Last year you bashed Steffen for running home "with his tail between his legs." No credit for the move to Europe and actual playing time in Germany (a better league than Horvath has ever played in)?
True, he hasn't. But he's the automatic and unquestioned no. 1 for a BL1 side that's not terribly good and has a bad defence - which means that Steffen has to bail them out of trouble/keep them in contention pretty much every game. He's been doing that very well and that's pretty universally acknowledged in Germany. Which is impressive for a YA in a Top 3 league. Horvath has been messed around by Brugge, but even if he wasn't he mightn't be the automatic no. 1. He certainly wouldn't be the unquestioned no. 1. On top of that, he'd be no. 1 for a team that's so dominant that his biggest challenge in about a third of games would be keeping warm. Which would be commendable for a YA in a Top 10 league that's significantly weaker than the BL. I think even you'd have to agree that impressive beats commendable. "Is" certainly beats "would be". Let's just focus on Horvath and cheering him on, not throwing brickbats at someone else.
None or almost none. Domestically, Brugge are as dominant as they were last season and in Europe they're as dominated as they were. With Ethan between the sticks, the won, lost, drawn in that list would look pretty much - if not exactly - the same Maybe he's boosted the goal difference, but I doubt that's why they bought him.
I feel it all comes down to Prestige and Ego with their country's no.2 indicating Brugge's Name recognition and whatever sponsorships that may have come along with Mignolet signing for them.
Played a big part in getting us to the champions league. In the domestic league he made some quality saves, may have 'won' some points but I don't remember those from the top of my head. Biggest change is in his footballing ability, our play from the back has dramatically improved. He oozes self confidence, and it radiates to the rest of the defence. He'll probably will make the odd mistake too, I remember one against Anderlecht at the start of the season where he slipped and it cost us a goal, but overall there's just far less a feeling of anxiety when the ball is played back to him. Yesterday, in the dying minutes of the match, he came to punch away a cross near the end of the penalty box. Things like that make a big difference. It's the difference between a prodigy goalkeeper still learning his trade, and an experienced professional who has faced bigger challenges.
Last year our CL group consisted of a struggling As Monaco, Dortmund and atletico Madrid. This year we had PSG, Real Madrid and Galatasaray. One can argue that it would be difficult to get a harder group than the one we got this year. We should have won at home against Galatasaray, surely got the chances. Gave away a 0-2 lead at Real, and should have got something at PSG. Last year we defended with all we had, this year we try to take the game in our hands, even at Real or PSG. Even if we get kicked out without making Europa league, I liked it better this year.
The defense this year is 100 times better running a 4 back system vs 3 under Leko. Simon hardly has anything to do and they don’t play it back to him as much as when you are in 3 back system look at the stats. Is Simon experiences yes has he been the difference maker this year no.
On the bench: These are our guys for #CLURM! #UCL 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Wmvxe9qdiu— Club Brugge KV (@ClubBrugge) December 11, 2019
nice gesture giving ethan some more bench time after burying him last minute and already being eliminated
2 saves for Mignolet. Gamechanger Brugge is off to the Europa League because Galatasaray (and Turkish football generally) is a massive joke.
Yep, that's what pissed me off the most: they waited to the last minute, so Ethan couldn't leave. Bastards.
Current goalkeeping pool is not even close to the Keller/Friedel dynasty. Marcus and Ian were EPL keepers yet wee still far below our top 2. Our current GK pool is an ignored contributor to our current doldrums nationally.
Feuer possibly holds the record for the number of English/European clubs that he signed with, but did not play for.