Salvation FC
FORMATION/TACTICS
Starting XI would be a 4-4-2/4-3-3 hybrid. I could go either way. Haaland would be the main striker and lead the line. Werner is a raumdeueter/inside forward combination, but more so the former. Ziyech is a wide playmaker who can also cut inside. Brandt is more of a Mezzala since he can function out wide too. Fabian would be a little more box-to-box, but would be available to help Tonali, almost like a double pivot. Tonali would take on a regista role. Wijndal and Emerson both have the ability to get forward. Both Martinez and Silva can play the ball from the back, as can Onana.
From a tactical standpoint, this team is built to attack vertically. It's very well suited for quick counters too. The fullbacks would get forward more than the above graphic shows. Either Werner or Haaland could get back to receive the ball whilst the other makes an attacking run, and both very searing pace. I have a ton of creative players to fuel them too. All of that said the talent that it has in attack would also easily allow for a more possession based approach. Defensively the plan would be press aggressively.
Generally I would have a ton of flexibility with the players I have though and could easily change things up. For example:
I could even do 3 at the back with Martinez, Silva-Felipe, Todibo. The options with this team are very many.
PLAYERS
Erling Haaland: Can't believe his going in the first round was questioned. He clearly has the abilty to be one of the top 2-3 strikers of the future. Physically he's a beast and has a ton of pace. What really impresses me though is his movement off the ball, his instinct and his finishing. His 40 goals this season across two different leagues, multiple competitions including 10 CL goals and between two different clubs. With BVB he's got 12 goals in just over 700 minutes across three competitions in less than three months.
Timo Werner: Another pick that I can't believe was called a reach. Since joining Leipzig he's got 71 goals and 26 assists in 118 league matches. He's also got 11 goals in 20 European matches and 6 goals in 10 Cup matches. So 88 goals in 148 matches since joining Leipzig. And to put that further into context, he only turned 24 last month. He can occupy any of the three attacking positions in a 4-3-3. On top of his incredible pace he's an excellent finisher. He's also developed his playmaking ability. This draft aside I would welcome him with open arms if Barça were smart enough to buy him.
Jamie Vardy: A luxury considering that I already have Haaland and Werner, his presence would be important because he'd provide competition for a place. Also though, and I noted this in the general draft thread, I think he'd be a real spark off the bench. Down a goal or better yet the match in hand, imagine tired defenders having to face him for the final 20 minutes whether we have the ball or not. And he really can get his teammates going as well. In the last five seasons he has 94 goals in 168 matches for Leicester.
Hakim Ziyech: It amazes me how underrated Ziyech still is. He brings so much to the attack as he can dribble, pass, score goals, take freekicks, etc. He doesn't shirk his defensive responsibilities either though. He was an important part of Ajax's CL run last year too and came up big against the likes of Madrid for example. He's also versatile and can play multiple positions. Since joining Ajax he has 38 goals and 51 assists in 112 matches in the league (his numbers for the other Eredivisie clubs he played for are fantastic as well) and in Europe he has 7 goals and 11 assists in 31 matches.
Trincao: Very excited that Barça signed this kid. He looks really explosive on the ball as he's a fantastic dribbler. For me he'd slot out wide right as an inverted winger, but he can also play wide left as he's not bad with his weaker right foot. His ability on the ball is incredible as he can dribble, pass and finish, and that's just generally speaking. He does need to work on his defensive game though. He was named Young Player of the Month in Portugal twice since Barça signed him. He's WhoScored's 10th best rated player in Portugal this season, and that's on only 7 starts, so for now he'd be a great option on the bench. This season he has 6 goals and 3 assists in just 763 league minutes and 1 goal and 2 assists in just 301 Europa League minutes.
Everton: I needed a player to play wide left and I thought he was very good value where I grabbed him. A strong dribbler, one of the best in Brazi's Serie A and a solid enough playmaker he's also a goalscoring threat. He's posted 36 goals and 14 assists in 167 league appearances. That may not seem too impressive, but put that into context with the fact that of those appearances only 116 were starts. That's great considering he'll be a player coming off the bench for me. He's also got Copa Libertadores experience and won the Golden Boot as Brazil won the 2019 Copa America. He should be playing in Europe soon.
Giorgian de Arrascaeta: Another player who should really be playing in Europe, he won the Copa Libertadores this year with Flamengo being an important contributor. He has the most assists in Brazil this last season and was tied for 4th in key passes per match. Another versatile player who I can slot out wide left or in a central role, he's fantastic on the ball. He's also not afraid to put in a tackle and do his share of the defensive work. He'd be a really scary player had he more pace. In his five Brazilian Serie A seasons he's got 38 goals and 32 assists in 112 appearances, which on it's own is good. Factor in that he's started 90 of those matches and it's even more impressive. Again, a player I could rely on from the bench, and he's a player I was going to take someone else over instead.
Nabil Fekir: Another versatile player who can play a number of positions, he's hard to keep on the bench. He's doing really well his first season in La Liga and while Betis aren't horrible, they're not the best side in the league either. Another guy that brings a ton to the table including a shot from distance, a lot of creativity, passing, dribbling and he even contributes off the ball as well. He shows up in big matches as well as he'd done this season, scoring twice against Barça in separate matches and providing an assist in the win against Madrid. All due respect to Betis, he should be at a bigger club.
Luis Alberto: Yet another versatile player who yet again is tough to leave on the bench. He's arguably the most underrated player in the game right now when you look at what he delivers empirically and how little you ever hear of him. He's #1 in Serie A for key passes per match this season according to WhoScored. In the last three seasons for Lazio he has 19 goals and 31 assists in 86 league matches and 2 goals and 7 assists in 18 European matches. He brings a lot to the game as he can pass, put in through balls, take set pieces and even puts in some defensive work.
Julian Brandt: A player I admittedly, embarrassingly too, underrated in the past. I seriously would love for Barça to sign him. Again, another versatile player who can occupy a wide position or a CM role. Strong on the ball as a passer and also a good dribbler. He's got 37 goals and 31 assists in 189 Bundesliga appearances, of which only 121 of those were starts. Oh, and like Werner, he's still really young at only 23 years old.
Christopher Nkunku: Can't believe PSG let this kid go. Once again, another very versatile player who can play as a CM or AM, but also has the skills to play out wide. He's a strong dribbler who is also a playmaker, though some of his assists are down to the goalscorers more than him. He really seems to like to score incredible goals too. 4 goals and 12 assists this sesaon in only 23 Bundesliga appearances of which only 15 were starts, so clearly a player I could rely on from the bench. And those 12 assists put him 3rd in the Bundesliga this season while he is 1st in key passes per match.
Fabian Ruiz: Another player I'm a bit embarrassed I didn't think would hit the heights he has. No wonder the big clubs are after him. Another really versatile player who brings a ton to the table. He's got vision, a strong passer, can dribble, can score inside our outside the box and puts in the defensive work. I've said it for over a year now, I think we're seeing a generational shift and Ruiz is one of the players who is a top midfielder at the moment. He's put up strong numbers with both Napoli and Betis since becoming a starter. Would love him at Barça but they should have signed him long ago when they were first interested.
Sandro Tonali: The "next Pirlo" isn't the way I see him. Sure he can play the ball from deep-lying positions, but the kid is a bit of bull too. I think it's hard to entirely appreciate his talent while he's playing at Brescia, but it's there if you watch him play. At times he's seemingly carried them on his back from what I've seen/read. His 5 assists in his rookie Serie A season this year is an impressive stat too. His passing numbers don't look so great, but in the context of who he plays with and the type of passes he goes for it shouldn't be a surprise. On this team with Werner and Haaland he'd be great to have.
Thiago Silva: From what I can tell he still has it to give me another season or two. I know his plan is to leave PSG and where he lands might not help how he's viewed post PSG, but I think he'd be great for my team. He brings a ton of experience as the best CB of his generation to my younger back line and he's also going to be my side's captain. While physically he won't get better, he can still read the game well and play the ball from the back.
Lisandro Martinez: My one left-footed CB, I think I took him earlier than I needed to. Still very happy to have him. Versatile in that he can play as a CB in two or three man back line or in midfield. Excellent on the ball for a CB, he's also pretty aggressive defensively for his size. Speaking of his size, he's not too bad in the air for his size either. He's settled in really well at Ajax, especially considering he's played in more than one position. I think he'll be at a bigger club before too long.
Jean-Clair Todibo: So happy to snag him again this year. I'm even more happy that his loan to Schalke went well, he was even named the team's player of the month despite only really playing in one full month's worth of matches, and that he'll possibly be returning to Barça. I consider him one of the best young CBs out there and one of the top 3 best young French CBs. He's got size and pace and is a strong tackler. He's also excellent on the ball for a CB. When you consider how his last year and more has gone, to seamlessly step in at Schalke was great to see. I don't know how I can justify not starting him over say Martinez. Oh, and he's another option at DM.
Felipe: A CB who is poised for a move to a bigger club, he's definitely shown growth in the last three seasons he's been in Serie A. He gives me more pace at the back and is another solid tackler. Again though, a CB who has composure on the ball and who can play it out of the back. He's also pretty strong in the air. He's a staring CB for the best defense in all of Serie A too.
Emerson: He's having a helluva first full season with Betis. He has as many assists as Carvajal in about as many minutes in a notably worse side. Oh, and he's got more goals too. He's got some good pace and is a good attacking wingback. He's pretty well-rounded though too as he's solid in defense. Pretty easy to see why Barça signed him on the cheap and why they're rumored to be looking at bringing him in from his loan early.
Nuno Tavares: I specifically picked Tavares as he can play as a LB or RB. He's been off to a storming start with Benfica this season. He's got 1 goal, a screamer, and 2 assists in just 3 league matches so far. He's looks like a really good passer from what I've seen, the sort of fullback/wingback who can dictate play a bit. He also looks pretty solid defensively and he's averaging 3 tackles a match in the league thus far.
Owen Wijndal: One of the important young players that have propelled AZ to 2nd in the Eredivisie this season. He's another wingback who can get forward. He's a good crosser and passer and has 6 assists in the league this season. He can also make overlapping runs or get on the end of a break Defensively he's put up some strong stats with 2 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per match in the league and 2.4 tackles and 1.4 interceptions in the Europa League. Speaking of the Europa League, his 8 matches this season, all starts, are good experience for him going forward.
Andre Onana: A solid shot stopper with good relexes, I really wanted Onana for his ability on the ball. He'll be able to start breakaways for the team with his ability to throw the ball. He's also pretty comfortable on the ball in possession too. He's got a ton of experience for his age, including plenty of European experience, and he seems really hungry to prove himself. One of the best younger GKs out there now.
Alphonse Areala: Still relatively young as a GK, he's got plenty of experience as a backup. He'll be a good player to have as competition for Onana. A guy who has stopped his share of penalty kicks in his career, I think he's a good shot stopper as well.
OVERALL
I don't think this team is perfect, but I'd say it's easily one of the best in this draft when it comes to goals and assists. There are a lot of goals available throughout the midfield and attack and the creativity is through the roof. Defensively I think it's solid, but the fullbacks/wingbacks could be stronger and I could use more depth at that position. I could also use some defensive midfield depth as well. That said I have a very deep bench with guys who could be starters on a few of the other teams. Most important though, I have the players who can play the way I set the team up.
From a picks perspective, I have few regrets. Fekir, Alberto, Nkunku, Everton and de Arrascaeta are all to a degree luxuries I didn't need, but when I look at the available players at those spots I don't regret them. Perhaps I could have used them more as trade bait in terms of Fekir and Alberto, but hard to make trades in part of people don't properly value what you have.
With regards to trades, I don't know how many I did. The Haaland trade I would do 100 times out of 100. I was literally going to take he and Werner and was gutted when he went. I think I traded up to get either Brandt himself or the pick and I'm very happy with that.
Looking to the future I think I have a lot to look forward to with the team. I have a lot of very good looking players who are 25 or less and a real spine to the team that could be really fantastic.