The Mavericks and Liabilities Draft

[Gio]

In this draft you have two jobs. The first is to build your team around one of these mavericks.

1. Dennis Bergkamp
2. Eric Cantona
3. Teo Cubillas
4. Kazi Deyna
5. Paulo Di Canio
6. Enzo Francescoli
7. Paul Gascoigne
8. Gheorge Hagi
9. Glen Hoddle
10. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
11. Matthew Le Tissier
12. Robert Prosinecki
13. Alvaro Recoba
14. Juan Roman Riquelme
15. Dejan Savicevic
16. Socrates
17. Dragan Stojkovic
18. Safet Susic
19. Carlos Valderrama
20. Juan Carlos Valeron

Now I'm a reasonable man. So you'll see that we have a list of 20 mavericks for you to choose from. To prevent you ending up with somebody you have no enthusiasm for, I will allow you to PM me your top 5 mavericks from the list. If one or more other managers also choose the same maverick, he will be randomnly allocated to one of you. If unsuccessful, you move on to your second choice and, if he is still available, you will get him (or go through the same process again), and so on. If someone else gets your juices flowing, I will accept nominations for other mavericks until we begin the draft, but may or may not add them to the list (they will replace an existing player if accepted). Obviously the greedier you are in going for just the most gifted mavericks, then the more chance you end up with a lesser light from the pool.

Your second job is to manage one of these liabilities. Magnificently talented players they all are*, they nevertheless have weaknesses in their game that are often ruthlessly exposed in draft matches. Your job is to play to their strengths and protect their weaknesses as best as you can. The 16 liabilities are:

1. Trent Alexander Arnold
2. Sergio Busquets
3. Frank De Boer
4. Luis Eyzaguirre
5. Steven Gerrard
6. Ronald Koeman
7. Marcelo
8. Paulo Montero
9. Gerard Pique
10. Paul Pogba
11. Sergio Ramos
12. Jose Santamaria
13. Nobby Stiles
14. Wim Suurbier
15. John Terry
16. Yaya Toure

You will be randomnly allocated one of these players.

POOL OF PLAYERS:

The following players are blocked:

Spoiler: Block List

Messi 210
Pele 210
L. Ronaldo 180
C. Ronaldo 170
Cruyff 170
Di Stefano 160
Puskas 160
G. Muller 150
Best 140
van Basten 130
Romario 130
Garrincha 125
Gullit 120
Eusebio 115
R.Baggio 110
Ronaldinho 110
Rummenigge 100
Law 100
Figo 95
Seeler 95
Batistuta 95
Nedved 90
Rivaldo 90
Blokhin 90
Stoichkov 90
Dzajic 90
Henry 90
Kocsis 85
Shevchenko 85
Suarez 85
Robben 85
Gento 80
Lewandowski 80
Benzema 80
Eto'o 80
Finney 80
Rensenbrink 80
Giggs 80
Beckham 80
Mbappe

Maradona 220
Platini 160
Zico 160
Matthäus 140
Rijkaard 120
Xavi 115
Charlton 115
Zidane 110
Laudrup 110
Falcão 100
Keane 100
Iniesta 100
Voronin 95
Schweinsteiger 95
Davids 90
Breitner 90
Luis Suárez 90
Redondo 90
Robson 90
Modric 90
Didi 85
Neeskens 85
Sammer 85
Desailly 85
Edwards 80
Rivelino 80

Beckenbauer 140
Baresi 110
Figueroa 110
Maldini 105
Cafu 105
Facchetti 105
Nesta 100
Scirea 100
Moore 100
Passarella 100
Brehme 100
Carlos Alberto 95
Zanetti 95
Thuram 90
Kohler 90
Krol 85
Nilton 80
Roberto Carlos 80
Cannavaro 80
Ferdinand 80

For ease of reference, this comprises anyone valued £80m or over in the most recent Peaches and a GOAT draft, plus Mbappe. Regular snake draft rules apply. I will consider expanding or contracting the blocked list if a consensus would prefer a different approach.

Clarification: Players selected must be active since 1945 to allow voters a fair chance of assessing their merits.

REINFORCEMENT ROUNDS:

Your maverick must remain centre stage throughout.

QUARTER-FINAL

• You will receive one more liability. Both liabilities must then play the tie.*
• You will have two upgrades from the player pool.

SEMI-FINAL

• You will choose one more liability. All three liabilities must then play the tie.
• You will have two upgrades from the pool.

FINAL

• You will have one upgrade from the pool of players
• You will have one upgrade from the pool of liabilities

CAVEATS*

• Yes there is some variation in the quality in both groups. As we know the art of management is making the best out of the hand you've been dealt.
• Remember this is a list of players who regularly attract some negative tactical comment in match threads - no bitching because I've hurt the feelings of your favourite player.
• In the quarter and semi final reinforcements I will do my best to ensure there is no doubling up of positions (i.e. you don't end up with 2 liability RBs / CBs). If needed, I will dip into a reserve pool of liabilities to ensure you are served a fair slice of the shit sandwich.

 

[Gio]

Manager List:

 

[Pat_Mustard]

Lubbly jubbly! This should be enjoyably tough going.

 

[Isotope]

Manager List:

1. Pat "winner" Mustard
2. Isotope

I like the draft idea.

 

[BIG DUNK]

I love the draft idea and the block list, please can I play.

 

[P-Nut]

Yeah go on I'll come back for this one looks interesting

 

[Physiocrat]

Looks awesome. In.

@Oaencha

You interested?

 

[Šjor Bepo]

in, give me anyone from the fraud(mostly) list

 

[harms]

In. No preference, just give me a random one.

edit: Although I'd love to get a Cantona as I'm slowly working through the footage to make a vid. So may be put him first and the rest — random?

 

[Joga Bonito]

Lovely draft idea and I'll be following this one for sure.

1. Trent Alexander Arnold
2. Sergio Busquets
3. Frank De Boer
4. Luis Eyzaguirre
5. Steven Gerrard
6. Ronald Koeman
7. Marcelo
8. Paulo Montero
9. Gerard Pique
10. Paul Pogba
11. Sergio Ramos
12. Jose Santamaria
13. Nobby Stiles
14. Wim Suurbier
15. John Terry
16. Yaya Toure

Perhaps Marcelo, Busquets and arguably S. Ramos should be replaced by liabilities who are more problematic to deal with, and have lesser upsides. When played in the right system they potentially rival, or even outstrip the match winning prowess of some of the mavericks. Whereas most of the other liabilities are at most, integrated well tactically without sticking out like a sore thumb. Those three would probably be great tricky 'liabilities' in an all time draft probably.

Subjective and I'd also add Koeman (and Starfish too) to that list but obviously his draft status does not reflect that, whereas the aforementioned trio have done pretty well in several drafts if memory doesn't fail me.

 

[Joga Bonito]

If someone else gets your juices flowing, I will accept nominations for other mavericks until we begin the draft,

Kazimierz Deyna would be a good addition imo.

 

[Himannv]

Harsh on some of the players on that list to call them a liability. Marcelo, in particular, seems unfairly characterized - there aren't many attacking fullbacks better than him.

 

[Physiocrat]

@oneniltothearsenal

This looks like a draft for you.

 

[Šjor Bepo]

if marcelo is a liability i dont know what bobby carlos would be then....

 

[Gio]

So question marks over Marcelo, Koeman and Ramos so far as being too good - other views? If there's consensus, we can deal with that in two ways, either replace them, or if we only end up with 13 or fewer managers then they can be simply removed from the pool.

 

[Gio]

Kazimierz Deyna would be a good addition imo.

Yes certainly, he was on an initial long-list but let's add him in.

 

[Physiocrat]

So question marks over Marcelo, Koeman and Ramos so far as being too good - other views? If there's consensus, we can deal with that in two ways, either replace them, or if we only end up with 13 or fewer managers then they can be simply removed from the pool.

I think Marcelo should be replaced but not too fussed on Koeman or Ramos.

 

[harms]

So question marks over Marcelo, Koeman and Ramos so far as being too good - other views? If there's consensus, we can deal with that in two ways, either replace them, or if we only end up with 13 or fewer managers then they can be simply removed from the pool.

Marcelo is hardly a liability in TAA fashion where you basically give up that flank defensively to free up his offensive prowess. Koeman certainly needs a power-up in his draft outings, so I'd keep him. Ramos... maybe keep him.

Pique is a bit of an odd one since he doesn't really have any significant weaknesses — pair him up with another great defender and you're fine. He's not a hot-head and his decision-making only sucks in his personal life.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Lovely idea @Gio. I'm excited for this.

He's not a hot-head and his decision-making only sucks in his personal life.

Stiles is solid. If likes of Gentile aren't a liability then Nobby definitely isn't. I'd be glad to take him. Would rather he be replaced with Gattuso.

T Muller, Carrick, Suker, Klose, Carrick, Senna are some suggestions.

Manager List:

1. Pat "sinner" Mustard
2. Isotope
3. Big Drunk
4. PNut
5. Physiocrat
6. Sjor
7. EAP

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Also Gio, can you allocate the liability first? If I end up with Pogba, I'd not choose to have Valderrama in my maverick lists, for example.

Also in reinforcement, can we choose our liabilities and mavericks rather than random allocations?

 

[Gio]

Only one maverick throughout @Edgar Allan Pillow.

 

[Zlatan 7]

I’d like a go if that’s ok, I’ll invite myself

Manager List:

1. Pat "sinner" Mustard
2. Isotope
3. Big Drunk
4. PNut
5. Physiocrat
6. Sjor
7. EAP
8. Zlatan

 

[Himannv]

his decision-making only sucks in his personal life.

 

[Enigma_87]

original idea I’m in too

 

[Pat_Mustard]

Also Gio, can you allocate the liability first? If I end up with Pogba, I'd not choose to have Valderrama in my maverick lists, for example.

Also in reinforcement, can we choose our liabilities and mavericks rather than random allocations?

Aye, that seems preferable.

 

[oneniltothearsenal]

@oneniltothearsenal

This looks like a draft for you.

If I had more time at the moment, I would but I don't

 

[TheReligion]

I’m interested in this

 

[Pat_Mustard]

I’m interested in this

I knew you'd like that list of mavericks

 

[General_Elegancia]

​

If someone else gets your juices flowing, I will accept nominations for other mavericks until we begin the draft, but may or may not add them to the list (they will replace an existing player if accepted).

​

My additional choices for Mavericks, for your considering choices

1. Gianni Rivera
2. Bernd Schuster
3. Gunter Netzer
4. Paul Van Himst
5. Francesco Totti
6. Antoine Griezmann
7. Neymar
8. Dejan Savicevic
9. Djalminha

 

[TheReligion]

My additional choices for Mavericks, for your considering choices

1. Gianni Rivera
2. Bernd Schuster
3. Gunter Netzer
4. Paul Van Himst
5. Francesco Totti
6. Antoine Griezmann
7. Neymar
8. Dejan Savicevic
9. Djalminha

these two are excellent choices

 

[TheReligion]

What’s the criteria for liabilities? I’m unsure why some are in that list

 

[Isotope]

Probably our Wayne Rooney on the "Maverick" contender? Then there's Stefan Effenberg (as "maverick" as you can find but can be on "liability" list also. Not as liable as TAA, but probably he needs a certain setup to look decent).

 

[Himannv]

Wesley Sneijder maybe.

 

[Michaelf7777777]

Manager List:

1. Pat_Mustard
2. Isotope
3. Big Drunk
4. PNut
5. Physiocrat
6. Sjor
7. EAP
8. Zlatan
9. Michaelf7777777

 

[Šjor Bepo]

surely gio plays as well

 

[Physiocrat]

@Jim Beam @antohan @Chesterlestreet @Brwned

 

[prolifik]

In, but struggle to see the likes of Busquets, Gerrard, and Marcelo as "liabilities" on the level of Pogba or TAA

 

[Šjor Bepo]

@Gio reckon its best to remove Busquets, i can see the reasoning as he forces your hand into possession football but its hardly a disturbance compared to having some of the other players.

 

[Enigma_87]

@Gio reckon its best to remove Busquets, i can see the reasoning as he forces your hand into possession football but its hardly a disturbance compared to having some of the other players.

Agreed.

same with Marcelo. He’s too good to be considered weakness.

some suggestions:
Cordoba
Zmuda
De Rossi

 

[Šjor Bepo]

Agreed.

same with Marcelo. He’s too good to be considered weakness.

some suggestions:
Cordoba
Zmuda
De Rossi

tbf marcelo is underrated as feck so at least you have that angle