FCB - General Talk

[Oliver_Kahn]

Thanks.

[Trim]

Quite a great achievement by Roy.

[Oliver_Kahn]

Indeed. Post that on Makaay's thread.

[Oliver_Kahn]

Frequently enough, the statistics utterly fail to illuminate or explain a game of football. Friday's first match after Christmas when Bayern travelled to Dortmund was a case in point. The visitors topped the home side in all the significant areas with 57 percent of the possession, 53 percent of the challenges won, 13 shots on goal to Borussia's 12, and five corners to the home side's four. But measured on the only statistic that really matters - the number of times the ball crosses the line - Dortmund scored three goals to Bayern's two, as the champions made a dismal start to the second half of the campaign.

"That's not exactly the result we were looking for," a dismayed Felix Magath declared afterwards. The coach and his men were brimming with confidence in the expectation of setting off in pursuit of the two clubs ahead of them in the table, but instead, the Reds trudged home with at least a minor dent in their title ambitions.

Beaten for passion

"I'm afraid nothing much has changed. They played just like they did before Christmas," club President Franz Beckenbauer grumbled. "They have to show much more passion and determination." Magath could only agree: "Borussia played with a great deal more passion, and they were more determined to win." His team had attempted to play their way to victory in style, "but it just wasn't enough."

The sobering result came after the Bavarians seemed to have put an inconsistent first half of the campaign behind them with a well-executed and successful winter programme, but as Philipp Lahm refected, the team had "fallen back into its old ways." Magath was equally concerned. "Maybe it all went too well in the winter. I never believed we'd lose the game, but if you spend 90 minutes chasing shadows, you won't beat anyone."

Frei unchallenged in the air

Magath reserved most of his ire for the manner in which Borussia scored their goals. The opener on 12 minutes and the 57th-minute strike to level at 2-2 both arose from Brazilian left-back Dede strolling into acres of space and sending over precise crosses without a defender in sight. Both goals were headers by Switzerland international Alexander Frei, who found himself with no-one but the definitive Lahm to outjump.

"That shouldn't be happening with our defence," Magath complained, wondering aloud why the colossal figures of Lucio and Daniel van Buyten failed to pick up the striker. Tinga's winning goal on 59 minutes also resulted from Frei winning an aerial challenge. "I'm basically no good with my head, and I'm not the tallest guy around either," the match-winner grinned. "Perhaps we just defended badly," Mark van Bommel declared.

Unnecessary defeat

Matters were a lot better at the other end of the field courtesy of goals from van Buyten (25) and Roy Makaay's tenth of the season two minutes from the interval, temporarily silencing the 81,000 crowd at Signal Iduna Park. "We're conceding too many goals. Scoring twice away from home should be enough," Lahm lamented.

Bayern very rarely lose a match after going ahead, and the Bavarians' despondency contrasted with the victors' exuberant jubilation. New coach Jürgen Rober thus repeated the feat of defeating Bayern in his first match at a new helm: he achieved the same triumph on taking over VfB Stuttgart in 1994. "It's tremendous. I was just hoping it would be the way it always is when I come here - Dortmund win the game."

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^

"I'm afraid nothing much has changed. They played just like they did before Christmas," club President Franz Beckenbauer grumbled. "They have to show much more passion and determination." Magath could only agree: "Borussia played with a great deal more passion, and they were more determined to win." His team had attempted to play their way to victory in style, "but it just wasn't enough."

Well said Franz. They are not putting their full effort, god damn it. Why is this hesitation?

[Oliver_Kahn]

I think we've already identified the problem.

We lack a leader inside the pitch, someone that motivates the players, someone who can guide the team and be in charge when it's needed.

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^ Yeah, yeah. True. That's what every Bayern fan says those days. We definately need a leader, a playmaker.

[Oliver_Kahn]

Felix Magath, a world-class midfield enforcer in his time, pulled on his football boots in anger for the first time in a long while this Sunday. "But only for two minutes," the Bayern head coach later revealed. "I covered for a player in a practice match while he went to change his shoes." Otherwise, the boss is not expecting any new absentees ahead of the first home game since the winter break when VfL Bochum visit the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.

The Reds are confident of welcoming Owen Hargreaves back to the team. "From my point of view, we could well see him on Tuesday," Magath remarked. Hargreaves has completed the full first-team training programme for the last two weeks after finally recovering from a broken fibula, although the England man played no part in the Bundesliga restart in Dortmund, as he himself was not 100 percent confident of his fitness.

Four-and-a-half month lay-off

The situation has clearly changed since then. "Owen looked very good at the end of last week, and he confirmed that impression today," Magath commented on Sunday. "I think he'll be back."

The coach could hardly disguise his glee at the prospect of the midfielder's return following a four-and-a-half month lay-off. The Bayern coach voiced dismay at his side's lacklustre display in losing 3-2 to Dortmund, so Hargreaves' mobility and powerful tackling would unquestionably strengthen the side at this time.

Van Bommel and Karimi carrying knocks

"We've missed his surging runs and pace. He's outstanding in terms of his ability to graft," Magath observed. "He also scores goals from long range. It would be a real boost for us if he's fit to play."

Elsewhere in the midfield department, both Mark van Bommel and Ali Karimi are rated doubtful for Tuesday's clash after returning from Dortmund with knocks. Van Bommel (Achilles) sat out Sunday's training session, while Karimi (hamstring) restricted himself to jogging. Magath reckoned neither was yet out of contention for Tuesday.

[Oliver_Kahn]

In common with a multitude of Bayern fans, Felix Magath slept badly on Friday night. "I only managed two hours," he revealed in an interview with the mass circulation Bild am Sonntag tabloid. The Munich coach spent much of the small hours contemplating his side's entirely avoidable 3-2 defeat away to Borussia Dortmund, sitting himself in front of the TV for another review of 90 ultimately demoralising minutes at the Westfalen stadium, before announcing a clear verdict: his men had not showed anything near enough passion in the first league fixture after the winter break.

"I'm concerned at the way we presented ourselves. We didn't show enough determination in such an important restart match," the boss told Sunday's scheduled news conference. "We were over-confident. We had a good mid-season programme and an excellent training camp behind us, so we thought we'd boss the play with pretty football. Yet again, we've learnt that attitude is the deciding factor."

Dire warning

Nevertheless, the coach insisted, the title race was far from over. "I don't think you can now conclude we'll just keep playing that way for the rest of the season," he declared, although the Sunday newspaper interview included a stern warning to his troops. "We can't afford any more slip-ups. Time is running out for Bayern Munich. If we fail to beat Bochum on Tuesday, the title is pretty much beyond us."

It was not a question of lack of quality, the coach told the news conference. "But we have to make our quality count - and that means we have to impose our quality on the game. That in turn means we have to be willing to graft and get stuck in." Magath urged his men to show that willingness when Bayern entertain VfL Bochum on Tuesday. "I'm expecting a totally different performance against Bochum."

Still confident

Sixteen fixtures remain for the champions to close the gap to the top of the table. "I'm still convinced we'll play very good football from now on," the coach remarked. The Bayern camp aims to ensure Friday night in Dortmund was very much an exception.

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Sixteen fixtures remain for the champions to close the gap to the top of the table. "I'm still convinced we'll play very good football from now on," the coach remarked. The Bayern camp aims to ensure Friday night in Dortmund was very much an exception.

Amen.

[Oliver_Kahn]

I'm really not very confident after seeing a 30min highlight from our last game

[Trim]

Great news.

[Oliver_Kahn]

Is it ?

I thought you agreed that he isn't good enough to be a starter for us

[Trim]

^ No-no. He's a good midfielder mate. We missed him a lot, since he got injuried our game fell off. He got injuried in the second week, exactly in the game against Bochum that we won 2-1 with difficulties.

He will bring some fresh air and force in the midfield.

[Oliver_Kahn]

Call me crazy, but I prefer Ottl.