Disagree here. The reason they had so much possession is because they're pressing was unbelievable. As soon as they lost they ball they basically sprinted towards the other team to win it back.
Pep Guardiola's Bayern
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The nature of Guardiola's press also means that you regain possession very quickly though, which limits the amount of extensive sprints to the necessary minimum. Perhaps the last comparison was slightly exaggerated, but I still firmly believe that covering a lot of ground at your own pace and rhythm, benefits Alonso's stamina a lot.
Haven't seen Bayern much this season but is Alonso really that involved in their pressing game? He always clocked high distances at previous clubs but it's usually low intensity stuff. Busquets is the same, Barcelona at their peak under Guardiola had no passengers but Busquets wouldn't hound players as much as the rest.
No, he's usually somewhere between the centerbacks and often one of the centerbacks steps forward and helps pressing in midfield, rarely him. Don't think I've seen him make a single high intensity run at all. He's constantly moving, making himself available and cutting off passing lines for the opponent, but like @Bazi said above, he's doing it as his own pace, which is more than enough.
I would agree with the guys here that Alonso does his own thing. He makes us tick.
I always get the impression that the team shields him a bit. His defensive work is reciving and passing the ball along imo. Pressing is for our other, mostly younger players.
And I really see him as the best(most inform) midfield player of europe this season so far.
He is wonderful to watch.
They cover a lot of ground not because of their pressing game but rather the movements they have to make in order to move the ball about and be at the right position. Xavi regularly covered the most distance for Barca, but you wouldn't think he's the most aggressive of hasslers in midfield.
Xavi did hassle quite aggressively though. Certainly much more than Busquets did (and Xabi did at Real Madrid).
not really. maybe 3-5x a season. Its a good way to waste time with friends.
Do the refs in Germany let Alonso commit about 7 fouls before booking him also ? Clever play a lot of the time for Alonso but he gets away with it for some reason. Some player though.
Who needs fecking worldclass midfielders, right? Martinez, Thiago and Alaba won't play again this year, Schweinsteiger might be back after the international break, but it's still doubtful and very unlikely that he regains his best form in the last 5 weeks of this year.
Should be interesting how Alaba's injury changes Pep's tactics. He was more or less the one key player to make that back three work in his box to box centerback/midfield role, can't think of anyone in the squad who can replace him.
And I already thought it was strange that we didn't have any newly injured players at all these past few weeks. Thank god the world is still round... 
He is 22 and already part of our heart. Thank god that there are no meaningfull Ko games till february next year.
We should be fine in the league, ZSKA at home is ok too and City will be without main guys too. He can rest a bit, also nice.
I just hope that Badstuber, Schweini and David are all back to near 100% for the first CL Ko round. And that could happen.
We should be fine in the league, ZSKA at home is ok too and City will be without main guys too. He can rest a bit, also nice.
I just hope that Badstuber, Schweini and David are all back to near 100% for the first CL Ko round. And that could happen.
David Alaba's knee injury probably puts an end to Guardiola's highly successful three-man back-line, because Bayern doesn't have a player with Alaba's allround abilities who can defend as a LCB and switch into the role of a box-to-box midfielder within seconds.
This season is really cursed, the only thing which would make the situation even worse is an injury to Jérome Boateng, then our build-up will be completely destroyed. Imagining Benatia and Dante in high line of defence also causes headaches.
For the moment I guess it's back to 4-3-3 with Rafina-Benatia-Boateng-Bernat at the back. Let's hope Alaba will be healty enough for the winter training camp in January.
This season is really cursed, the only thing which would make the situation even worse is an injury to Jérome Boateng, then our build-up will be completely destroyed. Imagining Benatia and Dante in high line of defence also causes headaches.
For the moment I guess it's back to 4-3-3 with Rafina-Benatia-Boateng-Bernat at the back. Let's hope Alaba will be healty enough for the winter training camp in January.
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Too bad. Alaba was absolutely great in the free roaming CB role. I wonder if Lahm could fill out that role? But I guess he is currently more needed in the CM area considering all the other players there are pretty much injured.
I'd eat a child for that patched up back 4 for a few weeks.
Even if we don't take the injuries in CM into account, at 30 years of age Philipp Lahm doesn't have the engine to cover 12km of high intensity runs anymore, he also lacks Alaba's top-speed and he's considerably smaller than the Austrian which would make us more vulnerable against high diagonal plays. Therefore he's not really an option, but we've seen Rafinha as a RCB against Werder Bremen if I recall correctly, so maybe he will further experiment with the Brazilian to replace David Alaba.
Although In the end I think 4-3-3 will be the most likely answer to this newest injury. The youngsters like Höjbjerg and Gaudino might get some additional playing time that way. Especially the Dane has been hinting at his displeasure with his playing time this season.
I'm pretty sure it's between Rode and Højbjerg and both will get some playing time. Gaudino hasn't been in the matchday squad for a while now.
I haven't forgotten about Rode and agree with your assessment. I was just trying to see the silver lining in this current injury crisis and more playing time for our young prospects would at least be one positive development.
Yeah, that's true. I'd love to see Højbjerg and Gaudino start together in the away game against City and perform well. That would be awesome
.Can Bazi change his name please? I feel like Balu keeps talking to himself in here.
Alaba is more important for the team than many realize, he is also one of those that will be very hard to replace. Good thing he will be available again in 2015 - until then, Bayern can afford to cruise.
Alaba has indeed developed into one of the best players in the world in my opinion. His ability all over the pitch is astounding, and at his age as well. He's a very special player.
I'd argue we can replace anybody in the back-three expect for David Alaba, even Jérome Boateng with his exceptional laser-like and precise build-up. I don't know if even many Bayern fans realize this, but right now Guardiola and him are inventing a new position nobody has ever played quite like Alaba in the history of world football - or at least in the past decade.
A player who's capable to play as a LCB, who is strong and quick, can pass the ball, is an excellent box-to-box midfielder in his own right and defines all of his team's transitions from attack to defence and vice-versa. That's extraordinary in many ways, but especially because he's not getting exposed in defence.
I have been wondering why David Alaba has not been growing as a pure LB last season. His performances seemd a little underwhelming overall, but this season shows that he's probably been eagerly anticipating an opportunity to prove his worth in a more central role and he's simply extraordinary.
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Heck yeah, he is something like Olaf Thon's/Lothar Matthäus' version of sweeper/libero transponded to modern age football
It seems a tendency that the importancy of one-to-one performance diminishes in favour of all-round skills with fullbacks and even centrebacks. Where 10 years ago, defending was a man-to-man action performed by dedicated ball-away-hoofers and tacklers with the rest of the team watching them, it is today a full team-effort starting with the #9.
A few times during the last games, he remined me a lot of Sammer, a way more likeable version of Sammer of course. He's like an extra man in defense, in midfield and in attack at the same time. It's beautiful.Heck yeah, he is something like Olaf Thon's/Lothar Matthäus' version of sweeper/libero transponded to modern age football
We (Austria) are fecked without him, such a pity the injury happened right before our very important game against Russia (EURO qualifier) next week. There hasn't been a more central figure in our national team since the days of Prohaska and Krankl. Oh well.
Yeah, it sucks for Austria even more. Brilliant start to the qualification and if I'm not mistaken you play Russia next, which is probably the most important game overall. A win against Russia, and the chance to finish top 2 would be huge.
We've been excellent so far, the whole team has gone to a new level in the last couple of years, and Alaba is the main man in everything we do (in central midfield). Still need to find a way to beat Russia without David, shit happens. Sorry for distracting your thread though
Exactly why I called him a "free roaming" CB because he has the freedom to be everywhere he feels it will benefit the team. Against Roma in the second half he basically played pressing in a line with Götze, Lewandowski and Ribery because their defenders held on to the ball for too long for his taste and it lead to their back four basically being pressed by four players having no free man to pass to. Against stronger opposition he will probably end up playing a bit more conservatively and exactly this flexibility is the beauty of the role he plays atm he can add to the defense end against stronger/offensive teams and add to attack and pressing against weaker/defensive teams.
I like sammer as long as I dont have to listen to him
Alaba was fantastic this season but there are several options to compensate. Lahm played in a similar on the right side role for one match. Dante could be his defensive replacement. Rafinhia could tuck in. We can go back to a back4. I am not too worried.
Or his preferred music...I like sammer as long as I dont have to listen to him
(Lars Ricken always had contacts to the music business and once offered teammates to get CDs for them for free - Sammer, then age 24 or such, ordered "german volksmusik")
Its said that he should return for the winter trainings camp. The first CL KO round game is in the middle of february. All fine.
This injury would've been devastating had it happened one or 2 months ago, but I think we can cope until the winter break. The CL is pretty much in the bag until the next round and we should be able to hold of Gladbach with the squad we have at our disposal.
It's strange, though, that (partial) tears of the collateral ligament seems to be our trending injury this season.
It's strange, though, that (partial) tears of the collateral ligament seems to be our trending injury this season.
Alaba is scarily good. You could play him in the number 10 role and he'd probably be better than many of those considered best.
I think it is remarkable that we stay of the muscle injuries - apart from the one Pizza has right now and Pepe Reina.
Knee injuries just seem to be a result to the playstyle especially with the defensive players.
Muscleinjuries seem to be the injury that happens most often. Not at Bayern this season.
The injuries last season...
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Bild is reporting that Lahm got seriously injured in training a few minutes ago. He was lying on the pitch in pain, screaming shit, shit shit for 2 minutes and was carried off the pitch.
I'm not even shocked anymore. The number of injured midfielders we have is just beyond ridiculous. Martinez, Thiago, Schweinsteiger, Alaba, Lahm all out.
There are also still no news about Neuer's problems with his knee, which could mean all 3 of our keepers would be injured at the same time. Never heard that before either.
I'm not even shocked anymore. The number of injured midfielders we have is just beyond ridiculous. Martinez, Thiago, Schweinsteiger, Alaba, Lahm all out.
There are also still no news about Neuer's problems with his knee, which could mean all 3 of our keepers would be injured at the same time. Never heard that before either.
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Was just about to post that they confirmed he suffered a "serious" injury but see you've edited your post.
Hope they find out it's not as bad as they thought but sounds unlikely. What the hell do you guys do in training!?
Hope they find out it's not as bad as they thought but sounds unlikely. What the hell do you guys do in training!?
Psshh...in the world of being injury prone you guys are still amateurs.
Broken ankle, ouch! 3 months apparently (which seems optimistic from a broken ankle to me?).
Poor Lahm
Poor Lahm
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