Which is what I mostly see. But as we all know, Brazil and Europe are two very different things. I hope Neymar makes it. I don't even care if he does it at Bayern. I'm getting to the point now where I care about the great exposure for the Bundesliga........
Handful of games ? Are you kidding me ? He's had more than 50 very good games and that's with an 18 month absence and just turning 21. I know most English players are overrated but him, Scholes and Ferdinand are different. It is just so obvious.
Yet, if he cannot replicate what he did in Brazil on the biggest stage, which is International play, then one has to ask oneself if the difference-maker is not so much that he plays different, but if the quality of opposition lessens his effect. I can look like a world-class creative dribbler and forward against five-year-olds, but put me against my peers, and I am terrible.
Seeing it from the outside for the first time in a long time. Getting a clear look at how badly slighted the league gets in the court of public opinion. You really don't get to see this from within Deutschland.
Cris, Chelsea are playing vs Barca right now in the quarter finals of the NextGen series. http://www.firstrow1.eu/watch/170091/1/watch-fc-barcelona-youth-vs-chelsea-youth.html
As for Wilshere, I believe he will be world-class one day. He's dynamic, strong, creative, versatile, works hard, and is without a doubt a level above the rest of Arsenal alongside Cazorla and Podolski. Quite possibly their best player. And if Wilshere isn't proven, neither is Götze then. Both are roughly the same age, broke into the Starting 11s of their respective teams at very young ages, both are pushing hard to start for their NTs, etc. But the difference is Wilshere has more experience in the CL.
Agree about everything except Podolski. Dont mention him in the same sentence as Wilshere and Cazorla. The guy is useless. Cazorla has been disappointing recently to be honest but that's more because of the poor tactics,overplaying him and the lack of a top striker.
Podolski has been doing well for Arsenal. Ask the fans, they seem to rate him? Do you think there's a reason for that?
Some like him. Some criticize him. Some excuse him for being his first season. He plays the same way he's done for Germany in the last 3 years. He's rarely involved in the link-up play. Maybe he has 2-3 good actions in the match and ends up with an assist or a goal but he does almost nothing else. Yesterday Vermaelen who is not usually a full back needed support but Podolski didnt help him at all. He was lazy. Vermaelen was regularly 1 against two Bayern players. He goes missing against the good teams. He scores goals against rubbish teams. Yesterday it was a lucky goal. He doesnt fit Arsenal's and Germany's style of play. It was the wrong transfer by Wenger. No doubt about that.
He may not provide much in the build up because he is very one-dimensional, but he has scored 4 goals in 5 CL matches. A pretty significant figure for a player deployed on the wing. I'd still play him instead of Giroud at CF, but Arsenal doesn't really have any decent wingers, so Poldi has to play out left.
I know his numbers look very good but they are also very misleading. Arsenal struggle to create good chances and he's one of the main reasons why. It often takes them 50-60 min to get a shot on target. If you only look at stats, you would think Podolski is better than Ribery and Iniesta.
I feel he is a good player in a framework that suits him. He is generally incapable of doing very much else competently other than "run at defence, cut inside, pass, shoot with left foot, or lose ball", but at least he does that very well. Most Arsenal players are totally inadequate for the roles they are asked to play, and Podolski's substantially superior in his role than Ramsey, Rosicky, and co. Anyways, unless we're advocating BVB transfer Podolski as the Lewandowski replacement, I believe we are substantially off-topic.
Anyway, we should get back on topic. Let's talk about transfers. As footyfan has said, Traore from Stuttgart is a very impressive player. If we could sell Grosskreutz or Kuba for 20-30M and get him for 3-4M it would be a great piece of business. Another one would be selling be Piczszek for 30M to Real Madrid and getting Sebastian Jung for 2-3M because he has a year left on his contract. Jung has been very impressive and he had a very good game against us despite the 3-0 loss. He always makes at least 2 or 3 fantastic forward runs no matter the opposition. Even against Bayern, Ribery and Alaba and he wasnt afraid to get forward and played well. He is good defensively. He is German too which counts for something, right ? We are close to making an all German starting eleven. Discuss....
Piszczek is important, still has a couple years left, and is among the best right-backs in the world. BVB do not need the money (yet, at least) and Jung is still developing well at Eintracht. Keep him there, buy him once Piszczek is done. Traore I haven't seen, so I don't know.
Making one comment on the Podolski thing. I've seen more purpose and determination in his play this season than I've seen from since before he went to Bayern. He's definitely a different guy than the one who's spent his last few years jerking off at 1. FC Koln........
LMAO!! Sell Grosskreutz or Kuba for 20-30M! LMMFAO!! That's the best piece of comedy I've seen in a long time!!
OK. Wiping the tears of laughter away. While I like Traore, I would not sell anyone on our current roster with an eye on picking him up. No effin' way! Now, if someone just happens to leave, that's a different story. Just becuase I like a player, it doesn't mean I would want BVB to do something stupid to get him. Sell Piszczek? Again, "No effin' way!" When Jung and Rode do it for more than one season, then I'll get excited. However, they are two more I would not look at selling anyone currently on our team specifically for the purpose of picking up one or both of them. I'll take what we already have rather than have the uncertainty of wondering if they are both the real deal. As far as the players being German? I don't give a shit. I don't care if they come from f#ckin' Timbuktu if they are very good, fit what we're trying to do, fit in well with the team and will fight for Borussia Dortmund.
My business plan for Dortmund is to sell Owomoyela to Timbuktu for 30m and to then spend that money on a Breno transfer because he's Brazilian.
My business plan is to SELL AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE, buy a young cheap striker with a high ceiling to replace Lewandowski, and buy a one or two backup fullbacks that don't mind sitting on the bench. Other than that, CHANGE NOTHING!