Early Summer Pre Final , Euro's Draft Rules & Discussion Thread

[aRdja]

5 minutes ago, lifetime fan said:

@viRdjil you need to play a midfield diamond, Rijkaard at the base and Laudrup at the tip. 

I had considered that, but I think I will stick with my Arsenal-invincibles-inspired narrow 4-4-2..

[Sugar Ape]

2 minutes ago, viRdjil said:

 

That’s not true.

 

https://www.transfermarkt.com/michael-laudrup/profil/spieler/8023

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Laudrup

 

Although primarily an offensive playmaker, he was capable of playing in several positions in or behind the front-line, and was even deployed as a winger, as a central midfielder or deep-lying playmaker, or as a second striker on occasion, in particular in his youth.

 

Transfermarkt is showing him only as a central midfielder as a secondary position. Which is correct. He wasn’t a deep-lying playmaker unless he went there in his later career at Ajax or something. If you want us to assess him at his peak then you need to play him in his proper position. Or don’t but it’ll cost you votes. 

 

This reminds me of the time Code picked Steven Gerrard in a draft and played him at right back.

[Megadrive Man]

[lifetime fan]

24 minutes ago, Sugar Ape said:

 

He played there for years for Milan? He even played there and scored when Milan won the European cup beating Barca 4-0. That midfield would absolutely beast anyone.

 

He was a better CB but that midfield would bully anyone. 

[lifetime fan]

11 minutes ago, viRdjil said:

I had considered that, but I think I will stick with my Arsenal-invincibles-inspired narrow 4-4-2..

 

I respect you sticking to your guns mate but you’re picking great players and then not playing them in their best positions. 

 

It just doesn't make sense. 

[aRdja]

12 minutes ago, Sugar Ape said:

 

Transfermarkt is showing him only as a central midfielder as a secondary position. Which is correct. He wasn’t a deep-lying playmaker unless he went there in his later career at Ajax or something. If you want us to assess him at his peak then you need to play him in his proper position. Or don’t but it’ll cost you votes. 

 

This reminds me of the time Code picked Steven Gerrard in a draft and played him at right back.

Noted. His peak was before my time, so I had to rely on research and YouTube videos with regards to both him and Rijkaard. I’m happy with Laudrup as a centre mid with Rijkaard alongside him as the more defensive-minded CM. Both Silva and De Bruyne are excelling as CMs too. I think that midfield works perfectly.

[Sugar Ape]

17 minutes ago, lifetime fan said:

 

He was a better CB but that midfield would bully anyone. 

 

I wouldn’t argue if someone thinks he was a better centre back. He mainly played in midfield for Milan ahead of Baresi and Costacurta but at centre half for Chelsea and the national team. 

 

He’s one of a handful of players who were world class in both positions. Matthaus,  Rijkaard and Hierro were too. 

 

Seems to be a dying art now, playing in both positions. Suppose Mascherano is the closest recently after spending years playing as centre back for Barca.

[aRdja]

6 minutes ago, Sugar Ape said:

 

I wouldn’t argue if someone thinks he was a better centre back. He mainly played in midfield for Milan ahead of Baresi and Costacurta but at centre half for Chelsea and the national team. 

 

He’s one of a handful of players who were world class in both positions. Matthaus,  Rijkaard and Hierro were too. 

 

Seems to be a dying art now, playing in both positions. Suppose Mascherano is the closest recently after spending years playing as centre back for Barca.

Fabinho at DM and CB this season. I really believe Klopp considers him as a genuine option at the back. 

[Sugar Ape]

5 minutes ago, viRdjil said:

Fabinho at DM and CB this season. I really believe Klopp considers him as a genuine option at the back. 

 

He only played two games there didn’t he? He’d need to play a lot more there to be considered with the greats. Doubt he’ll be there again barring an injury crisis. 

[Guest Alex_K]

Desailly wasn't really a midfielder. He played as a CB in the Marseille European Cup winning team, then moved to Milan but couldn't break Italian axis of Costacurta/Baresi/Maldini/Galli who were well-established as Europe's best for years by then (who could?) and found himself more often than not in midfield, then left Milan where he again played CB for the rest of his career. He was always at CB for France too. So there were pretty unique circumstances that led to him being in midfield at Milan.

[lifetime fan]

Gullit has played as a second striker, AM, RM/RW, CM, DM and as a sweeper.  

[Sugar Ape]

 

34 minutes ago, Alex_K said:

Desailly wasn't really a midfielder. He played as a CB in the Marseille European Cup winning team, then moved to Milan but couldn't break Italian axis of Costacurta/Baresi/Maldini/Galli who were well-established as Europe's best for years by then (who could?) and found himself more often than not in midfield, then left Milan where he again played CB for the rest of his career. He was always at CB for France too. So there were pretty unique circumstances that led to him being in midfield at Milan.

 

He played at Milan for five years at his peak, almost 200 games and almost all in midfield. If not all of them. If he wasn’t really a midfielder then he somehow managed a very good imitation of one. How he ended up there doesn’t really affect the fact he played there a lot to a world class standard. 

 

32 minutes ago, lifetime fan said:

Gullit has played as a second striker, AM, RM/RW, CM, DM and as a sweeper.  

 

Gullit is probably the most versatile player that’s ever played the game. After Paul Warhurst. 

[lifetime fan]

17 minutes ago, Sugar Ape said:

Gullit is probably the most versatile player that’s ever played the game. 

 

Incredible footballer, there’s not a position on the pitch he wouldn’t have been able to play to an amazingly high standard. 

[Bjornebye]

3 hours ago, Sugar Ape said:

 

He played there for years for Milan? He even played there and scored when Milan won the European cup beating Barca 4-0. That midfield would absolutely beast anyone.

Lothar has got something to say about that. 

[3 Stacks]

Should we write a small paragraph or something detailing our reasoning for our picks, tactics, why we think our squad is the best, etc... Feel like that would help for voting. 

[Sugar Ape]

12 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

Lothar has got something to say about that. 

 

He’s probably my favourite midfielder of all time. Best box-to-box midfielder to play the game. He’d get swamped by Stevie, Desailly and Gullit though.

[aRdja]

1 hour ago, Sugar Ape said:

 

 

He played at Milan for five years at his peak, almost 200 games and almost all in midfield. If not all of them. If he wasn’t really a midfielder then he somehow managed a very good imitation of one. How he ended up there doesn’t really affect the fact he played there a lot to a world class standard. 

 

 

Gullit is probably the most versatile player that’s ever played the game. After Paul Warhurst. 

Luis Enrique?

[John102]

[Sugar Ape]

19 minutes ago, viRdjil said:

Luis Enrique?

 

Pretty versatile but he couldn’t play to the standards Gullit did in multiple positions. He couldn’t play to the standards Gullit did in any position tbf.

 

Steve Nicol would have to be Liverpool’s most versatile player ever followed by Gerrard.

[aRdja]

Did Gullit move positions gradually like Sammer, Thon and Matthäus... or was he actually played in multiple positions like Milner this season for example?

[Sugar Ape]

2 minutes ago, viRdjil said:

Did Gullit move positions gradually like Sammer, Thon and Matthäus... or was he actually played in multiple positions like Milner this season for example?

 

I’ve read quite a lot on Gullit and he started his career in defence at Haarlem and ended it in defence at Chelsea, and played a bit there too at Sampdoria, but in the main he was either in midfield or a forward playing just off Van Basten. He could fill in anywhere when needed. I used to love watching him on Football Italia in the early 90s. He’d be all over the pitch. 

 

He probably had his most success playing just off Van Basten. Won the Euros and two European cups playing there. 

[lifetime fan]

2 minutes ago, Sugar Ape said:

 

I’ve read quite a lot on Gullit and he started his career in defence at Haarlem and ended it in defence at Chelsea, and played a bit there too at Sampdoria, but in the main he was either in midfield or a forward playing just off Van Basten. He could fill in anywhere when needed. I used to love watching him on Football Italia in the early 90s. He’d be all over the pitch. 

 

He probably had his most success playing just off Van Basten. Won the Euros and two European cups playing there. 

 

That has to be one of the greatest front pairings in world football ever. 

[Sugar Ape]

10 minutes ago, lifetime fan said:

 

That has to be one of the greatest front pairings in world football ever. 

 

Aye. In a traditional 442 I’m not sure there were any better pairings. Kenny and Rush would run them close though. 

[aRdja]

27 minutes ago, lifetime fan said:

 

That has to be one of the greatest front pairings in world football ever. 

Rank the below pairings:

Gullit - Van Basten

Kenny - Rush

Ronaldo - Romario

Yorke - Cole

Henry - Bergkamp

Shearer - Sheringham

Del Piero - Inzaghi

Raul - Ronaldo

Romario - Bebeto

Shevchenko - Crespo

[Sugar Ape]

I don’t think Ronaldo and Romario played together often. Not in a World Cup anyway that I can recall. I think Del Piero had his best partnership with Trezeguet - Who is a bit of an underrated player. Except for Code who adores him. 

 

My Top three out of them would be:

Van Basten/Gullit

Kenny/Rush

Henry/Bergkamp

 

Some of the others, for example Shevchenko and Crespo, were both great individual players but not really known as a pairing. Think Crespo only played with him for one season.