The NT Players Performance and Ratings Thread 2011/2012

Welcome to modern football. When on the counter it's of course Reus who will try to get upfront simply due to his abilities just like C. Ronaldo does for Real but this doesn't mean they are CFs. It's just the way Hanke and Reus coordinate their attacks. Hanke is not the fastest guy for such counters and thus he will tend to drop deeper in quick counters and act as AM in such cases while Reus comes from a deeper position and goes directly upfront.
This is however very different to situations when Gladbach has the ball possession and controlls a game. In such cases you will always see Hanke upfront waiting and is then the clear man upfront to hold the ball while Reus plays behind him.
Look at Herrmann in this game who ended up in a striker like position several times and thus also scored two times but his position is still on the wings while Reus was the one who set him up fo the 3rd goal.
It is really not so different to the german NT with Podolski and Müller on the wings and thus why I used the comparison to Müller in the first place.

Jantschke is for sure noone who will help us upfront but the same is true for all other possible candidates and a defensively solid RB is at least better than most of the alternatives.
Doesn't mean Jantschke should be our starter as RB from now on but I could see him as part of the squad. I mean he can't really do worse than players like Aogo or Schmelzer.

 

Reus is essentially a false nine. This has been discussed before. I'm glad people are wising up to it, albeit late. Gladbach's strength comes from their compactness when chasing the game or when the opponent has the ball and the the speed in which they change their shape on the counter or when in possession.

Deceivingly, Hanke starts as lone man but during the game he rarely is. Reus' free role has been a blessing and it's great that Favre has realized and effectively encouraged it. He still likes to drop and create but he is super as a false nine, essentially the only German player who can do this - which is why it makes him that much rarer and unique.

This raises the question how Klopp will use him next season. He will either play in Kagawa's usual role and interchange with Lewandowski but I wouldn't be surprised if Klopp will start him where the Pole has been playing this season when the occasion arises. Interesting times ahead indeed.

I also hope Loew realizes he's more than a wide player because even though the National setup isn't rigid, it has many payoffs to realize playing Reus in the center. Perhaps when Klose retires and Gomez doesn't become the option we need, or simply when there is need for that alternative. Coincidentally, Loew attended tonight's match. Hope he will get over his initial stubbornness.

 

How about

---------Schweini/Kroos---Khedira/Bender

---Muller/Schurle-----Ozil/Gotze------Reus/Poldi

------------------Klose/Gomez

Starters to the left

 

You were wrong then and you're still wrong now. Dage, a BMG fan already discussed this with you, or did you forget?

 

Fantastic performance from Özil today. Was all over the place all while accommodating someone named Kaka.

 

18 year old Draxler with a fantastic goal and an assist. His 4th goal of the season for Schalke in all competitions. Came on and completely changed the game.

 

I only watched the last ~30 minutes of the Madrid game, but Özil looked very lively there. He had lots of touches and passes (mostly good ones), two successful back-heels which could/should have resulted in a goal or two, a trademark mazy run and he also won a penalty - all during the last half hour of the game. I don't know if this was representative for the first 60 minutes as well. If it was, he had a great game and also lasted for the entire match, fitness-wise.

 

Didn't see the game, but how did Kaka do by any chance?

This will look interesting as these 2 are both trying their best for when Di Maria arrives.

 

They praised him primarily because he has been rather poor since arriving except for a few bright moments. I agree on the defensive part - he did little to nothing while Oezil, under Mou, seems to track back a heck of a lot more than he did last season.

 

That conversation was blacked out by his brain (a defense mechanism, as the psychologists say).

It's good to be back everyone, I was gone to the land of no internet (Tibet) for a couple of weeks.

 

Hope you guys are watching the clasico, Özil having one of his best ever performances as a player.

 

On FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

This will end at least 4-0 for Barca. I expect more. You guys must watch it. Seeing Mourinho embarrassed is great.

 

And to be fair, Madrid have been excellent and don't deserve to be down.

Still, this is just another example of how reliant they are on Özil as their primary creative outlet. He has been truly excellent for the past two months now I reckon.

 

Wow. I definitely did not see a 2-2 coming. Fantastic performance by Oezil. I missed the first 35 min of the match(because of Liverpool vs City which was a great match too) but the level of play in the second half was just sensational. No other team can play as good as those two that's for sure.

 

The quality really is on another level.

 

Can't we purchase Arbeloa?

 

We ?

 

Shoot i meant bayern, mixup.

 

Podolski with another fine goal for Koln, terrific left foot he has. 15 goals in 17 appearances. A shoe in for the NT.

 

With an endorsement like that, Loew will have no choice.

 

Of course, he is not playing as a winger anymore, but more or less a free role position behind the striker. Schurrle hasn't come up with the goods this season. It'll be interesting however to see how Reus makes it into the first team, if he does.

 

Chiming in to say another solid game by Mats Hummels. He must have won 20+ duels today. He is turning into the dominant defensive force we need for the upcoming Euros.

I find this disappointing after his run in the summer/late last year.

He played as a striker today, but still could not pot his third goal of the season.