man Gotze is slow... every ball over the top he seems to have an easy run to it.. but he just plods along
And we Win! Aside from the that BS penalty call, never really worried in this game. We had compelte control and I don't even think they had a shot in the second half! Go BvB!!!
Big, big win against the nemesis. Not brilliant football but an important win for more reasons than just the 3 points. Good team effort as usual. Can't find real fault with any of the players. I think this might have been the first game where Delaney got very close to Witsel's importance, maybe even more today as this is the type of game for him. On further thought, Alcacer wasn't convincing as a starter, of course. Hard worker though and his combinations with the other players will get better over time. He also wasn't fed with much to work with.
We should not be giving away corners and defending one goal lead in added time, it should have been out of their reach. Good seeing the whole team including CP pumped up celebrating the victory. Sancho was emotional after scoring because he was recently bereaved.
For a team that hasnt won there in a few years, we won 2-1. You almost seem mad and frankly there is nothing to complain about. We dont win there often so winning this match was the only important thing. Style points are for suckers. Just win and get the 3 points. We have 9 points in the last three matches. There isnt a damn thing to complain about.
But it is true and nothing new that we don't play the last minutes in a controlled fashion when we have a one goal lead. We were clearly the better team today and we still ceded the control to them in the last minutes. It was the same in the last 2 games as well and that can backfire one day. It might hopefully change with more experience but right now it's a quality we lack.
@HockeytownHeel I'm not mad, it's a reply to hava about improvements. Schalke are crap rn, they cannot play football much less score if not from a fk pk or corner. We need to stop giving the opponent a chance to shithouse a last minute draw. Versus Bayern we got lucky it was offside but this shit differentiates winners and losers in the Champions League.
Question about strategy.. Would it be terrible to move Sancho up top or Pulisic when we go without Alcacer? Their pace wouould creat problems. Niether are terrible on the ball. I only ask because if we could play Gotze up top then why not someone else.
Playing them up top deprives them of their biggest strengths and puts them in a position that doesn't suit them at all, so why do that? They are also pretty lightweight physically. Götze or Philipp are better finishers in my opinion but are only used there for the benefit of the team, not because of their strengths. So it's balancing the pros and cons for what is best for the team. Right now, it's clear what is best for the team: Don't fiddle with Sancho's position.
Götze is so useless. He comes on around the 70 min mark and is gassed in 2 min. Sancho, Reus and Witsel along with the rest of the starters were running more at full burst than him. At that point he should be able to outrun their tired defenders and he cannot. He's got the mind and skill but puts absolutely no extra effort. Guerreiro was awesome. I can't believe he shows up in transfer rumours. We should have beaten S04 by a bigger margin. There was no reason to keep it so close. And that penalty was BS. Ref didn't have a clue what he was doing.
I certainly dont disagree, but at that stage of the match wouldnt you want someone with pace up top and agility enough to get behind the defense to continue pressure on their back? Just doesnt make sense to have Gotze come in is why I asked.
Slightly annoyed by that bullshit penalty, but otherwise a flawless victory. Can't help but wonder if we could have still beaten Schalke had Naldo, though.
A derby is always going to be tough and more of a fight. In Witsel, Akanji, Diallo, Reus and Delaney we had the players prepared to fight then the quality showed. Alcacer at the moment is blowing hot and cold, but he is still adjusting to a new league. Gotze does a job, he is not great, but he is a local boy and it's important to have those in the squad even if he is on a lot of money. If Gotze is happy with his role in the team, which he should be I see no reason to rock the boat. LP has proven me wrong and found a new lease of life. Fair play to him and he is a club legend. Still long term we will need a new RB, but he is really rolling back the years. I would take the gamble and leave Reus and Witsel at home for the Monaco game and only have them on the bench for the Fortuna game. In the summer if we have a great season then we can look at Werner.
I like the idea of going after Werner, especially since the club has a severe lack of German footballers in the squad. Even better if he can establish himself as a regular starter, as Alcácer is so far a supersub.
I have read a direct quote from Werner somewhere recently where he has stated that if he were to leave Leipzig for any German team then it would only be Bayern so maybe that ship has sailed.