2013-14 German Bundesliga Thread: Bayern Champs Again

[cgf]

The 2. BL is going to get 3 really REALLY tough new teams. Heidenheim is super hard to score on, everybody fears RB, and you just saw Darmstadt. No cannon fodder.

Haven't seen any Heidenheim but **** RB. Few things would make me happier than to see them get relegated right back while little Darmstadt stuck around.

Very excited for next year though as there will be some real villains for us to beat, RB and the first team, BFC and the second team.

[Foye]

Bundesliga: FSV Mainz 05, Eintracht Frankfurt, 1899 Hoffenheim
2nd Bundesliga: FSV Frankfurt, Darmstadt 98, Kaiserslautern
3rd league: Wehen Wiesbaden & possibly FSV Mainz 05 II

It's getting criminal around here.
Only need Waldhof Mannheim & Kickers Offenbach to promote once and we'll have a derby like every week.

[Foye]

The 2. BL is going to get 3 really REALLY tough new teams. Heidenheim is super hard to score on, everybody fears RB, and you just saw Darmstadt. No cannon fodder.

They better be tough because the 2nd BL seems to be relatively garbage lately. At least the big clubs of the 2nd BL.

[cgf]

And from the east all we've got other than us is Aue and now RB in either of the top two divisions. I'll miss Cottbus, especially with how they played to open the season. Hopefully they and Hansa can get promoted next year.

[AlexDelta]

The 2. BL is going to get 3 really REALLY tough new teams. Heidenheim is super hard to score on, everybody fears RB, and you just saw Darmstadt. No cannon fodder.

They better be tough because the 2nd BL seems to be relatively garbage lately. At least the big clubs of the 2nd BL.

You think so? I occasionally watch the English Championship and sometimes I'm shocked how low the level of competition there is.

[Det the Threat]

And from the east all we've got other than us is Aue and now RB in either of the top two divisions. I'll miss Cottbus, especially with how they played to open the season. Hopefully they and Hansa can get promoted next year.

Yeah, there's going to be a lot of former DDR Oberliga teams in the 3rd divsion next season with Dresden, Cottbus(though, they weren't there much), Rostock, Halle and Chemnitz.

BTW: Let's see if my hometown team(Zwickau) can somehow manage to fullfill their three year plan and get promoted to the 3rd division within the next 2 - 3 years. Also, Magdeburg and Jeny should make it back there pretty soon, hopefully.

[cgf]

And from the east all we've got other than us is Aue and now RB in either of the top two divisions. I'll miss Cottbus, especially with how they played to open the season. Hopefully they and Hansa can get promoted next year.

Yeah, there's going to be a lot of former DDR Oberliga teams in the 3rd divsion next season with Dresden, Cottbus(though, they weren't there much), Rostock, Halle and Chemnitz.

BTW: Let's see if my hometown team(Zwickau) can somehow manage to fullfill their three year plan and get promoted to the 3rd division within the next 2 - 3 years. Also, Magdeburg and Jeny should make it back there pretty soon, hopefully.

I was really curious to see what Magdeburg or jena would do against our B team, but whenever I did manage to catch their matches they were quite disappointing so I have little hope. Granted our B team were very strong for a 2nd team of a 2nd division side as Hollwitz is turning into a real player and a lot of of our youth players went through that side, but they really shouldn't have been in that mix behind Neustrelitz. Cottbus at least had that great start to the campaign in league two, and Hansa...well I have family from Rostock so I have to root for them...

Didn't catch Halle or Chemnitz at all last season so can't comment on them and Dresden...I'm rooting to see join BFC in getting relegated from the Oberliga...

[Foye]

The 2. BL is going to get 3 really REALLY tough new teams. Heidenheim is super hard to score on, everybody fears RB, and you just saw Darmstadt. No cannon fodder.

They better be tough because the 2nd BL seems to be relatively garbage lately. At least the big clubs of the 2nd BL.

You think so? I occasionally watch the English Championship and sometimes I'm shocked how low the level of competition there is.

I don't think it's that bad but the struggles of the big teams are a concern.
If the big teams were stronger we wouldn't see teams like Fürth, Braunschweig or this year Paderborn promoted without any real chance to remain in the BL.

Especially on attack the 2nd Bundesliga teams usually struggle to adapt to the higher level of competition in the Bundesliga. Köln will have major problems to score, too, unless they add a few new offensive weapons in the offseason.

[AlexDelta]

They better be tough because the 2nd BL seems to be relatively garbage lately. At least the big clubs of the 2nd BL.

You think so? I occasionally watch the English Championship and sometimes I'm shocked how low the level of competition there is.

I don't think it's that bad but the struggles of the big teams are a concern.
If the big teams were stronger we wouldn't see teams like Fürth, Braunschweig or this year Paderborn promoted without any real chance to remain in the BL.

Especially on attack the 2nd Bundesliga teams usually struggle to adapt to the higher level of competition in the Bundesliga. Köln will have major problems to score, too, unless they add a few new offensive weapons in the offseason.

Ah I get what you were talking about. But maybe the big clubs just aren't that big anymore? Köln will be fine if Helmes gets back to form and I think that his playing style fits the Bundesliga better than the 2nd division. Talking about playing style. I think this is one of the major problems newly promoted sites have. Most teams still play the more traditional German style of soccer, which is very similar to what many Bundesliga teams use right now (pressing, counter attacks), but it has evolved now and many 2. Bundesliga teams built their squad not only to play this style, but also to play against it.
If you've got a team like Fürth or Braunschweig that is playing a more flowing style of soccer they aren't able to switch to a more defensive style until mid-season. More often than not this is too late.
When you were talking about garbage teams I thought you meant bad teams in general. You often hear this about lower divisions nowadays, but I think this is mainly because of overexposure to top-level soccer from around the world.

[Foye]

You think so? I occasionally watch the English Championship and sometimes I'm shocked how low the level of competition there is.

I don't think it's that bad but the struggles of the big teams are a concern.
If the big teams were stronger we wouldn't see teams like Fürth, Braunschweig or this year Paderborn promoted without any real chance to remain in the BL.

Especially on attack the 2nd Bundesliga teams usually struggle to adapt to the higher level of competition in the Bundesliga. Köln will have major problems to score, too, unless they add a few new offensive weapons in the offseason.

Ah I get what you were talking about. But maybe the big clubs just aren't that big anymore? Köln will be fine if Helmes gets back to form and I think that his playing style fits the Bundesliga better than the 2nd division.

Ujah & Risse have proven to not be 1st league caliber in Mainz already. Helmes ain't the striker he once was. I don't think they are going to score at a high enough rate to remain competitive in the Bundesliga.

[DD12]

Or did you think you were being clever by pointing out that my team hasn't ridden corruption and fixed matches to multiple titles in a third tier league?

There is nothing to do with Galatasaray. All our championships are legit. Study your lesson a little bit. Fenerbahce and Besiktas got punished as well as some of other teams in the league.

gala had skibbe-korkmaz-rijakaard-hagi in succession, those were some dark days. no cups and as far as i know worst 3 year winning percentage in modern history.

Harry Kewell as a sweeper for the win!

[Foye]

Inter is offering 15mil € for Granit Xhaka. If I was Det I would drive Xhaka in a wheelbarrow to Mailand for that amount of money. He is talented but he has never really fully put it together under Favre in the last 2 years.

[Det the Threat]

Inter is offering 15mil € for Granit Xhaka. If I was Det I would drive Xhaka in a wheelbarrow to Mailand for that amount of money. He is talented but he has never really fully put it together under Favre in the last 2 years.

Who's saying that Inter's offering this kind of money? One of those crappy swiss sites(infoticker etc.) that know nothing?
Anyways, if it's 15 mil euros you've got to think about it even though Basel will receive some of that money. We're also said to be interested in Blerim Dzemaili of Napoli.

Still, Xhaka was a vital part of our great first half of the season and with Arango gone we'd have zero creativity besides Raffael. He's also just 21 years of age and has three years left on his contract.

BTW: What happened to transfermarkt.de? That site's been crap since they started with that new look a couple days ago.

[Foye]

Inter is offering 15mil € for Granit Xhaka. If I was Det I would drive Xhaka in a wheelbarrow to Mailand for that amount of money. He is talented but he has never really fully put it together under Favre in the last 2 years.

Who's saying that Inter's offering this kind of money? One of those crappy swiss sites(infoticker etc.) that know nothing?
Anyways, if it's 15 mil euros you've got to think about it even though Basel will receive some of that money. We're also said to be interested in Blerim Dzemaili of Napoli.

Still, Xhaka was a vital part of our great first half of the season and with Arango gone we'd have zero creativity besides Raffael. He's also just 21 years of age and has three years left on his contract.

BTW: What happened to transfermarkt.de? That site's been crap since they started with that new look a couple days ago.

Gazetta dello Sport is reporting Inters interest. Dont know where Spox has the 15 mil from but if its true I would sell.
Transfermarkt.de has been crap well before they introduced the new look. My guess is they wanted to fix the bugs on their page by starting from 0. Seems like they have chosen a horrible programmer, though.

[ATL Boy]

Ermin Bicakcic has completed his transfer to Hoffenheim

[Foye]

Ermin Bicakcic has completed his transfer to Hoffenheim

Suuuuuucks. I wanted him in Mainz.

[cgf]

Hoffenheim have done a lot to improve their D with Schwegler, Baumann and now Bicakcic coming in. If they also pulled off the rumored Massimo Bruno and Pedro Obiang moves that would be a fantastic summer for them.

[Det the Threat]

After signing an extension in February and not having an opt out included, Haka Calhanoglu's now telling everyone that he'll leave Hamburg and wants to join Leverkusen.

Who the hell's managing this kid?
He sounds like a dumb little prick and is now also responding to negative feedback from fans via twitter with dumb things like, "I've helped the club stay up, now you've got to respect me wanting to go(after signing that extension for no good reason). It's important for the national team to play champions league" and what not...

Anyways, Nuremburgs left back Marvin Plattenhart will transfer to Hertha BSC for a transfer fee of about 500.000 €.

Also, Eintracht Frankfurt has found a new coach. It will be Thomas Schaf, who managed Werder Bremen for 14 seasons till 2013.

[Foye]

I would want to leave Hamburg sooner than later, too, if I was Calhanoglu.
The way he is doing it is wrong, though.

Leverkusen are like a regiment of grasshoppers these days. They agree with the players well before they are even allowed to talk with them.
Acquiring opponent Bundesliga teams best talent for next to nothing, thus leaving the teams with a laughable compensation.

Seriously, they are way worse than Bayern Munich for the competition in the league.

[Foye]

Sebastian Jung from Frankfurt to Wolfsburg for 2.5 mil. €.

Only Hübner & Bruchhagen know why they gave him such a laughably low release clause this summer.
Jung, Rode, Schwegler & Joselu all gone from Frankfurt.

Armin Veh deserves a lot of blame for this if you ask me. His intention to keep all key players no matter if they are in a contract year or not (or have low release clauses the following summer) has put Eintracht in this position where they are losing 4 key players at once and will have to hit a homerun to find adequate replacements with the little cash they got for those 4.

The situation in Mainz could be better with Choupo likely leaving for free but at least we are not in Frankfurts position right now.