The Reality Draft - QF: antohan vs BorisDeLeFora

Who will win with players at their peaks?


  • Total voters
    26
  • Poll closed .

Chesterlestreet

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TBH, I've got absolutely no idea what he got Batistuta for. Klinsmann is getting underrated here, I was more concerned about him than Omar going into this.
Klinsi doesn't seem to be a vote puller. In terms of quality - then yes, by all means, drop 'Stuta and play Klinsi up there - that would work nicely. But 'Stuta is more of a people's choice, I'd say.
 

antohan

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I would put both my bollocks on the line that he was the single most important reason for all the votes Boris got.

In fairness though, I almost deleted that Effenberg clip earlier when I watched it again and realised a few of those balls were while at Fiorentina, with Batistuta in his pomp. Great goals, I invite you to watch them once the game is over :lol: I can't see anyone who will assist him like that, mind, Cerezo is far too deep for that and was more about spraying passes than the final incisive through ball.
 

Joga Bonito

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Wait, what? @Isotope of all people voted against me? WTF? We've spent years telling him to stop picking five #10s in his sides and he prefers a brainless side whose fortunes rest squarely on the performance of a single winger?

No need to be so abrasive :).
 

antohan

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No need to be so abrasive :).
I meant it in the sense of having #10s who act as the brain upfront. Iso has previously tried to shoehorn Baggio, Maradona and Cruyff into the same team iirc. Where's the #10 brain in Boris' side?

Anyway, it was a pisstake at Iso more than anything else.
 

antohan

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Around the 75 minute mark (would have been earlier but I was sleeping) Team Antohan regroups into a more conservative setup, sitting back to play out the game as Boris commits all his men forward to try close the gap.

It's more likely a goal will be added from a surgical counter than one will be conceded.

Hierro permanently drops back into a back four, Lucho into midfield, the wingers drop into right and left midfield roles and Baggio into a link-up role behind the striker.



@Edgar Allan Pillow
 
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VivaJanuzaj

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Around the 75 minute mark (would have been earlier but I was sleeping) Team Antohan regroups into a more conservative setup, sitting back to play out the game as Boris commits all his men forward to try close the gap.

It's more likely a goal will be added from a surgical counter than one will be conceded.

Hierro permanently drops back into a back four, Lucho into midfield, the wingers drop into right and left midfield roles and Baggio into a link-up role behind the striker.



@Edgar Allan Pillow
Not sure I don't like this formation better all together
 

antohan

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Not sure I don't like this formation better all together
I love it myself, and it sure would have won this game too. My "problem" was it's more reliant on the counter and I couldn't see how Boris would put me under enough pressure. I would still win the game ultimately, but it would make for a rather dull and boring game.

In the meantime, it would be criminal not to play the side I started with, and Götze in particular. I wanted to put that to the test and see what feedback I got going forward. Pity that none of those voting Boris have shared any, maybe @Kazi can elaborate? He's been around before voting and commenting.

But yeah, the beauty of it all is with the guys currently on the pitch I can play 4-4-2, 4-4-1-1, 4-2-3-1, 3-2-3-2, 3-4-1-2, 3-4-2-1... Of course it's all dependent on how the oppo is playing but it's a very flexible side that can adapt very well. Crucially (albeit never considered when voting), they can adopt different formations throughout the game without having to post "tactic changes" all the time.

Boniek/Nedved on the flanks and Hierro/Lucho/Baggio down the spine can adopt more conservative or aggressive stances according to the MOMENTS in the game. E.g. oppo having a good 5-10 minutes of continued pressure, the spine and flanks pull back into a more compact/defensive/counterattacking formation. Oppo has made a couple of mistakes and looking nervy at the back, or a key player is out being treated on the touchline... throw the kitchen sink at them. Porcupine tactics.

 

Gio

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Boris needed to go 4-3-3 with Del Piero and Donadoni pinned to the flanks. I'd fancy them to get the better of Abidal and Ferrara. Hypothetically that would have swung it for me, but I'm sure anto would then have the flexibility to adapt his set-up had he been under the cosh.
 

antohan

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With only minutes to go, Boniek is subbed out to a standing ovation. On comes Freddie, who will perform a sexy lap dance for @Edgar Allan Pillow for all his hard work.

Boniek walks into the dressing room only to find moustache-less Mario wishing he had any facial hair to shave while waiting for the showers, which are mysteriously locked. The screams inside are quite telling, Zibi shakes his head and wonders what could have been if the mighty StevieG hadn't been alienated by the gaffer's antics. Probably much worse.

 

Chesterlestreet

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The latest Ljungberg move made me realize something - or rather remember something which is potentially very important if we're talking about formats (for these match threads) and substitutions: I personally like the idea of subs being used more actively ("realistically", one might say) and strategies being altered as the match progresses even when you're not taking an obvious beating from the voters - but for this to work in a match which is much tighter than this one (anto had this in the bag ages ago and could've put Stevie G in goal for laughs if he wanted to, and Stevie wasn't in Argentina, at this late stage with impunity) people must take time to read the whole thread, possibly quite carefully too: If you're a so-called scan voter just dropping in and looking at the formation pic, you may get the wrong idea - completely so.

I've contemplated using more advanced tactics in this respect on several occasions, but have ended up scrapping it for this very reason: Say that you intend to play for a hard-fought one goal win. You start with an offensive line-up, go to work blitzkrieg style, grab an early goal - and then you change your approach thoroughly, introduce a couple of subs and intend to sit back and defend like a miser for the rest of the match. It's an entirely plausible strategy - but it could backfire spectacularly if people don't follow your arguments throughout the thread and just look at the updated formation pic in the OP. They will assume that you only pose a minimal goal threat compared to your opponent - and in a sense they'd be right - but the fact is that from your perspective you're already in the lead and can afford to field a skeleton crew up front, so to speak, who are only there to grab a goal if and when, etc.
 

Isotope

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I meant it in the sense of having #10s who act as the brain upfront. Iso has previously tried to shoehorn Baggio, Maradona and Cruyff into the same team iirc. Where's the #10 brain in Boris' side?

Anyway, it was a pisstake at Iso more than anything else.
It was Iniesta-Maradona-Baggio with Shevchenko as striker. Only few would share my vision, though. Those were the days :D.
 

antohan

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@Chesterlestreet

Agree, it's an issue and the reason Ljungberg wasn't introduced in my earlier change even if I realistically could have. I did however lay it all out in my initial tactics. The sort of gameplan you describe was my gameplan all along, whether people would have considered it that way I'll never know I guess.

I know, recent games of ours have scarred our fans on the ability of a side to keep up the tempo long enough and hold on to a lead. Never mind, once I get to a comfortable margin I can drop Hierro into a 4-man defence, swap Götze for Lucho and play out the game comfortably with a boring 4-4-2. In fact, I'd do it purely to add another goal or two as he goes all gung-ho trying to close the gap.

Why not start that way? Because Boris doesn't have the creativity in midfield to put that side under pressure and we would be arguing about a deadlock in a game with zero initiative, with one side not quite being able to counter when the other isn't very good going forward. Boring. It is relevant though to point out the setup allows for a Plan B.
 

antohan

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So you ditched the WAG for Zibi? Typical! :lol:
Eh? No, the opposite, my antics ensured Gerrard left. Turn of the tide and all that. Raúl being suspended was also a blessing in a way, Nedved was always in the plan, but it forced me to look at the attack and firepower and got lucky Baggio was still knocking around.

Let's see who gets injured now. Hopefully it's Freddie :lol:
 

antohan

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Tough luck @BorisDeLeFora, it's a pity you didn't have more time as that certainly worked against you in terms of timely changes and discussion :(

The more I looked into this while planning the game the more I realised you had a very nasty draw as I had loads to exploit and most of your strengths I was pretty well suited for.

I concur that AdP should have started, would have provided much needed creativity in the final third. Good as Donadoni was, you ended up a bit one-dimensional without that alternative. Would have been a much tighter game.
 

Edgar Allan Pillow

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Eh? No, the opposite, my antics ensured Gerrard left. Turn of the tide and all that. Raúl being suspended was also a blessing in a way, Nedved was always in the plan, but it forced me to look at the attack and firepower and got lucky Baggio was still knocking around.

Let's see who gets injured now. Hopefully it's Freddie :lol:
Well, Hargriefs was supposed to be on playing 11, but you seem to to have played 13. I'll just take the starting 11 (which has been your main team for most of the game) to see who gets injured. And that would leave out Underwear guy and Lucho. I know you have this poster pinned up on bedroon ceiling, so don't worry! :lol:
 

Kazi

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Personnel wise, antohan's far ahead. But when you were going three at the back, I thought your team was too top heavy. Then again, it was still hard to vote for Boris' team because it's not really set up for countering, but being a big fan of Robson, Kohler and Batistuta swayed me. I prefer antohan's team now though, especially if you can put a proper #6 next to Effenberg.
 

antohan

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Well, Hargriefs was supposed to be on playing 11, but you seem to to have played 13. I'll just take the starting 11 (which has been your main team for most of the game) to see who gets injured. And that would leave out Underwear guy and Lucho. I know you have this poster pinned up on bedroon ceiling, so don't worry! :lol:
Ah, bugger! Missed a trick there... Could have started all subs instead in the 4-4-1-1 and protected certain players :annoyed:

Now I'm worried :nervous:
 

BorisDeLeFora

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Congrats @antohan , wish I could have provided better competition, by the end it was pretty half arsed tbh.

Looking back I probably should have gone for an AM instead of Cerezo, purely for a better attacking emphasis, and used Tigana-Robson as a kind of Schweinsteiger/Khedira partnership. Granted, now that I mention it, I probably could have done that here too.

-----Robson-----Tigana------
Donadoni--Koke--del Piero--
----------Batistuta------------

Heh.
 

antohan

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Personnel wise, antohan's far ahead. But when you were going three at the back, I thought your team was too top heavy. Then again, it was still hard to vote for Boris' team because it's not really set up for countering, but being a big fan of Robson, Kohler and Batistuta swayed me. I prefer antohan's team now though, especially if you can put a proper #6 next to Effenberg.
Not sure what you mean by proper #6, but that certainly is an area I will be looking into, but always keeping in mind the setup I want to retain with the spine (Hierro-Lucho-Baggio) and flanks (Boniek/Nedved) being able to move up or down the pitch adapting the formation to the tide.

Efenberg's role isn't, nor will ever be at least in my current plans, to be going back and forth all game relying on a DM-type next to him. Much the opposite, he was a complete player and I'm banking on him to provide the balance and play accordingly, much like Schweini does focusing on playmaking, pressing forward or being a defensive beast according to what the team needs. He can do all of them, but usually focuses his attention most on one. It's not a second-fiddle role, very much the opposite, and Gordon recognises this, he is the pivotal point that allows that spine shifting up and down as needed.

I hear he is actually quite chuffed to be central to my plans and, arguably, the player I would least want to lose to Hargriefs, followed by the back three.
 

antohan

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Congrats @antohan , wish I could have provided better competition, by the end it was pretty half arsed tbh.

Looking back I probably should have gone for an AM instead of Cerezo, purely for a better attacking emphasis, and used Tigana-Robson as a kind of Schweinsteiger/Khedira partnership. Granted, now that I mention it, I probably could have done that here too.

-----Robson-----Tigana------
Donadoni--Koke--del Piero--
----------Batistuta------------

Heh.
Cerezo was a good pick and tactical option IMO. You would have been in massive trouble with that starting lineup as your defence seriously needed your midfield to almost evaporate. You just needed another player who could hog the ball a bit and be a creative hub further up the pitch and Del Piero provided that. It's a difficult call when seeing everyone getting big shiny names but Cafú would have been a bigger improvement on Zambrotta than Batistuta was on Klinsmann.
 

Annahnomoss

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Cerezo was a good pick and tactical option IMO. You would have been in massive trouble with that starting lineup as your defence seriously needed your midfield to almost evaporate. You just needed another player who could hog the ball a bit and be a creative hub further up the pitch and Del Piero provided that. It's a difficult call when seeing everyone getting big shiny names but Cafú would have been a bigger improvement on Zambrotta than Batistuta was on Klinsmann.
I agree with Anto. Cerezo was a brilliant pick and he really was the final piece of the puzzle for Tigana and Robson to have perfect performances here. Without somebody behind them they'd have to remain deep too often for them to thrive offensively as well.

The issue was that you lost the tactical discussion and match here. Anto played a three man defense, and what better to come up against than two strikers and a central attacking midfielder in a team with no width. You also didn't really go in depth and explain your tactic too much, I still don't really know how you were playing exactly more than as in a general way.
 

PedroMendez

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lets not kid ourselves. The fancy pancy lineup presentation alone would be enough to win most matches. Who cares about tactics, if you have funny faces? looking at pictures >>> reading. :wenger:
 
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Annahnomoss

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lets not kid ourselves. The fancy pancy lineup presentation alone would be enough to win most matches. How cares about tactics, if you have funny faces? looking at pictures >>> reading. :wenger:
That is true. It is why I just can't be bothered finishing sex if they have something written as their tramp stamp. If I wanted to go to school I wouldn't have gone to the bar.
 

Edgar Allan Pillow

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Cerezo was a good pick and tactical option IMO. You would have been in massive trouble with that starting lineup as your defence seriously needed your midfield to almost evaporate. You just needed another player who could hog the ball a bit and be a creative hub further up the pitch and Del Piero provided that. It's a difficult call when seeing everyone getting big shiny names but Cafú would have been a bigger improvement on Zambrotta than Batistuta was on Klinsmann.
Not quite sure on that. I would have chosen a libero over Cerezo, someone like Sammer or maybe even Passarella and utilized the attacking width provided by full backs to counter your team. You had Nedved and Boniek in advanced positions and though they have defensive workrate, with a libero dropping back, Zambrotta and Cole are perfectly poised to rampage forward and cause trouble to your back line. His selected full backs are perfect for that too. Add that with playing AdP and maybe Koke playing inside forwards on either side, it would have been a much tougher contest to vote for. Robson and Tigana in the middle with the libero moving up when in possession gives him a solid middle to base his foundation on.
 

PedroMendez

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No that would be weird. But if I encounter one with texts I am surely bound to get too confused to continue. Pictures>Text
well. you are doing it wrong :lol: nobody said that you should panic, just because you see a letter. Casually ignore everything thats written, while complementing her on the great motive and the healthy colour of her vagina.
 

antohan

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Not quite sure on that. I would have chosen a libero over Cerezo, someone like Sammer or maybe even Passarella and utilized the attacking width provided by full backs to counter your team.
No shit Sherlock, he never had the chance to pick either!

You had Nedved and Boniek in advanced positions and though they have defensive workrate, with a libero dropping back, Zambrotta and Cole are perfectly poised to rampage forward and cause trouble to your back line.
You mean with a sweeper, don't you? Since when do liberos "drop back"?

His selected full backs are perfect for that too. Add that with playing AdP and maybe Koke playing inside forwards on either side, it would have been a much tougher contest to vote for. Robson and Tigana in the middle with the libero moving up when in possession gives him a solid middle to base his foundation on.
Yeah, well, I would have started a different lineup if he had a sweeper. Which he did, just lacked another CB.
 

Pat_Mustard

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A never-nude? I thought he just liked cut-offs.
I liked Anto's set up here. Different from the norm and very well-argued. Predictably enough, I love the Vieri and Baggio partnership. They briefly worked very well together in real life. One of my favourite WC goals:

 

Annahnomoss

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well. you are doing it wrong :lol: nobody said that you should panic, just because you see a letter. Casually ignore everything thats written, while complementing her on the healthy colour of her vagina.
Ohh you gentleman.