Back by very popular demand is the return of Ask The Opposition. Our segment where we ask fans of opposing teams forums some questions and post a selection of the responses back on here.
As a treat, I've asked questions to fans of Bayern on BayernForum and here are their responses. Thanks to some newbie users for providing some of the questions (they have been credited). I've included pretty much every response, so this'll be a long one, but in my opinion it's well worth the read:
Q1: What have you made of how Moyes has done for United this season and where do you think our problems might lie at the moment?
sch0ll7: He [you] never really had any chance. I belive that noone thought things would go so bad for you guys. He lost the team, doesnt motivate the players, and has never won a trophy in his life so he only had few months before players turned on him and his ideas. The biggest problem I see is in your manager and quality of your team. Only few players worth keeping. SAF was a magician when it comes to getting the best of average players...but there are no such managers out there anymore.
MatZam: As many Manchester United fans have stated, Moyes seems a bit of an odd choice when one looks at his career record. A stable coach certainly, but not one that any other major club would consider, so why did United (apart from Ferguson's recommendation)?
On the whole he seems far more defensively minded and less willing to take risks with player selection, which is a contrary playing style to what his players are used to. He's also destroyed that aura of confidence and self-belief around the club, Old Trafford is no longer a fortress where opposing teams feared to go. But all in all, not all the blame can be laid at his door. He had an incredibly hard act to follow, and the team isn't exactly in the best of shape. Most worrying in my opinion is the defence, a lot of it is aged and/or soon leaving. Other teams have improved, whilst United hasn't (even with Moyes' signings).
FCBayernMunchen: I was expecting Man United to struggle this season and also for the next few years, not because of Moyes being appointed but because of Ferguson leaving. Would the situation be better if they picked a different coach? It depends, but I think some coaches would not have struggled so much. That said, the squad needs improvement as well, so I don't think anyone would have managed to do as well as Ferguson.
Achilles: Mental problem is the first thing I see on United,they don't have that eye of the tiger and the hunger of the past,they don't even make the games at Old Trafford against mid-table teams a wark in the park.Moyes seems to do everything wrong.
MUTU: Sir Alex Ferguson was by far the world's best manager in football history. I have always been amazed how Manchester United managed to compete at the highest levels and at a level far higher than one would expect with the set of players at their disposal. Not to say that there weren't any good players, but your ordinary coach would not have fared so well. Moyes is an ordinary coach. He's not a bad coach, but he's been given the impossible task of filling in Sir Alex's boots with a below-par and ageing squad while trying to meet the expectations of fans and media alike.
You could have gotten Mourinho, or you could have gotten Guardiola, or any other manager of your choice but it would be hard to imagine how you could have done much better. Perhaps in the Premier League, but certainly not in the Champions League. I think the expectations from Man Utd fans are way too high: I've always rated Man Utd players considerably lower than Man Utd fans have, who I believe were blinded by Sir Alex's genius and led to believe that their quality was higher. But look at how these same players fared when they transferred to another club, or played for their national team, and you could see where I'm coming from.
In conclusion, I believe Moyes is a victim of an impossible task.
Element: Problems are in three major points
1-David Moyes never won a title and never coached a big club , so he cant handle the pressure and cant handle big matches where you have to win without performing well
2-Loss of the SAF effect
3-The Quality of the Squad is sadly nothing special , if you look at the main opposition (Arsenal , City, Chelsea and Liverpool) , their squad has much much more quality
runaway: I'm quite shocked. I thought at first that Moyes would do well as he did in Everton but as the first month of the summer transfer unfolded, my opinion was slowly changing. He's a medium fish put in a big ocean. As for United's current position, it's not just Moyes' fault but everything falling out of your teams' favor. (You've had 2 decades of it so don't be disheartened.
) The other top teams (as well as the other teams) finally got their shits together with new managers and Liverpool making a comeback.Aequitas1987: I find it amusing; not often does one get to enjoy making fun of united fans as for the better part of two decades United has been part of the football elite. I think there are a lot of problems with your team; I think in order to become a top 4 / competing for PL title again that problem is fixable in a year or two with the right transfers but in order to become a European powerhouse again a complete change in playstyle is required and a football philosophy needs to be redeveloped post-Ferguson era. It might rub some united fans the wrong way but Liverpool is a perfect example to follow in what they have done under Rodgers.
theundead: Moyes has made the team underachieve IMO. He had a weak squad at his disposal but he didnt do any wonders in the transfer market either. He could be in the 4th or 5th position currently if he could motivate the squad better. It is the same squad that won the league last season. Chelsea and City's plans for the current season meant that Moyes could not retain the league with the same squad but 7th position is a bit too low IMO.
sterndessudens: Moyes has caused the team chemistry to go on their separate ways, thus breaking so many records along the way. Placing players out of their respective positions and overloading the CAM/CF with Mata, Kagawa, Rooney causes problems as each of them have their own strengths. Kagawa's training regime of building strength is not working to improve him as a player since he's a playmaker. The other areas are: the lack of wing back depth, a distributor in centre midfield, and lack of quick decision making by Moyes in terms of substitutions.
MoFattal: Moyes has done United no good. The SAF effect on United cannot be replaced by any manager, but Moyes has done nothing against the "top" teams before to justify his selection. As for the players, United needs a big overhaul to be back among the best in the coming season.
Q2: Opinions of Manchester United as a club? (question suggested by newbie ZDwyr)
sch0ll7: One of the biggest clubs in the world. Lucky to have SAF through all those years. He made you what you are today. You won a lot even though you really never had so much superstars like RM, Barcelona, Milan etc...always had team-spirit and are proud of what you are.
Glazers made you money making machine. Should never allow something like that.
MatZam: Quite like them. Managed to remain successful even with your owner-saddled debt and played attacking football, not negative park-the-bus like a certain London club
FCBayernMunchen: The club annoys me, and I suppose this is common among Bayern fans for obvious reasons. However, I do respect them. They are different from the "modern" clubs like Chelsea, Man City, and PSG. Their success was a gradual one, much like Bayern's, and I respect that.
bounce wit me: Big club? Not a fan.
MUTU: Great club, great history, sometimes arrogant/delusional fans but that's understandable: we're at that stage ourselves now.
Element: Manchester united is a Big Club with Great History , and in spite of us enjoying the fact that a rival is in trouble
, it is actually sad that a Big Club collapsed this wayrunaway: Manchester United is certainly popular in Asia. I respect your team but I never develop a liking. Especially after the Glazers took over. Your players get hyped too much and your team seem to never have moved on from Class 92. It's as if your academy produced the "Class 92" and closed it indefinitely.
Aequitas1987: Honestly never have been a fan of the club but have massive respect for certain individuals and players in the club. Ferguson no matter how frustrating he could be for an opposing fan warrants all the respect he deserves. Giggs, Scholes, Neville, Nistelrooy, Cantona were all a joy to watch.
theundead: I have great respect for united and they certainly belong in the footballing elite. I dislike the Glazers though and feel that they are a disgrace to your footballing legacy.
sterndessudens: Demographically wise- they are very popular here in Australia because of the media rights and their fan base which allowed them to tour here last season. They are a club that peaks around every 5 years in Europe when SAF was in charge. Most of us dislike Glaziers way of milking the club and prefer if the class of 92 plus stakeholders like Ronaldo and the fans to buy back the club from them and dissociate with Arab or Russian money.
MoFattal: Big club. Huge fan base around the world. As a Bayern fan, I respect United but don't like them.
Q3: Which player do you think will have the biggest impact for United in the matches (question suggested by newbie ZDwyr) and which, if any, on ability would get into your team? (question suggested by newbie Haddock)
sch0ll7: Rooney. He never quits. a working horse. Talented player. And would certainly play a big role in our team.
MatZam: David de Gea and Rooney will be your gamechangers. If Rooney finds his very best form he will give us some trouble, but ultimately we'll be seeking to cut off service to him anyways. On ability Mata would be most likely to get minutes in our team I would say.
FCBayernMunchen: I expect De Gea to make the biggest impact. If we are talking about starting 11, I don't think any Man United players would make it into the current Bayern team, except perhaps an uninjured and in form Van Persie. If I had to name a player who I'd like to see as part of Bayern's squad, it would be either Vidic or Januzaj (I have not seen the latter much, so I'm going by the hype mostly).
Achilles: Rooney
MUTU: The players with the biggest impact will be Rooney (who I fear esp. in the first leg with Dante and Badstuber out) and De Gea (who will likely have a number of shots to save). I think van Persie would walk into our team, but he's out injured now. I think Rooney would also get into our team, though not necessarily be a fixture in the starting XI. I also advocated for the signature of Vidic as a free transfer before Inter snapped him up. Our defence is still our Achilles' heel.
Element: Biggest impact : De Gea
keeping football surprises and one-time wonders a side , if you look at the current situation of Both teams , Manchester United will face a Tornado and it will depends on De Gea to keep Damage as minimum as possible , and if Manchester somehow manage to score the 1-0 , De Gea will be 90% responsible in securing the lead till the referee's final whistle
getting on our team : looking at both teams , Bayern are superior in all positions
runaway: Rooney. He's the engine of your team and continually brings his game every week but he lacks support. As for who would get into our team... the current United squad doesn't appear to offer anything different from what we have now. So I'm not sure. Maybe De Gea because he is a top keeper and has room for improvement. Maybe Janujaz because he can also be a top player.
Aequitas1987: I think Welbeck and Fellaini could cause us some issues, Welbeck for his speed and Fellaini on set pieces. I don’t think currently there are any United players that could get into the Bayern team.
theundead: Rooney: He can frustrate bayern's central defence a lot if he gets the right service. And his work ethic is quite good as well. He can help your midfield a lot while trying to get the ball from us.
Rooney could potentially get into Bayern's squad as his finishing is better than our Mandzukic but we have lewandowski coming in as well.
sterndessudens: In this 2 match leg- it comes down to De Gea's ability to stop as much goals from flooding in and with Valdes out of the Spanish NT, its his opportunity to make the squad. Overall, in the next couple of seasons- Januzaj (he's a humble unmaterialistic guy).
RVP would get into the team because of his great chemistry with Robben. Watching some previous Netherlands matches demonstrates both their strengths and plays in the Dutch squad when breaking down defenders.
MoFattal: I see RvP's injury as a blessing in disguise for United as it brings out the best of Rooney. Nonetheless, Robin is the guy with the biggest chance to get into our team.
Q4: No team has ever won the Champions League two seasons in a row, do you honestly believe you could be the first team to achieve this? (question suggested by newbie Kazi)
sch0ll7: I believe we are the best team our of the remaining 8. We can win against every team out there...and would probably be the better side. But everytime someone has a chance to win it 2 times in a row...something unexpected happens...Chelsea, Inter etc..
Biggest plus in all of this is we have a new coach who made our players want it even more than last year.
MatZam: As with any cup competition, a lot depends on luck, not just skill. But records are made to be broken after all, although very few Bayern fans were expecting another treble, winning the league was Guardiola's basic requirement. But yes, if luck is on our side and we play the football that we are capable of, I see no time that can outplay us (although a team can still nick a win without outplaying you, we should know).
FCBayernMunchen: Believe we can do it? Yes. Expect us to do it? No. There is a very long way to go and the last 8 teams have never been as strong as they are this season. With a bit of luck it is definitely possible though. Now that the Bundesliga is won we only have a maximum of 7 significant games left (5 in the CL and 2 in the Cup) and that's a huge advantage for Bayern, especially considering how close the title races in Spain and England are (I see Barca, Real, and Chelsea as are only realistic threats). That's a big advantage for us. I think Bayern have a bigger chance of succeeding in defending the title than anyone before, but as we all know, favourites often don't win.
Achilles: We can in terms of quality but it's really difficult to say that we can for sure but I think that we are in right track
bounce wit me: Bayern could, yes, but the odds aren't in the club's favour. It's not like winning it is a necessity for Guardiola, only the fans who have big internet egos will be upset if Bayern don't win the Champions League.
MUTU: The problem has always been lack of motivation. The more people talk about no team having managed to achieve this, the higher the motivation for the players to achieve this feat. At the end of the day, Bayern are the bookmaker favourites, so the chance is certainly there. But it only takes one bad match or an early red card to get eliminated.
Element: nothing is sure in football , but I think we are the favorites in winning the Champions league
runaway: I believe. We have to believe. If not us, then who?
Aequitas1987: You need that bit of luck to win the champions league once let alone back to back. If we get that little bit of luck we can do it. On paper, I do believe we can beat all the teams left except for Dortmund when they are having a good day. I am actually secretly hoping for Barcelona to take out Atheletico (although I don’t think it will happen) as their playstyle (Athletico) could be quite troublesome for Bayern.
theundead: Bayern does have an advantage of already wrapping up the league. That can help a lot in retaining the CL.
I think we have great chance to win it again and certainly have the squad to do it. I hope we end the CL curse. But it is a cup competition after all; anything can happen. We will need a lot luck to win.
sterndessudens: I certainly hope we do win back to back. Hopefully there won't be any more yellow/red card suspensions which could impact the squad.
MoFattal: Of course I believe we can do it. To keep on being at the top, a team needs variety and that is exactly what Pep brought with him to the club. We're a different animal than that of last year but just as strong. That's where my hope rests. However, it only takes a bad game (or a couple of bad minutes) to be dumped out of the Champions League so nothing is for sure.
Q5: Do you believe your team is stronger this season with Pep Guardiola as manager, as compared to last season? (question suggested by newbie Kazi)
sch0ll7: I would say we are on par. You cant get much stronger than last year. We have different approach to our games. We like to control it more. Pep also introduced some other tactical approaches so we can easily adapt and change them through matches or different games. Which is our biggest weapon.
MatZam: The playing style has certainly changed, we've become even more possession-based (although we already were last season, games like the ones against Barcelona were the exception rather than the rule, although they became more common after Kroos' injury). About better, it's hard to judge (for me at least). Last year we had somewhat of an element of surprise, teams were more willing to try to get a result against us and so that opened up lay and allowed quick counter attacks. We don't have that surprise element any more, far more teams park the bus against us, and for that our increased possession tactics are better (although we still counterattack when the opportunity presents itself - see our third goal against Hertha Berlin). I would say that we are slightly better, but we can still improve a bit more.
FCBayernMunchen: Yes, definitely. Heynckes doesn't come anywhere close to Guardiola in terms of making substitutions and adapting mid-game, and that is the main reason we have won so many games this season. But Guardiola isn't the only factor. Our new players Thiago and Gotze have won as many points as well.
Achilles: Honestly,overall no I don't but in some areas of our game yes,I just see last year as a perfect Bayern team
MUTU: Hard to say because the styles are quite different. Guardiola has more players at his disposal too, which means his lineup is far less predictable than last season under Heynckes. I'll wait till the end of the season to compare the two: I think Guardiola's team hasn't been challenged well enough yet. I'm not sure how the team will respond when faced with looming elimination from a competition and trying to come back.
Element: this question will be answered Better After the end of the season , but as of now , Guardiola added one major factor that was missing in Heynckes days ... Substitutions
nearly every time Pep makes a sub , the newcomer either scores , assists or actually becomes man of the match
runaway: Guardiola gave depth to our team. Heynckes team was invincible in some ways but it didn't have the feel that this Bayern squad has for long-term success. Guardiola's Bayern can use various players and still win games while Heynckes' Bayern has a certain predictability to it.
Aequitas1987: Its hard to argue with the statistics. I do believe we are stronger in possession and we have added more dimensions to our attack with Gotze and Thiago as well as using the 4-1-4-1 as the base formation to work from. I don’t think that a true comparison can be made until we face another ‘CL’ favorite. In the Bundesliga unfortunately due to injuries our main rival (Dortmund) was unable to give us a real test. I kind of wanted to draw Barcelona or Madrid in the Quarter-Finals to be able to make the comparison between last season’s Bayern and Pep’s Bayern.
theundead: I think we are more dynamic and unpredictable in attack. This is down to pep and also to the two additions in Goetze and Thiago. Pep rotates very, very effectively and his substitutions are often ridiculous but always effective.
sterndessudens: Formation wise- yes when Bayern destroyed your rivals Manchester City in Manchester last year with Pep's 4-1-4-1. The only player that would be much better in a role he was last year than he is currently played in is Javi Martinez. His performance as a DM made Bayern get to the finals and also score that winning goal against Chelsea in the Super Cup.
MoFattal: The team has quickly adapted to Pep's style. That was surprising to most of us. I think we are just as strong as last year, but with more options and game styles to choose from. That might come at the expense of stability, but this is perfectly normal in a first year after a managerial change. Next year you'll see a scarier Bayern.
Q6: Do you expect Guardiola to remain at your club long-term, are you wary of potential clashes with others in power at the club? Do you want him to remain long-term? (question suggested by newbie Americano)
sch0ll7: I believe he will certainly stay until his contract runs out...and than probably extend. Munich is a nice peaceful city, he has more privacy here compared to Barcelona. Everyone who lived in Munich wanted to stay here. Everyone at this club loves him and always wanted a coach like him...there will be no clashes with our board as they are reasonable guys [except Ulli
who is unfortunately not with us anymore]. If I knew he would stay with us for longterm...I would extend his contract for next 20 years.MatZam: Not afraid of clashes with others in power in the club, despite the Hoeness affair. But I still don't expect him to stay for long, perhaps extend a year or two on his three year contract, then he'll be on his way (hopefully leaving us with a number of mementos
), I naturally hope that he will stay longer than that.FCBayernMunchen: It's a tricky one. Personally I love the guy and I hope he stays for a very, very long time. But I wouldn't be surprised if he decides to leave after 3-5 years, similar to what he did at Barcelona. There's also the success question. Bayern are not very lenient, and are quick to fire coaches when success doesn't come. Heynckes and now Guardiola have set the bar higher than ever, so once we do eventually have a bad season it's going to seem much uglier than usual.
bounce wit me: Depends. To me 3 years is a long-term commitment, especially when Guardiola insisted on 1-year rolling contracts at Barcelona. Don't see him staying any longer than that, I fear for competition in the Bundesliga if he stays on.
MUTU: There's too many alpha males at Bayern. One of them's been given a jail term so he's temporarily (?) out of the way, but I fear for a clash at some point. So far, it's OK but then Bayern have been steamrolling opposition so there isn't too much to argue about.
Element: If we win A Treble during his current contract (which runs till 2016) , then i expect him to leave at the end of his contract to find a new challenge
about what i want : i will answer in 2015
runaway: Maybe until the end of his contract definitely. Guardiola is an extremely workaholic person that works himself to the ground for perfection. So I wouldn't be surprised if he takes a sabbatical after winning everything in Bayern too.
We are not as political as Barca and Pep has given positive comments about how our management treats his opinion and the freedom given to him. I trust in our board first, and then to Pep.Aequitas1987: I think Guardiola will remain with Bayern long term. There are big personalities in the Bayern hierarchy but they are not politicians like the Barcelona hierarchy were. They speak the same language of football at the end of the day and I think overall Bayern is pretty much the best run club in the world. I think given time Guardiola will extend his contract with Bayern and stay here long term. I definitely want Guardiola to stay with Bayern and hope that his search for perfection culminates with this Bayern era.
theundead: He will stay atleast for 3-4 years. If he then decides that he needs another break, then there is no stopping him. But if he does not want another sabbatical, I think he will be at Bayern for a long long time.
As long as both Bayern and Pep have the common goal of winning trophies, I do not see a potential clash of power. Bayern is not like Barca or Madrid in terms of power politics.
sterndessudens: Guardiola will go when Uli is out from prison. For him to take over as reigns as a coach in another league-maybe 1 with a decent youth squad system in place, history of the club and the club's philosophy all have to unite. Maybe back to Barcelona for another spell or an Italian club would be 1 of his next options.
MoFattal: No, he'll leave when his contract ends. There won't be any clashes with the management, and I would like to see him remain long-term if it was possible.
Q7: Whats the biggest change you've seen to the way the team plays or performs since Guardiola took charge, is there any element of his tactics or approach that concerns you? (question suggested by newbie JON.B)
sch0ll7: I would say that the biggest change he has made is our off the ball movement. Every player is instructed to play multiple positions. We always had possession football [since LVG], we also dominated opposition before Pep. But now it is like every game we have different approach when it comes to positioning on the field. At the begining I was a little sceptical about him transforming us into Barcelona. But now I have no doubts. We can play long balls when needed, we can play counter against some teams, we often cross the ball to the box if needed. So you see he uses our strengts and strengts of our players.
MatZam: The biggest change is that we hog possession even more than we used to, we have some incredible possession stats this season. The thing that concerns me is the defence, we have become slightly more vulnerable to counters this season.
FCBayernMunchen: I think it's the team's unpredictability. Sometimes there's Mandzukic, something a less traditional striker like Muller. Sometimes you have Lahm in midfield, sometimes he plays in right-back. Sometimes Thiago and Kroos play, sometimes it's Gotze and Kroos, and they all offer different qualities, and so on. What concerns me is not a tactic as such, and Guardiola himself has commented on it, but we often struggle in the opening parts of the game. Other times we score very early and end up struggling mid-game.
Achilles: Biggest change is the off the ball movement,much more possesion in our favor,much much more rotation and our team attacks even more from the CM's and not most of the times from the wings like last year,I like that.Defensively we have our issues with the counters and we could say that there is our mini weak spot.
bounce wit me: Less reliant on star players. Ribéry, Schweinsteiger, Robben, amongst others, have all been out for long periods and the team's mentality hasn't changed with that. Last season Bayern were markedly worse without Ribéry for example, this time around there is really no stand-out players.
MUTU: Possession obsession.
Element: 1-More Ball possession and higher pass accuracy
2-in game influence : when things go bad , he makes a substitution of a change a tactic and suddenly we dominate and thrash our opponent !!
what i dont like is that sometimes the players prefer to keep passing the ball around the box instead of shooting from outside the box even though we have many top class distance shooters (Kroos , Schweinsteiger , Ribery , Robben,alaba...)
runaway: The sheer workrate of every player. We've seen it under Heynckes--everyone defending-- but under Guardiola, the ball is immediately won back after we lost it. He has taken the possession football Van Gaal ingrained to another level. The high defensive line concerns me as part of possession football. But most top teams have some concerns in there anyways and so far, our team hasn't conceded that many goals and we got the results in the end mostly due to Pep's subsitutions.
Aequitas1987: Ball possession and pressing have improved drastically. Jupp employed controlled pressing in bunches whereas Guardiola expects continuous pressing whenever we lose the ball. Guardiola is also a genius with his substitutions and can completely change the game on its feet. I am still not that big a fan of a single pivot but it seems like we are slowly shifting back to a 4-2-3-1 (with Schweinsteiger back). I was even ok with utilizing Lahm in midfield because Lahm is simply boss.
theundead: Pressing and possession. Pep has taken these two things even further than last season.
We do not rely on any one or two players anymore. We no longer observe a drop in quality when Ribery and Schweini are not playing. Last year, this was not the case.
Sometimes the games do get boring for some minutes while bayern is just passing around amongst each other, but the same could be said of Heynckes' side as well.
I hate martinez not being at Defensive midfield alongside Schweini. He was a joy to watch. But then again, Pep's tactics need a different kind of player in that slot so it is completely understandable that martinez might see more minutes as a CB than a DM.
sterndessudens: Philipp Lahm's position, without a doubt. It first concerned me when he was in DM duties and Rafinha's fitness was still rusty but now we learned to accept Pep's position on him being that intelligent and versatile as a midfielder. The other difference is the positioning of Alaba and Rafinha being either way back or way too forward in 2014 as opposed to 2013.
MoFattal: The possession game has been our game for the last couple of years, so it is no news to us. However, the style of possession has changed with a lot of short passing and more men in midfield. However, Pep has shown that he is not reluctant to use a more direct approach when needed. Like I said, he has a lot of options at his disposal. The opponents are finding it much more difficult to take the ball, but when they do it's more dangerous than last year. That is what concerns me a bit.
Q8: What do you make of the situation regarding Kroos and Shaqiri? (question suggested by newbie moonred)
sch0ll7: Kroos will stay. All this contract extension poker is silly...he probably didnt think it would get so big. Fans, our board, Pep and all other players love him. His dream was to play for Bayern. We know that he is one of the best midfielders out there. Even if he wanted to go we wouldnt let him go this summer.
He also loves it here and just wants to feel appreciated. It is not about money he is after but about feeling important. We will give him that and this story will end after that.
Shaqiri will probably stay...but if some top club comes in and offers him playing time and make him feel important...I could see him leave.
Ribery, Robben, Gotze, Muller come before him. He realizes that. I would say that chances of him staying are 60%.
MatZam: Shaqiri is more likely to leave than Kroos. He's been underused this season and a player at his age needs plenty of playing time. Kroos, on the other hand, is one of the most used players this season and is a regular in the German National Team, along with many of his team mates at Bayern. I think that a loan move or even a transfer for Shaqiri is on the cards, but Kroos will stay. I don't know if Kroos has legitimate complaints about his wages, as I have no idea what he's wages are (the club has no reason to reveal them to the media, so I don't really believe the wage list on Bild).
FCBayernMunchen: I am 99.9% sure Kroos will stay and sign a new contract. Shaqiri is probably on the way out. I hope he is loaned, but a sale seems more likely.
Achilles: Kroos stays,Shaqiri leaves but everything at the moment are agent tricks
bounce wit me: Couldn't care less. Kroos isn't a youth product so there's not really a major sentiment between the club and him personally so he's clearly interested in a bigger contract. I would be surprised if he didn't get it, wouldn't care if he was let go on a free in 2015. Thiago will be better than him by then. Shaqiri isn't displacing anyone from the team, he's a pet project and he'll stay that way until something happens that gives him an extended run in the team.
MUTU: I'm convinced Kroos will remain. Shaqiri's touch-and-go: I think if a good offer comes for him, he'll want to leave.
Element: Kroos will stay , he is just pokering for more respect and higher salary, as simple as that
regarding Shaqiri , Shaqiri has proven that he is good enough to play for Bayern , but also his performances this season dont really give Pep a reason to let him play more than he is playing now
i think that shaqiri will stay for another season , but if a very good offer from a big club comes , both bayern and Shaqiri will be interested in accepting it , and shaqiris current role can easily be filled by a youngster (Julian Green) who will also be totally happy to get the minutes shaqiri is getting with the first team
runaway: I keep positive Kroos will stay. Money is a matter us fans think differently but for footballers, they have their own concerns and it's up to them not the fans. I'll respect his decision and support him wherever he goes. Shaqiri is a bit tricky. Unlike Kroos who has shown he is an integral piece in Bayern, Shaqiri is a bit inconsistent. A lot of us think, he is part of the Robbery replacement and he has shown he is up to the task and sometimes disappear completely. I wouldn't mind him being loaned if he really wants more consistent playing time.
Aequitas1987: The Kroos situation is unfortunate; I see the arguments from both sides. Kroos definitely deserves a bigger salary but at the same time the board believes that Kroos being a homegrown player does not do enough to be a leader in the locker-room like Schweinsteiger, Lahm and Muller do. I don’t think Kroos is going anywhere, he is the future of our midfield and he is a homegrown player. The Shaqiri situation I am very sad about; I truly think Shaqiri is the long term replacement to our Robbery. I think Pep rates him highly as well. If Shaqiri was open to it I would be happy if Bayern do a loan move with Shaqiri to Liverpool as that would help all parties involved; I don’t want us to sell Shaqiri.
theundead: Kroos deserves a big paycheck and I am sure that board are planning to give him that. I am sure that he will stay. He is one of Pep's most important players and is the future of Bayern when schweini retires.
Shaqiri is getting far less playing time than he deserves, but with the league wrapped up this will change. Still, it is very probable that he will leave or be sent out on loan.
I do hope that he gets more playing time in the league now and shows his potential to be Robbery replacement.
sterndessudens: Both are open to other options, especially with guaranteed first team football. I'd like them both to stay since they enjoy being in Munich.
MoFattal: Kroos is exhausting his negotiations tactics, but I see him staying. As for Shaqiri, unfortunately I see him leaving.
Q9: What do you think are the weaknesses, if any, in the current Bayern side which you think Manchester United, with the current bunch of players, can exploit? (question suggested by newbies harshadgada & Kloroform)
sch0ll7: hmm...I would say there arent many but we have conceded some goals when our players were not fully concentrated. We conceded some stupid goals from counters when we were too confident that we are in control.
I think if you adopt similar approach to Dortmunds [2011-12] you have a chance of getting a result. 1 deep line on 16 yard box and second line on some 30-40 meters...with fast striker and winger looking for space to break into when you gain the ball.
MatZam: Defence is our weakness. United would be best served by playing Rooney up front with Welbeck, Kagawa and Valencia behind him. Quick counters would be the best strategy to score against us, especially since Dante is suspended. I don't think United have the quality to win the midfield battle, so whenever they get the ball they need to maximise their efforts and attack as soon as possible.
FCBayernMunchen: Complacency. Bayern are their own worst enemy. They've been so for almost 3 seasons now. Manchester United are huge underdogs in this game, many people have already written them off (including many Man United fans). Bayern must not go into the game in this state of mind, because Man United have some very experienced players in this competition. In the end, up till now the aggregate is still 0-0 and anything is possible. That said, as long as Bayern are not careless and play their game, I don't think there's any reason why they shouldn't qualify. In a two-legged tie luck plays less of a role than in a final, so generally the team that plays better over two legs qualifies.
bounce wit me: Defenders obviously. Bayern's dominance obviously lends Boateng, Dante, and Alaba a helping hand because when the opponents are starved of opportunities, they tend to snatch at them and mess up. Some teams tend to get a plethora of chances and they bottle them all. Look at Leverkusen from a couple of weeks ago, Bayern could have been down 0-2 if Leverkusen could finish. Be glad that Van Persie isn't starting for United, this **** is useless when it gets to this stage. Bottling it against RM last year, bottling it against Milan the year before that, and bottling it against Barcelona the year before.
MUTU: Central defence in the 1st leg, hands down. Bayern will line up with a rash Boateng partnered with probably the defensive midfielder Javi Martinez who has been quite disappointing when played in centre back or possibly with the old, slow van Buyten.
Element: 1-Concentration losses : in rare occasion , the team loses concentration and starts to pass the ball like headless chickens and the defense instead of covering that , they also get a mindblock and we concede a stupid goal
2-Overconfidence : overconfidence makes the player think that the game will win itself forgetting that it is possible to concede 3 goals in less than 10 minutes , overconfidence also is the main cause of the concentration losses ive mentioned above
other than that , skill-wise and tactical-wise , the team is 100% intact
so in case bayern has a concentration loss , Manchester united better make use of it as there wont be many chances for united to score
runaway: The Bayern machine seems to need a bit of warming up before waking up so the early part of the game we have to keep our focus. A lobbed through ball can catch our defense off-guard because of the high line. Carrick or Rooney can deliver those not sure who will receive it. I've seen Welbeck play a couple of times and I don't know why he is part of United.
Aequitas1987: There are very few weaknesses in the current Bayern squad. At least none that you can hope to exploit over two legs. People point at Bayern’s CB’s as a form of weakness but that’s actually not true. The only weakness is the gap between midfield and defense due to a weak single-pivot (i.e. playing Thiago there) but that doesn’t seem to be the case in recent games. If Pep makes the mistake of playing Thiago as single pivot teams who play very effective counter-attacking football (Atheletico, Real, Dortmund) can punish us. But then again…they still need to get through Neuer.
theundead: Central defense. Dante is suspended. Martinez is not a CB and Boateng can lose concentration at times. Considering a 4-2-3-1, Rooney and Kagawa behind him can cause this central defense a big problem on quick counters. Getting the ball to these 2 players is going to be the big challenge though.
sterndessudens: The high defensive line. With the Jupp formation, it was counting on the aerial challenges of Martinez and Basti to retain the ball. With 4-1-4-1, its also dependent on the CB to make sure that they're not out of position and to not give away easy fouls and penalties.
MoFattal: The high defensive line can be exposed by pacey wingers which United has, but that would require a ball-winning central midfield which United hasn't.
Q10: Do you think your policy of sweeping up the best German talent from your rival clubs is detrimental to the overall quality of the league/German football? (question suggested by scout @Annihilate Now! (as you can see they didn't like your use of the word policy))
sch0ll7: First of all that is not a policy. Everyone in other league does it. Barcelona, Real in La liga, Man Utd has done it more than any other club in England etc...We were not as financialy strong few years back and players rather joined Serie A, La Liga, EPL top clubs than to play in Bundesliga...so we really couldnt go out and buy top talent from other countries...so we had to buy top players in Bundesliga [Lucio, Ze Roberto, Ballack, Klose etc...]...which were happy to join the best club in the league.
Now we have money...so we also buy from other leagues. Gotze, Neuer transfers were done because those 2 are world class and we knew what we were buying. Plus they are Germans and dont need much adapting. Lewandowski`s transfer is something every club would go for. You get top striker for free.
If anything Bayern made this league what it is today. It is not our fault that other clubs like Schalke, Wolfsburg, Dortmund [before] dont know how to use their fanbase, money they get etc...we became strong by not making many mistakes and because being clever..it is not like someone gave us 1 billion € to splash around.
MatZam: Generally speaking, if Bayern doesn't buy the players someone else does. See Khedira, Sahin and Oezil to Real Madrid, Schuerrle to Chelsea, Kagawa to Manchester United, etc... It was only a matter of time before someone would have paid Goetze's buy-out clause and he would have left Dortmund anyway. Bayern prefers players proven in the Bundesliga and German players know that playing for Bayern is the best way to get to the national team. But Bayern doesn't want a weak league, our recent success can be ascribed in part to Dortmund's own success, we wanted to be better and so made the extra push. Dortmund haven't been real contenders this season because of their rash of injuries (which we also had) and poor squad depth (a problem which we don't have). Dortmund need to keep the players they have (they can afford to pay them more, all this gaffe about being a poor club is nonsense) and increase squad depth, and they will be genuine contenders.
FCBayernMunchen: Sch0ll7 and MatZam have pretty much stated my thoughts on the matter. I'd also like to add that it's not just the top clubs in other countries that to do that, but also the other German clubs. No one complained when Sam's transfer from Leverkusen to Schalke was announced, and they are as much competitive rivals (for CL places) as Dortmund are for us. There are of course other examples: Reus from Gladbach to Dortmund being the most prominent.
I don't want a weak Dortmund, or a weak Schalke, or anyone else. It's not healthy for Bayern. But 9 times out of 10 these players will be sold anyway, and in that sense it's better that Bayern gets those players. People keep mentioning Lewandowski, but they forget that he was going to be a free agent. Bayern did not buy him from Dortmund and he was leaving this summer whether Bayern offered him a contract or not. In the end, Dortmund have bought as many players from Bayern as Bayern have bought from them.
MUTU: Not at all. When we take a player from a league rival, it generally means that the German club found the offer attractive enough and would rather have the money. In several cases, Bayern would also have outbid offers from abroad, which means that the German club would get more money by selling the player to Bayern than to, say, Real Madrid.
Take for example the Draxler case: Schalke was about to sell him to Arsenal but there are strong rumours that Bayern intervented and told Schalke they would be ready to pay much more money to take him in 2015. As a result, should it happen, Schalke will be stronger next season and richer the following season.
By signing players form our opponents, we are keeping the best players in the Bundesliga, so the "overall quality of the league" is thus not decreased.
Element: This is not a policy , actually other clubs do that much more than Bayern, but i can summarize this in 3 points
1-in football , you always try to get the best player for least money , and Germans happen to be damn good footballers and cost less than talents from other leagues
2- the language barrier and adaptation problems are not present (unlike with others, mainly south americans who prefer portugal and Spain)
3-playing for Bayern is a dream for many young German football players , while an english will prefer United or Arsenal over Bayern , Southeast asians also will prefer English premier league clubs any day
runaway: No. One thing I think most of the non-followers of Bundesliga misunderstand is, not only Bayern does that. And Bayern has let go of unused players like Guztavo, Can, Kirchoff, and Gomez recently. There are a lot of movement of players locally because unlike EPL, teams here doesn't have enough to pull buy from other leagues. German teams have academies rely most of the time to produce talent so the supply is there. There's certainly a growing interest in German players from EPL.
Let's say Gotze had gone to Man City. Will Bayern be any different this season? Most likely no. What about BVB? Would they have been different? Their problems arose not because Bayern bought Gotze but of numerous injuries to their starting XI especially the CM not the CAM position which they have filled.
Aequitas1987: I don’t think it is. Its up to those clubs to draw up correct contracts (without buy out clauses) and try to retain those players. If Dortmund or Schalke want to be considered selling clubs then its better that the talent stays within the Bundesliga even at Bayern rather than go to the EPL or Ligue 1. The problem is that Schalke and Dortmund need to convey to the rest of the market that they are NOT selling clubs. Dortmund kind of did that with Lewandowski, lets see what stance they take with Reus, Gundogan and Hummels. Schalke need to take a similar stance with Draxler and Meyer.
theundead: The argument could go the other way as well. The other clubs can not retain their talents. Their contracts include ridiculous buy out clauses (eg. Sidney Sam, one of Leverkusen's best players went to schalke for, if I remember correctly, 2.5M due to a release clause). Clubs need to write better contracts.
And the same happens everywhere. I obviously would not want these clubs to lose their star players as this weakens the image of the league in general. But even if Bayern does not buy them, they will leave their clubs (Goetze would have moved to city and Lewandowski to Real Madrid).
I would be happy if Dortmund build a long term project upon their recent successes (2 german championships, CL final, german cup) and get their act together. They will have to suffer losing their star players to other teams (not only bayern) for a couple of seasons.
Speaking of Dormund, thier best defender Hummels is a bayern graduate. So it is not as if Dortmund are powerless against Bayern. They need to take the initiative, spend all the money they have earned on better contracts for their players. After all, Bayern's successes and riches haven't come overnight. There is decades of hardwork and lots of disappointments involved.
sterndessudens: Every other club does take players from other sides, including rivals. It's like a supply and demand process in business. The bundesliga will keep pumping out quality players from the youth academies. It all starts at the top level of management- if they screw up, then the player leaves.
MoFattal: It is not a policy. It's perfectly normal within every top league out there, but the only thing different is the negative publicity surrounding these transfers. You don't see anyone attacking the likes of Dortmund and Schalke for snapping up players from weaker teams. If anyone is to blame, it's the other supposedly top teams that don't actually consider themselves to be so.
Q11: Out of all your midfielders who do you feel is most important to the team and squad? (question suggested by newbie Viva Norris Cole)
sch0ll7: If it goes for CM...I would say Kroos or Schweini. Kroos for his skills and how he controls the tempo and match. Schweini because of his all-roundnes, leader, monster when it comes to defending, runs a lot, knows how to keep the ball and get forward.
If we include Lahm...than he is in first place.
MatZam: This is a tough one... They all bring something to the table apart from squad depth. Ribery and Robben can dribble and provide speed down the wings, as does Goetze in the middle, Kroos and Thiago can control the tempo of the game and control the midfield, Mueller just pops up and scores important goals, and Schweinsteiger provides experience and great passing and control form a slightly deeper role. I honestly don't think I can say who the most important is, perhaps that is one of our greatest assets, that if we lose a player to injury someone else can step in and we can carry on as normal.
FCBayernMunchen: On the whole it's Schweinsteiger, and he's gaining form rapidly. Looking at this season only though, I think it's been either one of Thiago or Kroos. They are the only ones who's presence is missed when they're not playing.
Achilles: This year from what I've seen 1.Lahm 2.Schweini 3.Kroos. Overall Schweinsteiger no doubt
bounce wit me: Lahm is the best midfielder at the club. He offers so much when it comes to verticality, recycling possession, alleviating pressure on the central defenders, and he is always an outlet. Wasn't there a picture on the internet a couple of months ago that showed Lahm with a bunch of players around him forming triangles, and there was about 9 options to pass to? I think there was. He's way more influential in the middle than at right back. Watching him this season makes me feel that he has been wasted all of his career. But then his replacement at right back, Rafinha, is shit.
MUTU: Ribery, there's a reason why he came close to winning the Ballon d'Or.
Element: every midfielder in Bayern brings something different , but if i have to pick one then i will pick Bastian Schweinsteiger
Schweinsteiger was injured yet Bayern was playing Top football , so i personally was wondering about what schweinsteiger will add to the team
When he came back , there was actually an improvement over the already amazing midfield
Schweinsteiger is one of the most all-round player in the world right now , he can do everything in football and in top of that , he is always calm and knows how to read situations and solve them, and he always is exactly where you need him
against leverkusen where things werent that bright, he gave an amazing cross to mandzukic and scored a direct free kick
against mainz where the score was 0-0 in the last 10 minutes , he headed in the 1-0
runaway: In all honesty, I don't know. Maybe Lahm because he is our captain and has stepped up when he was needed. This is what Pep Guardiola brought to Bayern. Unlike in Heynckes era, Schweinsteiger and Ribery were very crucial. This year, barring Kroos and Lahm, we've played without Schweinsteiger, Ribery, Robbe, Martinez, Thiago, Gotze, Shaqiri. We've had our share of injuries and Pep has found a way to continually make the squad grind out the results.
Aequitas1987: Muller, he is THE big game player. Martinez is a close second.
theundead: Schweinsteiger. He brings much experience to the squad. His vision and leadership are brilliant. His moments of brilliance can open up the trickiest of defenses. Kroos is getting close to him in terms of ability but he still has some experience to gain before taking schweini's place
sterndessudens: This is a hard 1 since some of them are irreplaceable but the 1 that stands out the most is- Manuel Neuer since not only is he a goalkeeper, he's also the most underrated defensive midfielder with 60m crosses and headers from the halfway line. Basti for his leadership though.
MoFattal: In an in-form Bastian gives us security on both the attacking and defensive ends, so I'd select him.
Q12: What's your take on Uli Hoeness' sentencing? Has he tarnished the club's name or is this more of an individual issue with no effect on Bayern the club? (question suggested by newbie moonred)
sch0ll7: He is the most important person in this clubs history. There is nothing that he would do that would tarnish this clubs image. Because he made this club what it is today. It is his personal issue. Everyone makes mistakes or does something stupid in their lives.
MatZam: Disappointment is the first word that springs to mind, but that will never stop the recognition towards him as the man mostly responsible for our success in the last 30 years. It is an individual issue, but it has obviously affected the club. We need to see if we can still be as shrewd in our business dealings, etc. As regards the name of the club, I don't think it will have any permanent effect. The money was Hoeness' own, from his own business, although naturally some people will still try to find links between it and the club.
FCBayernMunchen: Disappointed of course, and a bit harsh, but I suppose it is his fault for not admitting the whole amount. I am glad that the German judiciary did its job, considering how famous people get away with similar cases in Spain and Italy. I thought that it would tarnish Bayern's image, but to be honest everyone seems to have forgotten about it already. Uli will definitely always hold a special place in every Bayern fan's heart and although he did wrong, my opinion of him will not change and I look forward to welcoming him back in a few years, if not as an official member of the club, as the father of the Bayern we know.
bounce wit me: It's a personal thing for him, his gambling problem. Absolutely nothing to do with the club apart from bad publicity when you look at the difference externally. I have no idea what is going behind the scenes but there's clearly been a massive difference. He's been at the forefront of the club for decades.
MUTU: It's more of an individual issue but he's certainly tarnished some of the club's image. We're sure to be on the sorry end of nasty jokes for years to come due to this event.
Element: I think that it would have been smarter and fairer to make him pay the taxes + a huge fine rather than putting him in prison
and regarding the club , we lost the man who has built all this .
regarding reputation :Hoeness , the club and the Media were very responsible and managed to Dragged Bayern out of this issue
runaway: It was his personal mistake. With his own money. Hoeness has given so much to the club and has made us the giants we appear to be so I stand by him and respect him. As for the sentencing, it's still ridiculous to me. I know he broke the law but other people have gotten away with worse just because they live in another country. All I can say is, I'm a bit relieved I'm not German. They really don't joke.
Aequitas1987: It’s a massive loss for the club. Hoeness is pretty much the father figure in Bayern. I think the issue is an individual one mostly and with little effect on Bayern from the media perspective; the negative media will die out soon. The loss of Hoeness’s influence behind the scenes is a big loss though. He was key in creating the team of today for e.g. it was his personal requests to get Ribery, Robben, Manduzukic and Guardiola.
theundead: It was his personal matter and should not affect the reputation of the club but "Haters gonna hate, potatoes gonna potate."
I wish he hadn't made the mistake of tax evasion. its very very sad to see him leave in that manner. He was like bayern's fergie; he made Bayern what Bayern is today. He will remain a legend in our hearts, despite the jailtime.
sterndessudens: It's very difficult to take as a Bayern fan, knowing that he's a great player in the past and now as a philanthropist and a father figure to so many others, just like Red Auerbach for the Boston Celtics. The tax issues are from his own income.
MoFattal: He did wrong and he acknowledges this fact. However it's a personal issue and has no effect on the club.
Q13: Who would you like to see Bayern sign in this coming transfer market? (question suggested by newbie GeorgieBoy)
sch0ll7: I would go for Hummels. But that is mission impossible
MatZam: A good central defender. Dante is 31, Van Buyten is 36, and we don't know if Badstuber will ever regain his previous ability after a year and a half out. Someone like Benatia from Roma would be great.
FCBayernMunchen: My dream would be Thiago Silva, but we all know that won't happen. Any world-class or young CB prodigy would be fine by me, really. They've been linking Benatia to us these past few days.
Achilles: Thiago Silva or Kompany
bounce wit me: A better centre back. Thiago Silva's obviously the best, but he will be impossible to get. So a quick, good centre back.
MUTU: If I could sign one single player, it would be Thiago Silva.
Element: A Centre Back would be nice , Dante isnt getting younger , van Buyten will leave soon , Badstuber has a huge ? on him , and Boateng as good as he is , there is still room for improvement
I have no name , but a CB in his early 30's to be the 3rd CB next season , and the season after , we get us a top quality CB
runaway: A CB. Whether someone world-class or a promising one. We have enough midfielders from the squad and prospects from the youth team so the defense should be reinforced.
Aequitas1987: There are not many players we need particularly but I think a truly world-class center-back (Dante is getting old) is something we could do with. Thiago Silva is my dream signing but a more realistic signing would be Mehdi Benatia. I would also love it if we could pry away Kompany from City somehow.
theundead: A young center back. We already got Lewandowski so the potential weakness upfront has already been corrected.
Otherwise, the team is well set up for the future.
sterndessudens: Someone who can shoot accurate long range goals in open play. I miss Luiz Gustavo's goals from 30m out and this squad's shooting opportunities all come from the inside of the box during open play.
MoFattal: One of Thiago Silva, David Luiz, or Benatia. I think the last is the most realistic option.
Q14: How do you expect both teams to line up? Do you think Pep will opt for Gotze/Muller as a 9.5 in place of Mandzukic, due to our slow defence?
sch0ll7: I would say something like this...
Ribery......Muller....Gotze.....Robben
........Kroos.....Schweini..............
Alaba....Boateng....Martinez.....Lahm
It is really hard to predict as all the players are fit. But I would say that RIbery, Robben, Kroos and Schweini, will certainly play. If we play Mandzo he will be the only striker. If not than we will have 4 players up there all changing positions and would see Muller, Gotze or Robben moving into that striker position from time to time.
Maybe Lahm will play as #6 but than kroos or Muller will sit on the bench and Rafinha moving to RB position.
MatZam: He could opt for Goetze/Mueller, especially since your centre backs are tall and Mandzukic's main strength is heading. It was maddening seeing crosses being flung into Arsenal's box and seeing Mertesacker get every one of them. Having said that, Pep has often surprised us.
Line-ups: De Gea - Evans, Vidic, Jones, Rafael - Carrick, Fellaini/Giggs - Welbeck, Kagawa, Valencia - Rooney
Neuer - Lahm, Martinez, Boateng, Alaba - Schweinsteiger, Kroos - Ribery, Thiago, Robben - Mueller/Goetze
FCBayernMunchen: It's very hard to predict, like I said, but I think Mandzukic will start. What I'm wondering about most is who will replace Dante. I'd predict Martinez, but personally I'm hoping to see Van Buyten play this weekend and if he does well, on Tuesday as well.
Achilles: I'm expecting Mandzukic as a starter and both Muller & Gotze on the bench but honestly with Pep you never know,it's hard to be certain
bounce wit me: Lahm at midfield, Martínez in defence, Mandzukic up front, Robben on the right, Ribéry on the left. Not too sure about United but I expect Rooney, Young, Evra, Carrick, Fellaini, Jones, De Gea, and Rafael to start.
MUTU: Mandzukic would need to play if we want to have a chance at winning an aerial duel up front.
Element: Mandzukic will start , with Mandzukic on the field , we are much more dominant , and also have more chance to score because he simply has the best headers in Europe , so one good cross and the ball is in the net
also Mandzukic tends to tackle defenders and fight them for the ball , and with his strength and your defense's "shakiness" and lack of confidence , Mandzukic will cause much trouble
runaway: I honestly don't know depends who will line-up in our Saturday game before CL. But Muller wouldn't be a bad idea, he has a knack for finding those goals in important matches. All three offer something different than each other that can give your defense something to think about.
Aequitas1987: Most of us fans have given up trying to predict Pep’s formations. I personally would like him to start Muller as a 9.5. I think its quite possible that he starts Manduzukic though. The problem really isn’t the forward line its more about figuring out who among Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Kroos, Thiago and Martinez take the three or two central positions. I hope its Kroos, Schweinsteiger and Martinez (Single Pivot)
theundead: Mandzukic has been somewhat poor in the past couple of games so it is highly probable that we play without a recognized striker. All 4 of Robben, Ribery, Goetze and Muller will be taking turns at tormenting united's CBs as the false nines.
sterndessudens: Mandzukic will start, as Red Robbery have the pace from the wings. He's essential in the aerial battles against Fellaini/Carrick as well as the headers or tap in chances that he might get on the break.
MoFattal: I see us playing 4-2-3-1 with Lahm in RB, Bastian-Kroos in CM, Muller in CAM and Mandzukic up front. The rest is well-known. I expect United to use play something like 4-5-1 with 3 CMs: Giggs, Fellaini and Carrick.
Q15: Score predictions?
sch0ll7: Man Utd 1:2 Bayern
MatZam: 0-2 in the first leg, with a more narrow 2-1 victory at home. Personally I would have preferred it if we played the home leg first though.
FCBayernMunchen: I predict a comfortable win for Bayern at Old Trafford and a much closer game in Munich. Perhaps something like 4-1 aggregate. At the risk of sounding too arrogant though, I think we have to admit that in both team's current states it could potentially be much higher than that.
Achilles: 1-3
bounce wit me: 1-3, I guess. Fellaini scores after he elbows Boateng in the face, takes an awful touch and drills the ball into the net.
MUTU: 1st leg, Man Utd 1-2 Bayern. 2nd leg, Bayern 3-0 Man Utd.
Element: Old Trafford: Manchester United 1:2 Bayern
Allianz Arena: Bayern 2-0 Manchester United
on agg. Bayern 4:1 Manchester United
runaway: I can only be hopeful it goes it our favor. 0-3 or 1-3.
Aequitas1987: I predict a clean 3-0 to Bayern in the first leg.
theundead: United 0-3 Bayern or 1-3
sterndessudens: 7up unless De Gea pulls off something Neuer did when he was in Schalke against United 3 years ago.
MoFattal: Two 2-0s.
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If any of you have any suggestions on what we should do as part of this, or any questions for future games, reply to the thread, PM me or tweet @red_cafe, thank you.
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