joga’s PR machine I no longer sound like a biased lunatic). And I’m being honest here in saying that I won’t trade him for anyone else in the pool — not that Redondo or Varela are worse, but with fine margins I’m going with the personal favorite. Partnering him, is the colossal figure of Bryan Robson. He isn’t usually mentioned alongside the very best in history, but in his career he often faced absolutely astonishing opposition (Maradona, Platini, Laudrup, Gullit, Rijkaard, Schuster, Tigana and such), and not once was he outclassed by those players, despite usually playing for a lesser side (be it England or United of 80’s) — and even outplaying them on some memorable occasions, like Maradona in 1984 or Laudrup in 1991. An all-rounded midfield powerhouse, with countless energy, great technique, anticipation and positional awareness but, above all, unrivaled winning mentality and leadership.
Not much is there to say about my wingers, just the tactical perspective maybe. I always prefer slightly lop-sided formations, and the blueprint here is Fergie-esque classic 4-4-2 with Giggs and Beckham and Bayern’s Robbery partnership. Creative, almost playmaker-ish wide midfielder on the right in Luis Figo (more akin to Beckham than to Ribery, but with added world-class dribbling ability), and the incisive runner on the other side, like Robben for Bayern or Ryan Giggs himself for United.
Bonus: Ryan Giggs on Bryan Robson's influence
Defence
My defensive unit is also pretty straight-forward. Marquez/Ayala is the typical ball-playing/enforcer center back combo. Both are very complete and adaptable, Rafa Márquez especially thrived in Barcelona’s high line defence, and they will make a good proactive duo, that won’t be lost if the opponent forced them to defend deep in the box though. Roberto Ayala, in the words of Rio Ferdinand: "He was phenomenal, outstanding. He was 5’10 but could jump like he was 7’3. He was a typical Argentinian player: strong, resolute, aggressive, quick – all the attributes you need to be a top defender". You can’t ask for more experience either — they have 258 caps combined, being the undisputed leaders of their respective defensive units. Antonio Cabrini and Dani Carvajal will play as a pair of modern fullbacks, both aren’t gung ho wing backs, even though they are known for their attacking contribution, and will adapt their roles depending on the situation. Carvajal especially is the master of it, playing with Marcelo on the other side of the pitch. Pretty happy with Carvajal’s assigned pick by the way, it’s not a coincidence that the guy won 3 CL titles in his 4 seasons at Madrid, gradually earning the status of the best right back in the world. Behind them I have the great Francesco Toldo, who managed to get in Euro 2000 Team of the tournament despite competing with Buffon himself for the place in the national team.
Attack
My attack is spearheaded by Luigi Riva. In the age when old records are being beaten right and left he still holds the title of Italy’s all-time goalscorer. He combined physical strength and fantastic aerial game with immaculate touch and great dribbling, something that he learned while playing as a winger when he was a young player. Legendary player for his nation, he also lead his team to the unlikely title win in 1970 — up to this point Cagliari remains the only non-continental Italian club to win Serie A. I’ve made two match game compilations from the 1970 World Cup, you will see him destroying a more than decent Mexican side in the QF and shining against the favorites, West Germany, in what would later be known as «the game of the century», especially showcasing his hold up play and aerial prowess in the second half, pretty much on his own battling with the whole German back four, with the rest of Italian team sitting deep and soaking pressure.
Partnering him is Thomas Müller, the great raumdeuter. With Riva being the focal point of the attack, a one-man towering presence straight from the catenaccio, and the variety of service from all over the pitch, Müller will thrive, interpreting the space like he knows and loves. It also helps that he has a pedigree of overcoming 4-3-3 (with Xavi and Iniesta, no less), in 4-4-2, where his midfield contribution and constant movement was absolutely crucial.
I don’t want to write another essay since pretty much everything that I want to implement has been written before: http://spielverlagerung.com/2013/04/27/bayern-munich-fc-barcelona-in-depth/
Now of course Ecstatic’s team and Barca have lots of differences (Varela as a DM and Sheva instead of Messi change their game significantly), but most of what’s mentioned there can be applied to our game as well. There aren’t any glaring weaknesses in his team and I don’t expect any tactical misfits, the only potential issue is philosophical differences between Xavi/Laudrup/Krol/Reiziger and Varela/Godin — it makes sense to play possession-based football with high defensive line to make the best of the first group, while both Uruguayans excelled in completely opposite systems.
That being said, the weakest points of Ecstatic’s team are still his fullbacks - and I have both a system and personnel to exploit it. Reiziger and Dunne aren’t bad players, but to negate prime Giggs and Figo with the support of Cabrini and Carvajal is an impossible task even for Maldini or Djalma. If he starts with Krol on the left and Lucio centrally, the criticism of his left back won’t be as relevant, although I would bet on Müller getting the best of his central pairing in that case.
TEAM ECSTATIC
1. The Dynamo Kyiv Excellence - Efficiency, Versatility and Professionalism
CF -Shevchenko - Ballon d'Or 2004 - Required Complete CF to exploit the creative environment to the full - 392 goals/815 games
One of the greatest Eastern European footballers: fast, hardworking, energetic, opportunistic and prolific goalscorer (both foot, head). Excellent positional sense and link-up play with diverse players (Kaka, Crespo, Rebrov..).
Left Wing-Forward - Blokhin- Ballon d'Or 1975 - Hybrid player comfortable on the wing and in the penalty area - 325 goals/763 games
All-time top goalscorer in the history of the Soviet League, Dynamo Kyiv and the Soviet Union national team. The political regime made a move abroad impossible. Exceptional pace and work-rate
2. The Barcelona Playmakers in a collective spirit - Intelligent Masters in the art of the short/long (im)possible pass that break defensive lines
LCM- Laudrup - The Artist who is still admired by fans of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Ajax, Juve... - 201 goals in 718 games
RCM - Xavi - Conductor in charge of setting the tempo of play and enlightening the Game
One of the most valuable players in history of Spanish football. Certainly the best midfielder in the World in the very late 2000s to the beginning 2010s. Key role in the Golden Era of Barcelona and Spain.
3. The Brazilian players who combine strength and technical skills.
Quick & Powerful Right-Winger - Jairzinho - Legendary player of Brazil 1970 - 33 goals in 81 games with Brazil
"The Hurricane" won the 1970 FIFA World Cup, during which he scored in every game Brazil played. In doing so, he became one of only two players in the history of the World Cup to have scored in every game of the tournament. Listed at number 27 in World Soccer Magazine's list of the 100 greatest players of the 20th century, He replaced his footballing idol Garrincha in both the Botafogo and Brazil teams, and played in three consecutive World Cups: 1966, 1970 and 1974
Sweeper - Lucio - Tenacious and physically strong defender with good technical skills and excellent distribution
Known for his heavy marking of opponents, his hard-tackling style of play but also for his galloping runs on the ball, which have earned him the nickname O Cavalo ("The Horse", in Portuguese).
4. The (Uruguyan) Sense of sacrifice: the other facet of South-American Football
Defensive Midfielder -Varela - You know he played a key role in the successes of Uruguay and Atletico Madrid
“The Black Chief” Obdulio Varela was the greatest defensive midfielder in the World in the 1940s, one of the Greatest Uruguayan legends. Remembered for his impact at the 1950 FIFA World Cup final Urugay won.
Stopper -Godin - Key player in the successes of Uruguay and Atletico Madrid
5. The FBs who were part of the AJAX team that ruled Europe in the 70s and 90s
Total Football Defender - Krol - greatest defender in the history of Dutch football
2 Times European Defender of The Year (1978, 1979) & FIFA World Cup All-Star Team (1974, 1978), 3 times European Cup winners, 2 times WC runner-up...
RB -Reiziger - Strong, fast and reliable player - 72 caps with Netherlands and 7 years spent with FC Barcelona
