The Importance of Alphonso Davies

[Unnamed Trialist]

This business of negotiations not having started yet: fairly normal for a club playing a European Cup final in a few weeks. The official line is we're not announcing anything until after the final, or no distractions please. They even postponed their league celebration 10 days, it was controlled and not spontaneous. 

The other thing is I think they'll announce Mbappe first if it happens and it'll dominate the press until the Eurocup begins.

[TGAA_Star]

Just looks good in these colors and honestly he just belongs there

[Cicero]

22 hours ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

Chelsea a few weeks ago really wanted Tuchel back (Poch is finally making some inroads) and he won a Champions League with a team that we see isn't a piece of cake to bring together, despite the silly money.  Won a German Cup with someone who isn't Bayern as well. 

It's laughable how these top teams just trade around the same 7 or 8 coaches and pretend that bringing in one guy or another is really going to solve any issues with their team. Tactics and substitutions are really just an optimization problem these days with all the analytics. The coach's real task is ego manager and motivator for guys that are already the most skilled in the world, but everyone pretends this handful of special guys are the only ones who have the soccer IQ for the job. Humans can't shake off their base instincts though, so players are probably suspicious if you elevate someone not in the special club. 

Edited May 17 by Cicero

[TGAA_Star]

1 minute ago, Cicero said:

It's laughable how these top teams just trade around the same 7 or 8 coaches and pretend that bringing in one guy or another is really going to solve any issues with their team. Tactics and substitutions are really just an optimization problem these days with all the analytics. The coach's real task is ego manager and motivator for guys that are already the most skilled in the world, but everyone pretends this handful of special guys are the only ones who have the soccer IQ for the job. Humans can't shake off their base instincts though, so players are probably suspicious if you elevate someone not in the special club. 

If Chelsea want Tuchel back, I can't say that I blame them 

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

12 minutes ago, Cicero said:

It's laughable how these top teams just trade around the same 7 or 8 coaches and pretend that bringing in one guy or another is really going to solve any issues with their team. Tactics and substitutions are really just an optimization problem these days with all the analytics. The coach's real task is ego manager and motivator for guys that are already the most skilled in the world, but everyone pretends this handful of special guys are the only ones who have the soccer IQ for the job. Humans can't shake off their base instincts though, so players are probably suspicious if you elevate someone not in the special club. 

I don't know, there are managers/coaches they have brought new things or tweaked things and made it a lot more interesting to watch for me and obviously often more successful.  I look at Alonso at Leverkusen or Inzaghi at Inter, Glasner recently at Palace, even Wilder with his use of centre backs when he came up last time or Klopp when he first came to England.   Those are guys whose formation made good players better and honestly some mediocre players good. 

I am a bit disappointed that my club seems to have gone with Lopetegui, who has been there in a lot of ways but is not pushing any boundaries.  Maybe I just like tactics talk too much.

But I do understand, when you are talking millions, getting into billions, of whatever currency you have, you do go with someone who has done something before.  

[InglewoodJack]

Tuchel announced today he is officially not staying. Wonder at which point they just promote someone from the academy and try and go for Klopp next year- I think he said he wants to step away for a season and reassess. 

[Obinna]

Must feel good rejecting Bayern if you are Tuchel after them announcing he won't return, then watching them struggle to bring someone else in and seemingly reverse course. I have noticed a lot of Bayern fans wanting him back, saying he is the best available coach, which I get, but is still odd considering he's the first in over a decade to lose them the title.

Anyway, good riddance Tuchel, and hopefully good riddance Bayern. Sick of it all now, ready to see Davies in white. 

[Cicero]

22 minutes ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

I don't know, there are managers/coaches they have brought new things or tweaked things and made it a lot more interesting to watch for me and obviously often more successful.  I look at Alonso at Leverkusen or Inzaghi at Inter, Glasner recently at Palace, even Wilder with his use of centre backs when he came up last time or Klopp when he first came to England.   Those are guys whose formation made good players better and honestly some mediocre players good. 

I am a bit disappointed that my club seems to have gone with Lopetegui, who has been there in a lot of ways but is not pushing any boundaries.  Maybe I just like tactics talk too much.

But I do understand, when you are talking millions, getting into billions, of whatever currency you have, you do go with someone who has done something before.  

The real challenge is to get the best players who will play their role and get along with their teammates. In some cases, a professional adult babysitter might be required to make sure the player is staying healthy and not sabotaging themselves with their lifestyle. A couple of analytics geeks can churn out your best line-ups and tactics. There are many more degrees of freedom with soccer than, say, basketball, so tactics by data isn't as limiting as, say, basketball, which has become uninteresting since they figured out corner threes, dunks and layups are all you should focus on. 

The head coach at these very high levels has become the equivalent of the orchestra conductor, not strictly required, but still desired due to tradition and peculiar human desires to follow a leader. 

Edited May 17 by Cicero

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

5 minutes ago, Cicero said:

The real challenge is to get the best players who will play their role and get along with their teammates. In some cases, a professional adult babysitter might be required to make sure the player is staying healthy and not sabotaging themselves with their lifestyle. A couple of analytics geeks can churn out your best line-ups and tactics. There are many more degrees of freedom with soccer than, say, basketball, so tactics by data isn't as limiting as, say, basketball, which has become uninteresting since they figured out corner threes, dunks and layups are all you should focus on. 

The head coach at these very high levels has become the equivalent of the orchestra conductor, not strictly required, but still desired due to tradition and peculiar human desires to follow a leader. 

Disagree whole heartedly, as per the examples I gave.  I have seen better tactics beat better and motivated players many times. 

But that's football (watching). 

[costarg]

4 hours ago, TGAA_Star said:

If Chelsea want Tuchel back, I can't say that I blame them 

Sure, as long as Davies doesn't also end up there with him.

[vancanman]

I head off to the mountains for a few days, and when I get back, suddenly it seems Real are no longer interested?

https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2024/5/18/24157077/alphonso-davies-bayern-munich-transfers-real-madrid-2025-theo-hernandez-milan-mazraoui-tuchel-ucl

[narduch]

Davies starting in what could be his last ever game for Bayern 

The take on Hoffenheim

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

1 hour ago, vancanman said:

I head off to the mountains for a few days, and when I get back, suddenly it seems Real are no longer interested?

https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2024/5/18/24157077/alphonso-davies-bayern-munich-transfers-real-madrid-2025-theo-hernandez-milan-mazraoui-tuchel-ucl

Again all taken with too much sodium but the ultimate source is a reporter close to Bayern.

[pod818]

looks like he's playing on the wing today further up

[Gian-Luca]

I missed the first 8 minutes and also missed three goals, one by Davies

[pod818]

he also got the hockey assist on the 1st goal, with a nice cross

[CanadaFan123]

11 minutes ago, pod818 said:

looks like he's playing on the wing today further up

So Bayern is trying to appease him it seems. Won’t be surprised if he stays there.

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

11 minutes ago, CanadaFan123 said:

So Bayern is trying to appease him it seems. Won’t be surprised if he stays there.

Certainly far worse scenarios for me than him staying, and playing wing.

In fact, that's one of the better ones.

 

But hard to tie the hands of an incoming coach and promise that.  And they have a lot of injuries and the game means very little. 

[TGAA_Star]

20 minutes ago, CanadaFan123 said:

So Bayern is trying to appease him it seems. Won’t be surprised if he stays there.

Yeah because they do not want Davies going to Madrid hence why they are trying to appease him now

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

For those, watching, is Davies playing wing or wide midfield/wingback in front of a back 3? (So say the sites)

I could find it I guess but I'm in a hotel in a logging town.

[InglewoodJack]

7 minutes ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

For those, watching, is Davies playing wing or wide midfield/wingback in front of a back 3? (So say the sites)

I could find it I guess but I'm in a hotel in a logging town.

Watched a couple minutes after his goal, and looked like he was playing LM? Was playing forward but still went pretty deep in his own zone to defend.

 

Bayern have like 11 guys out today and Davies is one of their few “starters” out there, hence him playing forward. They have 3CBs, playing him not unlike how Canada does, I don’t remember seeing Bayern ever like up this way.

 

Re: transfer saga, I also heard that the Bayern is now interested in Miguel Gutierrez, the player Madrid is rumoured to buy back to fill the slot that Davies would’ve occupied. The rumour, as it goes says that this is dependent on what Davies decides to do this offseason. So now we have Madrid considering bringing in a player instead of Davies, who may be replaced by that same player at Bayern, but that depends on if Davies goes to Madrid. Who might be want the other guy instead. No clue if there’s any truth to that, thought it was a funny situation. 

[Gian-Luca]

19 minutes ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

For those, watching, is Davies playing wing or wide midfield/wingback in front of a back 3? (So say the sites)

 

Yes, he is in the outside left of a midfield four. Looks like a 3-4-2-1 formation

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

5 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

I also heard that the Bayern is now interested in Miguel Gutierrez, the player Madrid is rumoured to buy back to fill the slot that Davies would’ve occupied.

That's the one that came from the "Catholic" radio station if you look up the thread, lots have picked it up since.

[TGAA_Star]

These pictures really go hard and I wanna see Davies go to the Bernabeu and go to Madrid. Because if he does, not only will it ensure they win La Liga next season but they also win Champions League next season as well. So much potential speed and skill on one team Davies, Mbappe, Vini Jr, Endrick, Rodrygo...it would not be fair

[Shway]

Ya let's put him at LB 🙄