Re: David Alaba appreciation thread

[Lucifer]

Seems legit

[Winter is Coming]

[CBarca]

I understand completely what he was trying to do, which was the correct thing if he and the goalkeeper were on the same wavelength. Very careless though.

Anyway, Barca should buy him

[McAgger]

Alaba has been awful every time I've watched Bayern in CL this season.

I've no idea how he's doing in Bundesfodder but he's absolutely scrubbing it hard in CL. Shadow of the player that could have been best LB in the world.

[Valkyrja]

He can't be the best LB in the world because he plays at the same time with the best offensive left back of all times

[McAgger]

key phrase 'could have been'. He showed great potential at one point and then no progression.

[Mr Nick09]

Done dealio free transfer to Madrid

[Firenze]

cant believe he's still only 28

guy peaked years ago though, nothing signing IMO

[Myesyats]

Barca still in the mix according to Alaba's father

Makes no sense since his wages are high and he's already washed up, if Madrid bring him in to replace Ramos then good luck

[halamadrid2]

If we bring him in to replace freaking Ramos, everyone involved in that decision should hand in their notice

Would be Ronaldo to Hazard all over again

[Mr Nick09]

We didn’t sign Hazard the same summer as CR left, so that’s a poor example. Also, signing Hazard was a very good signing, how he played after we signed him is another issue.

[Hapless_Hans]

Alaba has been a fantastic player for Bayern for a decade, he is synonymous with a period of great success and with an immensely likeable, lively and well functioning footballing team.

It's debatable whether the club could or should have accommodated his demands in order to extend his stay, hard to say without knowing all the facts. Usually, he is the kind of player, on and off the pitch, in the fabric of the team, that you should not lose under any circumstances.
But with the kind of wage sum in play that is reported now, it might be justifiable, maybe even inevitable, to let him go. And maybe him hiring Zahavi was an unmistakable signal he was aiming to move, anyway.

It's sad to see him leave, but all that's left to do is to wish him all the best, to thank him for a wonderful time, and to congratulate Real on an awesome player that is a significant upgrade on everyone they have in the relevant positions.

[futbol_bill]

Alaba wasn’t signed to replace Ramos! Also there is no way Ramos doesn’t renew.

He was signed
A) as a quality player available for free.
B) he steps into squad as #3 CB ahead of Militao and Nacho. He will put pressure on Varane, if he does remain with club.
C) he is also a quality option at LB, and that he is probably replacing Marcelo in squad numbers and he will put pressure on Mendy.
D) he is also a quality option at DM which will put pressure on Casemiro or offer a well needed backup for Casemiro.

Bottom line, he will find himself in starting lineup, and his versatility gives Zidane lots of options. A lot depends on who comes back plus who comes in. There are question marks re Ramos (although I suspect all will be resolved), Varane, Lucas re renewals plus Odriozola, Militao, Marcelo re performance. And all this in mind that defense is the least of our worries.

[rincon]

We didn’t sign Hazard the same summer as CR left, so that’s a poor example. Also, signing Hazard was a very good signing, how he played after we signed him is another issue.

130+m for an unfit player on the last year of his contract. It wasn't a very good signing.

Alaba will be though.

[Mr Nick09]

We signed one of the better players of the premier league. It’s disappointing how it turned out but I don’t think it was a bad transfer.

[BarrileteCosmico]

If only half of GL didn't warn you he was not worth it

(Not me though, I rated him and have since been proven wrong)

[The Demon of Carthage]

Madrid didn't have a choice. They lost their best player and had to replace him with someone. And even though Hazard is not even remotely close to Ronaldo's level, he was the best attainable player in the market at the time.

I do agree with rincon though that his price was very steep considering his age and his contractual situation at the time. And I also agree that so far he has been nothing but a bitter disappointment at Madrid.

[Hapless_Hans]

Hazard was a good transfer, the only thing bizarre was the high transfer sum.
It's unlucky he's been fit so rarely, and he will add massive quality to Madrid when he's playing regularly and gaining some form and chemistry.


But then, about the transfer sum, as I also said at the time, maybe that's just Madrid style, if they make a big signing, it's supposed to be big, not waiting to get a discount like we do at Bayern.
I can respect that, and it also protects the player from a fate like Oedegaard's. A high transfer sum is leverage.

[Mr Nick09]

If only half of GL didn't warn you he was not worth it

(Not me though, I rated him and have since been proven wrong)

if we go by what half of GL thinks, no manager could line up 11 players in their team lol

[rincon]

Hazard the player was surely a fine bet, but on evaluating a transfer the fee can't be ignored imo. Far too high. If he wasn't flopping to this degree, Chelsea would even get up to 160m. For a player that was on the last year of his contract.

It's not like Hazard was a phenomenon to that degree where you would have to pay so much either, his laid back approach to football always kept him from being even better and that wasn't going to change.

[BarrileteCosmico]

Madrid didn't have a choice. They lost their best player and had to replace him with someone. And even though Hazard is not even remotely close to Ronaldo's level, he was the best attainable player in the market at the time..

that is the terrible kind of logic that ended up with Dembélé at barca for near the same amount of money.

[BarrileteCosmico]

If only half of GL didn't warn you he was not worth it

(Not me though, I rated him and have since been proven wrong)

if we go by what half of GL thinks, no manager could line up 11 players in their team lol

fair enough

[Nishankly]

In our premface defense, we were unanimously vocal about Hazard flopping.

[The Demon of Carthage]

Madrid didn't have a choice. They lost their best player and had to replace him with someone. And even though Hazard is not even remotely close to Ronaldo's level, he was the best attainable player in the market at the time..

that is the terrible kind of logic that ended up with Dembélé at barca for near the same amount of money.

Not really. Hazard is (or at least was) an established elite player in his prime when he moved to Madrid. Dembélé wasn't even old enough to drink in the US when he moved to Barça.

[Mr Nick09]

Hazard has sucked, good lord. I am annoyed when I see his name now. I’m just relieved he has one more season and he is gone, that’s all I have. When PSG are in panic about losing Mbappe and maybe Neymar, they can have it anytime, even this summer

[Great Leader Sprucenuce]

Hazard has sucked, good lord. I am annoyed when I see his name now. I’m just relieved he has one more season and he is gone, that’s all I have. When PSG are in panic about losing Mbappe and maybe Neymar, they can have it anytime, even this summer

Should of listened to the PL lads.

His best performance in the PL came against a City team playing Demichelis at DM ffs.

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