Vesper

you do not seem to understand the basic rules of the game (ie. the penalty arc) you can plainly see (Özcan is on the right) he is within 10 yards of the pen spot (as in the Dortmund player directly behind Kai) Özcan is INSIDE THE PEN ARC VAR showed the replay from multiple angles during the game, and you could see he was within 10 yards both were inside the arc BEFORE Kai even touched the ball https://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/lawsandrules/laws/football-11-11/law-14---the-penalty-kick CASE CLOSED

we are not going to be able to sell KK he is on a 4 year, £295K PW contract

my list of remotely acceptable (and available and doable, so no Mbappe or Håland) CFs remains basically the same Victor Osimhen Dusan Vlahovic Julián Álvarez (cannot see Citeh selling him to us) Jonathan David Ivan Toney (as long as the betting shit is sorted) Gonçalo Ramos Randal Kolo Muani Marcus Thuram Aleksandar Mitrović Hugo Ekitiké (doubt PSG will sell him though) Evanilson Benjamin Sesko Rasmus Højlund Vitor Roque Marcos Leonardo Rasmus Højlund: The 'other Haaland' who is thriving in Serie A and who runs 100m in under 11 seconds https://www.marca.com/en/football/serie-a/2023/02/14/63eb88feca4741d8688b4593.html Atalanta's new jewel is Rasmus Højlund, who has already doubled his market value compared to when the Bergamo side bought him from Sturm Graz last August. Atalanta paid 17 million euros for the striker, with certain segments of the fanbase wondering if the club had made the right decision. Half a year later, Højlund has firmly established himself in Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini's starting line-up after taking advantage of the World Cup break, with the striker now being compared to Erling Haaland. Who is Rasmus Højlund? Højlund also comes from a family of footballers. Even though his father Anders never left Denmark and never won an international cap, his son has already done that. Højlund has already made his debut with the senior team, while his brothers Oscar and Emil are regulars in the Copenhagen reserve team. "If you think about who he resembles, Haaland quickly comes to mind, but I like Højlund and I don't like Haaland", former player Antonio Cassano said. While these comparisons are on the table, it is also important to remember that Højlund is still just 20 and is still growing, creating his own story in Serie A. Comparisons with Haaland The comparisons to the Manchester City striker have also been highlighted by Atalanta coach Gasperini. "The characteristics are very similar, especially in accelerations," Gasperini stated. "He is a very fast player, he does the 100 meters in less than 11 seconds. "For his height, he has a low center of gravity and an incredible stride frequency. "I'm convinced he will have a great career. Technically, he always shows different and better things". Since 2023 Højlund has scored five goals for La Dea and, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, his market price already exceeds 40 million euros. "Højlund is a great talent, physically strong and with great speed," Atalanta captain Rafael Toloi said. "He has everything he needs to be great and is working with the right coach and with the right team." Where will Højlund go next? Atalanta view Højlund as an investment that will pay off in the long run. "More than a gamble, Højlund is a great investment that the club very much wants," Atalanta's sporting director Tony D'Amico said. "Few players from 2003 have this amount of playing time in Italy. "He has great room for improvement and, with Gasperini, he can become very strong."

I think Enzo can become that, but he is not there yet same for Wes Fofana (I know, I know, I am assuming he stays fit and gets back to pre injury form, which, I admit looks more possible now than at any time before)

I would not lose my shit if we bought him FOR A FAIR PRICE

Jude Bellingham (a pipe dream) Nicolò Barella (hard AF pull, but more likely than Bellingham TBH) Manu Koné Roméo Lavia then two less expensive options Maxence Caqueret Morten Hjulmand Caqueret is a superb all-round MFer, who can tackle, press, and shift the ball quickly into dangerous areas Hjulmand is physically imposing and plays for a Lecce side who are very Pool/Citeh like in terms of directness and pressing, he would be a good partner for Enzo and would come at a bargain price

£65m for Mount and £45m for Gallagher and I am fairly happy £75m and £50m and I am over the moon

lol, we are going to end up 10 AMFs on the roster! smdh

the likely final 8 teams Real Madrid Bayern Citeh (barring a huge upset by RB Leipzig, it is only 1 1, but the match is at Citeh) Napoli Chels AC Milan Benfica then a coin toss between Inter and Porto ideal (for us) semi finals: Semi 1 Real v Bayern (the 2 best teams in terms of winning the CL atm IMHO) Semi 2 Napoli v Citeh (the next 2 best teams) Semi 3 AC Milan v Benfica or Inter (Inter if they beat Porto) Semi 4 Chels v Porto or Benfica (if Porto lose to Inter) then in the Semis we draw the winner of Semi 3 IF we avoid the top 4 teams left until the final we have a real shot, and IF the final is us v Napoli, then we have a 50/50 shot I wager

if only he had a normal keeper's long arms sigh

Of course he (Salih Özcan) did, why are you trying to claim a false narrative? Why Chelsea’s Kai Havertz was allowed to retake crucial penalty against Borussia Dortmund https://theathletic.com/4285441/2023/03/07/Chelsea-penalty-havertz-dortmund-encroachment/ Chelsea overturned a first-leg deficit to beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 and reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League, relieving pressure on boss Graham Potter. Raheem Sterling levelled the tie on aggregate but the crucial goal came from a — retaken — Kai Havertz penalty. The forward was given a second chance at success after missing his first attempt early in the second half of the match at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea seeking to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit. But why was Havertz allowed to try again after striking the post on the first attempt? What happened? The penalty was won after referee Danny Makkelie adjudged Marius Wolf’s block of Ben Chilwell’s cross as a handball. Makkelie had to use the pitchside monitor to come to the decision, having initially waved Chelsea’s appeals away. After a brief delay, Havertz stepped up to take the penalty — with Chelsea’s regular taker over the past few years, Jorginho, having completed a transfer to Arsenal in January. Havertz took a short run up with a pause, sending Dortmund goalkeeper Alexander Meyer the wrong way. The Chelsea man’s penalty, however, struck the post and came out, with play continuing as Stamford Bridge fell almost silent. But after a few seconds, Makkelie indicated that Havertz would be allowed to retake his penalty, and the German sent Meyer the wrong way again as he found the corner of the net. Why was the penalty retaken? Havertz had a second bite at the cherry because the Salih Ozcan, Dortmund player who cleared the ball, had entered the penalty area before the German took his kick. Player encroachment in the box is judged on any part of a player’s body that is on the ground when the kick is taken. If any part of the foot is on the penalty area or arc line it is encroachment. The VAR is allowed to intervene in any instance of encroachment by players that has a direct impact on the outcome of the kick. The IFAB’s VAR handbook confirms that encroachment can be reviewed if “a defender who encroached prevents an attacker playing or being able to play the ball in a situation where a goal might be scored”. The IFAB, football’s lawmakers, details in its Law 14 on the penalty kick what should follow in instances of encroachment. If an attacking player is guilty of encroachment, the penalty is retaken if the player scores, but an indirect free-kick is otherwise awarded. If the encroachment if by a defending player but the penalty is scored, the goal stands. If the penalty is not converted, it is retaken. Chelsea players were also seen encroaching during Havertz’s first attempt. But if both defending and attacking players are guilty of encroachment, the penalty is retaken regardless of whether the initial spot-kick is scored or not. What was the reaction? Potter admitted he had needed some guidance on the rules — and couldn’t bear to watch Havertz’s second attempt. “After the first one – I stood up and watched — but then I thought, ‘No, I’m going to sit down and just listen to the crowd. Thankfully the noise was there. “Our assistant, who’s better at the rules than me, explained there was an encroachment.” Dortmund boss Edin Terzic rued what he thought was a “harsh decision”. “Inches are deciding (who is) going to the next round,” he said. “I’m responsible for the performance of my team, I don’t want to talk about the referee. “I think it was a tight call and a harsh decision.” Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham was disappointed in the retake and the original penalty decision, saying of Wolf: “I’m not sure what more he can do with his hand.” “That in itself was disappointing and the fact that they’ve had a retake, I think it’s a joke. “For every penalty, especially when you have such a slow run-up, there’s going to be people encroaching into the box by a yard or so. “He’s made the decision and we have to live with it.”

https://www.vipleague.st/football-sports-stream

21:00 - 22:45 | CET CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | BAYERN MÜNCHEN VS PSG – S1 21:00 - 22:45 | CET CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR VS MILAN – S2

lol, I looked him up hours ago when I was posting that

Analysing Chelsea’s most complete performance under Graham Potter https://theathletic.com/4287248/2023/03/08/Chelsea-dortmund-best-graham-potter/ Chelsea are Champions League quarter-finalists. The fact this is a significant achievement shows how quickly football can change. Chelsea won this competition two seasons ago under Thomas Tuchel, and their second-leg performance against Borussia Dortmund was — at last — reminiscent of some of those European nights under the German during 2020-21. Before last night, Chelsea had only won two of their 12 games in 2023, but managed to beat a Dortmund side who had won all 10 of their games since resuming after the World Cup. Here’s how Graham Potter’s ‘box’ midfield kept Chelsea in the Champions League. Against Leeds United on Saturday, Potter switched from a 4-2-3-1 setup to a 3-4-2-1, which raised eyebrows. However, a lack of goals meant they needed to try something different. The tweaks helped overwhelm Leeds’ midfield, with left wing-back Ben Chilwell finding space in behind. GO DEEPER Graham Potter, Ben Chilwell, Swan Lake and improving Chelsea's left-side problem Tuchel’s success at Chelsea was underpinned by a similar 3-4-2-1, which is also the same shape Potter started the season with at Brighton & Hove Albion. It uses a box midfield (shown as white dots on the screengrab) below, with two defensive midfielders behind two No 10s. The wing-backs provide the width. Potter used it in his first Chelsea game, a group-stage draw at home to Red Bull Salzburg, with Raheem Sterling at left wing-back. Almost six months later, Sterling was at No 9, with Kai Havertz as a No 10 alongside Joao Felix. “I thought Raheem alongside Kai was excellent,” said Potter. “Raheem played a slightly different role but he was really effective, and caused their back line a lot of problems.” Sterling (15) had the fewest touches of any starting Chelsea player, half as many as goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga (30) and almost three times as few as Havertz (44). The England international’s job was to pin Dortmund’s defensive line and be an outlet. He offered Chelsea a focal point up front, freeing up Havertz — who has been asked to play as a No 9 recently — to roam deeper and operate in the half-spaces. Below, as Dortmund press from their 4-1-4-1 mid-block, Chelsea bypass their midfield with a simple passing pattern. Their box midfield outnumbers Dortmund’s triangle, which leaves Emre Can (defensive midfielder) trying to mark two Chelsea players. Enzo Fernandez receives the ball, which entices Salih Ozcan towards him. The Chelsea man plays an easy pass across to Mateo Kovacic, who then finds Havertz with one touch… … Havertz plays into Sterling but he fails to pick out Reece James’ run in behind. Note the high positioning of Dortmund’s left-back, Raphael Guerreiro, and the aggressive, attacking runs of Chelsea’s wing-backs, James and Chilwell. The roles are even clearer for Havertz’s first-half offside goal — one of six Chelsea offsides, their most in a game under Potter. For Dortmund, Can regularly drops between the centre-backs to make a back five, particularly when defending deeper, but here they use that tactic to try to press Chelsea. Can’s deeper positioning allows right-back Marius Wolf to press Chilwell, which leaves Niklas Sule — all 6ft 4in (193cm) of him — up against Joao Felix. Below, Marc Cucurella receives the ball from Chilwell… … and plays a line-breaking to Joao Felix. Potter felt the Spaniard put in a “top performance” at left centre-back, a role he played at Brighton under the same head coach, offering “balance in the back three”. Joao Felix spins centre-back Sule, but Sterling is marginally offside. Once more, Dortmund only have three defenders back. For the opening goal, Havertz ends up out on the left wing. Chelsea built up from deep, with Havertz receiving the ball and dribbling towards the touchline. One-v-two, he backheels to Kovacic, who tries to dribble through rather than find wing-back Chilwell, who had underlapped… … Sule tackles Kovacic but the ball drops to Chilwell, who cuts the ball back… … Sterling mistimes his left-foot swing, gets lucky with the ricochet, and scores emphatically with his right. Chelsea’s directness and speed of attack were notable. They recorded their lowest possession share (39 per cent) under Potter. This is partly explained by Chelsea going on the defensive in the second half to protect their lead — but they only had 44 per cent possession in the first 45 minutes too. Potter’s side played more than 15 per cent of passes long, their second-highest share under him (after 16.4 per cent against Arsenal at home), and Kepa ‘launched’ passes — kicked at least 40 yards — at his highest rate (40.9 per cent) in a game this calendar year. It’s possible Potter had seen RB Leipzig’s failure to unpick Dortmund’s 5-4-1 low block on Friday, so to find more space behind their defence, the Chelsea head coach opted to 1) play more a more direct style and 2) flood the midfield to win turnovers. Chelsea’s back three provided cover for Kalidou Koulibaly to step out with Dortmund No 9 Sebastien Haller. Koulibaly won the battle — he was successful with all three of his tackles, made two interceptions and won four of eight aerial duels. From a Dortmund throw-in, Koulibaly follows Haller and tackles him. The ball runs through to Sterling (out of shot behind the defenders, which are marked with yellow dots)… … who sets it back to Joao Felix. He finds Havertz’s run in behind. This time, Can does enough to get back and nudge Havertz off balance. The penalty is another example of Chelsea’s effective transitions. Fernandez tackles Ozcan out wide after James had stepped out to pressure Jude Bellingham. Chelsea’s front three stay high. Dortmund have committed numbers forward — see Guerreiro and Bellingham’s runs — so are vulnerable to counter-attacks. James plays forward to Havertz… … and James underlaps Havertz, as the German playmaker passes to Sterling. (Havertz’s 10 progressive passes were the most of any player and his highest this season.) With right-back Wolf pulled inside to cover Joao Felix, Sterling switches play to spare man Chilwell, who runs from deep. Cucurella and James sprint to get into the box, but Wolf blocks the cross with his hand, conceding a penalty. Chelsea had not scored more than once for 13 games (since Bournemouth at home in late December) but almost scored a third against Dortmund. Once more, the flat back five provided the foundations to counter-attack. Helped by Havertz, Fernandez dispossesses Jamie Bynoe-Gittens as he looks to dribble through midfield. And Sterling is once again marginally offside as Kovacic tries to release him — substitute Conor Gallagher ends up with a tap-in, running between left-back Guerreiro and centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck. Similarly to the Leeds game, at 2-0, Chelsea sat back into an increasingly lower block, introducing defensive midfielders Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The shape became a 5-3-2. It might have been a different game without an injury to Dortmund top-scorer Julian Brandt inside the first five minutes. However, Chelsea will feel they have suffered enough from injuries themselves recently. In what was described as a season-defining week for Chelsea, and a career-defining period for Potter, two crucial wins (and good performances) can be seen as hugely significant. GO DEEPER Graham Potter and Chelsea's crowd have bonded - and he has bought himself time Potter is just the second English manager to win five Champions League games in one season after Bobby Robson with Newcastle in 2002-03. Potter described reaching the last eight as “up there” in his career achievements. Never one to over-celebrate a win, is he? Liam Tharme is one of The Athletic’s Football Tactics Writers, primarily covering Premier League and European football. Prior to joining, he studied for degrees in Football Coaching & Management at UCFB Wembley (Undergraduate), and Sports Performance Analysis at the University of Chichester (Postgraduate). Hailing from Cambridge, Liam spent last season as an academy Performance Analyst at a Premier League club, and will look to deliver detailed technical, tactical, and data-informed analysis. Follow Liam on Twitter @LiamTharmeCoach

The top 100 assistmen worldwide Issue 412 of the CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post analyses WyScout data on domestic league assists made by players in 75 championships around the world over the last 365 days. By weighting the number of assists with the sporting coefficient of the matches played, Kevin De Bruyne comes out on top ahead of Ousmane Dembélé and Lionel Messi. With 12 assists and a weighted score of 13.8, which puts him in sixth place overall, Dejan Kulusevski tops the list among U23 players. The Tottenham man is ahead of Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli), Dominik Szoboszlai (RB Leipzig) and the Real Madrid duo Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo Goes. Sebastián Villa (Boca Juniors) is the top ranked player currently active in a South American league. In purely numerical terms, without weighting assists by the sporting level of the matches played, with 19 assists in last year domestic league matches, three players are at the top: Dušan Tadić (AFC Ajax), Ahmed Sayed ‘Zizo’ (Zamalek SC), as well as Emil Hansson (Heracles). They are ahead of Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) and Mike Trésor (KRC Genk), 18 assists for both, as well as of Lionel Messi (PSG) with 17. >>> Top 100 assistmen worldwide

5 more games to go to win the CL and in theory we could not win any (all draws) and still win the CL via 3 pen shootouts (quarters, semis, and the final) lol

when he is fully fit he is a WC LB only 6 out there atm, and Theo is problematic Alphonso Davies Nuno Mendes Andrew Robertson Ben Chilwell José Gayà Theo Hernández (defence is shit)

agree look at the decimated attack in terms players he was trying to feed and Salih Özcan in MF had a shit game, so he had to play deeper than normal Dortmund's best attackers were all missing as soon as Brandt went down, other than the ageing Reus Haller is pants Bellingham is not Sancho 2.0 at all

and KK was solid again he finally is finding his feet he is solid in that middle CB Thiago spot

their best player by far was Emre Can