Bundesliga 2014/2015

[DaSpurs]

But that's what Keller was. I'm not surprised they didn't repeat that again. What we need is an experienced manager, who has a wealth of experience across Europe and who will instantly have the respect of our players. We have been horribly unlucky with injuries though which hasn't helped, and surprise surprise, when we actually had a healthy squad during the second half last year, we recorded the best second half in our history.

Did not know that about Keller, just knew he had previously coached Stuttgart (and now that I look it up, that was for even less time than Sherwood was at the Spurs helm).

Fair point about the experience/respect, but who could have provided that? Tuchel quite possibly, but I can't really think of another option that would have been available. Had they held on until the end of the season, they could've gone after de Boer. Plays a 4-3-3 and is good about bringing through the youth.

 

[Lufti]

Did not know that about Keller, just knew he had previously coached Stuttgart (and now that I look it up, that was for even less time than Sherwood was at the Spurs helm).

Fair point about the experience/respect, but who could have provided that? Tuchel quite possibly, but I can't really think of another option that would have been available. Had they held on until the end of the season, they could've gone after de Boer. Plays a 4-3-3 and is good about bringing through the youth.

I'm not sure to be honest, haven't really given it a lot of thought. Problem was that Keller had lost the dressing room and with all our rivals performing so poorly, this is too good an opportunity to miss. We can't really afford to drop out the top four with the bundesliga as competitive as it is now (Bayern aside)

 

[beats1]

Well, he managed to pull together a very poor team at the time and inflict possibly the single most detrimental result in our club's history.

It may not have been a poor idea IMO though to promote someone from within such as what Hamburg did. With the academy of Schalke's, I see no reason it wouldn't have worked, and especially compared to choosing di Matteo. Schalke, like Hamburg, is pushing below their weight in quality, so really just need fresh influx of motivation and utilization of many current players rather than an entirely new system. Schalke really is just one player away from a world class side IMO. Just need a No 8 that can control the game and get the ball more quickly to their good attackers, and they're in great shape.

He?

I think it was pretty obvious that the squad managed themselves

There are plenty of managers that would do a good job, but I Schalke got it wrong again

Plus there was a lot of luck involved in that CL win

 

[Lufti]

He?

I think it was pretty obvious that the squad managed themselves

There are plenty of managers that would do a good job, but I Schalke got it wrong again

Plus there was a lot of luck involved in that CL win

This was part of Keller's downfall. He had three players all vying for the no. 10 spot. Draxler, who said no. 10 was his best position. Meyer who said he only wants to play no. 10 and Boateng who said he wants to play in the position he was signed to play.. no idea why they told him he would be a no. 10 when he signed, guess they were doing whatever possible to get his name on the dotted line. Draxler, when on form, is our best player and a better player than Meyer in the number 10 spot, but Meyer is such a young and talented player, and Draxler is still very effective on the left whereas Meyer really isn't. Boateng, if you ask me, is brilliant in the number 8 spot, and he can actually be the bridge between defence and attack, but apparently he doesn't enjoy that. So there you have a pretty major problem right there in terms of keeping players happy. The other problem being that when said players are unhappy, they let their feelings known to the world. This is why I say we need a strong coach to come in and find the solutions to these sorts of problems. I really don't see Di Matteo as that guy, although I hope he proves me wrong of course..

 

[beats1]

This was part of Keller's downfall. He had three players all vying for the no. 10 spot. Draxler, who said no. 10 was his best position. Meyer who said he only wants to play no. 10 and Boateng who said he wants to play in the position he was signed to play.. no idea why they told him he would be a no. 10 when he signed, guess they were doing whatever possible to get his name on the dotted line. Draxler, when on form, is our best player and a better player than Meyer in the number 10 spot, but Meyer is such a young and talented player, and Draxler is still very effective on the left whereas Meyer really isn't. Boateng, if you ask me, is brilliant in the number 8 spot, and he can actually be the bridge between defence and attack, but apparently he doesn't enjoy that. So there you have a pretty major problem right there in terms of keeping players happy. The other problem being that when said players are unhappy, they let their feelings known to the world. This is why I say we need a strong coach to come in and find the solutions to these sorts of problems. I really don't see Di Matteo as that guy, although I hope he proves me wrong of course..

He just looked like a yes man at chelsea trying to be everyone's friend

 

[Lufti]

He just looked like a yes man at chelsea trying to be everyone's friend

Yeah exactly. He was taking orders from Terry for crying out loud. His first move when he became Chelsea manager was to reinstate all the old guard, or should we say the stronger characters..

Boateng will be playing every match from here on out no doubt

 

[DaSpurs]

He?

I think it was pretty obvious that the squad managed themselves

There are plenty of managers that would do a good job, but I Schalke got it wrong again

Plus there was a lot of luck involved in that CL win

Look man, I'm as bitter as anyone about that match, but despite how boring they were they eliminated Barca's style of play and took their chance. There is a degree of luck in any game in any sport, and we could spin ourselves in circles debating the extent of it in that match, but either way Chelsea had a plan and they executed it.

And whether we like it or not, he turned around a very poor Chelsea side that year to a higher success rate against a higher degree of competition (in both the cups and domestic league).

I agree Schalke got it wrong, but I seems your stance may be a bit exaggerated due to bias of being Spurs.

 

[Lufti]

Look man, I'm as bitter as anyone about that match, but despite how boring they were they eliminated Barca's style of play and took their chance. There is a degree of luck in any game in any sport, and we could spin ourselves in circles debating the extent of it in that match, but either way Chelsea had a plan and they executed it.

And whether we like it or not, he turned around a very poor Chelsea side that year to a higher success rate against a higher degree of competition (in both the cups and domestic league).

I agree Schalke got it wrong, but I seems your stance may be a bit exaggerated due to bias of being Spurs.

Their league form was worse under him wasn't it?

 

[DaSpurs]

Their league form was worse under him wasn't it?

Critics often point this out (league average ppg for AVB: 1.7, RDM: 1.5). However, AVB played against average side with league rank of 11.5, vs RDM's of 9th. This while also having to rotate the squad with contending with stronger CL competition and other cup matches. Also worth noting, at that point, league position was so far gone that the priority had clearly shifted to the cups, CL in particular (for sake of strength of squad in the rotations).

So IMO, di Matteo did more with less preparation. I don't credit him with everything, but I also don't think he is an utter joker. Schalke could have done much better, but also much worse.

 

[beats1]

Their league form was worse under him wasn't it?

It was

Look man, I'm as bitter as anyone about that match, but despite how boring they were they eliminated Barca's style of play and took their chance. There is a degree of luck in any game in any sport, and we could spin ourselves in circles debating the extent of it in that match, but either way Chelsea had a plan and they executed it.

And whether we like it or not, he turned around a very poor Chelsea side that year to a higher success rate against a higher degree of competition (in both the cups and domestic league).

I agree Schalke got it wrong, but I seems your stance may be a bit exaggerated due to bias of being Spurs.

The thing is, it was clear Terry was managing and there was a point when terry was giving players instructions whilst RDM was sitting on the bench.

Also worth noting that Grant took a chelsea side to a CL final and League Cup Final and lost the premier league by two points. He statistically one of the better chelsea managers. That doesnt mean he is good though and he was unlucky to lose the CL by penalty shootout and his team played alot better than the one that won the CL.

 

[DaSpurs]

The thing is, it was clear Terry was managing and there was a point when terry was giving players instructions whilst RDM was sitting on the bench.

Also worth noting that Grant took a chelsea side to a CL final and League Cup Final and lost the premier league by two points. He statistically one of the better chelsea managers. That doesnt mean he is good though and he was unlucky to lose the CL by penalty shootout and his team played alot better than the one that won the CL.

What was clear was that Terry was doing what any decent captain would do. The extent of which, and the actual planning that went on behind the scenes, we do not know. We can all agree Terry is an über prick who we wish would never have found boots, but regardless he is a good football captain.

There is a massive grey area between being a "good manager" and a poor one, and my entire point is simply that he falls somewhere in between. I'm not saying he's the solution to all of Schalke's problems, but he's also not entirely inept either. As I said above, yes Schalke could have done better, but they also could have done worse.

 

[DaSpurs]

Too early yet to include Dortmund in the relegation scrap? Maybe, but next week they play Gladbach, after which they will have two weeks to let more defeat stew if things go poorly. Their players are champions, and not used to the mentality of what they're going through right now. Won't be as easy for them to recovery as their quality would suggest.

 

[kazzah9]

Too early yet to include Dortmund in the relegation scrap? Maybe, but next week they play Gladbach, after which they will have two weeks to let more defeat stew if things go poorly. Their players are champions, and not used to the mentality of what they're going through right now. Won't be as easy for them to recovery as their quality would suggest.

Yeah WTF is going on with them? Nearly a third through the season already...

 

[DaSpurs]

Yeah WTF is going on with them? Nearly a third through the season already...

Just look completely defeated in every game. Frankly, it's eerie how similar they look to us of late. Start dropping heads and making plays of frustration way too quickly. They have many star players back now though, so they're running out of excuses. After Gladbach they have a much more favorable stretch of games, and if things don't pick up then, then we could genuinely have a top European side in serious danger of a relegation scrap.

 

[sunnydelight786]

Too early yet to include Dortmund in the relegation scrap? Maybe, but next week they play Gladbach, after which they will have two weeks to let more defeat stew if things go poorly. Their players are champions, and not used to the mentality of what they're going through right now. Won't be as easy for them to recovery as their quality would suggest.

They need to settle on a back 5, not chop and change it every week. Hmmmm sounds kind of familiar that.....

 

[Lufti]

Impressive Di Matteo, really really impressive. Didn't want this clueless oaf at the start and we've been absolutely dreadful since he's come in

 

[Partizan]

Very weird scrolling down the table and seeing the Dortmund logo placed dead last in the league (game in hand though), whilst at the same time being the first team to qualify to the knockout stages of the CL, and with a perfect record thus far in a tricky group.

 

[haxman]

Bizarre own goal in the Dortmund game, Lad chipped his own keeper from the edge of the centre circle. Keeper at fault too for being so far off his line.

 

[Cavehillspur]

Klopp looked like he was done after that...

 

[Blake Griffin]

ooof, hope you're not watching bt sport 2 @Bus-Conductor