Haha..
Not to mention that 4-2-4 against my midfield diamond with pace and mobility means they are attacking me with mostly 4 or 5 players and that we would dominate the midfield.
Albeit, the top 4 are world class... but they have to have possession to be effective.
Here's how I rate it (biased I know but not wrong)
1. Back Four Trend - by a country mile
2. Midfield Trend - mobile midfield diamond versus a flat 2
3. Top of the Pitch Flash - Henry-Maradona-Barnes fantastic and Johnstone no slouch either
Love me some Alisson - but over the entire career Pagliuca takes a backseat to only a few
*** How I am down 5-2 I do not know (maybe someone can explain) - Emerson as a holding midfielder may not be getting the respect or maybe people do not rate Rakitic and Tevez ball winning and possession talents. I don't know.
And lastly, its not like Eto'o and Batistuta are slags here - just a step below Flash's top 4....
Okay, I got it out of my system. Let the winds take it where it supposed to go (the ether, the toilet or the finals)
Agreed with a lot of what you're saying there. I actually voted for you in the end, but it took a lot of back and forth debate in my mind.
I see your side dominating possession no doubt. Similar to a City or Barca side camped in the opponents half. Most of your best attacking opportunity would come through the triangle of Carlos Alberto, Tevez and Batistuta when you're pushed up the pitch, eventually laying it on for Eto'o. There would be a lot of last ditch and disciplined defending from Ramos, Campbell, Simeone and Stankovic.
Where I see your vulnerability is in those attacking full backs areas facing that front four on the counter. The pace of a prime Henry, Barnes and Johnstone is outstanding especially when they've got Maradona in the playmaking role in support.
Your primary hope for stopping the counter is for the likes of Tevez and Emerson to pounce on lost balls and win possession back quickly. But Maradona is bound to wriggle out of such attempts at points throughout the game. Your secondary hope for stopping this counter lie in two incredible centre backs who, as van Dijk showed the other day, can make scoring on those counters very difficult. However, with that attacking four baring down, potentially out-numbering your defence 4 v 3 or 4 v 2, even defenders of that quality would struggle to keep them out.
I think the first goal is all important in this game. If Flash can get one on the counter early and sit back even more resolutely then they can potentially get a second late on seeing off the game. If the pressure of the possession pays off and you get the early goal, then he'd have to come out a bit more leaving more gaps for you to exploit when you win back the ball with your dominant the midfield.
It is by no means clear cut. With an early goal you could go on to win by 4 or 5, but with their attacking threat and defensive solidity (he's still got an excellent back 6), you could easily see him frustrating you and picking you off on the counter as your full backs commit further and further forward, as the game goes on.
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