Football: No Title Ideas

[polishgenius]

It's not just about competition though. In Germany in particular football tries to maintain its ties to the community grounding the sport grew from, there are rules in place specifically to keep that, and RB hold that entire principle in contempt.

 

7 minutes ago, JordanJH1993 said:

It's not even like Leipzig throw money around the way Chelsea or Man City ever did. They mainly use their money wisely, by signing players under 23 for reasonable prices.

They do now, but as they were coming up the leagues they overwhelmed each divisions with financial power.

[Consigliere]

1 hour ago, polishgenius said:

Was there ever any real indication that Bayern were seriously interested in Tuchel? It seems to me as if he was hyped as the favourite just because he's the most known German coach aside from Klopp now. But his frustrations on the pitch at Dormund and disagreements off it don't shout of someone that Bayern would be desparate to sign.

Dunno. Just going off some reports.

If Bayern's plan all along was to get someone on a short term basis, then Heynckes is the best option really - already knows the club very well and has a good relationship with senior players as well as the board. Bayern still have a top class squad so the important thing is to get that camaraderie and hunger back among the players. Heynckes would be more suited to that particular job than Tuchel.

 

1 hour ago, polishgenius said:

The word on the grapevine before Ancellotti went was that Bayern planned to replace him at the end of the season with Nagelsmann, and I strongly suspect they still want to and that's why they've bought Heyncke's in temporarily rather than getting a long-term option they see as inferior.

I'm a little skeptical on Nagelsmann. He could end up being great but is a bigger risk than Tuchel, I think - he's a young manager (30y/o) with only one season of top flight management. The Bayern job could end up being too big for him at this early stage. He's probably favourite to take over next season though. Maybe Hoeneß sees him as a 'yes man' and thus easier to control than Tuchel?

[Philokles]

3 hours ago, JordanJH1993 said:

That would be even better, but can't help but feel it is a lot less likely. Even if Dortmund won at least it would be someone other than Bayern.

I didn't mean RB Leipzig would prove that, I mean someone else in general winning the title may prove that to them, I just chose RBL through personal preference. I just think lack of competition has lead to Bayern having an arrogance that they are entitled to winning everything without having to spend like PSG etc. It's like they think because they win the Bundesliga every season without a sweat that they don't need to make big changes to challenge their rivals in Europe, as seen by how they turn their noses up at PSG, yet were completely dismantled by them the other week.

Why would RBL winning the league be a travesty, though? Would the ultimate travesty not be Bayern winning the title for a sixth year running?

When Bayern were cruising in the Bundesliga they didn't need to make those changes. If you can win a top three league six times on the bounce your arrogance is understandable. Much of that lustre has already gone. Wolfsburg and Hertha even last season would have given up at 2-0.

As a football club playing football they are infinitely preferable to a marketing campaign sticking its nose in where it does not belong ignoring the traditions and culture around it.

[polishgenius]

Poland's second goal today.

[Mexal]

28 minutes ago, polishgenius said:

Poland's second goal today.

That's funny.

[polishgenius]

6-1 in the end in Armenia. Amazing how much difference a confident Krychowiak makes to our team.

[A Horse Named Stranger]

7 hours ago, Consigliere said:

Heynckes is a good short term solution. I doubt he will be able to transform Bayern into the side of 2012/2013 simply because I don't see him remaining in charge beyond this season. The hope will be that he can get the likes of Müller and Alaba back to something like their best and sort out the dressing room issues. Wonder what happened with Tuchel. Maybe he wanted more autonomy than what Hoeneß was will to give?

The Bayern bosses talked with Dortmund bosses, and with Hummels and ask for their opinions on Tuchel. And rumoredly Hummels is not really that fond of a potential reunion. Anyway, Heynckes will very likely fill in for the season. Which would usually speak against Tuchel, unless they figured the locker room needs to be resolved first, and they feel Heynckes is better suited for that. And they want to give Tuchel a fresh start.

Anyway, apparently Hoeneß and Guardiola met for dinner in Munich and had a chat, and Hoeneß has reportedly also asked for Guardiola's opinion on their manager (yes, apparently Bayern know who they want, and so does Guardiola). That would speak for Tuchel, as Guardiola is quite fond of him. Or they will go for Luis Enrique (still unlikely), and they wanted to know Pep's opinion.

5 hours ago, JordanJH1993 said:

But is the way German football being run really working for competition? The fact Bayern have won the title five years in a row uncontested suggests that their ruling is distorting the competition enough as it is. Leipzig coming in with outside money boosting the team actually made many believe there might have been a title race last season. Even with outside money, Leipzig still failed to Bayern, in the end. It's not even like Leipzig throw money around the way Chelsea or Man City ever did. They mainly use their money wisely, by signing players under 23 for reasonable prices.

They spend money wisely, yes. But they signed players clubs in Bundesliga 2 or Liga 3 could only dream about (Povlsen and Forsberg). I mean poaching from Bundesliga clubs, while you are not playing Bundesliga yourself (Selke). And they also really cannibalized Stuttgart's youth teams (ok, SAP Hoffenheim did the same). Rani Khedira (Sami's little brother - he failed to make an impression, but still), Joshua Kimmich are just two names that come to mind. And Timo Werner also had some other suitors.

Bayern have built on their successes. In a way, they are what Liverpool could've been, if they had been run competently throughout the 80s and 90s, and basically going into the Premier League with headstart and continued to build on that.

[Consigliere]

England are so boring. No vision in that midfield - all backwards and sideways passing or knock the ball long and hope Rashford can do something with his pace. It's like watching LVG's United.

[Winterfell is Burning]

With one round to go in the South American qualifiers, Argentina is out of the qualifying places and won't even make it if they don't beat Ecuador at 2850 meters of altitude.

[Jordan La Cabra]

11 hours ago, Consigliere said:

England are so boring. No vision in that midfield - all backwards and sideways passing or knock the ball long and hope Rashford can do something with his pace. It's like watching LVG's United.

They are terrible to watch. They are completely devoid of creativity. At home against Slovenia and they play Jordan Henderson and Eric Dier in centre midfield. I know they don't have many options when it comes to creative midfielders, but still, there is no need for two holding players in there.

The attacking midfield three didn't link well with the forward, I felt. They really lack a true creative midfielder that can play number 10. Suspended Dele Alli is the closest they have, but I don't even think he is the answer. Even at Spurs, he isn't the creative midfielder that Eriksen is.

I thought Rashford was decent last night. Sometimes, though, he can look a bit too cocky on the ball, and take too many touches. Sterling wasn't bad, either, but he is not a no. 10. He's good at turning and beating a man, but he offers little in terms of threading through a pass for the striker. The less said about the Ox, the better. Was glad to see Kane scoring, though. If England can keep tight at the back, with Kane on the pitch, they always have a chance of stealing a win.

[mormont]

Scotland up into second, after I had resigned myself to not qualifying.

Now we just have to beat Slovenia to get into the playoffs...

 

[A Horse Named Stranger]

17 hours ago, Winterfell is Burning said:

With one round to go in the South American qualifiers, Argentina is out of the qualifying places and won't even make it if they don't beat Ecuador at 2850 meters of altitude.

Not necessarily.

Correct, they are right now not even in the play-off spot.

However, the final match day makes it possible for Argentina to qualify even by drawing.

Let's look at the other games.

Brazil - Chile.

Chile is right now one point and one goal better than Argentina. Let's say Brazil wins by two goals, then a draw is enough for Argentina to leapfrog Chile. (not a totally unlikely scenario Brazil winning this by two goals).

Colombia - Peru.

Peru has the same points and goal differential as Argentina. Colombia wins, it's enough for Argentina to overtake Peru. On the other hand Colombia is in the same position as Chile, if they lose by two goals then a draw is enough for Argentina to leapfrog them.

Ofc, Paraguay beating Venezuela would put them above Argentina (if Argentina draws).

Anyway.

http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/wm/wmqsuedamerika/wmq-suedamerika/2015-17/17/turnierrechner.html

If you want to play around a bit with the outcomes of the games and its effect on the final standings.

Argentina's positin is really not as bad as it appears on first sight. But they better post a result in Ecuador, but thus far only Brazil and Uruguay can really make travel arrangements for Russia just now.

 

[Mark Antony]

That was pretty from Pulisic 

[Teng Ai Hui]

USA's up 3-0 now.  I guess that pep talk from Lalas got them fired up.

[A Horse Named Stranger]

4 hours ago, Soylent Brown said:

Henderson isn't a holding player though, he just plays there for Liverpool currently. He's actually pretty good at linking the midfield and attack when his manager allows him to. He makes a lot of penetrating runs, he has an eye for a good through ball or a quick pass, and he can cross well. When he played further forward for Liverpool he got quite a few assists and helped with goals.

I'd hazard a guess that Southgate is at fault for the negativity.

Given how many managers the English FA has burned the last couple of years (one per competition?), suggests it might actually be the players currently at his disposal. Yes, England's squad has a bright future with a nice batch of talents coming through the system, but the future hasn't arrived just, yet. And it's basically the same problem they have had a few years now. No, good playmaker/distributing midfielder. Alli has shown signs of being able to play that part, but it's still too much run and gun.

Anyway, back to the rumour mill with regards who will take over at Bayern next season. The latest name popping up now and then is Löw. Personally I think it's unlikely, but I am really not an insider at Bayern, and there are some things speaking in his favour, like knowing a good portion of the squad already from the German team, obviously speaking German, having the stature as a World Cup winner. And maybe he feels it's time for a new project after the World Cup. The downside, his history as club manager has not been particularly outstanding.

[Jordan La Cabra]

6 hours ago, Soylent Brown said:

Henderson isn't a holding player though, he just plays there for Liverpool currently. He's actually pretty good at linking the midfield and attack when his manager allows him to. He makes a lot of penetrating runs, he has an eye for a good through ball or a quick pass, and he can cross well. When he played further forward for Liverpool he got quite a few assists and helped with goals.

I'd hazard a guess that Southgate is at fault for the negativity.

He may not be an out and out holding player the same way Eric Dier is, but he definitely isn't a creative midfielder. He can play in a more advanced role, but I don't think that's his best position. In my opinion, he's at his best when he is given license to get up and down the pitch, breaking up play, or getting into positions to shoot.

It's a real shame what's happened Wilshere. I remember a few years ago, Hodgson started playing him as a holding midfielder and he was excellent despite it not being his real position, but due to his ability to find a pass and drive forwards from deep, it actually suited him. If, somehow, he could find fitness and form again, he could actually be the missing link. I think playing him in a midfield two with Henderson is a lot more progressive than Henderson and Dier.

1 hour ago, Notone said:

Anyway, back to the rumour mill with regards who will take over at Bayern next season. The latest name popping up now and then is Löw. Personally I think it's unlikely, but I am really not an insider at Bayern, and there are some things speaking in his favour, like knowing a good portion of the squad already from the German team, obviously speaking German, having the stature as a World Cup winner. And maybe he feels it's time for a new project after the World Cup. The downside, his history as club manager has not been particularly outstanding.

I don't know much about Löw's club level coaching, other than what you can find on Wikipedia. The first I ever heard of him was when he started working alongside Klinsmann with the German national team after Euro 2004. So surely, despite not setting the world alight in his previous club level career, the fact that after this World Cup he will have spent 14 years working with the best players in Germany would be enough to suggest he'd be a completely different manager now compared to what he was like before he came to the national team, especially given the success he has had.

I know there are examples of younger international managers - Southgate, Lopetegui, Conte's spell as Italy manager - but I've always associated international management with older managers, in their 60's and above. Löw has spent the majority of his 40's and 50's (the 'young' manager years) as an international coach, which I find quite strange. 

[Dolorous Gabe]

I think the England team misses Lallana. He can make things happen against a stubborn defence.

Southgate is likely part of the problem though.

[polishgenius]

Lallana's a good player, but if the likes of Kane, Sterling, Alli and Rashford can't make things happen I'm not sure Lallana is going to cure the problem.

[Consigliere]

A bit more creativity in midfield areas would help. Kane, Rashford and Sterling would do better if the midfield actually has some guile to unlock defenses. England should make use of the depth they have in the attacking fullback positions and play three at the back. 3-4-1-2 against weaker opposition with one defensive midfielder and 3-4-2-1 against tougher opposition with two holding midfielders + Alli and Lallana to ensure they don't get overrun in midfield. Many of the players are already used to the three at the back system. Southgate isn't good enough tactically though - a championship level manager at best.

[Philokles]

Another red for Naby Keïta. Lucky that he was not sent off vs Besiktas which would have made it three in his last three. Seems everything has gone to his head a little.