Draft Quarter Final: Blatter vs LiamO

Frankie Lee

Poll will be added when both teams are up, but votes in the thread with a little reasoning will be the ones that count towards the winner.
Voting finishes 24 hours after the second player's team is announced.
Best of luck to both.

Liam O

I'm very happy with how my team turned out and the style that they will play is one that I feel is very suited to the Premier League.

At the back with Reina in goal there's a man there who probably has the best distribution that the league has seen. His ability on the ball means that the defence can pass it back to him at any time and not feel like it's a waste. Had a great penalty saving ability and made big saves when it mattered in general.

In central defence I have Bruce and Radebe. Both former captains of their clubs during their most successful premier league runs. 2 players who had great ball skills and control for their position with Radebe originally being a center mid and moving back and Bruce, while not lacking any on the ball ability will attack everything and has great heading ability and a goal threat from set pieces to boot.

My full backs have great Premier League pedigree. Winterburn won the league with Arsenal as part of a great defensive line and Petrescu capable at both ends of the field will link up nicely down that side with whoever is in front of him there.

Centre mid is where my biggest strength is and I think will be where I win my matches. Makelele and Alonso are 2 of the standout players in the league since its inception and will control the midfield battle against any opponent with Makelele being Makelele and Alonso the creative force of the team, able to pick out any of the attackers at a moments notice.

On the wings I have Overmars and Nani. Two players capable of playing the wide role or cutting in and creating something from inside. I think for the purpose of this game I'd want Nani creating from out wide and Overmars cutting in as he did to devastating effect in some huge games during his time at Arsenal.

Up front then I have Cantona and Sturridge. Cantona will play just off Sturridge, whose pace will open up space for Cantona to play in. Cantona is capable at both dropping deep and playing further forward which will suit my wingers and his long range threat is always a plus with him. As for Sturridge, he scores goals, no matter where he is, what level he is at, in the PL, he has scored from whatever position he is in. He became less selfish last season so with the pace flanking him always has the creative option too.

Right so basically I think I have the players to put away Blatter in this contest.

Central midfield is where I see a big advantage over him. He has Dacourt and Di Matteo and without knowing his final 11 Alonso and Makelele will steamroll those 2 if he sticks with the same system as he did in the last game.

Ultimately we both play the same system and I feel I have better players than him in most positions and especially in midfield there's no way that you can compare them and that will be what does it for me at the end of the contest. Overmars got the better of Neville a few times when they played and Nani will expose Evra going forward down the left if he does while my full backs, especially Winterburn, will nullify Blatters threat on the wings and force him to play through the middle where he'll only run into Makelele.

Skylinehead

I'll post Blatters in an hour if he hasn't, on phone too. Your PM box is full btw.

Skylinehead

First off, I'd like to wish Liam O the best of luck.



Thoughts on Liam O's team

Liam's team is excellent on paper but I don't think it translates quite like that in a game for one major reason that I'd struggle to overlook; There is a lack of energy and box to box presence in the middle of the park. Makelele and Alonso are two fantastic players in their own right (although Alonso only had one elite season in the PL, it's easy to forget that) but the two naturally sit quite deep and they need a runner to compliment them. Mascherano and Alonso had a good partnership for Liverpool but Gerrard's energy and running ahead of them was absolutely key IMO, Cantona (who IMO should never have been picked before Bergkamp) would struggle to make it work in front of them. Ultimately, there would be too big a gap between them to develop a consistent rhythm and flow.

The above, combined with the fact he wouldn't be getting a whole lot of joy out wide against my fullbacks (Overmars would cause problems at times but Neville is more than a fair match for him), Liam O would struggle to create chances. And the ones he does create would likely be falling to Solskjaer or Sturridge, who wouldn't be elite strikers in the draft. And remember they'd still have to beat Schmeichel.

I think the game would be close but ultimately I think my team will function better as a team and shade it.




My Team

I believe Schmeichel in goal is a massive asset. He's almost always in the conversation when talking about the GOAT goalkeepers. His ability to make one v one saves is immense and he often made even the best of strikers to second guess themselves up against him. He was also a great organiser and had outstanding authority in the penalty area. I believe these attributes greatly increase the confidence of the back 4 ahead of him and thus makes the defense that bit more assured. In games where chances will be few and far between (a lot of games in this draft) I think he can be a key difference.

My back 4 itself is very solid. In Evra and G. Neville, I have two of the most accomplished fullbacks in PL history. Both solid defensively and both offer a great deal going forward. Evra's ability to link up play at a high level added to his searing pace and quality of his dribbling, offers me a great outlet down the left. Most know about Neville so no need to go into too much depth. First and foremost he was a quality defender but he also offered very good width and had a very good cross on him.

Southgate and Gallas as the CBs are very reliable and have a nice mixture of pace and strength.

I think Dacourt and Di Matteo are a good duo in the centre of midfield. For those who aren't familiar with Dacourt, I'd liken him to a Vieira in style (although obviously not as good). Very combative and energetic, assured in possession and has a touch of class about him. Di Matteo will be the more creative of the duo. He had a fantastic range of passing but could also get stuck in and work hard. I don't think the two of them will set the world light in comparison to other CMs in the draft but at the same time I think they'll be well able to hold their own and not roll over.

Malouda on the left will offer good width but also if you remember his peak days at Chelsea, he often tucked in close to the CMs when his stamina and work rate was at it's highest, which helps to prevent the midfield getting overrun. I believe his directness will suit Shearer down to the ground.

Wiltord on the other side will provide a real goal threat as well as a strong work rate and counter attacking threat with his pace. His incisive runs inside won't be wasted with the vision and creative talent of Bergkamp in the side.

There isn't too much to say about Bergkamp, most people are aware of his qualities. Not the most prolific of goalscorers but he doesn't need to be when he's in the same side as Shearer, as well as having good goal threats from the wings. His creative input and vision was second to none in the PL. He'll also relax the workload of the midfielders by keeping possession of the ball.

Like Bergkamp, there isn't too much to say about Shearer that people already don't know. I'd just like to point out that Shearer (pre injuries) was fairly quick in comparison to his later years. His hold up play will help bring the best out of Bergkamp and the wingers and his finishing will help get the best out of them.

redzerdrog

Havent made my mind up yet but some initial thaughts.

Gk - Blatter wins
FB's - Blatter narrowly wins
CB's - Even enough
CM - Liamo by a distance
wings - Liamo (overmars wins)
Strikers - Blatter by a distance

However midfield is so important and I am struggling to see where the supply will come from for Shearer/Berkamp.

Gona hold off choosing for the time being

#15

Liam O will dominate midfield and therefore the general run of play. However, even with Bergkamp squeezed out of the game by Makelele, Shearer will get at least one chance and put it away for Blatter's team.

On the other end, I'm not sure Liam O's front 4 will beat a peak Schmeichel. His performances against Inter in 99 and Newcastle in 96 and 98 makes me think he could keep out everything Sturridge, Nani and Cantona throw at him.

I'm leaning towards Blatter despite his IMO poor midfield. Overmars is the one factor that is making me hesitant. I will hold off on casting my vote until later, when I have had time to consider that Overmars is likely to have the beating of Neville and how much that might affect the outcome.

bucketybuck

Its hard not to agree with Blatters assessment of Liam's midfield. Makelele and Alonso are fantastic players but they are not really dynamic players. The two of them could sit there keeping things ticking over all day long but just ticking over isn't enough, who is going to drive the play? Cantona could do it, he is a big game player and will grab the game by the scruff of the neck, but how deep will he have to come to do that? Dacourt and Di Matteo are very good players, while on the face of things they aren't big names like Makelele/Alonso I do think we could play this game out and find that in the end they had far more influence on the play.

I do like Liams frontline. Nani is criminally underrated even by his own club, a peak and on form Nani will be a constant menace to any team. On the other side Overmars is a legend and Cantona will work perfectly with those two, he always worked well with wingers at United. Sturridge isn't the legend others are, but he will suit this attack and should do well. I think I'd give Liam the advantage attack wise. Shearer and Bergkamp don't need explanation, but I far prefer Liams wingers over Malouda and Wiltord.

I think Blatter is better defensively and is able to cope with the pace of Liams attack, Gallas especially is fit for Sturridge. On the other side Bruce will relish the battle with Shearer, Winterburn won't fear Wiltord at all and Petrescu might get a lot of joy pushing forward from Malouda.

I think I have to vote for Liam here. Makele and Alonso may be sitting very deep but they will also stop a lot of the moves that Bergkamp and Wiltord would like to play, I just have a feeling that Blatter could struggle to score goals here, even with Alan Shearer. Liam has a battle against a very good defence, but I can see a Cantona, Nani or Overmars pulling something out of the hat. 1-0 to Liam.

Iused2likebusts

LiamO for me. Alonso's range of passing is ideal for the pace he has in his team in nani sturridge and overmars and i think they can break very quick. Radebe was a great defender tough as nails as was bruce and although blatter has a great front two.Id feel makelele can nullify bergkamp and the two CB's are ideal for dealing with shearer. Narrow win for Liamo.

Liam O

Just on the whole midfield thing, I'm not sure why there would be a need for a dynamic player in the team. Alonso will be free to dictate the play and can move forward with Makelele behind him and his job will be to get the ball to Cantona, Nani or Overmars who will quickly produce something or set up Sturridge. The mix of pace outside and technique inside provides threats against any kind of defensive stubborness.

Just on the center backs too I don't think Southgate and Gallas come close to Bruce and Radebe. They aren't great leaders which you need back there. Schmeichel, while being one of my favourite players ever was not unbeatable as Overmars could attest to himself. I see my team creating a lot of chances against that center back pairing and Schmeichel can't keep them all out. The goalscoring potential in my front 4 is overall miles ahead of Blatter's too imo.

Ferris_Bueller

I will vote for LiamO, Blatters midfield is too weak for my liking and LiamOs team has no real weaknesses, although Blatter does win a good few battles in some positions. Makelele and Alonso is a fantastic partnership, I can understand the point Blatter was trying to make about the midfield not having a runner but in a match like this where it is 2v2 in the middle I think they will get away with it, Alonso would have a field day picking out the front four with passes from deep. LiamO has two good wingers but I'd imagine Evra and Neville would generally be able to deal with them, Overmars would surely get in behind Neville once or twice though. I think Cantona will cause more problems than Bergkamp will, and if Gallas or Southgate have to move up to deal with him I wouldn't fancy either of them in a 1v1 against Sturridge, although Schmeichel won't be easily beaten. 1-0 LiamO.

redzerdrog

redzerdrog wrote: »

Havent made my mind up yet but some initial thaughts.

Gk - Blatter wins
FB's - Blatter narrowly wins
CB's - Even enough
CM - Liamo by a distance
wings - Liamo (overmars wins)
Strikers - Blatter by a distance

However midfield is so important and I am struggling to see where the supply will come from for Shearer/Berkamp.

Gona hold off choosing for the time being

Prob one of closest ones yet but i am going to go with blatter as i think he is slightly stronger overall.

The key is Evra having the beating of nani and nani not tracking him well enough providing an outlet down the left to double up on the fullback.

I agree somewhat with Blatter that on paper liamos team looks nice but i think it may flatter to decieve. Nani very hot and cold and mostly cold even his peak he never scored 10+ goals. Sturridge is the main striker and ad much as i love him he only has 1 good season to his name while on the other side Shearer produced year after year.

A narrow 1-0 win for blatter

MythicalMadMan

Serious tough call but mainly due to Schmeichel being on blatters team i think itd be easier.

Being said I think Sch best attribute would have been claiming crosses (just his best he was just class) not the way LiamO team would play.

Both wings have pace but if we are considering players at thier peak overmars and nani will test any fbs on thier day.

And that defensive midfield pairing of alonso and makelele is just sexy protecting a weaker back four compared to baltters. Makeleles will break up attacks alonso has a fantastic range of passing to feed fast wingers.

Then u have cantona feeding the ball into Sturridge who has looked very good for the pool in one on ones.

Ive got to give it to LiamO

Overall better balanced team.

Plus for baltter is his defence.

overall gnev and evra will have to attack to provide shearer and will be cut open on counter and berkcamp suits an hendry more than a shearer

Winston Payne

Very even game in prospect here.


Blatter's attack VS Liam O's defence:
I'm not sure that there's a defence in the draft that could keep Blatter's front two out. It would need a stronger goalkeeper than Pepe Reina behind them to achieve that too. Reina had a decent career but he was never the best in the league.The left hand side of Liam O's defence looks formidable with Alonso dropping in on that side and Nigel Winterburn a very steady presence at left back. Wiltord would struggle to get past him one-on-one and Winterburn's positioning was also very strong, meaning that there wouldn't be a huge amount of space for Wiltord to run into.

On Blatter's left it's slightly more promising. The sheer pace and hustle of Evra-Malouda is daunting. Nani never shirked it defensively but Petrescu against a peak Malouda is a battle that edges towards the Frenchman for me. For eighteen months Malouda bossed the left for Chelsea. He could run all day, worked hard, and was a very strong dribbling presence. Evra will overlap with him all game and Blatter would find joy at some stage or another throughout the match. A cross for Shearer looks the best avenue for him to score from. Only the very, very best in the air could stay with Shearer and Liam O's defensive pair are just shy of that. Makelele in front of the defence cuts down a lot on Bergkamp's threat, so other avenues to attack need to be explored and exploited. Blatter has a good enough variation to his attack to meet that need.


The midfield battle:
On paper Liam O's midfield looks far superior. You have to consider it's Premier League form and peaks however, and that bridges that gap a bit. Liam O would probably enjoy a bit more possession, but the play might end up being a bit lateral given the partnership. Di Matteo and Dacourt both had good engines and space would be at a premium. Cantona I see more as a second striker than playmaker. A box-to-box runner would have made this structure a lot more dangerous. Alonso would give the wings good service when on the ball, though if Di Matteo or, more likely, Dacourt decide to drop in on Cantona it places the burden on Alonso to advance with the ball. Blatter would be comfortable with Makelele enjoying the ball deep in Liam O's midfield. Not sure how natural Alonso would be going up the pitch like that. A scenario like that also leaves Di Matteo free to press in on Alonso, a task he would gladly take to.


Liam O's attack VS Blatter's defence:
Very good partnership, and support around that partnership as well. Cantona supplying balls in behind for Sturridge is a natural and dangerous fit. Nani is perfectly happy to stretch the game out wide or come in on his left and shoot. Overmars' sheer pace makes him a direct goal threat and again, Cantona could service those runs. Not a big amount of space in behind Blatter's defence either mind. Gallas has the pace to stick with Sturridge. Dacourt could drop deep and cut down a bit on Cantona's space, and Blatter's defence looks well protected overall, the centre and the left hand side scream to me as areas with heavily compressed space. Evra against Nani is a duel I'd edge towards the Frenchman. Neville against Overmars looks dead even. Cantona leaves Dacourt once or twice but Schmeicel in goal pretty much rules out a long-range goal, and Sturridge won't be getting many if any one-on-one's. A clean sheet is just about in prospect.


The balance of the game:
Liam O would have more of the ball but not by a huge degree. It would be a very tight match. Both defences are strong, gains are extremely hard fought and the advantages are marginal where they exist. But Blatter enjoys two of them in very critical areas, one of which is out wide, on the left, and the other is up front with a superior strike partnership. Blatter's defence copes better with the threat that's facing it, just. A Shearer header wins this one for him one-nil.

Demosthenese

LiamO only weak link is Nani, the rest of his team are strong, particularly like the Radebe/Petrescu addition to the backline. Lighting up front with the class of Cantona supplying the bullets.

Southgate/Evra/Wiltord/Malouda doesn't inspire confidence in me with an over reliance in French players in general not a good idea as mutiny always strikes when 3 or more are in the same room. Could see Overmars having a field day out there.

LiamO for the win in my books.

Blatter

Just bumping this to see if more people can vote, 7 so far in total.

Skylinehead

I think Blatter. Liam has a great midfield, and a great attack....and a great gap between them. Cantona will have to drop very deep, something he wasn't entirely accustomed to, or Alonso will have to carry it forward, something he definitely doesn't do much. Liam has fantastic wingers, but Blatter has equally impressive fullbacks to nullify that. Sturridge can be cancelled out by Gallas, can you say Radebe and Bruce will do the same for both Bergkamp and Shearer? I doubt it. Makeleke is a great help here, but I think Malouda will get the better of Petrescu to add to the attack.

I just can't see past that gigantic gap in midfield, sorry. Di Matteo and even Bergkamp can drop into that and cause some damage, and I don't think Liams defence is good enough to contain that strikeforce. Blatter 2-1 or similar.

menoscemo

I can't split these two teams tbh.

#15

#15 wrote: »

Liam O will dominate midfield and therefore the general run of play. However, even with Bergkamp squeezed out of the game by Makelele, Shearer will get at least one chance and put it away for Blatter's team.

On the other end, I'm not sure Liam O's front 4 will beat a peak Schmeichel. His performances against Inter in 99 and Newcastle in 96 and 98 makes me think he could keep out everything Sturridge, Nani and Cantona throw at him.

I'm leaning towards Blatter despite his IMO poor midfield. Overmars is the one factor that is making me hesitant. I will hold off on casting my vote until later, when I have had time to consider that Overmars is likely to have the beating of Neville and how much that might affect the outcome.

I'm going for Blatter.

Magico Gonzalez

Liam O - the midfield is a mismatch, Makelele and Alonso will have DiMatteo and Dacourt bought and sold. Makelele can comfortably handle DiMatteo shutting down the distribution and Alonso is too clever by a street for Dacourt.

Sturridge will give an over rated Southgate nightmares, too quick, too much movement.

In truth, you could talk about the other players but genuinely I think Di Matteo and Dacourt are out of their depth against this pairing. Two tidy midfielders against the man who almost defined the modern defensive midfielder and Alonso whose range of passing and intelligence are simply light years beyond the Italian.

Blatter

Congrats Liam, best of luck next round!