Frimpong goal + assist
Xabi Alonso watch
- Thread starter rurikbird
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That pass from Wirtz for the third is pure sex.
But he got the job because there were problems to be fixed. 2nd from bottom - P8 W1 D2 L5 F9 A16, was how the table looked like when Seoane got the sack.
This is how the league table looks like since he took over until the latest round:
This is how the league table looks like since he took over until the latest round:
Yeah, changed it yesterday after Salah broke the record. 😀
If things are that straight forward, Union Berlin probably wouldn't be 3rd. 😛
Leverkusen have the 3rd youngest squad (avg. age) and have the 3rd fewest players used in the league this season. Schick (24 goals in 27 league app last season) just returned from injury last month. Seeing how Wirtz has performed his injury comeback, a fully fit Schick should be of great help.
Probably fairer to judge after he has a full pre season + bring in his own/preferred type of players.
On a sidenote, Sky Sports feature for reading pleasure:
Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen: Time needed after inheriting a difficult situation but still tipped for greatness
On a visit to Bayer Leverkusen, we go inside Xabi Alonso’s first big managerial role to find out more about the situation he inherited at the Bundesliga club; Watch Bayer Leverkusen vs Hertha Berlin live on Sky Sports Football this Sunday; kick-off 2.30pm
[article]Xabi Alonso’s appointment by Bayer Leverkusen was popular. Former team-mate Philipp Lahm insisted that he had every quality needed to succeed. Even old coaches Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho were united in their conviction about his capabilities.
But others wondered whether it was worth the gamble. A coach with no top-flight experience taking over a team still in the Champions League but only one place off the bottom of the Bundesliga. A first relegation was a real fear for Leverkusen.
A mixed start only added to the doubters outside the club but Alonso went on to lead Leverkusen to five league wins in a row either side of the World Cup. Beat Ferencvaros over two legs and they will be into the quarter-finals of the Europa League, too.
For Simon Rolfes, the club's long-time midfielder turned sporting director, a decision that had seemed optimistic is now being seen as imaginative. Speaking to him in an office at the BayArena, he insists that he had to trust his instincts when it came to Alonso.
"It is true that Xabi did not have the experience as a head coach at this level and also in this situation," Rolfes tells Sky Sports. "But, for me, it is always important to consider the quality of the head coach and I just knew that he had the quality to improve the team.
"Maybe it would have been different if there were three games left of the season. That would have been a different situation because you do not have any time. But it was only eight games into the season. With the World Cup break, we had time to improve."
Improvement was certainly needed. Despite finishing third under Swiss coach Gerardo Seoane last season, Leverkusen had endured their worst start to a season since the club had been first promoted to the Bundesliga in 1979. Relationships had disintegrated.
"The starting point was a team without trust, players without trust," acknowledges Rolfes. "It was a difficult situation, a really difficult situation for Xabi. But I was totally convinced that he would improve the quality of the players and the quality of the team."
It was a hunch, really. Alonso has been a world-class player, a Champions League winner and a World Cup winner. He had played under the greatest managers of his era. But his senior coaching experience was limited to a spell with Real Sociedad's reserves.
"You could analyse the style of play there but not with a lot of data," admits Rolfes. "It is different, for sure. But it was not a problem that he had no experience. After all, nobody has any experience at the start. In the end, it is all about the person.
"I had good information because he played with guys I know. He was always consistent as a player and a person. He is a big thinker. Always concentrated, always thinking about how we can improve and solve situations. That was obvious. He understands the game."
The hope was that his time at Bayern Munich would help him to adapt. Rolfes talks of "a German mentality" to Alonso. While the fact that his only experience had come with young players was seen as a positive. "There is no other choice for our head coach," he adds.
"Our playing style, that is our DNA. Very offensive, very technical. You see it in our youth teams. We have the technical guys and try to give them more time to develop. That is strongly in the roots here - to believe in young players and give them time.
"We always have young squads so we need to have a head coach who can develop a team but also develop players individually in terms of their positions, behaviours and principles. That is a big strength of Xabi. And the first team is also very international too."
Callum Hudson-Odoi is one of those young internationals. On loan from Chelsea, he was a four-year-old boy when Alonso's goal for Liverpool in the 2005 Champions League final against AC Milan helped to complete the comeback of all comebacks.
"I think it is massive for the club to have someone who has won it all when he was playing football. It is big," Hudson-Odoi tells Sky Sports. And he can still play. "He has still got a bit about him, trust me. In training, you see him do a bit. I think he still could."
Alonso made a swift impression. "When he first came, I think you could see straightaway in the first game how he wanted to play and how he wanted to push the boys and everything. He is a very good person off the pitch and a very good manager as well.
"He wants to play with energy and intensity. As an attacker, he just tells me to always be a problem, make sure you are causing problems for the defence. Whether it is running in behind or coming to feet, whether it is shooting or whatever, just always be a threat. It is nice to have that push, to know that he has faith in you to do that.
"There are times when he will shout just to get his point across or you can see on the pitch that he is demonstrating what he wants us to do. It just shows the passion that he has and he is determined to get his point across and help the team."
Rediscovering the right style of play for Leverkusen has been a challenge. As one might expect of a player who enjoyed success with Spain and under Guardiola at Bayern, Alonso's instinct is to want the ball. His side rank fifth for possession in the Bundesliga.
But finding the patterns can be elusive in a league noted for its transitions and a group of players whose most obvious weapon is their pace. Though Florian Wirtz favours the intricate, Jeremie Frimpong and Moussa Diaby prefer to have space to run into.
"We have a lot of offensive power in the squad and we want to get back to that," says Rolfes. "But you always have to see that style of play in context. If you are in the relegation positions and our players are not used to being there, that impacts your psychology.
"You have to play in another way, be compact. These are fundamentals. You can build from that. We have fast players so if we are compact and work hard then we can beat teams on transition. But for sure we want to build the house again. That is a process."
Alonso is the man tasked with the rebuild. It will take time but only the top four in the Bundesliga have won more games in the competition since his arrival and thanks to their come-from-behind win over Monaco, their European adventure continues.
Losing by 3-2 twice in four days last month shows there is work still to do, but when it has clicked it has clicked. That opening 4-0 win over Schalke. The 5-0 demolition of Union Berlin that sparked that five-game winning streak. Optimism remains.
Indeed, Rolfes is even more sure now than when he brought him in.
"His impact is not a surprise. But it is similar to with players, you make decisions but you never know. With players, at least you see them play. As a head coach, you always have to analyse events on the pitch and then draw conclusions back to the coach."
So, what has he seen on the pitch?
"Some patterns in games. You can see that it is not just about the quality of the players, it has been trained. From those pieces, you create an image of the coach. Sometimes that is more difficult than with players, but in the end you see if the image is right.
"With Xabi, it is clear."
Vindication, then, but an awareness that this is just the start. Rolfes is encouraged that the team "would be in the middle of everything since Xabi came" but ambitions for Leverkusen extend beyond that with the help of a coach tipped for bigger things.
"We want to get as far as possible in the Europa League. In the Bundesliga, seventh place will be the first European place and we are behind. That bad start is done. You can see that in the table. But we have to focus on the process. We have to go step by step.
"It has been a good first step. We will try to build on that."[/article]
Wirtz's 6th assist in 11 matches. Having said that, Demirbay's splendid shot is reminder that assist count can be rather "vague" - huge part depends on finishing too.
Initial free kick from Hlozek
[article]Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso has sung the praises of young attacker Florian Wirtz.
The Germany international has been linked with Barcelona this week.
Xabi said, "There are good players and there are 'pretty' players, who do spectacular things but not necessarily efficient.
"Why is (Lionel) Messi so good? Because he knows how and when to play with simple passes. Messi says: 'Are you in a better position? Here you have the ball'. It's not always about making the brightest move, but the best and smartest.
"Florian can do that. That's why he's so good."[/article]
The Germany international has been linked with Barcelona this week.
Xabi said, "There are good players and there are 'pretty' players, who do spectacular things but not necessarily efficient.
"Why is (Lionel) Messi so good? Because he knows how and when to play with simple passes. Messi says: 'Are you in a better position? Here you have the ball'. It's not always about making the brightest move, but the best and smartest.
"Florian can do that. That's why he's so good."[/article]
He's going to be our next manager isn't he our Xabi, when Klopp leaves ?
Nope, deal already agreed in principle with Neil Warnock to take charge....it's why he came outta retirement.
Werder Bremen 2-3 Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Frimpong with a goal + an assist in 2nd consecutive league match. Bayern next after the 2nd leg match in Europa League.
5 games unbeaten in all competitions - W4 D1 F13 A6.
Scored twice or more in 7 of the last 8 matches (only 1 clean sheet though).
5 games unbeaten in all competitions - W4 D1 F13 A6.
Scored twice or more in 7 of the last 8 matches (only 1 clean sheet though).
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On a sidenote, Arbeloa is managing Real Madrid Juvenil A (U19)
Riera running away with the Slovenia league title (lost 4-1 at home yesterday though).
Riera running away with the Slovenia league title (lost 4-1 at home yesterday though).
Before today's win:
Nah we don't. I mean ideally yes but not a prerequisite.
City are nothing in the CL, both Chelsea or Madrid will deal with them....if it's Chelsea then Napoli gonna wreck em in final.
Happy days.
Lolll
[article]HOLLAND boss Ronald Koeman has hit out at right-back Jeremie Frimpong's defensive capabilities.
Bayer Leverkusen defender Frimpong, 22, has been linked with a move to Manchester United.
However, the former Manchester City Academy star is yet to make his Holland debut.
He was in Louis van Gaal's World Cup squad but was not included in Koeman's squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against France and Gibraltar.
That's despite scoring seven goals and providing nine assists in 35 games from right-back this season.
However, Koeman, 60, has questioned Frimpong's ability to defend effectively.
He suggested that he has "doubts" over ex-Celtic man's capability at the back.
When asked why the youngster wasn't in the squad, he said: "No Frimpong? This is because of the system that we play.
"He plays almost as a right winger.
"My right back should be able to defend well in the first place and I have my doubts about that."
Frimpong was part of the Holland squad that were knocked out of the World Cup by eventual winners Argentina in the quarter-finals.
However, he failed to make an appearance at the tournament.
He has now lost his place in the squad for the games against France and Gibralter.
In total Koeman, who replaced Van Gaal after the tournament for a second spell as Holland boss, has named five uncapped players in his squad.
One of those is Newcastle defender Sven Botman, while ex-Liverpool man Georginio Wijnaldum has returned to the squad after missing the World Cup with a broken leg.
[/article]
That’s the kind of shit you’d never hear from someone like Klopp. Maybe he’d talk about the defensive strength another one of the players he’s picked offers, then praise the attacking play Frimpong offers and that he’s in with a chance in future games.
I hate managers that pinpoint players like this and make negative remarks.
I hate managers that pinpoint players like this and make negative remarks.
Frimpong, Wirtz and Azmoun with the goals today
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