Re: The Bundesliga Thread

[Katy Perry]

Anyway Schalke slipped out of the CL zone due to Leverkusen and Augbsurg wins so they can't afford to not win a crucial 6 pointer against Gladbach. Not really confident about that match, Borussia are really tough this season.

Well, even more worrying for Schalke is that Gladbach seems to have learned how to win ugly if necessary. Last year they went to their 'bestias negras' and lost points there undeservedly, but this week they managed to cling to the win, no matter what. It actually wasn't too nice to look at, but fortunately Yann Sommer made it possible that only one goal sufficed for the win. ^^

Talking about goalkeepers, how do you explain Weidenfeller's rapid decline? I mean, I know that the whole Dortmund team and defense has been bad, but he hasn't looked as solid as he did in his previous season, plus tonight's match commentator said that only Bayern and Bayer have conceded less shots than Dortmund but that Dortmund are still one of the teams that concedes the most in the Bundes.

[Kick]

Anyway Schalke slipped out of the CL zone due to Leverkusen and Augbsurg wins so they can't afford to not win a crucial 6 pointer against Gladbach. Not really confident about that match, Borussia are really tough this season.

Well, even more worrying for Schalke is that Gladbach seems to have learned how to win ugly if necessary. Last year they went to their 'bestias negras' and lost points there undeservedly, but this week they managed to cling to the win, no matter what. It actually wasn't too nice to look at, but fortunately Yann Sommer made it possible that only one goal sufficed for the win. ^^

Would you say that Sommer is doing a better job than MATS did? Or are the defence better?

[rwo power]

Would you say that Sommer is doing a better job than MATS did? Or are the defence better?

Well, the defense is not better than during the seasons MAtS played at BMG - actually they even lost players like Dante (who was beasting in Gladbach, or Bayern wouldn't have poached him), Roman Neustädter (who was much better at Gladbach than he has ever been at schalke) and players like Roel Brouwers and Martin Stranzl haven't exactly gotten younger. I would say they are on about thesame level now.

Personally I think Yann Sommer is better than MAtS due to the fact that he has more experience (MAtS will be 23 in April and Sommer turned 26 in December), and of course Sommer is much better when it comes to passing to the outfield players. (MAtS usually kicked quite some balls off the field when trying to get the ball to the wings, while Sommer's passes usually come with pinpoint accuracy.)

Moreover, MAtS may have a higher ceiling (although I usually consider this talent stuff a bit deceptive as there is no objective way to properly measure talent), but Sommer is much calmer and less prone to spectacular mistakes. (Of course he makes mistakes, too, but MAtS actually has a number of very cringeworthy mistakes in his CV.)

[Kick]

Would you say that Sommer is doing a better job than MATS did? Or are the defence better?

Well, the defense is not better than during the seasons MAtS played at BMG - actually they even lost players like Dante (who was beasting in Gladbach, or Bayern wouldn't have poached him), Roman Neustädter (who was much better at Gladbach than he has ever been at schalke) and players like Roel Brouwers and Martin Stranzl haven't exactly gotten younger. I would say they are on about thesame level now.

Personally I think Yann Sommer is better than MAtS due to the fact that he has more experience (MAtS will be 23 in April and Sommer turned 26 in December), and of course Sommer is much better when it comes to passing to the outfield players. (MAtS usually kicked quite some balls off the field when trying to get the ball to the wings, while Sommer's passes usually come with pinpoint accuracy.)

Moreover, MAtS may have a higher ceiling (although I usually consider this talent stuff a bit deceptive as there is no objective way to properly measure talent), but Sommer is much calmer and less prone to spectacular mistakes. (Of course he makes mistakes, too, but MAtS actually has a number of very cringeworthy mistakes in his CV.)

So Sommer is a better fit for BMG than MATS?

Good work by BMG, then.

[rwo power]

Talking about goalkeepers, how do you explain Weidenfeller's rapid decline? I mean, I know that the whole Dortmund team and defense has been bad, but he hasn't looked as solid as he did in his previous season, plus tonight's match commentator said that only Bayern and Bayer have conceded less shots than Dortmund but that Dortmund are still one of the teams that concedes the most in the Bundes.

Roman Weidenfeller never has been a world beater in the first place. There was a reason that he was overlooked for the German NT for a long time. He is pretty much a classic goalie who doesn't have the footballing abilities of more modern keepers, but as long as the defense in front of him is stable, he doesn't really have to venture out much.

WEidenfeller is pretty good on the line, but as he will be 35 in the summer, his reflexes will not become better due to his age. Normally more experienced keepers can cover for that by better positioning and reading of the game, but as the Dortmund defense currently is a shambles, not even that can really help.

And then there is the psychological problem - as he conceded more goals, the defense starts to doubt him, and he will doubt the defense, thus somewhat ruining the chemistry and starting a downward spiral. The fact that Klopp replaced him with Mitch Langerak in December will not really have help his confidence either.

So it is actually the sum of several problems that mess up both Weidenfellers and the defense's performances.

[rwo power]

So Sommer is a better fit for BMG than MATS?

Good work by BMG, then.

Not really a better fit. MAtS would have improved his deficits with time, too (remember, he is only 22 atm).

But Yann Sommer was the very best fit BMG could find to replace MAtS and moreover, he is much closer to being the finished product. So indeed good work by BMG.

[Tomwin Lannister]

Personally speaking, as GLs number 1 Sommer fan. He has been exceptional for BMG, arguably a top 10 keeper this season

[Pseudo]

Klopp has to go. How can you be in the relegation zone with a squad as decent as BVBs?

[Tomwin Lannister]

Not sure who's to blame or how something like this even happens but what I do know is I smell a government cover up type conspiracy here.

[futbol]

Bah gawd, the Serie zZZZz jokes I will make once Dortmund elliminate Juventus from the CL.

[rwo power]

Personally speaking, as GLs number 1 Sommer fan. He has been exceptional for BMG, arguably a top 10 keeper this season

He was exceptional when still at Basel, too, but then people doubted him as he only played in the Swiss League.

[rwo power]

SSNHD just reported that Hertha BSC sacked Jos Luhukay today. He will be replaced for now by Pál Dárdai, who was a player at Hertha from 1997-2011 and afterwards has been coaching Hertha's youth. Additionally, Dárdai is managing the Hungarian NT as temporary coach during the Euro 2016 qualifiers.

[VivaStPauli]

I am officially taking the Dortmund relegation seriously now.

Thought they'd bounce back strongly after the break. I was mistaken.

[Katy Perry]

And yet they just topped their CL group and played a CL final 18 months ago. Also, every german team that played in Europe progressed their group stages as well. Bundesliga

[Kick]

I am officially taking the Dortmund relegation seriously now.

Thought they'd bounce back strongly after the break. I was mistaken.

It is a shame, tbh. Unless a miracle occurs, they'll lose a lot of their stars.

[rwo power]

Union Berlin player Benjamin Köhler was diagnosed with cancer last week. Nonetheless, Union Berlin (2nd Bundesliga) extended his contract today for another year until 2016.

[Abramovich]

I hope Zhang makes the bench atleast this weekend, he should be close to full fitness.

[rwo power]

Schalke 04 vs Borussia Mönchengladbach coming up at 20:30 GMT+1.

Schalke: Wellenreuther - Höwedes, Matip, Nastasic - Kirchhoff - Uchida, Höger, Barnetta, Fuchs - Choupo-Moting, K.-P.Boateng    

BMG: Sommer - Jantschke, Brouwers, Alvaro Dominguez, Wendt - Nordtveit, G.Xhaka - Herrmann, Hazard - Raffael - M.Kruse

Timon Wellenreuther is a 19 year old goalie talent who will play today as both Ralf Fährmann and Fabian Giefer are out injured.


Timon Wellenreuther in his debut match in the BL last week

[Gil]

Di Matteo already knocking Dortmund off their perch. Just 4 points behind 2nd if this result holds.

[rwo power]

I hope it won't hold, of course. But unfortunately Schalke play a veritable catenaccio-revival there with 5 in defense and 3 DMs. They are actually playing for the counter at home -_-'

[farfan]

Rwo on suicide watch

[rwo power]

Meh. This was no fun at all.

[Gil]

I hope it won't hold, of course. But unfortunately Schalke play a veritable catenaccio-revival there with 5 in defense and 3 DMs. They are actually playing for the counter at home -_-'

When you have 10 players unavailable then you win by any means necessary. Klopp the fraud should take notes.

[Katy Perry]

Can you please drop the hate on RDM? I understand the skepticism when he was first appointed, I understand critizing him when Schalke does badly, but now?

He took Schalke when they were a disaster and he saved Schalke's season even after Keller's sabotage and put Schalke back on track for the highest positions in the Bundes and miracolously brought Schalke to the last 16 and would've been a legit contender to win the DFB-Pokal if Keller didn't lose to a VierteLiga team.

I understand that the football is not the best, but every manager that enters in the middle of the season looks to fix the defence and bring some results foremost. He didn't choose his team, he didn't have a summer preparation and as soon as he had some time to familiarize with the team and to work with the team without matches, he won 2 out of 3 conceding only one goal and was extremely unlucky to draw at the Allianz Arena (!).
But yea, if BMG grinds out a narrow win with a solid defense it's excellent work from the defense and the keeper and merciless efficiency, if RDM04 does it's catenaccio-revival.

As soon as he gets the results he needs to get full trust from the board, to get his players to gain confidence in themselves, and he gets a better midfield than the current one where Kevin Prince Boateng is the best midfielder, he'll start playing a less cautios and more pleasing to the eye Fußball.

[Hapless_Hans]

He was was extremely lucky to draw at the Allianz Arena, tbh.

TWICE.

[Shed]

Luck is the residue of design

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