Euro 2012 Draft Match 7: MoneyMaker vs Junior D

G.K.

This match is MoneyMaker vs Junior D. 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.

Junior D

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Sorry guys, I just had a big write-up done, but Internet explorer decided to be a **** !!

Have an exam so can't do a big write-up and on the beer afterwards.

Try write up tomorrow

Moneymaker

Junior D

The awkward moment you're doing a write up about football instead of getting ready for an exam



How my team will roughly shape up. Here's a quick overview.

Goalkeeper: Russia's Number 1, an excellent shot stopper and quick off his line and brave at the feet of onrushing attackers. Solid on crosses.

Maggio: One of the best wing backs in Italy(if not Europe), such an effective attacking outlet, explosive pace and very solid defensively also. He's excellent in the air too.

Jagielka: Brave, no nonsense defender. He'll throw himself infront of everything, strong in the air and a leader for Everton.

Beckenbaeur: Arguably the greatest defender to ever play the game and possibly the greatest German player ever. He'll sweep up attack after attack and begin attacks of my own with his stylish style of play

Lescott: An overlooked and under-rated part of an excellent Man City defence. Decent pace, positioning and another defender who's not afraid to put his head/foot in.

Lahm: The best full back in the world today. Awesome attacking and defensive traits, he's got a massive heart and he's another leader who won't hide when the going gets tough.

Pirlo: Playing the best football of his life, dictating game after game, creating goal after goal(13 assists in Serie A this season).

Inler: Another cog in the Napoli(and Udinese beforehand) machine. Energetic, aggressive, good in the tackle and decent passing will ensure my defence is well protected. He's also capable of whacking in a 30 yarder from time to time.

Reus: The breakout player in the Bundesliga, quick, two footed, works his balls off, creates and scores for fun(19 goals, 11 assists) and all the age of 21. He's so good Dortmund brought him in as the replacement for Kagawa.

Di Natale: The heartbeat of Udinese. Scores goals for fun(29,28,23 in his last 3 seasons). Pacy, clever, two footed and a deadly finisher.

Llorente: The best targetman in the world?(With the exception of an on-form Drogba). Two excellent feet, unparalled aerial ability and massively strong. He's always a goal threat and his good link up play will always bring others into the game. 29 goals this season.

The gameplan:

My system is a 3-4-3 essentially. However it is a fluid system, it can become 5-3-2/4-3-3 as the situation demands. I have chosen players that fit into and make sense in all of these formations. For this game, I am going to be mostly a 3-4-3 when in possesion, 5-3-2 when not in possesion. The broken arrows will show players movement when I don't have the ball. Reus will drift wide to the right to help Maggio and avoid 2v1 situations down that flank. Inler will drop into a deep position and prevent Van der Vaart from influencing the game.

Gerd Muller:

Clearly he is the main threat in a very strong side. His goal record speaks for itself. Luckily for me, I have the perfect player to deal with this threat. Muller and Beckenbauer played together(and won every trophy there was to win) for the guts of 15 years. No player in this draft is better equipped to deal with the threat Muller presents. I have another advantage in that I have 3 centre halves and Juniors side lacks any real pace and penetration, VDV isn't renowned for lung bursting runs into the box to support the striker and S'Steiger and Tymoshuck won't be expected to perform that role. I am confident with 3 centre halves, Inler's hard work(and Pirlo to a lesser degree) as well as two strong and disciplined full backs, I can limit Mullers influence in this game.

Attacking:

JuniorD has two excellent centre halves, however I believe I can expose them. Srna is not really a natural full back and with Lahm coming at him at every oppurtunity and Reus instructed to drift wide when possible, I will have 2v1 situations as Ben Arfa is not renowned for protecting his full back(I speak from experience, Newcastle fan ), this in turn will force Subotic to try and help out and leave space for Llorente and Di Natale to exploit. With Pirlo's range of passing, 2 attacking wing backs and Reus's creativity, I am confident I can score enough goals to win this game. There is also the problem of how Pirlo's influence can be nullified, Van der Vaart's work rate is poor to say the least, Tymoshuck will not be comfortable that high up the pitch(Pirlo will sit deep as the deep lying playmaker and dictate play as he does for Italy and Juve) and should he choose to try and mark Pirlo, that will leave space higher up the pitch which can be exploited.

There's little between these two sides but I believe my team as a whole will work harder, has more pace and penetration upfront and should be just about good enough to keep too many goals from going in.

Dickerty

Junior D

Both teams are better in defence than in attack, but i'd lean towards Moneymaker for the two excellent FBs, Beckenbauer allowing Pirlo and Inler to support the attack.

Junior D would be very hard to break down with that defensive 6, but I don't see enough support for Muller...

eagle eye

I'm seeing 0-0 written all over this one at the moment with very few chances for either side due to the game being broken down in midfield. I'll have to have a long think about it. Its very tight.

yomtea98

Junior better in every way

Trippie

Junior D

This is the match up I have been looking forward to the most. I think moneymakers team is probably the most balanced and put together in the draft and over the course of a league season would be clear winner vs junior D. Its not a league though.

I dont really see anyone picking up pirlo and putting him under pressure which means he will have a load of free time on the ball and thats the one thing you dont want to give him. With Maggio & Lahm in particular tearing down the flanks as HBA & Srna are not the best defensively i can see pirlo having time, spraying long passes for them to run onto and attacking at ease, much like spurs vs inter a seasons back when there was no one to mark Bale.

I am not sure MM gets much joy through the centre though, perhaps playing llorente a little deeper in front of the cb's with di natale off his shoulder would work well. Where they play the long ball up to him, cheilini comes out of defense for the clearing header like he always does and llorente gets the flick on in behind for ADN to run onto.

Gerd Muller is the most lethal goal scorer of all time. He is amazing in the box but needs service, not like he is going to pickt he ball up outside the box, beat two guys and chip the keeper. he is bound to get the ball a few times and has to score at least once. Schweinstiger and Tymoshuck are two great central midfielders but they need that explosive pace out wide which ribery and robben provide. I am not sure Pilar and HBA are up to the same standard.However with VDV and muller he has two great attaacking options but I think MM hs countered it well in his arguement with inler picking up VDV and Beckenbauer stiffling muller. However with the two hatchet men he has at the back I can see him giving away a penalty. Probably 3-2 to MM over the course of 2 legs

SirDelboy18

Junior D

Moneymaker for me. I think VDV and HBA drift out of games too often, and I don't think they will see much joy against the Moneymaker defense, where Jag might be a weak link, but the rest is rock solid.

Being fair to Junior D, his defense is superb, but that trio of attacking mid's really don't appeal. The way Moneymaker is set up, Lahm and Maggio can get forward at every opportunity and that trio won't be doing an awful lot of tracking back.

I personally think Money edges the Midfield 2 battle for me, and with the defense well marshaled and the full-backs getting forward often, I think that Reus, Di Natale and Llorente will do the damage to take him through.

Moneymaker by 2 goals for me.

Nailz

Junior D

Moneymaker for me, I see opertunities coming easily for his side in fairness, an excellent back five/three, including two of the best attacking fullbacks in Europe in Lahm and Maggio, and with the inclusion of Inler as a defencive midfielder and Pirlo playing along side him I can see an easy route from defence to attack particularly with Pirlo's link play, playing into speedy and intelligent footballers like the fullbacks Lahm and Maggio, and Di Natale. Add the oh-so clinical Llorente and the tricky Reus into the equation, I can see that being a very effective, fast counter-attacking side.

Consider this against a side which has two (albeit excellent) fullbacks in Coentroa and Srna who are always likely to get caught up the other end of the field, I can see it being an effective formula. I also feel that Junior D, although having a decent collection of player, won't have enough in attack to break down MM's defence, I will add to this that I find Müller to be Germany's most over rated player and I certainly wouldn't be depending on him as a sole striker to get us goals. VVD is a classy player, but won't be good enough to break down MM's defence, same goes for the wide players. One thing I love about D's side is the inclusion of Tymoschuck and Schweinsteiger, who are awesome players, two of my favourite, two player which will make them very hard to beat. But all in all MM will edge it.

redzerdrog

Junior D

moneymaker wins this 1-0 for me. Juniors attacking midfielders are just too inconsistant for me. leaving sweinsteiger the only one supplying muller. not only but the one up front will play into moneymakers hands allowing beckenbaeur to dictate the game by stepping up from the back.

IncognitoMan

Junior D

Really like the way Moneymaker set his team out so im going to go for him. Also love Di Natale, Reus supporting Llorente and Pirlo running the show from the centre

Rekop dog

Pity these two met in the first round as in all honesty it could easily have been the final, both in my top 3. Found it extremely difficult but thought Junior D just shaded it. Both set up fairly faultlessly though. And the main reason for leaning towards Junior is the fact that he has one of the most clutch finishers of all time leading the line for him. As good a domestic seasons as MM's front 3 have all had, none of them are that proven at performing in massive games, thought Llorente was pretty poor in both Bilbao's finals this season, Di natale has been phenemonally consistent last few years but not on a CL stage, wheras Muller has proven to have have performed remarkably over a massive sample of big games during his career. The midfield battle is fascinating and think MM is slightly stronger in that area, but Juniors defence is just as solid as it gets, with fantastic cover from DM as well. Great match wp both.

machiavellianme

Junior D

Have to go Moneymaker. Llorente most likely to score out of all the attackers on there.
Both are very defensive and again fancy Moneymakers back 8 due to his fullbacks. Can see it being a very dull 1-0 due to the lack of any guile or strength in midfeld from either team.

Rekop dog

machiavellianme wrote: »

Have to go Moneymaker. Llorente most likely to score out of all the attackers on there.
Both are very defensive and again fancy Moneymakers back 8 due to his fullbacks. Can see it being a very dull 1-0 due to the lack of any guile or strength in midfeld from either team.

No guile or strength, for real???

Junior D

machiavellianme wrote: »

Can see it being a very dull 1-0 due to the lack of any guile or strength in midfeld from either team.

As i said i'll do a write up tomorrow as im on the way out now....

But neither team has any guile/strength??

What about Tymoshchuk, Schweinsteiger, Pirlo or Inler??
They all have that bit of class about them, and there main strengths are possibly their strength.

Without sounding cocky, I think myself and MM's teams are possibly the most well rounded and top teams in the draft.
As Redkop said, its a pity we got drafted together so soon.

But I am disappointed that some people have dismissed my teams atacking threat so soon, as I highly rate HBA and Pilar.

Tomorrow morning tho!! MM watch out!!:pac:

Moneymaker

Junior D

I look forward to reading it and seeing what GK and some others have to say.

G.K.

I'll save my analysis until Junior D's been able to post his writeup.

I need to catch up on some of these games though.

Junior D

Junior D wrote: »

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Here we go:

Krul: On current form, 1 of the top, if not the top keeper in the Prem, it'll be very hard to get past this man.

Coentrao: Very good defensively and class in attack, Fabio is a danger to any side. So far in the Euros he has shown why he is one of the best left backs in the world with his jinking runs up the pitch side-stepping players and solid defensive play. Robben never really got past him in the Dutch game.

Cheillini: Best center back in the world. No question. Danger from set-plays to along with his partner.....

Subotic: Excellent form for Dortmund in the last 2 seasons, a big reason for their bab-to-back championships.

Srna: Solid defensively, but his real strength is going forward and swinging in dangerous crosses. Excellent technique.

Tymoshchuk: Class act. Have him sitting in front of the back 4 for added protection, he can spray balls around the pitch, is an excellent tackler and has a stinger of a shot when the chance arises.

Schweinsteiger: Have him playing a deep/central role controlling the tempo of the play, with a license to move around if he feels the need. He can do it all, and loves to bag a goal.

Pilar: Feel he is being unfairly under-rated. He's what every full-back hates. He's small but strong with a low center of gravity, has an excellent technique and is a fantastic dribbler. Gave Pizsecek a real goin in the poland game. The man is a pest. He also likes to score a goal or 2

Van der Vaart: His work-rate is slightly underestimated. He's never going to completely chase down everything, but he's not lazy either. He does close down space and track players. I put his stats up in the picks thread and they were just sick. His creativity is something I think should shift the game in my balance.

Ben Arfa: Capable of turning any full-back inside out. Hailed as a prodigy in France when he was younger, and after getting over some injuries, could he be beginning to fulfill his prommise?

Muller: Again I put his stats up in the picks thread, and they were unreal. Scored 487 senior goals in 555 games. In a quality German league as well. Can't see him not being able to score, even with Beckenbaur there



Tactics
Coentrao and Srna given licenses to bomb forward.
Tymoshchuk to stay in his deep protective role, never straying forward beyond the half-way line unless needed be.
Schweinsteiger given permission to motor around the place as he does so well.
VdV creeping between 2nd striker role and a little deeper to pick up the ball and work his magic.
HTB and Pilar to try cut inside, but always trying to keep possesion. Despite Mullers strength in the air, with 3 center backs I cant really see him being allowed to dominate there as he usually does.
Muller to work the lines and poach like he usually does.

Reasons why I think I should win
Jagielka is a real weak link who I think could be got at. Also the space in behind Maggio and Lahm could be worked.
I don't think MM has much presence in the midfield area with both Pirlo and Inler sitting deep and Reus in an AM position, allowing me to dominate and hold possession. TBH I can't really see MM posing much of a goal threat apart from Natale as I doubt they could keep too much possession and work it up front.


Sorry I'll try finish this later, its a bit rushed

eagle eye

I think Moneymaker has the better players but I don't like his setup and I don't see him scoring ever. So I'm voting for Junior D because I can see his side possibly nabbing a lucky goal every four or five times these two teams play. I just feel that the way Moneymaker has set up his team will see everything break down for him in midfield.

Moneymaker

Junior D

eagle eye wrote: »

I just feel that the way Moneymaker has set up his team will see everything break down for him in midfield.

Explain.

G.K.

Unfortunately due to time constraints I'm unable to do my big writeup atm. I will post my developed answer for this game in due course, but so as to get my vote in before the deadline my vote is for Moneymaker. Believe me, this is a ridiculously close matchup, both of these teams are fantastic. I've been struggling to find anything to separate them.

G.K.

Well, the votes are in, and it seems Moneymaker has won this match over Junior D, by 8 votes to 4.

Congrats Moneymaker, good luck.

Commiserations to Junior D.