JIM BEAM:
ENIGMA:
BEAM TACTICS:
Tactics: 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 with plenty of movement and—thanks to the players available—interchanging of positions in midfield and attack.
Attack in numbers/defend in numbers. Emphasis on high tempo, quick, incisive passing and quick transition in the attack once the ball is won. Defend with intensity and often attack the opposition back line with high press considering the lack of ball playing ability. Force them going long unsettling the team in the first phase of possession.
Team strengths: Immense defensive ability throughout the team complimented with fantastic ball playing ability from front to back which is protected with proactive GOAT keeper Lav Yashin. The team is capable of building more patiently, or to open the opposition with a single pass on the counter.
Defence: In front of Lav Yashin, there is a complementary backline in Lizarazu, Moore, Silva and McGrain. Every one of them being a fantastic defender in their own right, but also capable of cutting through the opposition with incisive passing to open the opposition team. Especially, Moore and Silva being absolutely supreme in that department.
Getting the best out of Bryan Robson. Robson as great as he is, does give a slight tactical headache in the modern game imo as he ideally needs someone who will allow him to go forward and be that all action midfield figure that he was in his absolute peak. In Schweinsteiger he gets that protection.
Wolfgang Overath will be midfield playmaker knitting the team together and pulling the strings from midfield. His passing ability is also a highly valuable weapon in transition.
Overall, the midfield composition has shades of Germany WC 2014 winning team with Khedira playing instead of Kramer before the final.
Attack: Paulo Futre, a dribbling wizard, goes on the left where he spent most of his career. He will add goalscoring threat, but also feed Lewandowski in the middle or ongoing runs in the middle (mostly from Robson). Robert Lewandowski leads the line. Despite him presenting 33+ version of himself or this version we are seeing now it is still one of the most dangerous strikers on the planet and the man who ended up as 4th in Ballon d'Or race the previous year. I mean, his record for Bayern and Barcelona since turning 33, speaks for itself. 75 goals in 78 matches overall and 19 goals in 17 matches in European competitions.
Lastly, am leaving Zbigniew Boniek. He goes on the right this time giving a tactical headache for the opposition team and Roberto Carlos, attacking the space that opens up on the counter were he will be such a valuable weapon. His ability to bring the best in other forwards making Platini once famously answering the question who will be Seria A top scorer with the line - "whoever plays with Boniek" will be also much appreciated. To top it off his ability to drag the defenders around popping in various places where you don't expect him is pretty much Mulleresque which will be much welcomed addition aside of Lewandowski who had a telepathic understanding with Thomas Muller. There are some shinier names on both sides, but can see the axis Overath - Boniek - Lewandowski working like a charm.
Thoughts on opposition: Enigma Galactico policy strikes again!
Conclusion: Breaming with quality, intensity, ball playing ability and with no weaknesses throughout first 11 a team that is extremely hard to break in defence while having a multiple different ways to hurt you in attack.
ENIGMA TACTICS:
Formation: 3-4-3
Defence:
Oliver Kahn is our last resort organizing the defence consisting of Cannavaro in his later Ballon D'or winning form flanked by two strong and pacy defenders. Roberto Carlos and Gerets are manning the flanks. Their delivery with Riva in the box can be game decider on its own, especially when they have the freedom to bomb forward.
Midfield:
KdB is more of a deep lying playmaker role where he can drop deeper and initiate our attacks. Sir Bobby is in a more box to box role where his energy and drive will be of immense help, considering the midfield unit we are up against. Diego Maradona is our magician in the hole where he will link our attack and midfield and run the game.
Attack:
Amaro is more of a SS where he can peel wide but also attack the box. He's scored more than 200 goals for club and country and is dangerous both as a provider and as a goalscorer. Riva is our primary attacking threat fending off defenders and being out main presence in the box.
ENIGMA:
BEAM TACTICS:
Tactics: 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 with plenty of movement and—thanks to the players available—interchanging of positions in midfield and attack.
Attack in numbers/defend in numbers. Emphasis on high tempo, quick, incisive passing and quick transition in the attack once the ball is won. Defend with intensity and often attack the opposition back line with high press considering the lack of ball playing ability. Force them going long unsettling the team in the first phase of possession.
Team strengths: Immense defensive ability throughout the team complimented with fantastic ball playing ability from front to back which is protected with proactive GOAT keeper Lav Yashin. The team is capable of building more patiently, or to open the opposition with a single pass on the counter.
Defence: In front of Lav Yashin, there is a complementary backline in Lizarazu, Moore, Silva and McGrain. Every one of them being a fantastic defender in their own right, but also capable of cutting through the opposition with incisive passing to open the opposition team. Especially, Moore and Silva being absolutely supreme in that department.
Midfield: Putting Schweinsteiger in his familiar role from the WC 2014 playing as a more, defensive minded and distributive holder. He will be surrounded with an all around midfield menace in Bryan Robson and brilliant passer in Wolfgang Overath. In the defensive phase, Schweinsteiger and Robson make double-pivot which offers immense physicality as well as tactical and technical brilliance.
Getting the best out of Bryan Robson. Robson as great as he is, does give a slight tactical headache in the modern game imo as he ideally needs someone who will allow him to go forward and be that all action midfield figure that he was in his absolute peak. In Schweinsteiger he gets that protection.
Wolfgang Overath will be midfield playmaker knitting the team together and pulling the strings from midfield. His passing ability is also a highly valuable weapon in transition.
Overall, the midfield composition has shades of Germany WC 2014 winning team with Khedira playing instead of Kramer before the final.
Attack: Paulo Futre, a dribbling wizard, goes on the left where he spent most of his career. He will add goalscoring threat, but also feed Lewandowski in the middle or ongoing runs in the middle (mostly from Robson). Robert Lewandowski leads the line. Despite him presenting 33+ version of himself or this version we are seeing now it is still one of the most dangerous strikers on the planet and the man who ended up as 4th in Ballon d'Or race the previous year. I mean, his record for Bayern and Barcelona since turning 33, speaks for itself. 75 goals in 78 matches overall and 19 goals in 17 matches in European competitions.
Lastly, am leaving Zbigniew Boniek. He goes on the right this time giving a tactical headache for the opposition team and Roberto Carlos, attacking the space that opens up on the counter were he will be such a valuable weapon. His ability to bring the best in other forwards making Platini once famously answering the question who will be Seria A top scorer with the line - "whoever plays with Boniek" will be also much appreciated. To top it off his ability to drag the defenders around popping in various places where you don't expect him is pretty much Mulleresque which will be much welcomed addition aside of Lewandowski who had a telepathic understanding with Thomas Muller. There are some shinier names on both sides, but can see the axis Overath - Boniek - Lewandowski working like a charm.
Thoughts on opposition: Enigma Galactico policy strikes again!
Conclusion: Breaming with quality, intensity, ball playing ability and with no weaknesses throughout first 11 a team that is extremely hard to break in defence while having a multiple different ways to hurt you in attack.
ENIGMA TACTICS:
Formation: 3-4-3
Defence:
Oliver Kahn is our last resort organizing the defence consisting of Cannavaro in his later Ballon D'or winning form flanked by two strong and pacy defenders. Roberto Carlos and Gerets are manning the flanks. Their delivery with Riva in the box can be game decider on its own, especially when they have the freedom to bomb forward.
Midfield:
KdB is more of a deep lying playmaker role where he can drop deeper and initiate our attacks. Sir Bobby is in a more box to box role where his energy and drive will be of immense help, considering the midfield unit we are up against. Diego Maradona is our magician in the hole where he will link our attack and midfield and run the game.
Attack:
Amaro is more of a SS where he can peel wide but also attack the box. He's scored more than 200 goals for club and country and is dangerous both as a provider and as a goalscorer. Riva is our primary attacking threat fending off defenders and being out main presence in the box.
Ouch! You crippled him by killing Cerezo though. That ended up being the most effective murder in the round. Skizzo had a great set of players but nobody who you'd want as a holding midfielder bar Hamann (meh), Lahm or maybe Robbo as a defensive B2B, and the latter two were gone before he could pick. Edgar had Matic (underwhelming), Bonhof (not sure how good he was as a holder), or Schuster as a DLP. Then he needed to bin Dempsey too.