Cant tell.. anyone else want to chime in? was that not a pass from Sancho, it looked clear that he was trying to do so. Was it because it was deflected that he gets no assist?
I don't think today was a match to be negative about. There some still very obvious flaws, but there were huge positives. 1. Akanji made a couple of mistakes, but he is young and brilliant MOTM. Great defensively, good defending headers and his passing was excellent. 2. Dahoud has fantastic energy and can really link the play. He is good defensively and covers a lot of ground. 3. Alcacer scored on his debut, but he showed excellent touches and movement. 4. Sancho got another assist and he gives us another option. The negative is Favre had to do more for the 2nd. LP and Schmelzer are still huge weaknesses and need to be replaced. Larson shouldn't be starting yet. Wolf scored the goal, but he shouldn't be in the team either. The sooner Favre starts this team for virtually every match the better things will be. -----Burki---- Hakimi--Akanji--Diallo--Zagadou ----------Witsel/Weigl---Dahoud (must start) Sancho-----------Gotze------------Reus ----------------------Alcacer Weigl/Witsel can rotate Pulisic can come in for Sancho Philipp can come in for Reus or Alcacer
I missed most of the match. The best run/dribble on the wing I saw in the few minutes came from Akanji. So the only thing I can take away is that Alcacer affirms what I've seen so far from him. He's a striker with good technique that can actually play football with the players around him. Even if he won't put up huge numbers, he can still create dangerous situations for the team. Wolf scored a nice goal as well and I hope that helps him finding the confidence to do better for us.
- It's much better to have 2 midfielders able to distribute rather than 1.. Witsel for Delaney was key! - Paco's one touch pass to Sancho's run on the flank for the 2nd goal showed 2 points: 1) wingers have to make runs, know when to make them and there has to be understanding between the players. 2) Making that pass requires technique. This kind of passes was attempted earlier but went astray. Technique helps Both points have been missing from many of our players today. - number 10 is not Reus' favorite position - Central defenders that can distribute and create are great to watch! Overall good game.. Players have a little bit more getting used to each other to do. This formation somehow had a lot of spaces between lines. Favre chose to keep the 4231 for the full game, and I understand why: It takes time for players to get used to a system, and it's difficult to disrupt often.
Also, I'm not quite sure what Favre's plans are. I'm glad he's open to new formations but that starting lineup looks like quite the message against Götze. Larsen did well in the test matches and the plan is to introduce him more into the team I suppose, but still, Frankfurt aren't that bad of a team to make experiments like this. Why not use the players on their best positions? With all the discussions that are already coming up because of Götze's situation, this almost looks like desperately trying to find formations without him.
Wolf scored, but he was really poor and shouldn't be starting. This experiment of playing Reus upfront needs to be ended and quickly. He needs to be moved back out wide. As said Akanji had one or two mistakes, but looked classy all match, he was strong, quick and brilliant at reading the game. I was really impressed with Alcacer. Favre is still learning about the team and the world cup didn't help. I hope he learns quickly. 1. Dortmund have top talents and teams should fear our players more than we fear them. We shouldn't play Larsen and Wolf on the wings to track full backs, full backs should be petrified to attack, because we have Sancho and Reus. 2. Gotze is needed behind the striker to add creativity. 3. Please give Weigl a shot. Dahoud was fantastic in the first half due to his movement alone. He constantly runs and makes it virtually impossible to mark him. Once again he ran the furthest this game. Delaney was being cowardly in possession, but with Dahoud's movement, Weigl would have so much time on the ball. Play both of them and it will open the game up.
The negative I see is the manager.. He is trying to hard to make the game about him and his moves. He needs to just put the best options out there and let them play. Delaney, Larsen,, LP, Schmelzer and Wolf are head scratching starters for me. What stinks is, no one will call him out on his buffoonery because the team keeps bailing him out once he makes subs. Wins are important and we needed this one, but lets not act like there are not glaring weaknesess with his lineups. If he knows the team that finished the match is likely the one that will be in the CL, then he needs to be playing them ASAP to get them nice and coordinated for play. We dont need an XI not used to playing together starting the CL together.
Can't make all these changes all at once. It won't work. I'm not a big fan of Pizchek and esp Schmelzer in the last couple of years, but I think Favre needs to slowly introduce the younger full backs. I too can't wait to see Guerreiro and Hakimi run the flanks. But it has to wait. I agree Dahoud must start. He is terrific. Gotze? Zzzzzzz Perhaps Weigl can join Witsel, with Dahoud in front of them, or next to them in a 433..
I disagree. I think he's probably playing the available players taking into account the international week, and the upcoming CL game. Players don't have the stamina of Superman to play back to back to back 90-min games! And he's being conservative by using experience instead of youth in the full back positions. Oh boy.. That's nothing compared to the Tuchel Show
No I agree. Especially, because Akanji and Diallo are both very young as well. It has to be done in steps, but it still needs to be done quickly. We have many games in quick succession and so it gives him an excuse to rest the older players. I had hopes for Raphael, but once more he is injured. This should be his last chance at Dortmund to sort himself out. As for Gotze, this is precisely the right team for him now. Akanji and Dahoud will find him from deep. He is not an 8 and needs to stop playing there. He lacks the mobility and dynamism. However, he still has an exceptional touch and will play in the likes of Alcacer, Reus and Sancho. I am not sure Dahoud/Weigl/Witsel has enough creativity, except for very big games when we need to be more solid.
So very true. Tuchel was a manager, who wished to show how smart he is every second. I don't think that is the case with Favre. He is trying things out and being conservative, but I believe he is learning. He already has switched to a 4-2-3-1. I think he will understand that Dortmund are not Gladbach, they have the players to strike fear in every other Bundesliga team and need to win ALL their matches except against Bayern.
He's a great player. We shouldn't let him go. I just feel that his health and readiness are always timed so he plays for Portugal, and not Dortmund.. But I think he'll turn it around. Who knows what's going on in the training ground that makes Favre not pick him. My impression is that he's slow. But that's always when I watch him play #8. Last friendly game he did set up one or two goals, after all. I think it's fine. Definitely better than having Delaney instead of any of them. Weigl is another player whom I wonder what's happening with him in training. Maybe he needs to impress Favre there. Also... I've liked Larsen in the past for his positivity. I think he can do better and we shouldn't be harsh on him. Yes he didn't play that well this game, but he deserved the chance to play.
Because what he brings to the team is so often overlooked. Forgetting everything else, he just gives fantastic energy. He is constantly moving and making himself available for the pass. He never backs down, never hides unlike say (Castro etc). His movement and energy alone make him hard for other teams to mark. It's exhausting trying to shut off his passing lanes or man mark him. This frees up room for other players. He is also very good at taking the ball under pressure and beating a press. Once more he has excellent energy as a ball carrier getting the ball up field. His, legs allow him to recover and stop counters. He has good defensive positioning for a young player and is prepared to get stuck in. He is no coward in any sense of the word. His weaknesses are far easier to spot than everything he brings. He is careless with his passes and his final ball is often poor. He makes bad decisions and rushes them. He needs to improve these things, but at the moment his other qualities outweigh his faults. Nobody else in the squad can do what he does.
Undeniably talented , and Favre knows him but still not the player I thought he was the season before we bought him . Hopefully he can progress , but I wouldn’t be making him the centre of my team and Favre seems to be doing that . More s criticism of Favre , Kagawa and Goetze
We won but conceded a goal thanks to Schmelzer, we must improve defensively and rack up the clean sheets. Another worrying trend is how our passes are easily intercepted, and the way our players misplaced passes and unawareness when receiving them is something that needs to be addressed as well. Delaney has been a total headscratcher since his signing. He was supposedly signed because he's "mentally strong", but honestly he brings nothing to the team apart from defensive stability, in fact we played a lot better when he was replaced by Witsel. After Alcácer's display today I hope Favre has realised that a proper striker is a must and stops it with this Max Philipp as a striker nonsense. Let's hope Alcácer has the stamina to play the full 90 minutes of every match. Whilst his goal was very helpful, Wolf is another signing we didn't need, as we already have a player who excels as a winger, Maximilian Philipp. Jacob Bruun Larsen showed a lot of promise but is still too raw, and Sancho is awesome. Let's hope Hertha and Wolfsburg draw so we can secure 2nd place.
Finally got to watch the game. Philipp and Brunn Larsen were not good, and Wolf's goal was blasted right into the middle of a player and deflected down and in, so I don't give it much credit, and otherwise he was bad. Delaney had a lot of energy, but I notice him much more often for bad play than good. It really was two separate games. Before Witsel/Alcacer/Sancho and after. If the "after" part lasted an hour, there might have been another two goals. Alcacer has a great eye for one-touch attacks, Sancho showed great patience and vision, and Witsel bossed around the middle of the field. The negative was that Sancho is reckless on his passes out from the defensive pass. The only impressive thing from the first half was how good the passing out from the back was. Both Diallo and Akanji (particularly). If I had only watched the final 30 minutes I would have been really happy. Hopefully Favre sees it the same way.
On the bright side I can finally say that Dahoud is starting to hit the level we expect from him. Akanji is also great and Sancho needs to play more. I am worried that we replaced Castro with Castro 2.0 - Delaney is clumsy and really brings nothing to the table. Dahoud is a must in midfield with Weigl/Witsel playing next to him. However, the signs for Weigl and Gotze aren't good as I get the feeling that Favre isn't relying on them as much. As always - our wingbacks are utter garbage. Neither LP, nor Schmelzer are good enough. Give Hakimi RG and Zagadou a shot.
Agree with all of this. Schmelzer should not be in the team, he has been perfrming badly for a long time. Delaney so far looks like another mediocre signing, but he at least he is better then Castro. Witsel, Weigl and Dahoud should start together in midfield imo. As for Alcacer, thankfully this deal happened even though it was late, as false 9 is bullshit and without a proper striker this season would have been a write-off. Instead of signing Wolff, the mgmt should have signed a left back. The wings are already stacked, there was no need for him.
One of them needs to start, but in my opinion neither of them should be competing with Dahoud. Gotze and Kagawa both need to be much further forward.
Paco was quality. He was dangerous almost every time he touched the ball, cross pass shot all executed with the finesse that our starting wingers lacked. Does he have a buy clause? On the criticism of Favre's lineup, the first half and performances of some players... Tempered expectations would be more realistic, naturally there is a lot of room for improvement and gel as a team under a new trainer. Defensively we look more stable than when we started under Bosz with 5 wins last season. By similar standards Klopp and his 2008-09 team would have been ripped to shreds here.
The clearest explanation of the details I have seen is from FC Barcelona's website: "Borussia Dortmund retains an option to buy the player for 23 million euros plus 5 million in variables and FC Barcelona has the right to match any future transfer offer of a third football club. Furthermore, FC Barcelona will retain 5% of any future profit from the sale of the player by Borussia Dortmund to a third party."
I disagree with the last paragraph. There is nothing wrong with criticising poor decisions and tactics. Favre is learning and improving, but no need to pretend bad decisions are great. Ultimately what cost Klopp his job at Dortmund was his reluctance to replace players that were past their best.
Klopp quit, he was not sacked. I am still salty over it. Remember Watzke's hollow expression when he announced it? If it was up to the fans or the board Klopp would have seen out his contract extension until summer 2018. Favre has to consider the need to rotate his starting lineup and keep players who travelled far during the international break fresh for the upcoming fixture glut. I am ok with it as long as he makes timely substitutions , the same 11 can't be starting all the time.