Football/Soccer Winning XI Draft Thread-PICKS ONLY
08-08-2009
, 07:56 PM
Round 10 Pick 220
AJW/TehVader
Pick 220
Ten years veteran of the Premiership. Four caps away from a century. Still only thirty three. Ireland’s number one Shay Given.
Pick 213
Making a name for himself in the Bundesliga’s most improved defence and scoring a lot from set pieces. Neven Subotic
Pick 173
Attacking Brazilian left-back Filipe
Pick 124
Tireless midfield dynamo Mathieu Flamini
Pick 76
Integral part of Serie A’s meanest defence Christian Chivu
AJW/TehVader
Pick 220
Ten years veteran of the Premiership. Four caps away from a century. Still only thirty three. Ireland’s number one Shay Given.
Pick 213
Making a name for himself in the Bundesliga’s most improved defence and scoring a lot from set pieces. Neven Subotic
Pick 173
Attacking Brazilian left-back Filipe
Pick 124
Tireless midfield dynamo Mathieu Flamini
Pick 76
Integral part of Serie A’s meanest defence Christian Chivu
08-09-2009
, 07:19 PM
Anderson-Round 7 Pick 162
Anderson is one of the best young midfielder players in the world in our opinion. Our formation became kind of screwed up, and I figured we would have to go back to the 4-4-2. With drafting Alonso we already had a player who is semi-defensive minded, and I figured that we would not have to draft a true dfm. With Anderson and Alosno we will have plenty of workrate through the middle. Although he is not a big scorer he never had to be in his first years at Manchester United. I suspect that his scoring will rise to about 5-6 goals with Ronny and Tevez gone, but if it doesn’t we don’t need him him be a big scorer with KJH, and Villa up top. We will surely have some of the best link up passes in the league with Anderson, and Alonso and I really like how our CM shaped up.
Honours
Club
Grêmio
• Campeonato Brasileiro Série B (1): 2005
Porto
• Portuguese Liga (2): 2005–06, 2006–07
• Taça de Portugal (1): 2005–06
• Portuguese SuperCup (1): 2005–06
Manchester United
• Premier League (2): 2007–08, 2008–09
• Football League Cup (1): 2008–09
• UEFA Champions League (1): 2007–08
• FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008
International
• Copa América (1): 2007
• 2005 FIFA U-17 World Cup: Best Player of Tournament
• South American U-17 Championship (1): 2005
Martín Demichelis-Round 8 Pick 175
I think this is one of the biggest steals of the draft. Keep in mind we drafted him before he became injured so that injury has no bearing on our team. I thought about taking him in the fourth round after Carvalho, because I thought that would surely be a top 3 pairing in the league and he dropped to us all the way in the 8th round. The great thing about it is we can play him at DFM also, and draft another CB if we don’t have enough work rate in our center midfield. I was surprised that a player like Lucio went way before Demichelis when I talked to a lot of people, and all of them said that Demichelis was the better player in that partnership. Our CB partnership is going to be extremely physical, and be a tight marking partnership.
Honours
• Argentine championship: (2) Clausura: 2002, 2003
• German championship: (3) 2005, 2006, 2008
• German Cup: (3) 2005, 2006, 2008
• German Super Cup: 2004, 2007
Albert Riera-Round 9 Pick 210
You can’t really disagree with taking anyone starting on the Spain National team in the 9th round. I was very impressed by his first season at Liverpool where he was on the first team nearly all year. We really needed to solidify our position at left mid, and I thought he was the perfect player to do it. Riera is very good on the ball (I would rate his dribbling skills as some of the best in the epl), and a good passer. I would rate him as an excellent player, but one of his flaws is his pace. This is fine though because we plan to draft someone in leftback who will get forward a lot, and bring pace to the left side.
Honours
Club
• Mallorca:
o Spanish Cup: 2002-03
• Espanyol:
o Spanish Cup: 2005-06
o UEFA Cup: Runner-up 2006-07
• Liverpool:
o English League: Runner-up 2008-09
Country
• FIFA Confederations Cup: Third-place 2009
Juan Manuel Vargas-Round 11 pick 223
I knew we needed to draft someone who gets forward a lot after selecting Riera. It was between a few players at left back, but we decided to go with Vargas because of his speed, and attacking style from the left back position. This guy has scored some of the most crazy goals for a left back player, and his offensive ability rivals that of a Danny Alves. This also gives us another option at free kicks along with Alosno, and Villa. He also is very versatile, and if something happens to our midfield he is more than qualified to play the wing position.
Anderson is one of the best young midfielder players in the world in our opinion. Our formation became kind of screwed up, and I figured we would have to go back to the 4-4-2. With drafting Alonso we already had a player who is semi-defensive minded, and I figured that we would not have to draft a true dfm. With Anderson and Alosno we will have plenty of workrate through the middle. Although he is not a big scorer he never had to be in his first years at Manchester United. I suspect that his scoring will rise to about 5-6 goals with Ronny and Tevez gone, but if it doesn’t we don’t need him him be a big scorer with KJH, and Villa up top. We will surely have some of the best link up passes in the league with Anderson, and Alonso and I really like how our CM shaped up.
Honours
Club
Grêmio
• Campeonato Brasileiro Série B (1): 2005
Porto
• Portuguese Liga (2): 2005–06, 2006–07
• Taça de Portugal (1): 2005–06
• Portuguese SuperCup (1): 2005–06
Manchester United
• Premier League (2): 2007–08, 2008–09
• Football League Cup (1): 2008–09
• UEFA Champions League (1): 2007–08
• FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008
International
• Copa América (1): 2007
• 2005 FIFA U-17 World Cup: Best Player of Tournament
• South American U-17 Championship (1): 2005
Martín Demichelis-Round 8 Pick 175
I think this is one of the biggest steals of the draft. Keep in mind we drafted him before he became injured so that injury has no bearing on our team. I thought about taking him in the fourth round after Carvalho, because I thought that would surely be a top 3 pairing in the league and he dropped to us all the way in the 8th round. The great thing about it is we can play him at DFM also, and draft another CB if we don’t have enough work rate in our center midfield. I was surprised that a player like Lucio went way before Demichelis when I talked to a lot of people, and all of them said that Demichelis was the better player in that partnership. Our CB partnership is going to be extremely physical, and be a tight marking partnership.
Honours
• Argentine championship: (2) Clausura: 2002, 2003
• German championship: (3) 2005, 2006, 2008
• German Cup: (3) 2005, 2006, 2008
• German Super Cup: 2004, 2007
Albert Riera-Round 9 Pick 210
You can’t really disagree with taking anyone starting on the Spain National team in the 9th round. I was very impressed by his first season at Liverpool where he was on the first team nearly all year. We really needed to solidify our position at left mid, and I thought he was the perfect player to do it. Riera is very good on the ball (I would rate his dribbling skills as some of the best in the epl), and a good passer. I would rate him as an excellent player, but one of his flaws is his pace. This is fine though because we plan to draft someone in leftback who will get forward a lot, and bring pace to the left side.
Honours
Club
• Mallorca:
o Spanish Cup: 2002-03
• Espanyol:
o Spanish Cup: 2005-06
o UEFA Cup: Runner-up 2006-07
• Liverpool:
o English League: Runner-up 2008-09
Country
• FIFA Confederations Cup: Third-place 2009
Juan Manuel Vargas-Round 11 pick 223
I knew we needed to draft someone who gets forward a lot after selecting Riera. It was between a few players at left back, but we decided to go with Vargas because of his speed, and attacking style from the left back position. This guy has scored some of the most crazy goals for a left back player, and his offensive ability rivals that of a Danny Alves. This also gives us another option at free kicks along with Alosno, and Villa. He also is very versatile, and if something happens to our midfield he is more than qualified to play the wing position.
08-09-2009
, 07:30 PM
Round 9 - Pick 202 Thomas Vermaelen
Can play leftback or Centreback(big plus in case of injuries)
Is good in the air
He is a leader and organizer(he and sissoko give my team "the bite" needed to succed vs physical strong teams) who will play an important role for arsenal coming season.
Vermaelen + Marchena is a very intelligent CB partnership which should work out very well.
Round 10 - Pick 223 Vincenzo Iaquinta
I cannot believe that he dropped so far especially given that guys like gilardino, toni, kanoute have gone in round 5(klose even in 4)
Iaquinta is real target man. He is a complety different MS type than Rossi.
Big, can hold up the ball, very good with the head but of similiar quality.
This pick gives me a lot more options upfront.
team cashy:
formation: 4-3-3
Defenders: Marchena, Ćorluka, Vermaelen
midfield: Fabregas, Van der Vaart, Sissoko
strikers: Robben, Mata, Rossi, Iaquinta
- - - - -Goalkeeper - - - - - - -
-Ćorluka - Marchena -TV - LB -
- - - - - - - -Sissoko - - - - - -
- - Fabregas - -Van der Vaart - -
Robben - - Iaquinta/Rossi - - -Mata
Can play leftback or Centreback(big plus in case of injuries)
Is good in the air
He is a leader and organizer(he and sissoko give my team "the bite" needed to succed vs physical strong teams) who will play an important role for arsenal coming season.
Vermaelen + Marchena is a very intelligent CB partnership which should work out very well.
Round 10 - Pick 223 Vincenzo Iaquinta
I cannot believe that he dropped so far especially given that guys like gilardino, toni, kanoute have gone in round 5(klose even in 4)
Iaquinta is real target man. He is a complety different MS type than Rossi.
Big, can hold up the ball, very good with the head but of similiar quality.
This pick gives me a lot more options upfront.
team cashy:
formation: 4-3-3
Defenders: Marchena, Ćorluka, Vermaelen
midfield: Fabregas, Van der Vaart, Sissoko
strikers: Robben, Mata, Rossi, Iaquinta
- - - - -Goalkeeper - - - - - - -
-Ćorluka - Marchena -TV - LB -
- - - - - - - -Sissoko - - - - - -
- - Fabregas - -Van der Vaart - -
Robben - - Iaquinta/Rossi - - -Mata
08-09-2009
, 07:47 PM
Round 10 - Pick 233 - Park Ji-Sung, Manchester United FC & South Korea
I see Park as an ideal fit in my midfield, with the workrate, pace and attacking ability to work perfectly alongside my current offensive players. Park first came to international attention in 2002, scoring to eliminate Portugal in the World Cup group stages prior to Korea's fairytale run to the semi-finals. Park soon moved to Europe and PSV, becoming a critical member of their excellent side in the mid 00's that made a run to the semi finals of the Champions League. A transfer to Manchester United followed, where he has become a regular fixture in their midfield over the past season, and will assume a more important role following the departure of other players who dive too much. Also, he will help me sell shirts in developing markets.
Greasy Chip Butty Select XI:
Casillas - Zambrotta, Chiellini, Jagielka, Capdevila - Senna - Kuyt, Park, ?, Agbonlahor - Crouch
I see Park as an ideal fit in my midfield, with the workrate, pace and attacking ability to work perfectly alongside my current offensive players. Park first came to international attention in 2002, scoring to eliminate Portugal in the World Cup group stages prior to Korea's fairytale run to the semi-finals. Park soon moved to Europe and PSV, becoming a critical member of their excellent side in the mid 00's that made a run to the semi finals of the Champions League. A transfer to Manchester United followed, where he has become a regular fixture in their midfield over the past season, and will assume a more important role following the departure of other players who dive too much. Also, he will help me sell shirts in developing markets.
Greasy Chip Butty Select XI:
Casillas - Zambrotta, Chiellini, Jagielka, Capdevila - Senna - Kuyt, Park, ?, Agbonlahor - Crouch
08-09-2009
, 08:51 PM
Round 10, Pick 235
Christian Poulsen
Poulsen is a fairly one-dimensional player, but does so superbly. He tackles and disrupts the opposing attack with reckless abandon. Every so often, he'll antagonize other players and get into their heads completely. I mean, if you're pissing off someone like Gennaro Gattuso, you must be doing something right.
Yes, he didn't exactly have the best season with Juventus but before that he was integral to Sevilla's UEFA Cup title repeat and named the best new signing in La Liga. He was also a key member of Schalke before that, leading them to the Champions League in 2005 and the UEFA Cup in 2006.
I won't need him to do much beyond providing a defensive presence in the midfield. Veloso, Misimovic, and Gerrard are perfectly capable of linking the defense to the attack. That frees Poulsen up to man-mark and thug it up whenever necessary. He and Šimunić will punish opposing players, simply put.
Honors
UEFA Cup: 2007
Danish Superliga: 2001
Danish Player of the Year: 2005, 2006
64 caps for Denmark
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGG30Qrlkfo
Starting formation:
--------------Adebayor-------------
----Cassano-------Gerrard---------
---------Misimović------------------
--------------------------------------
--------------Veloso----Poulsen----
--------------------------------------
---LB---Šimunić---Gallas---Alves---
--------------------------------------
-------------Julio Cesar--------------
Christian Poulsen
Poulsen is a fairly one-dimensional player, but does so superbly. He tackles and disrupts the opposing attack with reckless abandon. Every so often, he'll antagonize other players and get into their heads completely. I mean, if you're pissing off someone like Gennaro Gattuso, you must be doing something right.
Yes, he didn't exactly have the best season with Juventus but before that he was integral to Sevilla's UEFA Cup title repeat and named the best new signing in La Liga. He was also a key member of Schalke before that, leading them to the Champions League in 2005 and the UEFA Cup in 2006.
I won't need him to do much beyond providing a defensive presence in the midfield. Veloso, Misimovic, and Gerrard are perfectly capable of linking the defense to the attack. That frees Poulsen up to man-mark and thug it up whenever necessary. He and Šimunić will punish opposing players, simply put.
Honors
UEFA Cup: 2007
Danish Superliga: 2001
Danish Player of the Year: 2005, 2006
64 caps for Denmark
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGG30Qrlkfo
Starting formation:
--------------Adebayor-------------
----Cassano-------Gerrard---------
---------Misimović------------------
--------------------------------------
--------------Veloso----Poulsen----
--------------------------------------
---LB---Šimunić---Gallas---Alves---
--------------------------------------
-------------Julio Cesar--------------
08-09-2009
, 11:32 PM
Round 10
Pick 227
Claude Makelele
He is widely considered the premier defensive midfielder of the modern game, , which is often named after him, being called the "Makélélé Role." Couldn't pass up the oppurtunity to have big C even if he is on the ebnch a lot. Yes he is old but he is still one of the best and has a great engine.
Pick 227
Claude Makelele
He is widely considered the premier defensive midfielder of the modern game, , which is often named after him, being called the "Makélélé Role." Couldn't pass up the oppurtunity to have big C even if he is on the ebnch a lot. Yes he is old but he is still one of the best and has a great engine.
08-10-2009
, 02:33 AM
Round 10
Pick 234
Marouane Fellaini
I'm pretty excited that this multi-talented dynamo of a midfielder dropped to me well into the 200's. Once again, I'm a bit surprised he fell this far, considering how quickly EPL talent was taken earlier on in this draft. However, considering most teams stocked their midfielders in the early rounds, I felt that a player like Fellaini might fall off of some radars and allow me to complete my well-rounded 4-4-2.
Fellaini arrived at Goodison Park with a lot of hype in tow. After all, it's not every day that the Toffees spend £15 million on one player - a club record. Clearly David Moyes was confident in his investment; much to the immediate relief and then prolonged elation of the Everton faithful, the young Belgian international certainly didn't disappoint in his first campaign on the Merseyside. Initially brought in as a defensive midfielder, a rash of injuries forced Fellaini to play an unfamiliar attacking role for most of the season. In somewhat of a surprise, Fellaini finished the season with 9 goals scored in 33 games for Everton, many of which were scored with his infamous afro'd head.
Some people might look exclusively at last season's sample size and ask why I selected another attacking midfielder. Well, he isn't a pure AMF, so let's dispel that myth right now (Here is his Everton TV player profile; listen to his old Standard Liege teammates describe how he plays and then move to 4:51 for Fellaini's own opinions on his style of play). Fellaini is a box-to-box powerhouse who's just as adept at winning tackles and loose balls in midfield as he is at bulging the ol' onion bag. At 6'5", he is a real presence in the air, both offensively and defensively; his size also allows him to intimidate opponents in the challenge with his physical prowess. 12 yellow cards last season is a bit worrisome I suppose, but I love players who make the opposition hear footsteps.
His stamina and pace will make up for an aging Stankovic who perhaps might lack some speed in my midfield. However, both of them understand what it means to be a complete midfielder - you must be defensively responsible and tough in the tackle, yet possess keen offensive intuition and skill, always ready to jump into the attack and make yourself a threat to score. There certainly isn't an absence of creativity or attacking potential in my 4-4-2 but the well-rounded nature of my entire midfield (Modric, Stankovic, Valencia and Fellaini) will ensure that no matter the situation or location on the pitch, our squad is more than capable of dealing with any problem at hand. My team might not be the flashiest anymore, but there's world-class talent across the pitch and we'll be competitive in every game we play.
Team Geddy Lee:
------Del Piero-----Ibrahimovic--------
Modric---Stankovic---Fellaini---Valencia
Cissokho----Lucio----- x ------ Motta
-------------- x ----------------------
Sub: Mutu_LOL
Pick 234
Marouane Fellaini
I'm pretty excited that this multi-talented dynamo of a midfielder dropped to me well into the 200's. Once again, I'm a bit surprised he fell this far, considering how quickly EPL talent was taken earlier on in this draft. However, considering most teams stocked their midfielders in the early rounds, I felt that a player like Fellaini might fall off of some radars and allow me to complete my well-rounded 4-4-2.
Fellaini arrived at Goodison Park with a lot of hype in tow. After all, it's not every day that the Toffees spend £15 million on one player - a club record. Clearly David Moyes was confident in his investment; much to the immediate relief and then prolonged elation of the Everton faithful, the young Belgian international certainly didn't disappoint in his first campaign on the Merseyside. Initially brought in as a defensive midfielder, a rash of injuries forced Fellaini to play an unfamiliar attacking role for most of the season. In somewhat of a surprise, Fellaini finished the season with 9 goals scored in 33 games for Everton, many of which were scored with his infamous afro'd head.
Some people might look exclusively at last season's sample size and ask why I selected another attacking midfielder. Well, he isn't a pure AMF, so let's dispel that myth right now (Here is his Everton TV player profile; listen to his old Standard Liege teammates describe how he plays and then move to 4:51 for Fellaini's own opinions on his style of play). Fellaini is a box-to-box powerhouse who's just as adept at winning tackles and loose balls in midfield as he is at bulging the ol' onion bag. At 6'5", he is a real presence in the air, both offensively and defensively; his size also allows him to intimidate opponents in the challenge with his physical prowess. 12 yellow cards last season is a bit worrisome I suppose, but I love players who make the opposition hear footsteps.
His stamina and pace will make up for an aging Stankovic who perhaps might lack some speed in my midfield. However, both of them understand what it means to be a complete midfielder - you must be defensively responsible and tough in the tackle, yet possess keen offensive intuition and skill, always ready to jump into the attack and make yourself a threat to score. There certainly isn't an absence of creativity or attacking potential in my 4-4-2 but the well-rounded nature of my entire midfield (Modric, Stankovic, Valencia and Fellaini) will ensure that no matter the situation or location on the pitch, our squad is more than capable of dealing with any problem at hand. My team might not be the flashiest anymore, but there's world-class talent across the pitch and we'll be competitive in every game we play.
Team Geddy Lee:
------Del Piero-----Ibrahimovic--------
Modric---Stankovic---Fellaini---Valencia
Cissokho----Lucio----- x ------ Motta
-------------- x ----------------------
Sub: Mutu_LOL
Last edited by Geddy Lee; 08-10-2009 at 02:50 AM.
08-10-2009
, 08:37 AM
Round 10 - Pick 226 - Michael Owen
With all the chances that my team will create I need a clinical finisher who is reading to pounce given half a sniff. Michael "Fox in the box(TM)" Owen has a 1-in-2 career strike rate and is the perfect super sub for my team.
Youtube Video
Honours:
Liverpool
* FA Cup: 2001
* Football League Cup: 2001, 2003
* FA Community Shield: 2001
* UEFA Cup: 2001
* European Super Cup: 2001
* FA Youth Cup: 1996
Newcastle United
* UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2006
International
* FA Summer Tournament: 2004
Individual
* PFA Young Player of the Year: 1998
* Premier League joint top scorer: 1998, 1999
* BBC Sports Personality of the Year: 1998
* Ballon d'Or: 2001
* FIFA 100
Team kitaristi0
Xavi
David Silva
Felipe Melo
Santi Cazorla
Fredi Kanoute
Daniel Agger
Sergio Busquets
Rafael
Fabio Cannavaro
Michael Owen
With all the chances that my team will create I need a clinical finisher who is reading to pounce given half a sniff. Michael "Fox in the box(TM)" Owen has a 1-in-2 career strike rate and is the perfect super sub for my team.
Youtube Video
Honours:
Liverpool
* FA Cup: 2001
* Football League Cup: 2001, 2003
* FA Community Shield: 2001
* UEFA Cup: 2001
* European Super Cup: 2001
* FA Youth Cup: 1996
Newcastle United
* UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2006
International
* FA Summer Tournament: 2004
Individual
* PFA Young Player of the Year: 1998
* Premier League joint top scorer: 1998, 1999
* BBC Sports Personality of the Year: 1998
* Ballon d'Or: 2001
* FIFA 100
Team kitaristi0
Xavi
David Silva
Felipe Melo
Santi Cazorla
Fredi Kanoute
Daniel Agger
Sergio Busquets
Rafael
Fabio Cannavaro
Michael Owen
08-10-2009
, 01:04 PM
Round 10
Pick 236
Nedum Onuoha
Onuoha is a big, powerful and quick defender who already has a lot of high level experience at the age of 22. He has recently captained England U21, making 21 appearances and has made 84 appearances for Manchester City. He is very strong in the tackle, good in the air and brings some much needed pace to my back-line (he could've made it as a 100m sprinter if he didn't go into football). He can also play RB as well as CB which is where I will likely be using him.
HMS Disturbance FC
-------------GK--------------
-Onuoha--B Alves--Woodgate--Grosso-
------L Diarra----Gago-------
-Walcott---Pandev---Robinho-
-----------Torres-------------
Pick 236
Nedum Onuoha
Onuoha is a big, powerful and quick defender who already has a lot of high level experience at the age of 22. He has recently captained England U21, making 21 appearances and has made 84 appearances for Manchester City. He is very strong in the tackle, good in the air and brings some much needed pace to my back-line (he could've made it as a 100m sprinter if he didn't go into football). He can also play RB as well as CB which is where I will likely be using him.
HMS Disturbance FC
-------------GK--------------
-Onuoha--B Alves--Woodgate--Grosso-
------L Diarra----Gago-------
-Walcott---Pandev---Robinho-
-----------Torres-------------
08-11-2009
, 12:40 PM
Round 11, Pick 246
Joe Cole
He was having a great season for Chelski before tearing his ACL in January. Before that, he had been a fixture in the first team for several years, wreaking havoc with creativity on the wings and scoring on long-range shots. A vital cog in the Chelski attack during their title seasons.
His versatility and ability to play anywhere in the attacking midfield allows me to bring him in during the second half for Cassano or Misimovic (if they're tiring) or Veloso/Poulsen (if I want to push more players forward). Because of the ACL injury, I don't contemplate him as a starter but he'd be more than able to contribute 30+ minutes when the opposition is tiring. A great super-sub option for purposes of this draft.
Honors
English Premier League: 2005, 2006
FA Cup: 2007
English League Cup: 2005, 2007
PFA Team of the Year: 2006
Chelski Player of the Year: 2008
West Ham Player of the Year: 2003
53 caps for England
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK8p3t8i3Pg
Starting formation:
--------------Adebayor-------------
----Cassano-------Gerrard---------
---------Misimović------------------
--------------------------------------
--------------Veloso----Poulsen----
--------------------------------------
---LB---Šimunić---Gallas---Alves---
--------------------------------------
-------------Julio Cesar--------------
Subs: J. Cole
Joe Cole
He was having a great season for Chelski before tearing his ACL in January. Before that, he had been a fixture in the first team for several years, wreaking havoc with creativity on the wings and scoring on long-range shots. A vital cog in the Chelski attack during their title seasons.
His versatility and ability to play anywhere in the attacking midfield allows me to bring him in during the second half for Cassano or Misimovic (if they're tiring) or Veloso/Poulsen (if I want to push more players forward). Because of the ACL injury, I don't contemplate him as a starter but he'd be more than able to contribute 30+ minutes when the opposition is tiring. A great super-sub option for purposes of this draft.
Honors
English Premier League: 2005, 2006
FA Cup: 2007
English League Cup: 2005, 2007
PFA Team of the Year: 2006
Chelski Player of the Year: 2008
West Ham Player of the Year: 2003
53 caps for England
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK8p3t8i3Pg
Starting formation:
--------------Adebayor-------------
----Cassano-------Gerrard---------
---------Misimović------------------
--------------------------------------
--------------Veloso----Poulsen----
--------------------------------------
---LB---Šimunić---Gallas---Alves---
--------------------------------------
-------------Julio Cesar--------------
Subs: J. Cole
08-11-2009
, 08:02 PM
Round 11 Pick 249:
Wrane:
Konstantin Zyrianov
My intended starting midfielder with some competition from Javier Zanetti (who will get games at other positions anyway) is a very good technical player who can run well with the ball, make great creative passes and is a threat to score goals.
He is someone when he plays as an attacking midfielder where good things just happens when he touches the ball.
But he has also played defensive midfielder and when I've seen him from Russia or Zenit he has a very good workrate with lots of movement and has been a huge part of their great passing game coming together at times completely taking other teams apart.
Especially when the ball is won by him or someone else, or just lost by the oppostion, he is something of a master of leading the counter attack.
D'Agostino will do this on my team with a good deep pass, Zyrianov on the other hand is very good at quickly carrying the ball through space and then make a good pass much further up the pitch.
I guess a general theme for my picks have been two-way play.
Not the very best attacking players and not the very best defensive ones but when it comes to being (very) good at both I think I have elite players in Rooney, Cambiasso, D'Agostino, Zanetti, Bosingwa and now Zyrianov.
I also think with the Zyrianov pick I've significantly upgraded my transition game potential.
Basically the plan is to have players so good at both ends that I without missing much of a beat will be defending with 8-9 men behind the ball while depending on what the opposition have back, directly attack with enough people to be effective there as well.
Vucinic - Milito - Rooney
In established attack I want these to switch around a lot.
When defending Rooney will have the right midfield and Vucinic support D'Agostino defending the left. Vise verca is a possibility too.
D'Agostino - Cambiasso - Zyrianov
D'Agostino will not go forward much at all but has a license to always look for the deep pass. The reward if its succesfull is a goal scoring chance and the risk very small since the ball will be lost deep on the opponents half so my team comfortably can get in defensive position and simply rely on the counter which is more likely to give a better chance anyway.
Cambiasso and Zyrianov I feel are both good enough two- way players to consistently throughout a game contribute to both ends.
With Zyrianov slightly more to the attacking side of things and Cambiasso more to the defensive.
Looking at it I actually think my right side looks pretty good and when it isn't a deep pass from D'Agostino or Zyrianov, I expect my majority of established attacks to come from there.
Zyrianov and Bosingwa with the three forwards in and around the box.
Cambiasso and D'Agostino covering behind.
When defending it will be 4-4-1-1 with Rooney on the right side, D'Agostino on the left and when Vucinic is back a 4-5-1 really trying to minimize space and if ball is won with our two-way play quality quickly try to punish those teams with many men forward and without the two-way quality that we have.
(for now) Zanetti - Mexes - Skrtel - Bosingwa
This is pretty straightforward. How much the fullbacks go forward will entirely depend on the opposition. Skrtel is very good at defending and not much else so he won't be asked to do anything else while I really like Mexes and his ability to skillfully bring the ball where its best.
MUST WATCH ENTIRE 6 MINUTE YOUTUBE OF ZYRIANOV:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKT5ke5EPSc
Team so far:
Gk: Pepe Reina
Utility: Javier Zanetti
RB: Jose Bosingwa
DC: Philippe Mexes
DC: Martin Skrtel
MC: Esteban Cambiasso
MC: Konstantin Zyrianov
MC: Gaetano D'Agostino
Forward: Wayne Rooney
Forward: Diego Milito
Forward: Mirko Vucinic
Wrane:
Quote:
A beautiful seed that has blossom slowly with nurture and hard work. A flower that has exploded onto the scene of football. A graceful yet majestic creature who has the desire to boot. The wonderful, the impeccable, the spectucular
My intended starting midfielder with some competition from Javier Zanetti (who will get games at other positions anyway) is a very good technical player who can run well with the ball, make great creative passes and is a threat to score goals.
He is someone when he plays as an attacking midfielder where good things just happens when he touches the ball.
But he has also played defensive midfielder and when I've seen him from Russia or Zenit he has a very good workrate with lots of movement and has been a huge part of their great passing game coming together at times completely taking other teams apart.
Especially when the ball is won by him or someone else, or just lost by the oppostion, he is something of a master of leading the counter attack.
D'Agostino will do this on my team with a good deep pass, Zyrianov on the other hand is very good at quickly carrying the ball through space and then make a good pass much further up the pitch.
I guess a general theme for my picks have been two-way play.
Not the very best attacking players and not the very best defensive ones but when it comes to being (very) good at both I think I have elite players in Rooney, Cambiasso, D'Agostino, Zanetti, Bosingwa and now Zyrianov.
I also think with the Zyrianov pick I've significantly upgraded my transition game potential.
Basically the plan is to have players so good at both ends that I without missing much of a beat will be defending with 8-9 men behind the ball while depending on what the opposition have back, directly attack with enough people to be effective there as well.
Vucinic - Milito - Rooney
In established attack I want these to switch around a lot.
When defending Rooney will have the right midfield and Vucinic support D'Agostino defending the left. Vise verca is a possibility too.
D'Agostino - Cambiasso - Zyrianov
D'Agostino will not go forward much at all but has a license to always look for the deep pass. The reward if its succesfull is a goal scoring chance and the risk very small since the ball will be lost deep on the opponents half so my team comfortably can get in defensive position and simply rely on the counter which is more likely to give a better chance anyway.
Cambiasso and Zyrianov I feel are both good enough two- way players to consistently throughout a game contribute to both ends.
With Zyrianov slightly more to the attacking side of things and Cambiasso more to the defensive.
Looking at it I actually think my right side looks pretty good and when it isn't a deep pass from D'Agostino or Zyrianov, I expect my majority of established attacks to come from there.
Zyrianov and Bosingwa with the three forwards in and around the box.
Cambiasso and D'Agostino covering behind.
When defending it will be 4-4-1-1 with Rooney on the right side, D'Agostino on the left and when Vucinic is back a 4-5-1 really trying to minimize space and if ball is won with our two-way play quality quickly try to punish those teams with many men forward and without the two-way quality that we have.
(for now) Zanetti - Mexes - Skrtel - Bosingwa
This is pretty straightforward. How much the fullbacks go forward will entirely depend on the opposition. Skrtel is very good at defending and not much else so he won't be asked to do anything else while I really like Mexes and his ability to skillfully bring the ball where its best.
MUST WATCH ENTIRE 6 MINUTE YOUTUBE OF ZYRIANOV:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKT5ke5EPSc
Team so far:
Gk: Pepe Reina
Utility: Javier Zanetti
RB: Jose Bosingwa
DC: Philippe Mexes
DC: Martin Skrtel
MC: Esteban Cambiasso
MC: Konstantin Zyrianov
MC: Gaetano D'Agostino
Forward: Wayne Rooney
Forward: Diego Milito
Forward: Mirko Vucinic
Last edited by Bjørn; 08-11-2009 at 08:23 PM.
08-12-2009
, 08:29 AM
Round 11 - Pick 252 - Wes Brown
He missed most of last season due to injury but he's back now and is United's first choice RB and at worst 50/50 vs Glen Johnson for the England number 1 slot. He can also play CB.
Youtube Video
Honours:
Manchester United
* Premier League: 1998–99, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08
* FA Cup: 1998–99, 2003–04
* Football League Cup: 2005–06
* FA Community Shield: 2003, 2007, 2008
* UEFA Champions League: 1998–99, 2007–08
Team kitaristi0
Xavi
David Silva
Felipe Melo
Santi Cazorla
Fredi Kanoute
Daniel Agger
Sergio Busquets
Rafael
Fabio Cannavaro
Michael Owen
Wes Brown
He missed most of last season due to injury but he's back now and is United's first choice RB and at worst 50/50 vs Glen Johnson for the England number 1 slot. He can also play CB.
Youtube Video
Honours:
Manchester United
* Premier League: 1998–99, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08
* FA Cup: 1998–99, 2003–04
* Football League Cup: 2005–06
* FA Community Shield: 2003, 2007, 2008
* UEFA Champions League: 1998–99, 2007–08
Team kitaristi0
Xavi
David Silva
Felipe Melo
Santi Cazorla
Fredi Kanoute
Daniel Agger
Sergio Busquets
Rafael
Fabio Cannavaro
Michael Owen
Wes Brown
08-12-2009
, 09:33 PM
Round 11
Pick 254
Branislav Ivanovic
Big and strong, just like Vidic these two will be a rock at the centre of defence and are handy at set pieces too.
Team SL8a
- - - - -Goalkeeper - - -
-Arbeloa- -Vidic -Ivanovic - - Adriano
------Frings/makelele--------
-----Scweinsteiger------Gonzalez
-----------Alex----------
----Pato-----------Dzeko---
Pick 254
Branislav Ivanovic
Big and strong, just like Vidic these two will be a rock at the centre of defence and are handy at set pieces too.
Team SL8a
- - - - -Goalkeeper - - -
-Arbeloa- -Vidic -Ivanovic - - Adriano
------Frings/makelele--------
-----Scweinsteiger------Gonzalez
-----------Alex----------
----Pato-----------Dzeko---
08-12-2009
, 09:55 PM
Round 8, pick 174, Ricardo Montolivo
Attacking midfielder from Fiorentina.
We picked this player to play in front of both Carrick and Mikel. His playmaking abilities should allow him to quickly connect to our other attacking player, in particular Hleb and Forlan.
A bit of an up and coming player in Serie A, just now getting some caps with the Italian National Team.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sITxkJqZ2BQ
Round 9, pick 211, Hatem Ben Arfa
Currently playing as a winger/striker/little bitch for Marseille, we picked Ben Arfa to finalize our front three. His creative skills pair beautifully with Montolivo and Hleb, meaning our attacking players have the ability to create shots for themselves and others. A bit inconsistent, but young, he has loads of potential. Scored 12 league goals in the past two years, playing for both Lyon and Marseille. He also played a big part in Marseille finishing second in Ligue 1. Starting to get some call ups to the France national team as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o7iekY7iTA
Round 10, pick 229, Saloman Kalou
Taken primarily as a sub, he brings versatility to our attacking core. He can play as a striker or on the wing. He has pace and is more direct than our other attacking wings, which can prove to be valuable to us when needed. He put up some impressive numbers in Holland playing for Feyenord before moving to England. Used primarily as a sub at Chelsea, with pretty good results. Kalou is another player that is starting to see regular playing time with his national team as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi2H2XIMXh0
Round 11, pick 255, Souleymane Diawara
A key member of last seasons Ligue 1 winning side Bordeaux, he has moved to Marseille this summer. Was voted onto the Ligue 1 team of the year at CB. Diawara brings to our team a physical and athletic CB that I think pairs really well with Terry. Diawara spent a season playing in England for a poor Charlton team, however he has shown his value to the teams he has played for in France.
And if this video doesn't make you think he's epic, I don't know what will:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07cg6...eature=related
Team so far:
----------------Forlan-----------------
--Ben Arfa-----------------Hleb-------
---------------Montolivo---------------
--------Carrick------------Mikel--------
Taiwo----Terry----Diawara-----Sagna--
---------------GK---------------------
Subs:
Kalou
Attacking midfielder from Fiorentina.
We picked this player to play in front of both Carrick and Mikel. His playmaking abilities should allow him to quickly connect to our other attacking player, in particular Hleb and Forlan.
A bit of an up and coming player in Serie A, just now getting some caps with the Italian National Team.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sITxkJqZ2BQ
Round 9, pick 211, Hatem Ben Arfa
Currently playing as a winger/striker/little bitch for Marseille, we picked Ben Arfa to finalize our front three. His creative skills pair beautifully with Montolivo and Hleb, meaning our attacking players have the ability to create shots for themselves and others. A bit inconsistent, but young, he has loads of potential. Scored 12 league goals in the past two years, playing for both Lyon and Marseille. He also played a big part in Marseille finishing second in Ligue 1. Starting to get some call ups to the France national team as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o7iekY7iTA
Round 10, pick 229, Saloman Kalou
Taken primarily as a sub, he brings versatility to our attacking core. He can play as a striker or on the wing. He has pace and is more direct than our other attacking wings, which can prove to be valuable to us when needed. He put up some impressive numbers in Holland playing for Feyenord before moving to England. Used primarily as a sub at Chelsea, with pretty good results. Kalou is another player that is starting to see regular playing time with his national team as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi2H2XIMXh0
Round 11, pick 255, Souleymane Diawara
A key member of last seasons Ligue 1 winning side Bordeaux, he has moved to Marseille this summer. Was voted onto the Ligue 1 team of the year at CB. Diawara brings to our team a physical and athletic CB that I think pairs really well with Terry. Diawara spent a season playing in England for a poor Charlton team, however he has shown his value to the teams he has played for in France.
And if this video doesn't make you think he's epic, I don't know what will:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07cg6...eature=related
Team so far:
----------------Forlan-----------------
--Ben Arfa-----------------Hleb-------
---------------Montolivo---------------
--------Carrick------------Mikel--------
Taiwo----Terry----Diawara-----Sagna--
---------------GK---------------------
Subs:
Kalou
08-12-2009
, 11:40 PM
Round 11
Pick 247
Artur Boruc
Perhaps I've raised some eyebrows by making Artur Boruc the 9th goalkeeper selected in this draft. However, at this point, the differences between remaining goalkeepers are negligible imo, so I wanted to take my favourite keeper of all time. Although he's coming off arguably the worst season of his career, he's still a world-class talent in between the pipes. With his health and personal problems finally behind him, I expect Artur to enjoy a big resurgence this year and regain the form that once made him one of Europe's most highly-rated keepers.
Two things that separate Boruc from the rest of the available keepers...One is the fact that I'm most familiar with Artur. In fact, I've seen him play more than any other player on my roster. I know exactly what he can do and how good he can be. Two, while many of the goalkeepers already selected and those who've yet to be selected play for some fantastic clubs loaded with superstars in front of them, Boruc has made a career out of keeping inferior teams competitive in games they have no business winning. His performances for Celtic in Europe and Poland in internationals are the stuff of legend. Don't believe me?
- 2006-07 Champions League group stages vs. Manchester United
- 2006-07 Champions Leauge KO stages vs. AC Milan
- 2007-08 Champions League playoff qualifier vs. Spartak Moscow
- 2006 World Cup playing for Poland
- BONUS: An assortment of SPL clips w/ Celtic
Artur Boruc can flat-out play with the best of 'em. I'm super excited to have Artur as my squad's first-choice keeper. the Gedmeister's dream team is nearly complete...
Team Geddy Lee:
------Del Piero----Ibrahimovic------
Modric---Stankovic---Fellaini---Valencia
Cissokho----Lucio-----x-----Motta
-----------------Boruc------------------
Subs: Mutu
Pick 247
Artur Boruc
Perhaps I've raised some eyebrows by making Artur Boruc the 9th goalkeeper selected in this draft. However, at this point, the differences between remaining goalkeepers are negligible imo, so I wanted to take my favourite keeper of all time. Although he's coming off arguably the worst season of his career, he's still a world-class talent in between the pipes. With his health and personal problems finally behind him, I expect Artur to enjoy a big resurgence this year and regain the form that once made him one of Europe's most highly-rated keepers.
Two things that separate Boruc from the rest of the available keepers...One is the fact that I'm most familiar with Artur. In fact, I've seen him play more than any other player on my roster. I know exactly what he can do and how good he can be. Two, while many of the goalkeepers already selected and those who've yet to be selected play for some fantastic clubs loaded with superstars in front of them, Boruc has made a career out of keeping inferior teams competitive in games they have no business winning. His performances for Celtic in Europe and Poland in internationals are the stuff of legend. Don't believe me?
- 2006-07 Champions League group stages vs. Manchester United
- 2006-07 Champions Leauge KO stages vs. AC Milan
- 2007-08 Champions League playoff qualifier vs. Spartak Moscow
- 2006 World Cup playing for Poland
- BONUS: An assortment of SPL clips w/ Celtic
Artur Boruc can flat-out play with the best of 'em. I'm super excited to have Artur as my squad's first-choice keeper. the Gedmeister's dream team is nearly complete...
Team Geddy Lee:
------Del Piero----Ibrahimovic------
Modric---Stankovic---Fellaini---Valencia
Cissokho----Lucio-----x-----Motta
-----------------Boruc------------------
Subs: Mutu
08-13-2009
, 02:09 PM
Round 11 Pick 261
AJW/TehVader
Mohamed Aboutrika
The only player drafted playing in Africa, the only player with a degree in philosophy.
African footballer of the year 2006 and runner up 2008.
Aboutrika has a nice combination of strength, movement off the ball and technique that makes him a potent threat for club and country. It was Aboutrika pulling the strings for Egypt in their recent entertaining confederations cup run and he did the same in Egypt’s 2006 and 2008 African cup of nation’s victories
AJW/TehVader
Mohamed Aboutrika
The only player drafted playing in Africa, the only player with a degree in philosophy.
African footballer of the year 2006 and runner up 2008.
Aboutrika has a nice combination of strength, movement off the ball and technique that makes him a potent threat for club and country. It was Aboutrika pulling the strings for Egypt in their recent entertaining confederations cup run and he did the same in Egypt’s 2006 and 2008 African cup of nation’s victories
08-16-2009
, 06:35 AM
Round 12 - Pick 277a - Igor Akinfeev
The second coming of Lev Yashin, the great Russian hope, one of the most highly rated young goalkeepers in Europe, capable of pulling off the kind of miracle saves I will need him to make given my team isn't really going to defend at all.
Youtube Video
Honours:
* UEFA Super Cup Runner-up: 1
o 2005, CSKA Moscow
* UEFA Cup winner: 1
o 2004/05, CSKA Moscow
* Russian Super Cup winner: 3
o 2004, CSKA Moscow
o 2006, CSKA Moscow
o 2007, CSKA Moscow
* Russian Premier League winner: 3
o 2003, CSKA Moscow
o 2005, CSKA Moscow
o 2006, CSKA Moscow
* Russian Premier League runners-up: 2
o 2004, CSKA Moscow
o 2008, CSKA Moscow
* UEFA European Football Championship bronze medalist: 1
o 2008, Russian Federation
Team kitaristi0
Xavi
David Silva
Felipe Melo
Santi Cazorla
Fredi Kanoute
Daniel Agger
Sergio Busquets
Rafael
Fabio Cannavaro
Michael Owen
Wes Brown
Igor Akinfeev
The second coming of Lev Yashin, the great Russian hope, one of the most highly rated young goalkeepers in Europe, capable of pulling off the kind of miracle saves I will need him to make given my team isn't really going to defend at all.
Youtube Video
Honours:
* UEFA Super Cup Runner-up: 1
o 2005, CSKA Moscow
* UEFA Cup winner: 1
o 2004/05, CSKA Moscow
* Russian Super Cup winner: 3
o 2004, CSKA Moscow
o 2006, CSKA Moscow
o 2007, CSKA Moscow
* Russian Premier League winner: 3
o 2003, CSKA Moscow
o 2005, CSKA Moscow
o 2006, CSKA Moscow
* Russian Premier League runners-up: 2
o 2004, CSKA Moscow
o 2008, CSKA Moscow
* UEFA European Football Championship bronze medalist: 1
o 2008, Russian Federation
Team kitaristi0
Xavi
David Silva
Felipe Melo
Santi Cazorla
Fredi Kanoute
Daniel Agger
Sergio Busquets
Rafael
Fabio Cannavaro
Michael Owen
Wes Brown
Igor Akinfeev
08-16-2009
, 06:43 AM
Round 12 - Pick 277b - James Milner
Taker of one of the worst penalty kicks I've ever seen (Youtube video below) James Milner is a winger capable of playing on either wing giving me plenty of options in my forward set up. At the tender age of 23 he already has 269 appearances at club level, and has been capped 46 times at England U21 level. He made his EPL debut at the age of sixteen.
Youtube Video
Honours:
* 2009 U21 European Championship Silver Medal
Team kitaristi0
Xavi
David Silva
Felipe Melo
Santi Cazorla
Fredi Kanoute
Daniel Agger
Sergio Busquets
Rafael
Fabio Cannavaro
Michael Owen
Wes Brown
Igor Akinfeev
James Milner
Taker of one of the worst penalty kicks I've ever seen (Youtube video below) James Milner is a winger capable of playing on either wing giving me plenty of options in my forward set up. At the tender age of 23 he already has 269 appearances at club level, and has been capped 46 times at England U21 level. He made his EPL debut at the age of sixteen.
Youtube Video
Honours:
* 2009 U21 European Championship Silver Medal
Team kitaristi0
Xavi
David Silva
Felipe Melo
Santi Cazorla
Fredi Kanoute
Daniel Agger
Sergio Busquets
Rafael
Fabio Cannavaro
Michael Owen
Wes Brown
Igor Akinfeev
James Milner
08-16-2009
, 12:21 PM
Round 8 Pick 182
Marcelo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRFhd7EggnE&hl=fr
Originally starting as a leftback for Real Madrid; Marcelo has often play has a winger, which is testament to his huge offensive talent (probably the best way to look at it).
He is fast, with a great skills and great left shot and should form a destructive duo with Ribery on the left side of the field.
Round 9 pick 203
Stephane Sessegnon
One of the most talented player in the Ligue 1, Sessegnon was a key player for Paris Saint Germain last season. He has got incredible technical skills, and an amazing first touch that enables him to be one step ahead of his defenders. Though he can be selfish at times near the goal, he is great at directing the game from the midfield.
He is very versatile, but It’s probably a waste to play him to him to deep. I plan to use him mostly as a right winger, where he will form with Maicon a duo that will rival the Marcelo Ribery pairing on the opposite side of the field
Sessegon is awesome
Round 10 Pick 230
Marouane Chamack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5VjAgzO644&hl=fr
It’s easy to see why Arsene Wenger wants him. He is very mobile, with good skills, and maybe the best in the world at heading the ball, which is huge given that my team will be attacking a lot from the wings. He is a perfect complement to Higuain up front.
Round 11 pick 251
Heiko Westermann
Heiko Westermann is a very good defender, captain of the best defense in the Bundesligua and also occasionally playing for the German national team.
He can also score goals (9 last season) and for a defender, he is very good with the ball in his feet, which makes for a very classy pairing with Barzagli in defense.
He is also very versatile and can play any defensive position, and can also play in the midfield. While currently, I will list him as a CB, he will probably also spent a lot of time at LB, when someone better defensively than Marcelo is needed, and will play in the middle when either Toulalan or Keita are injured.
http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-G2n8iow9c
Round 12 pick 278
Andre Pierre Gignac
A late bloomer, he has been awesome for only a year otherwise he would have been picked a long time ago.
He is strong and surprisingly quick but most importantly, he scores ton of goals. He has a knack for getting into scoring positions, and converting his chances with his precise shot. In one year, he will be a very hot commodity.
He is also the perfect fit for my team. I now have got three very good strikers, all with a very different skillset.
http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdKFrAFXq-M
Yossi Benayoun
He is exactly the kind of player that I want coming of the bench for my team. Quick, creative, he can break a defense and be a huge danger against a tired team.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdKFrAFXq-M
Team so far:
Defense
Maicon-Barzagli-Westermann-Marcelo
Midfield
Toulalan-Keita-Marchisio-Sessegon-Ribery-Benayoun
Strikers
Higuain-Chamakh-Gignac
Marcelo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRFhd7EggnE&hl=fr
Originally starting as a leftback for Real Madrid; Marcelo has often play has a winger, which is testament to his huge offensive talent (probably the best way to look at it).
He is fast, with a great skills and great left shot and should form a destructive duo with Ribery on the left side of the field.
Round 9 pick 203
Stephane Sessegnon
One of the most talented player in the Ligue 1, Sessegnon was a key player for Paris Saint Germain last season. He has got incredible technical skills, and an amazing first touch that enables him to be one step ahead of his defenders. Though he can be selfish at times near the goal, he is great at directing the game from the midfield.
He is very versatile, but It’s probably a waste to play him to him to deep. I plan to use him mostly as a right winger, where he will form with Maicon a duo that will rival the Marcelo Ribery pairing on the opposite side of the field
Sessegon is awesome
Round 10 Pick 230
Marouane Chamack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5VjAgzO644&hl=fr
It’s easy to see why Arsene Wenger wants him. He is very mobile, with good skills, and maybe the best in the world at heading the ball, which is huge given that my team will be attacking a lot from the wings. He is a perfect complement to Higuain up front.
Round 11 pick 251
Heiko Westermann
Heiko Westermann is a very good defender, captain of the best defense in the Bundesligua and also occasionally playing for the German national team.
He can also score goals (9 last season) and for a defender, he is very good with the ball in his feet, which makes for a very classy pairing with Barzagli in defense.
He is also very versatile and can play any defensive position, and can also play in the midfield. While currently, I will list him as a CB, he will probably also spent a lot of time at LB, when someone better defensively than Marcelo is needed, and will play in the middle when either Toulalan or Keita are injured.
http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-G2n8iow9c
Round 12 pick 278
Andre Pierre Gignac
A late bloomer, he has been awesome for only a year otherwise he would have been picked a long time ago.
He is strong and surprisingly quick but most importantly, he scores ton of goals. He has a knack for getting into scoring positions, and converting his chances with his precise shot. In one year, he will be a very hot commodity.
He is also the perfect fit for my team. I now have got three very good strikers, all with a very different skillset.
http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdKFrAFXq-M
Yossi Benayoun
He is exactly the kind of player that I want coming of the bench for my team. Quick, creative, he can break a defense and be a huge danger against a tired team.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdKFrAFXq-M
Team so far:
Defense
Maicon-Barzagli-Westermann-Marcelo
Midfield
Toulalan-Keita-Marchisio-Sessegon-Ribery-Benayoun
Strikers
Higuain-Chamakh-Gignac
08-16-2009
, 03:18 PM
Round 9 - Pick 205 - Petr Cech
You can argue about the value of a goalkeeper at this stage of the draft but I really wanted a worldclass goalkeeper. I know some people think he's not on the level he used to be but for me Cech is still the 2nd best goalkeeper in the world. He is the first choice goalkeeper for one of the best teams in the world and has 67 caps for his country.
Honurs:
Rennes
-Coupe Gambardella : 2003
Chelsea
-FA Premier League: 2004-05, 2005-06
-FA Cup: 2007, 2009
-FA Community Shield: 2005, 2009
-Football League Cup: 2005, 2007
-World Football Challenge: 2009
International
-2002 UEFA U21 Championship
Individual
-PFA Team of the Year: 2005
-IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper: 2005
-Barclays Golden Glove: 2004-05, 2005-06
-FA Premier League Player of the Month: March 2007
-UEFA Club Football Awards: Best Goalkeeper: 2005, 2007[42]
-Czech Player of the Year: 2005
-UEFA Best European Goalkeeper: 2005, 2007, 2008
-UEFA Club Football Awards Best Goalkeeper: 2005, 2007, 2008
-ESM Team of the Year:: 2004-05, 2005-06
-World Football Challenge: 2009
Round 10 - Pick 228 - John O'Shea
Some people don't like him but he's a regular starter for one of the best clubs in the world and I'm sure he can help my team. He is very versatile and can play every position in the defense, that makes him very valuable for me. He will be my first choice right back, but can play centre or left back when needed. He is solid in the defensive, but not the best going forward and he won't need to do that much in my team. O'Shea has 55 caps for his country.
Honours:
-Premier League (4): 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
-FA Cup (1): 2003–04
-Football League Cup (2): 2005–06, 2008-09
-FA Community Shield (3): 2003, 2007, 2008
-UEFA Champions League (1): 2007–08
-FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008
Round 11 - Pick 253 - Marcel Schäfer
Schäfer will complete my back four and allows me to move Zhirkov up to left winger where he will be more effective with his pace and dribbling skills. Schäfer as a left back is solid in the defense and good going forward with his powerful shot and good crossing. Last season he had 7 assists and the season before he scored 6 goals and had 4 assists. He has been capped for Germany and is on a good way to be Germany's number one left back.
Honours:
Bundesliga: 2009
Round 12 - Pick 276a - Josue
I know I need a good backup for van Bommel because he will get lots of cards and will mis some games or needs to be substituted because of this. I think with Josue I found a very good one, he captains VFL Wolfsburg, has 25 caps for Brazil and was one of the very best, if not the best DM in the Bundesliga last season. Josue has a good technique, he can read the game well and works a lot with his great engine.
Honours:
Goiás
-Campeonato Goiano: 6: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003
-Campeonato Brasileiro Série B: 1999
-Copa Centro-Oeste: 3: 2000, 2001, 2002
São Paulo
-Campeonato Paulista: 2005
-Copa Libertadores: 2005
-FIFA Club World Cup: 2005
-Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2: 2006, 2007
Wolfsburg
-Bundesliga: 2008-09
Brazil
-Copa América: 2007
-Confederations Cup: 2009
Round 12 - Pick 276b - Nani
The Portuguese is only 22 years old but goes into his 3rd season with Man Utd and already has 26 caps for Portugal. Nani is very talented but he needs to step to his next level and show some consistency with his performances. I think he can do that this season and he will be a very good player. Coming from the bench he can be very valuable with his pace, dribbling skills and good shot.
Honours:
Sporting CP
-Taça de Portugal (1): 2006–07
Manchester United
-Premier League (2): 2007–08, 2008–09
-Football League Cup (1): 2008–09
-FA Community Shield (2): 2007, 2008
-UEFA Champions League (1): 2007–08
-FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008
Borussia Derwipok:
----------------- Cech ---------------
O'Shea - Carragher --- Juan -- Schäfer
---------Lampard - van Bommel -------
Maxi -------------------------- Zhirkov
----------Benzema -- Grafite ---------
subs:
-Josue
-Nani
You can argue about the value of a goalkeeper at this stage of the draft but I really wanted a worldclass goalkeeper. I know some people think he's not on the level he used to be but for me Cech is still the 2nd best goalkeeper in the world. He is the first choice goalkeeper for one of the best teams in the world and has 67 caps for his country.
Honurs:
Rennes
-Coupe Gambardella : 2003
Chelsea
-FA Premier League: 2004-05, 2005-06
-FA Cup: 2007, 2009
-FA Community Shield: 2005, 2009
-Football League Cup: 2005, 2007
-World Football Challenge: 2009
International
-2002 UEFA U21 Championship
Individual
-PFA Team of the Year: 2005
-IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper: 2005
-Barclays Golden Glove: 2004-05, 2005-06
-FA Premier League Player of the Month: March 2007
-UEFA Club Football Awards: Best Goalkeeper: 2005, 2007[42]
-Czech Player of the Year: 2005
-UEFA Best European Goalkeeper: 2005, 2007, 2008
-UEFA Club Football Awards Best Goalkeeper: 2005, 2007, 2008
-ESM Team of the Year:: 2004-05, 2005-06
-World Football Challenge: 2009
Round 10 - Pick 228 - John O'Shea
Some people don't like him but he's a regular starter for one of the best clubs in the world and I'm sure he can help my team. He is very versatile and can play every position in the defense, that makes him very valuable for me. He will be my first choice right back, but can play centre or left back when needed. He is solid in the defensive, but not the best going forward and he won't need to do that much in my team. O'Shea has 55 caps for his country.
Honours:
-Premier League (4): 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
-FA Cup (1): 2003–04
-Football League Cup (2): 2005–06, 2008-09
-FA Community Shield (3): 2003, 2007, 2008
-UEFA Champions League (1): 2007–08
-FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008
Round 11 - Pick 253 - Marcel Schäfer
Schäfer will complete my back four and allows me to move Zhirkov up to left winger where he will be more effective with his pace and dribbling skills. Schäfer as a left back is solid in the defense and good going forward with his powerful shot and good crossing. Last season he had 7 assists and the season before he scored 6 goals and had 4 assists. He has been capped for Germany and is on a good way to be Germany's number one left back.
Honours:
Bundesliga: 2009
Round 12 - Pick 276a - Josue
I know I need a good backup for van Bommel because he will get lots of cards and will mis some games or needs to be substituted because of this. I think with Josue I found a very good one, he captains VFL Wolfsburg, has 25 caps for Brazil and was one of the very best, if not the best DM in the Bundesliga last season. Josue has a good technique, he can read the game well and works a lot with his great engine.
Honours:
Goiás
-Campeonato Goiano: 6: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003
-Campeonato Brasileiro Série B: 1999
-Copa Centro-Oeste: 3: 2000, 2001, 2002
São Paulo
-Campeonato Paulista: 2005
-Copa Libertadores: 2005
-FIFA Club World Cup: 2005
-Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2: 2006, 2007
Wolfsburg
-Bundesliga: 2008-09
Brazil
-Copa América: 2007
-Confederations Cup: 2009
Round 12 - Pick 276b - Nani
The Portuguese is only 22 years old but goes into his 3rd season with Man Utd and already has 26 caps for Portugal. Nani is very talented but he needs to step to his next level and show some consistency with his performances. I think he can do that this season and he will be a very good player. Coming from the bench he can be very valuable with his pace, dribbling skills and good shot.
Honours:
Sporting CP
-Taça de Portugal (1): 2006–07
Manchester United
-Premier League (2): 2007–08, 2008–09
-Football League Cup (1): 2008–09
-FA Community Shield (2): 2007, 2008
-UEFA Champions League (1): 2007–08
-FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008
Borussia Derwipok:
----------------- Cech ---------------
O'Shea - Carragher --- Juan -- Schäfer
---------Lampard - van Bommel -------
Maxi -------------------------- Zhirkov
----------Benzema -- Grafite ---------
subs:
-Josue
-Nani
08-17-2009
, 01:26 AM
Round 12, Pick 283a
Obafemi Martins
Even if he's 27 years old as some have reported and not 24, Martins can still become an elite striker given his finishing and blazing speed (supposedly runs 100m in under 11 seconds). That kind of pace will give opposing teams fits when I bring him in as a sub to face tiring defenders. He also brings a different look from Adebayor. Tremendous work rate, will never stop pressing the ball.
Given how badly Newcastle played last year, his strike rate is actually not too bad. His scoring record was also not too shabby at Inter given all the substitute appearances. I expect him to bag 10-15 goals this season for a high-octane offense at Wolfsburg.
Honors
Serie A: 2006
Coppa Italia: 2005, 2006
Italian Super Cup: 2005, 2006
UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2006
Confederation of African Football Young Player of the Year: 2003, 2004
24 caps for Nigeria
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOVTLqICOlg
Round 12, Pick 283b
Maynor Figueroa
I really wanted Criscito for my LB, but Figueroa is a more-than-adequate second choice with loads of experience but is still young enough to get better. He was atop the second tier of Premiership left-backs last season behind Evra and A. Cole, and played more than well enough to secure a permanent deal with Wigan. Underrated by many.
Figueroa is both strong and quick. In other words, not likely to be beaten off the dribble. Although I don't plan for him to push forward much given how much Alves will attack, Figueroa possesses a cannon left foot and will fire from long range if given too much space, a distinct possibility.
Honors
62 caps for Honduras
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM2-nGCdKC0
Starting formation:
--------------Adebayor-------------
----Cassano-------Gerrard---------
---------Misimović------------------
--------------------------------------
--------------Veloso----Poulsen----
--------------------------------------
-Figueroa--Šimunić--Gallas--Alves-
--------------------------------------
-------------Julio Cesar--------------
Subs: J. Cole, O. Martins
Obafemi Martins
Even if he's 27 years old as some have reported and not 24, Martins can still become an elite striker given his finishing and blazing speed (supposedly runs 100m in under 11 seconds). That kind of pace will give opposing teams fits when I bring him in as a sub to face tiring defenders. He also brings a different look from Adebayor. Tremendous work rate, will never stop pressing the ball.
Given how badly Newcastle played last year, his strike rate is actually not too bad. His scoring record was also not too shabby at Inter given all the substitute appearances. I expect him to bag 10-15 goals this season for a high-octane offense at Wolfsburg.
Honors
Serie A: 2006
Coppa Italia: 2005, 2006
Italian Super Cup: 2005, 2006
UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2006
Confederation of African Football Young Player of the Year: 2003, 2004
24 caps for Nigeria
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOVTLqICOlg
Round 12, Pick 283b
Maynor Figueroa
I really wanted Criscito for my LB, but Figueroa is a more-than-adequate second choice with loads of experience but is still young enough to get better. He was atop the second tier of Premiership left-backs last season behind Evra and A. Cole, and played more than well enough to secure a permanent deal with Wigan. Underrated by many.
Figueroa is both strong and quick. In other words, not likely to be beaten off the dribble. Although I don't plan for him to push forward much given how much Alves will attack, Figueroa possesses a cannon left foot and will fire from long range if given too much space, a distinct possibility.
Honors
62 caps for Honduras
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM2-nGCdKC0
Starting formation:
--------------Adebayor-------------
----Cassano-------Gerrard---------
---------Misimović------------------
--------------------------------------
--------------Veloso----Poulsen----
--------------------------------------
-Figueroa--Šimunić--Gallas--Alves-
--------------------------------------
-------------Julio Cesar--------------
Subs: J. Cole, O. Martins
08-18-2009
, 09:18 PM
Round 12
Pick 275
Jeremy Mathieu
He primarily operates in the left back position, but can also plays as a winger on the same side. He can also, in some situations, play as a defensive midfielder. He is known in France for his powerful left foot, free kick ability, his working capacity, and crosses.
Cover for LB and DM. Brings depth to my team and gingerness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQFWUYbIbSY
Jussi Jaaskelainen
One of the best in the prem and very underrated. Great shot stopper, commanding of his area and fantastic kick. If he'd have been at a big club (sorry Trotters) he would be considered one of the best in the world.
Last one is a joke
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qgGhgBqj6s&feature=fvw
Pick 275
Jeremy Mathieu
He primarily operates in the left back position, but can also plays as a winger on the same side. He can also, in some situations, play as a defensive midfielder. He is known in France for his powerful left foot, free kick ability, his working capacity, and crosses.
Cover for LB and DM. Brings depth to my team and gingerness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQFWUYbIbSY
Jussi Jaaskelainen
One of the best in the prem and very underrated. Great shot stopper, commanding of his area and fantastic kick. If he'd have been at a big club (sorry Trotters) he would be considered one of the best in the world.
Last one is a joke
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qgGhgBqj6s&feature=fvw
Last edited by sl8a; 08-18-2009 at 09:45 PM.
08-19-2009
, 08:18 AM
Round 13 - Pick 300a - Fabio
The 19-year-old and very talented Brazilian currently plays for Manchester United and made his Premier League debut last weekend. He would have played several games last year but couldn't because of little injuries. Wikipedia has him listed as left back or left winger, but he can also play on the right side, which he showed last weekend when he played as a right back. This versality makes him very valuable as a backup.
Round 13 - Pick 300b - Alvaro Negredo
Negredo currently plays for Real Madrid but it wouldn't be surprising if he goas to another club soon as Madrid is stacked with world class players. He played for Almeria in the last two seasons, where he showed great development, scoring 13 goals two seasons ago and then 19 last season. With his 23 years he is still young and will further develope next season, making him a great sub/backup for me.
Borussia Derwipok:
----------------- Cech ---------------
O'Shea - Carragher --- Juan -- Schäfer
---------Lampard - van Bommel -------
Maxi -------------------------- Zhirkov
----------Benzema -- Grafite ---------
subs:
FB/W:Fabio
CM:Josue
W:Nani
S:Negredo
The 19-year-old and very talented Brazilian currently plays for Manchester United and made his Premier League debut last weekend. He would have played several games last year but couldn't because of little injuries. Wikipedia has him listed as left back or left winger, but he can also play on the right side, which he showed last weekend when he played as a right back. This versality makes him very valuable as a backup.
Round 13 - Pick 300b - Alvaro Negredo
Negredo currently plays for Real Madrid but it wouldn't be surprising if he goas to another club soon as Madrid is stacked with world class players. He played for Almeria in the last two seasons, where he showed great development, scoring 13 goals two seasons ago and then 19 last season. With his 23 years he is still young and will further develope next season, making him a great sub/backup for me.
Borussia Derwipok:
----------------- Cech ---------------
O'Shea - Carragher --- Juan -- Schäfer
---------Lampard - van Bommel -------
Maxi -------------------------- Zhirkov
----------Benzema -- Grafite ---------
subs:
FB/W:Fabio
CM:Josue
W:Nani
S:Negredo
08-19-2009
, 10:28 AM
Round 13 - Pick 301a - Darron Gibson
He is the sixth choice central midfielder at Manchester United.
Youtube Video
Honours:
* League Cup (1): 2008–09
* FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008
Team kitaristi0
Xavi
David Silva
Felipe Melo
Santi Cazorla
Fredi Kanoute
Daniel Agger
Sergio Busquets
Rafael
Fabio Cannavaro
Michael Owen
Wes Brown
Igor Akinfeev
James Milner
Darron Gibson
He is the sixth choice central midfielder at Manchester United.
Youtube Video
Honours:
* League Cup (1): 2008–09
* FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008
Team kitaristi0
Xavi
David Silva
Felipe Melo
Santi Cazorla
Fredi Kanoute
Daniel Agger
Sergio Busquets
Rafael
Fabio Cannavaro
Michael Owen
Wes Brown
Igor Akinfeev
James Milner
Darron Gibson