Boards.ie Football Draft; Quarter final Game 4; bUILDER tHE bOB v whatawaster

Blatter

Presenting Game 4 in the Quarter final 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.

bUILDER tHE bOB v whatawaster, submit your teams and counter argue and the very best of luck.

whatawaster

Team:

Peter Schmeichel

Fabio Da Silva
Benoit Assou-Ekotto
Nemanja Vidic
Laurent Koscielny

Sandro
Tom Huddlestone
Ramires

Samir Nasri
Danny Welbeck
Gonzalo Higuain

---

Schmeichel

---

Fabio

---

Vidic

---

Koscielny---Assou-Ekotto

---

Sandro

---

Huddlestone

---

---

Ramires

---

---

Nasri

---

Welbeck

---

---

Higuain

---

Overall, I think this is a well-balanced side, with lots of ability and few weaknesses.

What makes a great team? Attributes like pace, physicality, technique, ability to attack and defend set-plays, creativity/flair, a top goalkeeper. Most important, to me, is the ability of a group of players to mix well together. I believe my team covers all of these bases well.

Pace: I have two quick full backs and one fast CB in Koscielny. This will allow me to keep a high defensive line – key to the pressing game I believe would suit my side. Furthermore, Sandro and Ramires will give me pace in midfield. In attacking from wide, I will be able to rely on the pace of both my full backs as well as Welbeck.

Physicality: Schmeichel is a beast and will dominate his area. Vidic will not be overpowered by any striker. In midfield Huddlestone, Sandro and Ramires are as strong a combination as you’ll see. Between them they have plenty of height, bulk and stamina.

Technique: The only player in my 11 I’d say is not overly comfortable on the ball is Vidic. The rest of the team all have good touch, control and passing ability.

Defending set plays: Schmeichel is hands down the best keeper in this draft, and he dominates his area like no other. Between him and Vidic, most corners and free-kicks will be swept up with ease. Huddlestone and Sandro also offer plenty of aerial protection because of their height.

Attacking set-plays: Huddlestone is a marvellous striker of a dead ball and will be my designated set-piece taker. Vidic, Sandro and Higuain will be the key targets in the box.

Creativity/Flair: Huddlestone and Ramires have the passing range to create chances from midfield, but Nasri will be the main creator in the team.

Goalkeeper: Peter Schmeichel. Enough said.

How the team mixes together: My team sets up the way I like to see teams set up:
- One strong CB, one mobile CB
- Two pacey, attack minded full-backs.
- A midfield trio that, imo, gives the team perfect balance. Sandro the ball winner, Huddlestone the quarter-back whose job it is to bring the full-backs and the attackers into the game, and Ramires is the link-man with the forward three (reminds me of the good oul Liverpool days of Mascherano, Alonso and Gerrard in midfield)
- A mobile, versatile front three. Welbeck is pacey and dangerous, with an eye for goal. Nasri is tricky and creative and Higuain is the perfect modern striker, skilful, mobile and full of goals. The three of them will switch positions frequently.
- More than anything, my team is all about balance. The centre-halves compliment each other, as does the midfield trio and the attacking trio. This wasn't a team put together by chance, it was a team I envisaged would play in a certain fashion (the way I like to see a team play) and (almost) all of my picks were pre-meditated well in advance, many from the very beginning.

It's a team capable of winning the ball and keeping the ball, shutting out teams and scoring goals.

bUILDERtHEbOB

I think all the players' respective ability speak for themselves, everyone knows each one and all that. The only real question mark is over Aurelio and the fact that he hasn't played in a while, so each to their own on that, but he's always been a solid left back and an excellent footballer.

I'm hoping the team can play a high tempo passing game, the collective pace, technique and movement of of Toure/Cleverley/Mata/Sturridge would cause any team problems and when you add in Cavani's finishing it creates a massive attacking threat. The full backs are good enough to provide options out wide and either centre half is capable of stepping forward into midfield as they wish.

Defensively I think I'm very strong, Adams is easily one of the best defenders in the draft and Cahill is a solid premiership player. It's a relatively big side too with plenty of players over 6 foot tall, so it will cause a threat from attacking set pieces as well as being strong defensively. Lucas has the positional awareness and stamina to cover full backs if Mata or Sturridge are caught up field, and can double up on whatever opponent to wait for the support to get back.

That's pretty much it!

PHB

whatawaste for me, team is better balanced overall, and defensively is pretty rock solid.

whatawaster

It will be a tough ask, but I think i'll come through this one as my team is imo stronger in most areas of the pitch. Both teams are playing a similar shape so it's easy to compare.

Goalkeepers: Schmeichel vs Howard: Schmeichel by knockout.

Full-backs: I think my full backs are far better offensively, but his maybe shade it defensively. However, Aurelio is very injury prone and that needs to be taken into consideration.

Centre-backs: IMO, this is close. I think mine are better balanced, in that Vidic and Koscielny compliment each other so well, but I think the argument could be made that Cahill and Adams are stronger.

Central midfield: I think my midfield has better balance to be honest, with a ball winner (Sandro), playmaker (Huddlestone) and link-man (Ramires). Though to be fair it's very evenly matched.
The key for me is that I don't think you'll get the best out of Toure in that system. He won't be able to get forward at will because Cleverly will want to do that. If both of them break forward then Huddlestone and Sandro will dominate Lucas.


Attack:
Welbeck vs Sturridge
Nasri vs Mata
Higuain vs Cavani

Are three close battles, but I'd argue I have the stronger attack. To be fair the attacks are remarkably similar in terms of the profiles of the three players.
The key is that my attacks will be supplemented by Ramires, who is superior to Cleverly, and two full backs who are great going forward.

Overall, I think i'll win, because I think my midfield has more balance, and I have more attacking threat from other areas of the pitch.
I have a much stronger keeper as well.
I think they are two strong defenses and attacks and it will be close, but I'll win, just.

AstonMartin

Whatawaster on the basis of his posts. He clearly wants this badly.

two good teams.

bUILDERtHEbOB

Won't even bother with the goalkeeper tbh.

At full back I don't think there is anywhere near the difference in class attacking wise that you're suggesting, Kelly is powerful and quick and can get up and down the line, yes he's not the greatest player technically but he's good enough to play simple passes and keep possession and has a decent ccross on him. As for Aurelio well he's the best footballer out of all 4 full backs.

For centre half I don't think I have much of an imbalance at all, Cahill has shown himself to be perfectly caopable alongside a big centre half for England and does similar with Bolton alongside Knight.

I think my midfield is better, Lucas is the holding player, clearly, and Toure will be playing in a box to box role, but can sit in alongside Lucas if he needs a rest. Cleverley is relatively capable of doing defensive work too because at the beginning of the season he shone in a 2 man midfield for United. As for both of them breaking forward allowing Huddlestone and Sandro to dominate Lucas, well you're midfielders will have to follow my midfielders, unless you're going to allow them to have free runs into the box, and Toure and Cleverley have goals in them, so if so that's a massive opportunity for me right there.

The attacks are very similar I agree, personally I think my forwards have more goals in them, but that's even debatable.

Mitch Connor

Went for whatawaster.

I think he has the better backline and goalkeeper and a more premiership proven frontline (including both top strikers who have not played PL). Midfield I think goes to BTB, but I don't think the midfield is sufficiently better that it would dominate to the level required to swing the match.

SlickRic

whatawaster by a gee hair.

it's just a more proven team, with a more solid backline, who can also get goals when needed.

a tough game.

redzerdrog

whatawaster

another very even match up

GK watawaster wins hands down

RB kelly > fabio
LB not a lot in it on abilty but think essou-ekotto wins out here
CB pairings I will call a draw

DM Lucas > sandro
CM toure > hudd
AM rameires wins out over cleverly

RW nasri over sturridge
LW Mata over Wellbeck
CF cavani is one of my favourite players and only someone of higuains quality could stop me awarding this one to cavani I will have to call this a draw

Over all defence and attack are very even, watawaster wins the gk but howard is no weaklink and bobs midfield just shades this and narrowly wins this match for me

G.K.

whatawaster

Player to player this is close overall, I reckon builder's midfield is superior, hence why I've gone for him.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Close one this is, whatawaster shades it for me on account of his solidity all over the park.

T-b0n3

THFC wrote: »

Close one this is, whatawaster shades it for me on account of his solidity all over the park.

Feel pretty much the same way. Very very close but whatawaster gets my vote.