The clubs at the top of the table keep crawling along. The clubs at the bottom keep sinking. Referees had a forgettable weekend and in between a player and a coach dropped bombshells.

Philipp Lahm. Bayern's disappointing draw at home against Schalke. Robben's moment of madness for which he should have seen a red card.

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Louis van Gaal ist spätestens seit der zweiten Niederlage gegen Girondins Bordeaux und dem damit verbundenen Fast-Aus in der Champions League-Gruppenphase ein heißer Kandidat für die nächste Trainerentlassung der Bundesliga. Ausgerechnet Bayerns Ex-Meistertrainer Felix Magath kann am Wochenende mit seinen Schalkern in München das Schicksal des Holländers besiegeln.

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Ach armer Armin Veh! Da wird er Nachfolger von Felix Magath beim VfL Wolfsburg und kann es dort niemanden Recht machen. Was soll er denn machen? Ja es ist richtig, man ist nicht Erster in der Tabelle, ja man spielt derzeit vor allem in der Defensive nicht gerade eine überragende Saison (fünftschlechteste Abwehr der Liga [. Click to continue reading...

You can watch Schalke v Hamburg Live online here.

Schalke v Hamburg
Bundesliga
Sunday 25 October 2009
Kickoff: 17:30 CET

Two early pace-setters go head to head a battle of the heavyweights in the Bundesliga. Schalke are 3rd in the table, trailing Hamburg by 2 points (who themselves trail leaders Bayer Leverkusen on goal difference).

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"It is a fairy tale that I ban everything. I only ban things that are hurting the team. But when someone comes to me and says he needs ten beers to score a goal, then I lecture him about the risks of alcohol consumption and give him ten beers."

Schalke's coach Felix Magath in an interview with Welt Online.

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The news does not only come as a blow for Schalke coach Felix Magath, but endangers the player's chances of making it into the USA's 2010 World Cup squad. Jones will not be able to participate in any of the States' potential November international friendlies due to the recovery setback. Click to continue reading...

Jermaine Jones' injuries woes have gone from bad to worse.

After feeling pain in his surgically-repaired leg, and sitting for three more weeks with the hope of having the pain subside, Jones has now undergone another surgery. This time he had the metal plate in his leg removed, a procedure that will sideline him for at least six more weeks, German newspaper Bild reported on Wednesday.

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Jermaine Jones' injuries woes have gone from bad to worse.

After feeling pain in his surgically-repaired leg, and sitting for three more weeks with the hope of having the pain subside, Jones has now undergone another surgery. This time he had the metal plate in his leg removed, a procedure that will sideline him for at least six more weeks, German newspaper Bild reported on Wednesday.

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Battling midfielder set to land Bundesliga contract.

Ghana midfielder Stephen Appiah could finally be signing for a new club in the form of Schalke, according to reports.

The 28-year-old central midfielder has been a free agent since leaving Fenerbahce last year having endured a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a serious knee injury.

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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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The Wolves are on the hunt at Old Trafford. And I don't mean the ones that got slaughtered by Sunderland over the weekend. This is the real deal, the German Wolves known as Verein für Leibesübungen Wolfsburg-Fußball GmbH but more conveniently referred to as VfL Wolfsburg. As the reigning Bundesliga champions, this is their first foray into the UEFA Champions League, and what better way to be introduced into the top tier of European football than with a trip to the reigning English and World club champions (it really hurts me to not be able to put European champions).

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Edin Dzeko is back with a bang! The Bosnia international striker, who spent most of the summer pushing for a dream move to AC Milan, has finally underlined his commitment to Wolfsburg with an outstanding decisive brace away to Schalke 04.

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Here at our pick of the fixtures for the weekend coming...

Sheffield United vs Sheffield United Friday Night
The famous steel city derby is sure to be a tense and exciting affair. Wednesday did the double over United last year for the first time in ninety-something years and Kevin Blackwell's boys will be looking to avenge that.

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Three wins, two draws and one defeat makes for a balanced but not too glorious start to this year's European season.

Wolfsburg. You are never too old for an impressive Champions League debut. Grafite (30) scored a hat-trick and became only (or already?) the sixth player to do so on his debut.

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Na gut, ich gebe es zu: Ich mag Werksvereine nicht. Eine Meinung, die sicher die meisten Fussballpopulisten teilen, kommen sie nicht gerade aus einer von Großindustrie inklusive Erstligawerbeträger mitfinanzierten ehemaligen Kleinstadt. Da wird doch nur Kohle reingebuttert, Leistung bringen sie auch keine, noch nie was gerissen undsoweiterundsofort.

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On the closing of the transfer window Marko Pantelic found a place in Amsterdam, where he will wear Ajax jersey in the next year. After it seemed that Serbian international will be forced to spend the next term in his former club Crvena Zvezda, Ajax management knocked on his door and they obviously made the right move by signing this excellent striker.

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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.

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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 [. Click to continue reading...

Can this man exult any less?

Bayern Munich fully understands that its nemesis is Felix Magath who left the club disgraced two years ago. He came back to win the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg. Before the season was up, the protean Magath had signed a deal as Schalke's new coach.

Both clubs are on top of the Bundesliga while Bayern has managed two effete draws.

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OK so we're only two games in but could we be seeing the early signs of how the new Bundesliga season is going to shape up? At the end of last season, most pundits believed that Wolfsburg might dip somewhat following their magnificent success last season and the inevitable departure of their best forwards, not to mention that of Svengali coach Felix Magath. Click to continue reading...

Werder took a point from Alianz Arena (1:1) and if we are to judge from the play, the visitors deserved to take three points. 69 000 people at the sold-out stadium in Munich saw German international, Turkish-born Mehmet Ozil open the score minutes before the break. Mario Gomez was the one to level the score 73 minutes into the game with the assistance of Phillip Lahm.

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According to ESPN Soccernet, Manchester United are interested in signing Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer for around £5million. Schalke boss Felix Magath told Die Welt,

"I have heard Manchester United would be interested in signing Manuel Neuer .

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Manchester United have been linked with Schalke's 23-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Schalke boss Felix Magath has claimed he's had nothing concrete from United in regards to the young keeper, who has already broken in to the German international set-up.

"I have heard Manchester United would be interested in signing Manuel Neuer," he said.

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After a two and a half month break, the new season in Germany started without many surprises. Current champions Wolfsburg managed to crush Stuttgart's resistance at crowded Volkswagen arena and celebrate 2:0, thanks to Misimovic and Grafite.

Bundesliga will this season be playing in two different terms each Saturday and Sunday.

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The matches to watch after you realize Schalke manager Felix Magath had a stranger summer than you.

Saturday

West Brom v Newcastle at The Hawthorns I only recommend watching this Premier League Championship match if you enjoy listening to The Smiths and spending your Saturdays wallowing in pitiful hopelessness and soul-crushing depression.

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There's an episode of Seinfeld-the one where Kramer is mentoring a Miss America pageant contestant- where Jerry and George are watching TV in their hotel and George suddenly blurts out "Hey! Yankee game!" Jerry flips the channel and Don Mattingly promptly splits his pants. What does any of this have to do with German soccer? Click to continue reading...

I had a long conversation with Mani Honigstein, who is the brains behind the football social networking site Footbo. An avid Bayern Munich fan, I talked to him about the summer transfers and his views on the season ahead for the Bavarian giants.

Tell us a little about Footbo, and what you are trying to accomplish with it.

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Over in the Bundesliga, having won the title with Wolfsburg, coach Felix Magath lured by Schalke to bring them similar glory, has let his ego get the better than him.
With pre-season about to get under way it was time for the annual team photo, but instead of the impressive surrounds of the Schalke Arena, Magath decided that a better location would be to hold it in a coal mine in nearby Prosper-Haniel. Click to continue reading...

When you shockingly win the Bundesliga title with Wolfsburg, then promptly leave for the swooning promises of a new club like Schalke, chances are that new club will be so happy to have you that they'll go along with just about anything you say. Which is exactly how Felix Magath got the club to have their team photoshoot held in a coal mine.

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If you were hoping to see Jermaine Jones suiting up for the U.S. national team some time soon, you will have to wait a while longer.

The Schalke 04 midfielder and aspiring U.S. national team player has been diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his left leg after undergoing a scan to find the source of some lingering pain.

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UEFA Photo

Ives Galarcep confirmed this morning what I had read in the Euro papers early last night eastern time: that Jermaine Jones a disruptive but effective force for Schlake 04 in an otherwise disappointing few seasons for the Gelsenkirchen based club wants to play for the USA.

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Following a busy season, Rafael Honigstein of The Guardian and Footbo was kind enough to talk with me and address a few questions I had about the end of the season and the start to the silly season.

Which player(s) surprised you the most this season?Â

a) Misimovic.

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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.

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