The Importance of Alphonso Davies

[Unnamed Trialist]

3 minutes ago, longlugan said:

Tell me you hate Bayern without telling me you hate Bayern 🤣

You are aware that Bayern is by far the most hated club in Germany and most there, and in many other places, would coincide with me on that assessment. 

In any case, here's a contrast: at Barça, a similar level club, we don't do this at all. The former players are kept at bay, few get into the inner circle, rarely they play a significant role, the discipline of ex-players when it comes to shutting up and being supportive of the current project is extraordinary. Even as pundits, they are rather discreet. 

Bayern is probably the worst club around when it comes to these retirees lusting over ever little scrap of conflict, most of whom do absolutely nothing else with their lives.

[longlugan]

2 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

You are aware that Bayern is by far the most hated club in Germany and most there, and in many other places, would coincide with me on that assessment. 

In any case, here's a contrast: at Barça, a similar level club, we don't do this at all. The former players are kept at bay, few get into the inner circle, rarely they play a significant role, the discipline of ex-players when it comes to shutting up and being supportive of the current project is extraordinary. Even as pundits, they are rather discreet. 

Bayern is probably the worst club around when it comes to these retirees lusting over ever little scrap of conflict, most of whom do absolutely nothing else with their lives.

How did Barca do this year?

[TGAA_Star]

Davies would be better off leaving Bayern now rather than in 2025 and honestly best move for him right now is Madrid

[Unnamed Trialist]

21 minutes ago, longlugan said:

How did Barca do this year?

Irrelevant and you are arguing insecurely, deflecting, but I'll play: 2nd in the league, better than Bayern in theirs.

We lost less matches, have more points, in a harder league. Not played in our own stadium all year, we've been in a smaller venue with poor crowds that is not home and has likely lost us points.

Quarter finals of Champions League, beat PSG away and was beating them at home until a dumb penalty and red. We were beating Madrid both home and away in the league and also lost those leads, if we'd just kept those we'd be tied on points with the tiebreaker going into the last day. Weak in the Cup and the Super Cup. 

So similar to Bayern. I think, overall, as good or slightly better.

If you look objectively, it could look like an ok season, for other clubs it might be alright; but like with Bayern, it is by no means enough and most of us think it's been a mess.

Either model of club could be fine in the right circumstances. Bayern is controlled by the ex-players who all get their hands in the pie; Barça is fan owned and we vote in our president and board, then hope for the best. When either works it is rather beautiful, when it doesn't you have to question it. 

[longlugan]

15 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Irrelevant and you are arguing insecurely, deflecting, but I'll play: 2nd in the league, better than Bayern in theirs.

We lost less matches, have more points, in a harder league. Not played in our own stadium all year, we've been in a smaller venue with poor crowds that is not home and has likely lost us points.

Quarter finals of Champions League, beat PSG away and was beating them at home until a dumb penalty and red. We were beating Madrid both home and away in the league and also lost those leads, if we'd just kept those we'd be tied on points with the tiebreaker going into the last day. Weak in the Cup and the Super Cup. 

So similar to Bayern. I think, overall, as good or slightly better.

If you look objectively, it could look like an ok season, for other clubs it might be alright; but like with Bayern, it is by no means enough and most of us think it's been a mess.

Either model of club could be fine in the right circumstances. Bayern is controlled by the ex-players who all get their hands in the pie; Barça is fan owned and we vote in our president and board, then hope for the best. When either works it is rather beautiful, when it doesn't you have to question it. 

I don't know how I'm arguing insecurely but that's irrelevant. I do look at things objectively(at least I like to think I do lol). Bayern's season was actually ok but I think their Champions League success covered up many of their issues. Bayern is also fan owned, as is the whole Bundesliga. You should already know this. Yes they have/had many ex-players in positions of power which hasn't always worked for them but I don't know how you can look down on guys like Karl Heinz Rummenigge or Franz Beckenbauer or the fact they were trying to win their kajillionth title in a row this year. Having said that I thoroughly enjoyed watching Leverkusen's run this season. I was hoping for them to stay undefeated this year but Atalanta put a halt to that. Good for them...I enjoy seeing different clubs win some recognition. Bayern winning every year is neither good for the Bundesliga nor German footie in general. I like the idea of them having to do a reboot and I enjoyed watching other clubs rise to the top like Leverkusen, VfB Stuttgart and Dortmund in the Champions League.

I think we actually share many views on footie in general but the main difference is your contempt for Bayern just oozes through in your posts. I don't care about Barcelona because I hate Real Madrid far more. Barcelona is a mere afterthought but that's probably because we've owned their ass for so long. Probably also explains your over the top dislike of Bayern 😉.

Anyways, have a good one and "Go Dortmund".

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

Anyway,

Burnley want 20 million Euros for Kompany...

bit cheeky but worth a shot.

[GasPed]

6 hours ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

Anyway,

Burnley want 20 million Euros for Kompany...

bit cheeky but worth a shot.

Well, their timing is impeccable - Bayern is a) rich; b) dysfunctional; c) desperate - an easy mark begging to get fleeced. 

[Unnamed Trialist]

1 hour ago, GasPed said:

Well, their timing is impeccable - Bayern is a) rich; b) dysfunctional; c) desperate - an easy mark begging to get fleeced. 

Bayern paid 25 million euros for Nagelsman, to Leipzig, with all bonuses included, highest fee ever for a manager, so they are the ones setting the precedent. They are begging to be asked for a transfer fee.

Burnley know they can't pay Kompany his EPL salary in Championship, they'll drop the request I'd imagine.

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

7 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Bayern paid 25 million euros for Nagelsman, to Leipzig, with all bonuses included, highest fee ever for a manager, so they are the ones setting the precedent. They are begging to be asked for a transfer fee.

Burnley know they can't pay Kompany his EPL salary in Championship, they'll drop the request I'd imagine.

They would have a relegation clause.

[Unnamed Trialist]

46 minutes ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

They would have a relegation clause.

Likely. But they often include release options for players, even though Championship has those financial hedges for relegated teams.

Do you see Burnley as a top promotion candidate?

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

20 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Likely. But they often include release options for players, even though Championship has those financial hedges for relegated teams.

Do you see Burnley as a top promotion candidate?

Its all paper talk so far but I can't see him having a Champions League release clause, for instance, but relegation was always a real possibility, so the club would not make him leaving easy if that were to happen. (which it did.)

On the second bit, honestly too early to say.  Will Still, favoured at Norwich and Steve Cooper, hated by us at Forest, are the favourites for manager and I think both are good.  I liked another named mentioned, Craig Bellamy, as a player but no I idea if his personality translates to a real manager.

Tons of potential among players but 1) it's still potential for most,  2) bought for a specific manager, and 3) no idea how many want to stay.

Edited May 24 by WestHamCanadianinOxford

[Stryker911]

Is there any chance that Barcelona make a move for him now that Flick is coming in?

Davies had his best years with Flick as his manager. Davies is also likely in Flicks eyes quite undervalued in comparison to what he knows he can do. Their current left back, Cancelo, is on loan and set to return the Man City. And lastly, it would be a direct shot at Madrid.

[TGAA_Star]

7 minutes ago, Stryker911 said:

Is there any chance that Barcelona make a move for him now that Flick is coming in?

Davies had his best years with Flick as his manager. Davies is also likely in Flicks eyes quite undervalued in comparison to what he knows he can do. Their current left back, Cancelo, is on loan and set to return the Man City. And lastly, it would be a direct shot at Madrid.

Davies to Barcelona I hope so

[narduch]

Isn't Barca poor?

[PegCityCam]

Rumours heating up again...

 

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

1 hour ago, PegCityCam said:

Rumours heating up again...

 

Looks like the source he mentions is Relevo

Again not sure, how they rate for veracity.

[GasPed]

56 minutes ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

Looks like the source he mentions is Relevo

Again not sure, how they rate for veracity.

Not sure what article he's referring to, but there was one posted 20 hours ago in Relevo that literally has no new information - just the standard Real Madrid is very interested, they're rumored to have an agreement with Davies, but can't agree with Bayern on a selling price.

That said, now that Kompany is in charge, and is rumored (along with Bayern's sporting directors, Eberl and Freund) to want a significant squad overhaul, I suspect we'll see a lot more "Breaking: Davies to Madrid" articles.  One of these days, who knows, the article might actually be fact instead of rumor...  

[Unnamed Trialist]

7 hours ago, Stryker911 said:

Is there any chance that Barcelona make a move for him now that Flick is coming in?

Davies had his best years with Flick as his manager. Davies is also likely in Flicks eyes quite undervalued in comparison to what he knows he can do. Their current left back, Cancelo, is on loan and set to return the Man City. And lastly, it would be a direct shot at Madrid.

Can't afford anything except scraps and sloppy seconds at Barça. And our youth.

Davies also lacks the technical and positional rigour to play at Barça, I'm saying this to describe our style and ideology, for good or bad, and a bit mannered. Not to say if he's better than Cancelo because I think he obviously is. But Madrid is better for players best left alone to do what they know. 

[Unnamed Trialist]

5 hours ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

Looks like the source he mentions is Relevo

Again not sure, how they rate for veracity.

Just wait until after the Champions final. Not even Mbappe is saying anything yet. The Madrid press is also in line, all for one.

Predict Mbappe will be announced next week and sign after our friendly. And Davies may too, as there's a transfer involved it's risky to go to Copa with nothing agreed to. Eg if Davies has a hot Copa that pushes up the price, new bidders appear, but if he's injured at Copa it kills the deal. 

How about Davies and Mbappe sharing a flight to Madrid? Anyways, if Madrid and Bayern agree to the fee, he should be presented before Copa. If not, after. 

[jhoops__]

https://x.com/plettigoal/status/1796597151167819863?s=46

might he stay?

[Obinna]

11 minutes ago, jhoops__ said:

https://x.com/plettigoal/status/1796597151167819863?s=46

might he stay?

I cringe whenever I read things like "Davies demanded 20M a year".

No, this is what his agent is demanding for his client, and it irritates me that Bayern fans can't or won't make the distinction. More than his play this season (which took an upswing at the end), it's been the salary demands that fans use against Davies, as if it's not just games from the agent. 

Semi-related, I read that Lautaro Martinez, also in contract extension talks (with Inter) had to eventually intervene in the discussions between the club and his Spanish agent. The agent was demanding 14M from the club next season, rising to 16M the following season, while the club was offering 9.5M.

The player had step in and inform the club he was happy to extend for 9.5M.

I wonder if Bayern fans see that and hold Davies responsible for not showing the same alliegance. At the same time, the situation is different in many ways. Here's the thing for me:

I don't know the salary structure at Inter exactly, but Lautaro accepting 9.5M probably puts him near or at the top of the pile, which is exactly where he ranks in terms of importance to Inter, whereas with Davies accepting 14M, well it still keeps him behind 7 or 8 players. I guess you could argue 7-8 is exactly where he ranks in terms of importance to Bayern, but there's the little matter of Real Madrid relentless courting him for the better part of the year. That's an element not present in the Lautaro situation.

Anyways, Bayern fans really have soured me with their treatment of Davies. He deserves better and I hope he leaves. 

[jhoops__]

 Bayern fans are incredibly toxic.   

[Aird25]

On 5/23/2024 at 12:36 PM, GasPed said:

Well, their timing is impeccable - Bayern is a) rich; b) dysfunctional; c) desperate - an easy mark begging to get fleeced. 

None of those things are true though

[GasPed]

40 minutes ago, Obinna said:

I cringe whenever I read things like "Davies demanded 20M a year".

No, this is what his agent is demanding for his client, and it irritates me that Bayern fans can't or won't make the distinction. More than his play this season (which took an upswing at the end), it's been the salary demands that fans use against Davies, as if it's not just games from the agent. 

I can almost guarantee that Bayern fans completely conflate Huoseh's statements with Davies.  And tbf, that is what an agent is supposed to do - act and speak on behalf of their client.   That said, Huoseh has never said anything publicly about Davies' demands that I'm aware of.  Certainly the 20M has been tossed around in the media a lot, and Huoseh has never denied the number, but I suspect there's a lot of wiggle room there, especially since I doubt Madrid is offering anything close to that.

But back to the Bayern fans, like most fan bases there's a spectrum of folks.  Some are rabid "Don't even talk about another club you disloyal ingrate!  And btw, you're going take whatever we offer you and like it!", while some have a more balanced viewpoint.  At most big clubs, the fanbases skew more to the club than the player perspective.  That, plus the fact that this saga has gone on for a while and Davies hasn't had the greatest year, means the pitchforks and torches are out on most of the Bayern boards.  But, if he does end up extending, plays well, and the team does well, the tide will quickly change. 

[Obinna]

14 minutes ago, Aird25 said:

None of those things are true though

Maybe dysfunctional is a bit much, but their coaching situation has been unstable in recent years, which is not ideal for any player, especially a young one like Davies.

It's been 4 different coaches in 5 years for him at Bayern.

Compare that to Man City who've been under Pep seemingly forever, or even Real Madrid, who've basically just had Zindane and Ancelotti during the same period.