Weekend Warm-up: Something feels different about this Bayern Munich squad; A quick review of The Many Saints of Newark; Throwing it back to the late 80s with Poison; and MORE!

Is it me, or does something just feel different with this Bayern Munich squad?

Always talented, but rarely this cohesive, the Bavarians just have a different look and feel to them this season.

Sure, when Hansi Flick took over for Niko Kovac, the squad was undeniably excellent and looked invincible at times...but even more than those things, there was an aura of assurance that they weren’t just going to compete in every match, but that they would win every game.

Photo by Roland Krivec/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

When I watched that 2019/2020 squad under Flick, I just knew something was different. Hit with a barrage of untimely injuries to important players — and trying to mix in some parts that just did not fit — that feeling was absent for much of last season (to no fault of Flick).

Early in Julian Nagelsmann’s tenure, though, that same confidence is starting to take hold.

At every position, there is world class talent and the coach seems to have a connection with his group — a relationship built on open communication and trust, which were two staples of Flick’s managerial style. Moreover, the squad is insanely creative and fun offensive...they know how talented they are and have no problem showing it on each possession.

There is a long way to go in this season, but should the team stay healthy, I would not dismiss any thought saying this group is capable of the same results at the 2019/2020 squad.

How about you?

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Song of the Week: “Nothin’ But A Good Time” by Poison

I felt the need to kickstart my weekend with some good “hair band” material and Poison’s “Nothin’ But A Good Time” is about as good a “glam metal”, weekend song as there is. If you listen to this and don’t want to crack a few cheap beers and party with a group of friends, I can’t help you:

The song was released in 1988 right before West Coast Rap and Grunge were about to explode. For “glam metal” or “hair bands”, Poison did much of it very well, but their upbeat, faster-paced songs — to me — are better than their slower fare (“Every Rose Has Its Thorn”, “Something To Believe In”). The band tried to recreate its magic with “Unskinny Bop” and a few other songs later on, but “Nothing But A Good Time” was too tough to match.

Here is to hoping you all have nothin’ but a good time this weekend.

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ICYMI: Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 1, Episode 20

A week without Bayern Munich? (Gasp!)

It’s okay, we’ve still got some chatter on the Bavarians to yammer about. Tom Adams joins me for the Weekend Warm-up podcast and this is the slate of topics on the agenda:

• Tom’s adult league the burning question on whether he drinks beer after the game.
• A discussion on Bayern Munich’s form heading into the break.
• The transfer rumors on Niklas Süle and Karim Adeyemi — and what we think should happen with those two players as it relates to Bayern Munich.
• Hansi Flick’s commitment to Germany.
• A quick, non-spoiler review of the The Sopranos prequel, The Many Saints of Newark.

As always, thanks for your support and let us know what you think!

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Review: The Many Saints of Newark

I touched on this in the podcast, but here is my quick hit review on The Sopranos prequel, The Many Saints of Newark for those of you who still prefer blog-style work:

• I went in with low expectations and was not letdown.
• I thought the acting was actually really good. Alessandro Nivola’s performance as Dickie Moltisanti was one of the movie’s saving graces. Vera Farminga as Livia Soprano was also excellent, while Corey Stoll (Junior Soprano) and Alexandra Intrator (Janice Soprano) really captured the spirit of the original characters.
• Michael Gandolfini did an admirable job filling in for his father, the late James Gandolfini, as he played a young, Tony Soprano. Simply put, there was not nearly enough involvement from the character in the movie. The young version of Tony Soprano was not much more than an observer throughout the flick, which was disappointing. While the character should not have been the main focus, he should have played a more vital role. All that said, Michael Gandolfini handled the role really well and captured a lot of the elements his father did when playing the older version of the role (the confidence covering insecurity, the person with hope for peace and calm buried within an egomaniac set on dominance).
• There were a lot of throwbacks and references to characters, plotlines, etc. from the original show, which was nice — and fun at times.
• The timeline and ages of some characters seemed off from the original show.
• I saw some folks unhappy with Jon Bernthal’s selection to play Johnny Boy Soprano, but I thought he was pretty good and should have had a larger role in the film.

Overall:

• It just missed the mark. The plot was the major issue...it just wasn’t all that interesting. The acting — by and large — was good. There were enough Easter Eggs to keep fans of the original series looking closely, but the plot felt completely forced.
• Dickie Moltisanti was a fantastic character, who would have fit directly into The Sopranos storyline.
• If you are a fan of The Sopranos, you should watch it...out of obligation. After all, it is the backstory to tell how Tony Soprano and Christopher Moltisanti were ultimately shaped into the sociopaths they became.
• If you are not a fan of The Sopranos...well, this is not a great place to start.

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Prediction Records

Last Bundesliga Match Day record: 5-4

Overall Bundesliga record: 35-28

DFB-Pokal record: 1-0

DFL-Supercup record: 1-0

Champions League record: 2-0

Overall record: 39-28

Guest prognosticator record: 0-1