After a month's hiatus (due primarily to an extended internet-free trip to India see below), we're back with a TV guide to the weekend. As usual, we provide US TV listings with ET kickoffs, since that's where we reside. For our non-US readers, we've included a link to livesoccertv.com for each match.

Kyle Barber wrote a review of Ronald Reng's recently translated book about Robert Enke. (Bundesliga Lounge) Nick Amies examined the reasons behind Mario Gomez' Super Mario form... (Deutsche Welle) Ryan Bailey wrote about how Union Berlin is planning to sell shares of its' soul.

• Niklas Wildhagen recalled his traumatic experience, when Otto Rehagel left Bremen for Bayern. (Regista)
• Jonny Eyres looked at how Bundesliga promotion hopefuls Fortuna Düsseldorf slowly worked their way back up the divisions. (http://inbedwithmaradona.com/journal/2011/10/13/soldiers-ofthis-is-fortuna-dusseldorf.

Seven reasons explain the radical improvement: Click here (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/raphael_honigstein/09/30/bayern.munich/index.html?sct=sc_t11_a1) to read more

• Schalke fans gave Manuel Neuer a warm and cozy welcome. (Dirty Tackle)
• Tommy George spent a weekend of football in Berlin... (In Bed With Maradona)
• ...where Patrick Ebert learned to control his madness. (Deutsche Welle)
• Dortmund woke up in a harsh post-Championship reality.

Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated comments on U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann naming Martín Vásquez as his No. 2, as well as his strengths and weaknesses-
Let me start off by saying it's rare to hear so much talk about an assistant coach for the U.S. national team. Quick, can you name the No.

• Anne Gillies about her trip to Mainz. (Bundesliga Fanatic)
• Dave Tunnicliffe about his trip to the derby between Dynamo Dresden and Union Berlin. (European Football Weekends)
• Bruno Labbadia believes he could stick around a bit longer than usual at his current club. (Deutsche Welle)
• The ingredients for Lucien Favre's recipe for success at Gladbach.

• Anne Gillies about her trip to Mainz. (Bundesliga Fanatic)
• Dave Tunnicliffe about his trip to the derby between Dynamo Dresden and Union Berlin. (European Football Weekends)
• Bruno Labbadia believes he could stick around a bit longer than usual at his current club. (Deutsche Welle)
• The ingredients for Lucien Favre's recipe for success at Gladbach.

• Ansgar Löcke recounts his trip to Hanover's first round DFB-Pokal match. (Bundesliga Fanatic)
• Deutsche Welle takes a look at overlooked late blooming Augsburg striker Sascha Mölders. (Deutsche Welle)
• Martyn Fisher wrote a fresh batch of tactical match reports of Bundesliga matches.

• Ansgar Löcke recounts his trip to Hanover's first round DFB-Pokal match. (Bundesliga Fanatic)
• Deutsche Welle takes a look at overlooked late blooming Augsburg striker Sascha Mölders. (Deutsche Welle)
• Martyn Fisher wrote a fresh batch of tactical match reports of Bundesliga matches.

• An interview with Ian Holyman, Eurosport 2 Bundesliga commentator and part of "The Bundesliga Podcast". (Bundesliga Fanatic Part 1 Part 2)
• Not much changed in Dortmund. (Die Bundesliga UK)
• Except that Robert Lewandowski has the chance to prove himself. (bundesligaFußball)
• What it takes to be a Mainz supporter down under.

Answer: It can't. Not really.

But in an attempt to lighten the mood against what many on here seem to see as an almost certain loss to the hated Seattle Sounders on Saturday, let's see if Tropical Storm/Hurricane Don can delay matters somewhat. Them Seattles may have rain for 330 (or more) out of every 365 days per year, but they come down here and we'll show them what a Gulf Coast rainstorm can do!

Putting the snippets together into a small home-made blanket:

It appears that Mark Hughes very nearly didn't survive 2010. After the West Ham defeat he was in big trouble, but senior players persuaded MAF to put his axe away. This was partly because they understood how important Bobby Zamora was to the team, and partly because of a general belief in what they were doing under the new manager.

• What's left to play for on matchday 33? (Die Bundesliga UK)
• The potential effect of FIFA's Financial Fair Play rules on the Bundesliga's sugar daddy/corporate toys. (Bundesliga Fanatic)
• Looking for the positives after a 4-1 thrashing. (Deutsche Welle)
• Looking for an English teacher.

Here we go again with Serie A Weekly giving you a list of five stories to read this lunchtime that we have seen from around the web and enjoyed ourselves. Many of these will be about Italian football of course but there is always room for something different and those will be here too. Take a look at our recommendations, pass them on and be sure to leave a comment on these great articles.

Here we go again with Serie A Weekly giving you a list of five stories to read this lunchtime that we have seen from around the web and enjoyed ourselves. Many of these will be about Italian football of course but there is always room for something different and those will be here too. Take a look at our recommendations, pass them on and be sure to leave a comment on these great articles.

• The Berlin Footballing Experience. (90 Minutes + Injury Time)
• Looking back at a classic Bundesliga match between Bochum and Bayern. (Bundesliga Fanatic)
• Tactical dissection of Dortmund's late comeback against Hamburg. (Zonal Marking)
• Visit Tehran's Saint Petersburg museum to see a golden Oliver Kahn statue.

• The Independent proves prophetic qualities in its' pre-CL profile of attack minded Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick. (The Independent)
• Leander Schaerlaeckens is less prophetic but all the more impressed by Ralf Rangnick's attack minded Schalke. (ESPN)
• Zonal Marking is not too impressed by all the ludicrous defending going on between Inter and Schalke.

STARTERS
Real Salt Lake has gone where no MLS team has gone before - The CONCACAF Champions League Final! But what does it mean if they don't win it all? We will all be watching and cheering Apr 20 in Mexico, and Apr 27 in Utah.
dN
The Whitecaps host New England tonight.

Time to slowly boot this blog up again starting with some links...

• Prince Poldi turns into Prince Carnival. (Dirty Tackle)
• Marcell Jansen scores a proper Wembley Goal. (101 Great Goals)
• Raphael Honigstein dissects Bayern Munich's wonderful world of lame ducks and uninspired football.