23/24 International Club Football Thread

[Locke]

Originally Posted by M*A*S*H 4077

Bayern knocked out of the Pokal by Saarbrucken. They have an injury crisis with only one healthy CB and their midfield is equally decimated right now.

As a Canadian I’m worried about Davies. He has been REALLY up and down this year

I'm always worried about Davies.

My biggest issue with him is that he papers over a lot of the cracks in his game with his speed...well...speed is a deteriorating asset due to age and injury. You see it happen a lot with 'Pace Merchants' over the history of the game.

He's had...what, two hamstring injuries? And questionable return to form after COVID? Lung capacity issues?

There is definitely cause for concern there.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

Yup, and he’s not a good enough passer, crosser, or thinks the game fast enough to move him into the midfield or into an attacking role.

And Bayern has a new young promising LB that they seem really high on, Frans Kratzig. But such is the life at a big club. I think Davies could do with the competition. He hasn’t had much lately and he has always responded well to having to prove himself in the past

[Locke]

Originally Posted by M*A*S*H 4077

Yup, and he’s not a good enough passer, crosser, or thinks the game fast enough to move him into the midfield or into an attacking role.

And Bayern has a new young promising LB that they seem really high on, Frans Kratzig. But such is the life at a big club. I think Davies could do with the competition. He hasn’t had much lately and he has always responded well to having to prove himself in the past

And I hope he can do it again, but as I said, I always worry about muscular injuries to guys who rely a lot on their speed.

See: Owen, Michael.

[devo22]

Kane gets a hattrick as Bayern ease past Dortmund, 4-0. Such a weird team, they seemingly go hot or cold every two minutes.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by devo22

Kane gets a hattrick as Bayern ease past Dortmund, 4-0. Such a weird team, they seemingly go hot or cold every two minutes.

The thing is...The Bundesliga is like my 'guilty pleasure' league. I started watching Bayern because thats all we could get on TV over here, but there isnt a Bundesliga team that I 'hate' (Maybe Red Bull) so I can watch most matches essentially as a neutral.

But I really respect Dortmund, as a club. I really like their players, the way they're run, I like it when a player I like goes to Dortmund, I know they're supposed to be Bayern's bitter rivals but I've never really seen it that way.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by Locke

The thing is...The Bundesliga is like my 'guilty pleasure' league. I started watching Bayern because thats all we could get on TV over here, but there isnt a Bundesliga team that I 'hate' (Maybe Red Bull) so I can watch most matches essentially as a neutral.

But I really respect Dortmund, as a club. I really like their players, the way they're run, I like it when a player I like goes to Dortmund, I know they're supposed to be Bayern's bitter rivals but I've never really seen it that way.

yeah, they've never been. It's just that they've been the only team in the last 10-15 years that has been able to challenge them here or there, and the media has obviously tried to create a Clasico style rivalry. But it's just not there and the teams operate in completely different worlds.

The thing that irks me about Dortmund is that they could even be much better if they didn't regularly burn money on bang average Bundesliga players. It's a regular occurence that Dortmund fans immediately hate a transfer because they - correctly - predict that those players are not good enough, yet their bosses keep going back to the well every year. It's enough to be the number 2/3 in Germany because they sometimes hit the jackpot with a talented young player (Sancho, Haaland, Bellingham) and because there's little competition outside of Leipzig, but they could definitely be a lot better.

Look out for Leverkusen though, Xabi Alonso has done a really good job and they are clearly second best this season. Stuttgart have also been excellent, but that isn't sustainable. Dortmund and Leipzig have been underwhelming.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

If Dortmund didn’t win it last year they have no hope this year. That was an all time choke job

[Senator Clay Davis]

Not only did Chelsea somehow get £65 million for Havertz, they got that from a direct rival. He really stinks.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1722344188451127476

[devo22]

that red card on Rashford ... lol. I've always been a proponent of VAR, but I'm so over how the refs handle it these days. Super slo-mo makes them see things that aren't there.

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by devo22

that red card on Rashford ... lol. I've always been a proponent of VAR, but I'm so over how the refs handle it these days. Super slo-mo makes them see things that aren't there.

That specific play happens 20x a game

The copenhagen player just had his leg stuck out a bit far, hard to blame rashford because if that's dangerous play than we should be sending people off all day

What a collapse after though, no spine or leadership

[devo22]

first Copenhagen goal was offside too (United had a similar one called back last weekend, how fitting) and the pen is questionable at best.

I'm not one to moan about the ref all the time, but the way United are ####ed by the refs and VAR this season is pretty stunning. Seems to happen every ####ing week too.

[cheevers]

Ha well the ref and VAR just did a huge favour to Utd. Never a pen.

[devo22]

it's never a pen, but that's obviously a makeup call for the BS United got served earlier. Not that three wrongs should be corrected with another wrong, mind you.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Not only did Chelsea somehow get £65 million for Havertz, they got that from a direct rival. He really stinks.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1722344486926172232

That tweeter/X linky no worky.

But Havertz reminds me of a modern day Miroslav Klose.

Average to poor for his club team, but throw him into a Germany jersey and hes a superhero.

[Senator Clay Davis]

All updated with a new illegal video link lol. But yeah just a comical miss from the man who seemingly couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by devo22

that red card on Rashford ... lol. I've always been a proponent of VAR, but I'm so over how the refs handle it these days. Super slo-mo makes them see things that aren't there.

I'm watching the highlights now and...I'm inclined to agree. I mean, yikes that looked ugly...in slow-mo. At regular speed thats a natural movement.

You can try and say that Rashford was 'late' but at real life speed thats a natural movement and just unfortunate. Theres no malice in that and 99% of the time no danger.

And it wasnt a 'tackle.' It wasnt even a play really, he was shielding the ball and the guy got his ankle in there.

Yeah, seeing that in slow-mo is ugly, but in real-time with the use of some common sense? Maybe....maybe a yellow, but if its me? Sorry boys, s### happens. Its a foul tops and move along.

[The Big Chill]

Jones, Kovacic, Romero, and Rashford, these were all really similar tackles, I don’t get how people are adamant some are reds and others aren’t.

At the very least, based on the mixed reactions to these tackles, VAR should not be jumping in saying they are clear and obvious errors because there is clearly nowhere near a consensus on what the calls should be.

Edit: And the funniest part is that of all these situations, the only one that was actually a tackle was Kovacic, and he’s the only one who stays on the pitch.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by The Big Chill

Jones, Kovacic, Romero, and Rashford, these were all really similar tackles, I don’t get how people are adamant some are reds and others aren’t.

At the very least, based on the mixed reactions to these tackles, VAR should not be jumping in saying they are clear and obvious errors because there is clearly nowhere near a consensus on what the calls should be.

I think we have to bring in almost a 'hockey' element to it.

Jones made a physical tackle to win a ball.

I'm not familiar with the Kovacic or Romero ones so I wont comment.

Rashford was just shielding the ball that he already had in his possession and the opposing player made an attempt at a tackle and Rashford stepped on him.

I'm sorry, I view that as the fault of the other player. He went for it and he had a right to go for it, but if you do there could be consequences. Rashford doesnt appear to actively do anything wrong or dangerous.

Its just one of those plays.

Also the Pen for the handball on Maguire? Look, I love to take any opportunity to slag on Maguire but that was an absolute joke of a call.

[Locke]

Lol! I just saw the United penalty and now I see what Devo is talking about. Both of those handball goals, for Copenhagen and against them were both a joke. Complete joke.

[Locke]

I was watching the Bayern match...I get Galatasaray were upset that their first goal was chalked off for offside, but that first Kane goal? The linesman calls it offside and they go to VAR and Kane was miles onside...nowhere close to off.

That Kane fella...I think he's going to do okay in der Bundesliga and the Champions' League.

He's gonna do alright.