Euro 2012 Draft Match 9: Moneymaker vs Mikeyt086

G.K.

Well, we are now onto the Quarter Finals. I'd like to congratulate the 8 remaining competitors for reacing this stage.

Without further ado, we being the quarters. This match is Moneymaker vs Mikeyt086. 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.

Moneymaker

Mikeyt086

Sorry this is is slow going up.

Facing another good side in this match up, with a traditional 4-4-2 and two wingers. Here is how I am going to line up;



Here is how I will line up. Some slight changes from the last game, Inler will be deployed slightly higher up the pitch. Reason for this is to counteract Alonso and Gundogan, who like to try and dictate the tempo of the game and if unchecked, will supply quality balls to the wide players who in turn will feed his front two. With Reus working his balls off and Inler pressing, it's going to much more difficult and with no attacking midfielder to exploit the space left in behind, I think this is the way to go. This also means Pirlo will be left unchecked to do his thing, looking to release the wings backs(Lahm in particular) to join in with the attack as well as my attacking trio. Ramos has not played right back for some time, I would worry about how comfortable he will be with someone the calibre of Lahm attacking him, not to mention Reus's propensity to drift into wide positions.

Maggio will be asked to be a little more cautious since Clichy and Valbuena carry quite a threat. I would question the ability of Gomez and Van Basten to function cohesively as a pairing, two great players clearly, but can they function as pairing? Germany went for Klose last night(and many times before) for a reason, he has a lot more pace, a lot more creativity and fluidity about him. Also consider that I will have 3 defenders vs 2 attackers(one of whom who is regarded as one of the greatest defenders ever), all of whom can stand up to the bombardment of crosses which will no doubt come my way and with no attacking midfielder looking for the second ball, I am confident I can keep Mikey out.

Di Natale will be asked to stay close to Llorente, look for flick on's, lay offs and anything Reus may create, I can see Di Natale and Reus linking up extremely well and with Llorente as the lynchpin, he is going to cause a lot of problems for Vermalen and Bonucci(my attacking 3 scored 73(21,23,29) goals last season so I am confident I can score the goals to get through.

Trippie

Mikeyt086

im away all day so cant wait ay longer, if you stop mikeys wings from playing in his 2 strikers then im sure you can beat him. MM is probably the best set up to do this with the best wing back combo in the draft. Beckenbauer in front of the centre backs should shore up the middle as well. If he sets up defensive as he did last time then its much like greece germany yesterday, I cannot see either team creating much but with llorente there they cannot sit so deep so as to give him headers on the goal, which means they will have to push out and then Di Natale has space to run in behind.

The 442 pressing high up the field that milan used to do when they had Van Basten was a great tactic, everyone compact, no space to play the ball around which pirlo needs. I am just not sure if his defense is up to the task of both stopping attacks and then starting them immediately.

Boring 2-0 win to Moneymaker i think

Mikeyt086

I will line-up in the same way as I did in the first match, with the onus on higher and quicker pressing. A 3-4-1-2 formation is always susceptible to the counter if the wing-backs get caught high up, so Jesus Navas and Mathieu Valbuena's pace and ability to deliver to MVB and Gomez is again to be vital to any success I have.

Sergio Ramos is not John O'Shea who after a season at Centre Back looked like he had never played right back before. Ramos is still top quality at right back, it only offers him more chances to join the attack. I am confident Bonucci can keep Llorente quite in the air, leaving Vermaelen to shadow Di Natale's attempts to float around the edge of the box. Providing a good ball in to Llorente will be very difficult with Ramos on the right and Clichy on the left.

In the middle, Xabi Alonso and Gundogan will have a tougher time than in round 1, but I am still confident their partnership can cope. Reus will be picked up by Xabi Alonso when he is playing centrally, Gundogan is instructed to get stuck in to Inler, while Valbuena can tuck in (Van Basten moving deeper and wider) and use his pace to disrupt Pirlo's attempts to control from deep.

Beckenbaeur is a nice player to have surging forward, but I am not a big fan of either player left to hold down the fort. Lescott is prone to lapses in concentration as shown by the final day of the season and in general City looking like a much poorer team without Kompany. Jagielka has never convinced me he is a top player. Gomez could have a productive day if the delivery is on point.

Moneymaker voted for himself. I should win based on that alone. :pac:

Jesus Wept

Mikey T. A classy side with Xabi 'the only man who can pull off a ginger beard' Alonso pulling the strings, lovely.

Nailz

Mikeyt086

Moneymaker for the same reasons as last time, just a great all round side, Mikey also with a great team here, but I feel like Gundogan and Vermaelen, along with the over rated Valbuena are his weak links, I feel the MM is not only hard to beat – despite MT's downright sexual front two that will pose problems — but I feel that with such a back line, MM will kill the majority of attacks and break up the field.

I see a 2-1 to MM; going in front twice, both times attempting to hang on to victory, once succeeding in just that.

G.K.

Moneymaker beats Mikeyt086 by 2 votes to one here

Congrats to Moneymaker and good luck next round.

Commiserations to Mikey.

Dissapointingly low votes turnout here (I will be adding my thoughts when I have time to write them up).