Euro 2012 Draft Match 5: Andy Carroll vs whatawaster

G.K.

This match is Andy Carroll vs whatawaster. The match will last for 48 hours, in which time the participants will need to outline their team, basic strategy, and strategy against their opponent.

Also, the voting will take place during this 48 hour period. There will be a poll but only votes with answers developed in a post will be taken into consideration. This development doesn't have to be paragraphs long, even a single sentance is fine. But don't vote until the competitors have had a chance to outline their teams.

Guys, whenever you are ready, begin.

whatawaster

Right, here's the team



Midfield



Probably the most striking aspect of the team is the lack of a holding player in midfield and the lack of an out-and-out ball-winner. I really don’t feel that one is absolutely necessary. Tactical discipline, work-rate, intelligence are more important attributes to me than physical strength. Furthermore, positioning and making the right interceptions is more effective (and safer!) than making big tackles. To that end, I’ve gone with two players who have all of those attributes in abundance. Xavi and Michael Laudrup are not only two of the best players ever to play for Barcelona and two of the greatest midfielders ever, they are also both extremely honest and hard-working players who will put in a shift for the team.

In my team Xavi will play slightly deeper than he does for Barcelona with Laudrup given license to break forward to support my attacking play. They are two of the best passers and creative midfielders of all time and I think with them in my side my team will be able to dominate possession against most opposition and create a strong platform for my front 4 to work off.

Muller will be a very important link between the midfield and attack. His work-rate will be crucial when we don’t have the ball. He will drop into midfield and press. When we are on the attack his will get me goals and assists and link up well with my front 4.



Attack



When Xavi and Laudrup gain control of the ball in central midfield, they have plenty of attacking options (My attackers are all versatile and will switch position, but they will start off this way):

- Baines making overlapping runs down the left wing while Hazard cuts inside on his right foot, occupying the full back and creating space for Baines to deliver quality ball for Lewandowski

- Hazard himself as a direct running threat with the ball down the flanks or through the middle

- Mata cutting inside from the right, supported by Muller and linking with Lewandowski in the box and Laudrup coming from deep. Van der Wiel offering an “out-ball” back towards our own goal.

- Lewandowski has great feet and holds the ball up brilliantly. When he receives the ball from midfield he can take one touch and has a multitude of options – Hazard/Baines on one side, Mata/Muller on the other, Laudrup supporting from deep. Of course he can also turn and attack himself.





Defense



I know I don’t have the strongest defence in the draft, and I know my first line of defense will have to be my attack and my ability to retain possession. Hopefully I can starve most opposition of the ball for long enough to limit their chances. Pressing from the front will be the order of the day when I lose the ball – something Lewandowski and Muller in particular should be adept at.



In terms of my defensive shape when I lose the ball – I will play a high line with Vorm coming out to act as a sweeper and all 11 players working to stifle the opposition and close down space. Xavi, Muller and Laudrup will form a trio in front of my centre-backs and press the opposition to death. If Baines is caught forward, Van der Wiel will tuck in with the centre-backs and from a temporary back-three while Xavi sits deeper to offer protection from counter-attacks.


I'll let Andy post his team before I go over my gameplan

Jesus Wept

whatawaster wrote: »

I'll let Andy post his team before I go over my gameplan

No dice.

Tell young Greg to say his prayers.

Samich

That is one serious team. Only player who I'd have reservations about is Ignasevich. It's not even a big one, just every other player is brilliant! imo

Jesus Wept

It won't allow me to draw those funny lines all over the place, I'm not sure whether I would have done so anyway but but I was curious to try it out for the craic.


Here are my team of winners:



Simply put, my team will outscore whatawaster's team.

Expect Cruyff to pop up where ever the f*%k he wants and generally make the opposition cry.
My team are capable of playing a brand of total football that will have the crowd on their feet and the opposition on their knees.

TerryTibbs!

whatawaster

whatawasters team will go down to 9 men in this battle before half time.

Carroll will score 5.

Jesus Wept

Anyhow, to break it down somewhat:

Midfield and Attack: They are all top quality players who will wreak absolute havoc, there are goals in all of them so the opposition will be getting it from all angles. Expect that 5/6 of my front 6 to be capable of exchanging positions when they want to and generally destroying the opposition. Cruyff will play the opposition like a fiddle and my team will score more easily than Rooney on Bingo Night.

Defence: Terry and Rolando are both winners at their respective clubs. Rolando has been a mainstay at the heart of the Porto defense for the last 4 seasons, he is built like an ox and not unlike John Terry: he has a few goals in him also. They will both be a danger for the opposition from set pieces of which I expect we will get many.

Zhirkov formally of Chelsea (him and Terry familiar with one another) is a very sold left back who has also played as a left winger in his time with an excellent goal scoring record.

Selassie is a player on the up who has being very impressive at the Euros.
He is very quick, a former long distance marathon runner and he has a leg like a whip. Capable of pinging in great crosses where permitted.

IncognitoMan

I really like whatawaster team but Andy Carrolls arguments are funnier. whatawaster has some team going forward it will be very hard to stop them scoring more than your team.

whatawaster for me

SirDelboy18

whatawaster

I think the main question here is how many can Andy Carroll score?

Expect to see Cruyff walk the ball as far as the net, and lay it off for Andy to score some tap ins.




In all seriousness I think Andy has this. Very even all over the pitch but the Cruyff factor cannot be understated. Also not mad about Whatawasters defense at all.

Jesus Wept

I do like whatawaster's team, they are one of the stronger teams around.
That being said, my team has more goals in them, simple as.

I fear for poor young Gregory Van Der W. I hope he has his weetabix because I think this game will break him, thus far he has been a liability at the back. The rest of his defense are okay, but nothing to write home about. Baines the best of the lot.

There is a reason why Michael Vorm at age 28 is Swansea's #1 rather than a top club.

Jesus Wept

SirDelboy18 wrote: »

I think the main question here is how many can Andy Carroll score?

Expect to see Cruyff walk the ball as far as the net, and lay it off for Andy to score some tap ins.




In all seriousness I think Andy has this. Very even all over the pitch but the Cruyff factor cannot be understated. Also not mad about Whatawasters defense at all.

∞+1

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

whatawaster

Andy for me, this game will hinge on the midf and forward battle, as neither defense look amazing, and Andy has far more to offer going forward. Something like 5-3 with AC coming out on top.

Bounty Hunter

whatawaster

Andy Caroll for me and i found it really hard to say that cos Whatawasters team has such quality. I mean Xavi, Laudrup, Mata, Hazard etc all feeding in form Lewandowski but defensively I feel he is weak especially with the WBs bombing forward as hes outlined. Xavi is awesome but he isnt really a DM in my mind (not like say his team mate Busquets at Barca when they play together) and that could leave his back 3 very exposed. When brought under pressure Ignasevich & Alves wouldnt inspire me with a lot of confidence vs Cryff, Jovetic, Goetze & Modric lead attacks so Vorm who is not the best keeper in the draft would be left with a lot of work to do. Perhaps similar could be said in relation to Andys defense and ability to cope with the quality opposition but in what id say would be a high scoring game Terry & Hart in defense would imo conceed less.

Andy Caroll FC 3 - 2 Whatawaster utd

whatawaster

First of all – nobody is a bigger fan of Andy Carroll than I am. I love his work. But nobody, not even Andy Carroll, thinks that Andy Carroll was a first round pick in this thing. Nobody. Nobody except Andy Carroll it seems.

I think my team will have too much for Andy Carroll’s.
My midfield two are much better in every way than Modric and Moutinho and I think we will dominate possession. Will Selassie be able to cope with Baines running on his outside and Hazard on his inside? Will Zhirkov cope with Mata and Muller? I don’t think so. Ultimately, I think I will have so much of the ball that my attack will win out.

To be fair, Andy does have a great attack, with Cruyff being his main threat. However there is no getting away from how poor a pick Carroll was and I think it hurts his team.

Ultimately, I think the teams are quite similar. Their strengths are both going forward, but I think my attack wins out. I have much the stronger midfield duo, and, whilst I would kill to have Cryuff in my team, I think Xavi, Laudrup, Hazard, Mata, Muller and Lewandowski will be too much for his defense.

There will be goals, but I think I will win 4-2

Dickerty

whatawaster

Andy Carroll FTW IMO. Although his namesake may be questionable, I think his front 4 of Cruyff, Jovetic, Gotze and Modric are fantastic, and Terry, Hart and Selassie in particular are standing out at the back for me.

whatawaster has a great midfield in Xavi, Mata, Hazard and Muller, but I think AC edges it...

Jax Teller

whatawaster

Andy to win .

Xavi Laudrup Muller Hazard & Mata are all great in their own ways but you need someone who can put a tackle in . Had Whatawaster picked a good dm instead of Hazard i think he would be going through.

Would question how many chances Andy Carroll would need before he scored though .

whatawaster

Coletrickle88 wrote: »

Andy to win .

Xavi Laudrup Muller Hazard & Mata are all great in their own ways but you need someone who can put a tackle in . Had Whatawaster picked a good dm instead of Hazard i think he would be going through.

Would question how many chances Andy Carroll would need before he scored though .

i would argue my midfield is stronger defensively than Andy's. Moutinho is hardly Makelele

redzerdrog

whatawaster

johan cruyff wins this for AC. No way is xavi gona be able to pick him up. The hazard pick was very bad and just unbalaced an excellent side.

eZe^

whatawaster

A midfield axis of Xavi - Laudrup is suicide, especially with that back 4. Andy Carroll's is far superior. Although in later rounds having Modric in the 2 of the 4-2-3-1 is going to be his undoing against better midfields, not balanced enough.

Rekop dog

whatawaster

Had Andy Carroll picked a decent striker he'd be a contender overall but think his team is just about good enough to take this tie.

machiavellianme

whatawaster

Andy Carroll by some way. Dont rate whatawasters defence that highly and I think big Andrew Thomas would have a field day with them, especially with the supply he'd get from that midfield. Vorm is good but not unbeatable. Certainly not in the same league as Andy Carroll's back 5. That said whatawasters team look excellent going forward.
A high scoring gutsy encounter with Andy Carroll winning imo.

yomtea98

whatawaster

Whatawaster midfield will be torn apart.Easy win for Andy

G.K.

Unfortunately due to time constraints I'm unable to do my big writeup atm. I will write my developed answer for this game and post it in due course, but so as to get my vote in before the deadline my vote is for Andy Carroll.

eagle eye

Has Andy Carroll hynotised the soccer forum or something? Whatawaster by a country mile for me in this one.

G.K.

It seems that Andy Carroll is the winner here by 12-2 over whatawaster.

Congrats and best of luck to AC.

Commiserations to whatawaster.