It's a measure of how much I enjoy this blog that I find myself with itchy fingers. Sunday night is Bag Night. For those of you who haven't come via the Onion Bag, it is published every Monday and usually I am writing my contribution the evening before. As it happens I'm finished and I was pissing about with the Bundesbag's templates (hope you like the new lay out) and I thought I'd have a go at Germany's second division the 2 Bundesliga.
If you don't know anything about the 2 Bunsdeliga, then you only know marginally less then I do. The teams that catch my eye are the presence of clubs that, from an English perspective are very well known.
Many football supporters of a certain age will have vivid memories of Borussia Monchengladbach. This goes back to the European Cup Final 1977. I am no Liverpool fan but back then, live football on TV was extremely rare, and Liverpool's match against 'Gladbach lives long in the memory. The five times Champions were relegated last year. I don't know too much of the background but they did move to a new stadium. Perhaps that, plus the collapse of Kirch, did for them. They top the table and look set for a swift return to the top.
FC Koln are a huge club. I was looking at their recent fixture and according to the DFB's official website there got 46,000 for their last home match. Is that for real? 46,000 for a second division club? If it is, then its very impressive. Having said that they have been something of a yo-yo club for some time.
Other interesting names are the Bayern's falt mates 1860 Munich, a blast from the distant past (sort of) Greuther Furth, Hamburg's Rieperbahn anarchists FC St Pauli and Carl Zeiss Jena (see Bundesbag's passim).
However, the really big surprise is to see Kaiserslautern third from bottom. Like Koln, K-Town was a 2006 World Cup venue. Champions as recently as 1998, 'Lautern face relegation to the Regionaliga. That would represent an even greater decline than Leeds in England. Are there any 'Lautern supporters out there who can explain how this came about? Also, does former Palace legend and Times columnist Aki Riihilahti still play for them? Please say no...
Sam Allardyce's career plans suffered another set back today as Bayern Munich confirmed Jurgen Klinsmann as their next coach from July 1st when the current man Ottmar Hitzfeld steps down.
To say that I was surprised by the news is an understatement. In fact, as I write this I am waiting patiently in my local casualty with lock-jaw while being spoon fed melted mars bars by a drunken hobo with a bleeding scalp. He's next in line.
More knowledgeable commentators than me will tell you that Klinsmann isn't really a coach. Raphael Honigstein once referred to him as a project manager or consultant. He said that, for the German National team he laid the foundations, planned an overall strategy, delivered the motivational speeches and left Joachim Low to actually manage the team. Add this to his lack of club management experience seems a strange appointment. I realize that the Bundesliga lacks the cache it once had but surly a club like Bayern could choose from a range of experienced and successful managers?
In one respect, we should not be completely surprised. Klinsmann has been linked with jobs at Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and LA Galaxy so I imagine his people have been putting the feelers out for the great man for some time. Nevertheless, it seems a strange appointment from where I'm sitting.
Given everything stated above, there are two questions that instantly spring to mind.
Who will be his assistant?
Where does Uli Hoeness fit into all this?
If we regard Klinnsy as a project manager rather than a coach then surly his skills will be better suited as doing Hoeness' job rather than as head coach. Yet the press state that he will be replacing Hitzfeld, not Hoeness. Any way you look at it, he would be prudent to employ an experienced coach.
I believe that there is danger of a conflict between the Jurgen and Uli. Klinsmann may see himself as an English style manager who takes control of many aspects of a club rather than focusing on coaching the team. If he tries to spread his influence at Bayern beyond the traditional remit of a head coach then he could end up treading on some pretty powerful and sensitive toes. In which case there could be a big, unseemly girlie fight. Could someone let me know when the tickets go on sale?
As an English football supporter, the notion of a Christmas break is a total anathema. After all, what does every right thinking English person want on Boxing Day? To get the hell out from under the families feet and down to a football match before you choke the mother-in-law to death on a mixture of bubble & squeak and strychnine. The Christmas football fixtures save lives.
However, as this old cove has learned to lift his head up to new horizons and the customs of our neighbours on the continent, it is clear that not everyone sees it like that. The festive period is a time for celebration of family and religion and not to be cheapened by the relative triviality of sport... no I can't quite get my head round it either.
However, I would be grateful if someone could explain to me exactly why our German chums feel it necessary to take a break all the way to February? I appreciate that the northern European climate does not suit the aesthetics of the beautiful game but really... February? That's nearly Easter!
I suppose technically, things kick off a shade earlier for the 3rd Round of the German Cup on 29th January. Casting an eye over the draw like some slack jawed yokel who has seen a horseless carriage for the first time in his life I'm curious to see that Werder Bremen have two teams in the tournament. Is that allowed?
I also see that the Bundesbag's esteemed contemporary Red White Germany's beloved Rot Weiss Essen have a home tie with the mighty Hamburg. There is also a certain reassurance in finding that big clubs get jammy draws in other countries after seeing Bayern's draw at Wuppertaler SV. I wonder if the Bundesliga leaders will field a full strength team for that? And will Mourinho be watching on for the stands like a vulture? No I don't think so either.
For me however, tie of the round is 2 Bundesliga side Carl Zeiss Jena at Bielefeld. Partly because of the remote possibility of an upset but mostly because of the inherent Cold War chic that comes with a an ex-DDR club named Carl Zeiss. It must have something to do with the cameras. I always think of spy movies when I see Zeiss cameras.
Anyhoo, I'm off. Its FA Cup 3rd round day and Palace are two down...
It's a measure of how much I enjoy this blog that I find myself with itchy fingers. Sunday night is Bag Night. For those of you who haven't come via the Onion Bag, it is published every Monday and usually I am writing my contribution the evening before. As it happens I'm finished and I was pissing about with the Bundesbag's templates (hope you like the new lay out) and I thought I'd have a go at Germany's second division the 2 Bundesliga.
