Futbol 2020-21

[surfer]

Reading Marsch's wiki page, I didnt realize he was assistant coach at Leipzig under Rangnick, interesting. He has had huge success at NYRB and Salzburg. Interesting guy, Princeton grad. I havent heard his name linked with any top jobs.

[Wombatz]

oh it seems the most probable scenario is marsch to rats if nagelsmann leaves, he has actually said he'd want to ... since he's a more energetic guy this might work well. so that all depends on bayern now. they won't want erik ten hag, who snubbed them a couple of years ago but now has reached the ceiling with ajax, i guess he should be our favorite for the spurs job?

[surfer]

oh it seems the most probable scenario is marsch to rats if nagelsmann leaves, he has actually said he'd want to ... since he's a more energetic guy this might work well. so that all depends on bayern now. they won't want erik ten hag, who snubbed them a couple of years ago but now has reached the ceiling with ajax, i guess he should be our favorite for the spurs job?

I am very wary of Ajax managers who have come straight from the Ajax factory because of the recent track record of Frank de Boer. He has been a spectacular (understatement) flameout at every job he's had since then: sacked from Inter after 85 days, sacked from Palace after 70 days, sacked from Atlanta United after 1.5 seasons, not doing well as the Oranje manager currently. Ajax is a very unique culture to come from, one that I'm not convinced translates easily to other leagues. Bosz was a bust too, wasnt he?

[surfer]

i am essentially for a significant rehash of UEFA football, but the NBA system is the worst possible model. the national leagues are the most senseless competitions in existence - at least in the balkans / eastern europe - and we definitely need either some kind of a regional fusion or the division of teams into like 5 or 6 different euro tiers with something like the Super League being the first exclusive tier. i am aware that means theft and corruption on an even bigger scale (i mean imagine just a regional league where kokeza the pimp + mamic the slaveholder + gigi becali, a pimp and an outright mobster call the shots) but we have to at the very least try something like that because this is going pretty much nowhere even for the small clubs (or small markets).

I think this is generally true with the exception of EPL as Lutz pointed out. The Croatian league is a joke, though Rijeka won it a few years ago and Osijek is giving Dinamo a run for their money this year. Inter will win the scudetto this year. And Ligue 1, who knows? But generally its the same teams 8 out of 10 years and the gap between rich and poor is getting bigger. So something else needs to be proposed, but not the ESL, which would have made matters worse. The problem for the EPL is that it cannot survive without the Big 6. That would be catastrophic for football at all levels in England.

[surfer]

What a stirring comeback from Lille!

[Antoine]

Haha yes, that game was quite fun. Essential win for Lille after their draw the game before. Seems they did the most difficult... PSG and Monaco are near though. Next sunday, Monaco will receive Lyon.

[surfer]

Nagelsmann to Bayern, for a world record fee. Hopefully they give Marsch a shot and reinvest in the squad.

For Spurs, I assume they give one of the PL managers a shot: Potter, Nuno, Hassenhutl.

[Wombatz]

yes, i very much hope it'll be marsch ... he would keep the team's identity alive and very possibly do the next step (especially since next season's bundesliga will be even more boring than ever and nobody will be there to challenge bayern in the case of their nagelsmann teething problems because they'll all have new dentures of their own). roger schmidt is mentioned as a possibility also, that would be truly awful, as would be taking wolfsburg's manager away.

i do understand there's not much to say about that spurs final, except of course it was obviously true they should have fired mourinho after winning it. whomever they give a shot will stand no chance, so i'm still rooting for the tüchel humiliates zidane, who meanwhile has already lost the championship despite winning the classico, so he'll be given the sack chain of events. spurs need a savior, not simply a competent manager.

[surfer]

i do understand there's not much to say about that spurs final, except of course it was obviously true they should have fired mourinho after winning it. spurs need a savior, not simply a competent manager.

The cup final was a 1-0 battering, a unrelenting siege from the first to the last. I thought the defense played well, Lloris was immense, MOTM for me, and Toby was great. Dier was OK, Aurier had a good match. Reguillon and Lo Celso (except for the one shot on goal that forced a nice save) were terrible. Winks was invisible. Ndombele our record signing was an unused substitute. Spurs havent had a functioning midfield since Mousa Dembele left. Ndombele's dip in form over the last few months has been shocking, maybe he's just tired. and Lo Celso hasnt been the same since he came back from injury. Winks should be loaned or sold, and Sissoko needs to be given away.

Kane didnt generate a shot on target or create a chance for the first match since 2018. This dual role, #10 or #9, which I was against before I was briefly for, I am against again, and have been for awhile. He drops deep to pick up the ball, and even when he isnt immediately pressured, he'll turn and there is no one in the box. Son finds no space behind and is terrible with link up play, or, on the other side of the pitch, midget Moura is making a run in the other channel as a far post target. It just doesnt work, and did only briefly. We need Kane in the box, drawing defenders, creating space, poaching and finishing. Son and Moura do not scare anyone on their own. No midfielders making late runs into the area, Ndombele and Lo Celso just dont do it and arent revealing themselves to be potent scoring threats the way Eriksen was.

Its scary to think where we would be without Hojbjerg.

[surfer]

so i'm still rooting for the tüchel humiliates zidane,

Not so far off, Madrid were pretty dreadful in the first half. Lucky Benzema has come to play.

[Wombatz]

yeah tüchel master class ... and yet i think one senses that the west brom defeat was not a complete blip, they look ready to show serious cracks when confidence ebbs. it will be interesting to see if haaland's dad picks a team that really needs him for next season, with him, chelsea should be devastating ... funniest thing would be for him to go to city just so pep can show he can do without him, while real looked worse than dortmund except they already have a striker (had haaland gone to rats of course he'd already have won a title). anyway, i think real are favorites for this tie now, the longer this stays in the balance, the better they'll feel. though it'd be super funny if tüchel won the cl with werner in full fluff.

for now, the imperative thing is for pep to lose, not least because he appeared the most forthright manager speaking against the super league. hypocrite (not because he'd want the super league, but because he's pretending that not every word he speaks is a lie).

(and did i already mention we very much want nagelsmann to fail miserably at bayern? it goes without saying, i guess. konate also going to liverpool? i must have mentioned it before, but one of our most brilliant stadium memories is watching the pairing of upamecano and konate do their thing, on the ball, off the ball, little turns and shifts and spaces would close or open up, beautiful. so we're wishing them well (and still crying a tear for naby keita ... such waste).)

[surfer]

Excited for the match today, I think this will be very interesting beyond the Pep v Poch storyline. PSG devastating on the counter and City have shown that they leave tons of space at the back to run onto.

[surfer]

for now, the imperative thing is for pep to lose, not least because he appeared the most forthright manager speaking against the super league. hypocrite (not because he'd want the super league, but because he's pretending that not every word he speaks is a lie).

There is high and mighty and then there is Guardiola.

[Wombatz]

such silly goals ... and mbappe playing the way he played in last season's final

[surfer]

Meh, not a penalty for me, two players "coming together".

Edit: good noncall

[surfer]

Kind of herky jerky match, periods where Rats dominate possession, but still gave up big chances at the other end. Their backline porous and lucky not to have been called for a penalty for dragging the American down on that flick on. Kudos for staying on his feet and getting a shot off. Sorloth providing a point to Rats attack with the knockdowns and linkups, but still the finishing for Rats is not there. My wife says I have a passing resemblance to Dani Olmo.

[surfer]

Rangnick to Spurs picking up steam, BILD reported he has been offered the job, although they've walked that back a bit. Seems like he's a finalist and possibly leading candidate at this point. Potter might be the only other serious candidate. Benitez maybe.

[Wombatz]

i thought the rumors were rangnick would have been interested but levy wants a younger manager?

[surfer]

Yes I did hear one outlet reporting that.

Back to PSG - City from last week. Yes silly goals to be sure, although the first is maybe not so silly in practice, I'm not sure what Navas can do in that situation, he has to wait until the ball clears the last players, right? and by then its too late. The second probably has Poch fuming, because 1-1 with one away goal is not so bad. The second where the ball goes through the wall is unacceptable in a U10 league let alone a CL semi. But then again PSG are not exactly known for their attention to details. If Mbappe plays, they have a chance, although it will be tough without Gueye winning balls.

Also, take note of Barnsley, currently in 6th and occupying the lat playoff position in the Championship. They are part owned by none other than Billy Beane, of Moneyball, and President of Baseball Operations for my baseball team the Oakland A's. Apparently they are (no surprise) a very data driven club, with a soft cap on signings of players over the age of 24. They have a minuscule budget, press like crazy high high up the pitch, and basically make Leeds look like loafing geriatrics. Came very close to beating Tuchels Chelsea in the FA Cup. Unlikely they will win the playoff but you never know. UP THE TYKES!

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... p-by-storm

[Wombatz]

If Mbappe plays, they have a chance

i don't know ... i still think tüchel would have won last year's final had he been allowed to sub off mbappe, who great to amazing as he usually is will totally paralyze your attack on a bad day. and he had a pretty off day in the first leg, so maybe he's still struggling on the big occasions ... otoh, poch in his own final got it all wrong by playing kane, who was barely back from injury, from the start ... so somehow i'd give them more of a chance if mbappe sits on the bench