Anto I wasn't pisstaking. I'm serious. He doesn't know the players, then how can he vote? If he knew them and thought they weren't good enough, fair enough
@iamfalcao don't mean to take the piss out of you. I just think its unfair to cutch.
Sheep draft SF - VivaJanuzaj vs Cutch
- Thread starter Balu
- Start date
-
In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
@iamfalcao don't mean to take the piss out of you. I just think its unfair to cutch.
To be fair, 11-6 is a very unfair score. This should be within one to votes. A formation change and I reckon viva wins it.
Anto's changed his tune since sajeev's quarter final. Viva's number 1 fan all of a sudden
That's a brilliant idea, actually @VivaJanuzaj
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I for one find the candid vote explanation quite refreshing, and a good counterweight to the usual overly-romantic view we (myself very much included) have of older players. If you make it so that people without intimate knowledge of certain key players can't vote then you are probably creating a bias AGAINST more recent players.
I'm the first one to defend oldies, but I sure as hell prefer knowing that's why he voted than knowing nothing. Cutch sure knew in advance this sort of vote would be part and parcel given his drafting decisions.
Oh I know all about the scan voters Anto. More than welcome. All part of the game
If its this serious that people get upset over a line up of fantasy players because i havent studied the strategies and profiles in great depth then ill rescind it.
I thought it was all for a laugh anyway, whose to say there wasn't a red card in the first minute? its all hypothetical anyway don't see why it matters. I voted viva because i like his players - think of it as a variable to the result of the vote like any potential variable to the result of a football match.
Not sure you realised he changed his formation and got rid of every single thing I pointed out as a problem then:
1) Batistuta alone upfront as the out and out striker.
2) Dunga somehow turned into Makelele
3) Berthold being his spare man in defence, a defensive fullback facing no winger and rather surplus to requirements. Breitner equally wasted out wide in 1v1 with Amoros when he was needed in midfield and Zambrotta wouldn't do much worse.
4) Ferrara being the path of least resistance in his defence. Now replaced by Baresi.
5) Highlighting the difference in room for error when two CBs faced two strikers vs. facing one. Same applies here, I would actually expect Desailly to have to spend a considerable amount of time at the back and covering Passarella, which leads to the question: does a midfield of Charlton/Bozsik hold water against Keane and Scholes? Yours are bigger players/GOATs but his mix is better.
Entirely different game. Cheap shot that.
Don't worry mate, @NM himself admitted he systematically voted against Márquez because he didn't like his ponytail. You are not doing anything different here.
After clip and praising of Márquez:I just never liked him Sajeev! That's it. Never rated him as a DM or CB. It's personal bias and I can't help it.Your team is real good though.
it is for a laugh. A little unfair because a lot of time went into it, but it is for a lugh. There's no worries. I was harsh.
Anto I also think he is a poor player and nowhere near good enough for a draft. Thought I said that too, but don't remember.
Newish member second time i ever voted in these drafts. They seem alright, just wasn't sure what the rules were or how serious they were taken!
But where does Passarella run to? For most of the time it's Desailly/Bozsik/Charlton or Passarella/Bozsik/Charlton, not Bozsik/Charlton.
You made a justified argument about countless variables in a football game. It's all just for fun anyway, and the most fun is in the drafting process itself, not in the games. Don't worry.
I'm torn on this one. Fascinating match-up.
It is the classic debate. There are a couple of reasons why I don't think it's a decisive factor though:
- Overall work-rate. VJ is getting more graft out of his wide players than Cutch. If that midfield four is more likely to regain its shape upon losing possession, get tight and work as a unit to close the space, then the "extra man" isn't going to make much difference.
- Roaming of Nedved, Figo and to a lesser extent Breitner. Each of them can and will overload the middle.
I wouldn't worry about it. At least your rationale for voting is transparent unlike the agendas many of us managers pursue when voting.
I'm only messin. Just funny that you always see everything so black and white.
Viva's midfield is fine balance wise and I can buy it as an upgrade on Fergie's - I don't think he needs to win any "battle" in the middle in order to win the match. As such. But there's a pure quality discrepancy there - not necessarily a huge one, but it's there.
And I don't buy Crespo-Stuta.
There are several things I simply don't like about Cutch's team, but it's personal preferences more than objective flaws.
And I don't buy Crespo-Stuta.
There are several things I simply don't like about Cutch's team, but it's personal preferences more than objective flaws.
I'm not sure on whether they'd make a fabulous partnership or whether they'd ultimately be attempting to hit the same areas. They're both no9s but very different players in how they interpreted the centre-forward role. Pat Mustard is right that it was Bielsa's tactical approach rather than necessarily a lack of compatability as to why they did not feature together for Argentina circa 1998-2002.
I take your point re: stopping them after recovering and starting an attack, there's three midfielders there alright. But defensively I think you would find Desailly becoming a permanent LCB and Passarella being the one hovering in front of the defence (but not exactly in the heart of a midfield battle per se). It's actuallly far safer as well as per my usual gripe with Passarella and attacking fullbacks next to him.
You would have noticed I'm a bit, if not completely fed up with the Anto having an agenda/twisting stuff angle that gets dished out regularly. If anything I'm one of the most consistent around here in terms of the players I rate or not, and why.
Pretty much - and that's enough to constitute reasonable doubt for me.
Plus, I'm 95% sure they wouldn't form a fabulous partnership - a working one, that is possible, but not a fabulous one.
Its not a completely implausable tactic by any means, but it is a hopeful one. Passarella and Nesta both have all the necessary assets to pick off a majority of long balls, especially with Desailly shielding them. The bigger factor is will Batistuta and Crespo's movement be complementary, or will they tend to get in each other's way? Honestly I edge towards the latter. They could have played together at international level and, admittedly late in Batistuta's career, at club level for Inter, yet their managers didn't see them as prtnership material.
Also, ceding the midfield and playing a predominantly long ball game wasn't really in keeping with that Utd 4-4-2 style. Sure, Beckham or Scholes pinging a brilliant long ball or cross was a grat weapon, but they went toe to toe in midfield more often than not.
Sorry if you feel you're getting bombarded with criticisms by the way mate - there's loads to like about your team and the arguments you're putting forward, and the points people are disagreeing on are making for a really good match thread.
Fair enough.I know mate, just taking the piss for giving @iamfalcao a hard time
I always thought that was a massive missed opportunity. Could see Batistuta taking up a Kempes-like role in this setup.
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Sorry but thats a bit silly Anto. Passarella is a defender first and foremost (possibly the best there's ever been), you're making him out to be a reckless David Luiz type going awol the whole game. Desailly won't be permanently LCB at all. If Passarella is on the attack, Desailly drops in temporarily, it might happen 6-8 times in a game, that is all. No issue here, just common sense, players moving positions to fill in for others as you'd expect.
Ah might have missed that, havn't been keepin up. Just thought it was funny last game you bemoaned Viva's lack of firepower throughout, that Figo and Nedved were gonna get feck all joy, that he should have played Crespo instead of Stuta and he'd score 1 goal max. This game he's up against a better defence, and has swapped Dunga for Crespo (surely a bit out of his depth) and all of his sudden his side 'screams goals'. Makes no sense to me that.
They made a mess of the opportunity they had in 2002 when they boasted the strongest squad at the tournament. A back four of Zanetti, Ayala, Samuel and Sorin, Simeone and Veron in the middle and a couple from Kily, Piojo, Aimar, Riquelme, Ortega, Gallardo to support Crespo and Bati up top could've torn it up. Certainly a level of talent that deserved better than getting dicked over by workmanlike northern European sides.
Forgetting Claudio Lopez, shame on you Gio!
Nah mate vote away! It does become a borderline obsession when you're participating in one of these but you're right - its completely hypothetical and it should be fun. As far as expertise on the players goes, if you maintain an interest in these threads you'll learn loads anyway, but Antohan is right. Few if any of us are legitimately that well-informed on alot of the players that get picked. I do try to watch the odd full game and plenty of highlights of players from before my time, but its not like any of us can claim to have watched more than a fraction of these guys week in week out.
Gonna post a few links from the last game here for @iamfalcao and anyone else that mightn't have heard of some of my legendary players.
Starting with:
SIR BOBBY CHARLTON
When searching for a physical example of a true legend of the English game, you would be forgiven if you named several players before you got to the man who probably deserves the accolade more than any other – Sir Bobby Charlton.
Playing alongside Best and Law, Charlton was perhaps the most understated of the trio, but perhaps it was his humble attitude towards life and the game that saw his career and achievements dwarf those of his team-mates – for younger readers wanting to make a contemporary comparison, think of the way Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs conduct themselves, and how, at the twilight of their careers, both have just celebrated another European Cup.
Arguably, Sir Bobby’s achievements, especially considering the trials he had to overcome in life, where even greater than our current legends.
Born into a footballing family in 1937 (brother Jack was a famous footballer and manager, while his uncles where the famous Milburns who starred for Leeds), Bobby was spotted at age 15 by United scout Joe Armstrong – and at 19, he made his debut against Charlton. In that first season he won a league title, lost in the controversial FA Cup final of 57, took part in United’s European Cup run – the first time an English club had ever entered the competition – and even scored a semi final goal at Old Trafford against a Real Madrid side featuring the magnificent Di Stefano – though the goal was ultimately not enough to help United to the final, it did secure a draw.
It was next season, however, that Bobby Charlton’s name was forever to be carved in United history. Urban legend says that Charlton and Dennis Violett changed seats with Tommy Taylor and David Pegg on a plane journey after a game against Red Star in Yugoslavia when the plane made a stop in Munich to refuel – Taylor and Pegg apparently felt they would be safer at the back of the plane. Of course, we all know what happened – the plane crashed, Taylor and Pegg were among those who sadly perished, and Bobby Charlton was one of the survivors.
Few men would have returned to work again, but incredibly, Charlton recovered to make his debut for England just TWO months after the disaster – scoring on his debut against Scotland at Hampden Park, a trademark magnificent volley that catapulted him into the public eye even more so – though even after scoring twice against Portugal in his next game, he could not have expected his international career would lead to him being his country’s all time top scorer, a record that stands today.
After Munich, success on the domestic front was scarce as Matt Busby sought to rebuild his famous “Busby Babes”, but in 1963, a remarkable 5 year spell began which saw Sir Bobby win every major prize, making a vital contribution along the way. In ’63, he starred as United won their first trophy since Munich, the FA Cup – in 1965, joined by a young Northern Irishman by the name of Best, he was a major contributor as the Reds won the league title, before a remarkable 3 year spell.
Charlton had a wonderful affection for his mentor, Busby, and refers to him as “the Old Man” – an affection clearly reciprocated, as the Scot once stated “.. Bobby Charlton never betrayed that (my trust).. it was a privilege to have him play for you”.
Although United finished without a trophy in 1966, Charlton’s form was at his peak as he scored 3 goals in England’s sole successful World Cup campaign, one a memorable rocket against Mexico, and his year was rounded off when he became only the second ever English winner of the Ballon D’or (European Player of the Year to the man on the street). He was runner up in the next two years, years which saw him first claim another league title (his third, and as it transpired, his final), and then, 10 years on from Munich, saw him score two goals as United thrashed Benfica to become the first ever English European Cup winners. That Charlton was club captain at this time was destiny, and the most fitting way to close the door on a decade that began with tragedy and went full circle.
This was the last of the trophies for Sir Bobby, but not the last of his glories – he went on to set appearance and goal scoring records for club and country until his retirement in 1973. His appearance record for England lasted for 3 years after retiring from selection after the ’70 tournament, until World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore overtook him, and his appearance record for Manchester United was only bettered in May 2008 by Ryan Giggs. Charlton remains the only player to have played in four World Cup tournaments for England.
Both of his goals records still stand – at 49 goals for England and 249 for United. While Michael Owen is closing in on the England record, it seems unlikely anyone in the next generation will get near his United record – both records are even more impressive when taking into account Charlton was never an orthodox striker.
Upon leaving United, Bobby joined Preston as player manager – a move which lasted only a year, before a season with his final professional club, Waterford United of Ireland.
Though an immensely likeable personality, Charlton did not always see eye to eye with holy trinity teammates Best or Law – Best famously refused to play in Bobby’s testimonial match after he retired – but in recent years their affinity for one another has been clear to see. Charlton was with Best shortly before he died, and in his autobiography intimated any ill-feeling that existed in the first place was purely to do with what Bobby perceived as George’s waste of talent (a feeling undoubtedly tempered by the stark contrast of that talent that was cruelly stolen from ex-teammate Duncan Edwards).
Bobby Charlton became Sir Bobby in 1994 after being awarded the CBE 20 years earlier – and today, he acts as ambassador for United. He is highly thought of by todays players and this was illustrated by them requesting that he led them up to collect the European Cup in Moscow in 2008 – a request he accepted, but then typically initially refused to accept his honorary medal, preferring instead to leave the limelight to the heroes of the hour. There can be no doubting that just as Ryan Giggs seems to personify today’s United team, Sir Bobby does just that of the Busby Babes – the triumph, tragedy and the ability to rise from that tragedy and restore the glory days to the club are equally as impressive as Giggs’ trophy haul – if not more so.
Indeed, former United team-mate summed it all up when he said of Bobby, “His story is the best in English football”.
Starting with:
SIR BOBBY CHARLTON
When searching for a physical example of a true legend of the English game, you would be forgiven if you named several players before you got to the man who probably deserves the accolade more than any other – Sir Bobby Charlton.
Playing alongside Best and Law, Charlton was perhaps the most understated of the trio, but perhaps it was his humble attitude towards life and the game that saw his career and achievements dwarf those of his team-mates – for younger readers wanting to make a contemporary comparison, think of the way Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs conduct themselves, and how, at the twilight of their careers, both have just celebrated another European Cup.
Arguably, Sir Bobby’s achievements, especially considering the trials he had to overcome in life, where even greater than our current legends.
Born into a footballing family in 1937 (brother Jack was a famous footballer and manager, while his uncles where the famous Milburns who starred for Leeds), Bobby was spotted at age 15 by United scout Joe Armstrong – and at 19, he made his debut against Charlton. In that first season he won a league title, lost in the controversial FA Cup final of 57, took part in United’s European Cup run – the first time an English club had ever entered the competition – and even scored a semi final goal at Old Trafford against a Real Madrid side featuring the magnificent Di Stefano – though the goal was ultimately not enough to help United to the final, it did secure a draw.
It was next season, however, that Bobby Charlton’s name was forever to be carved in United history. Urban legend says that Charlton and Dennis Violett changed seats with Tommy Taylor and David Pegg on a plane journey after a game against Red Star in Yugoslavia when the plane made a stop in Munich to refuel – Taylor and Pegg apparently felt they would be safer at the back of the plane. Of course, we all know what happened – the plane crashed, Taylor and Pegg were among those who sadly perished, and Bobby Charlton was one of the survivors.
Few men would have returned to work again, but incredibly, Charlton recovered to make his debut for England just TWO months after the disaster – scoring on his debut against Scotland at Hampden Park, a trademark magnificent volley that catapulted him into the public eye even more so – though even after scoring twice against Portugal in his next game, he could not have expected his international career would lead to him being his country’s all time top scorer, a record that stands today.
After Munich, success on the domestic front was scarce as Matt Busby sought to rebuild his famous “Busby Babes”, but in 1963, a remarkable 5 year spell began which saw Sir Bobby win every major prize, making a vital contribution along the way. In ’63, he starred as United won their first trophy since Munich, the FA Cup – in 1965, joined by a young Northern Irishman by the name of Best, he was a major contributor as the Reds won the league title, before a remarkable 3 year spell.
Charlton had a wonderful affection for his mentor, Busby, and refers to him as “the Old Man” – an affection clearly reciprocated, as the Scot once stated “.. Bobby Charlton never betrayed that (my trust).. it was a privilege to have him play for you”.
Although United finished without a trophy in 1966, Charlton’s form was at his peak as he scored 3 goals in England’s sole successful World Cup campaign, one a memorable rocket against Mexico, and his year was rounded off when he became only the second ever English winner of the Ballon D’or (European Player of the Year to the man on the street). He was runner up in the next two years, years which saw him first claim another league title (his third, and as it transpired, his final), and then, 10 years on from Munich, saw him score two goals as United thrashed Benfica to become the first ever English European Cup winners. That Charlton was club captain at this time was destiny, and the most fitting way to close the door on a decade that began with tragedy and went full circle.
This was the last of the trophies for Sir Bobby, but not the last of his glories – he went on to set appearance and goal scoring records for club and country until his retirement in 1973. His appearance record for England lasted for 3 years after retiring from selection after the ’70 tournament, until World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore overtook him, and his appearance record for Manchester United was only bettered in May 2008 by Ryan Giggs. Charlton remains the only player to have played in four World Cup tournaments for England.
Both of his goals records still stand – at 49 goals for England and 249 for United. While Michael Owen is closing in on the England record, it seems unlikely anyone in the next generation will get near his United record – both records are even more impressive when taking into account Charlton was never an orthodox striker.
Upon leaving United, Bobby joined Preston as player manager – a move which lasted only a year, before a season with his final professional club, Waterford United of Ireland.
Though an immensely likeable personality, Charlton did not always see eye to eye with holy trinity teammates Best or Law – Best famously refused to play in Bobby’s testimonial match after he retired – but in recent years their affinity for one another has been clear to see. Charlton was with Best shortly before he died, and in his autobiography intimated any ill-feeling that existed in the first place was purely to do with what Bobby perceived as George’s waste of talent (a feeling undoubtedly tempered by the stark contrast of that talent that was cruelly stolen from ex-teammate Duncan Edwards).
Bobby Charlton became Sir Bobby in 1994 after being awarded the CBE 20 years earlier – and today, he acts as ambassador for United. He is highly thought of by todays players and this was illustrated by them requesting that he led them up to collect the European Cup in Moscow in 2008 – a request he accepted, but then typically initially refused to accept his honorary medal, preferring instead to leave the limelight to the heroes of the hour. There can be no doubting that just as Ryan Giggs seems to personify today’s United team, Sir Bobby does just that of the Busby Babes – the triumph, tragedy and the ability to rise from that tragedy and restore the glory days to the club are equally as impressive as Giggs’ trophy haul – if not more so.
Indeed, former United team-mate summed it all up when he said of Bobby, “His story is the best in English football”.
I thought a big Claudio fan like you would've got my wanky Piojo reference. I'm disappointed in you son.
THE PEERLESS JOZSEF BOZSIK
Among the most widely noted tactical phenomena of the last ten years has been the increasing importance of the “deep lying playmaker”. As teams have lined up with ever more defensive midfielders, previously advanced midfielders have dropped ever deeper themselves in search of precious space. In many ways this isn’t a new trend, but simply a return to a practice of the 1950s and earlier. For prior to the advent of the WM, the deep lying playmaker (such as Austria’s attacking centre-half, Ernst Ocwirk) was a mainstay of the game.
Arguably the finest deep lying playmaker in football history was Hungary’s stellar right-half, Jozsef Bozsik. When the Magical Magyars are fondly remembered, it is often for the goalscoring exploits of Sandor Kocsis, the tactical innovations of Peter Palotas and Nandor Hidegkuti, and the all round brilliance of Ferenc Puskas. The result is that the metronomic qualities of Bozsik are frequently overlooked.
Born in the Kispest area of Budapest, Bozsik (nicknamed “Cucu” by his grandmother at an early age) developed a life-long friendship with Ferenc Puskas from the age of five and the two would go on to form arguably the most fruitful footballing partnership in history. At 11 years old Bozsik was selected by Nandor Szucs to join the junior section of the Kispest Football Club, a team he would never leave.
He was not the only Bozsik to be spotted by the club. Jozsef shared a bedroom in the family’s tiny Budapest house with his four brothers, all of whom represented Kispest, in either the senior or junior teams. None though possessed the talent or the dedication of Jozsef.
Indeed, the young Bozsik made his debut for Kispest against Vasas at the age of just 17, but following the game was dropped and it took him some time to get back into the team. By the end of 1943 Puskas had made his debut for Kispest, and soon Bozsik was back in the team. From then on he never relinquished his place.
In the early years it was Puskas who blossomed first, winning his first cap in 1945, while Bozsik was forced to wait until 1947 when he made his debut in a 9-0 victory over Bulgaria. At the beginning of his career in Hungary few appreciated what Bozsik brought to the game. Lacking pace, many considered him to be ponderous on the ball and too slow to play for the national team. With time though observers began to realise that rather than make a wrong decision quickly, Bozsik took his time to get it right.
By the stage that he made his debut for the national team it was apparent that Bozsik’s decision making was one of the central strengths to his game. Not only was he able to spot the right pass at the right moment, his technique was impeccable. The youngster possessed a range of passing that allowed him to find distant targets, but he was also happy to play the simple ball if it meant retaining possession. Furthermore, he was almost impossible to dispossess as he shielded the ball so well from opponents.
In May 1947 Kispest set off on a tour of France and Luxembourg. The play of Bozsik caught the eye of many watching, and the club received an offer of 2 million Francs, which was immediately rebuffed. Bozsik was not the only player to receive offers from foreign teams but the government were unwilling to allow the country’s best players go abroad for fear of the impact it might have on the national team.
Kispest at the time were far from the biggest club in Hungary. Budapest giants Ferencvaros and MTK had far greater resources at their disposal, while the country’s form team were Ujpest. In order therefore to retain their two star players, Kispest gave a local ironmonger’s shop to Bozsik and Puskas. The pair considered themselves rich at the time, but within a matter of months the government embarked on a programme of nationalising small businesses and the shop was no more.
However, while government intervention was detrimental to the finances of Puskas and Bozsik, it had only positive effects on their footballing career. The conversion to communism that took place in Hungary in 1949 saw Kispest become the chosen team of the army. The following years saw the likes of Lazslo Budai, Zoltan Czibor, Gyula Grosics and Sandor Kocsis arrive at the club as they swept up most of the nation’s finest players.
The change in stature of the club almost immediately yielded results on the pitch. Now renamed Honved, the team won the title in 1949-50 and began a period of domestic domination. Despite the arrival of the other great players at Honved, the pair of Bozsik and Puskas remained central to the team’s success. When Bozsik received the ball in his right-half position, his first thought was to try and play a cross-field diagonal pass to find Puskas at his typical inside-left. The source of so many of the goals scored by Puskas was this searching and unerring pass.
One man who held Bozsik in particularly high regard was Puskas’ father, also called Ferenc. He coached Honved in two spells, sandwiched around a brief period where the great Bela Guttmann took charge. If ever Puskas wanted to convince his father of something he would say, “Ask your friend Bozsik, he will tell you I’m right.”
As the team became affiliated with the army, Bozsik was enrolled as an officer. Fortunately for him that entailed very little true soldiering. For his first three months in the army he was forced to live in barracks, but after learning the basics of marching and parades he was allowed to return home. Soon after his move to the barracks he was, along with Puskas, promoted to the rank of lieutenant but after just 18 months in the army even the requirement to report for training was dropped.
As Honved began to improve as a club, so too did Hungary as a nation. In the pre-war years the Danubian school of football had been at the forefront of the game, and Hungary had reached the World Cup final of 1938. Now the national team again became among the most feared in football.
Following Bozsik’s debut for Hungary in 1947 they set off on a run of results which saw them win ten of their next 14 games, including three consecutive 5-0 victories over Bulgaria, Sweden and Czechoslovakia. A 5-3 defeat away against Austria was a setback, but they immediately resumed their winning sequence. By the time they reached the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, they had won nine of their last ten games, with the other a draw. In Finland the team continued their exceptional form, thrashing Italy, Turkey and Sweden before beating a fine Yugoslavia team 2-0 in the final.
One of the results of Hungary’s exceptional performance at the Olympics was the opportunity for a friendly with England. Following the 6-0 demolition of Sweden in the semi-finals, Stanley Rous, the secretary of the FA, proposed the two teams might meet at Wembley. The result, of course, was an historic 6-3 victory for Hungary, the first Continental team to win at Wembley.
The match was famous for many things: England’s first ever defeat at home to “foreign opposition” (the Republic of Ireland had beaten them at Goodison Park in 1949), the remarkable “drag-back” goal of Puskas, but most of all for the maelstrom caused in the English defence by the movement of Nandor Hidegkuti. Many players were to profit from the confusion the English defenders showed, but the man it was intended to benefit most was Jozsef Bozsik.
With Hidegkuti pulling players out of their natural positions, space was constantly available to Bozsik. Given his ability to choose the right pass when placed under even the greatest pressure, he was in his element when allowed free reign. Indeed in many ways it was Bozsik who set the tone early on. Within fifty seconds of the game kicking off it was Bozsik’s pass that put Hidegkuti through to score. Later on in the match Bozsik scored the fourth goal of the game with a deflected free-kick. Certainly Hidegkuti and Puskas more than deserved the plaudits, but Cucu played his part.
A year later the team prepared for the 1954 World Cup. As well as beating England at Wembley they had humbled the game’s inventors 7-1 in Budapest, in addition to beating Italy 3-0 in Rome in 1953. In short, they were widely considered invincible. The two group games of the World Cup showed why many held that opinion, as South Korea were dispatched 9-0 before West Germany were beaten 8-3.
Those victories set up a quarter-final with Brazil that came to be known as the Battle of Berne for the levels of violence displayed. Bozsik was a naturally placid character, but that was not always the case when playing football. Puskas would later reflect, “He never seemed to get excited, just didn’t show it at all. Off the pitch, I don’t think I ever saw him angry, but on it, if someone had clobbered him off the ball, he could break into a rage and threaten to leave the field.”
By 1954 Brazil had established themselves as a genuinely world class team and were putting up far greater resistance than those who had gone before them. Hungary had raced into a two goal lead, but Brazil fought back and with 20 minutes remaining the score stood at 3-2. Nilton Santos, a defender so complete that he was nicknamed the “Encyclopaedia of Football”, then flung himself into a reckless tackle on Bozsik which brought on the rage Puskas referred to. The two players traded punches and were immediately dismissed by English referee Arthur Ellis.
Among the most widely noted tactical phenomena of the last ten years has been the increasing importance of the “deep lying playmaker”. As teams have lined up with ever more defensive midfielders, previously advanced midfielders have dropped ever deeper themselves in search of precious space. In many ways this isn’t a new trend, but simply a return to a practice of the 1950s and earlier. For prior to the advent of the WM, the deep lying playmaker (such as Austria’s attacking centre-half, Ernst Ocwirk) was a mainstay of the game.
Arguably the finest deep lying playmaker in football history was Hungary’s stellar right-half, Jozsef Bozsik. When the Magical Magyars are fondly remembered, it is often for the goalscoring exploits of Sandor Kocsis, the tactical innovations of Peter Palotas and Nandor Hidegkuti, and the all round brilliance of Ferenc Puskas. The result is that the metronomic qualities of Bozsik are frequently overlooked.
Born in the Kispest area of Budapest, Bozsik (nicknamed “Cucu” by his grandmother at an early age) developed a life-long friendship with Ferenc Puskas from the age of five and the two would go on to form arguably the most fruitful footballing partnership in history. At 11 years old Bozsik was selected by Nandor Szucs to join the junior section of the Kispest Football Club, a team he would never leave.
He was not the only Bozsik to be spotted by the club. Jozsef shared a bedroom in the family’s tiny Budapest house with his four brothers, all of whom represented Kispest, in either the senior or junior teams. None though possessed the talent or the dedication of Jozsef.
Indeed, the young Bozsik made his debut for Kispest against Vasas at the age of just 17, but following the game was dropped and it took him some time to get back into the team. By the end of 1943 Puskas had made his debut for Kispest, and soon Bozsik was back in the team. From then on he never relinquished his place.
In the early years it was Puskas who blossomed first, winning his first cap in 1945, while Bozsik was forced to wait until 1947 when he made his debut in a 9-0 victory over Bulgaria. At the beginning of his career in Hungary few appreciated what Bozsik brought to the game. Lacking pace, many considered him to be ponderous on the ball and too slow to play for the national team. With time though observers began to realise that rather than make a wrong decision quickly, Bozsik took his time to get it right.
By the stage that he made his debut for the national team it was apparent that Bozsik’s decision making was one of the central strengths to his game. Not only was he able to spot the right pass at the right moment, his technique was impeccable. The youngster possessed a range of passing that allowed him to find distant targets, but he was also happy to play the simple ball if it meant retaining possession. Furthermore, he was almost impossible to dispossess as he shielded the ball so well from opponents.
In May 1947 Kispest set off on a tour of France and Luxembourg. The play of Bozsik caught the eye of many watching, and the club received an offer of 2 million Francs, which was immediately rebuffed. Bozsik was not the only player to receive offers from foreign teams but the government were unwilling to allow the country’s best players go abroad for fear of the impact it might have on the national team.
Kispest at the time were far from the biggest club in Hungary. Budapest giants Ferencvaros and MTK had far greater resources at their disposal, while the country’s form team were Ujpest. In order therefore to retain their two star players, Kispest gave a local ironmonger’s shop to Bozsik and Puskas. The pair considered themselves rich at the time, but within a matter of months the government embarked on a programme of nationalising small businesses and the shop was no more.
However, while government intervention was detrimental to the finances of Puskas and Bozsik, it had only positive effects on their footballing career. The conversion to communism that took place in Hungary in 1949 saw Kispest become the chosen team of the army. The following years saw the likes of Lazslo Budai, Zoltan Czibor, Gyula Grosics and Sandor Kocsis arrive at the club as they swept up most of the nation’s finest players.
The change in stature of the club almost immediately yielded results on the pitch. Now renamed Honved, the team won the title in 1949-50 and began a period of domestic domination. Despite the arrival of the other great players at Honved, the pair of Bozsik and Puskas remained central to the team’s success. When Bozsik received the ball in his right-half position, his first thought was to try and play a cross-field diagonal pass to find Puskas at his typical inside-left. The source of so many of the goals scored by Puskas was this searching and unerring pass.
One man who held Bozsik in particularly high regard was Puskas’ father, also called Ferenc. He coached Honved in two spells, sandwiched around a brief period where the great Bela Guttmann took charge. If ever Puskas wanted to convince his father of something he would say, “Ask your friend Bozsik, he will tell you I’m right.”
As the team became affiliated with the army, Bozsik was enrolled as an officer. Fortunately for him that entailed very little true soldiering. For his first three months in the army he was forced to live in barracks, but after learning the basics of marching and parades he was allowed to return home. Soon after his move to the barracks he was, along with Puskas, promoted to the rank of lieutenant but after just 18 months in the army even the requirement to report for training was dropped.
As Honved began to improve as a club, so too did Hungary as a nation. In the pre-war years the Danubian school of football had been at the forefront of the game, and Hungary had reached the World Cup final of 1938. Now the national team again became among the most feared in football.
Following Bozsik’s debut for Hungary in 1947 they set off on a run of results which saw them win ten of their next 14 games, including three consecutive 5-0 victories over Bulgaria, Sweden and Czechoslovakia. A 5-3 defeat away against Austria was a setback, but they immediately resumed their winning sequence. By the time they reached the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, they had won nine of their last ten games, with the other a draw. In Finland the team continued their exceptional form, thrashing Italy, Turkey and Sweden before beating a fine Yugoslavia team 2-0 in the final.
One of the results of Hungary’s exceptional performance at the Olympics was the opportunity for a friendly with England. Following the 6-0 demolition of Sweden in the semi-finals, Stanley Rous, the secretary of the FA, proposed the two teams might meet at Wembley. The result, of course, was an historic 6-3 victory for Hungary, the first Continental team to win at Wembley.
The match was famous for many things: England’s first ever defeat at home to “foreign opposition” (the Republic of Ireland had beaten them at Goodison Park in 1949), the remarkable “drag-back” goal of Puskas, but most of all for the maelstrom caused in the English defence by the movement of Nandor Hidegkuti. Many players were to profit from the confusion the English defenders showed, but the man it was intended to benefit most was Jozsef Bozsik.
With Hidegkuti pulling players out of their natural positions, space was constantly available to Bozsik. Given his ability to choose the right pass when placed under even the greatest pressure, he was in his element when allowed free reign. Indeed in many ways it was Bozsik who set the tone early on. Within fifty seconds of the game kicking off it was Bozsik’s pass that put Hidegkuti through to score. Later on in the match Bozsik scored the fourth goal of the game with a deflected free-kick. Certainly Hidegkuti and Puskas more than deserved the plaudits, but Cucu played his part.
A year later the team prepared for the 1954 World Cup. As well as beating England at Wembley they had humbled the game’s inventors 7-1 in Budapest, in addition to beating Italy 3-0 in Rome in 1953. In short, they were widely considered invincible. The two group games of the World Cup showed why many held that opinion, as South Korea were dispatched 9-0 before West Germany were beaten 8-3.
Those victories set up a quarter-final with Brazil that came to be known as the Battle of Berne for the levels of violence displayed. Bozsik was a naturally placid character, but that was not always the case when playing football. Puskas would later reflect, “He never seemed to get excited, just didn’t show it at all. Off the pitch, I don’t think I ever saw him angry, but on it, if someone had clobbered him off the ball, he could break into a rage and threaten to leave the field.”
By 1954 Brazil had established themselves as a genuinely world class team and were putting up far greater resistance than those who had gone before them. Hungary had raced into a two goal lead, but Brazil fought back and with 20 minutes remaining the score stood at 3-2. Nilton Santos, a defender so complete that he was nicknamed the “Encyclopaedia of Football”, then flung himself into a reckless tackle on Bozsik which brought on the rage Puskas referred to. The two players traded punches and were immediately dismissed by English referee Arthur Ellis.
When you have the ball, Passarella will charge forward and Desailly cover him (or at least you should 100% want that, all game long, not just six times). When you lose the ball, Desailly is still covering him while Passarella works his way back. By the time he gets back, if you haven't got the ball back, they are both likely in deep defensive positions... It begs the question as to why Passarella is meant to be the LCB in the first place, you get a better Passarella unleashing him and you are better off with Desailly sticking to a role than being reduced to (and confused by) the constant need to cover for Daniel.
It's not a criticism, it's how it naturally plays out.
I did say Bossis was the best defensive LB in the draft and would keep Figo in his pocket, and I stand by that. And before you go off on one about the Encyclopaedia, watch your Matthews vs. Nilton clips
I definitely didn't say Nedved would do feck all, just that even having a great game he would struggle to translate it into goals with a single striker in Batistuta who was facing his perfect kryptonite in Ruggeri-McGrath. You may not rate Ruggeri all that much, but he is up there with your two when it comes to dealing with a threat like Batistuta (specifically).
Crespo as a second (and pure) striker makes a huge difference in firepower relative to Dunga arsing around at the back and supposedly shackling Rivaldo. Two strikers instead of one, and Sajeev's midfield better protected the defence.
It is different, and it does make sense.
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(BOZSIK CONTINUED)
In Bozsik’s absence the Hungarians prevailed and Cucu was able to return for the semi-final against defending champions, Uruguay. Arguably the finest game in the history of the sport saw two supreme attacking sides take it in turns to threaten the opposing goal. Hungary seemed certain winners at 2-0, but Uruguay fought back to force extra-time. Kocsis restored the Hungarian advantage before applying the killer blow with a header from Bozsik’s cross. The final against West Germany saw Puskas return from injury, but Hungary again allowed a two goal lead to slip away. This time it would be West Germany who would prevail.
The defeat was a tremendous anticlimax for a team that seemed sure to win. Hungary had not lost a match for four years since their defeat to Austria in Vienna, recording 27 victories and four draws in the intervening years. To lose the match that mattered most was a crushing disappointment. Yet almost immediately the team started winning again. It was not until 1956 that they would lose another game.
That was the year of the Hungarian revolution which prompted the break up of the “Golden Team”. When the uprising took place Honved were abroad as they prepared to take on Athletic Bilbao in the European Cup. The team had been scheduled to depart on a tour of South America, and although the tour went ahead it did so without the permission of the Hungarian authorities. When it finished the players were faced with a difficult decision: should they return to Hungary or remain in exile?
Bozsik’s position was among the most difficult. He was not only a member of the Communist party, he was also a deputy in the Hungarian parliament. Furthermore, his father had recently died and he did not feel he could abandon his mother and four brothers in Budapest. The chance to coach at Atletico Madrid (an offer obtained for him by Emil Osterreicher) was tempting, but he could not fail to return home.
As he did so both Honved and the Hungarian national team fell apart. Czibor, Kocsis and Puskas, all decided to stay in the West and in their absence the club was no longer competitive. Despite that, Bozsik remained. A disappointing World Cup in 1958 did not deter him from captaining the Hungarian national team and in 1961 he became only the third man in history (after Billy Wright and Thorbjorn Svenssen) to reach 100 caps.
Given his lack of goalscoring prowess and the limited availability of footage it is perhaps inevitable that the name of Bozsik has largely been forgotten. Yet there are few historical players who would have been more valued in the modern game. For Bozsik possessed the gift that is the most valued in contemporary football and the hardest to find, that of time. He had the ability and composure to wait for the right option and to execute what few others could even see. In an era where such qualities are at a premium, Bozsik would have been peerless.
The defeat was a tremendous anticlimax for a team that seemed sure to win. Hungary had not lost a match for four years since their defeat to Austria in Vienna, recording 27 victories and four draws in the intervening years. To lose the match that mattered most was a crushing disappointment. Yet almost immediately the team started winning again. It was not until 1956 that they would lose another game.
That was the year of the Hungarian revolution which prompted the break up of the “Golden Team”. When the uprising took place Honved were abroad as they prepared to take on Athletic Bilbao in the European Cup. The team had been scheduled to depart on a tour of South America, and although the tour went ahead it did so without the permission of the Hungarian authorities. When it finished the players were faced with a difficult decision: should they return to Hungary or remain in exile?
Bozsik’s position was among the most difficult. He was not only a member of the Communist party, he was also a deputy in the Hungarian parliament. Furthermore, his father had recently died and he did not feel he could abandon his mother and four brothers in Budapest. The chance to coach at Atletico Madrid (an offer obtained for him by Emil Osterreicher) was tempting, but he could not fail to return home.
As he did so both Honved and the Hungarian national team fell apart. Czibor, Kocsis and Puskas, all decided to stay in the West and in their absence the club was no longer competitive. Despite that, Bozsik remained. A disappointing World Cup in 1958 did not deter him from captaining the Hungarian national team and in 1961 he became only the third man in history (after Billy Wright and Thorbjorn Svenssen) to reach 100 caps.
Given his lack of goalscoring prowess and the limited availability of footage it is perhaps inevitable that the name of Bozsik has largely been forgotten. Yet there are few historical players who would have been more valued in the modern game. For Bozsik possessed the gift that is the most valued in contemporary football and the hardest to find, that of time. He had the ability and composure to wait for the right option and to execute what few others could even see. In an era where such qualities are at a premium, Bozsik would have been peerless.
Piojo
@Gio / @Chesterlestreet , thoughts on Bati doing a Kempes? Sure, he didn't have the same #10 characteristics in terms of dribbling/passing, but he isn't far off either and they share some of the more remarkable attributes in terms of starting from deep, threat around the box, scrappy determination and finding a way through by sheer willpower when tekkers weren't doing it.
feck sake, knew someone would get a post in between my 2 Bozsik ones, and of course its Anto
Classic game for us Swedes, Anders Svensson literally made his career out of that freekick. Sweden had basically nothing that game and weren't defensively stable either it was rather Argentina taking a bunch of rash decision in the last minute that saved us. We were notoriously efficient under Lagerbäck/Söderberg, made the qualifications always as well.
Something Sweden shouldn't do.
Ah, i've a different pet name for him
Anyway, Lopez is a must in that side imo, so for me Batistuta or Crespo would miss out. Great finisher in central areas and gave such good width on the left aswell. Gave the attack a different dynamic.
NILTON SANTOS - 'THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA'
PROFILE
PROFILE
With a debonair bearing that oozed style and confidence, and handsome looks topped off by a fashionable pencil moustache, Nilton Santos might have been an idol of the silver screen. In fact he was left-back in one of the most revered football teams of all time, the Brazil side which lifted the World Cup in 1958 and retained it four years later, an elegant performer both solid and scintillating. Poignantly, two of his closest comrades in the Selecao rearguard, right-back Djalma Santos (no relation) and goalkeeper Gilmar, died earlier this year.
Nilton Santos, nominated by his incomparable compatriot Pele as one of the 125 greatest living footballers in 2004 and named in the world team of the 20th century by journalists in 1998, complemented his muscular, more down-to-earth full-back partner perfectly. Endowed with magnificent all-round technique, he was a composed and complete performer who could have excelled in any area of the pitch. Tall and powerful but never a thunderous tackler in the manner of his namesake, he was expert in nicking the ball away from opponents with crisp, beautifully timed challenges and intelligent interceptions, born of his acute positional sense. As a result, he tended to remain injury-free, unusual for a defender of his vintage.
Santos was also a pioneer of the exhilarating overlap in an era when most full-backs ventured forward only rarely. Never were his attacking instincts illustrated more vividly than at Uddevalla in Sweden in the Brazilians’ opening game of the 1958 World Cup, which ended in a 3-0 win over Austria. After winning the ball deep in his own territory, he carried it to the halfway line, where he passed to Jose Altafini. Then, instead of retreating to his defensive slot as was expected of full-backs at the time, he continued surging forward, accepted a return pass and scored with a powerful shot.
As Santos dribbled, his coach Vicente Feola had been close to apoplexy, fearful of the gap being left at the back, and he was heard to shout: “Crazy, crazy... Oh, well done!” That spectacular manoeuvre fired the imagination of full-backs the world over, and the game became all the more entertaining as a result.
Santos made his initial impact with the Rio de Janeiro club Botafogo, joining from junior football as a 23-year-old attacker in 1948. At first he wasn’t thrilled by the suggestion that he should switch to the back line, but he did so and put his inimitable stamp on his fresh role. He became a loyal one-club man, helping to garner serial silverware, including the state championships of 1948, 1957, 1961 and 1962.
But it was in the international arena that he made his most indelible mark after collecting the first of his 75 caps in a 5-0 drubbing of Colombia in spring 1949. Soon he became a regular in the yellow No 3 shirt, delighting the fans with his cultured methods, though it was for untypical pugilism that he hit the headlines during the 1954 World Cup finals in Switzerland. Brazil’s quarter-final clash with the marvellous Hungarians was expected to be a classic, but instead it descended into an undignified scrap, entering folklore as the Battle of Berne. Santos and the Magyars’ captain Josef Bozsik, who also happened to be a member of his national parliament, were sent off for fighting as the South Americans lost 4-2.
The left-back had another day to forget when he captained Brazil in their 4-2 defeat by England at Wembley in May 1956, getting the runaround from the wing wonder Stanley Matthews, but it was a different story two years later in Sweden, when he didn’t miss a game on his majestic Pele-inspired team’s way to the world crown. His display against the Swedish star winger Kurt Hamrin in the final was hailed as a masterpiece as Brazil won 5-2, the occasion garnished further for Santos by the brilliance of his protégé, the right-winger Garrincha.
Several years earlier Santos had been nutmegged on the training pitch by an awkward rookie, whom he urged Botafogo to snap up. They did so, the maverick Garrincha hit the heights and the two became close, with the younger man invariably moderating his notoriously wild behaviour when around Santos out of respect for his mentor. That was just one of many insightful interventions in the affairs of club and country by Santos, who was known as “The Encyclopedia” for his comprehensive knowledge of the game.
Come the 1962 finals in Chile, by then deployed in a more central defensive position, he was ever-present again as Brazil retained the Jules Rimet Trophy, beating Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the Santiago final. That was the international swansong of the 37-year-old, who played on for Botafogo until 1964 then took up coaching. His contribution to the game was aptly summed up by Zito, one of his most eminent team-mates, who said: “When you played the ball as much as he did, the position didn’t really matter ... Nilton Santos wasn’t a defender or a full-back. He was just a star, it was as simple as that.”
Nilton Santos, nominated by his incomparable compatriot Pele as one of the 125 greatest living footballers in 2004 and named in the world team of the 20th century by journalists in 1998, complemented his muscular, more down-to-earth full-back partner perfectly. Endowed with magnificent all-round technique, he was a composed and complete performer who could have excelled in any area of the pitch. Tall and powerful but never a thunderous tackler in the manner of his namesake, he was expert in nicking the ball away from opponents with crisp, beautifully timed challenges and intelligent interceptions, born of his acute positional sense. As a result, he tended to remain injury-free, unusual for a defender of his vintage.
Santos was also a pioneer of the exhilarating overlap in an era when most full-backs ventured forward only rarely. Never were his attacking instincts illustrated more vividly than at Uddevalla in Sweden in the Brazilians’ opening game of the 1958 World Cup, which ended in a 3-0 win over Austria. After winning the ball deep in his own territory, he carried it to the halfway line, where he passed to Jose Altafini. Then, instead of retreating to his defensive slot as was expected of full-backs at the time, he continued surging forward, accepted a return pass and scored with a powerful shot.
As Santos dribbled, his coach Vicente Feola had been close to apoplexy, fearful of the gap being left at the back, and he was heard to shout: “Crazy, crazy... Oh, well done!” That spectacular manoeuvre fired the imagination of full-backs the world over, and the game became all the more entertaining as a result.
Santos made his initial impact with the Rio de Janeiro club Botafogo, joining from junior football as a 23-year-old attacker in 1948. At first he wasn’t thrilled by the suggestion that he should switch to the back line, but he did so and put his inimitable stamp on his fresh role. He became a loyal one-club man, helping to garner serial silverware, including the state championships of 1948, 1957, 1961 and 1962.
But it was in the international arena that he made his most indelible mark after collecting the first of his 75 caps in a 5-0 drubbing of Colombia in spring 1949. Soon he became a regular in the yellow No 3 shirt, delighting the fans with his cultured methods, though it was for untypical pugilism that he hit the headlines during the 1954 World Cup finals in Switzerland. Brazil’s quarter-final clash with the marvellous Hungarians was expected to be a classic, but instead it descended into an undignified scrap, entering folklore as the Battle of Berne. Santos and the Magyars’ captain Josef Bozsik, who also happened to be a member of his national parliament, were sent off for fighting as the South Americans lost 4-2.
The left-back had another day to forget when he captained Brazil in their 4-2 defeat by England at Wembley in May 1956, getting the runaround from the wing wonder Stanley Matthews, but it was a different story two years later in Sweden, when he didn’t miss a game on his majestic Pele-inspired team’s way to the world crown. His display against the Swedish star winger Kurt Hamrin in the final was hailed as a masterpiece as Brazil won 5-2, the occasion garnished further for Santos by the brilliance of his protégé, the right-winger Garrincha.
Several years earlier Santos had been nutmegged on the training pitch by an awkward rookie, whom he urged Botafogo to snap up. They did so, the maverick Garrincha hit the heights and the two became close, with the younger man invariably moderating his notoriously wild behaviour when around Santos out of respect for his mentor. That was just one of many insightful interventions in the affairs of club and country by Santos, who was known as “The Encyclopedia” for his comprehensive knowledge of the game.
Come the 1962 finals in Chile, by then deployed in a more central defensive position, he was ever-present again as Brazil retained the Jules Rimet Trophy, beating Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the Santiago final. That was the international swansong of the 37-year-old, who played on for Botafogo until 1964 then took up coaching. His contribution to the game was aptly summed up by Zito, one of his most eminent team-mates, who said: “When you played the ball as much as he did, the position didn’t really matter ... Nilton Santos wasn’t a defender or a full-back. He was just a star, it was as simple as that.”
THE FORGOTTEN STORY OF JUST FONTAINE
In 1958, an inexperienced French striker set a record for the most goals in a World Cup – and he wasn't even wearing his own boots
Records are made to be broken, especially that deliciously snappable Milli Vanilli vinyl, but with some you might as well save your energy. There is surely no storm perfect enough for Just Fontaine's record of 13 goals in a World Cup, set with France in 1958, to be beaten. In only one of the last nine tournaments has a player scored even half as many, when Ronaldo managed eight in 2002.
Fontaine was a born finisher, smooth and strikingly two-footed. There are similarities with the greatest goalscorer of them all, Gerd Müller: both were squat men with formidable strength, particularly in their tree-trunk thighs, and both had a supernatural awareness and serenity in their patch of land, the 18-yard box.
Like a few of France's greatest players, Fontaine wasn't born in France. He was born of a Spanish mother in Marrakech, then part of French Morocco, and started his club career with USM Casablanca. Fontaine later moved to Nice and then Reims, as a replacement for the Madrid-bound genius Raymond Kopa. It was with Kopa, one of the great No10s, that he would have such an impact in Sweden in 1958. Fontaine went into the tournament at his peak: he was 24 years old, relatively fresh because of an unplanned winter break for a knee operation, and had just hit 34 goals in 26 league games to help Reims to the double.
Yet his part in the tournament was not set in stone. Fontaine had played only five times in as many years for France before the tournament; after scoring a hat-trick on his international debut, in a World Cup qualifier, he was not picked again for three years. (This is nowhere near as daft as it sounds: Fontaine was one of 11 debutants in a dead rubber 8-0 win against Luxembourg, who were such weak opponents that he would probably have needed to score all eight to catch the eye.)
He continued to put goals on the board for Reims, and was eventually recalled, although when France arrived in Sweden for the World Cup, he had only scored one international goal in 53 months. The France national selector Paul Nicolas privately told both Fontaine and René Bliard that they would be the man to play ahead of Kopa and the excellent Roger Piantoni. Fate sorted out a potentially tricky situation: Bliard went home after he was injured in a warm-up match.
Fontaine feasted on a steady stream of gorgeous passes from Kopa – man had not discovered the sweeper in those days – and their partnership, though short-lived at international level, was legendary. Fontaine scored in all six matches, starting with a hat-trick in an unexpected 7-3 demolition of a decent Paraguay side who led 3-2 at one stage. Two more followed in a 3-2 defeat to Yugoslavia before he scored one and made one (for Kopa, a rare example of the fluffer being fluffed) in the 2-1 win over Scotland that put France into the quarter-finals.
There they met a tired Northern Ireland, who were dismissed 4-0. Fontaine scored two, the second a supreme goalscorer's goal. France's performance was so majestic that the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet said: "You have to go back a very long way in history to find any trace of a team that has played as elegantly in Sweden as the French."
In the semi-finals they met the favourites Brazil, who had Pelé, Garrincha, Nílton Santos, Didi, Vavá, Mario Zagallo and the rest. Vavá scored in the second minute, but seven minutes later Fontaine equalised classily after a beautiful buildup. "One has never seen a finer goal," wrote the man from the Guardian. It remained 1-1 until the 36th minute, when Vavá broke the leg of the France captain, Robert Jonquet. There were no substitutes in those days, so Jonquet spent the rest of the game wincing on the wing, and Brazil trounced the 10 men 5-2.
It meant that, to beat Sandor Kocsis's record of 11 goals in a World Cup, set with Hungary in 1954, Fontaine needed to score three in the third-place play-off against West Germany. He hit four in a 6-3 win. The game was competitive only in name – "Fontaine only had to stay on his feet to score goals," wrote Cris Freddi ishis definitive history of the World Cup – but even then, Fontaine had scored nine in the first five games, in a tournament where no other player hit more than six. "These were easy pickings," adds Freddi, "but his credentials as a goalscorer stand up to any scrutiny."
His overall total could have been more than 13. He hit the bar twice against Scotland and let Kopa take a penalty against West Germany, even though at that stage he only had 10 goals for the tournament.
Fontaine's scoring feats are even more improbable in view of the fact that he was not even wearing his own boots: he had to borrow a pair from a team-mate (not, as some of you familiar with tales of magic boots might suspect, Jimmy "Dead Shot" Keen, but Stéphane Bruey).
Nor did he receive a Golden Boot at the end of the tournament: in those days there was no formal presentation, and he had to make do with an air rifle from a local newspaper. Forty years later he received a golden boot from Gary Lineker as part of a television programme tracing the history of the award.
Fontaine broke his leg twice in 1960 and, as a consequence, played his last international at the age of 27, finishing with the computer-game record of 30 goals in 21 appearances. His strike rate of 1.43 goals per game is the highest of anybody with 30 international goals. In 10 competitive internationals he scored 21 times.
He went on to manage France, Luchon, Paris Saint-Germain, Toulouse and Morocco, with mixed success. He also inspired an indie band who "don't really do happy!". Now, at the age of 78, he lives in Toulouse, owns two Lacoste shops and predicts results for the French pools. "I spend my days playing belote [a French card game]," he says. "Other than that I watch the African Nations Cup, the Premier League, the Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga ..."
Fontaine has regularly dismissed the idea that goals were a cheaper currency in his day. "No, it wasn't easier to score in 1958," he said, possibly 0.00000000004 seconds after watching a video of David Luiz. "The state of the ball, the length of the trip over and the amateurism of the backroom staff made everything much more complicated than today. I had somebody else's boots as well. And the last great World Cup scorer, Ronaldo, played against teams such as China and Costa Rica. Above all else, referees protect strikers much more than they did in my day. So let me repeat it: 13 goals is an enormous total. Beating my record? I don't think it can ever be done."
Records are made to be broken, especially that deliciously snappable Milli Vanilli vinyl, but with some you might as well save your energy. There is surely no storm perfect enough for Just Fontaine's record of 13 goals in a World Cup, set with France in 1958, to be beaten. In only one of the last nine tournaments has a player scored even half as many, when Ronaldo managed eight in 2002.
Fontaine was a born finisher, smooth and strikingly two-footed. There are similarities with the greatest goalscorer of them all, Gerd Müller: both were squat men with formidable strength, particularly in their tree-trunk thighs, and both had a supernatural awareness and serenity in their patch of land, the 18-yard box.
Like a few of France's greatest players, Fontaine wasn't born in France. He was born of a Spanish mother in Marrakech, then part of French Morocco, and started his club career with USM Casablanca. Fontaine later moved to Nice and then Reims, as a replacement for the Madrid-bound genius Raymond Kopa. It was with Kopa, one of the great No10s, that he would have such an impact in Sweden in 1958. Fontaine went into the tournament at his peak: he was 24 years old, relatively fresh because of an unplanned winter break for a knee operation, and had just hit 34 goals in 26 league games to help Reims to the double.
Yet his part in the tournament was not set in stone. Fontaine had played only five times in as many years for France before the tournament; after scoring a hat-trick on his international debut, in a World Cup qualifier, he was not picked again for three years. (This is nowhere near as daft as it sounds: Fontaine was one of 11 debutants in a dead rubber 8-0 win against Luxembourg, who were such weak opponents that he would probably have needed to score all eight to catch the eye.)
He continued to put goals on the board for Reims, and was eventually recalled, although when France arrived in Sweden for the World Cup, he had only scored one international goal in 53 months. The France national selector Paul Nicolas privately told both Fontaine and René Bliard that they would be the man to play ahead of Kopa and the excellent Roger Piantoni. Fate sorted out a potentially tricky situation: Bliard went home after he was injured in a warm-up match.
Fontaine feasted on a steady stream of gorgeous passes from Kopa – man had not discovered the sweeper in those days – and their partnership, though short-lived at international level, was legendary. Fontaine scored in all six matches, starting with a hat-trick in an unexpected 7-3 demolition of a decent Paraguay side who led 3-2 at one stage. Two more followed in a 3-2 defeat to Yugoslavia before he scored one and made one (for Kopa, a rare example of the fluffer being fluffed) in the 2-1 win over Scotland that put France into the quarter-finals.
There they met a tired Northern Ireland, who were dismissed 4-0. Fontaine scored two, the second a supreme goalscorer's goal. France's performance was so majestic that the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet said: "You have to go back a very long way in history to find any trace of a team that has played as elegantly in Sweden as the French."
In the semi-finals they met the favourites Brazil, who had Pelé, Garrincha, Nílton Santos, Didi, Vavá, Mario Zagallo and the rest. Vavá scored in the second minute, but seven minutes later Fontaine equalised classily after a beautiful buildup. "One has never seen a finer goal," wrote the man from the Guardian. It remained 1-1 until the 36th minute, when Vavá broke the leg of the France captain, Robert Jonquet. There were no substitutes in those days, so Jonquet spent the rest of the game wincing on the wing, and Brazil trounced the 10 men 5-2.
It meant that, to beat Sandor Kocsis's record of 11 goals in a World Cup, set with Hungary in 1954, Fontaine needed to score three in the third-place play-off against West Germany. He hit four in a 6-3 win. The game was competitive only in name – "Fontaine only had to stay on his feet to score goals," wrote Cris Freddi ishis definitive history of the World Cup – but even then, Fontaine had scored nine in the first five games, in a tournament where no other player hit more than six. "These were easy pickings," adds Freddi, "but his credentials as a goalscorer stand up to any scrutiny."
His overall total could have been more than 13. He hit the bar twice against Scotland and let Kopa take a penalty against West Germany, even though at that stage he only had 10 goals for the tournament.
Fontaine's scoring feats are even more improbable in view of the fact that he was not even wearing his own boots: he had to borrow a pair from a team-mate (not, as some of you familiar with tales of magic boots might suspect, Jimmy "Dead Shot" Keen, but Stéphane Bruey).
Nor did he receive a Golden Boot at the end of the tournament: in those days there was no formal presentation, and he had to make do with an air rifle from a local newspaper. Forty years later he received a golden boot from Gary Lineker as part of a television programme tracing the history of the award.
Fontaine broke his leg twice in 1960 and, as a consequence, played his last international at the age of 27, finishing with the computer-game record of 30 goals in 21 appearances. His strike rate of 1.43 goals per game is the highest of anybody with 30 international goals. In 10 competitive internationals he scored 21 times.
He went on to manage France, Luchon, Paris Saint-Germain, Toulouse and Morocco, with mixed success. He also inspired an indie band who "don't really do happy!". Now, at the age of 78, he lives in Toulouse, owns two Lacoste shops and predicts results for the French pools. "I spend my days playing belote [a French card game]," he says. "Other than that I watch the African Nations Cup, the Premier League, the Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga ..."
Fontaine has regularly dismissed the idea that goals were a cheaper currency in his day. "No, it wasn't easier to score in 1958," he said, possibly 0.00000000004 seconds after watching a video of David Luiz. "The state of the ball, the length of the trip over and the amateurism of the backroom staff made everything much more complicated than today. I had somebody else's boots as well. And the last great World Cup scorer, Ronaldo, played against teams such as China and Costa Rica. Above all else, referees protect strikers much more than they did in my day. So let me repeat it: 13 goals is an enormous total. Beating my record? I don't think it can ever be done."