With Aogo adding needed quality on both sides of the ball at LB and KPB CAM the overall balance of the team seems to have positively shifted. Neu and Hoger have started at CM in the last few wins, should we expect them to get the start v Bayern this weekend with Jones coming in off the bench?
I expect Jones to start. Hoeger just hasn't been impressive. He's definitely improving, but isn't "there" yet. Besides, we need to do a bit of squad rotation. I expect Meyer and Goretzka to come in early against Bayern, and play significant minutes midweek against Darmstadt. Eventually, we should also try a Kolasinac/Neu double pivot. Maybe Kola will be able to play on Wednesday.
Are you thinking Neu and Jones in the standard 4-2-3-1 or will we see a more defensive 4-3-3 with Jones and KPB as dual #8s in front of Neu. I think against Bayern we may need KPB to play more of a box-to-box #8 instead of an attacking CAM.
Whatever works. I'd be a bit nervous about making a tactical change for our second hardest game of the season. I really wish we had coach/trainer that I trusted to implement that kind of tactical change.
Will be very surprised if Jones doesn't start on Saturday...like LDD said, squad rotation has to come into play.
Even if they don't formally switch to the 4-3-3, KPB will need to spend a significant amount of time helping out in deep midfield especially wide v Robben with Jones helping out v Ribery.
Jones out? "The midfielder, who is under contract at Schalke 04 until the summer of 2014, has asked sporting director Horst Heldt to allow him a change for the second half of the season," the statement read. "To consider other options the 32-year old will not travel to Qatar." http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1668643/jermaine-jones-seeks-early-schalke-exit-skips-camp?cc=5901
You say that, but unless we bring in a replacement, it will be a huge blow. Jones has been the most consistent center midfielder we've had over the last 2 and a half seasons. We already have 0 depth at the position, especially with injuries. I think the proper reaction to this news is quiet concern, not relief.
The injury bug continues. New loanee Kirchhoff out 10 days with ankle ligament strain: KPB unable to train with sore knee: http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/...l_baenderanriss_kirchhoff-verlaesst-doha.html
Random rumors Defour, Bradley, Träsch, Holtby http://www.sport1.de/de/fussball/fussball_bundesliga/artikel_829373.html
Defour hasn't been playing consistently for Porto, and he seems like less of a defensive player. Bradley is pretty similar to Neu, but no matter it appears he's moving to Toronto FC ( ). Träsch is injured, no? And Schalke has said the Holtby stuff is BS. Where does that leave us? I guess Bradley is transferring to TFC, but the season doesn't start until March. We could loan him for 2-3 months and hope Kirchhoff can come back in that time frame. But I'm not sure he's a huge upgrade over Jones/Neu.
Schalke is not going to buy Bradley for the kind of transfer fee and wage that TFC is throwing around. They are just throwing names out to make the fans think that they have not totally f****d up the situation.
The latest talk I saw was moving to a 4-1-4-1 when the Hunter returns with Draxler, Meyer, KPB, and Farfan in front of Neu. Good luck with the pledge to give up less goals the 2nd half of the season.
The Holtby link always sounded kind of odd to me. I mean, they would in effect just have paid Spurs a bunch of money to babysit him for a year? Unless they were just talking loan.
I doubt he'd cost much. We have a buy-back clause. Yeah, it would be weird, but I don't think that weirdness is what's holding the transfer back.