Bundesliga review part 2. the new one :)

[supercrystal7]

I think different. The money of the investors just increased the wage level and maybe shifted the balance from club A to club B - it did not increase the overall quality. The advantage is only to the ones with the new money - not to the others who cannot compete with the new prices.

If you would take that modell to Germany - and maybe somebody would invest into Freiburg, Stuttgart and Hertha - at the end there would be clubs like Schalke or even Dortmund, that do not have any chance to compete - they would not have money from new investors as well as they would not get the money out of the European competitions - whereas a club like Bayern will not like it but still would stay were it is (apart from the blow-up years).

The EPL was always different. When I looked into the EPL deeper the first time I just did not know that it was not only the clubs with Sheiks or Russian Billionaires who were owned by investors but nearly all of the clubs in the league. Before that I thought that your clubs were fans' clubs like in Germany. The club structure is something that is deeply implemented in the German culture - not only with football clubs. I am living in a 8000-inhabitant-town with more than 50 clubs - sports clubs, singing clubs, bird clubs, cultural clubs etc. - all built up and registered in the same way the football clubs are.

The thing is the investment does more than shift the balance, because it allows good players to trickle down to the smaller teams. It also means clubs like Everton can hold on to their players or only sell them for a healthy profit. This season in the Premiership we have 6 teams all around the same level.

The thing is even in the Premiership clubs like Liverpool and Newcastle have managed to compete to a certain extent, because of TV revenue and ticket sales. Hertha would be the most obvious club to gain heavy investment, but so would Dortmund. Even if they did not it would mean the new rich clubs would pay a huge sum to gain their players allowing them to invest in the squad. A good example of this is Everton and a bad example is Tottenham. Still there are many faults with the Premiership and neither is perfect and both have their benefits.

I think it was a shame for the Bundesliga, because it was very close to exploding on a world stage. People around the world will follow what they consider to be the highest quality league. Too often I hear Germans saying that it's only down to a lack of a colonial empire why they lack viewing figures. This is partly true, but when I grew up Serie A was regarded as the best league and every kid watched it on a Sunday. Then it became La Liga, before it became the Premiership.

You are only talking about this year - not the recent years before, or? I think this year is different in the EPL maybe because the big teams are having issues - new coaches, new systems... That just gives the second row a chance. It was not balanced like this before and I believe that will change again when things are sorted. And the same story goes with the Bundesliga. No team, and no Bayern team in history, had the runs the current Bayern team has. The records are just immense. The 81 points of Dortmund in 2011/12 were already an unbelieveable run but Bayern beat that with their 91 - and if you look in the calendar year 2013: Bayern had 93 points out of 99 with one match less because of the club world cup this week.

And you have to differ between the Europeans and the other part of the world. I think in Europe there is a lot nations that watch the Bundesliga. The northern European countries somehow are watching a lot of the EPL - but Eastern Europe and the countries surrounding Germany are often more in the Bundesliga than into the EPL. The interest in La Liga only refers to Barca and Real Madrid. Yes, the interest in Europe has often shifted.

The other markets - the EPL just has done the ground works in new markets like Asia as the first. That just cannot be taken away. And English is the usual second language for a lot of the people. The quality of the league does not matter if you already caught the interest of the people for a league or club. You might get some interested - but not the big amounts. Bayern has the chance - like Barcelona - to draw an interest because of the CL wins - but it is not an interest for the league but for the team.

Arsenal are an example of a club re-establishing themselves without huge investment. Liverpool were very close to doing the same under Benitez and are once again close to doing the same with Rodgers. Due to the TV money it's possible for Premier League clubs to become top clubs. I am not sure any German club has the possibility of doing that.

People are only prepared to watch a poor league for so long. Interest in La Liga is dying and was not what it once was. Interest in Serie A completely died away and as I said in the 90s was easily the biggest foreign league.

Interest in the Bundesliga was not just due to Bayern, but Dortmund as well. 4 teams through to the knock out stages increases this interest. This is why the new TV deals will be a lot bigger.

Anyway I missed the Bayern/Dortmund games this weekend, but will watch the extended highlights later on today. Saw a bit of the Schalke match and Max Meyer is the player Dortmund must sign. I know there is a big rivalry, but a 15 million bid should be more than enough, especially if Schalke don't make the CL.

What do you make of the CL draw? Oddly enough Dortmund are the most likely German team to go through.

 

[Maldeika]

The thing is the investment does more than shift the balance, because it allows good players to trickle down to the smaller teams. It also means clubs like Everton can hold on to their players or only sell them for a healthy profit. This season in the Premiership we have 6 teams all around the same level.

The thing is even in the Premiership clubs like Liverpool and Newcastle have managed to compete to a certain extent, because of TV revenue and ticket sales. Hertha would be the most obvious club to gain heavy investment, but so would Dortmund. Even if they did not it would mean the new rich clubs would pay a huge sum to gain their players allowing them to invest in the squad. A good example of this is Everton and a bad example is Tottenham. Still there are many faults with the Premiership and neither is perfect and both have their benefits.

I think it was a shame for the Bundesliga, because it was very close to exploding on a world stage. People around the world will follow what they consider to be the highest quality league. Too often I hear Germans saying that it's only down to a lack of a colonial empire why they lack viewing figures. This is partly true, but when I grew up Serie A was regarded as the best league and every kid watched it on a Sunday. Then it became La Liga, before it became the Premiership.

You are only talking about this year - not the recent years before, or? I think this year is different in the EPL maybe because the big teams are having issues - new coaches, new systems... That just gives the second row a chance. It was not balanced like this before and I believe that will change again when things are sorted. And the same story goes with the Bundesliga. No team, and no Bayern team in history, had the runs the current Bayern team has. The records are just immense. The 81 points of Dortmund in 2011/12 were already an unbelieveable run but Bayern beat that with their 91 - and if you look in the calendar year 2013: Bayern had 93 points out of 99 with one match less because of the club world cup this week.

And you have to differ between the Europeans and the other part of the world. I think in Europe there is a lot nations that watch the Bundesliga. The northern European countries somehow are watching a lot of the EPL - but Eastern Europe and the countries surrounding Germany are often more in the Bundesliga than into the EPL. The interest in La Liga only refers to Barca and Real Madrid. Yes, the interest in Europe has often shifted.

The other markets - the EPL just has done the ground works in new markets like Asia as the first. That just cannot be taken away. And English is the usual second language for a lot of the people. The quality of the league does not matter if you already caught the interest of the people for a league or club. You might get some interested - but not the big amounts. Bayern has the chance - like Barcelona - to draw an interest because of the CL wins - but it is not an interest for the league but for the team.

Arsenal are an example of a club re-establishing themselves without huge investment. Liverpool were very close to doing the same under Benitez and are once again close to doing the same with Rodgers. Due to the TV money it's possible for Premier League clubs to become top clubs. I am not sure any German club has the possibility of doing that.

People are only prepared to watch a poor league for so long. Interest in La Liga is dying and was not what it once was. Interest in Serie A completely died away and as I said in the 90s was easily the biggest foreign league.

Interest in the Bundesliga was not just due to Bayern, but Dortmund as well. 4 teams through to the knock out stages increases this interest. This is why the new TV deals will be a lot bigger.

Anyway I missed the Bayern/Dortmund games this weekend, but will watch the extended highlights later on today. Saw a bit of the Schalke match and Max Meyer is the player Dortmund must sign. I know there is a big rivalry, but a 15 million bid should be more than enough, especially if Schalke don't make the CL.

What do you make of the CL draw? Oddly enough Dortmund are the most likely German team to go through.

Yes, the Bundesliga right now draws more interest from the outside than it did before. But that does not change the fact that some of the markets especially outside of Europe are already taken by the EPL. City somehow faces the same problem there, too - when it is about clubs not leagues. The EPL and Arsenal fan will not shift to City. You only have the chance to attract totally new fans and the bandwaggoner types - and the bandwaggoners will leave again when the next hype starts.

I do not think that Bayern will have any problems with Arsenal. Compleancy will not be the problem this time - they have learned the lesson. The biggest problem of the Bayern team are themselves (as long as Guardiola knows that you need a defensive midfielder...). And they had the lesson last year in the second match and a week ago with Manchester City. You do not do half things - finish them off.

I cannot see Schalke beating Real Madrid and a win from Leverkusen over PSG is unlikely.

 

[Tbilisi]

Just watching 1860 v St Pauli,can't believe how many St Pauli have travelled the length of Germany on a Monday night....don't like them after meeting some of them at Hamburg friendly but credit where it's due.

 

[Ruhr]

Anyway I missed the Bayern/Dortmund games this weekend, but will watch the extended highlights later on today. Saw a bit of the Schalke match and Max Meyer is the player Dortmund must sign. I know there is a big rivalry, but a 15 million bid should be more than enough, especially if Schalke don't make the CL.

When Schalke demands 45 million for Draxler, you don´t think they let go the bigger talent on the playmaker position for 15 million Euro? To Dortmund? Schalke manager wouldn´t get out alive of the town.

 

[Tbilisi]

Anyway I missed the Bayern/Dortmund games this weekend, but will watch the extended highlights later on today. Saw a bit of the Schalke match and Max Meyer is the player Dortmund must sign. I know there is a big rivalry, but a 15 million bid should be more than enough, especially if Schalke don't make the CL.

When Schalke demands 45 million for Draxler, you don´t think they let go the bigger talent on the playmaker position for 15 million Euro? To Dortmund? Schalke manager wouldn´t get out alive of the town.

He must be fishing with that comment Ruhr,as you say he would not get out of town alive.

 

[supercrystal7]

Anyway I missed the Bayern/Dortmund games this weekend, but will watch the extended highlights later on today. Saw a bit of the Schalke match and Max Meyer is the player Dortmund must sign. I know there is a big rivalry, but a 15 million bid should be more than enough, especially if Schalke don't make the CL.

When Schalke demands 45 million for Draxler, you don´t think they let go the bigger talent on the playmaker position for 15 million Euro? To Dortmund? Schalke manager wouldn´t get out alive of the town.

He must be fishing with that comment Ruhr,as you say he would not get out of town alive.

Meyer is clearly the bigger talent, but he is not the bigger name at the moment. There is a reason why Bale went for 80+ million plus and Reus would go for 30 million. Draxler has caught the attention of the world and is a big name. Still if Schalke don't make CL and go out to Madrid don't be surprised to see Draxler leave for as little as 30 million Euro's.

I was talking pounds when I mentioned the Meyer price so from anything to 20 million Euro's.

Talk though is cheap in football. I will start to believe German clubs when they actually sell a big name for a big price. Bayern are the only German club, who can actually hold on to their talent when foreign clubs come with big wages. He may not go to Dortmund, but recent history says he wont spend another 18 months at Schalke.

He won't go to Dortmund, because he likely does not see Dortmund as a big club. If the Barca captain can move to Madrid then with enough money anything is possible,

 

[Maldeika]

Meyer has time. He just is in his first Bundesliga year. This talents have their ups and downs in their first years and the smart ones do not transfer so early as long as they get enough match time. I do not think that playing CL is so important right now as he still has to establish in the Bundesliga. And at bigger clubs he would not have a guaranteed starting place. He will make his first two or three seasons at Schalke.

And no - as long it's not a free transfer there will not be a transfer from Schalke to Dortmund. That is an absolute NoGo.

Meyer, Arnold, Green, Höjbjerg, Goretzka, Werner - there is so much promising young ones. Can is doing fine at Leverkusen, too.

 

[supercrystal7]

Meyer has time. He just is in his first Bundesliga year. This talents have their ups and downs in their first years and the smart ones do not transfer so early as long as they get enough match time. I do not think that playing CL is so important right now as he still has to establish in the Bundesliga. And at bigger clubs he would not have a guaranteed starting place. He will make his first two or three seasons at Schalke.

And no - as long it's not a free transfer there will not be a transfer from Schalke to Dortmund. That is an absolute NoGo.

Meyer, Arnold, Green, Höjbjerg, Goretzka, Werner - there is so much promising young ones. Can is doing fine at Leverkusen, too.

Didn't Santana just transfer between the two clubs this very season? Though not a direct transfer didn't Kevin Prince Boateng play for Dortmund? Unless they unearth a diamond in the rock, trying to buy Meyer will be a lot easier and cheaper than anyone else they can hope to get.

Werner has impressed me, but Arnold hasn't despite his rcent goal scoring record. Arnold is a good player at the moment, but not as talented as Draxler, Meyer or Werner. The Bayern kids have not had enough minutes to make any real impression.

 

[Bembeltown]

Just watching 1860 v St Pauli,can't believe how many St Pauli have travelled the length of Germany on a Monday night....don't like them after meeting some of them at Hamburg friendly but credit where it's due.

Not trying to discredit St.Pauli fans as they are a good set of supporters, but they have fans everywhere in Germany as they attract a lot of left wing folks who consider St.Pauli to be the "Rebel´s choice".

Wouldn't be surprised if the majority of fans in Munich is actually from the southern parts of Germany rather than Hamburg directly.

 

[bayern blade]

Talk though is cheap in football. I will start to believe German clubs when they actually sell a big name for a big price. Bayern are the only German club, who can actually hold on to their talent when foreign clubs come with big wages. He may not go to Dortmund, but recent history says he wont spend another 18 months at Schalke.

He won't go to Dortmund, because he likely does not see Dortmund as a big club. If the Barca captain can move to Madrid then with enough money anything is possible,

He won't go to Dortmund because he is Schalke through and through, this is not Spain, it has nothing to do with whether or not he sees Dortmund as a big club.