Guess having all those CFs worked out.
Watching Harry in midfield though
Watching Harry in midfield though
German Football 23/24 |
- Thread starter do.ob
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Thank the flying spaghettimonster that shit is over.
Finally a win again against these game raising bastards.
What do you guys think of Xabi Alonso? Does he have the makings of a great coach?
He did a great job last season in turning the ship around, changed the playstyle a bit but not as much as expected. Sometimes I thought the hype around him (Madrid wanting to sign him, players wanting to play under him etc.) was a bit over the top as he didn't really create something special such as de Zerbi at Brighton or Spaletti at Napoli last season.
But this season, he really lives up to the hype and it becomes clear what the teams interested in him (and we) saw beneath the surface. We signed great players but the way he makes them all play together has been immensely impressive the last three games. We dominate possession at will and still create chances left, right and center. We've looked much better against Gladbach and Leipzig than Bayern did. And he brought in some winning culture as well, insisted on competition in every position and is obsessed with the details - be at positioning in games or goals conceded/scored from set pieces. We play very attractive football (which isn't something entirely new) but we do it in a very mature way (which is new). There's a much stronger focus on doing the easy things right consistently before attempting the spectacular and it is reflected in many personnel decisions as well (Diaby -> Hofmann, Bakker -> Grimaldo, Demirbay -> Xhaka).
Don't really want to think about titles or anything like that but I don't know if I ever looked forward to seeing us play as much as currently.
Is it so wild that we kicked Salihamidzic, only to end up with a much weaker squad than we would have had with him.
By far the best manager we ever had...
By far the best manager we ever had...
That's how you start a season in style:
Thanks a lot! He was a very intelligent footballer, I'm glad he is able to translate it as a coach.
That last paragraph is very telling. Thanks again
Today's loss is Union's first league home loss since February 2022. It's also only their third loss in their last 52 home games (both Dortmund and Bayern beat them once).
That's a pretty big win for Leipzig even though the red card certainly helped.
That's a pretty big win for Leipzig even though the red card certainly helped.
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Simons is going to be a fecking superstar.
He'll be battling it out with Donyell Malen for best Bundesliga attacker. What a time to be alive.
Always a sign of good things to come when a statement like this is deemed newsworthy.
Always a sign of good things to come when a statement like this is deemed newsworthy.
Wow.... That's coming really quick. Nagelsmann is available. Or if you are waiting a couple of weeks maybe also ETH.
By the way, are we still paying Nagelsmann? If yes: Dortmund, you know what to do!Wow.... That's coming really quick. Nagelsmann is available. Or if you are waiting a couple of weeks maybe also ETH.
Wow. that's pretty early for such a discussion. Not a good sign for Terzic, seems as if there's something going on behind the scenes.
Nagelsmann would be the obvious solution. I think the squad fits him (he seems to like vertical and physically strong midfielders who have a certain intensity to their game) and there aren't any other top coaches currently available. Worst case for Dortmund would be if they stick with Terzic until Nagelsmann has signed somewhere else and then have to settle for somebody like Glasner.
Nagelsmann would be the obvious solution. I think the squad fits him (he seems to like vertical and physically strong midfielders who have a certain intensity to their game) and there aren't any other top coaches currently available. Worst case for Dortmund would be if they stick with Terzic until Nagelsmann has signed somewhere else and then have to settle for somebody like Glasner.
So is Malen really finally coming good?
Define "good" - he's shown a remarkable improvement compared to the sorry state he used to be in, but I don't think he's going to be an international top player.
You think Bayern would let him go for a fee Dortmund can afford at the moment? And you think Nagelsmann would be interested in that move, when he just has to wait a couple of weeks to experience the full desperation of ManUtd and/or Chelsea?
Hm, yeah, good question. Guaranteed starter for Dortmund under normal circumstances? Good addition to the Dutch national team? (Given the poor availability of Dutch attacking talent.)
Would Glasner really be worse? He successfully managed to ride the wave to an EL win, while Nagelsmann never managed an emotional club like Dortmund.
I think Glasner would actually be the better option.
I think it's time for Dortmund to decide whether they want to be a top club or an emotional club. If Glasner is a better choice for you than Nagelsmann - who is quite obviously the superior coach - then this should have you thinking, IMO
For a club like Dortmund their fans are an asset that has to be leveraged. I don't think it is a coincidence that their last longer successful time was under Klopp who had this connection to the fans. Obviously you need to have a top team on the pitch as a top club, that goes without saying.
But at this point in their careers I don't think it is obvious that Nagelsmann is the superior coach at this level. I just don't rate him as highly as you do.
I think he can get regular starts at Dortmund (especially since competition is rather weak on the wings at the moment), but unless he starts scoring like a mad man I don't think he has the overall impact to be a star player. His passing is mediocre and his dribbling mostly consists of little body faints followed by a burst of speed, rather than genuine high class dribbling skills. I also don't think he has the kind of composure that allows players to be very effective with (seemingly) simple moves.
Oh well, supersub it is then!
Oh, I don't really rate Nagelsmann that highly. I think he's a bit of a weirdo and that his playing style is comparable to the one Terzic seems to prefer: Dominance through pressing and general intensity rather than positional play and ball retention, a "typically German" coach so to speak. But he's one of the best at it. A down-to-earth guy like Terzic will always have it easier with BVB supporters than a polarizing personality like Nagelsmann or a quiet one such as Favre but in the end, fans are opportunistic and as long as the club plays successfully, they'll get on board.
But in general, the whole "emotionality" and "he knows the club" talks is far too present whenever you hear Dortmund officials or fans speak. It's always about mentality and euphoria. Don't get me wrong, I see that with a fan base and a stadium like that getting the supporters behind you is a huge boost but sometimes it seems their strategy lacks substance. As if the general laws of what's good and bad don't apply to their club because they are so emotional.
Yeah you might have a point there that they overrate this aspect.
That is the Prime documentary I am waiting on (that with the German national team I will not watch!)
Fart wars?
Unfortunately I can't disagree with this, I can only add Völler to the list. It was always known that he's on the conservative side, but dismissing reform in such an arrogant and ignorant fashion is simply shocking and makes we wonder whether he's holding back his club, too.
Emre Can is the answer and I knew it all along.
Actually what is the idea here?
MAtS - Kimmich, Süle, Schlotterbeck, Rüdiger(? Schlotterbeck?) - Can - Wirtz, Gündogan - Gnabry, Havertz, Sane?
Looks just like a Bundesliga game in Wolfsburg.
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Kicker lists the formation like this:
MAtS
Kimmich, Süle, Rüdiger, Schlotterbeck
Can, Gündogan
Gnabry, Wirtz, Sane
Havertz
I don't know why we field this team... can't we at least put Khedira and Behrens there instead of Can and Havertz? They are at least continously performing for their club...
MAtS
Kimmich, Süle, Rüdiger, Schlotterbeck
Can, Gündogan
Gnabry, Wirtz, Sane
Havertz
I don't know why we field this team... can't we at least put Khedira and Behrens there instead of Can and Havertz? They are at least continously performing for their club...
You don't want to be in a situation where your success depends on Can, but he's arguably playing the role that Germany need in midfield, so I think it makes some sense for Flick to bet on him. Khedira for example is hardly a stable top player either. And Behrens is a header merchant, someone who could be useful as an impact (desperation) sub, but never someone you'd want to start as Germany.
Yes you are probably right if you want a serious take.
But consider this: right now I am sitting in my garden, listening to the crickets and just shitposting a bit around the Internet.
I could also move two meters inside and turn on the TV to watch the match instead, but currently I much prefer the crickets and the occasional bat flying around.
If we're being honest that's always been the way to enjoy Germany games outside the WC/EC.
True again...
I rated Flick very highly, when he took the job, but at the moment this looks fecking clueless
It's safe to say at this point that he is clueless as what to do with the crop of players at his disposal. At Bayern he didn't have to assemble a squad, by now I feel it just so happened that the stars aligned and the squad we had was basically perfect for his playstyle, for a time. The defensive record has been questionable and started to be a problem in the second season already, when the level of energy and dedication to make up for the lack of defensive orientation began to cause problems. There also have been rumors about his wishes for transfers which sounded too awful to be true, but now appear in a different light having seen his squad selections and lineups for Germany. It's sad, but I think he's finished.I rated Flick very highly, when he took the job, but at the moment this looks fecking clueless
After this season, Frimpong will have been living in Germany for 3.5 years. Another 1.5 years and the DFB could nominate him. Given the current bottleneck in the FB position.. just saying.
The DFB could not nominate him unless he is a German citizen. And to become a German citizen, I believe the period for which he must have been living in Germany is longer than 5 years.. just saying.
Ah, that's unfortunate
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