Pre-match: |CL - 1/4 Finals, 2nd Leg|: FC Bayern München - Manchester United FC 09.04.2014

The fact that Pep put both fullbacks to cover for him and a crippled Rooney was still able to cause damage to our defense with Kroos's marking tells us how average (or poor) he was defensively. While in some games, it's ok with such a formation it takes away one of Bayern's strengths. When Robbery cut in, the fullbacks are there to to make a run out wide. That means they either get the chance or it opens up the opposition defensively quite a bit (when done effectively).

I have no idea how the feck Kroos got a 2,5 score on Kicker to be honest. I didn't think he was bad, but he like Muller, and Boateng weren't particularly having a good match. Muller thankfully scored though to make up for it with a very cool goal. Goetze was the only one that just terrible. I was thinking either Lahm was going to have to go back to midfield, or a bigger gamble to put Hojberg on.

 

Southern Europeans love to exaggerate. When he says player x was "superb", he actually means he was ok. "Super, super" means good. Only when he says "player x was super, super, super, I love him, he's the best in the world at what he does, I couldn't do it without him, he's most intelligent player I every worked with" you know he really means it.

 

oh man. that made me crack up

 

Give it time...

I still can't believe u guys turned down mou for Moyes..... The biggest blunder for manU for the last 30 years.

 

Müller was having a very good match. He did his job very well and hardly did any mistakes. His job was for sure not working in the build up or running up on the wings or something like this - but to be present in the box and sharing the job with Mandzu until you finally find a hole or you can get them to make a mistake, to help defensively etc. That this was not an easy job and that you need to be patient - especially as the result was very dangerous - everybody should have seen yesterday. He had the second hightest kilometres after Ribery even if he was subbed earlier, had his normal number of passes and a passing quote of 90%. He always was there when it got dangerous. I just do not know what else people seem to expect of him in that match...

I know that a lot just do not see what runs he does or how he positions. Maybe you should look into the goals - there atleast you see it.

Müller and Mandzu crossed with each other just short before the first goal. So Müller had Vidic and Smalling bound to the short goal post whereas Mandzu had a lot room and Evra. It is like Müller getting Hummels and Subotic covering him why Mandzu has Schmelzer and space...

And in the third goal you e.g. see what Mandzu and Müller do when Robben starts to moves inside - they just try to get the defenders thinking by making an opposite movement. Sometimes they draw away defenders with them but usually they might bring atleast the necessary moment of doubt to the defender...

And when he then really had the chance - he took it and was clinical.

We do not need 11 ball artists or dribblers or passing stars. It is the mixture of it that gives the best result. But do not judge them with the same criterias. Müller can do things Robben can't - and yes, Robben can do things he cannot.

 

The positioning of the full backs in the first half was a conscious decision to prevent Welbeck's pace from causing problems like it did in the first leg. He and Rooney were virtually taken out of the game because of it. Rooney had a couple of moments, but we stifled their counter attack game with this decision. Counters running down the wings are significantly less dangerous than with they go right down the center of the pitch like we saw in Manchester.

 

Check out extended HD highlights here:

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This site has highlights not too long after the match and usually has longer and better quality ones. Bookmark this one

 

Did anyone see the epic expression and moment Sammer and Guardiola had after the Mandzukic goal?

 

What the heck is Klopp doing in the stands applauding??! O_O

 

He's a closet Bayern fan...

 

Bayern has beaten United to Klopp's signature, he'll arrive as motivator to the players, and pressing coach next season.

 

I find the criticism towards Kroos over the top. I remember very well how many people here on bigsoccer argued at the beginning of the season, that Kroos couldn't even play the eight in a double pivot cm. Too weak defensively was the judgment.

Now look how admirable he handled the single pivot role on the biggest stage without practice. Not too long ago, suggesting such a scenario would have caused dismissive comments left and right.

Considering all that, Kroos handled the siruation very well.

 

About 90% of Kroos's criticism is in regards to him being a greedy douche rather than his capabilities as a player

 

I think hoj should play the 6 rest of the season to get him acclimated to it and assess him then.

 

Well, I disagree. He was poor. He was out of position on plenty of Utd's counters, leaving our CBs in 1-on-1 situations. Further, he back-passed at every opportunity to our CBs and offered nothing going forward. But then, this is nothing new with Kroos. And for those who think he should play ahead of Goetze at AM are just crazy. Goetze is miles ahead of him in skill though Goetze has had a few bad games recently whereas Kroos has had months of bad games.

 

C'mon guys. I know Kroos' recent antics have frustrated you but that doesn't make him a bad player. Perhaps he has been having a few bad games recently but he has been one of our most consistent and performers over the whole season. I know he may not have the shiz like Thiago but he is a very integral part of of Pep's system and plays a role which Thiago doesn't. Both Thiago and Kroos need each other in future.

 

what does Kroosartig means? (serious question)

 

It's a play on words on großartig which means great

 

thanks

 

your hate for Kroos is ridiculous

 

The Arsenal first leg thread is locked so I can't probably quote the posts but we fans are also mercurial, just like RM fans. Just because Kroos didn't do anything spectacular enough for it to be etched out in our memory throughout this season or the past doesn't mean we should be lazy to think this through carefully. Kroos was definitely the top 2 or 3 player of the first half of our season. He's so important as a player in a possession based system, particularly when it comes to retention and distribution in the other half of the opposing team and his composure and the ability to not lose ball carelessly is what marks him away from Thiago. Of course you can't expect him to excel in the holder role, a role at which Lahm sucked so much in the beginning that it blew off this forum. I am very sure that Pep can make him an even better player by the end of this season, we just have to wait for all the elements of our game to come together.
His defensive game is not as big a liability as it is made out to be. Of course, he doesn't have the physicality, speed or agility to deal at stopping counterattacks, not the right perspective to put your judgement on him. Even Schweinsteiger sucks at this role. But throughout the season, I still have seen him improve very much over last season and develop the defensive side of his game which was very apparent in the early stages of CL.

Whatever be your complaints, he is one of Pep's favourite players here and there is a reason why he sees something special in him.