The most recent Champions League matchday was highlighted by a match between Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in what was expected to be a hotly-contested clash between two of the tournament's powerhouses.
The match did not disappoint as both teams would split the points in a 2-2 draw. However, what was notable about this result was the fact that PSG were two goals behind after 79 minutes, but staged an unlikely comeback to claim a point. Pablo Sarabia scored the Paris club's equalizer against his former team.
This would never have happened to Real Madrid during their dynastic era spanning from 2013 to 2018. I have mentioned before that I consider the Real team of that era to be the greatest team in the history of club football. Part of what made that team great was the aura of intimidation which surrounded them - it sometimes felt like the opposing team was a goal behind before the match would even begin.
Therefore, this latest result thus serves as evidence that this psychological edge has vanished; it began to disappear after they crashed out of the Champions League in the round of 16 against Ajax last season and has only continued to dissipate since. Not even the hiring of Zinedine Zidane, who had coached Real to three consecutive Champions League titles, to his second stint as Real's head coach could reverse the trend. Real would go on to finish third in La Liga. They would end up a whopping 19 points behind arch-rivals Barcelona, who won the league title. Barça also knocked Real out of the Copa del Rey during its semifinals.
Real spent a massive amount of money on player signings during the past offseason. Los Merengues shelled out €258 million to sign players such as Ferland Mendy, Luka Jović, Éder Militão, and most significantly of all, Eden Hazard. These new signings were expected to breathe new life into a team which had seen its share of struggles during the previous season. However, thus far none of them, not even Hazard, have been able to make significant positive contributions to Real's success. A recent controversial incident that called Gareth Bale's commitment to the club into question has also served to destabilize the team.
Real's performance against PSG could in a way have been considered to be a microcosm of their season so far as a whole. Only Hazard and Karim Benzema played at the level at which they were expected to play. Players such as Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Thibaut Courtois, and Raphaël Varane underperformed throughout.
Real's next sequence of matches leading up to the January transfer window will be of utmost importance. This is because when one considers the club's massive outlay during the off-season, it is not likely that they will again spend large sums of money during the next transfer window. Thus, if Real find themselves in an even more difficult position at the end of December, their odds of winning any titles this season will not be good. For this reason, the upcoming "El Clásico" against Barça will take on even more importance than such matches between the two rivals usually would. Lose that match, and Real could find themselves on the fast track to another season which will end with them finishing empty-handed.
Not many would have expected Real's dynasty to have ended as abruptly as it did. Since then, the club has been attempting to rebuild and re-establish itself as a leading contender for yet another Champions League title. Their multiple big-money, eye-catching signings clearly indicated their intent to do so, but things have not quite gone according to plan at the Bernabéu this season. Although Real had been expected to experience a period of transition throughout this season, most nevertheless expected them to have played at a higher level than that at which they have generally been playing.
Now, it's not as though everything is bleak for Real right now. They are second in La Liga and will likely go top if they win El Clásico. They have also advanced to the Champions League's round of 16 after finishing second in their group behind PSG. However, all things considered, one would certainly have expected better from a club of Real Madrid's stature; right now, it does not seem likely that a fifth Champions League title in seven years will be arriving.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Thursday, November 21, 2019
The Weekly Take, Issue 90: As Far As They Could Have Gone
In a stunning turn of events, Tottenham Hotspur made a coaching change which not many could have seen coming. Mauricio Pochettino, who had been Spurs' head coach for over five years, was fired and replaced by José Mourinho after a recent run of form which had seen the London club fall to 14th place in the Premier League while also being knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Colchester. Their only saving grace had been their expected progress to the Champions League's round of 16; even so, they will do so as the second-placed team in Group B, thus forcing them to play against a first-place team in the next round.
On the whole, I will say that Pochettino did an excellent job during his stint in North London. He led Tottenham to a second-place Premier League finish in the 2016-17 season and, even more impressively, took them to the final of last season's Champions League where they lost to Liverpool. The Argentine also played an important role in turning Harry Kane into a bona fide superstar while also surrounding him with several solid supporting pieces such as Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura, Toby Alderweireld, and Dele Alli.
However, I will also say that firing Pochettino at this time was a difficult call, but the right one by Tottenham's front office. This is because Pochettino had seemed to have reached his limit; he had extracted everything he possibly could have out of this Tottenham team. If Tottenham were to reach the next level and win the Premier League or even Champions League any time soon, a change had to be made; one must keep in mind that Tottenham's run to last season's Champions League final was a genuine underdog story and wholly unexpected. Thus, it would have been unlikely to be repeated with Pochettino at the helm.
That said, I do not believe Pochettino will be out of a job for long; his time at Tottenham showed that he is an excellent option for any team which would like to turn an average team into a good team. However, he just isn't cut out to turn a good team into a great team. That's not necessarily a major knock on him - there are many coaches who have made solid coaching careers out of improving otherwise average teams. However, now that he has elevated Tottenham beyond that level, the expectations around the team have changed and he simply isn't the coach who could be the one to make Tottenham one of the football world's elite.
Many Tottenham fans have expressed apprehension over the hiring of Mourinho. This is understandable in light of his most recent coaching stint: a tumultous tenure spanning two-and-a-half years at Manchester United. However, if there was ever a coach who knows what it takes to win and how to turn a team which is merely a good team into one of the world's best football teams, it is Mourinho. At almost every club he has coached, he has led the club to overachievement; one could even argue that his Manchester United team, despite the circumstances of his departure, outperformed expectations by winning a Carabao Cup and a Europa League while also finishing second in the league in spite of their relatively limited financial capabilities when compared to those of many other teams.
It cannot be denied that Pochettino has laid the foundations for the future success of Tottenham Hotspur. That said, the time was right for the baton to be passed; nevertheless, any success experienced by Mourinho or any other Tottenham coach in the near future will have largely been derived from Pochettino's efforts to being Tottenham to the level at which they currently are. However, sometimes risks have to be taken; in this case, the only way for Tottenham to become a perennial title contender in the league and in Europe was by moving on from the former Espanyol and Southampton coach.
Tottenham have not won the league since 1961 and have never won the Champions League. This is a club and a fanbase which is desperate for silverware. Although Tottenham fans will look back on the Pochettino years with many fond memories, in due time many of these fans will come to realize that he would never have been the one who would have led Tottenham to have broken either of these droughts.
On the whole, I will say that Pochettino did an excellent job during his stint in North London. He led Tottenham to a second-place Premier League finish in the 2016-17 season and, even more impressively, took them to the final of last season's Champions League where they lost to Liverpool. The Argentine also played an important role in turning Harry Kane into a bona fide superstar while also surrounding him with several solid supporting pieces such as Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura, Toby Alderweireld, and Dele Alli.
However, I will also say that firing Pochettino at this time was a difficult call, but the right one by Tottenham's front office. This is because Pochettino had seemed to have reached his limit; he had extracted everything he possibly could have out of this Tottenham team. If Tottenham were to reach the next level and win the Premier League or even Champions League any time soon, a change had to be made; one must keep in mind that Tottenham's run to last season's Champions League final was a genuine underdog story and wholly unexpected. Thus, it would have been unlikely to be repeated with Pochettino at the helm.
That said, I do not believe Pochettino will be out of a job for long; his time at Tottenham showed that he is an excellent option for any team which would like to turn an average team into a good team. However, he just isn't cut out to turn a good team into a great team. That's not necessarily a major knock on him - there are many coaches who have made solid coaching careers out of improving otherwise average teams. However, now that he has elevated Tottenham beyond that level, the expectations around the team have changed and he simply isn't the coach who could be the one to make Tottenham one of the football world's elite.
Many Tottenham fans have expressed apprehension over the hiring of Mourinho. This is understandable in light of his most recent coaching stint: a tumultous tenure spanning two-and-a-half years at Manchester United. However, if there was ever a coach who knows what it takes to win and how to turn a team which is merely a good team into one of the world's best football teams, it is Mourinho. At almost every club he has coached, he has led the club to overachievement; one could even argue that his Manchester United team, despite the circumstances of his departure, outperformed expectations by winning a Carabao Cup and a Europa League while also finishing second in the league in spite of their relatively limited financial capabilities when compared to those of many other teams.
It cannot be denied that Pochettino has laid the foundations for the future success of Tottenham Hotspur. That said, the time was right for the baton to be passed; nevertheless, any success experienced by Mourinho or any other Tottenham coach in the near future will have largely been derived from Pochettino's efforts to being Tottenham to the level at which they currently are. However, sometimes risks have to be taken; in this case, the only way for Tottenham to become a perennial title contender in the league and in Europe was by moving on from the former Espanyol and Southampton coach.
Tottenham have not won the league since 1961 and have never won the Champions League. This is a club and a fanbase which is desperate for silverware. Although Tottenham fans will look back on the Pochettino years with many fond memories, in due time many of these fans will come to realize that he would never have been the one who would have led Tottenham to have broken either of these droughts.
Monday, November 18, 2019
The Weekly Take, Issue 89: Time Is Running Out
As Euro 2020 approaches and the qualifying stage reaches its climax, every team which might still qualify for the tournament will be doing all they can to do so, while those who have already qualified will be attempting to prove why they should be among the contenders to win the title.
One such team which has already qualified is Belgium.
In the latest round of Euro 2020 qualifiers, Belgium registered an impressive 4-1 victory over Russia. Eden Hazard's two first-half goals served as the catalyst for the rather one-sided victory.
However, at this point fans of the Belgian team should be cautious. Ever since they first emerged as a genuine threat to win titles, they have made a habit out of looking extremely impressive in qualifying and the early rounds of tournaments, only to fall apart when the stakes are at their absolute highest.
During the 2014 World Cup, Belgium were drawn into Group H against Russia, South Korea, and Algeria after having cruised through qualifying. As expected, they made it out of the group with absolutely no problems, winning all three matches. Then, in the round of 16, they faced the United States, where they won a hard-fought but rather unimpressive 2-1 extra-time victory. Belgium then proceeded to crash out in the quarterfinals after losing to an Argentina team which had been underperforming up to that point of the tournament and whom many expected Belgium to beat.
Euro 2016 provided a similar story. After advancing from a group containing Italy, Ireland, and Sweden, Belgium took Hungary apart in the round of 16 to set up a match against Wales in the quarterfinals. Once again, Belgium would come up short against a supposedly inferior opponent, losing 3-1 to the unfancied Welsh team.
During last year's World Cup, Belgium again found themselves in what seemed to be a relatively easy group; they were drawn against England, Panama, and Tunisia after once again breezing through the qualifiers. They won all three group matches, scoring nine goals in the process. A round of 16 win over Japan from two goals behind was followed by a 2-1 victory over Brazil to set up a semifinal against France. With the less-favoured teams of Croatia and England facing off in the other semifinal, many believed that this was the "real" final; the winner of this match would go on to win the tournament. In what was their best chance to claim the biggest prize in football, Belgium once again stumbled in the spotlight as they were eliminated by a 51st-minute Samuel Umtiti goal. Although Belgium would go on to beat England in a group-stage rematch for third place, it would prove to be scant consolation for a team which had now blown three clear chances to win a tournament for the first time in the country's history.
The current Belgian team is overflowing with talent. Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, and Kevin De Bruyne are genuine superstars around whom a title-winning team can be built. They also have an excellent supporting cast featuring the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Axel Witsel, Nacer Chadli, Michy Batshuayi, Yannick Carrasco, and Thomas Meunier among others. Roberto Martínez has also done an excellent job as head coach since taking over in 2016.
That being said, at this point, one has to wonder if these constant near-misses have gotten inside the Belgian players' minds. In terms of sheer talent and star power as well as overall depth, Belgium were at or near the very top among all teams in their last three major tournaments, but fell short each time including twice against teams which they had been expected to beat.
This is a team which is beginning to run out of chances. Their stars do not have many prime years left; thus, Euro 2020 might represent their last tournament as a top-tier title contender for quite some time. There is a distinct possibility that this astonishingly talented generation, the likes of which Belgium had never before seen, might very well end up with nothing to show for their efforts when the story of this era of international football is fully written.
Has time run out on this Belgium team? Not yet, but the hourglass is ever closer to becoming empty.
One such team which has already qualified is Belgium.
In the latest round of Euro 2020 qualifiers, Belgium registered an impressive 4-1 victory over Russia. Eden Hazard's two first-half goals served as the catalyst for the rather one-sided victory.
However, at this point fans of the Belgian team should be cautious. Ever since they first emerged as a genuine threat to win titles, they have made a habit out of looking extremely impressive in qualifying and the early rounds of tournaments, only to fall apart when the stakes are at their absolute highest.
During the 2014 World Cup, Belgium were drawn into Group H against Russia, South Korea, and Algeria after having cruised through qualifying. As expected, they made it out of the group with absolutely no problems, winning all three matches. Then, in the round of 16, they faced the United States, where they won a hard-fought but rather unimpressive 2-1 extra-time victory. Belgium then proceeded to crash out in the quarterfinals after losing to an Argentina team which had been underperforming up to that point of the tournament and whom many expected Belgium to beat.
Euro 2016 provided a similar story. After advancing from a group containing Italy, Ireland, and Sweden, Belgium took Hungary apart in the round of 16 to set up a match against Wales in the quarterfinals. Once again, Belgium would come up short against a supposedly inferior opponent, losing 3-1 to the unfancied Welsh team.
During last year's World Cup, Belgium again found themselves in what seemed to be a relatively easy group; they were drawn against England, Panama, and Tunisia after once again breezing through the qualifiers. They won all three group matches, scoring nine goals in the process. A round of 16 win over Japan from two goals behind was followed by a 2-1 victory over Brazil to set up a semifinal against France. With the less-favoured teams of Croatia and England facing off in the other semifinal, many believed that this was the "real" final; the winner of this match would go on to win the tournament. In what was their best chance to claim the biggest prize in football, Belgium once again stumbled in the spotlight as they were eliminated by a 51st-minute Samuel Umtiti goal. Although Belgium would go on to beat England in a group-stage rematch for third place, it would prove to be scant consolation for a team which had now blown three clear chances to win a tournament for the first time in the country's history.
The current Belgian team is overflowing with talent. Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, and Kevin De Bruyne are genuine superstars around whom a title-winning team can be built. They also have an excellent supporting cast featuring the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Axel Witsel, Nacer Chadli, Michy Batshuayi, Yannick Carrasco, and Thomas Meunier among others. Roberto Martínez has also done an excellent job as head coach since taking over in 2016.
That being said, at this point, one has to wonder if these constant near-misses have gotten inside the Belgian players' minds. In terms of sheer talent and star power as well as overall depth, Belgium were at or near the very top among all teams in their last three major tournaments, but fell short each time including twice against teams which they had been expected to beat.
This is a team which is beginning to run out of chances. Their stars do not have many prime years left; thus, Euro 2020 might represent their last tournament as a top-tier title contender for quite some time. There is a distinct possibility that this astonishingly talented generation, the likes of which Belgium had never before seen, might very well end up with nothing to show for their efforts when the story of this era of international football is fully written.
Has time run out on this Belgium team? Not yet, but the hourglass is ever closer to becoming empty.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
The Weekly Take, Issue 88: Defying the Critics
Those of you who follow my posts regularly will know that the club on which I have probably been harshest is Chelsea. This is understandable, given their recent combination of a lack of performance on the field and complete mismanagement off it. Thus, there has been much to criticize about the Blues over the last few years.
This is why what I'm about to write may come as a surprise to some of you: this Chelsea team actually looks pretty good.
In their recent Champions League match against Ajax, the London club came back from a 4-1 deficit to gut out a 4-4 draw. Substitute Reece James scored the tying goal in the 74th minute to earn Chelsea an unlikely share of the points.
At the beginning of this season, if someone had told me that in the first week of November, Chelsea would be in second place in a Champions League group containing Ajax, Valencia, and Lille while also riding a lengthy winning streak in the Premier League to put daylight between themselves and other clubs chasing a top-four spot, I would not have believed that person. Yet, it is what it is - Chelsea look like a rejuvenated team.
So just how have they turned it around after a turbulent and largely unsuccessful past few years?
I'll start with the obvious reason: they wasted no time in transitioning from the Eden Hazard era to what I believe will be the Christian Pulisic era. Pulisic has received tremendous amounts of hype, and rightly so - his ceiling is one which very few players can ever hope to approach. Still only 21 years old, the American winger is likely to be the centrepiece of this Chelsea team for at least the next four or five years. He projects to become the type of player around whom, when he reaches his prime years, a Champions League title contender can be built. Of course, the onus is on Roman Abramovich and the rest of Chelsea's front office to ensure that Pulisic's prime is not wasted in the same way that Hazard's were.
Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard has also begun to get a better feel of his new position. When he took over in the dugout for the club at which he spent 13 years as a player, some eyebrows were raised because up to that point, he had not experienced much coaching success. Chelsea's slow start to the season did little to dispel these doubts. However, over the last few weeks, he has clearly begun to understand the strengths and weaknesses of this team much more and has thus been able to tailor the team's tactics to suit them - something his predecessor Maurizio Sarri was never quite able to do.
Chelsea have also benefited from breakout seasons by some of their previously unheralded players. The likes of Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, and Fikayo Tomori were not on the radars of most fans prior to this season, while Willian, Jorginho, and Kurt Zouma, among others, are playing arguably the best football of their career to date. This doesn't even account for the fact that the club's best player, defensive midfielder N'Golo Kanté, has missed most of the season thus far due to injuries.
After Hazard's departure to Real Madrid as well as the transfer ban which had been imposed on Chelsea, many expected Chelsea to have to suffer through something of a "lost season". However, they have certainly outperformed expectations up to this point of the season. What's more, when the woes of fellow London clubs Arsenal and Tottenham are taken into account, it can be seen that Chelsea have clearly re-established themselves as the best of the city's three major teams.
Now, I won't get carried away here - Chelsea's best-case scenario this season, in my opinion, is third place in the Premier League, an FA Cup victory, and a Champions League run to the quarterfinals. That being said, the set of results which have just been mentioned, while still rather unlikely, no longer appears as radically unrealistic as it did just two months ago.
At the start of the season, not many expected this team to gel the way that it has, but somehow, for the first time in a very long time, whatever Chelsea are doing seems to be working.
This is why what I'm about to write may come as a surprise to some of you: this Chelsea team actually looks pretty good.
In their recent Champions League match against Ajax, the London club came back from a 4-1 deficit to gut out a 4-4 draw. Substitute Reece James scored the tying goal in the 74th minute to earn Chelsea an unlikely share of the points.
At the beginning of this season, if someone had told me that in the first week of November, Chelsea would be in second place in a Champions League group containing Ajax, Valencia, and Lille while also riding a lengthy winning streak in the Premier League to put daylight between themselves and other clubs chasing a top-four spot, I would not have believed that person. Yet, it is what it is - Chelsea look like a rejuvenated team.
So just how have they turned it around after a turbulent and largely unsuccessful past few years?
I'll start with the obvious reason: they wasted no time in transitioning from the Eden Hazard era to what I believe will be the Christian Pulisic era. Pulisic has received tremendous amounts of hype, and rightly so - his ceiling is one which very few players can ever hope to approach. Still only 21 years old, the American winger is likely to be the centrepiece of this Chelsea team for at least the next four or five years. He projects to become the type of player around whom, when he reaches his prime years, a Champions League title contender can be built. Of course, the onus is on Roman Abramovich and the rest of Chelsea's front office to ensure that Pulisic's prime is not wasted in the same way that Hazard's were.
Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard has also begun to get a better feel of his new position. When he took over in the dugout for the club at which he spent 13 years as a player, some eyebrows were raised because up to that point, he had not experienced much coaching success. Chelsea's slow start to the season did little to dispel these doubts. However, over the last few weeks, he has clearly begun to understand the strengths and weaknesses of this team much more and has thus been able to tailor the team's tactics to suit them - something his predecessor Maurizio Sarri was never quite able to do.
Chelsea have also benefited from breakout seasons by some of their previously unheralded players. The likes of Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, and Fikayo Tomori were not on the radars of most fans prior to this season, while Willian, Jorginho, and Kurt Zouma, among others, are playing arguably the best football of their career to date. This doesn't even account for the fact that the club's best player, defensive midfielder N'Golo Kanté, has missed most of the season thus far due to injuries.
After Hazard's departure to Real Madrid as well as the transfer ban which had been imposed on Chelsea, many expected Chelsea to have to suffer through something of a "lost season". However, they have certainly outperformed expectations up to this point of the season. What's more, when the woes of fellow London clubs Arsenal and Tottenham are taken into account, it can be seen that Chelsea have clearly re-established themselves as the best of the city's three major teams.
Now, I won't get carried away here - Chelsea's best-case scenario this season, in my opinion, is third place in the Premier League, an FA Cup victory, and a Champions League run to the quarterfinals. That being said, the set of results which have just been mentioned, while still rather unlikely, no longer appears as radically unrealistic as it did just two months ago.
At the start of the season, not many expected this team to gel the way that it has, but somehow, for the first time in a very long time, whatever Chelsea are doing seems to be working.
Monday, November 4, 2019
The Weekly Take, Issue 87: Way Too Hasty of a Decision
Eintracht Frankfurt produced the outstanding result of the most recent Bundesliga matchday with a spectacular 5-1 victory over reigning league champions Bayern Munich. As was indicated by the scoreline, it was an extremely one-sided match - Frankfurt completely dominated the Bavarian giants and easily outclassed them throughout.
However, the most astonishing turn of events took place the day after the match.
As a direct consequence of the loss, Bayern head coach Niko Kovač was fired from the position. This move came as a major surprise due to the fact that Kovač had led Bayern to a Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal title in the 2018-19 season and that this season, despite the crushing loss to Frankfurt, Bayern are still firmly in the league title race; they only trail league leaders Borussia Mönchengladbach by four points.
Bayern have never been a club to make spur-of-the-moment decisions like this, so the club's firing of the Croat was very much unexpected. Despite Bayern's somewhat slow start to the season, they were not in any way a club in crisis and thus had no reason to make such a drastic and hasty decision.
When Kovač took over at the Allianz Arena in July 2018, some questioned the decision to hire him because he had only had six years of experience as a head coach up to that point, of which only two were in a major European League. However, at that time, he had been fresh off leading Frankfurt to an unexpected DFB-Pokal title after stunning Bayern 3-1 in the final.
However, after a shaky start and moderate amounts of unrest in the Bayern locker room, Kovač rapidly corrected the situation and steered the club back on the right path, culminating in a league and cup double in his first season in charge. Although Bayern were knocked out of the Champions League in the round of 16, they can count themselves unfortunate that such was the case because their elimination was against eventual champions Liverpool in what was one of the tournament's most hotly contested matchups. When combined with his impressive tenure at Frankfurt, the Berlin-born coach had been beginning to build quite the impressive coaching résumé, so his firing was clearly contrary to everything which had preceded it apart from the recent loss to Frankfurt.
Of course, that's not to say that Kovač has not made his share of mistakes during his time at the helm of Bayern. Some of his chief errors came in the transfer market. The signing of Lucas Hernandez from Atlético Madrid for the eye-popping sum of €80 million was an obvious overpay, while Bayern were likely underpaid when they sold Portugal winger Renato Sanches to Lille for €20 million. As has been mentioned, Kovač was not always the best manager of personalities either; the occasional bouts of intra-team discord were evidence of this fact, although it never reached a point which caused the complete implosion of the team.
Nevertheless, it is fairly likely that Bayern's decision to fire Kovač will prove to be the wrong one. The coach who is seen by most as Kovač's successor is former AC Milan and Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri. Landing the man from Livorno would be a major coup for Bayern; however, should they fail to do so, they will certainly be in a difficult position.
The fact that Kovač was fired just one day after the 5-1 loss proves that his firing was a knee-jerk reaction and not one which was carefully planned. As Bayern have always been methodical and measured in the way the club is run, this was very much unlike Bayern's upper management to pull the trigger; they could very well end up regretting this impulsive decision.
As for Kovač himself, one should expect him to find himself back in the dugout before too long. The chances are also relatively reasonable that he will do so with another of Europe's leading clubs; he has proven himself as a good enough coach to deserve a second chance with such a club.
I would like to conclude this post by saying one thing: as a Borussia Dortmund fan, I will admit to having indulged in a good deal of schadenfreude during the match, after it, and even while writing this post.
However, the most astonishing turn of events took place the day after the match.
As a direct consequence of the loss, Bayern head coach Niko Kovač was fired from the position. This move came as a major surprise due to the fact that Kovač had led Bayern to a Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal title in the 2018-19 season and that this season, despite the crushing loss to Frankfurt, Bayern are still firmly in the league title race; they only trail league leaders Borussia Mönchengladbach by four points.
Bayern have never been a club to make spur-of-the-moment decisions like this, so the club's firing of the Croat was very much unexpected. Despite Bayern's somewhat slow start to the season, they were not in any way a club in crisis and thus had no reason to make such a drastic and hasty decision.
When Kovač took over at the Allianz Arena in July 2018, some questioned the decision to hire him because he had only had six years of experience as a head coach up to that point, of which only two were in a major European League. However, at that time, he had been fresh off leading Frankfurt to an unexpected DFB-Pokal title after stunning Bayern 3-1 in the final.
However, after a shaky start and moderate amounts of unrest in the Bayern locker room, Kovač rapidly corrected the situation and steered the club back on the right path, culminating in a league and cup double in his first season in charge. Although Bayern were knocked out of the Champions League in the round of 16, they can count themselves unfortunate that such was the case because their elimination was against eventual champions Liverpool in what was one of the tournament's most hotly contested matchups. When combined with his impressive tenure at Frankfurt, the Berlin-born coach had been beginning to build quite the impressive coaching résumé, so his firing was clearly contrary to everything which had preceded it apart from the recent loss to Frankfurt.
Of course, that's not to say that Kovač has not made his share of mistakes during his time at the helm of Bayern. Some of his chief errors came in the transfer market. The signing of Lucas Hernandez from Atlético Madrid for the eye-popping sum of €80 million was an obvious overpay, while Bayern were likely underpaid when they sold Portugal winger Renato Sanches to Lille for €20 million. As has been mentioned, Kovač was not always the best manager of personalities either; the occasional bouts of intra-team discord were evidence of this fact, although it never reached a point which caused the complete implosion of the team.
Nevertheless, it is fairly likely that Bayern's decision to fire Kovač will prove to be the wrong one. The coach who is seen by most as Kovač's successor is former AC Milan and Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri. Landing the man from Livorno would be a major coup for Bayern; however, should they fail to do so, they will certainly be in a difficult position.
The fact that Kovač was fired just one day after the 5-1 loss proves that his firing was a knee-jerk reaction and not one which was carefully planned. As Bayern have always been methodical and measured in the way the club is run, this was very much unlike Bayern's upper management to pull the trigger; they could very well end up regretting this impulsive decision.
As for Kovač himself, one should expect him to find himself back in the dugout before too long. The chances are also relatively reasonable that he will do so with another of Europe's leading clubs; he has proven himself as a good enough coach to deserve a second chance with such a club.
I would like to conclude this post by saying one thing: as a Borussia Dortmund fan, I will admit to having indulged in a good deal of schadenfreude during the match, after it, and even while writing this post.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
The Weekly Take, Issue 86: How Will They Reach the Next Level?
Among the most intriguing matchups of the most recent Champions League matchday was the clash between Atlético Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen. Although Leverkusen produced a spirited display, it was simply not good enough to overcome the Spanish powerhouse as they succumbed to a 1-0 loss. Álvaro Morata's 78th-minute goal proved to be the difference-maker.
This season is beginning to take on a familiar tone for Leverkusen. In the Bundesliga, although they are only two points behind league leaders Borussia Mönchengladbach, not many are giving them a genuine chance to last the distance and seriously challenge for the league title. In the Champions League, Die Werkself have lost all three matches and face an uphill struggle to even finish third in their group and qualify for the Europa League, let alone advance to the round of 16 of the Champions League.
Every season almost seems to be the same for the club from North Rhine-Westphalia. Ever since the 2009-10, Leverkusen have finished between second and fifth in the Bundesliga in every season except 2016-17, only advanced beyond the quarterfinals of the DFB-Pokal once, and never advanced beyond the Champions League's round of 16.
Over this decade-long stretch, Leverkusen have certainly not been short of quality players. The likes of Toni Kroos, Tin Jedvaj, Stefan Kießling, Javier Hernández, Son Heung-min, and most notably of all, Arturo Vidal have played for Leverkusen during this period. Now, while one might note that all of these players with the exception of Hernández have since left the club, it should also be recognized that over this same period, teams such as Atlético, Napoli, Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham, and reigning European champions Liverpool have been able to overcome the departures of many a star player and establish themselves as genuine forces in domestic and European competition alike.
That being said, the question asked by every Leverkusen fans remains unanswered: how might the club follow in these other teams' footsteps and reach a level at which they are among the fringe, if not the leading, contenders for titles in Germany and in Europe?
The first place to look is, of course, the transfers made by Leverkusen during this past off-season. Leverkusen spent €61 million on player signings during the most recent transfer window. The most notable of these signings was that of central midfielder Kerem Demirbay. The Germany international was signed from Hoffenheim for €32 million, and this represents the first problem - this signing was an obvious overpay; the club seems to have no coherent strategy in place when signing players.
Instead of signing four players for €61 million, Leverkusen could have attempted to go all-in on a big-name player, with perhaps a lesser name to accompany the big-name signing if sufficient funds were to be left over. They already have the supporting pieces in place; Kai Havertz, Lukáš Hrádecký, Sven and Lars Bender, Karim Bellarabi, and Kevin Volland form a solid group. All they need is that one last guy who will make things happen and really get this team firing; however, it appears that they have missed their chance in this regard.
Leverkusen should also consider replacing Peter Bosz as head coach.
Throughout his 17-year coaching career, Bosz has not proven that he is capable of leading a high-level club to the next level. He has never won a title of any sort as a coach, while his most recent job prior to taking over at Leverkusen ended with his dismissal from the position at Dortmund after a dismal start to the 2017-18 season. A new person at the helm would go a long way towards shaking things up and injecting fresh life into the team.
Having said all of this, Leverkusen are not a poorly run club by any means. Given the fact that they are a relatively unglamorous team in a small market, they have done fairly well. Their signings, while sometimes questionable, have not been terrible. The team itself does have a clear identity, and they have been performing at a relatively stable and consistent level.
However, in order to ascend to the next level, some clear but difficult choices have to be made. They will determine if over the next few years, Leverkusen remain at this level or become true title contenders and a real force in European football.
This season is beginning to take on a familiar tone for Leverkusen. In the Bundesliga, although they are only two points behind league leaders Borussia Mönchengladbach, not many are giving them a genuine chance to last the distance and seriously challenge for the league title. In the Champions League, Die Werkself have lost all three matches and face an uphill struggle to even finish third in their group and qualify for the Europa League, let alone advance to the round of 16 of the Champions League.
Every season almost seems to be the same for the club from North Rhine-Westphalia. Ever since the 2009-10, Leverkusen have finished between second and fifth in the Bundesliga in every season except 2016-17, only advanced beyond the quarterfinals of the DFB-Pokal once, and never advanced beyond the Champions League's round of 16.
Over this decade-long stretch, Leverkusen have certainly not been short of quality players. The likes of Toni Kroos, Tin Jedvaj, Stefan Kießling, Javier Hernández, Son Heung-min, and most notably of all, Arturo Vidal have played for Leverkusen during this period. Now, while one might note that all of these players with the exception of Hernández have since left the club, it should also be recognized that over this same period, teams such as Atlético, Napoli, Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham, and reigning European champions Liverpool have been able to overcome the departures of many a star player and establish themselves as genuine forces in domestic and European competition alike.
That being said, the question asked by every Leverkusen fans remains unanswered: how might the club follow in these other teams' footsteps and reach a level at which they are among the fringe, if not the leading, contenders for titles in Germany and in Europe?
The first place to look is, of course, the transfers made by Leverkusen during this past off-season. Leverkusen spent €61 million on player signings during the most recent transfer window. The most notable of these signings was that of central midfielder Kerem Demirbay. The Germany international was signed from Hoffenheim for €32 million, and this represents the first problem - this signing was an obvious overpay; the club seems to have no coherent strategy in place when signing players.
Instead of signing four players for €61 million, Leverkusen could have attempted to go all-in on a big-name player, with perhaps a lesser name to accompany the big-name signing if sufficient funds were to be left over. They already have the supporting pieces in place; Kai Havertz, Lukáš Hrádecký, Sven and Lars Bender, Karim Bellarabi, and Kevin Volland form a solid group. All they need is that one last guy who will make things happen and really get this team firing; however, it appears that they have missed their chance in this regard.
Leverkusen should also consider replacing Peter Bosz as head coach.
Throughout his 17-year coaching career, Bosz has not proven that he is capable of leading a high-level club to the next level. He has never won a title of any sort as a coach, while his most recent job prior to taking over at Leverkusen ended with his dismissal from the position at Dortmund after a dismal start to the 2017-18 season. A new person at the helm would go a long way towards shaking things up and injecting fresh life into the team.
Having said all of this, Leverkusen are not a poorly run club by any means. Given the fact that they are a relatively unglamorous team in a small market, they have done fairly well. Their signings, while sometimes questionable, have not been terrible. The team itself does have a clear identity, and they have been performing at a relatively stable and consistent level.
However, in order to ascend to the next level, some clear but difficult choices have to be made. They will determine if over the next few years, Leverkusen remain at this level or become true title contenders and a real force in European football.
Monday, October 21, 2019
The Weekly Take, Issue 85: The Next Invincibles?
The latest instalment of perhaps the most iconic rivalry in world football ended with an unexpected result.
Manchester United, who up to this point have been in truly awful form this season, managed to hold overwhelming favourites Liverpool to a 1-1 draw. In fact, the Red Devils almost pulled off a stunning upset against the Merseyside juggernaut, but Adam Lallana's 85th-minute goal matched Marcus Rashford's first-half strike for United and earned a share of the points for Liverpool.
The result also meant that Liverpool's unbeaten league streak would continue for yet another game. Although it is still early in the season, this fact is notable because prior to the match, Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum claimed that Liverpool could be able to complete the entire Premier League campaign without losing a single match.
Over the last half-century, this achievement has only been accomplished four times by a club in one of Europe's four major leagues: Perugia in the 1978-79 Serie A, AC Milan in the 1991-92 Serie A, Arsenal in the 2003-04 Premier League, and Juventus in the 2011-12 Serie A.
When looking at these four seasons, it becomes clear that all four "Invincibles" campaigns were very different.
There really isn't much to say about Perugia's unbeaten season other than the fact that they did not even win the league, finishing three points behind AC Milan. This team was certainly a one-season wonder; they were seventh in the league the season before and ninth the season after. Perugia have not even been close to anything approaching that level of success since.
AC Milan's season was the most dominant of all four mentioned. With legendary head coach Fabio Capello at the helm, this was an outrageously stacked team containing players such as Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, and Marco van Basten. They won the league by eight points over Juventus; however, it must be remembered that this was a 34-game season in the era when a win was worth two points. After adjusting for scoring system changes and applying the new point ratio to 38 games instead of 34, the Rossoneri would have earned 87 points to Juve's 74. Perhaps even more astonishing was their goal difference of +53, which was a remarkable 30 goals superior to Juve's. In general, this was one of the greatest single-season teams of all time.
Arsenal's unbeaten season was almost as dominant as Milan's. Although the Gunners did not possess the overall star power that the Milan team did, it nevertheless did have some all-time greats including Patrick Vieira, Ashley Cole, Dennis Bergkamp, and of course, Thierry Henry. However, despite the general strength of this team, this particular season could be viewed as something of a carry job. This can be seen in the fact that in the voting for the 1992 FIFA World Player of the Year, three Milan players featured in the top 10 with van Basten taking top honours, while only Henry did so in 2004, finishing second. Henry had a season for the ages as he scored 39 goals in all competitions, including 30 in the league. Arsenal finished the season 11 points ahead of Chelsea to clinch their third league title in seven seasons in emphatic fashion.
Despite completing an unbeaten league campaign, Juventus were not particularly dominant in the season which they did so. The Bianconeri only won the league title over Milan by four points in a closely contested Serie A title race. This was very much a team effort; no Juve player scored more than 10 goals that season. However, individual standouts included Andrea Pirlo who had the best season of his career, as well as Arturo Vidal who had a breakout season in his first campaign in Turin as he became recognized as one of the world's best central midfielders.
It is certainly possible that Liverpool will emulate these teams. They have the world's best coach in Jürgen Klopp as well as several players who seem to be all-time greats in the making such as Virgil van Dijk, Mo Salah, and Alisson. This already seems to be one of the greatest teams of the last decade, will almost certainly win the Premier League, and are probably the favourites to win back-to-back Champions League title. Even taking all of this into consideration, an unbeaten league campaign would send their legacy to a completely new level because of the rarity of such an achievement.
Manchester United, who up to this point have been in truly awful form this season, managed to hold overwhelming favourites Liverpool to a 1-1 draw. In fact, the Red Devils almost pulled off a stunning upset against the Merseyside juggernaut, but Adam Lallana's 85th-minute goal matched Marcus Rashford's first-half strike for United and earned a share of the points for Liverpool.
The result also meant that Liverpool's unbeaten league streak would continue for yet another game. Although it is still early in the season, this fact is notable because prior to the match, Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum claimed that Liverpool could be able to complete the entire Premier League campaign without losing a single match.
Over the last half-century, this achievement has only been accomplished four times by a club in one of Europe's four major leagues: Perugia in the 1978-79 Serie A, AC Milan in the 1991-92 Serie A, Arsenal in the 2003-04 Premier League, and Juventus in the 2011-12 Serie A.
When looking at these four seasons, it becomes clear that all four "Invincibles" campaigns were very different.
There really isn't much to say about Perugia's unbeaten season other than the fact that they did not even win the league, finishing three points behind AC Milan. This team was certainly a one-season wonder; they were seventh in the league the season before and ninth the season after. Perugia have not even been close to anything approaching that level of success since.
AC Milan's season was the most dominant of all four mentioned. With legendary head coach Fabio Capello at the helm, this was an outrageously stacked team containing players such as Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, and Marco van Basten. They won the league by eight points over Juventus; however, it must be remembered that this was a 34-game season in the era when a win was worth two points. After adjusting for scoring system changes and applying the new point ratio to 38 games instead of 34, the Rossoneri would have earned 87 points to Juve's 74. Perhaps even more astonishing was their goal difference of +53, which was a remarkable 30 goals superior to Juve's. In general, this was one of the greatest single-season teams of all time.
Arsenal's unbeaten season was almost as dominant as Milan's. Although the Gunners did not possess the overall star power that the Milan team did, it nevertheless did have some all-time greats including Patrick Vieira, Ashley Cole, Dennis Bergkamp, and of course, Thierry Henry. However, despite the general strength of this team, this particular season could be viewed as something of a carry job. This can be seen in the fact that in the voting for the 1992 FIFA World Player of the Year, three Milan players featured in the top 10 with van Basten taking top honours, while only Henry did so in 2004, finishing second. Henry had a season for the ages as he scored 39 goals in all competitions, including 30 in the league. Arsenal finished the season 11 points ahead of Chelsea to clinch their third league title in seven seasons in emphatic fashion.
Despite completing an unbeaten league campaign, Juventus were not particularly dominant in the season which they did so. The Bianconeri only won the league title over Milan by four points in a closely contested Serie A title race. This was very much a team effort; no Juve player scored more than 10 goals that season. However, individual standouts included Andrea Pirlo who had the best season of his career, as well as Arturo Vidal who had a breakout season in his first campaign in Turin as he became recognized as one of the world's best central midfielders.
It is certainly possible that Liverpool will emulate these teams. They have the world's best coach in Jürgen Klopp as well as several players who seem to be all-time greats in the making such as Virgil van Dijk, Mo Salah, and Alisson. This already seems to be one of the greatest teams of the last decade, will almost certainly win the Premier League, and are probably the favourites to win back-to-back Champions League title. Even taking all of this into consideration, an unbeaten league campaign would send their legacy to a completely new level because of the rarity of such an achievement.
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