De Gea has really impressed me this season. I haven't seen Neuer a whole lot either but I remember during the world cup being very impressed with his almost sweeper role coming up and cutting off through balls. Especially during the France game if I can remember correctly. Of course if he mistimed it would be a total disaster but I think he saved a few goals that way.

yesterday dortmund lost again! berlin beat them 1-0... dortmund is at #16 again, relegation playoff spot.

it was horrible.

berlin defended well, let dortmund have the ball, and then hit them on counters. who scored the winning goal before the end of the first half? none other than julian schieber, who was sold by dortmund before the season.

mkhitarian had to leave injured early and kuba came in for him fresh from his injuries. berlin's goal came soon after. later klopp kept making more offensive substitutions (ramos for kehl, sahin for subotic) but nothing worked because they failed to capitalize on every chance they got.

i watched this debacle rather than see bayern cruise to a 4-0 victory over augsburg. i guess that makes me a fucking masochist? fucking dortmund!


he's goddamn fantastic. the sweeper/keeper is not a gimmick, it's like 2 players in 1. he's already a supremo keeper and toss in an extra defender for bonus. did you see him vs. cska?

Fair play. You've seen him far more than I have.

from last week's game-- this happens fast but look how well he closes in.

http://www.lematin.ch/sports/footbal...story/26547407

it's not like the greatest keeper action in history but just a sample from last week. he's the main reason bayern has so few goals against them even with a so-so defense (3 goals against the whole bundesliga season so far).

That would have been an amazing goal!

I don't wanna be a contrarian, but you can hardly call Boateng, Lahm, Rafinha or Alaba "so-so".

I suppose the only way to compare these top keepers is how they perform in crucial games or crucial moments. Neuer's done it in a CL and WC final, with everything at stake. Until De Gea (or Courtois) can say the same, the top spot will always have to be Neuer's. Probably just fairer to say De Gea might be the most underrated keeper out there right now, which isn't the same as saying he's the best, necessarily.

lahm and alaba have been injured for a while and will remain so till next year.

rafinha is just coming into himself this year-- i haven't liked him in the past.

benatia is new and a bit of a hatchet man.

dante is old and slow, and boateng is the only true star in that defense right now.


indeed it was a great play and it had all the momentum for a goal but neuer didn't lose his head and shut it down.

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ps- we forgot bernat! bernat has been covering for alaba quite well though he was initially brought in as a winger. but given how bayern play it's the central defense where boateng is the one and only pillar.

*dusts hands off* well you've put an end to that argument quite successfully! :)

If only I could also put an end to the Prem this season. West Ham would be in the Champions League.

Last time they were in it it was called the cup winners cup and this was the only Frank Lampard who mattered



Prem? What Prem?

haha. we all know arsenal is going to eventually get that number 4 spot

pps- oh, and badstuber, i forgot too, injured/on the mend/ injured again/ out of shape for so long.

draw for the final 16 of the CL just released

PSG v Chelsea
Manchester City v Barcelona
Bayer Leverkusen v Atlético Madrid
Juventus v Borussia Dortmund
Schalke v Real Madrid
Shakhtar Donetsk v Bayern Munich
Arsenal v Monaco
Basel v Porto

Hang on, can't discount this fella.



Wouldn't want Neuer in that situation, he'd try and head him.

oh mama. poor schalke!


that is both disturbing and amazing. i get chills every time the gif cycles.

Ey you're forgetting the clash of the titans in the Europa cup. Everton v Young Boys and the press are already whipping themselves up into a frenzy about it :D

So long as that's all they're whipping.



It is disturbing, I agree.


Schalke and Shakhtar, I'd say.

PSG v Chelsea will probably be the most interesting though.

shhh...don't jinx it! :D

that, absolutely.

i still have to watch the last barcelona-psg which i recorded.

Gonna sound fickle but since Barcelona lost Pep I've not been as interested in them. They're obviously still a force. Messi's still incredible. I dunno, without Pep and with Xavi being slowly edged out, they just aren't 'Barcelona'.

i've read they haven't quite gelled yet and are relying on their star power to make up for it.

but it's messi + neymar + suárez upfront!

i wanna see that, regardless of what they are! it's the south american dream offense.