RB Leipzig 25/26 Season Review: Fan Takes, Player Ratings, & End-of-Year Awards

Justin Crozer: 00:00:02

Was this the campaign we finally broke through the ceiling or just

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another year of what-ifs and almosts?

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Now that the dust has completely

settled on the '25-'26 season, it is

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time to take a hard, unfiltered look

at exactly what went down on the pitch.

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We had our moments of absolute brilliance.

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We had stretches that made

us want to pull our hair out.

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And through it all, you, the

fans, had plenty to say about it.

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Today, we're laying it all out, the

highs, the lows, the data behind the

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performances, and your unfiltered

takes from the digital terrace.

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Grab a drink, settle in, because

we've got a lot to unpack.

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Welcome back to RBL Talk, the only place

you need to be for completely independent

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fan-driven coverage of RB Leipzig.

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I am your host Justin,

and this episode is 114.

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Thank you so much for tuning in.

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Today is all about closure.

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We are putting a bow

on the season that was.

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In this episode, we are going to

do a comprehensive team and player

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review, look at the underlying

numbers to see who exactly carried

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the squad, and most importantly,

I'm handing the mic over to you.

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We'll be diving into the Digital

Terrace to read your submitted takes

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on the recent results and the overall

vibe surrounding the club right now.

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Finally, I'll be handing out my

personal end of season awards.

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All right, let's get into it.

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We're going to spend the first segment

doing a massive data-driven postmortem

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on the 25/26 Bundesliga campaign.

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Let's start with the macro view.

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Think back to exactly one year ago.

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We were sitting here analyzing

an absolute disaster of a season,

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finishing seventh and agonizing

over missing out on the Conference

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League by a single point to Mainz.

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The mandate for this season was

simple: get back to our DNA,

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get back to the Champions League

spots, and we did exactly that.

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We finished the year in third place

with sixty-five points, a massive

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fourteen-point swing from last year.

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We pulled down twenty wins,

five draws, and nine losses.

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This was our tenth season in

the Bundesliga, and it marks

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our eighth top-four finish.

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Order has been restored.

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But when you compare this season's data

to last season's data, a very specific

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and frankly exasperating story starts

to emerge about how we won those games.

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Let's look at the attack.

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We scored thirteen more goals this year,

jumping from fifty-three up to sixty-six.

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Our creative engine was humming.

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We went from creating two-point-four

big chances a match last year

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to three-point-six this year.

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But listeners, the underlying finish

metrics are going to give you nightmares.

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Because we created so much more,

we also squandered so much more.

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Our big chances missed skyrocketed from

one-point-four a game to two-point-five.

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And if that wasn't frustrating

enough, last season we hit

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the woodwork nine times.

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This season?

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Well, we hit the post or the

crossbar twenty-three times.

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Twenty-three.

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If even a fraction of those go in,

we aren't just comfortably in third,

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we are actively breathing down

the necks of the title contenders.

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We outscored our problems this year,

but the finishing boots were cursed.

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Now tactically, the biggest

difference-maker was entirely mental.

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It was discipline.

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Last year, we picked up five red cards.

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You simply cannot build momentum

in the Bundesliga when you

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keep going down to ten men.

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This season, across thirty-four

intense high-pressing matches, we

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picked up exactly zero red cards.

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Zero.

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Not a single player got sent

off all season, and our yellow

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cards dropped significantly too.

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That level of composure in the

tackle is a massive reason we were

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able to turn last year's agonizing

draws into this year's wins.

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The macro data paints a picture of

dominant, highly disciplined side

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that created brilliant chances but

left a mountain of goals on the table.

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But to really understand why

that happened, we need to

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look at the individual pieces.

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Let's start by breaking down

the squad player by player.

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So let's transition from the macro team

view and start looking at the individual

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puzzle pieces that made this season tick.

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And we have to start at the very back

with our number one, Peter Gulacsi.

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Pete turned back the clock in a lot of

ways this campaign, clocking over 2,000

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minutes across 23 Bundesliga appearances.

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And when you look at the raw numbers,

the standout stat that slaps you

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in the face is the clean sheets.

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We kept 11 clean sheets as a

collective unit this year, and

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Pete was in goal for nine of them.

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But if you look at the underneath

hood, uh, at the advanced

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metrics on Sofascore, it tells a

slightly more complicated story.

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Pete finished the year with a 6.88

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average rating, averaging 2.3

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saves per game.

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However, his goals prevented

metric was minus 3.15.

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In plain English, the data suggests that

a truly elite shot stopper on an absolute

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world-class day might have swatted three

more or those shots away from danger.

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And check this out.

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He conceded 32 goals this season,

and every single one of them

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came from inside the 18-yard box.

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Teams weren't beating him

with 30-yard screamers.

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They were carving us open and

converting from close range.

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But where Pete absolutely salvaged us

was his sheer reliability and composure.

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Think about how many times our

hearts were in our mouths this year

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and when we turned the ball over.

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We committed 21 errors as a team leading

to shots, but Pete committed zero.

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Not one blunder, not one loose

pass out the back that cost us.

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Plus, his distribution was incredibly

clean, completing 83% passes overall

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and a staggering 94% in his own half.

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He was the calm in the

middle of our defensive storm

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But Pete wasn't the only one

tending the net this year.

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We have to talk about the man who stepped

up when called upon, Martine Vandervoort.

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Martine made 12 appearances for

us, starting 11 matches and logging

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just over a thousand minutes.

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And this is where the eye test and

the data really gets interesting.

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Because statistically speaking,

the analytics absolutely

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loved his performances.

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He finished the campaign with an average

Sofa Score rating of seven point zero

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seven, comfortably outscoring Pete.

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He conceded one point

three goals per game.

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But here is the massive difference

between the two keepers.

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Martine's goals prevented

metric was in the green.

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He posted a plus one point zero nine.

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That means he actively saved at least one

absolute guaranteed goal that the math

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says should have hit the back of the net.

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And let's not forget, he faced one

penalty this year, and he saved it.

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A huge moment for him.

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But you could also see the growing pains.

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You could see the rawness that

separates a promising young

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keeper from a 10-year veteran.

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While Pete didn't make a single

blunder all year, Martine did commit

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one error that led directly to a goal.

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We also saw a slight drop in

the distribution efficiency.

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His overall pass accuracy stat

at seventy-three percent, down a

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full ten percent from Gallacci.

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Now, to be fair to Martine, the data shows

he was launching five accurate long balls

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per game compared to Pete's three, which

naturally drops your completion rate.

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He was still hitting ninety-three

percent of his passes in our own

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half, so the composure in the

buildup was absolutely there.

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Overall, looking at the goalkeeper union

this year, we had exactly what you want,

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an incredibly steady mistake-free veteran

backed up by an athletic high ceiling

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shot stopper who can come in, save a

penalty, and steal a goal back for you

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All right, let's move on out

of the penalty area and start

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looking at the outfield players.

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I wanna kick off the defensive

breakdowns by looking out wide at a

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guy who had a very specific rotational

role for us this year, Max van Graafe.

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Now, Max is an interesting one to evaluate

because the simple size is pretty small.

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He only made 13 appearances this

season, starting just five matches

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and logging about 500 total minutes.

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Because of that limited run-out,

his average sofa score rating

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hovered around a six point six six.

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He wasn't the main character of our

season, but when he was on the pitch, he

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had a very distinct statistical profile.

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I'm looking at his season heat map right

now, and it tells you everything you

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need to know about how he was deployed.

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It is just this bright, heavy red

patch glued to the flank, pushing way

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up into the opposition's half, and his

passing metrics completely back that up.

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For a wide player operating

in congested areas, Max was

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incredibly safe in possession.

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He completed ninety percent of his overall

passes and an unbelievable eighty-nine

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percent in the opposition's half.

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He wasn't just aimlessly

lumping crosses in either.

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He was retaining the ball

and recycling possession.

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He even managed to create two

big chances and grab an assist

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in those limited minutes.

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And we have to talk about

his one goal this season.

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The data shows an expected goals rating

of zero point one nine for that shot.

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It was completely outside the

box, entirely on his left foot.

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He had absolutely no right to score

that from there, but he buried it.

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The flip side, however, is

that the defensive output.

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In the matches where Max featured, we

didn't keep a clean, single clean sheet.

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He averaged about one point

two tackles a game and won the

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majority of his ground duels.

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But the overall defensive solidarity

just wasn't quite there when

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he was rotated into the squad.

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Ultimately, five hundred minutes isn't

enough to define a player's entire

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ceiling, but he showed flashes of being a

really reliable possession asset out wide.

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Now from a young rotational piece,

we move to an absolute club veteran

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who had what I can only describe as

a ghost season, Lucas Klostermann.

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When you look at Klostermann's data for

the 25/26 campaign, it is almost bizarre.

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He played a grand total of 102 minutes.

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That's it.

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Across the entire 34-game Bundesliga

season, he made just five appearances

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and was handed exactly one start.

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If you look at his season heat map,

it doesn't even look like a heat map.

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It looks like someone spilled a

few drops of yellow paint down the

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right flank and called it a day.

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But here is the crazy

part about Klostermann.

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His average Sofa Score rating was a 6.95.

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How does a guy who barely

touches the pitch rate so highly?

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Because in those 102 minutes, he was

an absolute machine of efficiency.

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He was essentially deployed

as the ultimate human victory

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cigar to kill off matches.

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He committed zero fouls.

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He picked up zero cards.

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He made zero errors leading to a shot.

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He won 100% of his aerial duels, which to

be fair, was only two duels all season.

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But hey, you can only beat

what's in front of you.

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His passing was incredibly

tidy, completing 91% overall

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and 97% in our own half.

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But my absolute favorite stat of his

entire season, he registered an assist.

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He got an assist in 102

minutes of football.

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For his ex- expected assist

metric, his XA was 0.02.

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That means whatever pass he played

had essentially a 2% mathematical

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chance of becoming a goal.

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Whoever was on the end of that pass

did some absolute heavy lifting.

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Look, it is tough to see a guy who

has given so much to RB Leipzig

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reduced but the data shows that when

the manager told him to lace up his

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boots and lock down that right side

for 10 minutes, he did it flawlessly

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Staying on that right side of the

defense, let's look at another guy who

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was heavily utilized off the bench,

but had a very different experience

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to Klostermann, Benjamin Henrichs.

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Benny's usage rate this year

is actually fascinating.

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He appeared in seventeen matches,

literally half of our Bundesliga campaign,

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but he only started three of them.

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He averaged about nineteen

minutes a game, totaling three

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hundred and nineteen minutes.

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He was the definition of a

late-game tactical switch.

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Looking at his season heat map,

it's a very different picture from

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Frangrafe's high-flying touchline runs.

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Benny's map has the incredibly dense

dark red hotspot sitting deep in

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our own defensive right quadrant.

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The manager was clearly throwing him

on to drop deep, absorb pressure,

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and close out chaotic matches.

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But here is where the data

gets a little bit concerning.

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Benny finished the year with an average

Sofa Score rating of six point five

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nine, and when you look closely at

his duel metrics, you start to see

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why he struggled to make a positive

impact in those high-press cameos.

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He only won thirty-five percent

of his total duels this season.

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Whether it was the ground or in the

air, Benny was losing two out of

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three physical battles he entered.

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When you are subbed on to

anchor a defensive flank, that

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is a tough stat to swallow.

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His pass accuracy in the opposition's

half also dropped down to seventy-two

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percent, and we didn't keep a single

clean sheet in the games he played.

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It felt like he was constantly

being thrown into the fire and

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just couldn't quite put it out.

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But it wasn't all bad news.

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Benny did give us one

genuine moment to celebrate.

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He managed to get on the score sheet

with a goal from inside the box

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on his weaker left foot, no less.

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It was a low probability chance,

about zero point two two expected

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goals, but he tucked it away.

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Ultimately, it was a tough

campaign for Henrichs.

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Being a rotational player who only

gets twenty minutes a week to find his

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rhythm is incredibly difficult, and

the numbers reflect a guy who never

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quite found his footing this season.

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Now we pivot from the rotational

pieces to an absolute cornerstone

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of the team's right flank.

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Let's talk about a man who practically

lived on the pitch this year, Randal Baku

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If you want to understand why our tactical

identity completely evolved this season

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into a faster, more dominant possession

side, look no further than Baku's numbers.

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He registered 32 appearances,

started 28 times, and racked up

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over 2,500 minutes of football.

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I was staring at the season heat map

right now, and it looks like a thick,

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glowing red laser beam running the

absolute length of the right touchline.

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He didn't just play

right back or right wing.

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He owned the entire corridor

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He averaged nearly 73 touches per game.

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Think about how insane

that is for a wide player.

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The ball was constantly

cycled through him, and his

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efficiency was through the roof.

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Completing 86% of his passes

overall and an 83% completion

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rate in the opposition half.

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But listeners, I need you to lock

in for the next stat because it

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is the definition of heartbreak.

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Baku finished the season

with three assists.

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Sounds decent, right?

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Well, the underlying analytics reveal he

got absolutely robbed by our forwards.

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His expected assist metric for the

year was a massive six point zero five.

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He created 10 big chances and

averaged over a key pass per game.

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Statistically, he did everything right

to unlock defenses, but on the finishing

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end of his service just wasn't there.

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If our front line is firing on

all cylinders, Baku easily walks

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away with seven or eight assists

and a much higher average rating

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than his six point eight seven.

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Now, he wasn't completely

blameless in front of goal either.

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He popped up with two goals himself,

but missed six big chances of his

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own, finishing slightly below his

two point five six expected goals.

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Defensively, the output

was incredibly honest.

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Nearly two tackles a game, almost three

clearances, and he helped us secure

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eight clean sheets during his starts.

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Yes, he had th- three errors that

led to shots, but across 2,500

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intense minutes in transition, only

one of those blunders actually hurt

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us in the goals conceded column.

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Baku was an absolute

workhorse for us this year.

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He gave us structure, elite ball

retention, and a constant creative

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outlet that deserved a lot more

statistical reward than it got.

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Let's move into the heart of the

defense now and talk about a young

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giant who gave us some incredibly

fascinating data points in his rotational

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minutes, El Chadaille Bitshabu.

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Chad played 11 games this year,

getting the nod to start eight of

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them, totaling just under seven

hundred minutes on the pitch.

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He walked away with a very

respectable six point eight seven

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average, a sofa score rating.

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And if you look at his season heat

map, you can see him operating

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primarily as the left-sided center

back, occasionally shifting wider

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to lock down that half space.

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But listeners, the passing metrics on

this kid are absolutely ridiculous.

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He averaged over sixty touches a

game and completed ninety-three

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percent of his total passes.

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If you look strictly at our

own defensive half, his passing

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accuracy was ninety-six percent.

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Think about the composure required

for a young center back in a high

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pressing league like the Bundesliga.

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To consistently find his man

nearly every single time.

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Even when he stepped up into the

opposition half, he completed

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eighty-seven percent of his passes.

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His ability to break lines and

find accurate chip passes was a

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massive asset for our buildup play.

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Now, defensively, Chad was the

definition of safety first.

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No nonsense operator.

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When the ball came into the

box, he didn't try to get cute.

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He averaged four clearances per game.

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He justified the danger and

cleared our lines instantly.

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: 00:19:11

But the data also highlights

exactly where the next step in

310

: 00:19:14

his evolution needs to come.

311

: 00:19:16

Despite his massive imposing

physical frame, he struggled

312

: 00:19:19

a bit in isolation battles.

313

: 00:19:22

He only won forty-seven percent of

his total tools, and that dropped

314

: 00:19:25

to forty-five percent in the air.

315

: 00:19:28

In the Bundesliga, center forwards will

eat you alive if you don't pin them.

316

: 00:19:32

And right now, he's still figuring

out how to pair his timing with

317

: 00:19:35

his natural physical gifts.

318

: 00:19:37

But again, look at the discipline,

zero yellow cards, zero red cards,

319

: 00:19:42

and zero errors leading to goals.

320

: 00:19:45

He gave us elite ball retention,

an absolute mountain of clearances,

321

: 00:19:49

and complete composure at the

back wherever his name was called.

322

: 00:19:54

Let's stay with the defensive rotation

and talk about a young prospect who

323

: 00:19:58

had a very abrupt introduction to the

Bundesliga this season, Kosta Ndulkovich

324

: 00:20:04

Costa is a fascinating case study

in the gap between technical

325

: 00:20:07

ability and physical readiness.

326

: 00:20:09

He came in, made five appearances

for us, started three times, logged

327

: 00:20:14

about two hundred and fifty minutes.

328

: 00:20:16

Unfortunately, it was

a really tough stint.

329

: 00:20:18

He finished the campaign with a six

point three zero average Sofa Score

330

: 00:20:22

rating, which is the lowest of any

player we have looked at today.

331

: 00:20:27

When you isolate his defensive

metrics, the growing pains are

332

: 00:20:30

almost impossible to ignore.

333

: 00:20:32

The headline here is

the duel success rate.

334

: 00:20:36

He won just twenty-seven percent of his

total duels, but the ground duel numbers

335

: 00:20:41

are where he completely ex- got exposed.

336

: 00:20:45

He won exactly fifteen percent

of his battles on the deck.

337

: 00:20:49

In the Bundesliga, if you are a

fullback winning fifteen percent of

338

: 00:20:53

your ground duels, opposition wingers

are going to isolate you, target

339

: 00:20:57

you, and run right past you, and the

data shows they did exactly that.

340

: 00:21:04

But here is why you don't

write off a young player after

341

: 00:21:06

a handful of rough matches.

342

: 00:21:08

When he actually had the ball

at his feet, he did not panic.

343

: 00:21:11

Despite getting beaten defensively, his

possession metrics were remarkably steady.

344

: 00:21:16

He completed eighty-seven percent of

his overall passes and an impressive

345

: 00:21:20

ninety-three percent in his own half.

346

: 00:21:23

Even his long balls were connecting

at a sixty-three percent clip.

347

: 00:21:27

He showed he possesses the technical

foundation to build out from the back.

348

: 00:21:31

He also kept a completely

clean disciplinary record,

349

: 00:21:35

zero cards, completing…

350

: 00:21:36

avoiding the trap of making reckless or

frustrated challenges when he got beaten.

351

: 00:21:41

Ultimately, it was a harsh learning curve.

352

: 00:21:43

He has the passing range, but the raw

physicality and one-on-one defending

353

: 00:21:48

required at this level just were a

bridge too far for him this season.

354

: 00:21:55

All right, we've talked about the

rotational guys learning the ropes, but

355

: 00:21:58

now it's time to talk about the absolute

standard bearer of this football club.

356

: 00:22:02

We have to talk about the left flank.

357

: 00:22:04

We have to talk about

the captain, David Raum.

358

: 00:22:08

If there is one player who can hold

his head completely high and say he

359

: 00:22:12

left every single ounce of sweat on the

pitch this season, it is David Raum.

360

: 00:22:17

He made 30 appearances, started 29

times, and played over twenty-five

361

: 00:22:22

hundred minutes, and he wasn't just

out there making up the numbers.

362

: 00:22:26

He was dominating.

363

: 00:22:27

He finished with an average rating of

seven point three three and made the

364

: 00:22:32

Bundesliga Team of the Week seven times.

365

: 00:22:35

I'm looking at his season heat

map, and it is a masterpiece.

366

: 00:22:38

It is just a massive thick

wall of red blanketing the

367

: 00:22:41

entire left half of the pitch.

368

: 00:22:44

He averaged over

eighty-six touches a game.

369

: 00:22:47

When we needed to build

out, we looked left.

370

: 00:22:50

When we needed a spark, we looked left.

371

: 00:22:53

But listeners, remember

earlier when I said Ridle Baku

372

: 00:22:56

was robbed by our forwards?

373

: 00:22:58

Well, David Raum was the

victim of a statistical heist.

374

: 00:23:02

The captain registered an expected

assist metric of twelve point three nine.

375

: 00:23:08

He created twenty-two big chances.

376

: 00:23:10

He averaged three point three

key passes every single time

377

: 00:23:14

he stepped onto the pitch.

378

: 00:23:16

And what did we get to show for it?

379

: 00:23:17

Seven assists.

380

: 00:23:19

Seven.

381

: 00:23:21

The service he was putting into

the box this year was world-class,

382

: 00:23:25

and we left at least five or six

guaranteed goals out there that

383

: 00:23:29

he served up on a silver platter.

384

: 00:23:32

He even had to take matters into

his own hands, scoring three times

385

: 00:23:36

himself, including a brilliant free

kick and stepping up to bury a penalty.

386

: 00:23:41

Now, did he play on the edge?

387

: 00:23:43

Absolutely.

388

: 00:23:45

When you are that heavily involved,

averaging over five ball recoveries

389

: 00:23:49

and three and a half clearances a game

while pushing high up the pitch, you're

390

: 00:23:53

going to get caught out occasionally

391

: 00:23:58

He picked up six yellow cards, gave away

two penalties, and lost possession about

392

: 00:24:03

20 times a match just by virtue of how

many high-risk crosses he was whipping in.

393

: 00:24:09

But you take that trade-off

every single day of the week.

394

: 00:24:13

He was our heartbeat, our primary creator,

and a true leader out there this season

395

: 00:24:19

So if David Raum was the chaotic

creative heartbeat pushing up the left

396

: 00:24:23

touchline, who was the guy covering

his back and feeding him the ball?

397

: 00:24:28

That brings us to our left-sided

center back, an absolute rock

398

: 00:24:30

this season, Costello Lacaba.

399

: 00:24:34

Costello had a phenomenal campaign.

400

: 00:24:37

He featured twenty-six times,

making twenty-four starts and

401

: 00:24:41

pulling down a fantastic seven

point zero seven average rating.

402

: 00:24:46

Looking at his season heat map, you

see exactly how he partnered with Raum.

403

: 00:24:50

There is a massive concentrated

block of red in the left center

404

: 00:24:54

back and left half space area

pushing right up the halfway line.

405

: 00:24:58

But what makes Costello so special

is how incredibly comfortable

406

: 00:25:02

he is with the ball at his feet.

407

: 00:25:04

He averaged nearly eighty touches a

game, and his distribution was flawless.

408

: 00:25:09

He completed ninety percent

of his passes overall.

409

: 00:25:13

But in our own half, ninety-six percent.

410

: 00:25:16

When the opposition tried to press

us, they bounced right off him.

411

: 00:25:20

He was our pressure release valve.

412

: 00:25:22

He even averaged nearly a successful

dribble per game, meaning if the

413

: 00:25:26

passing lane was blocked, he had

the confidence to just drop his

414

: 00:25:30

shoulder and carry the ball directly

through the first line of the press.

415

: 00:25:35

And defensively, he was an

absolute monster on the deck.

416

: 00:25:38

He won seventy-three

percent of his ground duels.

417

: 00:25:41

Attackers tried to take him on,

and they just hit a brick wall.

418

: 00:25:45

He was only dribbled past

zero point two times a match.

419

: 00:25:49

On top of that, when the box was

under siege, he was the guy putting

420

: 00:25:53

his f- foot through it, averaging

almost five clearances a game.

421

: 00:25:58

Now, he wasn't completely invincible

in the air, winning exactly half of

422

: 00:26:02

his aerial duels, and he did have one

error that unfortunately led to a goal.

423

: 00:26:07

But over twenty-one hundred

minutes of high-stakes football,

424

: 00:26:11

you're going to have to slip up.

425

: 00:26:13

Overall, Costello was the perfect

modern center back for us this year.

426

: 00:26:17

Composed in possession,

physically dominant on the

427

: 00:26:19

ground, and incredibly reliable.

428

: 00:26:23

To wrap up this defensive

review, we have to talk about the

429

: 00:26:26

absolute general of the backline.

430

: 00:26:28

A man who was virtually ever-present

and anchored everything we

431

: 00:26:31

did this season, Willi Orban

432

: 00:26:36

If you wanna talk about reliability,

just look at Willi's appearance chart.

433

: 00:26:41

33 matches played in the

Bundesliga, 33 starts.

434

: 00:26:45

He logged 2,950 minutes of

top-flight football this year.

435

: 00:26:51

He was the undisputed bedrock

of this team, finishing the

436

: 00:26:54

campaign with a brilliant 7.22

437

: 00:26:57

average rating and picking up

six Team of the Week nominations.

438

: 00:27:02

When you look at his season heat

map, it's exactly what you want

439

: 00:27:05

from your central defensive anchor.

440

: 00:27:07

A heavy concentrated zone right

in the heart of our penalty area,

441

: 00:27:11

slightly shading to the right, and

he completely dominated that space

442

: 00:27:16

Listen to these defensive metrics

because they are staggering.

443

: 00:27:20

Willy averaged seven point four

clearances every single game.

444

: 00:27:24

Whenever there was panic, whenever a loose

ball dropped in the eighteen-yard box,

445

: 00:27:29

willy was there to put

his boot through it.

446

: 00:27:31

He was a massive reason he

personally walked away with

447

: 00:27:35

ten clean sheets this season.

448

: 00:27:38

And if teams tried to bypass our press

by going long, Willy just ate them alive.

449

: 00:27:43

He won sixty-seven percent

of his total duels.

450

: 00:27:47

An absolutely dominant sixty-nine

percent of his aerial duels.

451

: 00:27:51

He was winning over four headers a game.

452

: 00:27:53

Air traffic control

belonged entirely to him.

453

: 00:27:56

He even continued his streak of being an

absolute menace on attacking set pieces.

454

: 00:28:01

He grabbed two headed goals from

the inside of the box and racked up

455

: 00:28:05

over two expected goals this season.

456

: 00:28:10

Every single time we won a corner,

you could see the opposition panicking

457

: 00:28:14

about where Willy was making his run.

458

: 00:28:17

Yes, he had a couple of errors

in possession, two leading to

459

: 00:28:20

shots, one leading to a goal.

460

: 00:28:22

But when you play nearly three thousand

minutes as the last line of defense, the

461

: 00:28:27

sheer volume of attacks you break down

far outweighs the occasional slip up.

462

: 00:28:32

He was an absolute titan for us this year

463

: 00:28:36

All right.

464

: 00:28:36

That completely wraps

up the defensive unit.

465

: 00:28:39

Let's take a step further up the

pitch and start looking at the

466

: 00:28:41

midfield and the wide attackers.

467

: 00:28:44

And I wanna start with a young player

who is consistently asked to be our

468

: 00:28:48

late game spark plug, TDM Gomes.

469

: 00:28:52

TDM's season is the perfect example

of how difficult it is to be a late

470

: 00:28:57

game substitute in the Bundesliga.

471

: 00:29:00

He made 18 appearances for us.

472

: 00:29:02

That is m- more than half the season,

but he only started two matches.

473

: 00:29:07

He averaged about 20 minutes a game,

logging just over 350 minutes total

474

: 00:29:14

If you look at his season heat

map, it tells the entire story.

475

: 00:29:18

There is no solid red block.

476

: 00:29:20

There is no defined territory.

477

: 00:29:22

It is just a scattering of light yellow

dots scattered across the opposition's

478

: 00:29:26

half and mostly out on the right wing.

479

: 00:29:30

He was consistently being thrown

into broken chaotic games where

480

: 00:29:34

the shape was already gone.

481

: 00:29:37

And the data reflects how hard

it is to catch that rhythm of

482

: 00:29:41

a match in those scenarios.

483

: 00:29:43

He finished with 6.53

484

: 00:29:46

average sofa score rating.

485

: 00:29:48

He was barely seeing the ball

averaging less than 12 touches a game.

486

: 00:29:52

But the biggest issue was what

happened when he did get the ball.

487

: 00:29:57

Tidium is a player who wants to

take men on, but he only had a 34%

488

: 00:30:02

dribble success rate this year.

489

: 00:30:05

He was also only winning

38% of his physical duels.

490

: 00:30:09

He was stepping onto the pitch trying

to be the hero, trying to force

491

: 00:30:13

the issue, and veteran defenders

were just closing the door on him

492

: 00:30:17

and muscling him off the ball.

493

: 00:30:20

It wasn't a total wash.

494

: 00:30:22

He did give us one great moment, grabbing

a right-footed goal from inside the

495

: 00:30:27

box and actually outperforming his

expected goals metric for the year.

496

: 00:30:31

Ultimately, it was a

season of fleeting cameos.

497

: 00:30:34

He got some valuable minutes under his

belt, but the numbers show he still

498

: 00:30:38

has a lot of physical and tactical

development ahead of him before he can

499

: 00:30:42

truly dictate a game at this level.

500

: 00:30:46

Moving right into the center of the

park into the true engine room of the

501

: 00:30:50

squad, we need to talk about a guy who

gave us everything he had and who, as

502

: 00:30:55

we all know, has moved on from Leipzig

following the end of this campaign.

503

: 00:31:00

I'm talking about Xavier Schlager

504

: 00:31:04

It is always tough to say

goodbye to a player who plays

505

: 00:31:08

with his heart on his sleeve.

506

: 00:31:10

But looking back, '25, '26

season, Xavier has absolutely

507

: 00:31:14

nothing to hang his head about.

508

: 00:31:16

He made 26 appearances, starting 21

times, and logged over 1,800 minutes.

509

: 00:31:23

Looking at his season heat

map, it is a picture perfect

510

: 00:31:27

for a box-to-box midfielder.

511

: 00:31:29

There is a massive intense block

of red sitting dead center on

512

: 00:31:33

the halfway line, stretching

aggressively towards both boxes.

513

: 00:31:38

He was the connective tissue of this team.

514

: 00:31:41

And his passing metrics at that

congested midfield were phenomenal.

515

: 00:31:45

He completed 87% of his passes overall,

but the number of that really jumps out is

516

: 00:31:53

the 85% accuracy in the opposition's half.

517

: 00:31:57

When things got tight, when the press

collapsed on him, Xavier didn't panic.

518

: 00:32:01

He kept the ball, and he

kept it moving forward.

519

: 00:32:04

He even managed to chip in with

three goals this year, outperforming

520

: 00:32:08

his expected goals metric.

521

: 00:32:10

But you don't talk about Xavier

Schlager without talking about the grit.

522

: 00:32:15

He was recovering nearly

five balls a game.

523

: 00:32:17

He was throwing himself into tackles.

524

: 00:32:20

He won 52% of his total duels,

which is a solid return for the

525

: 00:32:24

sheer volume of chaotic midfield

battles he found himself in.

526

: 00:32:28

And yes, he picked up six

yellow cards along the way.

527

: 00:32:32

But let's be honest, half of those

were the take one for the team

528

: 00:32:36

tactical fouls that stop a dangerous

counterattack dead in its tracks.

529

: 00:32:40

You need a player willing

to do the dirty work.

530

: 00:32:43

He finished with a 6.94

531

: 00:32:46

average rating, which is

incredibly consistent.

532

: 00:32:49

Xavier, if you are somehow

listening to this, thank you for

533

: 00:32:53

the shift you put in this season.

534

: 00:32:55

You left it all out on the pitch

for Leipzig, and we wish you nothing

535

: 00:32:59

but the best in your next chapter

536

: 00:33:02

Sticking in the midfield, let's talk

about a player who had a different role to

537

: 00:33:06

Xavier this season, but was called upon by

the manager consistently, Ezekiel Benzuzi.

538

: 00:33:13

If you wanna understand the life of a

rotational midfielder in the Bundesliga,

539

: 00:33:17

look at Benzuzi's appearance numbers.

540

: 00:33:19

He played in twenty-four

matches this year.

541

: 00:33:22

That is heavy involvement, but

he only started two of them.

542

: 00:33:26

He was averaging just twenty-five

minutes a game, logging just six

543

: 00:33:30

hundred total minutes on the pitch.

544

: 00:33:33

His season heat map is a perfect

reflection of that substitute role.

545

: 00:33:36

There is no defined deep red hotspot.

546

: 00:33:39

Instead, it is scattered a

constellation of yellow and orange

547

: 00:33:42

dots across the middle third and

back towards our own penalty area.

548

: 00:33:46

He was essentially the manager's

Swiss Army knife, thrown on to plug

549

: 00:33:50

whatever leak had sprung in the

final twenty minutes of a match.

550

: 00:33:55

But the biggest takeaway from

Benzuzi's season is a story of

551

: 00:33:58

immense frustration in front of goal.

552

: 00:34:01

The lad desperately wanted to get on

the score sheet, and honestly, the math

553

: 00:34:04

says he sh- absolutely should have.

554

: 00:34:07

He racked up an expected goals

metric of one point four zero.

555

: 00:34:11

He took fifteen shots over the course

of the season, eight from inside the

556

: 00:34:15

box, seven from outside, and missed

two officially registered big chances.

557

: 00:34:21

But he walked away with zero goals.

558

: 00:34:24

You could practically feel the agony

every time he pulled the trigger,

559

: 00:34:27

and it just wouldn't drop for him.

560

: 00:34:30

But if you look past that finishing

curse, his underlying engine

561

: 00:34:34

was actually really impressive.

562

: 00:34:37

When you come into a game cold in the

seventeenth minute, the hardest thing to

563

: 00:34:41

do is match the physical intensity of the

players who have been out there all game.

564

: 00:34:46

But z- Benzuzi did exactly that.

565

: 00:34:49

He won fifty-three percent

of his total duels.

566

: 00:34:51

He was winning over half of his

battles on the ground and in the air.

567

: 00:34:56

He was a general and physical

presence, and he didn't panic on

568

: 00:34:59

the ball either, maintaining an

eighty-five percent overall pass

569

: 00:35:03

accuracy and even hitting eighty-three

percent of the opposition half.

570

: 00:35:08

He even managed to grab an assist.

571

: 00:35:11

So while the zero in the goal

column is what people might focus

572

: 00:35:14

on, the data shows a really tidy,

physically capable midfielder who

573

: 00:35:19

just needs to find his clinical edge.

574

: 00:35:22

If he finds his shooting boots over

the summer, he could be pushing

575

: 00:35:25

for a lot more starts next year.

576

: 00:35:28

If Xavier Schlager was the chaotic

box-to-box engine of our midfield, we

577

: 00:35:32

have to absolutely talk about the man who

allowed him the freedom to push forward.

578

: 00:35:37

We need to talk about the vault

door sitting right in front of

579

: 00:35:40

our back line, Nicholas Seiwald

580

: 00:35:44

Seiwald is the definition

of an unsung hero.

581

: 00:35:47

Look at his volume this year.

582

: 00:35:49

Thirty-three appearances, thirty-one

starts, over tw- twenty-seven

583

: 00:35:53

hundred minutes on the pitch.

584

: 00:35:55

Out of all the outfield players we

have reviewed so far, only Willi Orban

585

: 00:36:00

was on the grass more than Seiwald.

586

: 00:36:02

He was the undisputed anchor

of our midfield structure

587

: 00:36:06

And if you wanna see what

tactical discipline looks like,

588

: 00:36:09

look at his season heat map.

589

: 00:36:11

It is this massive concentrated red shield

deployed right in the front of the center

590

: 00:36:15

circle, locking down the defensive half

and pushing just over the halfway line.

591

: 00:36:20

He didn't wander.

592

: 00:36:21

He didn't abandon his post.

593

: 00:36:23

He sat in the pocket

and dictated the game.

594

: 00:36:26

His defensive metrics are brilliant,

averaging two full tackles and

595

: 00:36:30

one point seven interceptions a

match, whilst winning sixty-three

596

: 00:36:35

percent of his ground duels.

597

: 00:36:37

But listeners, the next stat is the

one that absolutely blows my mind.

598

: 00:36:42

Playing as a holding midfielder in a

high-intensity pressing Leipzig system

599

: 00:36:47

across thirty-three Bundesliga matches,

he picked up exactly two yellow cards.

600

: 00:36:53

Two.

601

: 00:36:54

And zero red cards.

602

: 00:36:55

To play many minutes in the most combative

area of the pitch and only go into the

603

: 00:37:01

referee's book twice is an outrageous

display of timing and tactical restraint.

604

: 00:37:06

When he won the ball, he was a metronome.

605

: 00:37:09

Eighty-nine percent overall

pass accuracy and a brilliant

606

: 00:37:12

ninety-three percent in our own half.

607

: 00:37:15

He just recovered the ball, kept

it simple, and fed our creators.

608

: 00:37:20

Now, did he offer

anything in front of goal?

609

: 00:37:22

Absolutely not.

610

: 00:37:24

He took 19 shots this year, racked up

nearly two expected goals, and finished

611

: 00:37:29

with a grand total of zero actual goals.

612

: 00:37:32

He missed a couple of big chances

too, but honestly, I do not care.

613

: 00:37:36

That is not what he's in the team to do.

614

: 00:37:39

He finished with 6.90

615

: 00:37:41

Sofa Score rating, which is

always feels a bit harsher for a

616

: 00:37:45

defensive midfielder because the

algorithms love goals and assists.

617

: 00:37:49

But make no mistake, without Nicolas

Seiwald doing the dirty work all year,

618

: 00:37:53

our entire tactical system falls apart

619

: 00:37:57

Okay, we've talked about the calm,

composed vault door of the midfield.

620

: 00:38:01

Now we have to talk about the absolute

agent of chaos, the man who is

621

: 00:38:05

statistically the most frustrating,

brilliant, and unpredictable player in

622

: 00:38:09

this entire squad, Christoph Baumgartner

623

: 00:38:14

Baumi's season is a complete paradox.

624

: 00:38:16

First off, his engine is unbelievable.

625

: 00:38:20

33 appearances, 32 starts, nearly

2,800 minutes on the pitch.

626

: 00:38:26

But you have to look at his

underlying numbers to truly

627

: 00:38:29

understand the rollercoaster

we were on with him this year.

628

: 00:38:32

Let's start with the finishing.

629

: 00:38:36

Baumi finished the campaign as a

massive goal threat from the midfield.

630

: 00:38:40

He bagged 13 goals, every single

one of them from inside the

631

: 00:38:43

box, including four headers.

632

: 00:38:45

If you look at his season heat map, it's

scattered all over the middle of the park.

633

: 00:38:49

But there is one glowing

bright red dot sitting right

634

: 00:38:53

on the opponent's penalty spot.

635

: 00:38:56

His ability to time his late runs and

ghost into the box is world-class.

636

: 00:39:01

But, and this is a massive but,

listeners, the data shows he

637

: 00:39:06

left a fortune out on that pitch.

638

: 00:39:09

He generated over 15 expected goals and

missed an eye-watering 21 big chances.

639

: 00:39:15

21!

640

: 00:39:17

You could literally make a 10-minute

compilation of us pulling our

641

: 00:39:20

hair out after a Baumi miss.

642

: 00:39:23

But the beautiful contradiction

of Christoph Baumgartner is that

643

: 00:39:26

he never stops making the runs.

644

: 00:39:28

He misses a sitter in the 60th minute

and is right back in the six-yard

645

: 00:39:33

box demanding the ball in the 65th.

646

: 00:39:38

And remember how angry we were on, on

behalf of David Raum and Rydell Baku for

647

: 00:39:42

not getting the assists they deserved?

648

: 00:39:44

Well, Baumi pulled off the

ultimate statistical heist.

649

: 00:39:47

He had an expected assist

metric of just 3.94,

650

: 00:39:52

but he walked away with

eight actual assists.

651

: 00:39:54

Whatever chaotic energy he was putting

on the, his passes, our forwards

652

: 00:39:59

were turning it into absolute gold.

653

: 00:40:01

Finally, we have to talk

about the dark arts.

654

: 00:40:04

Baumi is the kind of player you absolutely

despise if he doesn't play for you.

655

: 00:40:09

He averaged nearly two fouls a game and

picked up a team high 10 yellow cards.

656

: 00:40:15

He was constantly snapping at heels,

leaving a foot in, breaking up

657

: 00:40:18

play, and just being a total menace.

658

: 00:40:21

He finished with a 6.93

659

: 00:40:23

average rating.

660

: 00:40:25

But honestly, you can't capture

Baumi in a single number.

661

: 00:40:28

He was our battering ram, our chaos

merchant, and an absolutely vital

662

: 00:40:33

part of our attack this season.

663

: 00:40:37

Moving out wide again, we have to

talk about a player whose time with

664

: 00:40:40

us was short but absolutely electric.

665

: 00:40:43

And this one comes with a bit of a

heavy heart because as of Monday,

666

: 00:40:47

June 1st, his loan officially expires

and he heads back to Brighton.

667

: 00:40:52

Let's talk about Rajan Gruda.

668

: 00:40:56

When you bring a young player in on

loan, you're always rolling the dice

669

: 00:40:59

on whether they will adapt quickly

enough to actually make a difference.

670

: 00:41:04

Well, Gruda didn't just adapt,

he hit the ground running.

671

: 00:41:08

He only made 13 appearances

for us, starting eight times

672

: 00:41:12

and logging just 755 minutes.

673

: 00:41:16

But in that short window, he established

himself as one of our most dangerous

674

: 00:41:20

outlets, pulling down a brilliant 7.18

675

: 00:41:24

average rating.

676

: 00:41:26

I'm looking at his season

heat map and it is beautiful.

677

: 00:41:29

Bright red cluster dominating

that right attacking third.

678

: 00:41:32

And the data perfectly

matches the eye test.

679

: 00:41:35

He was picking up the ball on the right,

isolating his defender and cutting

680

: 00:41:39

violently inside onto his stronger foot.

681

: 00:41:42

All three of his goals this

year were left-footed finishes

682

: 00:41:45

from inside the penalty area.

683

: 00:41:49

But he wasn't just a goal threat.

684

: 00:41:50

He was an absolute nightmare

for opposition fullbacks.

685

: 00:41:53

He averaged 1.6

686

: 00:41:55

successful dribbles a game

with a 60% success rate.

687

: 00:41:59

When he ran at you, he

was getting past you.

688

: 00:42:02

He created five big chances and registered

three assists in just a handful of starts.

689

: 00:42:07

That means he was giving us a direct

goal contribution roughly every

690

: 00:42:12

125 minutes he was on the pitch.

691

: 00:42:15

Elite efficiency.

692

: 00:42:17

We knew he wasn't going to be

here forever, and Brighton has

693

: 00:42:20

a serious talent on their hands.

694

: 00:42:22

But for the short time he wore

the Leipzig badge, he gave us an

695

: 00:42:26

absolute pure entertainment, direct

running, and clinical end product.

696

: 00:42:31

Rajan, safe travels back to England, mate.

697

: 00:42:33

You'll definitely be missed on

that right wing, and I hope to see

698

: 00:42:36

more of you for us next season.

699

: 00:42:40

From the electric high-impact minutes

of Brajan Gruda, we move to a guy

700

: 00:42:44

who experienced a very different

reality as a rotational player.

701

: 00:42:48

Let's look at the incredibly brief

campaign of Andreja Maksimović.

702

: 00:42:54

If you wanna talk about a micro-season,

Maksimović is the poster boy.

703

: 00:42:59

Over the entire Bundesliga campaign,

he made eight appearances, zero starts,

704

: 00:43:03

averaged exactly 11 minutes per game,

and to add it up, he played a grand total

705

: 00:43:10

of 88 minutes of football this year.

706

: 00:43:13

He essentially played one full

match, but had it sliced up

707

: 00:43:17

and spread across nine months.

708

: 00:43:20

Looking at his season heat map, it's

honestly barely there, just a few

709

: 00:43:24

faint yellow breadcrumbs scattered

around the right side of the midfield.

710

: 00:43:28

He never had the time to break

a sweat, let alone establish a

711

: 00:43:31

tactical footprint on a match.

712

: 00:43:34

But here's the thing, getting

thrown on in the 80th minute, your

713

: 00:43:38

primary job is to not mess up.

714

: 00:43:40

You do not want to be the guy who

gives the ball away and cost the

715

: 00:43:44

team three points, and Maksimović

took that assignment to heart.

716

: 00:43:52

He only averaged about eight touches

a game, but his passing was spotless.

717

: 00:43:57

He completed ninety-four percent

of his total passes, and if he

718

: 00:44:01

had the ball in our own half,

one hundred percent accuracy.

719

: 00:44:06

He did not misplace a single

defensive pass all season.

720

: 00:44:09

He even managed to create one

big chance with a lovely chip

721

: 00:44:12

pass in one of his cameos.

722

: 00:44:15

Now defensively, he was

essentially a ghost.

723

: 00:44:18

The data shows zero point

zero tackles, zero point zero

724

: 00:44:22

interceptions, zero ball recoveries.

725

: 00:44:24

He was just floating, making

sure , he kept the ball moving and

726

: 00:44:27

avoiding any catastrophic errors.

727

: 00:44:31

He finishes the year with a six point

six zero rating, which is exactly what

728

: 00:44:36

you get when you play eighty-eight

minutes of completely mistake-free

729

: 00:44:40

but ultimately zero impact football.

730

: 00:44:42

It's tough to judge a player on

that sample size, but he was as

731

: 00:44:46

tidy as the manager asked him to be.

732

: 00:44:50

To completely wrap up the midfield review

before we move on to the heavy hitters

733

: 00:44:54

up top, we have to talk about a young

player who delivered some absolute box

734

: 00:44:58

office moments this season, Osan Odrago.

735

: 00:45:03

Osan's season is a perfect

example of quality over quantity.

736

: 00:45:08

He only logged nine hundred and

seventy-four minutes this year

737

: 00:45:11

across nineteen appearances,

making thirteen starts.

738

: 00:45:15

But if you look at what he actually

did with that time on the pitch,

739

: 00:45:19

his efficiency was off the charts.

740

: 00:45:22

He pulled down a six point eight

nine average rating and even snatched

741

: 00:45:26

two Team of the Week nominations.

742

: 00:45:30

If you look at his season heat map,

it tells a very specific story.

743

: 00:45:34

He's roaming across the middle of the

park, but there are these distinct

744

: 00:45:37

glowing red hotspots hovering directly

outside the opposition's penalty area.

745

: 00:45:42

He was constantly lurking on the

perimeter, and the data shows exactly why

746

: 00:45:49

Assan scored four goals

for us this season.

747

: 00:45:51

Three of them were from

completely outside the box.

748

: 00:45:55

He was our premier long-range sniper.

749

: 00:45:58

He significantly outperformed

his expected goals, turning half

750

: 00:46:01

chances into absolute screamers.

751

: 00:46:04

And here is the most terrifying

part for opposition defenders.

752

: 00:46:08

He is completely ambidextrous.

753

: 00:46:11

Out of those four goals, two were on

his left foot and two were on his right.

754

: 00:46:16

When he picked up the ball

twenty-five yards from goal,

755

: 00:46:19

defenders had no idea which way to

show him because he could bury it

756

: 00:46:22

in the top corner with either boot.

757

: 00:46:25

But he wasn't just a selfish shooter.

758

: 00:46:27

In those limited minutes, he

also registered three assists

759

: 00:46:30

and created six big chances for

his teammates, outperforming

760

: 00:46:34

his expected assists as well.

761

: 00:46:36

That is seven direct goal contributions

in less than a thousand minutes of

762

: 00:46:40

football, a goal or an assist every

hundred and thirty-nine minutes.

763

: 00:46:45

And just to put the cherry on top,

he played incredibly clean football.

764

: 00:46:48

Zero yellow cards, zero red cards,

zero defensive errors leading to shots.

765

: 00:46:53

Assan was a pure, unadulterated

offensive weapon for us this year.

766

: 00:46:58

And if he gets more minutes next season,

those numbers could absolutely explode

767

: 00:47:03

All right, we have finally arrived at

the sharp end of the pitch, the forwards.

768

: 00:47:08

And I wanna start by talking about

a player whose season perfectly

769

: 00:47:11

encapsulates the absolute frustration

of our attacking metrics this year.

770

: 00:47:16

Let's talk about our heavily

utilized striker, Romelu

771

: 00:47:22

Listeners, remember 20 minutes ago

when we looked at David Raum and

772

: 00:47:26

Rydell Bakr who's expected assist

numbers and wondered how on earth

773

: 00:47:30

they didn't have double the assists?

774

: 00:47:33

And remember how Christoph

Baumgartner missed 21 big chances?

775

: 00:47:37

Well, meet the other half

of the exact problem.

776

: 00:47:40

Romelu had a massive workload this year.

777

: 00:47:43

Thirty appearances, 27 starts, over

2,200 minutes leading the line.

778

: 00:47:50

He found the back of the net nine times.

779

: 00:47:53

Eight of those with his right

foot from inside the box.

780

: 00:47:57

But the underlying analytics

are absolutely brutal.

781

: 00:48:01

He generated an expected

goals metric of 14.36,

782

: 00:48:07

and he missed 22 big chances.

783

: 00:48:09

Twenty-two.

784

: 00:48:11

When you combine his misses with

Baumie's misses, that is 43 golden

785

: 00:48:15

high probability scoring opportunities

that we just completely squandered.

786

: 00:48:20

Right there, that is the difference

between fighting for third

787

: 00:48:22

place and putting Bayern Munich

under genuine title pressure.

788

: 00:48:27

Our conversion rate simply wasn't elite.

789

: 00:48:30

So the natural question is, if he

was missing that many chances, why

790

: 00:48:35

did the manager keep starting him?

791

: 00:48:38

The answer is his work rate off the ball.

792

: 00:48:41

If you look at his heat map,

he isn't just standing on the

793

: 00:48:43

penalty spot waiting for service.

794

: 00:48:45

He was dropping deep, pulling

defenders out of position, and most

795

: 00:48:49

importantly, he was the absolute

trigger for our high press.

796

: 00:48:52

He averaged a full tackle per

game as a center forward and was

797

: 00:48:56

consistently winning possession

back in the final third.

798

: 00:48:59

He did the exhausting, unglamorous

running that allowed the rest of

799

: 00:49:03

our tactical shape to function.

800

: 00:49:06

He finished with 6.65

801

: 00:49:08

rating, which is tough to look at,

but the algorithm always punishes

802

: 00:49:13

strikers who miss big chances.

803

: 00:49:15

Romelu gave us, uh, absolutely

everything off the ball, but going

804

: 00:49:20

into the summer, we desperately

need him to find his clinical edge.

805

: 00:49:24

If Romelu was the workhorse who couldn't

quite find his finishing boots, let's

806

: 00:49:28

look at the primary rotation option.

807

: 00:49:30

Let's talk about the

season of Konrad Harder.

808

: 00:49:34

Konrad's season is practically a carbon

copy of the frustration we just talked

809

: 00:49:38

about, just in a much smaller sample size.

810

: 00:49:42

He was our primary attacking substitute,

appearing in 29 matches, but only

811

: 00:49:47

getting the start eight times.

812

: 00:49:49

He averaged about 32 minutes

a game, totaling just over

813

: 00:49:53

900 minutes on the year.

814

: 00:49:56

And listeners, I hate to say

it, but the conversion crisis

815

: 00:49:59

absolutely infected him too.

816

: 00:50:02

He generated over four

expected goals this season.

817

: 00:50:05

He took 30 shots from inside the box,

but he walked away with just three goals

818

: 00:50:10

and a massive eight big chances missed.

819

: 00:50:13

His overall goal conversion

rate was an abysmal 7%.

820

: 00:50:17

That means for every 14 shots he took,

only one actually hit the back of the net.

821

: 00:50:23

Now, when he did score, he proved

he can be an aerial threat.

822

: 00:50:27

Two of his three goals were headers,

but the rest of his physical

823

: 00:50:31

game really struggled to adapt

to the pace of the Bundesliga.

824

: 00:50:36

If you look at his season heat map,

he was often dropping deep right

825

: 00:50:39

into the center circle, trying to

act as a target man to link up play.

826

: 00:50:44

But the data shows that just didn't work.

827

: 00:50:47

He only won 36% of his total

duels, meaning that we played the

828

: 00:50:52

ball into his chest or his feet,

defenders were constantly stepping

829

: 00:50:55

through him and winning it back.

830

: 00:50:58

His passing was also pretty erratic,

completing just 71% of his passes overall.

831

: 00:51:05

He did manage to bail his stats out

slightly by providing three assists and

832

: 00:51:09

creating four big chances for others.

833

: 00:51:12

But ultimately, a 6.60

834

: 00:51:14

average rating tells the story of

a striker who was brought on to

835

: 00:51:19

change games, but just couldn't

find the clinical touch or the

836

: 00:51:23

physical dominance required to do it.

837

: 00:51:27

Let's shift our focus out wide

again, specifically to the right

838

: 00:51:29

flank, and talk about a guy who

brings a very specific direct profile

839

: 00:51:34

to our attack, Johan Bakayoko.

840

: 00:51:38

Johan was another piece of our

heavy attacking rotations this year.

841

: 00:51:42

He made 20 appearances, but only

secured eight starts, logging just under

842

: 00:51:47

eight hundred minutes and averaging

about thirty-nine minutes a game.

843

: 00:51:52

If you look at the…

844

: 00:51:52

his season heat map, it is a textbook

virtualization of an inverted winger.

845

: 00:51:57

There is a heavy bright red cluster

hugging the right touchline and

846

: 00:52:00

bleeding right into the edge of the

penalty box, and you don't even need

847

: 00:52:05

to watch the tape to know exactly

what he does when he gets there.

848

: 00:52:08

He cuts inside.

849

: 00:52:10

Both of his goals this season

were left-footed strikes, one from

850

: 00:52:13

inside the box, one from outside.

851

: 00:52:17

Now, unlike Romelu and Harder,

Bakayoko actually matched his

852

: 00:52:20

underlying numbers almost perfectly.

853

: 00:52:23

He generated a two point zero

eight expected goals metric,

854

: 00:52:27

and he scored two goals.

855

: 00:52:29

But that doesn't mean he was immune to the

overall attacking struggles of the squad.

856

: 00:52:35

His goal conversion rate sat at

just eight percent, he completely

857

: 00:52:39

blanked in the assist column despite

creating over one expected assist.

858

: 00:52:44

When he isolated his

fullback, it was a coin flip.

859

: 00:52:47

He had a forty-eight percent

dribble success rate.

860

: 00:52:50

Half the time he beat his man,

half the time he got dispossessed.

861

: 00:52:56

But here is why you keep a player

like Johan in the rotation.

862

: 00:52:59

He terrifies defenders.

863

: 00:53:01

That direct aggressive running into the

box actually yielded one of the most

864

: 00:53:05

valuable stats a winger can provide.

865

: 00:53:08

He won a penalty for us this season.

866

: 00:53:10

When you run at the defenders

with that kind of pace, they

867

: 00:53:13

eventually make mistakes.

868

: 00:53:15

He finishes with a six

point s- seven two rating.

869

: 00:53:19

The raw talent and the tactical

profile are absolutely there.

870

: 00:53:22

If he can just bump that dribble

success rate up into the sixty percent

871

: 00:53:26

range and find his final ball, he will

be an absolute menace next season.

872

: 00:53:31

If Johan Bakayoko was our raw direct

threat on the right, we have to flip

873

: 00:53:35

the pitch and talk about the man who

was an absolute nightmare for the

874

: 00:53:38

opposition right backs all season

long on the left flank, Antonio Nusa

875

: 00:53:44

Antonio was a massive piece of

our attacking puzzle this year,

876

: 00:53:47

making thirty-one appearances

and twenty-four starts.

877

: 00:53:51

He logged over two thousand minutes

and pulled down a very impressive

878

: 00:53:54

seven point zero seven average Sofa

Score rating, making him one of our

879

: 00:53:59

highest rated permanent attackers.

880

: 00:54:02

Looking at his season heat map, it is

the perfect mirror image of Bakayoko's.

881

: 00:54:07

You see this dense, heavy red block

dominating the left touchline and cutting

882

: 00:54:11

directly into the edge of the penalty

area, and the data confirms exactly what

883

: 00:54:16

we saw with our own eyes every weekend.

884

: 00:54:19

He's a right-footed player who wants

to isolate his defender, drop his

885

: 00:54:22

shoulder, and cut violently inside.

886

: 00:54:25

All four goals this year were right-footed

strikes, perfectly split with two from

887

: 00:54:30

inside the box and two from outside.

888

: 00:54:34

But listeners, the defining stat of

Nusa's season is one-on-one ability.

889

: 00:54:40

He averaged two point two successful

dribbles every single game.

890

: 00:54:44

He was winning nearly sixty

percent of his ground duels.

891

: 00:54:46

Defenders were absolutely

terrified of him, and because

892

: 00:54:49

they couldn't stop him legally,

they just resorted to kicking him.

893

: 00:54:53

He was fouled over two times a match,

constantly winning us dangerous

894

: 00:54:57

free kicks on the edge of the area.

895

: 00:55:00

And remember the massive finishing

crisis we just talked about

896

: 00:55:02

with Romelu and Konrad Harder?

897

: 00:55:05

Well, Antonio Nusa was

the guy suffering for it.

898

: 00:55:08

He created nine big chances this season.

899

: 00:55:11

He racked up over five expected assists.

900

: 00:55:14

When he did get on the

score sheet, three assists.

901

: 00:55:17

Three.

902

: 00:55:18

He was putting the ball on a platter

week in and week out, and the guys in

903

: 00:55:22

the middle just weren't putting it away.

904

: 00:55:24

If we had a clinical number nine

this season, Nusa easily walks

905

: 00:55:27

away with eight or nine assists.

906

: 00:55:29

He played disciplined, mistake-free

football with zero cards, and he matched

907

: 00:55:34

his expected goals output perfectly.

908

: 00:55:36

Antonio was an absolute live

wire for us this year, and if the

909

: 00:55:40

finishing improves next season, his

numbers are going to be terrifying

910

: 00:55:45

All right, we have saved

the absolute best for last.

911

: 00:55:48

Every singles team needs a talisman, a

player who can grab a game by the scruff

912

: 00:55:52

of the neck and win it single-handedly.

913

: 00:55:55

And for RB Leipzig this season,

that man was our new arrival

914

: 00:55:59

from Leganes, Yan Diamande.

915

: 00:56:03

When Yan arrived in July of '25, we

knew we were getting a talented player.

916

: 00:56:09

But I didn't think anyone predicted

he would immediately become

917

: 00:56:13

the best player in the squad.

918

: 00:56:15

Let's just start with the overall

rating, a seven point seven two.

919

: 00:56:20

He made the Bundesliga

team of the week 10 times.

920

: 00:56:23

He was in a completely different

stratosphere this year.

921

: 00:56:26

And listeners, if you've been pulling

your hair out listening to our missed

922

: 00:56:29

chances from the rest of the attack,

Yan Diamande is your absolute savior.

923

: 00:56:36

He was the definition of clinical.

924

: 00:56:39

He generated just over seven

expected goals, but he walked

925

: 00:56:42

away with 12 actual goals.

926

: 00:56:45

His conversion rate was a

staggering twenty-three percent.

927

: 00:56:49

Unlike the rest of the squad, when

Yan pulled the trigger, he found

928

: 00:56:52

the back of the net, and he didn't

care which foot he used either.

929

: 00:56:56

Seven goals on his left,

five goals on his right.

930

: 00:56:59

Good luck defending that.

931

: 00:57:01

But the scary thing is,

he wasn't just a finisher.

932

: 00:57:05

He was our primary creative hub.

933

: 00:57:07

He created 17 big chances and

racked up over 10 expected assists.

934

: 00:57:12

He finished with eight actual

assists, meaning just like Nusa,

935

: 00:57:15

he was heavily robbed by the poor

finishing of the guys around him.

936

: 00:57:19

If we convert our chances at a normal

rate, Diamande finishes his debut season

937

: 00:57:25

with 12 goals and probably 15 assists.

938

: 00:57:29

And you couldn't get the ball off him.

939

: 00:57:31

Three point six successful

dribbles a game.

940

: 00:57:33

He was pressing from the front, winning

possession from the final third, and

941

: 00:57:37

just absolutely bullying Bundesliga

defenders week in and week out.

942

: 00:57:41

What an unbelievable debut season.

943

: 00:57:44

If we can build a slightly more

clinical frontliner around him this

944

: 00:57:48

summer, Yan Diamande is going to take

the entire league apart next year.

945

: 00:57:54

And honestly, when you look at the entire

squad, from the rock-solid discipline

946

: 00:57:58

of Willi Orban at the back, to the

absolute rollercoaster chaos of Baumi

947

: 00:58:02

in the middle, all the way up to the

clinical gold of Diamande, it is no

948

: 00:58:06

wonder the fan base has been an absolute

pressure cooker of emotions lately.

949

: 00:58:11

We've gone from the despair of

seventh place all the way up

950

: 00:58:14

to the elite tier of third.

951

: 00:58:16

We've cheered world-class recruitment

and we've pulled our hair out over

952

: 00:58:21

our 23 shots off the woodwork.

953

: 00:58:24

There is just so much to unpack and

nobody feels that beautiful agonizing

954

: 00:58:28

contradiction quite like you guys.

955

: 00:58:30

Absolute favorite part of

the show, the digital terrace

956

: 00:58:37

This is where your voice

takes center stage.

957

: 00:58:39

I put the call out on the server earlier

last week asking for your completely

958

: 00:58:44

unfiltered takes on the season, the

tactical evolution, and the overall

959

: 00:58:49

mood surrounding RB Leipzig right now.

960

: 00:58:51

And let me tell you, the

inbox was absolutely smoking.

961

: 00:58:55

You guys did not hold

back for a single second

962

: 00:59:06

All right, let's pull up the screen

and look at the first ballot.

963

: 00:59:09

And this one comes from

Ava over in the Discord.

964

: 00:59:11

And let me tell you, he

did not come to play games.

965

: 00:59:15

He came with some absolutely

thermonuclear tactical takes.

966

: 00:59:19

Ava puts the best tactical performance

down as the five-nil smashing of

967

: 00:59:23

Hoffenheim, calling it one of the

most important wins of the season.

968

: 00:59:26

For the worst, he highlights that

the first Bayern game where we

969

: 00:59:30

just got absolutely obliterated.

970

: 00:59:33

But where Ava really starts cooking

is his sliding doors moment.

971

: 00:59:37

He pins it on the Assan Odrago injury.

972

: 00:59:40

He points out that before Assan

went down, he was playing at an

973

: 00:59:44

absolute Chappie Simmons level.

974

: 00:59:47

Ava goes on to name Yandir Monday as

both player and signing of the season,

975

: 00:59:51

and he makes an incredible point here.

976

: 00:59:54

Losing Cesco, Simmons, Upenda, and

Simakin all in the same window, yet

977

: 00:59:59

somehow managing to put together

a better domestic campaign, that

978

: 01:00:03

is a testament to the recruitment

and the resilience of the squad.

979

: 01:00:06

For his unsung hero, he gives love

to Xavier Schlager, but rightly

980

: 01:00:11

highlights Nicholas Seiwald for

stepping up massively in his absence.

981

: 01:00:15

But folks, sit down for this one

if you're not already, because

982

: 01:00:19

Ava's Needs Improvement Award comes

with a massive unpopular opinion.

983

: 01:00:24

He has given it to Krzysztof Baumgartner.

984

: 01:00:28

I know, I know what you're thinking.

985

: 01:00:30

Justin, how can the guy

who's the top scorer and top

986

: 01:00:34

assist be the disappointment?

987

: 01:00:36

Ava says, and I quote, "When

he is not scoring or assisting,

988

: 01:00:40

he's, like, not even playing.

989

: 01:00:42

I don't like him, and my unpopular

opinion is that we should get rid of him

990

: 01:00:46

and search for another creative player."

991

: 01:00:48

He also called out the defense,

saying Orban is getting old, Galacci's

992

: 01:00:52

last game was rough, and the trio of

Raum, Baku, and Fingrafe are far too

993

: 01:00:58

offensive-minded and easily exploited.

994

: 01:01:03

Ava, you are a savage,

and honestly, I love it.

995

: 01:01:06

Let's break this down.

996

: 01:01:09

First, the Odrago point

is a massive what if.

997

: 01:01:11

Before the Asane injury,

he was a cheat code.

998

: 01:01:15

The fluid way he drove the ball

forward generally did echo what

999

: 01:01:19

Xavi Simons gave us the year before.

: 1000

01:01:22,411 --> 01:01:26,331

If he stays healthy, maybe we aren't

just hitting the woodwork 23 times.

: 1001

01:01:26,791 --> 01:01:29,051

Maybe he's the one picking the lock.

: 1002

01:01:30,691 --> 01:01:32,751

And your point about the

recruitment is spot on.

: 1003

01:01:33,172 --> 01:01:36,071

On paper, losing that much

firepower should have tanked us.

: 1004

01:01:36,632 --> 01:01:39,751

Instead, we shifted from a

transition-heavy side into

: 1005

01:01:39,812 --> 01:01:43,931

a team that controls 54% of

the ball and finishes third.

: 1006

01:01:44,332 --> 01:01:46,111

That's a massive collective achievement.

: 1007

01:01:47,031 --> 01:01:50,931

But that Baumgartner take, that

is why the Digital Terrace exists.

: 1008

01:01:51,291 --> 01:01:54,091

It's the ultimate stat sheet

versus eye test debate.

: 1009

01:01:54,632 --> 01:01:58,991

Yes, Baumie got the goals and the assists,

but we've all seen those games where

: 1010

01:01:59,031 --> 01:02:03,371

the midfield feels like it's bypassing

him entirely, and he struggles to impose

: 1011

01:02:03,411 --> 01:02:05,791

himself physically when things get gritty.

: 1012

01:02:06,571 --> 01:02:11,431

I think selling him is a bridge too far,

but the criticism of him ghosting when he

: 1013

01:02:11,492 --> 01:02:13,711

isn't on the score sheet is totally valid.

: 1014

01:02:14,632 --> 01:02:16,771

And you are dead right

about our fullbacks.

: 1015

01:02:17,151 --> 01:02:21,391

When you play with Raum, Baku, and

Fingrafe, you're playing with fire.

: 1016

01:02:21,951 --> 01:02:25,551

They want to fly forward, which is

why we created so many chances, but

: 1017

01:02:25,611 --> 01:02:27,271

leaves our center backs isolated.

: 1018

01:02:27,652 --> 01:02:31,972

If Orban loses half a step due to his

age, that exploitability multiplies.

: 1019

01:02:32,352 --> 01:02:33,332

Brilliant ballad, Ava.

: 1020

01:02:33,593 --> 01:02:34,992

Genuinely elite stuff.

: 1021

01:02:37,332 --> 01:02:40,712

Now let's look at the next submission

because it provides the ultimate tactical

: 1022

01:02:40,773 --> 01:02:42,852

whiplash to the take we just heard.

: 1023

01:02:43,693 --> 01:02:45,533

This ballot comes from K Smurf.

: 1024

01:02:47,052 --> 01:02:50,592

K Smurf goes a different route

for the best tactical performance,

: 1025

01:02:51,892 --> 01:02:55,492

handing it to the six-nil

destruction of Eintracht Frankfurt.

: 1026

01:02:56,212 --> 01:03:02,072

For the worst, he locks in the one

and three loss to Bayer Leverkusen

: 1027

01:03:02,152 --> 01:03:06,392

right before the winter break, noting

we got totally outclassed and went

: 1028

01:03:06,452 --> 01:03:08,352

into the holidays on a terrible note.

: 1029

01:03:09,432 --> 01:03:10,712

For the sliding doors moment, K.

: 1030

01:03:10,772 --> 01:03:14,852

Smith actually aligns with Ava on

the fixture, but focuses on the math.

: 1031

01:03:15,312 --> 01:03:21,272

He points to that five-nil win over

Hoffenheim and notes that with how tight

: 1032

01:03:21,312 --> 01:03:25,432

the table wound up, if we drop those

three points, we finish fifth and miss

: 1033

01:03:25,512 --> 01:03:27,112

out on the Champions League entirely.

: 1034

01:03:28,332 --> 01:03:30,792

But here is where the terrace

debate turns beautiful.

: 1035

01:03:31,592 --> 01:03:31,712

K.

: 1036

01:03:31,832 --> 01:03:36,152

Smurf's player of the season,

it's Christoph Baumgartner.

: 1037

01:03:37,152 --> 01:03:38,452

Shots fired on the terrace.

: 1038

01:03:39,352 --> 01:03:39,432

K.

: 1039

01:03:39,512 --> 01:03:44,432

Smurf writes, "Look, we all know

Dio was probably the best player

: 1040

01:03:44,472 --> 01:03:48,432

this year, but Baumi really stepped

up and was incredibly productive.

: 1041

01:03:48,852 --> 01:03:53,553

For me, he has filled the massive

hole left behind by Emil Forsberg."

: 1042

01:03:54,112 --> 01:03:59,192

He leaves the breakout and signing

awards to Diamande, terms Willy Orban the

: 1043

01:03:59,253 --> 01:04:04,012

unsung hero for anchoring the third-best

defense in the league and scoring the

: 1044

01:04:04,073 --> 01:04:07,712

goal that secured Champions League

football, and gives goal of the season

: 1045

01:04:07,812 --> 01:04:12,212

to Diamande's spectacular solo run and

finishing against Gladbach in April.

: 1046

01:04:14,212 --> 01:04:15,412

For needs improvement, K.

: 1047

01:04:15,473 --> 01:04:20,593

Smurf targets Johan Bakayoko for failing

to impact games, with honorable mentions

: 1048

01:04:20,632 --> 01:04:24,552

to Romelu, who he thinks doesn't look

ready to be our starting number nine

: 1049

01:04:24,592 --> 01:04:29,832

yet, and El-Tidel Bishapu, who he says

still isn't calm or surefooted enough

: 1050

01:04:29,872 --> 01:04:31,952

to fully trust in high-stakes moments.

: 1051

01:04:32,852 --> 01:04:33,233

Oh, and K.

: 1052

01:04:33,313 --> 01:04:36,772

Smurf added a massive postscript

about our goalkeeping situation that

: 1053

01:04:36,852 --> 01:04:38,233

we absolutely have to talk about

: 1054

01:04:40,685 --> 01:04:42,775

K Smurf, my man, this

is a masterclass of a

: 1055

01:04:43,570 --> 01:04:46,650

First of all, thank you for

bringing up the Emil Forsberg

: 1056

01:04:46,930 --> 01:04:48,430

comparison with Baumgartner.

: 1057

01:04:49,110 --> 01:04:51,130

That is the perfect

counter-argument to Ava.

: 1058

01:04:51,770 --> 01:04:57,110

Forsberg was a player who could be

quiet for 70 minutes, but he possesses

: 1059

01:04:57,150 --> 01:05:00,770

that rare, unteachable knack for

arriving in the box at the exact

: 1060

01:05:00,830 --> 01:05:02,790

right microsecond to score the winner.

: 1061

01:05:03,450 --> 01:05:06,850

Baumi showed that exact

same clutch DNA this season.

: 1062

01:05:06,910 --> 01:05:10,380

He filled a statistical void when

the squad was completely resetting.

: 1063

01:05:12,029 --> 01:05:15,710

I also agree with you

on Bishebu and Romelu.

: 1064

01:05:15,720 --> 01:05:18,779

The talent is clearly there, but when

you look at the errors leading to

: 1065

01:05:18,790 --> 01:05:22,090

shots, we had 21 of them this year.

: 1066

01:05:22,150 --> 01:05:26,450

A lot of that comes from young players

like Bishebu rushing their distributions

: 1067

01:05:26,490 --> 01:05:28,650

or panicking under a heavy press.

: 1068

01:05:28,690 --> 01:05:32,050

They need to mature

quickly over the summer.

: 1069

01:05:32,150 --> 01:05:35,350

Let's talk about your goalkeeper

take on Martin Vandervoort because

: 1070

01:05:35,550 --> 01:05:37,130

you hit the nail right on the head.

: 1071

01:05:38,850 --> 01:05:41,630

I am so glad you brought up

that Sandhausen game in the

: 1072

01:05:41,670 --> 01:05:43,350

DFB Pokal back in August.

: 1073

01:05:43,790 --> 01:05:45,630

He completely looked lost.

: 1074

01:05:46,160 --> 01:05:50,310

The nerves were clearly rattling

him, and I think a lot of us were

: 1075

01:05:50,370 --> 01:05:53,449

privately panicking about what would

happen if Peter Kalaci went down.

: 1076

01:05:54,230 --> 01:05:57,930

But when Pete got injured,

Vandervoort didn't just fill in.

: 1077

01:05:57,990 --> 01:06:00,490

He completely commanded his area.

: 1078

01:06:00,550 --> 01:06:04,490

To jump into a team transitioning

its tactical style, maintain 11

: 1079

01:06:04,590 --> 01:06:08,870

clean sheets across the campaign, and

bail us out when our hyper-offensive

: 1080

01:06:08,930 --> 01:06:11,350

fullbacks left the back door wide open.

: 1081

01:06:11,910 --> 01:06:13,170

Incredible.

: 1082

01:06:13,210 --> 01:06:16,910

At 24 years old, he showed

elite mental resilience.

: 1083

01:06:17,520 --> 01:06:22,050

I completely agree with you

going into the 26-27 season.

: 1084

01:06:22,810 --> 01:06:25,130

That number one jersey is

officially his to lose.

: 1085

01:06:27,130 --> 01:06:29,769

I absolutely love reading through

these ballots every single year.

: 1086

01:06:30,189 --> 01:06:34,309

The variance in how we all see the

exact same 90 minutes of football is

: 1087

01:06:34,349 --> 01:06:35,910

what makes this community so special.

: 1088

01:06:36,689 --> 01:06:40,529

Whether you're riding high on the dear

Monday hype train or deeply stressed

: 1089

01:06:40,629 --> 01:06:45,149

about our 23 shots off the woodwork, your

voice is what drives this show forward.

: 1090

01:06:45,670 --> 01:06:48,090

A massive thank you to everyone

who dropped their ballots in the

: 1091

01:06:48,209 --> 01:06:51,589

server and took the time to hit

up the speak pipe over the season.

: 1092

01:06:53,129 --> 01:06:56,288

But do not go anywhere because the

fan votes are locked in, and now

: 1093

01:06:56,328 --> 01:06:57,848

it's time for the final verdict.

: 1094

01:06:58,308 --> 01:07:01,608

We are going to take a very quick

short break to catch our breath.

: 1095

01:07:02,068 --> 01:07:05,728

But when we come back on the other

side, I'll be stepping up to the podium

: 1096

01:07:05,769 --> 01:07:09,929

to hand in my official definitive

RBL Talk End of Season Awards.

: 1097

01:07:10,468 --> 01:07:11,968

Who takes home the ultimate hardware?

: 1098

01:07:12,648 --> 01:07:14,388

We'll find out right

after this short break

: 1099

01:07:18,154 --> 01:07:20,913

Hey everyone, Justin here, and

while we've got a quick breather,

: 1100

01:07:21,194 --> 01:07:24,974

I wanna take a second to talk about

the behind the scenes of RBL Talk.

: 1101

01:07:25,894 --> 01:07:28,734

As you know, this show is

fiercely 100% independent.

: 1102

01:07:29,175 --> 01:07:32,614

In fact, if you follow the RBL Talk

YouTube channel, you might have seen

: 1103

01:07:32,654 --> 01:07:35,034

the video I put out discussing this.

: 1104

01:07:35,694 --> 01:07:38,714

I was actually approached with an

offer to join the Talk Sport Fan

: 1105

01:07:38,774 --> 01:07:40,114

Network, and I turned it down.

: 1106

01:07:40,835 --> 01:07:44,255

I said no because I wanna keep this

community exactly what it is and

: 1107

01:07:44,294 --> 01:07:48,674

what it always has been, completely

fan-driven, completely unfiltered, and

: 1108

01:07:48,734 --> 01:07:50,594

totally free from corporate strings.

: 1109

01:07:51,174 --> 01:07:55,034

It is always just going to be me

hitting record at 2:30 in the morning.

: 1110

01:07:55,435 --> 01:07:59,054

Right now, it is now

4:12 AM in the morning.

: 1111

01:07:59,114 --> 01:08:02,954

To get the show out to you every

Wednesday afternoon, I do what I can.

: 1112

01:08:03,394 --> 01:08:07,294

It's fueled by, entirely by caffeine

and absolute obsession with RB Leipzig.

: 1113

01:08:07,874 --> 01:08:11,994

Staying independent means I cover all

the running costs for the show, like

: 1114

01:08:12,034 --> 01:08:15,755

the Captivate hosting fees and equipment

maintenance straight out of my own pocket,

: 1115

01:08:15,814 --> 01:08:17,394

and I am completely happy with that.

: 1116

01:08:18,033 --> 01:08:20,194

But a few of you have been

asking how you can help out.

: 1117

01:08:20,575 --> 01:08:23,434

If you ever wanna throw a few

bucks into the tip jar, there's a

: 1118

01:08:23,453 --> 01:08:25,435

support link down in the show notes.

: 1119

01:08:25,475 --> 01:08:27,374

Please know that it is entirely optional.

: 1120

01:08:27,634 --> 01:08:32,113

There is absolutely zero pressure, and

every single cent goes directly back into

: 1121

01:08:32,174 --> 01:08:34,693

keeping the lights on for this podcast.

: 1122

01:08:34,734 --> 01:08:38,693

Honestly though, the absolute best way

to support this show doesn't cost a dime.

: 1123

01:08:38,734 --> 01:08:42,154

Go check out the video on the YouTube

channel, hit Subscribe, and join us

: 1124

01:08:42,274 --> 01:08:44,374

over in the Digital Terrace on Discord.

: 1125

01:08:44,413 --> 01:08:46,094

It is the true heartbeat

of this community.

: 1126

01:08:48,094 --> 01:08:49,274

All right, break over.

: 1127

01:08:49,334 --> 01:08:50,514

Let's get back to the hardware.

: 1128

01:08:54,569 --> 01:08:57,430

Let's kick things off with the

team awards, starting with the best

: 1129

01:08:57,569 --> 01:08:59,050

tactical performance of the year.

: 1130

01:09:01,210 --> 01:09:04,149

I have to hand it to Ava and K Smurf

in the Digital Terrace because we

: 1131

01:09:04,210 --> 01:09:06,330

are completely aligned on this one.

: 1132

01:09:06,390 --> 01:09:11,029

My pick is match day 27, the five-nil

destruction of TSG Hoffenheim.

: 1133

01:09:11,040 --> 01:09:13,970

That wasn't just a win, it

was a tactical masterclass.

: 1134

01:09:14,010 --> 01:09:17,370

We controlled the tempo, the pressing

triggers were absolutely flawless,

: 1135

01:09:17,910 --> 01:09:20,290

and we finally converted our chances.

: 1136

01:09:20,350 --> 01:09:24,420

It was the blueprint for exactly how

this RB Leipzig's team is supposed

: 1137

01:09:24,470 --> 01:09:25,990

to function under this system.

: 1138

01:09:27,390 --> 01:09:30,299

On the flip side, we have

to do the autopsy, the worst

: 1139

01:09:30,330 --> 01:09:31,680

tactical performance of the year.

: 1140

01:09:32,390 --> 01:09:34,830

For me, it's match day

14 against Union Berlin.

: 1141

01:09:35,809 --> 01:09:39,408

Going down 3-1 in that

fixture was a nightmare.

: 1142

01:09:39,450 --> 01:09:43,170

We completely lost our shape, we let

them dictate the physical battles, and

: 1143

01:09:43,210 --> 01:09:45,809

we got absolutely punished in transition.

: 1144

01:09:45,830 --> 01:09:48,670

It was the exact opposite of the

discipline we showed for the rest

: 1145

01:09:48,710 --> 01:09:52,250

of the campaign, and it was a really

tough pill to swallow right at

: 1146

01:09:52,290 --> 01:09:53,840

the thick of the winter schedule.

: 1147

01:09:55,720 --> 01:09:58,650

Which brings us to the sliding

doors moment, the exact

: 1148

01:09:58,690 --> 01:10:00,950

turning point of the year.

: 1149

01:10:01,010 --> 01:10:05,650

A lot of people point to big wins for

this award, but I am looking at a loss.

: 1150

01:10:06,470 --> 01:10:10,110

My sliding doors moment is match

day 26 against VfB Stuttgart.

: 1151

01:10:10,770 --> 01:10:11,590

We lost one-nil.

: 1152

01:10:12,309 --> 01:10:14,090

And listeners, you have

to remember the context.

: 1153

01:10:14,690 --> 01:10:17,059

From the middle of February

until the end of March, we were

: 1154

01:10:17,090 --> 01:10:19,420

completely marooned in fifth place.

: 1155

01:10:20,130 --> 01:10:23,840

Four weeks just staring up at the

Champions League spots, wondering

: 1156

01:10:23,910 --> 01:10:25,830

if we were going to miss out again.

: 1157

01:10:25,870 --> 01:10:29,870

Losing to Stuttgart felt like rock

bottom, but that match forced the

: 1158

01:10:29,930 --> 01:10:31,630

ultimate tactical wake-up call.

: 1159

01:10:31,670 --> 01:10:35,050

The squad looked in the mirror, tightened

up the discipline, and launched the run

: 1160

01:10:35,110 --> 01:10:37,540

that ultimately secured us third place

: 1161

01:10:39,540 --> 01:10:43,620

All right, let's move to the hardware

that really matters, the player awards.

: 1162

01:10:45,240 --> 01:10:48,960

For the Needs Improvement Award,

this one hurts because of how hard

: 1163

01:10:49,020 --> 01:10:51,360

he works, but the math doesn't lie.

: 1164

01:10:52,320 --> 01:10:53,559

It goes to Romelu.

: 1165

01:10:54,559 --> 01:10:58,670

When you lead the line for over 2,000

minutes, generate over 14 expected

: 1166

01:10:58,800 --> 01:11:03,920

goals, and miss 22 big chances,

you have to be in this category.

: 1167

01:11:04,010 --> 01:11:07,600

We desperately need his finishing to

match his pressing work rate next year.

: 1168

01:11:09,010 --> 01:11:12,730

For Goal of the Season, I am looking

straight at our ambidextrous sniper.

: 1169

01:11:12,770 --> 01:11:16,910

It goes to Assan O Drago for

his absolute screamer against SV

: 1170

01:11:16,990 --> 01:11:18,730

Werder Bremen on match day 11.

: 1171

01:11:19,370 --> 01:11:23,610

Taking it from outside the box and burying

it perfectly into the top left corner, and

: 1172

01:11:23,670 --> 01:11:26,410

doing it on his weaker left foot, no less.

: 1173

01:11:26,870 --> 01:11:28,790

Pure, unadulterated quality.

: 1174

01:11:30,290 --> 01:11:34,270

The Unsung Hero Award is the easiest

decision I have made all year.

: 1175

01:11:34,870 --> 01:11:37,550

It goes to the vault door

himself, Nicholas Seiwald.

: 1176

01:11:38,370 --> 01:11:42,380

Nearly 3,000 minutes anchoring the

midfield, breaking up counterattacks,

: 1177

01:11:42,750 --> 01:11:46,950

protecting the back line, and picking

up just two yellow cards all season.

: 1178

01:11:46,990 --> 01:11:50,010

We do not finish third without

Seiwald doing the dirty work.

: 1179

01:11:51,850 --> 01:11:55,250

Now let's talk about the Pure

Numbers game, the Top Scorer Award.

: 1180

01:11:55,270 --> 01:11:58,630

It is a paradox of a season,

but the Golden Boot for the club

: 1181

01:11:58,710 --> 01:12:00,250

goes to Christoph Baumgartner.

: 1182

01:12:00,730 --> 01:12:04,350

With 13 goals, yes, he

missed 21 big chances.

: 1183

01:12:04,790 --> 01:12:06,390

Yes, he drove us completely crazy.

: 1184

01:12:06,930 --> 01:12:07,570

Still is.

: 1185

01:12:08,150 --> 01:12:12,730

But at the end of the day, 13 goals

from the midfield is an incredible

: 1186

01:12:12,770 --> 01:12:15,960

return, And he stepped up when

we desperately needed firepower.

: 1187

01:12:17,700 --> 01:12:21,100

For the Signing of the Season and

Breakout Player Future Star, I'm

: 1188

01:12:21,180 --> 01:12:25,180

combining the categories because

there is only one correct answer.

: 1189

01:12:25,200 --> 01:12:27,950

It is the crown jewel, Yann Diamande.

: 1190

01:12:28,960 --> 01:12:31,850

Arriving from Leganes and

immediately putting up 12 goals

: 1191

01:12:31,880 --> 01:12:37,000

and 8 assists with a 23% conversion

rate, he just didn't break out.

: 1192

01:12:37,059 --> 01:12:38,100

He completely took over.

: 1193

01:12:39,040 --> 01:12:41,559

He was the most dangerous

player on the pitch every single

: 1194

01:12:41,600 --> 01:12:43,620

time he laced up his boots.

: 1195

01:12:43,660 --> 01:12:46,900

And getting him in the door was

the ultimate return on investment

: 1196

01:12:46,960 --> 01:12:47,860

for the recruiting team.

: 1197

01:12:49,360 --> 01:12:54,100

And finally, the ultimate honor,

the RBL Talk Player of the Season

: 1198

01:13:04,361 --> 01:13:08,221

I know the terrace was screaming for

Diamande or Baumi, but when I look

: 1199

01:13:08,321 --> 01:13:12,481

at the entire twenty-five, twenty-six

campaign, when I look at who drove the

: 1200

01:13:12,622 --> 01:13:16,742

standard, who never took a day off,

and who was statistically robbed of

: 1201

01:13:16,821 --> 01:13:21,722

a historic season, my player of the

season is the captain, David Raum.

: 1202

01:13:22,741 --> 01:13:27,042

Thirty starts, over twenty-five hundred

minutes, an absolutely absurd twelve

: 1203

01:13:27,181 --> 01:13:29,081

point three nine expected assists.

: 1204

01:13:29,741 --> 01:13:33,141

He created twenty-two big chances

from that left flank, whipping

: 1205

01:13:33,202 --> 01:13:36,941

in service week after week while

balancing his defensive duties.

: 1206

01:13:37,601 --> 01:13:41,701

He was the heartbeat, the engine, and

the unquestioned leader of the squad.

: 1207

01:13:42,122 --> 01:13:44,761

David Raum is your MVP.

: 1208

01:13:47,161 --> 01:13:51,161

And that is officially going to do it for

the twenty-five, twenty-six season review.

: 1209

01:13:51,601 --> 01:13:55,081

A massive thank you to everyone who

submitted a ballot, everyone who

: 1210

01:13:55,142 --> 01:13:58,281

joined the debates in the digital

terrace, and every single one of you

: 1211

01:13:58,341 --> 01:14:00,281

who downloads the show every Wednesday.

: 1212

01:14:00,741 --> 01:14:03,381

We survived the rollercoaster, and

the Champions League nights are

: 1213

01:14:03,521 --> 01:14:05,161

officially returning to Leipzig.

: 1214

01:14:05,901 --> 01:14:08,282

If you enjoyed today's tactical

deep dive, make sure to hit that

: 1215

01:14:08,341 --> 01:14:12,201

subscribe button on your podcast

app and leave a five-star review.

: 1216

01:14:12,642 --> 01:14:14,461

Also, check out the

links in the show notes.

: 1217

01:14:14,601 --> 01:14:17,801

We wanna keep this show completely

free from corporate sponsors.

: 1218

01:14:17,841 --> 01:14:21,601

So if you enjoy the content and are able

to, please support the show to help cover

: 1219

01:14:21,682 --> 01:14:23,841

our production costs and hosting costs.

: 1220

01:14:23,901 --> 01:14:27,161

Let's keep this podcast independent

with no agendas, no gatekeepers,

: 1221

01:14:27,221 --> 01:14:28,681

just pure Leipzig passion.

: 1222

01:14:29,150 --> 01:14:31,410

It's been an absolute pleasure

to have you along for the season.

: 1223

01:14:31,910 --> 01:14:34,990

I've been Justin Crozer, and

until next time, bye-bye for now

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