So how many Awimbers would have passed in Ozil's position yesterday (before his eventual goal)?

[Monty91]

:wave:

[PSRB]

otherwise, not a chance

[the splendor of antigone]

[The JBear]

[Monty91]

[The JBear]

[The JBear]

[PSRB]

gave him almost no choice but to pass it as by the time he got there the keeper was almost at the ball

[Monty91]

his feet straight away, which is what he did. Any closer to his feet he'd have needed to take a second touch before shooting or passing.

[Monty91]

[The Tony]

Nt

[PSRB]

it actually looked worse last night, I was very tired

[Classic Jorge]

He's a footballer, is Mesut, which sort of explains the suspicion he's held in by the british meeja.

The 'lets coat off every arsenal player whenever possible' agenda of IVTis**** was rather tiresome though.

[PSRB]

actually thought he was excellent in pretty much everything he could actually deal with

[Monty91]

Also, consider his understated celebrations.

Forget the footballer. This is clearly a humble, selfless man, far, far removed from your average narcissistic player.

[The JBear]

[Luis Anaconda]

Hummels will hopefully be fit for the quarters and maybe they should stop f**king around and actually play a full back at full back. Might not have a choice if Schweini is knackered though. If they can actually play him and Kehdira together they will beat France

[Monty91]

[Classic Jorge]

I'd say I like to think about football like that and in his position I'd do the same thing but I'm not insanely talented, paid hundreds of grand a week and worshipped like a god. I think those things could easily turn a lesser man into a more Sheareresque greedy *******.

[Classic Jorge]

...and basically being in positions where he didn't have to dive in - a la John Terry - when he got caught out.

In short, Andy & Clive :-(

[Classic Jorge]

If they had another midfielder that defensively able then they may have a point but Lahm was literally pivotal for most of last night.

[the splendor of antigone]

s for some reason isn't Durm/Grosskreutz, but Höwedes/Mustafi

[Luis Anaconda]

and the other two are a very good partnership

[Luis Anaconda]

reminds me a bit of Gutierrez playing at right back in the last world cup

[redgunamo]

[Classic Jorge]

[Ben.]

I have a theory that Guardiola did it

a) because he likes f*cking about with stuff

and

b) he wanted to try and change it up to the extent that he wouldn't be accused of just nicking Heynkes excellent team.

[Luis Anaconda]

Must say I haven't missed the English commentary in the least - odd that

[Classic Jorge]

[Classic Jorge]

It's not necessarily conducive to being a footballer either

[The JBear]

[Luis Anaconda]

then I remember that Boateng will probably play there on Friday and it makes no sense

[Ben.]

Then your full backs are massively Important, how many times do we have Sagna as the spare man?
(Usually followed by a disappointing cross)

Teams have done this , notably Chelsea, to Barca, they just leave Alves open and pack the centre.

[the splendor of antigone]

And affects the style of play much more. The full backs do not participate at all offensively; whether that's something Löw has deliberately sacrificed in order to solidify the defence I don't know.

I'd like to see them with Durm/Lahm at FB and Khedira/Schweinsteiger in CM. Luis knows better than me whether they're really fit or not.

[Classic Jorge]

As it is they've nobody to anchor the midfield

[redgunamo]

Thing is though, nobody can do what they do better. They know this and at the end of the day, Clive, so does everybody else.

The "footballer" you describe is largely a coach's confection and a bland attempt to avoid this reality.

[Classic Jorge]

But lahm at the base of midfield will enable the CBs to spread out and let the FBs attack, it's just a shame they're all CBs.

[Classic Jorge]

[the splendor of antigone]

[Berni]

I was worried for a bit, but sure enough there it was :hehe:

[Ben.]

Lahm is brilliant there (or indeed anywhere) but the downgrade from Lahm to Boateng at FB is so much greater than Lahm to Khedira that you would surely sacrifice putting him in the more prominent position.
Especially when they no width on the other side either.

[redgunamo]

[redgunamo]

[Classic Jorge]

[redgunamo]

[Classic Jorge]

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

That heat for that long, f**k that.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Getting quite irate he was last night.