Every league experiences them, sometimes more than once. That's a weekend where the championship
contenders all contrive to lose the initiative.
We'll begin with a shock defeat to Hamburg who were at home to
'Gladbach. A fixture, rare in
the Bundesliga as one in which you should have been able to put the house on a home win.
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The top of the league collectively dropped points, allowing Hoffenheim to close the gap but not
much more. The bottom of the league collectively dropped points, allowing Hertha to keep dreaming
about Bundesliga survival but not much more.
Rookie Coach of the Year. Also known as the Markus Babbel Trophy.
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Ich gebe zu, dass die Überschrift nicht besonders glücklich gewählt wurde. Mir ist aber keine
bessere eingefallen. Es ist schon gespenstisch was sich im hohen Norden abspielt. Kein Verein ist
dieses Jahr mit einem solchen Verletzungspech gesegnet, wie der Sportverein an der Elbe. Besonders
in letzter Zeit spitzte sich die Verletzungsmiserie doch arg zu.
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Another week, another victory! This week was a 4-0 route of Nuremburg. Bayer 04 have become,
along with HSV, one of the dominant teams in the Bundesliga. But it was only a year ago that Bayer,
under Bruno Labbadia had a blistering start. But it wasn't anything comparable to this start,
because the Werkself aren't just winning, their winning with panache and style.
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Establishing something comparable to England's Big Four remains a distant dream for last
season's top four in the Bundesliga. Wolfsburg are 7th after disappointingly drawing with Bochum.
Munich are 8th after disappointingly drawing with Cologne. Stuttgart are 13th after disappointingly
losing to Bremen.
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Establishing something comparable to England's Big Four remains a distant dream for last
season's top four in the Bundesliga. Wolfsburg are 7th after disappointingly drawing with Bochum.
Munich are 8th after disappointingly drawing with Cologne. Stuttgart are 13th after disappointingly
losing to Bremen.
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There is something reassuring about a 1-0 win, particularly in top of the table clashes. 1-0 says a
keenly-contested game between two well-matched teams. 1-0 says attrition, tension, hard work and
good defending. 1-0 says a hard-fought, well-earned win. Unlike your 4-3 which says knockabout
hi-jinks and grown men wearing party hats.
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Hamburg remain in control of the top, Hertha remain in control of the bottom and with his wins
over Bochum, Dortmund and the Schalke fans Felix Magath is now in total control of the Ruhr
Valley.
Battle Chess. When a commenter on one of Germany's public broadcasters
attempted to summarize and categorize the match between Hamburg and Bayern, he kept talking about
this game being for tactic freaks, but with an uncertainty to his statements, as though he didn't
really know what was going on and didn't want to admit to it.
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Cup Fever gripped Germany this week as the Second Round of the DFB Pokal took place on Tuesday and
Wednesday. The first round saw a few Bundesliga scalps claimed and a managerial casualty to boot.
While it is unlikely that any coaches will be tugging nervously at their collars today, there are a
few Bundesliga clubs who have a little more time on their hands thanks to dramatic defeats at the
hands of lower division teams.
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Sorry for letting this blog rot away in the late August sun for so many weeks. Other work took
over and left some time but not much energy to spend on other things. But the team blogs have been
bursting with energy all the more at the same time and a few more came back to life, so I guess
there were still enough places on The Offside for Bundesliga related updates.
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Sorry for letting this blog rot away in the late August sun for so many weeks. Other work took
over and left some time but not much energy to spend on other things. But the team blogs have been
bursting with energy all the more at the same time and a few more came back to life, so I guess
there were still enough places on The Offside for Bundesliga related updates.
Click to continue reading...
There is a good reason why I'm a mere football blogger and Louis Van Gaal is a successful football
manager and here's it is. When the news broke that Arjen Robben was signing for Bayern Munich I
scoffed. "Pah!" I said "What do Bayern need another winger for. They need an attacking central
midfielder, not competition for Franck Ribery.
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Hamburg HSV: Bruno Labbadia (Germany) Bayern Leverkusen: Jupp Heynckes (Germany) Werder Bremen:
Thomas Schaaf (Germany) FC Schalke 04: Felix Magath (Germany) Borussia Mönchengladbach: Michael
Frontzeck (Germany) Eintracht Frankfurt: Michael Skibbe (Germany) VfL Wolfsburg: Armin Veh
(Germany) FC Bayern München: Louis van Gaal (Holland) VfB Stuttgart: Markus Babbel (Germany) 1899
Hoffenheim: Ralf Rangnick (Germany) FSV Mainz 05: Jörn Andersen (Norway) Borussia Dortmund:
Jürgen Klopp (Germany) Hannover 96: Dieter [.
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In beating much-fancied Dortmund 4-1, Bruno Labbadia's side announced themselves as a serious title
candidate.
Hamburg find a new lease of life.
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Didn't loyalty used to go a long way? I know, not with players who immediately leave clubs when
they smell two Euros more at another one. Okay, there a few exceptions of course, Lukas Podolski
for instance who returns to his love FC Cologne or Robert Enke who does not want to transferred
away from Hannover but should and therefore has to.
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Didn't loyalty used to go a long way? I know, not with players who immediately leave clubs when
they smell two Euros more at another one. Okay, there a few exceptions of course, Lukas Podolski
for instance who returns to his love FC Cologne or Robert Enke who does not want to transferred
away from Hannover but should and therefore has to.
Click to continue reading...
Didn't loyalty used to go a long way? I know, not with players who immediately leave clubs when
they smell two Euros more at another one. Okay, there a few exceptions of course, Lukas Podolski
for instance who returns to his love FC Cologne or Robert Enke who does not want to transferred
away from Hannover but should and therefore has to.
Click to continue reading...
Didn't loyalty used to go a long way? I know, not with players who immediately leave clubs when
they smell two Euros more at another one. Okay, there a few exceptions of course, Lukas Podolski
for instance who returns to his love FC Cologne or Robert Enke who does not want to transferred
away from Hannover but should and therefore has to.
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Big and surprising news this morning as Cologne FC Coach Christoph Daum unexpectedly canceled
his contract to return to his second home Istanbul to coach the local club Fenerbahce. I can't help
it but this got an awkward smack of breach of trust. After a soap-opera kinda like office taking
three years ago with press conferences held in hospitals, a lot of seesaws with quotes like
‘there are no pros and cons when it comes to love' (great conclusion, though) and joyful elations
in Cologne, the lost son leaves the city once again to return to his other love, Turkey.
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Big and surprising news this morning as Cologne FC Coach Christoph Daum unexpectedly canceled
his contract to return to his second home Istanbul to coach the local club Fenerbahce. I can't help
it but this got an awkward smack of breach of trust. After a soap-opera kinda like office taking
three years ago with press conferences held in hospitals, a lot of seesaws with quotes like
‘there are no pros and cons when it comes to love' (great conclusion, though) and joyful elations
in Cologne, the lost son leaves the city once again to return to his other love, Turkey.
Click to continue reading...
Big and surprising news this morning as Cologne FC Coach Christoph Daum unexpectedly canceled
his contract to return to his second home Istanbul to coach the local club Fenerbahce. I can't help
it but this got an awkward smack of breach of trust. After a soap-opera kinda like office taking
three years ago with press conferences held in hospitals, a lot of seesaws with quotes like
‘there are no pros and cons when it comes to love' (great conclusion, though) and joyful elations
in Cologne, the lost son leaves the city once again to return to his other love, Turkey.
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Today's Splashes do not really come from the Bundesliga as Germany played in China while Werder
Bremen defeated Bayer Leverkusen in order to win the national cup, the DFB-Pokal.
Those who are students or did not had to work or whatever had the grateful opportunity to watch
the China-Germany game at 0230pm (CET) on Friday.
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Today's Splashes do not really come from the Bundesliga as Germany played in China while Werder
Bremen defeated Bayer Leverkusen in order to win the national cup, the DFB-Pokal.
Those who are students or did not had to work or whatever had the grateful opportunity to watch
the China-Germany game at 0230pm (CET) on Friday.
Click to continue reading...
Today's Splashes do not really come from the Bundesliga as Germany played in China while Werder
Bremen defeated Bayer Leverkusen in order to win the national cup, the DFB-Pokal.
Those who are students or did not had to work or whatever had the grateful opportunity to watch
the China-Germany game at 0230pm (CET) on Friday.
Click to continue reading...
Well, the Business-Punchinellos in the Bundesliga management decided before that season that it
would be a great idea to bring back the 1991 abrogated relegation play-off games, meaning that the
16th of the Bundesliga plays the 3rd of the 2nd Bundesliga in back-to-back matches. We now get
treated with soccer-istical dainties such as Cottbus against Nuremberg.
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Well, the Business-Punchinellos in the Bundesliga management decided before that season that it
would be a great idea to bring back the 1991 abrogated relegation play-off games, meaning that the
16th of the Bundesliga plays the 3rd of the 2nd Bundesliga in back-to-back matches. We now get
treated with soccer-istical dainties such as Cottbus against Nuremberg.
Click to continue reading...
Well, the Business-Punchinellos in the Bundesliga management decided before that season that it
would be a great idea to bring back the 1991 abrogated relegation play-off games, meaning that the
16th of the Bundesliga plays the 3rd of the 2nd Bundesliga in back-to-back matches. We now get
treated with soccer-istical dainties such as Cottbus against Nuremberg.
Click to continue reading...
Here's this week's Bundesliga XI. It is packed with Bayer 04, Hoffenheim and Werder players. It
does include a special shoutout to the man who ended Energie's goal drought, an under appreciated
defender from Arminia and a goalkeeper who lost. 1. Schalke 04 Now 10 of their last 13 have been
scored by defenders.
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You call this a formation? Seven notes on Werder dismantlement of FC Bayern at the Allianz. 1.
Stereotyping A defensive player usually makes an attack-minded coach and an attacking player
usually makes a defense-minded coach. Granted, there are exceptions such as the Bruno Labbadia's of
this world, but the general rule of thumb holds enough merit to [.
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Stuttgart, bidding to dislodge last season's Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich, got their campaign
off to a solid start Sunday in winning 3-1 away at promoted Borussia Moenchengladbach.
With Bayern held to a 2-2 home draw the previous day by old rivals Hamburg the stage was set for
Armin Veh's side to take advantage and his side impressed in securing full points with goals from
Thomas Hitzlsperger, Ciprian Marica and Mario Gomez, all before half-time.
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There's a line from the Simpsons when Principal Skinner and Groundskeeper Willie meet up after the
summer holidays. Skinner asks Willie how his summer went to which he replies "I made millions
in Software and blew it all on the track". Every time I think of Dietmar Hopp, I think of that
line.
Hopp is the ex-footballer and software billionaire owner who bought TSG Hoffenheim and took them
from non-league obscurity to the Bundesliga in a few years.
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Fred Rutten isn't the only new Dutch manager in the Bundesliga, as ex-Tottenham Martin Jol took
over the reigns of Hamburg earlier this month. It's been nearly 30 years since Jol's last
appearance in Germany. He made 9 appearances for Bayern Munich as a midfielder in 1978/79 before
returning to the Netherlands [.
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The Deutsche Presse Agentur released a poll yesterday about predictions for the upcoming season.
Bayern Munich was the unanimous favorite of Bundesliga coaches to repeat as champions. The most
common reason given was the quality of Jürgen Klinsmann's squad. What follows is a hasty
translation of what each of the 18 gaffers [.
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