Bundesliga review part 2. the new one :)

[supercrystal7]

Watched the Ruhr teams win 2-1 this weekend. It seemed there was something in the water there, because both teams forgot how to pass.

Hummels came back and though he was rusty, you could see the extra composure he brought on the ball. Several times he found a man in space. Dortmund were terrible from defending set pieces and could have conceded so many. Schmelzer and Mkhitaryan were especially bad out of a bad performance. Lewandowski and especially Reus did not have great games, but still produced a few moment of absolute class to open up the game. When the game was stretched they created a lot of chances, but also missed them. Aubemayang was clinical, but apart from that was terrible. They need something to boost moral. Reus will get back problems if he has to carry the team much further.

Schalke were shockingly bad for 70 minutes and Santana was their best player. Got a lucky goal and then for the next 70 minutes did not manage to string 3 passes in a row. Boateng despite getting the winner was woeful in midfield. Even when Wolfsburg went down to 10 men they still scored and were dominating the match. This Schalke team has so much quality on paper. They must fire Keller. Somebody needs to give Meyer the confidence to try a bit more; he has so much ability. Goretzka came on and looked good. Schalke should be so much better than they are now. If they invest the Draxler money on a left back and defensive mid they should be good, but not with Keller. Wolfsburg dominated the midfield, but were toothless up front. De Bruyne came into the game and had some nice bits of play as did Perisic. Arnold got a goal. Wolfsburg have the money, but Schalke have the foundations to be so much better if they had even an average coach.

 

[Maldeika]

Actually I am not of your opinion when it means Keller. Not because of Keller so as for the man that does all the training work - actually it is the one who did that at Bayern the recent two years - Peter Hermann - who went to Schalke as assistant when Heynckes finished. Before Bayern he worked together with Heynckes in Leverkusen and they did a great job there, too. Heynckes let him do the most in that category and what I heared about the training sessions at Schalke it is the same there. But I think whereas in Munich the young ones have older players which they can learn off - that is not the case at Schalke. That might be the biggest problem of Schalke. They lack the proper team build-up in age and structure.

 

[supercrystal7]

Actually I am not of your opinion when it means Keller. Not because of Keller so as for the man that does all the training work - actually it is the one who did that at Bayern the recent two years - Peter Hermann - who went to Schalke as assistant when Heynckes finished. Before Bayern he worked together with Heynckes in Leverkusen and they did a great job there, too. Heynckes let him do the most in that category and what I heared about the training sessions at Schalke it is the same there. But I think whereas in Munich the young ones have older players which they can learn off - that is not the case at Schalke. That might be the biggest problem of Schalke. They lack the proper team build-up in age and structure.

Being a good coach and putting good training sessions does not mean you are a good head coach. No better example than Meulensteen, who by all accounts was supposed to be a fantastic coach and put on incredible sessions. Lots of people are good coaches, but lack the ability to motivate or make the and decisions. At Schalke he has been awful. There is no excuse for the performance Schalke put on today for the first 70 minutes. He didn't even realise the problem and change it.

I do agree about the lack of leadership in the team. I have said it previously, but they could do with a real winner in the team. A successful player close to the end of his career. They need a left back and a defensive midfielder so someone like Essien, Vidic, Evra, Pirlo, Cole, Lampard etc. Would be A player that all the youngsters would respect and look up to. The team they have should be so much better.

 

[Maldeika]

I do agree about the lack of leadership in the team. I have said it previously, but they could do with a real winner in the team. A successful player close to the end of his career. They need a left back and a defensive midfielder so someone like Essien, Vidic, Evra, Pirlo, Cole, Lampard etc. Would be A player that all the youngsters would respect and look up to. The team they have should be so much better.

I do not think if you need that winner type - but you for sure do need older and experienced players of class - that are integration figures and leaders on the field. Schalke totally lack them. They have a lot under 25-year-olds, real great under 20s - and the older ones are Hunter, Farfan and Hildebrandt or pretty new ones. I do not really believe in Boateng - he might set an effect in a match but he is not really the reliable type but more of an artist. Now Hildebrandt has to fight for his place in goal - the last 6 matches Fährmann played. Hunter and Farfan are players that aren't the leader types - they really are individual players. It was not really different when Neuer was captain of the team with 23... - now Höwedes might be 25 but he lately had more problems with his own form and injuries.

 

[supercrystal7]

I do agree about the lack of leadership in the team. I have said it previously, but they could do with a real winner in the team. A successful player close to the end of his career. They need a left back and a defensive midfielder so someone like Essien, Vidic, Evra, Pirlo, Cole, Lampard etc. Would be A player that all the youngsters would respect and look up to. The team they have should be so much better.

I do not think if you need that winner type - but you for sure do need older and experienced players of class - that are integration figures and leaders on the field. Schalke totally lack them. They have a lot under 25-year-olds, real great under 20s - and the older ones are Hunter, Farfan and Hildebrandt or pretty new ones. I do not really believe in Boateng - he might set an effect in a match but he is not really the reliable type but more of an artist. Now Hildebrandt has to fight for his place in goal - the last 6 matches Fährmann played. Hunter and Farfan are players that aren't the leader types - they really are individual players. It was not really different when Neuer was captain of the team with 23... - now Höwedes might be 25 but he lately had more problems with his own form and injuries.

I am confused with your answer. You say they don't need experienced winners, but then say they need integration figures that are leaders on and off the field. That's exactly what the winner type is. I remember when Mancini brought in Vieira, people were saying it's an awful signing, but I said it was a very good signing. He was a player, that would command the respect of the dressing room. He would show the youngsters the work ethic and professionalism required to make it to the top. When the things got tough on the field he would be ready to fight. That's what the likes of Lampard, Vidic, Evra, Cole etc would bring to Schalke and it would be invaluable.

When Barcelona rose to power everyone forgets Davids. They were young and talented, but it was Davids who acted as Rjikaard's general on the pitch, an example of what you had to do to reach the top and a leader.

 

[Ruhr]

Some financial news: An american private equity group spends 60 million Euros on Hertha BSC, partly as a credit, partly by buying 10 per cent of their shares.

Results

Eintracht Braunschweig 1-2 Borussia Dortmund, att. 23,325 (sold out)
0-1 Aubameyang 31.
1-1 Kessel 54.
1-2 Aubameyang 65.
Hummels back fort he Blackyellows after a long injury, Gündogan still out and Lewandowski doesn´t score anymore

Schalke 04 2-1 VfL Wolfsburg, att. 60,000
1-0 Santana 9.
1-1 Arnold 65.
2-1 Boateng 81.
Red card: Caligiuri (VfL Wolfsburg) 50.
Diego took a last minute exit to Athletico. The car towners with their second defeat in 2014

Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 VfB Stuttgart, att 28,714
0-1 Leitner 12.
1-1 Kießling 26.
2-1 Derdiyok 84.
Another unlucky defeat for Stuttgart against a top team

Mainz 05 2-0 SC Freiburg, att. 26,000
1-0 Park 24.
2-0 Koo 86.
Asia day at Mainz with Park and Koo. Former City youth player Loris Karius now Mainz´ No. 1 goalkeeper

FC Augsburg 3-1 Werder Bremen, att. 28,813
0-1 Callsen-Bracker (og) 3.
1-1 Werner 11.
2-1 Altintop 49.
3-1 Hahn 55.
yellow-red card: Garcia (Werder) 45.
The puppet players with their best Bundesliga season ever, while Bremen is only a shadow of the top team they once had been

1899 Hoffenheim 3-0 Hamburger SV, att 25,063
1-0 Firminho 4.
2-0 Süle 44.
3-0 Beck 60.
Van Marwijk absolutely clueless. It seems, that HSV´s Bundesliga story is finally coming to an end

Hannover 3-1 Borussia Mönchengladbach, att. 45,000
1-0 Rudnevs 57.
2-0 Diouf 82.
2-1 Mlapa 84.
3-1 Diouf 90.
Great start for Hannover´s widely unknown turkish coach Tayfun Korkut. Second win.

 

[BayernMan]

Top class goal by Götze!

 

[Ruhr]

sunday results

Hertha BSC 1 - 3 1. FC Nürnberg, att. 37, 438
1:0 Ramos (4.)
1:1 Feulner (20.)
1:2 Drmic (68.)
1:3 Drmic (90.+4, pen)
The Club, as Nürnberg is called, has left the relegation zone

Bayern München 5-0 Eintracht Frankfurt, att. 71,000 (sold out)
1:0 Götze (12.)
2:0 Ribery (44.)
3:0 Robben (67.)
4:0 Dante (69.)
5:0 Mandzukic (89.)

1 Bayern München 53 51:9

2 Bay.Leverkusen 40 36:20
3 Bor.Dortmund 36 42:23

4 FC Schalke 04 34 37:29

5 Bor.M'gladbach 33 36:24
6 VfL Wolfsburg 30 30:24

7 FSV Mainz 05 30 29:32
8 Hertha BSC Berlin 28 28:24
9 FC Augsburg 28 26:28
10 Hannover 96 24 29:33
11 TSG Hoffenheim 21 39:42
12 Werder Bremen 20 23:40
13 VfB Stuttgart 19 32:37
14 Etr.Frankfurt 18 21:34
15 1.FC Nürnberg 17 24:34

16 SC Freiburg 17 19:35

17 Hamburger SV 16 33:44
18 Etr.Braunschw. 12 11:34

 

[supercrystal7]

Top class goal by Götze!

Was always going to be a huge success. WIll probably be the best player in the world at some point. Some people thought he would struggle like other Dortmund players such as Kagawa and Sahin. The difference between Gotze and those two is he a world class player. Kagawa and Sahin were just very god players playing in a system that got the most out of their abilities. Hummels, Reus and Gundogan are genuinely world class players and will be a success barring injuries wherever they go.

Kroos on the bench again today. Speculation that it is a punishment, but I think either he or Schweinsteiger go in the summer. One of Shaqiri or Robben will leave too.

 

[Rotweiss]

Well Kroos was due some rest, but I think Sammer had a hand in him being on the bench. He is a very strict guy and I'm sure it didn't sit well with him the way Kroos reacted after being subbed off in our last match.

Don't think Basti would leave, it's more likely that Kroos would go. If he is honestly looking at 10m per year wage then the board probably won't settle for that and he may leave. I'd be gutted to see him go as he is pivotal for our team and the way Pep wants us to play.

Robben won't leave and I'm sure he will sign a new contract soon. On Shaq I agree though, he hasn't shown much improvement in his game and he may be sold in the summer.