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samag

by samag
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Disco

Disco

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What's going on with Lewandowski's contract these days? Was that rise just to keep him sweet for the final year of his contract?

 

Think so - http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3275/bundesliga/2013/09/12/4255642/inside-borussia-dortmund-what-next-for-lewandowski

 

Fair play to BVB for doing it too, they've a better chance of bettering last season with him than without him and £20m in the bank (which they'll make back anyway).

 

Be interesting to see who they get to replace him, I wonder if they'll try and get Manzukic in return somehow.

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Jill

Jill

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Going to my first Bundesliga match next week - Hertha Berlin v Mainz. :D

 

Any of our German lot have recommendations for where to watch our match v Everton in Berlin? Apparently there's also some fight on that Himself wants to watch over the weekend as well, so a sports bar or something maybe?

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Dan Gleebals

Dan Gleebals

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Going to my first Bundesliga match next week - Hertha Berlin v Mainz. :D

 

Any of our German lot have recommendations for where to watch our match v Everton in Berlin? Apparently there's also some fight on that Himself wants to watch over the weekend as well, so a sports bar or something maybe?

 

Most of the sports bars will put on what ever you want to watch in my experience - providing there are not others in there already wanting to watch a different game.

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David28

David28

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Yeah that's what I figured. I've searched and found a few but obviously have no idea of they're any good!

 

So next up.. what's german for: "hoy pet, stick the Newcastle match on!"

 

"Mach mal das Newcastle Spiel hin" :lol:

 

If our match (it's Monday night so chances are there) is on German Sky then you'll have every chance they'll put it on. It's only 2. Bundesliga on Monday normally...

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Tooj

Tooj

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http://bundesligafanatic.com/could-kevin-groskreutz-be-a-world-cup-hero/?utm_source=feedly

 

There are seconds remaining in the final of the 2014 World Cup. It has been a monumental struggle but the end is in sight. Germany has scrapped their way to the final where they face Brazil. Sometimes they’ve been majestic, sometimes functional, and sometimes lucky but it has not been without cost. With Bastian Schweinsteiger, and İlkay Gündoğan injured plus the Bender Brothers suspended, coach Joachim Löw has had move Philipp Lahm into the midfield in an attempt to shield the back four against the marauding Brazilian forward line. The game is forced into extra time and with penalties looming Mats Hummels tries one last foray into the Brazilian half. His big diagonal ball is meant for Thomas Müller but a season of being coached by Jose Mourinho has sharpened the wits of David Luiz. He tracks Müller’s run and denies the Raumdeuter his chance to take his place among the giants of the German game by scoring the winning goal. But Müller is not finished yet; he scraps with Luiz for the ball and in the corner of his eye spots the rampaging run of makeshift full back and last minute call-up Kevin Großkreutz. Müller pushes the ball out of the area and into Großkreutz’ path who larrups the ball home and wins the World Cup for Germany.

 

Thirty years later, Großkreutz is president of UEFA and Müller is a columnist for Bild.

 

The above is obviously a fantasy. After all, what are the chances of both Bender brothers being suspended. But joking aside, Borussia Dortmund’s Kevin Großkreutz has become one of the most valuable utility players in the Dortmund squad and although he may not be banging on the national team coach’s door, he is politely tapping.

 

After his move from Rot Weiss Ahlen in the Summer of 2009, Großkreutz was a mainstay of the left hand side for Dortmund. His exuberant playing style and affinity for the club which he’s supported since childhood have made him a popular figure with the fans, as have the 20 goals and 17 assists that he contributed in those first three seasons.

 

Possibly his most important intervention, however, was in the 2010/11 season on the first match of the second half of the season. Dortmund were top of the Bundesliga, but had lost only their second game of the season to Nürnberg in the last game prior to the long Winter Break. For the restart, they had to travel to Leverkusen, who had been the only other team to beat them in the Hinrunde. If they had lost that game then the fear was that Klopp’s team would sucumb to Bayern’s challenge and the first Bundesliga title since 2002 would elude them. But they won, thanks in large part to a brace from Big Kev. Dortmund did not look back, after that.

 

However, with the arrival of Marco Reus and subsequent change in Klopp’s tactical formation, Großkreutz found his opportunities on the left limited and while he was not forsaken he had to fill in on the left, right or down the middle, as an understudy. This season, his role as utility player is firmly established, filling in for the injured Łukasz Piszczek at right back and doing a damn fine job, to boot.

 

Defeats at Napoli and Borussia Mönchengladbach aside, Dortmund have been off to something of a flyer this season, despite injuries to a number of key players. With Piszczek in for a long spell in the treatment room, Großkreutz has deputised, effectively despite switching flanks and playing closer to his own goal than he is accustomed to. The knowledge that a run in the side as a right back has allowed him to focus on developing the virtues of that position in the secure knowledge that the job his for a prolonged period of time. His ball retention has been excellent and he has made very few mistakes, so far. His pace and natural attacking instincts make him an ideal full back under Klopp’s system which includes high intensity pressing and adopting a high line.

 

Perhaps inevitably, some of his supporters have called for him to be recalled to the national team. Certainly there are better players than Großkreutz in pretty much every position, but it would be interesting to learn if Germany head coach Joachim Löw has considered him as an option given his versatility. If you’re looking for more romantic reasons, the World Cup can produce unlikely heroes and Kevin would very definitely fit the bill.

 

Where would he play? Well, there are two possibilities. The first would be to keep him on the periphery as a stopgap to plug any injury or suspension gaps. The second would depend on whether Löw considers (as I posited in my earlier fantasy) moving Philipp Lahm to the midfield where he has been playing for Bayern this season, to rave reviews.  If so, then Großkreutz is a possible choice for right back. That second option may sound attractive to some and is easy to advocate when you are not the one who has to make the decision and it is unlikely that Mr Löw will go down that road. After all, as impressive as Großkreutz has been, he has only played a handful of games and Germany do not play like Dortmund. Großkreutz’s lack of experience as a defender may be exposed when playing to a different system.

 

All told, it seems like too much of a risk for a team that wins far more matches than it loses and if Großkreutz does travel to Brazil, it will probably be as a benchwarmer.

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Tooj

Tooj

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There was a great piece on 5 Live Sport Specials this week about how Germany football reacted to the humiliation of Euro 2000/5-1 to come to the heights of where we see them today.

 

Thomas Tuchel made an appearance as well and I found that really informative. :up:

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Tooj

Tooj

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http://bundesligafanatic.com/borussia-dortmunds-struggle-with-squad-depth/?utm_source=feedly

 

Borussia Dortmund’s Struggle with Squad Depth

 

Despite the great progress and development under Jürgen Klopp, over the last three years, Borussia Dortmund have struggled to build themselves a full squad capable of playing at a consistently high level in all competitions throughout the season. Since losing the likes of Mario Götze, Shinji Kagawa, Ivan Perisic and Felipe Santana, they have always replaced those who’ve left, but have they done more than directly replace the lost parts?  This year their lack of experienced squad players may be about to haunt them.

 

Borussia Dortmund have had another of their consistently confident starts to the season. They picked up their first loss of the season on Saturday against Borussia Mönchengladbach with a relatively strong squad of players, but after Mats Hummels picked up a red card and more injuries came along. The fact that the result came after yet another European match midweek meant that the question over BVB’s lack of true squad depth has come back into the limelight.

 

Heading into the games against Hannover 96 and Arsenal after the international break, Dortmund are without the injured/suspended – Sven Bender, Jonas Hofmann, Sokratis, Sebastian Kehl, Nuri Şahin, Marco Reus, Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gündoğan. Here we have eight players who would normally start, or make an appearance, week in/week out for BVB. So they’re being replaced, but of course it’s important to consider the quality of those replacing these injured players.

 

The likes of Eric Durm, Oliver Kirch, Koray Günter and Marvin Ducksch have all been called upon in recent games. And at this rate they are also expected to be called upon again in the near future. Durm, Günter and Ducksch are all under the age of 21 and have had just seven first team appearances between them. The standard that BVB have set themselves requires that their squad to be able to replace those injured/suspended players with squad players who have similar levels of quality and experience. This replacement strategy is something they’re currently unable to implement at the same level as the likes of Bayern, for example.

 

At the moment, Dortmund have to use players from their admittedly impressive youth set-up in their first team. They would usually –  as in Hofmann’s case – bring these players into the first team setup gradually over a season. Being forced to add younger players to the first team is not only hindering their performances as a team, but could also arguably hinder the development of these young players by putting too much pressure on them too suddenly.

 

For BVB, it is not a question of deficient squad depth, more a question of lack of squad quality. The position that is most concerting right now is the centre of midfield, arguably Dortmund’s most important position. BVB play with a style that requires great depth in the centre of midfield, since their players cover so much ground during games.

 

With the 3 biggest names in that position all out injured, the likes Kirch/Hofmann/Großkreutz may have to be put in uncomfortable positions for the time being. Even with the likes of Bender, Reus, Hummels and Hofmann expected to make quick returns, the next two weeks could be a real test for Klopp’s team and could go one of two ways in my opinion.

 

Their back-up players could come out and prove themselves with impressive performances, proving that their squad players are in fact up to scratch. Or, these players could be overwhelmed by the occasion, further casting doubt over Dortmund squad depth and possibly forcing them into the inevitable quick shop in the January transfer window.

 

Either way, it will be hard to make Dortmund look bad, as they always find a way to look classy. But this certainly is one of their hardest challenges in recent times, especially with a game against Bayern next month and expectations of another good European campaign. Yes, I am already thinking about the Dortmund v Bayern game but Dortmund’s expectations and standards are now higher than they have been in years.

 

Let me know what you think about BVB’s squad. Who would you bring in, if anyone?

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Tooj

Tooj

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http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/bayernmunich/id/1552?cc=5739

 

Bayern Munich dictated and dominated play for nearly the entire match, but an injury to Dante and Jerome Boateng's misread of a lofted pass late in the first half saw Mainz ahead on a Shawn Parker goal. Thomas Tuchel's men would weather the die Roten storm for 50 minutes before Arjen Robben equalized. Thomas Mueller shot Bayern ahead two minutes later, also adding a penalty strike to his total later in the match. Mario Mandzukic got on the scoreboard as well as Munich closed out the second half in devastating fashion. Bayern Munich remain Spitzenreiter; also able to equalize second-placed Borussia Dortmund's goal differential.

 

Pretty much everyone has called the Mainz match a "tale of two halves", which it certainly was. So, I'm going to go one better and say Mario Goetze was the difference-maker here. Now you might say, "Susie! Other people have said that, too!" but if you know how I feel (and if you're on Twitter, you do) about Goetze and his pro-Nike antics since joining Bayern Munich, you'll understand that my praise -- while still grudgingly given -- is absolutely merited.

 

But, I won't call him "Super Mario" just yet.

 

That being said, I've got to hand it to Goetze, he played a heck of a second half. Finally starting to come back to full fitness, the Mainz match and his performance against Sweden for the DFB have begun to show the merits of his inclusion in Bayern Munich. He released Robben for the opening goal, and a scant two minutes later the two teamed up again to provide for Mueller. He'd close out an excellent showing with a pass to Mandzukic for his strike past Christian Wetklo.

 

"The more I play, the fitter I'll become. I'm not bothered about my position. I can play as a wide midfielder, an inside forward, a playmaker, or up front. Fortunately, I'm very versatile," Goetze told Bayern's official website. And if that's the case, Bayern won't have to worry about injuries to Xherdan Shaqiri -- out six weeks with a ruptured hamstring -- and Franck Ribery -- doubtful for the Plzen match with a sprained ankle.

 

Another "G"-man for Bayern, coach Pep Guardiola, also proved to make a difference in the second half. Sitting in the Suedkurve, I would puzzle at David Alaba's inclusion for the injured Dante. "Diego Contento is playing center back?! So, now we have two right backs [Philipp Lahm and Rafinha] and two left backs [Alaba and Contento] on the pitch," I remarked, puzzled, to my friend. At the time, it made more sense to me for Jan Kirchhoff to come on as a direct replacement. And it would seem to play out as Boateng misread the ball that led to Parker's opening goal minutes later, with Contento -- now playing center back -- not near the area.

 

Goetze for Rafinha to begin the second half would be a genius move by Guardiola -- shifting Alaba and Lahm into their regular wing-back positions as it strengthened the wide play that Mainz would have oodles of trouble trying to cover, and space that was not granted in the first half suddenly became available all over the pitch.

 

The fluid, interchangeable play of the entire midfield and forward units -- with a much better positional understanding that was shown the first half -- was a pleasure to watch live. Mueller and Robben could be found switching sides, or at times, both marauding one side of the pitch together. Bastian Schweinsteiger and Toni Kroos alternately slipped back and forward into holding or attacking roles, while Goetze was used wide -- and up top -- with Mandzukic doing the same.

 

It gave me shakes trying to figure out what formation was happening at any given time, but these are shakes I'll gladly weather with a performance like that. I've said before that you may call Guardiola's 4-1-4-1 whatever you wish, but good luck trying to keep up with it throughout an entire match. And also, not-so-grudgingly anymore -- that's the brilliance of the whole thing. It might make a good drinking game, too: Take a drink every time a player switches positions.

 

OK, maybe not.

 

There is still a catch. Defensively, this system needs the back four comprised of players with a great understanding of each other. I am of the opinion those four positions should remain as stable as possible, which is an impossibility if Guardiola is to keep everyone happy. But, then again, while Boateng had a leg up on all the center backs pre-season, Dante has finally started to truly grasp what the coach wants. And as Rafinha was shaky in his first couple of outings as right back in Lahm's stead, he has pleasantly surprised all with his great performances of late. In the end, perhaps, it will just take minutes on the pitch for all to become accustomed.

 

Here's hoping the offense can keep churning up goals while that happens.

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Ryan

Ryan

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What an experience that was. Shame there was only 1 goal but the atmosphere was rocking all game, 10x better than the Premier League.

 

Few photo's:

 

 

http://i319.photobucket.com/albums/mm460/soulzNUFC/IMG_2733.jpg

 

 

 

http://i319.photobucket.com/albums/mm460/soulzNUFC/IMG_2749.jpg

 

 

 

http://i319.photobucket.com/albums/mm460/soulzNUFC/IMG_2756.jpg

 

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