FC Bayern v . Olympique Lyon pre/post [R]

[Basti]

Important match, a win is a vital and will give the mental strength for the remaining group stage fixtures. I believe Elber will be fired up for this match.

Still no news on possible lineup but Deisler is rated as highly doubtfull so I don't believe he will play. Linke might be dropped due to his bad performance on Saturday. Sagnol might come back to the first 11 after a good showing with the reserves over the weekend. Pizarro might still be a sub because of his comments last week. I have a feeling Hitzfeld is going to put Demichellis in defense with Jeremies in DM but I hope not. If Sagnol plays I believe we will win it so Brazzo can move up to right midfield.

My line up:

----------------------Kahn-----------------------

Sagnol-----Kuffour-----------Kovac-------Lizarazu

Salihamadzic--Demichellis----Ballack----Ze Roberto

---------------Makaay----Santa Cruz-------------

[miko]

Not a good start for Bayern. Lyon lead 1-0 after 13 minutes. Juninho scored the goal on 6 minutes.And Celtic lead Anderlecht 2-0. If these results were to stay the same the group would really be thrown open.

[miko]

Wait a minute... 1-1! Roy Maakay with the goal after 14 minutes or so.

[miko]

On this form Celtic could easily win Bayern's group. They lead Anderlecht 3-0 after 30 minutes!

[lond2345]

i predicted bayern would not get out of the group.

the problem with bayern is Hitzfeld.

[Catfish]

not a good result for Bayern....2-1 FT.

This must not be their year for the league and or the CL. What gives?

[erwink]

Originally posted by lond2345
i predicted bayern would not get out of the group.

the problem with bayern is Hitzfeld.

Tough to blame Hitzfeld considering his recent success in 1997 and 2001. I just don't think this team is as talented as everyone believed. The Celtic game is a must win now.

[Basti]

no comment... just absolute bullshyte on the field and no Hitzfeld is not to blame.

[Texan]

Seems more of an on-pitch chemistry problem than lack of talent. Backline could use some help, though.

[JeffS]

Hitzfeld has a proven track record with 2 CL crowns with two different clubs in his resume. Tough to argue against that.

However, Bayern are playing like crap this year. They've looked horrible everytime I've seen them play. What little success they've enjoyed so far has largely been due to some great individual efforts from the likes of Kahn, Ballack, Salihamidzic, Pizarro, Ze Roberto, and Makaay.

The problem is a complete lack of cohesiveness and a completely static attack. Their movement without the ball is either non-existent or is completely predictable and utterly easy to defend. In other words, they are either just standing around looking at each other (looking like idiots), or they are running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

And, this type of problem is largely attributable to the coach. It is the coach's responsiblity to create cohesiveness, deploy sound tactics, and get the team to move well and thus gel. Let's face it, Hitzfeld is failing miserably with this aspect of the game thus far.

Contrast Bayern with Stuttgart. Stuttgart has very talented young players, but few established stars. Bayern is nothing but stars and is arguably the deepest, most talented team in the Bundesliga. Yet Stuttgart is great, and Bayern sucks. Why?

One word: Coaching!

Magath has the young Stuttgart players playing like world beaters, while Hitzfeld has Bayern's prima-donna superstars playing like pansies.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot - Many congrats to Giovanne Elber. What sweat revenge for him after all those years of excellent service for Bayern, then being shabbily tossed aside by fat-head Bayern management. I'm glad that the Bayern fans gave Elber a standing ovation, then booed their own players at the end of the game.

[Basti]

Originally posted by JeffS
However, Bayern are playing like crap this year. They've looked horrible everytime I've seen them play. What little success they've enjoyed so far has largely been due to some great individual efforts from the likes of Kahn, Ballack, Salihamidzic, Pizarro, Ze Roberto, and Makaay.



That is very true, hopefully the crisis talks over the next few days will sort the team out. I wouldn't want to see Hitzfeld leave.

BTW, do you really think Elber is bitter about leaving Bayern? I would have wanted him to stay but he was already destined to leave at the end of the season.
Elber won 10,000 Euro from Beckenbauer for that goal :D

[JeffS]

Originally posted by Basti
That is very true, hopefully the crisis talks over the next few days will sort the team out. I wouldn't want to see Hitzfeld leave.

BTW, do you really think Elber is bitter about leaving Bayern? I would have wanted him to stay but he was already destined to leave at the end of the season.
Elber won 10,000 Euro from Beckenbauer for that goal :D

In interviews Elber seemed dissapointed that he was let go in the manner he was. Thus, it must have been very sweet for him to score the winning goal for Lyon in Munich.

[Syncope]

The problem isn't the coach, nor is it, obviously, a lack of talented players. Sagnol talked about the problem in an interview with a French newspaper, and I've been of the same opinion for the past two seasons: the problem is that the leadership of Effenberg on the pitch has never been replaced. I am steadfast of the opinion that Bayern would not have won the CL final in 2001 had it not been for Effenberg. Sure Kahn made brilliant saves in the penalty shootout; but it was Effenberg who led the team to give Ollie the chance. Bayern would not have scored in that match, had it not been Effenberg rallying the team (I'm not talking about his penalty kick).

At this point Bayern has team of 20 great players, some of them world class. Elber was the last player on the field who really exuded some of those qualities--and Bayern sold him.

The problem is that leadship qualities cannot be bought. A person like that has to grow from within the team. And...um...the other problem is that Rummenigge said that Bayern don't need a playmaker because they have Ballack...

[Bayernfan]

Originally posted by JeffS
In interviews Elber seemed dissapointed that he was let go in the manner he was. Thus, it must have been very sweet for him to score the winning goal for Lyon in Munich.

On Football Mundial last week, Elber said he had no hard feelings about it and he understood that it was all part of the business. Whether he meant that or not, I cannot say.

[Bayernfan]

Originally posted by Syncope

The problem is that leadship qualities cannot be bought. A person like that has to grow from within the team. And...um...the other problem is that Rummenigge said that Bayern don't need a playmaker because they have Ballack...

I don't know what to make of Ballack's leadership qualities. On the one hand, Germany obviously missed his contributions in the WC Final; he took one for the team in the semis and inspired teh squad to hold on vs. Korea. But for FCB, I haven't seem him really take charge of the team on a consistent basis. I'd say that he almost always gives us good to great performances, but that's not the same as giving us consistent leadership.