Serie A 90's Draft QF - Moby/Pat_Mustard vs Gio/Theon

Who would win in the following draft game with all players at their Serie A 90's peak?


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2mufc0

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PLEASE READ BEFORE VOTING: voting should be based on player performances in Serie A/Coppa Italia from the 90/91 season to 99/00. Performances outside this timeframe or other competitions do not count.

TEAM MOBY/PAT



VS

TEAM GIO/THEON




TEAM MOBY/PAT TACTICS


Formation: 3-4-1-2

A classic Serie A formation, and a familiar one for our era-defining centre forward Gabriel Batistuta, who tore up Serie A for most of the decade and played a similar setup for Fiorentina. The reinforcement round has been kind to us, allowing us to add balance and control to our lineup in the form of all-time great RWB Cafu and one of the best playmaking CMs in the pool in Juan Sebastian Veron.

Goalkeeper: Luca Marchegiani. Boasting both an impressive peak and top-notch longevity, Marchegiani was a first-choice GK for the entire decade in Serie A, first at Torino and later at Lazio.

Defence: Fabio Cannavaro and Julio Cesar flank our sweeper Luca Fusi. Fusi played much of his career as a midfielder before dropping back to play as a sweeper with distinction during his final two seasons with Torino. Torino boasted the fifth and sixth best defensive records respectively in those two Serie A seasons, and Fusi was ranked by Dbscalcio.it as their first and second best player respectively. His intelligent reading of the game and good distribution will kickstart our transitions here, and in the defensive phase he’s amply protected by two monstrous defenders in Cannavaro and Cesar. Cesar was an ox-strong and technical CB who excelled alongside Jurgen Kohler in a miserly Juve defence, while Cannavaro’s credentials as one of the all-time great Italian defenders speak for themselves.

At wing back, Alberto Di Chiari will run our left flank. An industrious and creative converted winger, he impressed for an excellent Parma team in the same role. At RWB we welcome the legendary Cafu, entering his athletic peak during this time-frame aged 27-30, and a huge upgrade on Birindelli.

Midfield: The voracious ball-winner Matias Almeyda reprises his Serie A winning partnership with Juan Sebastian Veron. The addition of Veron along with Cafu allows us to change our stylistic emphasis slightly - while we'll still look to counter-attack quickly in general and find our explosive and free-scoring attackers early, we've now got it in our reportoire to control the tempo of the game and play in a more controlled style at times as match situations demand.

Trequartista: Roberto Mancini takes centre stage here in the role that he revered sufficiently to write a Masters Thesis on it. If the increasingly pervasive Sacchi 4-4-2 orthodoxy led to him playing much of his career in a two-man attacking line, his skill-set and instincts mark him as a classic trequartista. A wonderfully creative talisman who book-ended a decade at the cutting edge of Serie A with a Scudetto win at either side, he was at his zenith during Sampdoria’s 1990-91 triumph. Here, as with Sampdoria, he’ll be at home playing on the counter, and he’ll be in his element supplying two prolific goalscorers.

Attack: Batistuta’s credentials bear comparison with any forward in the draft: 151 goals in 243 Serie A games across the decade, all of them playing outside of the traditional powerhouse clubs for Fiorentina, with a high-water mark of 26 goals in 32 games in 1994-95. He’s in a familiar system here, and he’ll thrive off the creativity of Mancini and his dynamic, hard-running partner Enrico Chiesa, a consistently good performer across the decade who hit an astonishing peak in 1995-96 (playing with one Roberto Mancini at Sampdoria) of 22 goals in 27 Serie A appearances. A scorer of great goals as well as a great goalscorer, Chiesa had an incredible knack for the spectacular from long-range – videos to follow in the match thread.

TEAM GIO/THEON TACTICS

DEFENCE

The defence is built around two of the meanest units in 90's Serie A - Baresi's Milan unquestionably remain the gold standard for defending during the era and unsurprisingly recorded the best defensive record across the decade (15 goals conceded in 93/94), but just as impressive was the Torino defence in 91/92 led by Cravero which conceded just 20 goals - the second best defensive record in the entire decade.

Given those credentials it's no surprise that the heart of the defence contains three of the highest peaks in the draft- with the central trio rated the 1st, 2nd and 3rd best performers (in any position) during the 90/91 season:

Serie A 1990/91: highest rated players


Reuniting the impregnable Zenga-Baresi axis from Italia '90, Zenga's three IFFHS World Goalkeeper of the Year awards mark him out as one of the finest keepers in the pool. On the left is Andreas Brehme, whose left peg was such a telling outlet for Inter. To the right is Cravero's partner in crime Pasquale Bruno, whose physicality and relentlessly ruthless defending was an important part of that great Torino side.

MIDFIELD

We expect the all-conquering Juventus partnership of Didier Deschamps (highest rated midfielder in 96/97) and Paulo Sousa (Serie A Player of the Year in 94/95, third highest rated midfielder in Europe) to take meaningful control of the midfield - both fit the theme to a tee, playing their best football in the era and forming one of the most complimentary pairings of the decade.

To their right Brian Laudrup is introduced on the flank. He will be tasked with stretching and getting in behind Di Chiara and pulling Moby/Pat's nearest central defender out of position. With his pace and ball-carrying ability, he is well suited to this specific tactical job.

ATTACK

Linking the midfield is Fiorentina legend Il Maestro Rui Costa, boasting perhaps the strongest portfolio of top level performances of any playmaker in the draft. A superb technician who cut opposition midfield and defences to shreds with his incisive service and will find pockets of space to thread balls through to the electric Ruben Sosa and George Weah spearheading the attack.

Sosa and Weah were all-round attackers who both hit their peaks in 90's Serie A - Sosa smashing in 20 strikes in 28 games in 92/93, and Weah securing a Ballon D'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year in 94/95. With their electric pace both players are lethal on the counter attack (something Weah performed for Milan with huge success) and both fit the formation given their ability to roam wide and penetrate through the channels.

WHY WE WILL WIN
  • Midfield superiority - Man for man we believe we are stronger in midfield. The Deschamps and Sousa partnership is arguably the most impressive of the decade and proved itself at every level. The Portuguese duo of Sousa and Rui Costa should also dovetail well and overstretch Almeyda and Veron. As well as an edge in quality, there is an advantage in collective work rate with not only Deschamps and Sousa outgrafting the Argentine pair, but Rui Costa as a proper 10 offering clearly more contribution off the ball than the support striker Mancini.

  • Ability to contain - As leaders of the two meanest defences in all of 90's Serie A, Baresi and Cravero can weather their way out of any storm - particularly with the likes of Deschamps patrolling the middle of the park. Bruno retains his place now operating as a tucked in right full-back, strengthening the core in the absence of any genuine left forward threat. Baresi has an impeccable Serie A record against Batistuta, shutting him out 6 times out of 6.

  • Ability to counter - On the break Sosa and Weah are explosive and likely to burn past Julio Cesar, Fusi and Cannavaro with their pace and sheer power - Weah became the best player in the world doing just this in a counter-attacking Milan side and he's as likely as anyone on the park to make the difference. They will thrive on Rui Costa's unerring delivery.

  • Quality advantage in key positions - we have the best keeper (Zenga), best defender (Baresi) and best midfielder on the park (Rui Costa). While Batistuta is the top finisher on the field, Weah is a Ballon D'Or winner who is custom designed for our counter-attacking set-up.
 

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WALTER ZENGA

Deltaplano - hang-glider - was widely regarded as the world's best keeper in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
  • IFFHS World Goalkeeper of the Year 1989, 1990 and 1991
  • 2nd highest rated player in Serie A 1990/91 and 9th highest rated in 1992/93
  • Serie A title winner in 1990/91
ANDREAS BREHME
A key part of the great Inter side of 1988-1991 and his spell in this draft is sandwiched by two team of the tournament appearances at Italia '90 and Euro '92. Strong 1990/91 season at the San Siro where he showcased that wand of a left footand provided game-changing width down the flank. After falling narrowly short to Sampdoria in the title race, Brehme's Inter nevertheless secured the UEFA Cup defeating Giannini's Roma in the final, but struggled to maintain those standards in 1991/92 as Trap jumped ship back to Juve.

FRANCO BARESI
The greatest defender of all time whose immaculate reading of the game frequently silenced a generation of legendary strikers.
  • From 1987-1996, Baresi was in the top 3 rated players in the league 8 times out of 10.
  • Led a defence which conceded just 15 goals in 1993/94 and could afford to net just 36 times to win the title.
  • Serie A winner 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96
ROBERTO CRAVERO
Following Baresi's Milan in holding the meanest defensive records the league saw during the decade was Cravero's Torino back four of 1991/92 that let in a mere 20 goals all year. Not that he was just a one-season wonder, the campaign before having the third highest average rating - behind that man Baresi again and his other defensive partner here Zenga. Read the game brilliantly and dominated in the air. Almost 15 years of service for Il Toro make him a club legend, and he had a tidy spell with Zoff's Lazio too.

PASQUALE BRUNO
Uncompromising defender who, along with Cravero, was the cornerstone of that great Torino defence. Tenacious man-marker who took no prisoners, he was particularly strong in the air and matched up well against physical attackers.
 

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DIDIER DESCHAMPS

Serial winner who was the bedrock behind the relentless Juventus midfield that dominated the league in the second half of the decade. Was deployed as the energetic LCM next to Sousa in 1994-96.
  • Serie A title winner 1994/95, 1996/97 and 1997/98
  • Coppa Italia and Supercoppa winner in 1995 (x2) and 1997
  • Highest rated outfield player in Serie A in 1996/97
PAULO SOUSA
The classic continental no6 who worked tirelessly off the ball but was consistently classy on it. Formed an unbeatable central midfield partnership with Deschamps that won the Serie A in 1994/95 and the Champions League in 1995/96. But for injuries curtailing his time at the top his legacy would have been far greater.
  • Guerin D'Oro Serie A Player of the Year winner 1994/95
  • Serie A title winner 1994/95
RUI COSTA
Era-defining playmaker who fed the bullets for Batistuta for almost a decade. Il Maestro was a consistent top performer in the league, a selfless creator and who, during his 1990s peak, was a fine scorer of goals.
 

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RUBEN SOSA

Tearing onto Rui Costa's through balls is El Principito. The pocket dynamo and his thumping left peg bludgeoned Serie A defences in the early 1990s. Complete and multi-faceted forward who boasted an impressive scoring record at first Lazio and then, once the Germans had sacked it in '92, Inter, where he exploded with a memorable season.
  • Serie A 1992/93 highest rated player
  • Serie A 1992/93 - 28 games, 20 goals
  • Serie A 1993/94 - 28 games, 16 goals
  • UEFA Cup Winner 1993/94

GEORGE WEAH
All-round forward who was a force of nature during his peak at Milan. Explosive both when dropping deep to run at bamboozled defenders and explosive when bursting clear of the rapidly-disappearing-into-the-distance defensive line.
  • FIFA World Player of the Year: 1995
  • Ballon d'Or: 1995
  • Onze d'Or: 1995
  • FIFA World Player of the Year – Silver award: 1996
  • Onze d'Argent: 1996
  • African Footballer of the Year: 1989, 1994, 1995
  • IFFHS African Player of the Century: 1996
  • FIFA XI: 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998
BRIAN LAUDRUP
Flying winger with pace and panache coming to Serie A off the back of a sterling Euro '92 success with Denmark. That, along with his first half of the season displays for Fiorentina, helped him to a 5th place in that year's Ballon D'Or.

 

Moby

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As well as an edge in quality, there is an advantage in collective work rate with not only Deschamps and Sousa outgrafting the Argentine pair, but Rui Costa as a proper 10 offering clearly more contribution off the ball than the support striker Mancini.
Largely ignoring the midfielder turned sweeper Fusi who would no doubt make his presence felt in that battle.
 

Pat_Mustard

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A never-nude? I thought he just liked cut-offs.
There's alot to get through here but I'll start with this:

ust as impressive was the Torino defence in 91/92 led by Cravero which conceded just 20 goals - the second best defensive record in the entire decade.
Without wishing to downplay Cravero's quality unduly, he missed 10 league games that season and the quality of Torino's defence barely wavered: 0.6 goals per game conceded in his absence vs 0.58 when he played. Also, both Marchegiani and Fusi (33 and 31 league games respectively) appeared more than Cravero for Torino in that stellar campaign. Cravero also seems to have played most of his career as a sweeper, so he doesn't look ideal as a stylistic fit alongside Baresi.

Baresi has an impeccable Serie A record against Batistuta, shutting him out 6 times out of 6.
I think it was 5 matches rather than 6 that Batistuta played vs Baresi. Baresi's record against Chiesa is less impressive, with Chiesa scoring 4 goals in 4 league games against him. Batistuta has an even more impressive record vs Cravero, notching 6 goals in 4 league games against him.
 

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Brehme is indeed an excellent attacker, but as pointed out before it's another instance where you're playing someone who doesn't quite fit the theme or peak in the decade. He has just 23 games in Serie A for 90/91 and his 91/92 season was largely disappointing (as it was for the majority of that Inter side).
 

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There's alot to get through here but I'll start with this:



Without wishing to downplay Cravero's quality unduly, he missed 10 league games that season and the quality of Torino's defence barely wavered: 0.6 goals per game conceded in his absence vs 0.58 when he played. Also, both Marchegiani and Fusi (33 and 31 league games respectively) appeared more than Cravero for Torino in that stellar campaign. Cravero also seems to have played most of his career as a sweeper, so he doesn't look ideal as a stylistic fit alongside Baresi.



I think it was 5 matches rather than 6 that Batistuta played vs Baresi. Baresi's record against Chiesa is less impressive, with Chiesa scoring 4 goals in 4 league games against him. Batistuta has an even more impressive record vs Cravero, notching 6 goals in 4 league games against him.
Batistuta isn't up against Cravero though, and certainly not the older one at Lazio who were mostly a mess even one of the finest defensive organisers couldn't salvage. Notable too that Batistuta failed to score against Cravero at Torino.

Batistuta is up against Bruno and Baresi though, where his record stands:

Batigol v Bruno at Torino - 1 game, 0 goals
Batigol v Baresi - 6 games, 0 goals.

Funnily enough Batistuta did net once against Milan in a 2-1 defeat in 1994/95, the one game Baresi didn't play. And then once the great Franco retired, Batistuta started scoring against them regularly all of a sudden.
 

Pat_Mustard

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A never-nude? I thought he just liked cut-offs.
Batistuta isn't up against Cravero though, and certainly not the older one at Lazio who were mostly a mess even one of the finest defensive organisers couldn't salvage. Notable too that Batistuta failed to score against Cravero at Torino.

Batistuta is up against Bruno and Baresi though, where his record stands:

Batigol v Bruno at Torino - 1 game, 0 goals
Batigol v Baresi - 6 games, 0 goals.

Funnily enough Batistuta did net once against Milan in a 2-1 defeat in 1994/95, the one game Baresi didn't play. And then once the great Franco retired, Batistuta started scoring against them regularly all of a sudden.
It's been discussed quite a bit in this draft already, but unless you're man-marking them it's our strikers who will decide what zone they occupy. As regards Cravero heroically trying to salvage Lazio's defence, it really didn't look that way in this match vs Batistuta, where Batigol scored twice and Cravero got himself sent off for a wild lunge at Laudrup:


And if we're on the topic of head to head records, Chiesa's 4 goals in 4 games against Baresi is impressive, with the highlight being this superb performance, with Mancini chipping in with a goal as well:

 

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Just to expand on Baresi's influence, it's not just the impenetrable ship he ran against Batistuta. It's his performances across countless seasons. This statistic is just phenomenal:
  • From 1987-1996, Baresi was in the top 3 rated players in the league 8 times out of 10.
We are talking about perhaps the greatest league of all time at its absolute peak - competing with GOATs like Maradona, Gullit, Rijkaard, Matthaus, Van Basten. And he's outperforming and outlasting them all, keeping clean sheet after clean sheet with unbelievable efficiency.
 

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It's been discussed quite a bit in this draft already, but unless you're man-marking them it's our strikers who will decide what zone they occupy. As regards Cravero heroically trying to salvage Lazio's defence, it really didn't look that way in this match vs Batistuta, where Batigol scored twice and Cravero got himself sent off for a wild lunge at Laudrup
Laudrup was excellent in that game I have to admit.

But you've set Batistuta up on the left and Chiesa on the right. Yeah I get they can move around, but that point is more about a CF/SS partnership where one is in the hole and the CF has freedom to work a line. Can't really set your team up like that and then, a few minutes into the game, tell them to abandon that plan and swap over. It doesn't smack of the type of preparation you'd expect in 1990s Serie A. ;)
 

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It's been discussed quite a bit in this draft already, but unless you're man-marking them it's our strikers who will decide what zone they occupy.
In fairness, Chiesa largely played on the right. When you have two upfront but one definitely favours one side the matchups make more sense.
 

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Laudrup was excellent in that game I have to admit.

But you've set Batistuta up on the left and Chiesa on the right. Yeah I get they can move around, but that point is more about a CF/SS partnership where one is in the hole and the CF has freedom to work a line. Can't really set your team up like that and then, a few minutes into the game, tell them to abandon that plan and swap over. It doesn't smack of the type of preparation you'd expect in 1990s Serie A. ;)
Don't wanna make it a 2v1 but quick direct breaks and counters are still our primary penetrating weapon and we certainly won't be running into Baresi when half of your defense is scampering around ready to be toasted. We'll certainly break into space and isolate the other defenders, as well as having Cafu tearing into Brehme on that side. That front three is incredibly mobile and fluid.
 

Pat_Mustard

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A never-nude? I thought he just liked cut-offs.
Laudrup was excellent in that game I have to admit.

But you've set Batistuta up on the left and Chiesa on the right. Yeah I get they can move around, but that point is more about a CF/SS partnership where one is in the hole and the CF has freedom to work a line. Can't really set your team up like that and then, a few minutes into the game, tell them to abandon that plan and swap over. It doesn't smack of the type of preparation you'd expect in 1990s Serie A. ;)
Nah, look at that video of Chiesa destroying Baresi's Milan above - he was popping up left, right and centre creating havoc, and Batistuta will love exploiting the gaps he creates. Not least with Mancini pulling the strings behind them.
 

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Nah, look at that video of Chiesa destroying Baresi's Milan above - he was popping up left, right and centre creating havoc, and Batistuta will love exploiting the gaps he creates. Not least with Mancini pulling the strings behind them.
Meh the likes of Baresi, Cravero and Deschamps and Sousa in front of them don't do gaps and simply aren't the type of players to get opened up with a bit of movement. Chiesa is operating on the right against Brehme and Cravero and I'm comfortable with their ability to contain him.
 

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Chiesa is operating on the right against Brehme and Cravero and I'm comfortable with their ability to contain him.
Let's just nip this in the bud mate.

When the manager has instructed the forwards to roam and interchange as per the situation that's what they'll be doing and not sticking to a spot like a lamp post.

Not that a driving into the sunset Brehme needs much to be exposed, especially the Brazilian freight train running straight at him.
 

Pat_Mustard

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A never-nude? I thought he just liked cut-offs.
Meh the likes of Baresi, Cravero and Deschamps and Sousa in front of them don't do gaps and simply aren't the type of players to get opened up with a bit of movement. Chiesa is operating on the right against Brehme and Cravero and I'm comfortable with their ability to contain him.
Well Chiesa did a decent job of finding gaps against a Juve side containing Sousa and Deschamps, knocking 3 past them in 2 games for Sampdoria in 1995-96.
 

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Let's just nip this in the bud mate.

When the manager has instructed the forwards to roam and interchange as per the situation that's what they'll be doing and not sticking to a spot like a lamp post.
Can't have your cake and eat it. They can't be playing in all positions in all times, they're going to have some sort of default role on the team-sheet, presumably related to your picture up there. But always happy for them to roam into this man's territory:


FRANCO BARESI

In a Serie A draft there's arguably no player who defined the era more than Franco Baresi - leader and captain of the great AC Milan side of the late 80s early 90s who was voted the Serie A Player of the Century in 2000

With a robust and dominant midfield in front him (featuring an all-conquering Juventus partnership which lifted domestic and European trophies) Baresi looks well set to hold the fort against the opposition attack.​

AC Milan 1977-97
719 apps - 6 Serie A - 3 European Cup​

It is hardly controversial to call Baresi the most complete – and perhaps even the best – defender of all time. The greatest attacking players have the ability to manufacture time, a combination of vision and first touch affording them vital fractions of a second to compose play. If they created time, Baresi did the opposite. Such was the Italian’s masterful reading of the game, he would be first to every through ball, snuffing out danger like a psychic fireman.

“A lot of the time, he would know what the attacker was going to do before they knew themselves,” Ruud Gullit once said of his former teammate. There is no exaggeration there for effect. Baresi had a greater anticipation and understanding of attacking strategies than perhaps any other defender in the game’s history.

Despite that defensive excellence, Baresi’s role was at least two-fold. Within seconds of winning back the ball, he would be looking forward. Next came either the clipped pass into feet, or the run forward out of defence. With his shirt untucked over inexplicably short shorts, Baresi played the part of playmaker with consummate ease.

It would be foolish to think that Baresi was an effortlessly polished player, however, for you don’t survive and thrive in Serie A’s 1980s without being able to handle yourself. The word ‘hard’ has become increasingly synonymous with obvious displays of aggression, but Baresi’s toughness was more understated, a latent threat. In the Milan derby of 1989, Baresi played for over an hour with a broken arm after getting a kick from Jurgen Klinsmann, Milan’s captain only revealing the true extent of his pain after the final whistle. After keeping a clean sheet, of course.

Not content with being one of the greatest defenders, Baresi’s name has also become a byword for loyalty, the ultimate one-club man. Milan may have become the greatest team in the world under his captaincy, but he twice stayed after relegation to help the Rossoneri rebuild. The second of those Serie B campaigns came after Baresi was a (non-playing) member of Italy’s World Cup-winning squad of 1982, with the defender named Milan captain at the age of 22. Fifteen years later, as Baresi retired, he had won five Serie A titles, three European Cups and nine other domestic honours. Black, white and red all over.

Milan’s three greatest servants run like the aorta through the club’s modern history: Gianni Rivera, Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini. Between them, these three players spanned a 49-year period between 1960 and 2009. Not only does that account for almost half the club’s lifespan, but it covers 38 of their 47 major trophies.

If this trio are Milan’s lifeblood, there is no doubt who belongs in the centre spot on the podium. In the eyes of the Milanese, there is only one. ‘There is only one captain, Baresi,’ is the banner still passed across the San Siro’s Curva Sud. He was, is, and always will be Milan’s greatest: Il Capitano.


Marcel Desailly said:
"Franco Baresi is my idol. The way he ran his back-line, what a player. You can’t begin to imagine to what a high level he took the art of defending. Impeccable."
Paolo Maldini said:
He was special. The way he played on the field was an example for everybody. For me, he was the role model. He was a reference.”
Zico said:
“The consummate libero, capable of doing whatever he wanted with the ball whether he was defending or attacking.”
 

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Not sold on the Bruno-Laudrup flank. Is Bruno playing zonal? That flank seems a bit soft (though Pasquale would kick me in the groin if he heard me say that ).
On the other side I like Rui Costa to make something happen here more than Mancini (and Cafu is on the other side than the weakness).
But Bruno and Sosa together? Really going for the cnuts of Serie A theme :angel:
 

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I am very surprised seeing Laudrup in that line up. Laudrup was a big flop for Fiorentina wasn't he ? I read somewhere fans blamed him for relegation as well and nearly lynched him, and he had to be driven out in trunk of his car to save him from fans. He seem like a sheep here.
 

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Not sold on the Bruno-Laudrup flank. Is Bruno playing zonal? That flank seems a bit soft (though Pasquale would kick me in the groin if he heard me say that ).
On the other side I like Rui Costa to make something happen here more than Mancini (and Cafu is on the other side than the weakness).
But Bruno and Sosa together? Really going for the cnuts of Serie A theme :angel:
@Tuppet Laudrup was a big reason why Fiorentina were 2nd to Milan in December in the table, before they decided to get rid of the manager and it all went tits up. Typical mental Italian club - they had 4 managers that season :houllier: and decided to blame the foreigners instead of looking closer to home. Laudrup got big licks for a lot of his performances to be fair and came 5th in that December's Ballon D'Or (obviously helped by his Euro showing).

Nature of the position though - one week a match winner, quiet the next. And you have look at that in the context of why no wingers were huge successes in Serie A during the decade. That was all about the style of football - negative, defensive, narrow midfields, full-backs who were converted CBs as opposed to converted wingers. Look at how Laudrup gets kicked out of this game after receiving the modern day equivalent of several red card worthy tackles:


But that doesn't mean we shouldn't use wingers where they can make a difference. And the reason God or @2mufc0 gave us 14 players was to deploy different tactical options where the need arose. A winger is much more likely to be successful in counter attacking set ups where they had space to burn (eg Lentini at Torino or Lombardo for Samp) and against 3-5-2s that leave space in wide areas. It made clear sense to use Laudrup here because he's likely to find space up against a 3-5-2. Even more so on the break, causing frequent devastation for Denmark in a counter-attacking set-up.

Rob Smyth of the Guardian and author of Danish Dynamite said:
Laudrup was a brilliant counter-attacking player
And he gave Maldini as good a game as he got all decade:

 

Gio

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One route to goal for us is Ruben Sosa attacking from the left and hurtling down like a TrenItalia express on Marchegiani. He's got quite a tasty record against Julio Cesar as well, 3 goals in 4 games in 1992-1994.

Sosa scoring against Cesar's Juve in 1993, including a lovely assist from Cesar to Sosa to set up the second.


Sosa double against Juve in 1993/94, lovely free-kick, gets Conte sent off when he gets hauled back on the break, then smashes in an injury-time penalty off the bar to equalise.


Another double for Sosa, this time agianst Fiorentina, including a thunderbolt free-kick, and Laudrup with a lovely backheel assist for Bati.


And check out the sheer quality of this hat-trick against Parma:


Here's a guy who excelled against the big teams because of his big bollocks and the counter-attacking set-up at Inter. Again we are replicating those conditions as best we can to ensure the highest rated player of 1992/93 Serie A is well placed to make the difference.
 

Pat_Mustard

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A never-nude? I thought he just liked cut-offs.
to ensure the highest rated player of 1992/93 Serie A
Where did you get that from out of interest? I've got a real soft spot for Sosa so I'm not disputing his quality, but it was Signori who won the Guerin d'Oro that year:



Quite a healthy contingent of winners we've assembled there in Mancini, Almeyda and Chiesa.
 

antohan

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Wow, I always rated Almeyda but I'm stunned he got a Guerin d'Oro.

I guess he means these dbcalcio ratings. One good thing about these matchthreads is I'm getting pointers on all the things I should have been checking instead of picking players I liked :lol:
 

Gio

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Where did you get that from out of interest? I've got a real soft spot for Sosa so I'm not disputing his quality, but it was Signori who won the Guerin d'Oro that year:



Quite a healthy contingent of winners we've assembled there in Mancini, Almeyda and Chiesa.
It'll be one of the papers, rather than the Guerin award. Not surprised really with that 20 goals in 28 games.
 

sincher

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Having lambasted Brehme as apparently well over the hill in the last match, it was a bold move by the argumentative partnership of Gio and Theon to pick him in this one, and one that seemed to backfire early in the game when poor old Andy could not quite throw his zimmer frame aside for long enough to track Cafu's run, the full back running on to a sumptuous pass from notyetafanny Veron and crossing for Batigol to tap in at the back post. 1-0 Mustardos.

Another brave decision was the one to drop Giannini for Laudrup, and in so doing downgrading both the sexiness of the side and also its attacking shape. This too was causing something of a problem as our Brian, a bit like Brehme, was having a lot of trouble following his managers' weird curvy-lined instructions. Once or twice he tried a kinda curvy run forward into the inside right position, as apparently instructed, but found himself either offside or right in Rui Costa's way. After a few earfuls of Portuguese invective, little Brian finally showed his family's footballing intelligence and worked out that the better curvy line to follow was the one that led off the pitch, so he followed that one and fecked off out of the way.

Unfortunately for the Jerkoffs, if not unusually for the 90s, this left Bruno exposed to attack, and Mancini and Di Chiara exploited this as mercilessly as Mike Tyson, Mancini finally dealing the knockout blow with a fine shot from the edge of the area. 2-0 for the Mustards at half time.

In the second half things evened up a bit, with Deschamps smartly giving it sideways to Sousa (as at seemingly every other opportunity), and Sousa feeding Sosa to fire in an amazing left footed strike from distance. Golfeckinglazo! 2-1 and the Jerkoffs starting to dominate possession.

With Brehme in a strop with his management and Laudrup off the pitch, it was all a bit central though, and time and again they ran up against a well organised Mustard back line with Almeyda biting into tackles, Fusi following Rui Costa about and Weah and Suso struggling to find space in between the effing Cs in the Mustard back line.

Finally, the game was sealed when a Jerkoff corner was cleared by Cannavaro to Veron who played a fine ball over the top to Chiesa, who outpaced Cravero, burst onto it and angled it home for 3-1.

Hard luck Jerkoffs. Sinch's top tip for next time would be to try to improve your team between rounds. You can thank me later.
 

Pat_Mustard

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A never-nude? I thought he just liked cut-offs.
Wow, I always rated Almeyda but I'm stunned he got a Guerin d'Oro.

I guess he means these dbcalcio ratings. One good thing about these matchthreads is I'm getting pointers on all the things I should have been checking instead of picking players I liked :lol:
Yeah, I only realised Almeyda had won it after we picked him, which was a nice bonus in selling an unglamorous DM. I thought it must have been dbscalcio was referring to as well, but Signori outranks him there as well. Not that it's hugely significant, as Sosa clearly had an excellent season and I sung his praises in the main thread enough.

It'll be one of the papers, rather than the Guerin award. Not surprised really with that 20 goals in 28 games.
A fine goal return indeed. Says alot about the level of firepower you're up against here that Chiesa has bettered that tally with 22 in 27 games in 1995-96, and Batistuta has hit 21+ league goals in 4 seasons during the draft timeframe.
 

Gio

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A fine goal return indeed. Says alot about the level of firepower you're up against here that Chiesa has bettered that tally with 22 in 27 games in 1995-96, and Batistuta has hit 21+ league goals in 4 seasons during the draft timeframe.
Serviced of course by our good man Rui Costa and Laudrup too for that matter.
 

Pat_Mustard

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A never-nude? I thought he just liked cut-offs.
Having lambasted Brehme as apparently well over the hill in the last match, it was a bold move by the argumentative partnership of Gio and Theon to pick him in this one, and one that seemed to backfire early in the game when poor old Andy could not quite throw his zimmer frame aside for long enough to track Cafu's run
:lol: Getting the sincher seal of approval is a victory in itself, and I'll admit to enjoying this part in particular :D
 

Theon

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Hard luck Jerkoffs. Sinch's top tip for next time would be to try to improve your team between rounds. You can thank me later.
Rui Costa is the best midfielder on the park and the second best playmaker in the draft after Zidane - he's a huge upgrade. Tactically he fits like a glove given the Baresi-led counter attacking set up that we've implemented.

Laudrup didn't replace Giannini, he replaced Mazinho in order to give us more width on the right. And Laudrup was a terrific player so that post is a bit unnecessarily disparaging IMO. He was top five in the Ballon d'Or that year which speaks to his credentials (driven primarily for his international success). Being a Celtic fan I watched him a lot at Rangers as well when he moved from Italy and he was outstanding. Probably the biggest reason for that run of titles that they went on.
 

Gio

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Is Bruno playing zonal?
He can afford to play tucked in effectively as an extra centre back. If you're playing against a front two with no wingers, you're generally better off dedicating three men to mark and cover. Shuts things off really well. Here he's a good fit for the job in hand and spent his career being the aggressor with a more cerebral presence inside him.