Aye, it's very old news.
Bundesliga, DFB Cup, and other Bundesliga business 2014/2015
- Thread starter ManniKaltz
- Start date
Aye, it's very old news.
So, with the finishing touches in the transfer market by Bayern (IN: Benatia, Alonso, Kurt; OUT:Green via loan) and Dortmund (IN:Kagawa; OUT:Hofmann via loan), I would say that both sides are pretty well equipped for the season.
Please allow me a short moment of fanboyism:
These (or similar to that) would be the first and second squads of us in the unlikely scenario of every player being match fit:
First:
-------------------------Weidenfeller---------------------
---------Pisczek----Sokratis----Hummels--------Durm
------------------Bender-------------Gündogan----------------
------Mkhitaryan--------Kagawa--------------Reus------------
----------------------------Ramos------------------------
Second:
--------------------------Langerak---------------------
-----Großkreutz----Subotic------Ginter--------Schmelzer
-----------------------------Sahin---------------------
----------------Kuba---------------------Jojic------------
-------------------------------Ji------------------------
---------------Aubameyang------Immobile------------------
feck me, thats a squad with proper quality. CEO Watzke really backed up his not so little words about investing into the squad with that transfer window. It also shows the grown ambitions of the club and a clear sign to the star players. We need to challenge Bayern harder this season than in the last two years and everything below the 2nd place in the league will be rightfully considered a failure. We are now in a situation, where we can react on pretty much any circumstances. With all due respect to Leverkusen, Schalke or Wolfsburg, but the difference of quality has only grown further. The return of our "little samurai" could also give the team a push to improve the performances on the pitch further.
Please allow me a short moment of fanboyism:
These (or similar to that) would be the first and second squads of us in the unlikely scenario of every player being match fit:
First:
-------------------------Weidenfeller---------------------
---------Pisczek----Sokratis----Hummels--------Durm
------------------Bender-------------Gündogan----------------
------Mkhitaryan--------Kagawa--------------Reus------------
----------------------------Ramos------------------------
Second:
--------------------------Langerak---------------------
-----Großkreutz----Subotic------Ginter--------Schmelzer
-----------------------------Sahin---------------------
----------------Kuba---------------------Jojic------------
-------------------------------Ji------------------------
---------------Aubameyang------Immobile------------------
feck me, thats a squad with proper quality. CEO Watzke really backed up his not so little words about investing into the squad with that transfer window. It also shows the grown ambitions of the club and a clear sign to the star players. We need to challenge Bayern harder this season than in the last two years and everything below the 2nd place in the league will be rightfully considered a failure. We are now in a situation, where we can react on pretty much any circumstances. With all due respect to Leverkusen, Schalke or Wolfsburg, but the difference of quality has only grown further. The return of our "little samurai" could also give the team a push to improve the performances on the pitch further.
So, with the finishing touches in the transfer market by Bayern (IN: Benatia, Alonso, Kurt; OUT:Green via loan) and Dortmund (IN:Kagawa; OUT:Hofmann via loan), I would say that both sides are pretty well equipped for the season.
Please allow me a short moment of fanboyism:
These (or similar to that) would be the first and second squads of us in the unlikely scenario of every player being match fit:
First:
-------------------------Weidenfeller---------------------
---------Pisczek----Sokratis----Hummels--------Durm
------------------Bender-------------Gündogan----------------
------Mkhitaryan--------Kagawa--------------Reus------------
----------------------------Ramos------------------------
Second:
--------------------------Langerak---------------------
-----Großkreutz----Subotic------Ginter--------Schmelzer
-----------------------------Sahin---------------------
----------------Kuba---------------------Jojic------------
-------------------------------Ji------------------------
---------------Aubameyang------Immobile------------------
feck me, thats a squad with proper quality. CEO Watzke really backed up his not so little words about investing into the squad with that transfer window. It also shows the grown ambitions of the club and a clear sign to the star players. We need to challenge Bayern harder this season than in the last two years and everything below the 2nd place in the league will be rightfully considered a failure. We are now in a situation, where we can react on pretty much any circumstances. With all due respect to Leverkusen, Schalke or Wolfsburg, but the difference of quality has only grown further. The return of our "little samurai" could also give the team a push to improve the performances on the pitch further.
Happy for you, can be only good for the league. But Bayer will battle you. No WC problems and their squad is not far off. Could be a great 3 team race.
Superb squad. Still unsure on Immobile, have a bad feeling about him. Hopefully Ramos plays some more games and contributes.
Badelj to Fiorentina is done, 4m € fee apparently.
Would open the door for Lewis Holtby
Would open the door for Lewis Holtby
Oh, it actually is, both in peak strength as in depth. This Leverkusen side is more comparable to ours in 2010/2011. Very good system with a lot of talent in the best XI, but also pretty thin. While we managed to win the league back then, they were several favouring factors for us:
- Unknown system, which took a lot of teams off guard
- no major bad luck with injuries
- going out early in the International competitions, thus total concentration on the league in the second season half
- weaker competiton at the top (we are stronger on paper than Bayern back then and they gained tremendous quality in recent years themselves)
People should never underestimate how physically demanding such a pressing system can be and unless they continue to have their ridiculous luck with injuries compared to us, Bayern and Schalke I don´t see them reaching the needed consistency to stay in the title race until the end. If they want to do that they basically have to win everything now to get themselves a buffer to Dortmund and Bayern until they find their complete rythm. It will be exciting to see how Roger Schmidt will manage to balance things in the upcoming English weeks. Its relatively simple to play such an exhausting style at the beginning of a season, but gets gradually harder when you have to play a game every three days for weeks. Then there is of course the issue with the mentality, which always hovers over Leverkusen.
Badelj to Fiorentina is done, 4m € fee apparently.
Would open the door for Lewis Holtby
Lot of late movements on the transfer market.
- Tah leaves Hamburg and joind Düsseldorf (wtf?)
- Julian Green to HSV on loan
- Holtby to HSV is a done thing
- Dortmunds talent Jonas Hofmann joins Mainz on loan
- Shaqiri told by Bayern he's got to stay in spite of him wanting to leave
- Bayern finally seal the deal to get 18 year old supertalent Sinan Kurt from Gladbach
Tah needs game time and he isn't really in Slomkas plans yet. It was clear since a few weeks that he will be loaned out. I think Düsseldorf is a good destination for him, as we already had good experiences with that (Maxi Beister).
The most interesting thing about the Holtby transfer, at least in my oppinion, is whether or not Hamburg is paying the entirety of his wage, which is rumored to be above 100k € a week. If they are that would just be insane. I don't think the entirety of Paderborns squad gets that much a week.
Holtby is a quality player, no doubt about it, but so was Badelj and see how good his performances were, especially in the last year. I remember him being a player that tends to go with the flow, being able to perform only when the team has a great day in itself. Not really the kind of player who normally turns things around, didn't make too much of an impression at Fulham either. I'm skeptical to say the least. Still, it probably was the right choice to sell Badelj seeing how he only had one year on his contract left and there was no way he was gonna renew it. Also, I can't think of any better player you could have gotten on such short notice, so probs, I guess. Knowing my luck he will be utter shit all season just to score twice in both games against Dortmund *sigh*.
According to NDR Tottenham will pay a part of his salary.
http://www.ndr.de/sport/fussball/Holtby-Transfer-zum-HSV-perfekt-Trio-geht-,hsv12686.html
Badelj certainly has some qualities but he wasn't able to show much of it on the pitch. He was so inconsistent that I'm actually very surprised that we got 4-5m € for him. The club had the opportunity to extent his contract for one more year but they didn't because that would've meant a pay rise.
I'm very excited with the signing and I'm hoping that he can bring is more dynamic to the midfield.
I still find it strange. He is talented, he already has the quality for a Budesliga team, and also he is young and could be coached to the next level. I prefer coaches that take on the challenge.
In a team the way Hamburg played last season - at the end fighting for relegation - it is difficult for young ones to develop. Yes, teams like Freiburg etc. do it - but they have different expectations.
Dont know about depth and peak either. Bayer has a good man as backup for nearly every position. The LB and RB positions are not that strong but thats normal for most clubs and they have young guys there which could handle the stress.
CB position is deep, Papa has great talent and should work his way back a bit.
And in CM they have some guns with Castro and Bender, who is coming back. Rolfes is a good player too and you have Öztunali, who just turned 18 and will come in the next months.
Upfront they have so many guys that a good Kruse was on his way out. They arent perfect and your link to Dortmund 2011 is good. But I see them better overall and like you said; Dortmund won 2011.
I see them pushing.
Just caught up with the Bundesliga highlights show on ITV 4... Oh, Hamburg... 
But, fair play to Paderborn, undefeated in their first two games in the Bundesliga.
But, fair play to Paderborn, undefeated in their first two games in the Bundesliga.Just caught up with the Bundesliga highlights show on ITV 4... Oh, Hamburg...
We were terrible. In fairness though we controlled most of the game, but did absolutely nothing with our possession. Still HAD to score at least twice but couldn't even finish from 7 yards out. We will see a completely different team in 2 weeks against Hannover, at least on the team sheet.
@Sphaero more bad news coming from Poland, Błaszczykowski has done his quadriceps in training and he's out from 6 to 8 weeks.
feck this sideways, how is it possible for one team to be hit by injuries this constantly over more than a year? My heart goes out to @Sphaero.
Matchday 03, 12/09/14 - 14/09/14
goddamit, how are leverkusen so scary good. a team packed with youngsters who are delivering atm. wow!
If we haven't had so many number 10s already I would have loved to see us go for Chalhanoglu such a talented player.
did I hear that right and leverkusen run 13km more in the 1.ht?
their right back, tin jedvaj, looks very talented.
their right back, tin jedvaj, looks very talented.
Funny game that. Leverkusen is totally dominant right now but it's still only 1-1.
Roger Schmidt is doing an excellent job with this team so far. Let's see if he will be the first coach that is going to be able to keep that level over a season with this team.
Roger Schmidt is doing an excellent job with this team so far. Let's see if he will be the first coach that is going to be able to keep that level over a season with this team.
Btw Jedvaj looks like a FB we should keep an eye out for. Could be a good understudy and backup for Rafael if he keeps up this form.
... Oh my second goal for Bremen, hit on the counter again.
... Oh my second goal for Bremen, hit on the counter again.
2-1 Bremen
They're getting completely dominated, but somehow scored from their only two chances.
They're getting completely dominated, but somehow scored from their only two chances.
2 shots on goal and two goals. Not a bad ratio you have to give them that but Leverkusen could do with a bit more organization at the back.
... feck me 2-2. Chalhanoglu, what a free kick.
... feck me 2-2. Chalhanoglu, what a free kick.
2-2 Great Hakan freekick.
Seriously how is Lukymia a professional footballer? All I ever see him do is foul or commit a shitty mistake that costs Bremen points.
Great to hear. He broke through for Zagreb as a CB, so playing FB is pretty new to him I'd think but seems like he's doing well there.
He is great. Fast with a lot of drive going forward. He looks really promising but in all fairness it's the first game I'm watching Leverkusen for the full 90 minutes but if they keep playing this entertaining I think I'm going to watch a lot more of them.
Wow Leverkusen is really fired up the way they react after a decision goes against them. They need to have a bit more self control here or else they aren't going to end this game with 11 players.
He played well in all three games. Scored his second goal today.
great game. Both teams are really fighting and leverkusen is pushing the tempo. Leverkusen´s players are all fired up
great game. Both teams are really fighting and leverkusen is pushing the tempo. Leverkusen´s players are all fired up
He's a CB playing as a FB, unlike our CB's out wide, he seems to be incredibly good there. If he keeps this up, I guess he could move wide full time.
Leverkusen's CB pairing is having quite a bit of difficulty dealing with those long balls, they might wanna consider dropping a bit deeper to prevent this after all they don't have Neuer in goal.
Son what a nice goal. 3-2 Leverkusen. Great game.
leverkusen´s tempo is insane. Jedvaj with an assist.
Leno gave an interview after the world cup that he wants to play more like Neuer, so maybe it really is the plan.
And ffs, Leverkusen take the lead again. This is a very weird looking Leverkusen team. They actually don't look like bottlers, should be interesting if they can keep it up.
It indeed is. We would do well with some of that energy.
Both teams probably want to steal Hoffenheim the title in the "second best offense-worst defense"-department...
Yeah I'm pretty sure the high defensive line is intentional but it's still really dangerous and so far Leno playing like Neuer seems more wishful thinking than reality.