Champions League/Europa League 2019/20

[Stranded]

Dortmund really know how to pick a player, it's quite impressive

I guess the only frustrating thing for their fans is that they know the player is going to be sold in the next few years, but I guess if it keeps happening it is fine

Reminds me of a time when Atletico went through a stage of just producing or acquiring world class strikers.

You had Aguero, Forlan, Torres, Diego Costa all one after the other.

Work with a couple of Dortmund fans and they (and most fans apparently) are very happy with the way the club do things. They appreciate that the only way they can even begin to compete with Bayern is by finding up and coming talent and selling them off at 2 or 3 times the price - preferrably not to Bayern.

[Hendo]

Dortmund really know how to pick a player, it's quite impressive

I guess the only frustrating thing for their fans is that they know the player is going to be sold in the next few years, but I guess if it keeps happening it is fine

Reminds me of a time when Atletico went through a stage of just producing or acquiring world class strikers.

You had Aguero, Forlan, Torres, Diego Costa all one after the other.

Work with a couple of Dortmund fans and they (and most fans apparently) are very happy with the way the club do things. They appreciate that the only way they can even begin to compete with Bayern is by finding up and coming talent and selling them off at 2 or 3 times the price - preferrably not to Bayern.

Thats fair enough then I guess. Yeah I think their downfall in the past has been selling their best talent to Bayern

[Old Man Andrews]

Dortmund really know how to pick a player, it's quite impressive

I guess the only frustrating thing for their fans is that they know the player is going to be sold in the next few years, but I guess if it keeps happening it is fine

Reminds me of a time when Atletico went through a stage of just producing or acquiring world class strikers.

You had Aguero, Forlan, Torres, Diego Costa all one after the other.

Work with a couple of Dortmund fans and they (and most fans apparently) are very happy with the way the club do things. They appreciate that the only way they can even begin to compete with Bayern is by finding up and coming talent and selling them off at 2 or 3 times the price - preferrably not to Bayern.

Speak to them about RB Leipzig. I went to Dortmund's home fixture against them in 2017, not seen hatred like it for a long while.

[genome]

I fancy RB Leipzig to win tonight, by the way. Spurs have zero strikers now.

[Hendo]

I fancy RB Leipzig to win tonight, by the way. Spurs have zero strikers now.

Score draw for me. Think the new dutch lad they got looks pretty decent and Lucas Moura is good enough to give teams problems, but the loss of Son is massive for them.

[Sanguine]

There's something a little unnerving about Haaland. All this ability, and when he warms up before the game it's like he's gone for a kickabout with his mates down the park. It's almost like he knows he is going to score, and that for his second goal last night he forgot to pretend to be normal - slipped into 'God mode' accidentally and made PSG, or indeed all football, look a little silly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-IvwvqesOk

Second goal at 3:35.

He also apparently had one 60m sprint timed at 6.64 seconds. Which is nuts.

Finally Gio Reyna came on as a sub last night - first NYCFC academy graduate to play in the CL, but born in Sunderland (son of Claudio Reyna), and played up front alongside Sancho (London) and Haaland (Leeds).

[Stranded]

I guess the only frustrating thing for their fans is that they know the player is going to be sold in the next few years, but I guess if it keeps happening it is fine

Reminds me of a time when Atletico went through a stage of just producing or acquiring world class strikers.

You had Aguero, Forlan, Torres, Diego Costa all one after the other.

Work with a couple of Dortmund fans and they (and most fans apparently) are very happy with the way the club do things. They appreciate that the only way they can even begin to compete with Bayern is by finding up and coming talent and selling them off at 2 or 3 times the price - preferrably not to Bayern.

Speak to them about RB Leipzig. I went to Dortmund's home fixture against them in 2017, not seen hatred like it for a long while.

Have done, at length, over a beer or two. The hatred of RB Leipzig is not confined to Dortmund, but they are one of the more vocal sets of fans against them - they are seen as going against everything German football stands for - if the choice of winning the Bundesliga is between Bayern and Leipzig then they would take Bayern winning it all day long.

[Sanguine]

Speak to them about RB Leipzig. I went to Dortmund's home fixture against them in 2017, not seen hatred like it for a long while.

That's a general German hatred for the club isn't it, for the way they have been put together - didn't the owners buy out a sixth tier side and then throw money at it?

[Old Man Andrews]

There's something a little unnerving about Haaland. All this ability, and when he warms up before the game it's like he's gone for a kickabout with his mates down the park. It's almost like he knows he is going to score, and that for his second goal last night he forgot to pretend to be normal - slipped into 'God mode' accidentally and made PSG, or indeed all football, look a little silly.

Did you see him before the game during the anthem? Looked ridiculously calm, was laughing in fact. He is the next Ronaldo/Messi for me, he just has that X Factor.

[Old Man Andrews]

Speak to them about RB Leipzig. I went to Dortmund's home fixture against them in 2017, not seen hatred like it for a long while.

That's a general German hatred for the club isn't it, for the way they have been put together - didn't the owners buy out a sixth tier side and then throw money at it?

It is but Dortmund in particular hate them due to Dortmund very much being a working class town, all about hard work/high reward etc. The philosophies of the two clubs couldn't be more different.

[Sanguine]

Another little Haaland factoid that I didn't know is that he played under Solskjaer at Molde, and scored four goals in 17 minutes for them with the United scouts watching.

39 goals in 29 games now this season, with a goal every 49 minutes.

[genome]

I fancy RB Leipzig to win tonight, by the way. Spurs have zero strikers now.

Score draw for me. Think the new dutch lad they got looks pretty decent and Lucas Moura is good enough to give teams problems, but the loss of Son is massive for them.

Both are wingers (as is Son, to be honest). It's a little embarrasing that a club of Spurs' stature let the striker situation get this far.

[Hendo]

I fancy RB Leipzig to win tonight, by the way. Spurs have zero strikers now.

Score draw for me. Think the new dutch lad they got looks pretty decent and Lucas Moura is good enough to give teams problems, but the loss of Son is massive for them.

Both are wingers (as is Son, to be honest). It's a little embarrasing that a club of Spurs' stature let the striker situation get this far.

I guess that's the problem when you play with 1 striker who is world class, its hard to keep a good back-up happy enough to stick around.

Troy Parrott to get a chance? - maybe not in the starting XI.

[Old Man Andrews]

I fancy RB Leipzig to win tonight, by the way. Spurs have zero strikers now.

Score draw for me. Think the new dutch lad they got looks pretty decent and Lucas Moura is good enough to give teams problems, but the loss of Son is massive for them.

Both are wingers (as is Son, to be honest). It's a little embarrasing that a club of Spurs' stature let the striker situation get this far.

It has been ridiculous since Kane came to the fore tbh and now they are paying the price. Kane hasn't had a proper rest for about 4 years, there is only so long you can go without burning out. Of course Kane is the first choice but you need that reliable bench option to come in to give him a rest or be there in times of injury. Callum Wilson would be someone I would put forward.

[genome]

Score draw for me. Think the new dutch lad they got looks pretty decent and Lucas Moura is good enough to give teams problems, but the loss of Son is massive for them.

Both are wingers (as is Son, to be honest). It's a little embarrasing that a club of Spurs' stature let the striker situation get this far.

It has been ridiculous since Kane came to the fore tbh and now they are paying the price. Kane hasn't had a proper rest for about 4 years, there is only so long you can go without burning out. Of course Kane is the first choice but you need that reliable bench option to come in to give him a rest or be there in times of injury. Callum Wilson would be someone I would put forward.

Danny Ings, for me. He would be an excellent partner for Kane

[genome]

Score draw for me. Think the new dutch lad they got looks pretty decent and Lucas Moura is good enough to give teams problems, but the loss of Son is massive for them.

Both are wingers (as is Son, to be honest). It's a little embarrasing that a club of Spurs' stature let the striker situation get this far.

I guess that's the problem when you play with 1 striker who is world class, its hard to keep a good back-up happy enough to stick around.

Troy Parrott to get a chance? - maybe not in the starting XI.

I dunno. Other clubs with world-class strikers manage it, don't they?

[Old Man Andrews]

Both are wingers (as is Son, to be honest). It's a little embarrasing that a club of Spurs' stature let the striker situation get this far.

It has been ridiculous since Kane came to the fore tbh and now they are paying the price. Kane hasn't had a proper rest for about 4 years, there is only so long you can go without burning out. Of course Kane is the first choice but you need that reliable bench option to come in to give him a rest or be there in times of injury. Callum Wilson would be someone I would put forward.

Danny Ings, for me. He would be an excellent partner for Kane

I am wondering if Liverpool have a buy back clause for him? He has now proven he can score goals in the league and is injury free. Liverpool do not have an out and out striker for cover really. If he has a low buy back clause could see them going for it.

[Hendo]

Both are wingers (as is Son, to be honest). It's a little embarrasing that a club of Spurs' stature let the striker situation get this far.

I guess that's the problem when you play with 1 striker who is world class, its hard to keep a good back-up happy enough to stick around.

Troy Parrott to get a chance? - maybe not in the starting XI.

I dunno. Other clubs with world-class strikers manage it, don't they?

I don't know whether they do though. Who would be the one to come in and replace Lewandowski for Bayern for example, don't don't really have another out-and-out striker in their squad.

Barca? They've just had to get an emergency signing in because Dembele has got himself injured for a significant period of time.

PSG you could argue are a team who manage it but they are a bit of a one-off club with more money and players than sense.

Looking at the top teams in England - there probably aren't many world class strikers

Liverpool - Origi, wouldn't really want him leading the line for half a season.
Man City - Aguero and Jesus, you could say both are pretty decent and one is a good back up to another (although for me, I'd be starting Aguero every week - he would walk into any team in the world for me)
Chelsea - all strikers are a bit meh
Man Utd - seeing their problems after losing Rashford, although Martial is decent and Greenwood looks like a very promising talent.

I think there are probably a shortage of proper world class strikers, but keeping a good one as back up happy and in decent form to step up isn't easy I don't think.

[Winston Biscuit]

Am I the only one wondering what on earth people see in Gabriel Jesus?

[stealthpapes]

Score draw for me. Think the new dutch lad they got looks pretty decent and Lucas Moura is good enough to give teams problems, but the loss of Son is massive for them.

Both are wingers (as is Son, to be honest). It's a little embarrasing that a club of Spurs' stature let the striker situation get this far.

I guess that's the problem when you play with 1 striker who is world class, its hard to keep a good back-up happy enough to stick around.

Troy Parrott to get a chance? - maybe not in the starting XI.

or give them enough game time to keep sharp.