German football season 2023/24

[Bringer of Jollity]

It wasn't great possession play so much as they figured out how to completely neuter Köln's attempts to build up / counter in the second half...outside of a couple moments where Köln beat them with 1 long ball but Mbabu was there to clean up in those situations.

Mbabu has been really good for them since coming back to the BL. Another case study in just don't go to the Premier League when you already have a good thing going (though I think he wasn't seeing as much play time at Wolfsburg after...err, Glasser? left).

 

[cgf]

Mbabu has been really good for them since coming back to the BL. Another case study in just don't go to the Premier League when you already have a good thing going (though I think he wasn't seeing as much play time at Wolfsburg after...err, Glasser? left).

Eh, Baku had largely pushed him out...before stagnating and getting pushed out himself (by Maehle). So I think Mbabu moving on was a better choice than Baku just sticking around and continuing to cash FC VW's fat checks, even if he didn't go to the right club initially.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

Eh, Baku had largely pushed him out...before stagnating and getting pushed out himself (by Maehle). So I think Mbabu moving on was a better choice than Baku just sticking around and continuing to cash FC VW's fat checks, even if he didn't go to the right club initially.

They were both playing under Glasner though, Baku sometimes higher up the right side, sometimes at cm, sometimes inverted on the left. Felt like the last time I remember him being in all that good a form consistently as well.

 

[cgf]

They were both playing under Glasner though, Baku sometimes higher up the right side, sometimes at cm, sometimes inverted on the left. Felt like the last time I remember him being in all that good a form consistently as well.

True, but Mbabu's PT had dipped by about 20% after Baku's arrival and who could say if a new coach would continue to be as creative with Baku's position even if Glasner still managed to find Mbabu consistent PT.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

True, but Mbabu's PT had dipped by about 20% after Baku's arrival and who could say if a new coach would continue to be as creative with Baku's position even if Glasner still managed to find Mbabu consistent PT.

Yeah, true. I guess not as much as it dipped when he went to Fulham, but still...

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

Holy Heidenheim.

The entertainment factor between this and the top-of-the-league EPL snorefest isn't close.

 

[luiginb]

Nubel is still ass, and Beste is class.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

Nubel is still ass, and  Beste is class.

Too bad he's too old to be considered for @cgf 's NT roster.

 

[cgf]

Too bad he's too old to be considered for @cgf 's NT roster.

German Grifo's good, but Führich, Brandt, & Hofmann are still better.

 

[luiginb]

German Grifo's good, but Führich, Brandt, & Hofmann are still better.

Better maybe, but form wise IDK

Plus Beste has speed, which is Grifo (underrated player for the Italian nt because of their coaches who didn't watch Buli) never had.

 

[cgf]

Better maybe, but form wise IDK

Plus Beste has speed, which is Grifo (underrated player for the Italian nt because of their coaches who didn't watch Buli) never had.

Fair. It's just tough bringing form players with zero NT experience. Especially for depth spots; where they won't really play unless we roll through the group stages or we're just destroyed by injuries. So how they fit in the locker-room is almost as important as how well they are playing...aka why Maxi Arnold has just 3 NT caps & Poldi had a billion.

Maybe if he hadn't gotten banged up, had out shined Führich over the last friendly break, and became a fast locker-room favorite. But as it is, there are just too many bodies ahead of him who are either better, have more chemistry with the NT, or provide the NT with a dynamic it's missing.

...like Adeyemi / Moukoko / Beier could; though none of them made my 23/26:

Füllkrug, Wirtz, Musiala, Sane, Havertz, Führich
Kroos, Gundogan, Can*, Andrich*
Kimmich, Henrichs, Mittelstädt, Gosens
Rüdiger, Tah, Hummels, Schlotterbeck
Neuer, ter Stegen, Trapp

*Pavlovic

Final 2 spots...if just 23, take all 5 if 26:
Undav / Müller
Goretzka / Stiller / Thiaw


U21s
Moukoko, Beier, Adeyemi, Gruda, Weiper, Knauff/Woltemade/Tresoldi/Nebel
Pavlovic, Martel, Reitz, Röhl/Tohumcu/Castrop/Wagner
Netz, Finkgräfe, Thielmann, Morgalla, Oermann
Arrey Mbi, Schmidt, Kleine-Bekel, Siebert, Riedel/Gechter/Quarshie
Atubolu, Urbig, #3

 

[luiginb]

Fair. It's just tough bringing form players with zero NT experience. Especially for depth spots; where they won't really play unless we roll through the group stages or we're just destroyed by injuries. So how they fit in the locker-room is almost as important as how well they are playing...aka why Maxi Arnold has just 3 NT caps & Poldi had a billion.

Maybe if he hadn't gotten banged up, had out shined Führich over the last friendly break, and became a fast locker-room favorite. But as it is, there are just too many bodies ahead of him who are either better, have more chemistry with the NT

I get it, I mean Romania qualified to this Euro ahead of a better team like Switzerland on the strength of the group, as players are really tight with each other.

 

[cgf]

I get it, I mean Romania qualified to this Euro ahead of a better team like Switzerland on the strength of the group, as players are really tight with each other.

Yeah, it'll be really interesting to see what changes Nagelsmann makes because the vibes during this past international break were immaculate and outside of the Stuttgart-bloc, there was a lot of pre-established chemistry for JN to lean on.

Sane is sure to be back in the fold, I'm hoping some of those Dortmund defensive players get called back up too...Mats, Nico, & Emre...and Goretzka or Pavlovic seem likely to claim the final midfield spot, but I'm not sure how much turnover we see.

 

[JoVel]

No fairytales in DFB Pokal semi finals.

 

[K1900L]

No fairytales in DFB Pokal semi finals.

Kaiserslautern will be the first 2nd tier team to play a final in 13 years. One could call it a small fairytale.

 

[JoVel]

Kaiserslautern will be the first 2nd tier team to play a final in 13 years. One could call it a small fairytale.

I was mainly talking of this specific game against Saarbrücken, but you're right of course.

 

[JoVel]

Awful extra time for Union Berlin. Gosens gets the second yellow, and after the free kick Trimmel has a handball and Wirtz scores the penalty. The goal would have gone in if not for Trimmel's handball so he's lucky to not even get a yellow.

 

[JoVel]

Köln pulls the Leverkusen on Bochum. Two extra time goals to win 2-1.

And Bayern blows a 2-0 lead against Heidenheim to lose 3-2. Leverkusen is going to win this title by over 20 points.

 

[Albatros]

Relegation battle also otherwise wide open as Mainz beats Darmstadt 4:0 and is now 3 points behind Bochum with +5 in goal difference. Darmstadt is done though if they weren't already.

 

[cgf]

Awful extra time for Union Berlin. Gosens gets the second yellow, and after the free kick Trimmel has a handball and Wirtz scores the penalty. The goal would have gone in if not for Trimmel's handball so he's lucky to not even get a yellow.

I had a bad feeling. Stepped out right as Gosens got his yellow-red. But we played really well outside of that stoppage.

Relegation battle also otherwise wide open as Mainz beats Darmstadt 4:0 and is now 3 points behind Bochum with +5 in goal difference. Darmstadt is done though if they weren't already.

Mainz, Köln, & Union will stay up over Bochum

 

[Albatros]

Köln will play both Mainz and Union still, better not be Harry Kane show next week in München.

 

[gary69]

Awful extra time for Union Berlin. Gosens gets the second yellow, and after the free kick Trimmel has a handball and Wirtz scores the penalty. The goal would have gone in if not for Trimmel's handball so he's lucky to not even get a yellow.

Bit generous to able to score on the 9th minute of added time with only two minutes given as added time initially. But that's been Leverkusen this season, they've done it a lot in the closing stages.

 

[gary69]

Köln pulls the Leverkusen on Bochum. Two extra time goals to win 2-1.

Köln seemed doomed, but somehow managed to score twice around 90 mins to keep their hopes of avoiding the relegation alive. Tigges with his first goal of the season. Maybe they can take advantage of vulnarable Bayern next weekend too, since the Munich team now pretty much must concentrate on CL for any success this season.

 

[Albatros]

Stuttgart now tied with FC Bayern in points, although that alone won't yet be enough as they're 14 goals behind.

 

[gary69]

Obviously it was alredy the best season in their history regardless how their BL had gone, but Heidenheim has exceeded all expectations this season, culminating in today's win.

I had paid almost no attention to them before this season, but I guess most neutrals have to feel some sympathy towards them at least. Not sure how sustainable them staying up for a longer period is, e.g with a stadium like that, but at least the supporters seem to enjoy it while it lasts.