The Famous Five
After yesterday’s comedy collision non-detection show, I returned to the game today with a renewed sense of purpose. Well, that’s a grand way of saying “I got over it”.
I played a lot better, passing well and digging deep when necessary to shut out the CPU. My new players have fully gelled within the team now. That certainly helps.
Sadly, I still haven’t scored a long-ranger with Mathieu from the DMF position, although it’s not for want of trying. Defensively I have no complaints—he’s almost the perfect DMF right now. He would be wasted at left back. But on the attacking front he’s relatively weak. He needs at least a season’s development to get that extra burst of pace and strength needed in PES2008. He’ll come good, I’m sure of it.
I started my winning run with victories over Parma and Benfica by the same scoreline: 3-2. After the Benfica match I was up to 4th in the table.
Next were Napoli, who gave me a surprisingly tough game that I won 2-0. Lagutz scored one of them, a nice finish that hits the upper rear corner of the net:
Blackburn are something of a bogey side for me in this career. But I beat them 2-0 as well. Here are both goals, with Camacho—putting in another stellar performance—featuring throughout:
Camacho scores the first after my corner is—for once—only partially cleared and he manages to smuggle the ball away from the CPU player. The second goal—finished by Cassano, his first of the season—is a great team goal. Camacho lays the ball out wide, and then supplies the killer pass moments later when play works its way back to him. That second goal really shows the benefits of a 4-3-3 formation.
Finally in this run of five straight wins I met Celtic, an unpredictable team at the best of times. Which Celtic would I get—hard Celtic or easy Celtic?
It was hard Celtic, and I was fortunate to scrape a 1-0 win. Bale scored the goal just before half time, a scuffed shot from the edge of the box after a period of pressure.
The whole of the second half was very hard for me. Celtic enjoyed possession just about all the way through it. My passing went suspiciously AWOL. Several times I was holding the analogue stick firmly in the north-west direction (for example), and the ball would go north-east—straight to a Celtic player. That kind of thing just kept happening. It was nothing to do with me, I swear. I had players out in the open in the directions I was trying to pass. Stoopid game…
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Five wins on the bounce, then, and I’m up to 2nd in the league table. This should definitely be a promotion year.
I hope I’m not speaking too soon there.
When I moved back to Kansas and started supporting the Wizards (Kansas...
I bought Mathieu in my ML (as usual), but he was very disappointing. I was trying to create a midfield partnership with him and Bradley but it didnt work.. That was the first pes ML I ended up giving Mathieu the boot.. Perhaps hes past his prime? I ended up getting Yamada and never looked back.. he has “passing”, “playmaker” and “middle shooting” AND he develops extremely well..
Not Given – I’m always a few games ahead of the blog, and I have to say Mathieu hasn’t so far been his usual *immediately* explosive self, but he is starting to come good and I have high hopes for the seasons to come. I’ve had that other PES stalwart, Yamada, in the past few versions but haven’t seen him in PES2008 so far. I’ll have to take a look at him again in the future. In many ways it’s a shame I can’t have players I had in my last ML career, because I had Bradley back then but only for a few seasons and I don’t think I ever saw him at his true peak.
Though I haven’t played at all the last few days, I have Bradley in my team, and he’s about a season from his peak. I honestly don’t want to play any other DMF, EVER. Pace, power and consistency. He has amazing stats all over the board, and still has the much desired Middle Shooting star which he makes excellent use of in every opportunity. What I’ve also noticed is that players who have high mentality are much more crucial in decisive matches, and such is the case with him.
If you want to pair him with another great DMF or CMF, I can vouch for Lucas (from Liverpool). Though not as good as Bradley, Lucas, in his peak, is a beast in the midfield. Nodoby except for maybe giants like Koller can run past him when you press L1 + X. He’ll invariably outmuscle the other player, and take the ball away. Of course, playing with such as these two makes you lazy, but is such a pleasure to face each and every match knowing you can turn the result at any time.
Others I’ve played alongside Bradley with great results were Denilson, Prieto, Camacho, Machado, Corini and Kaiser. In the average player front, I’ve had good moments with a guy called Montolivo, who is an AMF, but can play as CMF very nicely.
Speaking of wonderplayers, I don’t see Khumalo mentioned often. What an amazing player. I field him as an AMF, but he’s a superb striker too. Playing slightly behind Kim Cyun Hi, another neglected wonder. I still haven’t come around to posting his development pics somewhere in the net. I’m waiting for when he reaches the end of his peak, which should be this season or the next.
@Mirandinha: Is this the Bradley from the USA who plays at Hereenveen in real life, or a Konami-created youth player?
It’s a Konami player. He’s English, not American.
Mirandinha – although we’re playing on radically different games, the greatness of certain DMFs carries over from one to the other and back again. Mathieu—I really must insist!—is one of the game’s great DMFs, but I will concede that *for now* in PES2008 he does seem a little underpowered. Another season or two will settle the argument on that front.
I’m not contesting Mathieu’s greatness at all. I was once a huge Mathieu fan, but I got over him after Bradley.;-)
I’d have to play a few more seasons of my old CCFC career to see Bradley at his peak. I still have the game save, and it’s definitely one for a rainy day in the future.
my famous five are Camacho, Shimizu, Kaiser, Duffy and Guimaraes
Although i have Recently Aquired Orellano and he scored against barca on his debut at only 20 years old. after coming on as a half time sub to put us in the lead. We subsequently won 3-0.
haha my best five players however are Camacho, Shimizu, Maxi Rodriguez, Messi and Guimaraes.
Kaiser shows machine like properties at set pieces however, most effieicent.