The 4-4-2 Draft - R1 - PaulScholes18 vs Mustard

[Pat_Mustard]

Paulscholes18:

Pat Mustard:

Team Paulscholes18:

Style of play
Early to mid 90's United. Moving the ball quickly through the lines, have Suarez as the creative forward and Blokhin to keep the defenders honest. With Bale and Lato I have explosive wingers who have an eye for goal as well as a cross,
full backs who are first and foremost defenders.
A no nonsense defender in Gentile and Ramos who is more of a ball playing defender.
with Scholes and Sammer I have a midfield that complement each other perfectly.

Sammer is an expert reader of the game, good tackler knows when he can go forward, and what Scholes doesn't know about playing in a midfield two in a 4-4-2 isn't worth knowing.

Team Mustard:

I didn't set out with the intention of actively screwing myself over by adopting a Liverpool theme, but I seem to have embraced it quite comprehensively in the end both in terms of personnel and tactics. And, when all's said and done, their 70s and 80s teams were some of the most successful exponents of the 4-4-2 that we've seen. We adopt some of their notable traits: a defense that is comfortable pushing up into a high line, no passengers when we're out of possession, and plenty of goal threats from midfield.

Defence:

GOAT-level GK and much-welcomed Utd presence in Schmeichel. At CB Thiago Silva provides a reasonable facsimile of Hansen's key qualities in a much more athletic frame. Alongside him, Mozer is both physically immense, an aggressive attacker of the first ball and very good in possession in his own right. Camacho will be the more defensive-minded of the two FBs, with the immense attacking output of Dani Alves allowing Gerrard to roam from his right midfield position.

Midfield:

Bastian will be the more positionally-rserved of the central duo and our metronome-in-chief. Pirri, combative and dynamic with an impressive eye for goal, looks right at home thrust into a British-style 4-4-2. Barnes was one of the very first players who came to mind for me as a 4-4-2 winger, and Gerrard played some of his career-best football from this right midfield position.

Strikers:

Basically a pairing of all-time Scotland XI shoo-ins, who only got to play together fleetingly at the very end of Law's career. Dalglish will knit together our attack as he did for Celtic and Liverpool with such distinction, with Law providing the lethal cutting edge.

 

[Pat_Mustard]

@paulscholes18 game on mate!

 

[paulscholes18]

All the best @Pat_Mustard

 

[Physiocrat]

@paulscholes18

Which version of Scholes is it? 90s attacking B2B or 2000s DLP?

 

[Šjor Bepo]

zero chance this game ends with 22 on the pitch

 

[Gio]

Mozer v Suarez would be a cnut-off for the ages.

 

[paulscholes18]

@paulscholes18

Which version of Scholes is it? 90s attacking B2B or 2000s DLP?

90's version

 

[Physiocrat]

90's version

Cool. Makes the most sense with Sammer.

 

[harms]

Both Bale & Lato weren't wingers at their peak even though they did play in those roles (Bale earlier on & Lato in his later years), so that takes a bit away from them. Kudos for picking Blokhin & playing him centrally, I was wondering whenever you're going to stick him out wide which wouldn't be the best use of his skills. I'm even willing to overlook the sub-optimal use of Lato because of the potential chemistry between him & Blokhin (if you were going to try to recreate Lato's best form it would makes sense to use the 74' version, but he had combined pretty well with Boniek in 82' with Lato playing deeper on the right and Boniek shining as a free-roaming forward for Poland).

It's going to be a proper battle this one. I love that both attacking partnerships provide a huge threat to their opponents not only as a source of goals & creativity but also as someone who will apply constant pressure to them off the ball. I find it hard to separate the teams at the moment — although @Pat_Mustard should get extra credit for picking a bunch of scousers and creating a likeable side (to be fair Barnes is one of the very few ex-Liverpool players that I'm openly sympathetic towards).

 

[Šjor Bepo]

@harms i actually prefer the left winger Bale(like Antonio Valencia on drugs) to the Ronaldo wannabe version

 

[harms]

@harms i actually prefer the left winger Bale(like Antonio Valencia on drugs) to the Ronaldo wannabe version

Yeah, that part of his career was very nice while it lasted — sadly we didn't get to see much of him in that role before he was moved to the right and then, eventually, to a free central role behind the strikers. If we had stayed as a left winger he probably would've ended up as one of the positional all-time greats — his crossing was underrated and his pace was... well, you know.

He doesn't get quite as many shooting opportunities if he plays on the left though and both his striking technique and his threat in the air were very impressive, so you underutilise his skillset if you play him as a left winger in 4.

 

[GodShaveTheQueen]

This is a tough one to call. Only thing I am not sure about is Lato as the right winger. As far as I know, he was a wing forward.

On Bale, it frustrated my wife (Spurs fan) no ends back then that he never got to continue in the left winger role. As harms pointed out, could have ended up in the goat category alongside Gento. Was brilliant centrally for Spurs, but that was necessary because he was surrounded by mediocrity. In a great team with great players, he would have been awesome as a left winger.

 

[General_Elegancia]

Need to prepare for my match, So I come a bit late

Lato for me his best role was free role forward like he did in World Cup 1974. His biggest strengths for me was straight up to forward role , he was excellent in finding spaces for scoring, accleration and team oriented. He was very-underrated especially in team player. He played with Deyna (main playmaker) really well especially in off-ball movement. For me, his 74 version was excellent in off-ball movement, his passing and reading the games had improved during late 70s to world cup 82. In World Cup 82 his speed wasn't the same, so he played more as smf.

In fact, I'm not impressive that much of his 82 version, he was a bit declined due to his age. I'm imagine if you use 82 version of him, he would make some impressive combo with Blokhin. If you use 74 version, I really don't have problem too( but he must play more of wing-forward role). You have Scholes who could throw long balls to him, you have Suarez who have a superb workrate and could throw some beautiful passes to him. His offball movement would suit with Suarez and Scholes and make your attacking-games more unpredictable.


Off ball movement, movement and movement, Off ball movement+ cheetah speed= Lato74



Deyna threw some passes to him.

In fact, Lato 74 lost duel at 47 times which is more than his numbers of duel win(34 times) and he only made 124 passes during WC74, which mean he focused a lot on off ball movement and didn't participate in build-up games that much( Deyna did everything in this phase).

 

[Isotope]

In fact, Lato 74 lost duel at 47 times which is more than his numbers of duel win(34 times) and he only made 124 passes during WC74, which mean he focused a lot on off ball movement and didn't participate in build-up games that much( Deyna did everything in this phase).

Awesome way to make a point, General.

 

[paulscholes18]

Both Bale & Lato weren't wingers at their peak even though they did play in those roles (Bale earlier on & Lato in his later years), so that takes a bit away from them. Kudos for picking Blokhin & playing him centrally, I was wondering whenever you're going to stick him out wide which wouldn't be the best use of his skills. I'm even willing to overlook the sub-optimal use of Lato because of the potential chemistry between him & Blokhin (if you were going to try to recreate Lato's best form it would makes sense to use the 74' version, but he had combined pretty well with Boniek in 82' with Lato playing deeper on the right and Boniek shining as a free-roaming forward for Poland).

It's going to be a proper battle this one. I love that both attacking partnerships provide a huge threat to their opponents not only as a source of goals & creativity but also as someone who will apply constant pressure to them off the ball. I find it hard to separate the teams at the moment — although @Pat_Mustard should get extra credit for picking a bunch of scousers and creating a likeable side (to be fair Barnes is one of the very few ex-Liverpool players that I'm openly sympathetic towards).

My original plan was to pick Overmars for LW and Kanchelskis for RW, but Overmars got picked just before it was my turn, so out of my quick 3 man short list of Bale, Ginola & Robben I thought that Bale was the best for how I like 4-4-2 to be played. Then I noticed that Lato hadn't been picked yet, and as I was always going to pick 2 defensive full backs I thought I would go for the more attacking and riskier pick of Lato.

Wasn't going to play Blokhin anywhere but the left of a front two

Thanks for your post and thanks for your detailed post as well @General_Elegancia

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Not that I'll complain about Law, but that team would have been complete with Rush.

Like Pat's Defensive unit better.

 

[GodShaveTheQueen]

Giving this to Pat as well, Lato lost my vote am afraid

 

[paulscholes18]

All the best in the next round @Pat_Mustard

 

[Pat_Mustard]

All the best in the next round @Pat_Mustard

Thanks mate. I had this as 50/50 going into it so the scoreline was undeservedly harsh.

 

[Pat_Mustard]

Didn't post yesterday largely due to throwing a hissy fit after discovering that Windows Movie Maker no longer exists, and that I'm too incompetent to adequately use the many alternatives. Eventually managed to make this short video from 20 minute highlights of Liverpool vs Watford in December 1982:


Astoundingly good first half from Dalglish with a stunning assist for Rush, then appeared to do virtually nothing of note in the second half .

Not that I'll complain about Law, but that team would have been complete with Rush.

Like Pat's Defensive unit better.

The amount of great striker duos that could have been picked either late on in the draft or entirely uncontested is quite something. As fantastic as the understanding between Dalglish and Rush was, I still wouldn't sacrifice Law. Matches Rush's best qualities to a large degree while being the greater and more influential footballer.