Boards.ie 2019 Draft Game 1 - Morzadec v Liam O

IncognitoMan

This is the thread for Morzadec v Liam O

If you want to use a site to set you side out these are good:

https://this11.com/#!/editor/

https://www.buildlineup.com/

Each poster can go as in detail as you wish in your write ups incuding set up for your own side. Once the two posters have set out their teams they are allowed one post each to explain their gameplan against their opposition (exposing the other teams weakness or to draw attention to a player they think doesn't work in the other team etc).

After both teams are set up and opposition posts are made, then we open the poll and voting takes place for 24 hours (I might need a mod help to open a poll on a thread that has already been started I'm not sure?)

If one team does not set put their side/tactics inside a 24hr period they will automatically forfeit the tie.

Each poster who votes must give some kind of reason in the thread as to why they voted one way or another to have their vote in the poll counted. This is in the interest of fairness and to discourage voting because you like/dislike a certain poster and to encourage voting for a set of players/ tactical approach instead.

Good luck to both posters.

Liam O

Will post my team now and give general reasons for picking the players that I did.



So obviously the real strength is in attack with 4 of the PL's best attackers all capable of scoring and creating goals. Both Zola and Henry through the middle were capable of dropping deep and creating for others while getting on the end of opportunities too. Pires and Henry of course had a great understanding. With Henry scoring 82 goals in 100 PL games between 2003 and 2006 and Pires' 1 in 3 goal record throughout his time in the league along with being the top assist provider one of the seasons if it was those 2 and 2 Championship players you'd still expect goals. As it is they have the player who was one of the pioneers of his position in the league in Zola and one in Sterling who has scored 17 and 18 goals in the last 2 seasons from the right wing. I think it's fair to say this front 4 oozes quality.

In midfield the duo complement each other brilliantly. Alonso during his time in the league was probably the best deep lying playmaker in the world and will be capable of playing balls through to Henry and Zola on the ground and picking out Pires and Sterling with his trademark long passes. He makes sure there is a threat from anyone in the front 4 when he has the ball. Butt is there to do the donkey work, but he is capable of so much more than that. He'll provide steel, intelligence and underrated technical ability. He deputised for Keane so well when he was injured in 97-98 that he made the PFA team of the year. He will complement Alonso brilliantly imo in any midfield battle, that is without having mentioned Alonso's underrated defensive ability and intelligence too.

Defence is based around being able to carry the ball forward and supply the attack. Both Woodgate and Toure were dogged defenders but also had great technical ability which resulted in Toure being able to play through to his 30s in technical Man City sides after being first choice for the invincibles all those years previous. This shows his versatility and class. Woodgate was rated higher than Rio in their time together and Leeds and was key in their run to 3rd place in 99-00. Injuries obviously stopped him making the most of his career but he showed his class later on when first choice for Middlesbrough and Tottenham following his move back from Madrid. Staunton and Azpi are both rock solid defensively and are capable of shutting down the threat of any winger. That is not to diminish their attacking ability as they both are capable of bursting forward too. I want them supporting the midfield to deny the other team counter attacking options from wide and I think that will suit them very well.

Lloris in goal at his peak was probably the best in the league. Maybe the first in the league who played the sweeper keeper role to a high level. At his peak great at shot stopping and with the ball, which suits the technical nature of my team.

SlickRic

2 proper all time 11s on display in this one.

Morzadec

Cech: Widely considered the best ever after Schmeichel, at his peak he never made any mistakes, commanded his area unbelievably well and made big stops. A vital part of the leagues best ever defensive unit

Lauren: One of the first modern full-backs - was a midfielder when he signed but was deployed as a strong and pacy full back. Part of the Invincibles defence, great both going forward and defending

Clichy: At his best at Arsenal but also won leagues with City. Made a PFA team of the year when A.Cole and Evra were both at their peak. Incredibly fast and excellent stamina, can cover the whole flank

Vertonghen: Most consistent defender of the last 6 or 7 years, 2 time PFA team of the year, classy on the ball, very strong off it

Desailly: Was central to probably the greatest defence of the turn of the century (France's '98 and '00 teams) while he was at Chelsea. Adept at midfield, a modern day centre back, very comfirtable on the ball and incredibly quick and strong off it, a world calss centre back

Carrick: Lynchpin of a United side that made 3 CL finals, consistent, very intelligent tactically, classy and confident on the ball.

Dacourt: Record signing for Leeds at the time, vital player in the middle of the park of the great '02 side which made it to the CL semis, tenacious and terrier-like off the ball, very comfortable and creative on it

David Silva Maybe the best creative central midfield player to grace the league, never loses the ball, can dictate and dominate a match as well as come up with defence splitting passes in the final third. Incredible work rate and pressing off the ball too

Nani: Pace and trickery and capable of a long range belter. Offers genuine width but can come inside too, possibly the leagues best player in 2010-2011 where he helped United win the league with 14 assists and 9 goals in 33 matches.

Tevez: 43 goals in 66 appearances in his two year peak from 09-11 at City - not many in the league with a record like that over 2 seasons. Superb at United too where he won the CL, ferocious on and off the ball, capable of individual magic

Suarez: His 13-14 season remains probably the most impressive of anyone's purely by numbers (31 goals and 12 assists in just 33 games, no penalties). A nightmare to defend off the ball, and simply unstoppable at his peak on it.


______________________



My team contains a mixture of players from all 3 decades of the Premier League, but it is one that will be set up to be modern in nature - technical and athletic across all areas of the pitch, with the main width provided from the full back positions.

I believe the team has balance throughout with each player complimenting each other and no obvious weaknesses to point to anywhere. With Suarez and Tevez I have real X-factor and Silva and Nani will create a lot for them. As will Lauren and Clichy bombing up the flanks - the width in particular of Clichy out left will allow Tevez to come inside more and unleash his right boot, and on the ball he will be more so a second-striker than a left-winger. The workrate and tenacity of Suarez and Tevez will make it very difficult for opposition attacks to start and may even create chances by winning the ball back up high. They will be supported by Silva and Dacourt pressing through the middle, both very used to this role.

Clichy and Lauren have the engines and pace to get back as well as go forward, but they will inevitably need cover. For this reason I have the tenacious and mobile Dacourt to cover ground, and one of the most consistent and intelligent holding mids in Carrick to sit back, cover space and make interceptions. My centre backs are both mobile and are very comfortable being pulled out of their set position - Desailly was adept in midfield and Vertonghen at left back - so they can be pulled wide without being out of their comfort zone. For this reason I believe my team is set up tactically to utilise the pace of my full backs while still ensuring the coverage is there both in terms of ability and positional comfort.

On the ball I'll ask my centre backs to split and Carrick to drop in to receive the ball in the centre. The left footed Vertonghen and right footed Desailly will make this natural and easy and all 3 of these players can take a short pass from Cech. Clichy and Lauren will advance further up to provide passing outlets. Dacourt is more than comfortable on the ball and then of course the real metronome and creative outlet on my team is David Silva who has the ability to both make the game tick from midfield as well as create game-changing moments in the final third.

Nani offers genuine pace and trickery and further creativity. Suarez will play as a "nine and a half" - there to finish chances, but also to come deeper or pull wider when needed - he has the intelligence and quality to know where the space is. This should open up space for Tevez coming from the left to get amongst the goals too as centre backs are inevitably pulled around from Suarez's runs.

Overall I think the team is strong and balanced throughout and I believe the tactical plan I have set up suits all the players very well, with all players complimenting each other - for me it's a side not just filled with superstars, but one that also gels together really well

Donnielighto

Liamos attack is irresistible, fast game he wins, slower game I'm not sure.

Liam O

In terms of how I see this game going I think my team has the advantage in wide areas that would ultimately win it.

My deep midfielders are both slightly better versions of Mozardec's 2 guys there and would be capable of taking control there. His lack of wide threat on the left (Tevez is not a great wide forward) means that Sterling can be supported by Azpi and Clichy can't leave his station. When he's attacking the full backs can come inside and make it very difficult for anything to be created.

It's very difficult to say that Sterling and Pires are not going to be able to get the upper hand out wide which is going to drag his 2 CBs out of position and with them out of position they will find it very difficult to contain Henry and Zola, one of whom can drop deep and the other occupy the space. There will always be a threat coming at either post for balls whipped in low and across and 4 players with quick feet all capable of getting on the end of or creating chances I don't see how they would not be very fruitful.

RasTa

Some great passers in Morazdec's team. Can see them counter attacking well

Morzadec

Firstly, good luck Liam O!

Liam O's attack is indeed irresitible and he's got one of the strongest teams in the draw, so this will be a tough game. I really like the balance of pace and creativity in both wide and central areas in the attack, and of course he has the X-factor in Henry.

That said, I do think I've got overall better balance, and if I can stop his front players seeing much of the ball my team should take it.

The main question mark I would have over Liam O's team is how is he going to knit the front line with his midfield? Zola is a forward 10, not a midfield 10. He is more of a Bergkamp than a Zidane - what I mean by this is that he's someone who played alongside a more traditional 9 up top, coming deep in between the lines to cause havoc in there, rather than a midfield 10 who starts deeper and comes up to playmake. Then you have Alonso (a deep lying playmaker) and Butt (mainly a sitter / destroyer and not a particularly good technical player). So I'm not sure there is a true central midfielder who can play short pass and move passes and get the team ticking. Added to this are the fact that Staunton and Azpi aren't the most natural attacking full-backs so the passing outlets become fewer. If Zola can't come into midfield and get the team moving and the tempo going (which I argue he can't - he's a phenomenal creative threat in the final third but not a midfield player), then the team will have to go long quite often.

Now he has Alonso, maybe the best long passer in the draft so that helps, but are Sterling, Pires or Henry used to receiving long balls? They all thrive in sides that play passing football, not direct football, and Henry as good as he is would not be able to hold up balls with Desailly and Vertonghen on him. My team won't have this problem, with the full-backs offering passing outlets high up the pitch, and Silva being able to knit the whole team together, as well as having the creative threat.

Added to this Woodgate / Toure / Lloris is a solid back 3, but imo it's not as good as Vert / Desailly / Cech - I don't think any of the 3 match my 3. I think I'm stronger in this area.

And while his attack is phenomenal, mine is really not all that far off - remember Suarez at his peak was really not far off Henry, he could do it all. .

My plan would be to press the defence and the midfield hard, overwhelm the midfield, give Alonso very little time on the ball and force a lot of long balls. This way I think I could cut out the front 4 from receiving much of the type of ball they would thrive on.

The threat will still be there with his fantastic pacy attacking players but I think this lack of balance in the midfield could help me dominate most of the match and hopefully that will be enough for the win.

MrKingsley

These are two excellent teams but morzadec pips it for 2 reasons for me.

Firstly Liam’s team reads to me like 2 separate teams almost. A defensive 6 and a forward 4. I believe Morzadecs team is a lot better equipped to attack and defend as a group.

That leads into my second reason. I have no doubt that the constant pressing of tevez and suarez would create chances against that backline when they are trying to bring the ball out. That and Lloris being liable to fluff his lines under pressure with the ball at his feet(even at his peak) leads me to give it to Morzadec

Liam O

Good points made there. I was a bit annoyed when I drew you as I felt the teams had a similar quality, idea and makeup.

I have a lot of time for the Nani pick as he's criminally underrated in terms of his legacy in the league. Tevez and Suarez were obviously top class too but I think Nani needs more of a target in the middle than either Suarez or Tevez could provide. Tevez didn't have a good goal record at all when played as a support striker or wide for United. Your threat would come through the middle therefore and my full backs are both capable of tucking in and nullifying any threat.

I fully agree that Vertonghen, Desailly and Cech are a better trio in defense but I'm not sure they are suited to defending my team's threat as mine are yours. Pressing my midfield and defence leaves space and Butt is nowhere near as bad technically as you've made out there. I picked Toure and Woodgate because of their confidence on the ball and Staunton played in midfield at times so he's no clogger. Azpi has great technique with passing and has underrated pace. Was getting forward well for Chelsea in his early years where he was probably the best RB in the league.

Also, Alonso would be just as proficient in playing the ball to the feet of a retreating Henry or Zola who I would hope would each take up a side each when coming deep, link up with the winger and have the other set of forward/winger combo getting into the box to bear the fruit of that. Henry and Pires' partnership is not to be underrated and Zola's skill with Sterling's control and pace will cause huge problems. Staunton and Azpi will be there for the ball played back to either recycle or ping one across goal.

redzerdrog

This is though to call and have already changed my mind 3 times. Gona consider it some more

Iused2likebusts

Two really excellent teams and unlucky for both to have drawn each other. Both have a great front four LiamO probably has the stronger front 4 . Where Id give morzadec the edge is with his back 5. I'd have it a level above LiamO. I also think someone a bit more mobile than Butt to help close spaces in midfield as alonso wouldnt be the quickest. Really close game that I think Morzadec just edges. Could easily have been the Final as its two very strong teams.

Turtyturd

Morzadec for me, and the reasons why have already been highlighted. The other team lacks that cohesion and as said it’s like a defence and an attack with nothing to connect the two.

Nani I think is a weak link for Morzadec but here the hustle and bustle of Suarez and Tevez against that defence playing out from the back is bound to lead to some chances. Add in the fact that you have Lloris behind them, who if this was an actual tournament would have at least one clanger in him.

His/any defence could be caused trouble by that forward line but the issue is supply. A big gap between the two midfielders and the forward line. Zola would need to drop deep, negating him further forward. Leave him further forward and Butt is chasing shadows for 90 minutes.

AidoEirE

Jaysus two unbeliveable teams, great picks by the lads

redzerdrog

Two very strong teams and I don't see much in it.

I think of Morz set his team up 4-2-3-1 he possibly wins this. Two minor issues I have with this team is Nani as part of front 3 doesn't offer enough goals and secondly not a big fan of Tevez on the left. His best form came through the middle.

Saying that Morz midfield would dominate possession but think liamos would then be set up perfectly to counter attack. And this is were I see this game possibly won with Sterling left one on one with Clichy due to no left sided winger.

Small margins in this one but think Liamo shades it 2-1

Mr.Nice Guy

Very tough one to call. Both players have crafted strong XIs. I think that Morzadec would likely control the midfield with Carrick and David Silva suited to a strong possession style game. Liam O's attack however has the skill to get in behind the defence more than once.

For me this looks a game where a moment of individual magic decides it. And when I look at the four players best capable of match-winning moments on each side - Henry, Pires, Zola and Sterling on Liam O's team, and Suarez, Tevez, Nani and D. Silva on Morzadec's - I think the quartet of Liam O just shades it in that department.

Morte

MrKingsley wrote: »

These are two excellent teams but morzadec pips it for 2 reasons for me.

Firstly Liam’s team reads to me like 2 separate teams almost. A defensive 6 and a forward 4. I believe Morzadecs team is a lot better equipped to attack and defend as a group.

That leads into my second reason. I have no doubt that the constant pressing of tevez and suarez would create chances against that backline when they are trying to bring the ball out. That and Lloris being liable to fluff his lines under pressure with the ball at his feet(even at his peak) leads me to give it to Morzadec

I vote for Morzadec for pretty much the same reasons. I think Pires, Henry and Zola wouldn't offer much support to a midfield two and Alonso isn't the most mobile. Morzadec on the other hand had huge work rate throughout his team. It feels like nit picking though, Liam O put together a really strong team.

Trigger

Morzadec for me. While LiamO's forward line is great it probably wouldnt get enough of a support to create enough chances. I would be wary of his backline being able to put up with the quick pressing of Suarez and Tevez. A very tough decision but I reckon he would just shade it

jayo26

I'm going Morzadec too but I think he only shades it.

When I joined this game I imagined when people were building teams they would put concideration into players working well together and maybe tried to link up players and to be honest I don't think either of these are great teams but both have great players.

One team has an excellent frontnline but nothing behind and the other has a decent spine but nothing out wide.

Morzadec to shade it for me 2-1 win.

bucketybuck

Some thoughts:

Lauren could be very patchy, but then so can Sterling who is a player I don't rate as highly as some, I think Lauren will handle him ok. Pires will have the beating of Clichy but I assume Carrick will be all over that.

Personally I think Zola is well capable of dropping deeper and acting more as a playmaker, he was a very hard worker and undoubtedly had the quality to play that role.

I don't like the Dacourt pick, he was an ok player but there were a lot better players for that role that could have been picked ahead of him. Luckily for him though I don't think Alonso and Butt will be able to capitalise.

I think the front 3 of Suarez, Tevez and Nani will interlink very nicely indeed, especially with Silva and Carrick behind them. 3 up top is the modern style I guess so I do wonder about Liam's defence and who is going to be going with who. Like Carrick, one of Alonso or Butt will constantly need to drop back and fill gaps and how will that affect their own forward play?

Desailly and Cech alone make that a very strong defence but the supporting cast is very good as well. Woodgate, Toure etc are also very strong, but if I was to pick a combined defence it would probably be Cech, Desailly, Toure, Clichy and then a toss up between the RB's.

All told, I think I have to go with Morzadec, I think he has the stronger and more balanced team.

correction

This is a very tough one it has to be said. I feel the midfields offset each other pretty well, I don't see either one dominating the other so it comes down to attack vs defence for me. I think Morzadec has the edge on defence certainly, but it is not without its weaknesses, Pires on Clichy being the main concern. I think Liam O's defence is solid if unspectacular, Toure in his prime was a very good one on one defender and had the pace but he was also quite capable of getting flustered under pressure and I'm not convinced Woodgate has quite the calming influence Sol Campbell would have had for Kolo.

The attacks are of course the super interesting battle in this one. I love both attacks but I must admit I love Morzadec's more in theory than in practice I feel. I feel personally that Tevez and Suarez could do with more midfield runners and I'm not convinced Silva as good a creator as he is offers the goal threat running beyond that maybe this team could use. Nani could perhaps help things but a very inconsistent player and you never really know what you're gonna get. Liam O's attack for me is virtually perfect, you have the known link between Pires and Henry which for me is big. You have the sheer pace and excellent movement of Sterling with some hard work the other way thrown in. And Zola with Henry is like a slightly downgraded Bergkamp Henry so for me a very effective front 2.

It's certainly a close one but just for my belief that if these teams were real that Liam O's attack would function so well I have to give him the edge for me.

SlickRic

this is fúcking rough.

while i'm not a huge fan of Dacourt, i just think Morzadec's team would have that little bit too much control in midfield, and there just isn't enough protection in LiamO's team.

this is utter nitpicking though.

the Suarez/Tevez combo is inspired, and though I think he might have trouble later in the draft against other midfield combos, there is enough in Morzadec's team to get by. It just looks more balanced, with enough firepower to win out.

brinty

Morz team for me, right side a bit in balanced and Silva would tuck in and leave the left back exposed but they would have no enough in midfield to maintain possession and win out

Blue giant

I think LiamO just shades it for me. Both teams have a strong back line although Morzadec probably has a better central defensive duo. I think LiamO wins it out wide though. Nani was a brilliant player at times for United but was never renowned for his hard work defensively nor his consistency. Tevez will also drift centrally and this means I can see Sterling and Pires being left one on one with the fullbacks which would cause problems for any teams. I also think Nicky Butt is being hugely underrated. It’s often forgotten that in big games for United Butt and Keane was Ferguson’s go to midfield with Scholes often on the bench.

SlickRic

Blue giant wrote: »

I think LiamO just shades it for me. Both teams have a strong back line although Morzadec probably has a better central defensive duo. I think LiamO wins it out wide though. Nani was a brilliant player at times for United but was never renowned for his hard work defensively nor his consistency. Tevez will also drift centrally and this means I can see Sterling and Pires being left one on one with the fullbacks which would cause problems for any teams. I also think Nicky Butt is being hugely underrated. It’s often forgotten that in big games for United Butt and Keane was Ferguson’s go to midfield with Scholes often on the bench.

funnily enough, I think Butt is overrated purely because he was part of the Utd juggernaut.

a very good player, no doubt, but nothing like what some would make out.

Blue giant

SlickRic wrote: »

funnily enough, I think Butt is overrated purely because he was part of the Utd juggernaut.

a very good player, no doubt, but nothing like what some would make out.

I don’t think he was an amazing player but l I would be rating him higher than Dacourt for sure. You also don’t become an important part of a dominant team like Utd if you’re not a good player.

SlickRic

Blue giant wrote: »

I don’t think he was an amazing player but l I would be rating him higher than Dacourt for sure. You also don’t become an important part of a dominant team like Utd if you’re not a good player.

he's good, just not top class.

player for player, yes, Dacourt is probably slightly short of him, but Morzadec's blend and balance, like I said in my post, just wins out IMO.

not by much though.

Liam O

SlickRic wrote: »

funnily enough, I think Butt is overrated purely because he was part of the Utd juggernaut.

a very good player, no doubt, but nothing like what some would make out.

He was in the PFA team of the year his only season as undisputed first choice.

SlickRic

Liam O wrote: »

He was in the PFA team of the year his only season as undisputed first choice.

i've already said i'm nitpicking. i just believe he's held in higher regard than he should be by some - usually Utd fans.

it doesn't mean he wasn't very good.

i'm sure people will think some of my players aren't as good as I will, and nitpick my team to death. it's the nature of the game

v3ttel

Two excellent teams. Liam O shades it for me. Unbelievable attack, high quality and balanced CM, and a solid (but comparatively weaker) defense.

I feel like the game is won down the wings. Tevez naturally roams in field a lot, and Silva isn't giving much protection to Clichy. Clichy also needs to get forward and provide some width to the attack leaving gaps. Love the trio of Nani, Tevez & Suarez - though maybe with a slightly different balance.

Dickerty

Morzadec for me. Stronger spine in the team, and two strikers capable of scoring multiple in any game, as well as having a bit of needle in them!

PARlance

Same here, Liam O just about shades it for balance. Suarez and Tevez was inspired, still can't believe in putting them on the losing team.

Lucas Hood

I think a more attacking minded cm would have been better than Zola for Liamo. Bit of disconnect between midfield and attack.
So Morzadec for wins for me. Did Tevez play wide forward much at city? I remember being more of a traditional striker.

dr.kenneth noisewater

Morzadec, great defence and forwards. Not sure about Tevez out left though, could leave Clichy very exposed. Think there were better playrs than Dacourt available but should work well in a 3 man midfield against 2.
Lloris and Woodgate are excellent on their day but always feel theres a mistake in them. Great front 4 for LiamO but Sterling and Pires could get a lot of joy out wide but feel they'd get overrun in CM as Zola is really an attacking midfielder so wouldnt get back enough to help.

Morzadec just about shades it for me

Morzadec

Lucas Hood wrote: »

I think a more attacking minded cm would have been better than Zola for Liamo. Bit of disconnect between midfield and attack.
So Morzadec for wins for me. Did Tevez play wide forward much at city? I remember being more of a traditional striker.

I've seen this coming up a few times, so I think it's worth addressing! So not just to answer your question but to address the general concern / criticism. Tevez never really played as a 9 for City, there was always a more traditional striker beside him as far as I remember, backed up by the below video:

In this goal compilation you can see the types of positions he's taking up in between the lines, many times starting from a wide position (usually the left). Look at goal 3 and goal 5 for example - this is exactly the type of position and play I have envisaged for him - starting predominantly out left but lots of freedom to cut inside and shoot, or play one-twos and end up in a striker-type position. At 2.19 you see it again, at 3.15 again - I could go on, just watch the entirety of the video because these types of goals are more so the rule than the exception.

He's not a fox-in-the-box at all, his damage is done between the lines and he has the dribbling and passing ability to play this role starting wide. His most dangerous attribute in the power of his right boot when he shoots in and around the 18 yard box, complimented by good dribbling ability which can allow him to feint when users try to block him - playing him on left coming inside as a second-striker is (imo) the most effective way to use him.

He then has the work rate and discipline to work hard on the left side and cover this space when off the ball.

As I said in my intro, he's being used more so a second-striker, starting from a left position.

I'll also add his wiki description as a "neutral" source, just to address the claims that he's being played out of position:

Style of play
Tevez is a quick, tenacious, powerful, hard-working, dynamic and versatile forward, with a sturdy physique.[5][160][161][162] A technical, tactically intelligent, and creative player, with an eye for goal, Tevez is capable of playing as a striker, as a winger, or even as a supporting forward, or as an attacking midfielder, due his finishing and positioning, as well as his vision, creativity, movement and passing ability, which enable him to exploit space and provide assists for teammates as well as score goals himself.[4][5][160][163][164][165] Due to his pace, strength, work-rate and stamina, Tevez is also extremely useful when possession is lost, and he excels at pressing opponents, aiding his team to win back the ball and start attacking plays, making him effective both defensively and offensively.[4][5][165][166] Tevez is also a skillful dribbler,[4] and he possesses an accurate and powerful shot from distance;[160][161][164] he is also an accurate penalty kick and free-kick taker.[166][167][168]

dfx-

Morzadec and it's the midfield of LiamO for me that settles it. Fullbacks are not hugely inspiring though good defenders themselves. It's crying out for a box-to-box midfielder would work with Alonso - put Yaya Toure going forward there and it would win all before it.

I'm not a huge fan of Morzadec's team, Dacourt is a red card walking and huge portions of games could drift by Tevez and Nani. I do like Desailly in there.

Ferris_Bueller

I am going with Morzadec. I think his team has a nicer balance to it and would edge the midfield battle, also I think Liams centre halves are a weak point and would struggle big time against Suarez and Tevez. I'm not convinced Butt and Alonso would work in midfield together, like others have said I think Alonso would need a really strong player alongside him to get the best out of him and allow him to dictate games.

duffman13

Two of the best in this one, I love both teams and they line up exceptionally well together. I Like both teams tactically but I'd give the edge to Liamo with his width in his set up. Morzadec has an excellent side but i think it's asking a lot of Clichy and Lauren to supply a lot of the width in the team.

KBurke85

Iused2likebusts wrote: »

Two really excellent teams and unlucky for both to have drawn each other. Both have a great front four LiamO probably has the stronger front 4 . Where Id give morzadec the edge is with his back 5. I'd have it a level above LiamO. I also think someone a bit more mobile than Butt to help close spaces in midfield as alonso wouldnt be the quickest. Really close game that I think Morzadec just edges. Could easily have been the Final as its two very strong teams.

Gone for Morzadec. I feel his defense can cope better with Liam OS attack then Liam’s can cope with his. To be honest in real life they game would quite likely be a draw

martyos121

I’d favour Morzadec’s team here mainly for a reason others have pointed out too. There’s far too much space in Liam O’s team between the two defensive midfielders and the front four with no clear link. That formation would probably benefit more from a powerhouse of a striker up front, but it doesn’t play to Henry’s strengths IMO, even though he’d still be effective given his unrivalled talent.

Morzadec’s team isn’t without its own minor faults (it’s hard to see Dacourt and Carrick gelling in a midfield three unless they’re playing side by side), but it’s slightly more balanced overall and David Silva will link the midfield and the forwards very effectively so possession should be heavily in Morz’s favour, and his centre back pairing is one of the best in the draft so he’s well equipped to deal with counter attacks.

Morzadec

Good game Liam O, looks like it was a tightly run thing - I genuinely did think your team was one of the strongest in the draft