Boards Forum Draft; First round Game 1; Redzerdrog vs LiamO

bamboozling

Presenting Game 1 of the Boards.ie soccer forum Football Draft.

Poll will stay up for 96 hours, anyone may vote, however only votes attached with reasoning on thread will be counted.

Redzerdrog and LiamO, submit your teams and counter argue and the very best of luck.

redzerdrog

LiamO

Pick 1 - Luis Suarez - with aguero and rooney gone he was an easy pick

Pick 2 - David luiz - wanted a quality CB and this guy oozes class

Pick 3 - Nigel De Jong - The best DM in the league and immense value in round 3

Pick 4 - Zola - didnt think he would make it past the 1st 5 pick let alone down to 15th great value for this round

Pick 5 - Jose enrique - One of the best lb last year and has kicked on this year prob the most in form lb in the league

Pick 6 - Jose Bosingwa - likewise prob the most in form RB in the league and great value in round 6 considering some of the rb picked ahead of him

Pick 7 - Joey Barton - fit perfect for my midfield can do everything from tackle to score

Pick 8 - Scott Dann - Powerfull defender and the perfect foil for luiz

Pick 9 - Andres Iniesta - never dreamed he would make it out of the top 3 so delighted to complete my midfield with the best midfielder in the world

Pick 10 - Gabriel Agbonlahor - The gamble paid off to wait for him, he is in terrific form this year and super value as a 10th round pick

Pick 11 - Tim Krul - Gamble to leave gk till last paid off and got the best young keeper in the league in great form this year also



Overall I feel my team is well balance, has pace, power, guile and guts in abundance aswell as undoubted ability throughout.

Defense is strong with luiz and dann the perfect partnership with luiz ball playing abilty and dann no nonsense 100% commitment defending. My two full back are prob the 2 most in form fb in the league this year they have pace and power and can defend well but also provide width in attack

midfield in anchored by DeJong who will provide ample protection for my back 4 particularly if either fb is attacking. Barton will play box to box and has the attribute to do what ever is called of him weather its provide protection to the defense or assists to the forwards. Iniesta will have a free role and will dictate the game he also has the licence to pop up on the wing or the edge of the box.

Zola and agbonlahor provide a great mix of pace and power with guile and vision they both have licence to pop up anywhere in the forward line. Suarez will in general lead the line and this guy can do the lot he is a class act and wont give the opposition a moments rest.

my team has many leaders but the captain will be zola who will be a great leader.

frees/corner: iniesta/barton
pens:Zola

bamboozling

LiamO has asked me to submit this, he'll be able to argue points tomorrow he has said.



Going for a formation similar to Chelsea's at the start of last season with attacks focused primarily down one wing and with only one out and out winger and with Riise providing width on the left and Anderson giving him an outlet to help him bring it forward. When Nani gets the ball in games he invariably creates something special and with a player like Bent in the middle to finish these chances off I'd feel confident of scoring in every game.

That's not to say my team however is only to attack down the wings as the creative players in the middle are top class and have a wealth of both Champions League and international experience. I think that that is a great strength that my team possesses. To a man they have all played at the top level and are used to the big game pressure that comes with it and most have excelled at that level.

I feel this formation allows a lot of fluidity and would lead to a lot of position swapping that would make it difficult for any team to keep up on defence. Which brings me to my defence. Again, players who have been there and done it all. Riise will provide a great attacking option down that side while not compromising on defence. Stam and Woodgate are as good as it comes in the center and I don't feel I have to overly justify their abilities. Stam was the CL defender of the year every year he was in the PL and Woodgate, without injuries, would be at a top European club still. This season the injuries haven't been a problem and he has immediately returned to a very high level of play.

That leaves Heitinga at the right back spot. He is a top quality defender who was part of a defence that kept out Spain for over 115 minutes and will make sure any gaps that Nani leaves in front of him are plugged and he has some good ability to join the attack himself. Vorm is a great shot stopper and a good addition to the last line of defense that I think will work well with his countrymen Stam and Heitinga.

The team's attacks will be all about playing it around and looking for gaps to exploit. All they'll need is a split second for the likes of Ramsey, Anderson and Schweinsteiger to unleash Meireles, Nani and Bent. Would be looking at Ramsey and Meireles to be swapping positions depending on how the game is going and to unbalance the defense.

While trying to be utterly optimistic about my team there is one thing that worries me. How Anderson will adapt to the role further left than he is used to playing. I have seen him take up those positions for individual attacks for United and done quite well though so I have optimism he can overcome any difficulties. I have Meireles and Ramsey who have played there before but they are more suited to central roles imo.

Mitch Connor

LiamO

went for Redzerdrog - defence is a lot better, midfield much better balanced and I prefer the strikeforce

GavRedKing

LiamO

Voted for redzerdrog, his team has just a little bit more player for player when you compare them to liamO's team.

Both formations would be a joy to watch playing each other with those players and potential tactics.

Liam O

I have a few minutes so I'll discuss now why I think I should win. The big advantage I think my team has is Nani who will get one on one with Enrique time after time with this formation. If De Jong comes over to cover then it opens up plenty of space inside for Meireles, Ramsey and Anderson to exploit. Bent doesn't need many chances to score and I think with this formation he'll get them. Bosingwa may be forced to come inside to cover the gaps left there and this will hamper the attack as well as allowing Riise space to run into.

On defense I'm happy enough to play that attack as I feel Heitinga can come inside and make a top quality back 3 when the team is under pressure with Riise able to come back and plug the gaps. Schweinsteiger will do a great job on Iniesta I'd say and Anderson will be able to get back and help deal with Barton to allow me to gain a foothold in midfield where I think that Ramsey and Meireles will be able to take on De Jong quite successfully to give Bent the chances he needs.

I already had this mostly written before someone knocked the power chord out of the back of the machine in college. Was very annoyed to say the least :mad:

redzerdrog

LiamO

On my phone so cant see liams team and formation will counter argue in dept this evening. From what I can gather his defense is in credibally slow. His team is unbalaced as he has 4 cm, 1 winger and 1 striker. He is overly reliant on nani getting the better if enrique who has all the atributes to keep him quiet and is the most in form lb in the league. Bent is good but my cb pairing is more than capible of stopping him. My front 3 would have a absolute fieldday against his defence and with no help from sweinsteiger as he would be too busy chasing iniestas shadow. I feel my team is far better and wins this every time.

SlickRic

LiamO

redzer for me.

his defence is better, even though i don't think it's as good as many have made out in the centre ...but he was quality wingbacks.

also, LiamO, Nani being 1-on-1 with Enrique is not a good thing for you. Enrique is proven to be the best 1-on-1 defender in the league over the last year or so.

i simply prefer redzer's balance in attack...i think Zola and Suarez would be brilliant together, and with Iniesta behind, it's just too good i'm afraid.

redzerdrog

LiamO

Looking at how both teams are set up I just cant see how he will contain me. Riise and anderson on the left doesnt inspire confidence. They are up against two speed merchants in bosingwa and agbonlahor. Factor in that anderson is also playing out of position and that riise is leaving a massive gap in behind that agbonlahor would go into in a canter.

On the other side your main attacking treath is up against enrique who has been in great form this year and I think the bigger question is how nani will deal with him gosting forward with he does so well. enrique, iniesta and zola will just play triangles around sweinstieger and heitega all day long.

In the middle I feel that I come out on top aswell with De Jong, Barton and Iniesta far more balanced and far more solid and with plenty more bite to go with their abundance of ability than sweinstieger, ramsey and meireles.

Up top you have Bent v Luiz and Dann. No doubt that bent is a good goal scorer but if you cant get the ball too him he can do f all. Even at times he does get a sniff I have Luiz who is one of the best readers of the game in the league and is so calm alongside a very promising and commited CB of Dann I think my pairing are more than capable of keeping him scoreless.

Suerez v stam and woodgate will be too good, too clever and far too quick for these 2. I can see there being foul after foul after fould and when you have someone like iniesta or zola creating opertunities I just cant see my team not scoring.

CSF

Has to be Redzerdrog, far more balance throughout the team.

Brendan97

LiamO

Redzerdrog has a more attacking team with a solid defence

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

I actually like LiamO's team better. Think he has a very solid midf that might jsut swing the game in his favour.

redzerdrog

LiamO

THFC wrote: »

I actually like LiamO's team better. Think he has a very solid midf that might jsut swing the game in his favour.

I honestly believe my midfield is a lot stronger. De jong would be far to physical for meireles, barton and ramsey are fairly even and as much as I like sweinstieger he is up against the best midfielder in the world in iniesta.

lordgoat

LiamO

I think redzer would take it, i think there's a lack of balance in LiamO's midfield, Riise would be horribly exposed and Ando lost on the left.

Would be amazing to watch though, both teams so open!

Liam O

redzerdrog wrote: »

I honestly believe my midfield is a lot stronger. De jong would be far to physical for meireles, barton and ramsey are fairly even and as much as I like sweinstieger he is up against the best midfielder in the world in iniesta.

Schweinsteiger is the best player in his position in the world imo. I honestly don't see how De Jong and Barton would be able to deal with Meireles, Ramsey and Anderson cutting in. Schweinsteiger has great distribution and can make some great runs too. The main reason I think Ando's postion works is that on attack Bosingwa would have to cut in to contain him thus eliminating his attacking threat. It worked for Chelsea at the start of last season a similar formation to this and my players in the middle are all box to box players more than capable of contributing to defense and attack.

As for the Enrique nullifying Nani debate. I really like my odds on that one because Nani one on on with any defender time after time he is going to produce good service into the box and Meireles and Bent are going to be a huge threat. Dann and Luis wouldn't inspire me with too much confidence under pressure. Stam and Woodgate will nullify Suarez and both the full backs are more than capable of putting in a defensive shift.

whatawaster

LiamO

I gave this to Redzer.

I really like his defensive shape - two pretty good CB's and two excellent attacking FB's, supported by one of the best DMs around, in Nigel De Jong.

That is a platform right there for the rest of his team to create/score goals, and I think they will. Iniesta, Zola and Suarez make his a very potent and creative frontline. Even though I think Liam has a good defense, I think Riise is a massive, massive liability.

In midfield, I think Liam's team looks (not saying it is) tacked together using the best players available, rather than planned as a cohesive unit. I think his team is over-reliant on Nani to create goals.

I don't think there'll be much in it, but I think Redzers team will dominate possession, be harder to break down and has more creativity & goals in it.

redzerdrog

LiamO

Liam O wrote: »

Schweinsteiger is the best player in his position in the world imo. I honestly don't see how De Jong and Barton would be able to deal with Meireles, Ramsey and Anderson cutting in. Schweinsteiger has great distribution and can make some great runs too. The main reason I think Ando's postion works is that on attack Bosingwa would have to cut in to contain him thus eliminating his attacking threat. It worked for Chelsea at the start of last season a similar formation to this and my players in the middle are all box to box players more than capable of contributing to defense and attack.

As for the Enrique nullifying Nani debate. I really like my odds on that one because Nani one on on with any defender time after time he is going to produce good service into the box and Meireles and Bent are going to be a huge threat. Dann and Luis wouldn't inspire me with too much confidence under pressure. Stam and Woodgate will nullify Suarez and both the full backs are more than capable of putting in a defensive shift.

I think player for player i would win out the majority of positions based on current form and ability.

Krul v Vorm - for aguements sake i will call this a draw even though Krul is better imo and actually yours as you tried to select him before vorm

Bosingwa v heitega - Bosingwa no doubt about it
Enrique v Riise- enrique and its not even close
Luiz & Dann v Stam & Woodgate - Luiz & dann for me your pair are far too immoblie though stam would be a perfect foil Luiz

De Jong v Sweinsteiger - different players imo but as an out and out DM De Jong is the best in the league, No Doubting BS is a better ball player but for protecting my back four there is nobody better
Barton v Ramsey - again i will call it a draw I like both players
Iniesta V Meireles - Iniesta by a million miles

Agbonlahor v Nani - I will give you that one but think agbonlahor was a great pick for round 10
Zola v Anderson - Zola is one of the best players in premiership history and anderson is anderson who I dont rate at all

Suarez v Bent - Suarez all day long for me

Not only this but my team has far better shape and balance compared to yours which i feel i very unbalanced and I hate to see players picked in these thing and the shunted way out of position it just shows a lack of planning imo

ColeTrain

LiamO

This is another even game imo. Really like aspects of the two teams.
For me Liam O has a good mixture in his midfield. I think they would play well with each other. I also like the look of his defence. Maybe they could be exposed for pace against Redzerdog's forward line though.

Redzerdrog's team boasts some fantastic players. Iniesta, Zola and Suarez - who wouldn't pay to see them link up? His fullbacks are also pacy. De Jong and Barton also give his team much needed dig. This is the key for me, it would have been critical if he hadn't put in two players like that.

I'm going to give it to Redzer for the above but Liam O's team would beat a lot of other teams in the draft for me.

Blatter

LiamO

Redzerdrog would win here imo.

More balance than Liam O's team, as Anderson wouldn't convince me out on the left and I just don't think Bent is in hat top tier of strikers despite his goalscoring record. I think there's reason why a bigger side has never gone in for him. Very good player though in fairness.

Bosingwa would be a defensive liability for Redzerdrog, despite his scoring in fantasy football;) And I don't think Luiz and Dann are as solid at the back as some think(still very good though)

But I really like his front three of Zola, Agbonlahor and Suarez and I think it would be too much for Liam O's backline although I don't think Zola or Agbonlahor would grace themselves in glory defensively in the wide positions.

Good match though, as I really like Schweinsteiger and other parts of Liam O's team.

dfx-

LiamO

Schweinsteiger and Meireles are strong choices, though I'm not so sure about Anderson. Another vote for redzerdrog, de Jong and Barton might end up their weak link

LuckyCharms

LiamO

Went for redzerdrog. The left side of Liams side is weak which swung it for me. Anderson doesn't have the stamina to do what is being asked of him imo.

Liked Liams CB pairing and i think with some better attacking options down that left side, he might have swung it.

G.K.

I'm going for Redzerdrog, whose team is incredibly well balanced, with great creativity and capability to defend well - I also think he has the best back 4 in the draft. Vorm, Nani and maybe Schweinsteiger are superior on Liam's team but there are weaknesses too, like Anderson and Heitinga, who I love, but isn't much of an RB.

Bounty Hunter

LiamO

Personally Redz team is one of my favs for the competition and although I like Liams the formation which iirc he decided upon so he could pick Scweinsteiger is something I cant really get past. I really like Redz attacking trio and would have loved to see them together and think they will get him the goals to put him through here

ynwa_17

LiamO

Red for me - All across the pitch he is strong - Especially with that defence.