Champions League - Week 5 (22nd-23rd Nov)

I don't think we should be in the top 4 favourites either.

Like Forza said, we have glaring weaknesses. Out of our midfielders, only Aquilani and Boateng should be playing week in, week out. We either have old players with quality but no legs (Seedorf, Van Bommell), or young players with legs but not as much quality as the older ones(Urby, Nocerino). And our LB issue is a problem, Allegri is still rotating three players cause nobody is convincing (Zambro, Antonini, Taiwo).

We would need a couple of solid additions this winter to be considered that highly, with the top priority being an anchorman who can distribute the ball AND cover ground to replace Van Bommel.

a day or so prior to the game he also WOKE and SHOOK up his team by criticizing them GOOD

saying they had it TOO GOOD at Bayer

luxury everywhere, leading to massive complacency

he also bemoaned a lack of internal friction and debates

WITHOUT Balle on the pitch yesterday, the Rhineland chaps would have SNOOZED to death

so really

to measure the Saxon's value, you really also have to look at the kind of influence he has on his team-mates

THIS is precisely what Ballack really deserves credit for... I'm not sure if he was the best player on the pitch in any kind of 'technical' ability, but his intelligence and most of all his LEADERSHIP are what defines Herr Ballack and what he means to our club... he also was certainly the most MASCULINE player on the pitch.

absolutely terrific result; still in hysterics over here... I thought that Dortmund would have an easier time than us, but NOPE... a shame, really... Kroos had it right: Dortmund needed to purchase some EXPERIENCE in the off-season in preparation for their European campaign, especially after losing Sahin...