Can we do what City did for Pep, and bring this man over?
Xabi Alonso: Bayer Leverkusen INVINCIBLES manager
- Thread starter horsechoker
- Start date
To be a fly on the wall at his agent's office as the offers are tabled for his services when the time comes. If he doesn't go to Madrid, he's likely to become the best paid manager in the world (on the books), and I wonder how much those offers will go up to if he doesn't swear allegiance to any one/two club(s) and invites a bidding war.
Think he's nailed on for the Madrid job, but there won't be a more coveted manager in the game than him. If he produces a second extremely competitive season at Leverkusen, he'll look nailed on to be next truly great one.
Think he's nailed on for the Madrid job, but there won't be a more coveted manager in the game than him. If he produces a second extremely competitive season at Leverkusen, he'll look nailed on to be next truly great one.
18 months Leverkusen have gone from 2nd bottom of the league to winning it whilst undefeated and in 2 more cup finals
And yet they are not the most improved team in the Bundesliga (season-to-season comparison).
Stuttgart's revival under Hoeneß is just as impressive.
It's fine, he rejected Bayern as well
Was expecting to see fraud shouts for only drawing the second leg
Who didn't?It's fine, he rejected Bayern as well
He's a miracle worker. Ludicrous season like when you cheat on FM.
Just for comparison - the BBC has done a handy guide to undefeated team records:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cd1v7yr0xw3o
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cd1v7yr0xw3o
On top of his obvious coaching abilities I must also say I’m impressed with his laid back, casual style, with simple sweatshirt / long sleeve and sneakers. Elegant without being overdressed.
Is the Real Madrid heritage.
Conan the Barbarian fan, I presume?
Who are you, the twitter dress guy???
Madridismo is all about crushing our enemies, see them driven before us and hear the lamentations of their fans
Nagelsmann wouldn't stand a chance at Utd.
They have four games left. Atalanta is the tough one due to the placement of where it is then the cup final a few days later. Momentum is with them though and I cant see them losing the two league matches left. That match v Atalanta will be brilliant viewing.
If Leverkusen get raided for their best players in the Summer, then it will be a huge test (his first real big test
) of how good he actually is, or if this season was just a flash in the pan.On sunday we will be playing in Bochum for the first time since May 27th '23 - which was the last match of last season and the last time we lost a competitive game. Usually, I'm not a superstitiuous person but since this season can't be explained rationally anymore, I'm a bit nervous
We won't. I can see all important players staying, actually. But 2025 could see a mass exit and a huge rebuild, unfortunatelyIf Leverkusen get raided for their best players in the Summer, then it will be a huge test (his first real big test
That’s a big fecking pan!If Leverkusen get raided for their best players in the Summer, then it will be a huge test (his first real big test
But yeah there will be other challenges ahead for him, but at the moment he’s on Clough trajectory and looks every bit the part with how he’s got his team incessantly attacking.
It’ll be a real testament to him if his players opt to stay with him another season despite life-changing offers being on the table, too. But we’ll see how things look by September on that front.
You beat them 4-0 in December. Let's see if you can keep the nerves away
I’ve watched more Bundesliga games this season than all previous seasons combined. And Leverkusen are just a joy to watch. They dominate games but are much more direct in their approach towards the goal than a Pep team. Very intelligent on the ball. Just great stuff.
The late comebacks for added entertainment value. Now I really want them to keep that unbeaten streak going, at least for the full season. And ideally us putting an end to it, sorry @Zehner
The late comebacks for added entertainment value. Now I really want them to keep that unbeaten streak going, at least for the full season. And ideally us putting an end to it, sorry @Zehner
if they go unbeaten through the whole bundesliga season, it doesn’t highlight anything about leverkusen or alonso, it just shows how weak the league is. no one could ever go the through the whole british premier league season unbeaten.
Jens Lehmann owns a trademark that says otherwise.
If that super cup match up actually happens, it could legitly break the space-time continuumI’ve watched more Bundesliga games this season than all previous seasons combined. And Leverkusen are just a joy to watch. They dominate games but are much more direct in their approach towards the goal than a Pep team. Very intelligent on the ball. Just great stuff.
The late comebacks for added entertainment value. Now I really want them to keep that unbeaten streak going, at least for the full season. And ideally us putting an end to it, sorry @Zehner
One of the main reasons Alonso has agreed to stay is that he has assurances from the board and key players that they won't leave this summer.If Leverkusen get raided for their best players in the Summer, then it will be a huge test (his first real big test
There was one weak season in the PL in which Arsenal went unbeaten.
Yeah and some of them are on long contracts too. So Bayern can't just bully their way in and get them cheap or wait out a year and take them for free.
You guys practise witchcraft. The only explanation for the extreme luck you possess year after year.
In the age of VAR, that Pires dive vs Portsmouth would've been picked up.
Not a chance he’d join us with his Liverpool links. He’s destined for a future career of managing both Madrid, Liverpool and Spain.
We were 10 minutes away from all Bundesliga UCL final.
Michael Owen.
Only in Bundesliga you can go unbeaten and still perform in the cups. That's how weak Bundesliga is compared to PL.
Alonso regularly rested half (or more) of his first team in cup/EL matches and always used his first choice in the league. He only started fielding his first choice in a cup against West Ham in the quarter final. That's more of the reason why they are always fresh than anything about the league itself. Rolfes built a very good squad with a lot of quality on the bench and Alonso is using this squad wisely to keep everyone fresh and minimize injuries.
8 years on from Leicester, its nice to see something insane can still happen in top level football.
It really seems written in the stars now, and the unfortunate thing is that anything less than an undefeated treble is going to be so underwhelming and uninteresting.
Luckily, one would think that if Xabi plays his best team from here on out they should be expected to win these last four matches.
Luckily, one would think that if Xabi plays his best team from here on out they should be expected to win these last four matches.
Yeah we can't just accept defeat here. I don't think we ever tried seriously for Pep - just assumed he wouldn't want to come. He went over to City when they were a tiny club in comparison to us and the rest is history.
Lay out the red carpet and even if he has a pitstop at Bayern for 2-3 years, it's fine to plan ahead to what happens after his next role.
Read it a couple of times now but Xabi didn't rest anybody yesterday. Wirtz was injured and wouldn't even have been on the bench if the match wasn't that important and Boniface/Schick weren't rested but out for tactical reasons. Alonso played with a false 9 in both legs against Rome so I assume he thought this would work better than a classic striker.