Re: Donovan decides, will go to Germany. It's official I couldn't find a mention in Kicker and sportbild, but teh announcment was expected, and came at the same time bayer lev was taking a point off Real on the road. regret the draft, but was stuck in kiev that week. As for comments that BL didn't have a bit of flair on the field, 1. they looked really good, really organized, and really strong, as they have when they've been on their game this season. LD will not waltz into this team and star, though I think he should find a spot and success. 2. only an idiot tries to out-flair madrid. they've shown they are vulnerable to a hard nosed, no nonsense attack, but if you're going to dance with them, you're going to look bad. I thought bl were brilliant.
Re: Donovan decides, will go to Germany. It's official Actually Donovan was still bitching in some interview I can't find about his experience a year after the World Cup, complaining that in Germany they didn't pass him the ball when he was 16. He might have let her go, but it was in no way a long time ago.
"actually, I'm convinced, but I will not trully believe it until he is here on the team," klaus augenthaler (managled spelling) on LD's return to his team.
Re: Donovan decides, will go to Germany. It's official Yes, they were all of this but they still had not one bit of creative force in midfield. It was effective enough, assuming they can beat Kiev at home. If not, then it was a mistake as they were never likely to get a win with their approach. It depends. If they want to play the way they did against Madrid, I am not sure what LD contributes. Maybe as a counter-attack threat. If they play like Leverkusen teams did in the past utilizing creative, subtle players, then I think he will eventually, if not immediately, do well. I guess the Barcelona coach is an idiot. I guess that makes sense if your frame of reference is the Coca Cola League. Though of coure, to each his own.
Anyone know any links to english language BL forums? As soson as one is found, it'll be invaded by BS whores...
Re: Donovan decides, will go to Germany. It's official Okay, I realized the Barca game as soon as I'd sent, but you'd have to admit that BL carried out a game plan successfully, to me that's brilliant. They don't have Barca flair, but aside from RM, Arse, ManU, Juve who does this year? That said, they spanked Real in Germany this year, which means they do have something. And while they may not be heart of oaks, no shots at the CCC until you've tried it.
Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. Here I thought Landon had finally done something that nobody on BS could complain about - he'd finally said he's going to Germany - and yet I come here and ya'll are picking on the one thing he said that might have negative connotations (though it didn't appear negative to me; because, as has been pointed out earlier, it was Bayer who said it about the prison thing, not Landon) while completely ignoring the positive things he said, about wanting to go back, being happy to go back, realizing that he - that's right, HE didn't handle it right the first time (he threw no such aspersions to Leverkusen, said it was he himself who didn't handle it right); said he's looking forward to the competition, admitted he doesn't always play well or train well and he NEEDS the intense competition day in and day out; gave praise to MLS and praise to the Earthquakes and their awesome fans; gave praise to Leverkusen - conducted the whole thing with professionalism and maturity..............but that ain't good enough for some of the folks here at BS. You're unbelievable. How soon before this thread turns into yet another Donovan thread that is shut down. Grow up, folks. Like Landon did.
Landon will be a huge,huge success in Germany.Anyone want to bet against that?One thing to remember- he is freakin good and he will work his socks off.He is not only talented, but he works like hell.
Result below: Madrid's equalizer, however, was a thing of beauty. I'm not sure why it took them so long to start playing. You're right though, Leverkusen looked positively Scottish out there with the way they were just pounding the ball up the field every time they touched it.
this could still happen. sorry if it's been explained already in the thread but it all comes down to the last game in the champions leauge. kiev - 10 pts bayer - 8 pts madrid - 8 pts roma - diddly squat if bayer beats kiev they go through, regardless of the outcome of the madrid-roma match. if bayer loses and madrid loses, (or bayer ties and madrid ties) then i believe bayer goes through based on head to head results between bayer-madrid. if bayer loses and madrid ties or wins, bayer goes to the uefa cup.
Re: Donovan decides, will go to Germany. It's official Fair enough, as I agree they executed their strategy well. But to me, their strategy has put them in a difficult situation of needing to beat Kiev, even at home. I am of the school that while you don't push 8 forward against Madrid, you will do better if you attack them more. A creative player in midfield wouldn't hurt either.
Re: Donovan decides, will go to Germany. It's official Just to be clear, are you saying that you think Donovan will be that creative midfield player or that he needs creative partners to thrive?
even money,$1 to $50 your choice, gentlemen's agreement.Can't guess goals because we don't know what position(s) he will play. I will bet that he will play at least 2/3 of available minutes( not injuries or suspensions).Willing to take it?
well, the rest are all opinion. How can we bet on goals when we don't know if he plays as a stiker or as a deeper midfielder.
Still, the GM has guranteed Donovan will be playing 80% of the time or something similar to that. You have him slotted at 66%. The odds are in your favor. Either give the man odds or come up with some other indiscriminate indicator. (Which is hard to do in Soccer... probably the least stat driven of all sports.)
How about an average Kicker rating below 3.35? Edited again... I was misreading the kicker website. I think I have it now... where the 66th best rated player by Kicker has a 3.35 average rating. Looking at Bayer Leverkusen players... their best rated are: 2.93 Butt 3.36 Berbatov 3.36 B. Schneider 3.36 Juan
exactly.What is there to really base a midfielder/strikers performance on? I do believe strongly that Landon will be a huge success but statistics depend almost entirely on where he plays and how the team is structured.
I was thinking along the same lines. According to Kicker, there are 23 top rated midfielders with the 37-year old Zvonimir Soldo of Stuttgart leading the pack at 2.79. Hanover's Nebojsa Krupnikovic (2.88), Silvio Schröter (3.06), Altin Lala (3.12) and Julian de Guzman (3.19) are all in the top 10 (which may explain why Clint isn't getting into Ewald Lienen's line-up). Bayern's Sebastian Schweinsteiger mops up the top 20 with the 3.33. As been mentioned above, among the top 10 forwards, Bayer's Dimitar Berbatov is last, 10th, with a 3.36. Now, looking at Bayer's roster, I doubt that LD will crash its forward line-up. Thus he's likely to play in midfield. I say then that in order for him to qualify as a "huge success", he has to crack at least the top 20 midfielder rating, wherever that happens to end up. So, top 20 or bust?