Premier League Draft Match 4: Chucky the tree v Ares

Blatter

This match will decide a place in the QFs and 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 sentence is fine. But don't vote until the competitors have had a chance to outline their teams.

Chucky the tree

Ares

Goalkeeper: One of the better ones in the league, very happy to have gotten in and he isn't liability at all.

Defense Terry is still excellent and one of the best defenders in the league, he has a very good partner is Cuellar I feel who has been solid throughout his time in the PL. McCartny was picked especially because he is good defensively, I don't expect him to venture forward to often. Angel on the other side is good going forward and is solid at the back which is good.

Midfield: Delighted with Mikel and Ki. Mikel is one of the best DM's in the league, very under-rated I think. Ki again is very dependable, good on the ball with a great technique, capable of getting forward but also good defensively and is big and quite strong too which helps.

Attacking 3: Excellent group here. Bergkamp is amazing, he's great on the ball and has a brilliant eye for a pass. He's also a very good thread in front of goals. Probably the best player I could have gotten to play in this position. Nani is getting shut out at United due to non-footballing reasons which is a shame. He's still an excellent player though, and will provide a real threat down the wings with his pace and dribbling. Same on the other side with Sterling who has taken the league by storm this year. Decision making for both can be ropey but I feel they'll get enough chances to get it right.

Striker: Cisse has struggled a bit this year but I don't think that takes away from the ability he can produce. Still an excellent striker and on his day is a huge goal threat.

Overall: I'd say defense is the biggest weakness, Cuellar will obviously be seen as the weakest link. I think the attacking 3 is by biggest positive, very threatening to most teams.

Goodluck Ares, was hoping we'd have made it to the final together being 2nd last and last.

Ares

[IMG][/img]

Here's how I plan to line out 4-3-3 with most of my width coming from the attacking full backs.

Goalkeeper De Gea. Great value in the 10th round of the draft and is one of the outstanding goalkeepers in the league. Great shotstopper and his distribution skills allow me to utilise the pace of the likes of Young and Dembele on the counter.

Defence Naughton, Nastasic, Agger and Jose Enrique.Two attacking full backs and two excellent centre halves. Nastasic is first choice centre half for the league champions and Agger is the man who they tried to buy during the summer. Agger is definitely in the top three centre halves in the league. In the six games Nastasic has started City have conceded two goals. That's not coincidence. Enrique and Naughton are both very attacking full backs and will give good width and balance, with one going forward and the other other holding back depending on where the attack is.

Centre Midfield Sandro, Granero and Dembele. One of the best balanced central midfields in the competition. Its a kind of a 1-2 midfield. Sandro sits deep protecting the back four, slotting into centre of the defence and pushing one of the Agger or Nastasic wide if being hit on the counter while Granero acts as the metronome in midfield, the Xabi Alonso/Xavi role. He's done well since coming to England and has stood out in a bad QPR team. If they get relegated don't expect him to stay there too long. Dembele is the rampager, box to box midfielder. He's destroyed United's midfield on two seperate occasions by September and in his first game back from injury himself and Sandro are taking Liverpool's midfield apart at the moment.

Forward threeMilner, Young, Shearer. Shearer, best striker, with Henry, in the history of the premier league. 260 premier league goals. He ain't gonna be firing any blanks. Milner and Young give nice balance on the wings, both will have ample support from the full backs and both are well able to socre and create goals.

Overall My players are in far better form than Chucky's. Cisse, Nani, Mikel, Krul and Rangel have been poor this season. Rangel and McCartney can both be exposed and Shearer will target Cuellar giving Dembele the space to work off the breaks, as will Milner and Young in particular. I see my team as far stronger in the centre mid area and I feel that Sandro will be able to shadow Bergkamp and limit his effectiveness. Sterling is still a bit raw and Nani is in poor form at the moment, while Cisse's one league goal this season came courtesey of his arse! I don't see where the goals come from for Chucky.

Best of luck to Chucky, we built up a bit of a rapport with the PM's to each other for picks and I wish him the very best of luck, its a pity we couldn't both progress futher but one of the bottom guys has to go on!

Chucky the tree

Ares

Now that I've seen the team fully I'll comment what I will do. Not worried about their wingers at all really, Milner is poor and Young is much better either. I'd be happy keeping my wingers singling up on them with being exposed. Shearer is no doubt class but I feel Terry would do a great job on him, if he want to. Without having to cover for my fullbacks my midfielders will be able to control the middle a bit better, not worried about Dembele. I feel Mikel can handle him easily, who's been very good this year - not sure how you would say he has been poor.

I like Sandro but he's not good enough to shadow Bergkamp and take him out, he'll still easily pull the strings. I think Enrique would be badly exposed with my pace, he turns like the titanic and often gets skinned against skillful wingers.

Just on the poor form of my players you mentioned. Nani has start more games, has more goals and the same amount of assists for United this year. Milner can't get his game for city either. Mikel has been very good this year as well.

IncognitoMan

Ares team shape I like better, it looks a solid team right the way through
Nastasic, Agger I like at the back. Sandro, Granero and Dembele are a great midfield 3 and I imagine they will have the run of the game against Mikel and Ki. Shearer is Shearer and will get goals

Chucky the tree's got the makings of a great strike partnership in Berkamp and Cisse.

I dont rate Milner and as wide right attacking player I wonder will get get the supply into Shearer . He will offer Naughton great protection though. Berkamp and Nani can always produce something out of nothing and cisse is such an impressive finisher but I dont know will they do enough here against a well organised side who have a peak Shearer in their side

Ares to eke out a 1-0 win with Shearer grabbing the goal

Professional Griefer

Another very close one. I really likes Ares side, just with Milner being the problem, aside from Nastasic who I haven't seen a awful lot of. Going forward Chuckys side is brilliant, defensive isn't the best, but it is solid.

Very close IMO, reckon Ares would nick it, but only just.

Liam O

I can't decide, inside it's Ares, outside it's Chucky. going to think on it.

Yurt

Ares

I just can't see De Gea doing a job as the lone striker :pac:

Xavi6

Ares wrote: »

Nastasic is first choice centre half for the league champions and Agger is the man who they tried to buy during the summer. Agger is definitely in the top three centre halves in the league. In the six games Nastasic has started City have conceded two goals. That's not coincidence.

All true about Nastasic, except he doesn't play on the right side of the centre halves, and by all accounts is much more comfortable on the left. That's a potential weak spot.

For Chucky, Sterling is in the same boat looking at that line up, though at least he can (and should) swap him with Nani.

With Agger being left footed there's no room to adjust.

Eathrin

Ares to just nick the win, can see his midfield dominating and nullifying Chucky's excellent attack.

death1234567

Ares has the better team shape,better balance and better players. Surprised people think it would be a close game, Ares team would be big favourites IMO.

GavRedKing

Ares

Chucky for me.

Cant see Ares back line holding out against Chucky's attack for 90minutes.

Morzadec

For me it's Ares - comfortably enough.

He has Shearer and he has the players to supply him - Young and Milner can both put in a decent cross. There's no obvious weakness in his team to exploit.

Nani is off form and I'm not sure if Cissé has the class to capitilise on the chances that Bergkamp is likely to create for him.

Ares has good balance throughout, a solid defence and with Shearer up top there should be goals in the team.

bullvine

I really like the look of Ares team, its got fantastic balance. A very strong midfield with the Spurs duo plus Granero who I have been impressed with. The defense is very strong and De Gea is a cracking keeper. I think Milner and Young will create lots of chances for the great man up top. Chucky's team is not bad but I think Cisse is of sorts at the moment, however with The Master behind him anything is possible. His back 4 is very weak though and I'd expect Krul to be very busy.

Bounty Hunter

Ares's team may lack a certain wow factor but it doesent really have any weaknesses and with Shearer spearheading his attack I would expect some joy vs Chucky's defense, meanwhile Nani & Cisse's poor form this season so far doesent help matters as both could have been great drafts if they had good form this season especially with Bergkamp mixing it up with em.

Ares for me, an overall very strong side

Fuzzy_Dunlop

I'll go with Ares as i think his team is more consistent throughout.

redzerdrog

Ares

two of the better teams in the draft and I am struggling to seperate them.

going to go with chucky just because both of ares CB's prefer to play left side and this might cause some imbalance

GLaDOS

Ares for me, think he has the stronger midfield, and Shearer will always score goals. Cisse and Nani haven't been great this season so think his defence would be able to cope.

eagle eye

Ares

I don't think Ares has a great attacking threat and I see his attacks breaking down in midfield a lot. When he does get through he has Shearer who will score goals because I'm not gone on Chucky's defense.

I do see Chucky's side having a lot of success when they have possession though. I don't like his defense at all but I think he is more successful up front and I have to vote for him.

bucketybuck

I thinks it unlucky these two teams play each other, because either would beat some of the sides I have voted for so far.

I am going for Ares here, for two reasons. I think the midfield three of Sandro, Dembele and Granero will be too strong for Mikel and Ki, and will give Young and Milner multiple chances to get forward.

Secondly, I see people don't rate Milner. Neither do I, but I do think he would love playing with Alan Shearer. He wont need to be as tricky as a Nani or Silva, and I think he will relish just getting his head down and getting the ball into Shearer first time.

And Shearer will score.

Blatter

Congrats Ares, you win. Commiserations Chucky.

Chucky the tree

Ares

**** Ares. :pac: Goodluck the rest of the way, hopefully I can say I lost to the winner at least! Cheers for organising this as well Blatter, it was good fun and definitely glad I did it.

ThunbergsAreGo

Ares has the best team i have seen so far!

Ares

Chucky the tree wrote: »

**** Ares. :pac: Goodluck the rest of the way, hopefully I can say I lost to the winner at least! Cheers for organising this as well Blatter, it was good fun and definitely glad I did it.

Was on the beer the last couple of days so just getting around to this.

Thanks to Blatter for putting the time and effort he's put into this and Chucky for the good game. Keep it real Chuck.