Hollerbach's Knackwurst - Bundesliga 2018/19

[Sporting]

Had to look that one up!

[ursus arctos]

That said, suggesting that Dortmund are worse than Bayern is an echo of Trump over Biden or Harris on another thread.

[Sporting]

Leicester City seemed to unite most neutrals when they won the PL. Which German team would be equally popular?

[ursus arctos]

It's hard for me to see that happening in Germany.

There are too many clubs that lots of other fanbases hate for various reasons.

[Sporting]

Similar in Italy, I think.

[treibeis]

Altona 93

Sometimes I forget that you are relatively new here.

No. VfL 93.

I train with their Senioren. I also play for BSV 19 III, although BSV 19 III only exist so that we get a slot on the pitch. 21:45 hrs. on Fridays.

[treibeis]

Leicester City seemed to unite most neutrals when they won the PL. Which German team would be equally popular?

Freiburg.

[ursus arctos]

Yeah, they are a decent shout

[Sporting]

Maybe Atalanta in Italy?

[ursus arctos]

To a certain extent at the moment, though their ultras have a history of not playing nice and have therefore created beef with a number of other clubs. The famous Inter flaming scooter incident was against Atalanta.

[ursus arctos]

Maybe Bologna

The Freiburg example has me thinking that provincial university towns with a high quality of life could do well in this respect. Too bad that Salamanca barely have a team anymore.

[Sporting]

Interesting topic this, at least for me. France?

[treibeis]

Maybe Bologna

The Freiburg example has me thinking that provincial university towns with a high quality of life could do well in this respect. Too bad that Salamanca barely have a team anymore.

Preußen Münster in Germany, maybe. But Göttingen and Tübingen? Less so.

[ursus arctos]

There are more choices, because French football support is less widespread and less tribal outside the ultras.

Nantes and Bordeaux are successful clubs that were popular champions. So were Auxerre and Montpellier.

[ursus arctos]

treibeis, I was thinking more of the most Freiburgesque town in other countries.

[treibeis]

treibeis, I was thinking more of the most Freiburgesque town in other countries.

I'm lost, then.

All right: Padua?

[imp]

Of course I'd rather Bayern didn't win the Bundesliga, but it makes fuck all difference to me if Dortmund wins it instead. So I rather enjoyed Schalke's win.

Bayern v Leipzig in the cup final is good as well - at least one of the cunting clubs will have to lose. And it won't be any great loss if it's a nice night and I decide to take a walk instead.

Add to Freiburg as popular title winners possibly Bremen? I've got a thing for Max Kruse right now - he's such a wee devil, and I can't help loving both his play and his provocations. The German football press is always moaning about the loss of 'characters' compared with the grand old days of the 60s-90s, so they should be leading the campaign to have him recalled to the national team.

[G-Man]

Yeah, it's only HSV fans who really hate Werder, isn't it? And that was a desperation move by HSV fans, trying to establish a rivalry with anybody willing. I don't think Frankfurt would be resented for winning the league. But Freiburg is the correct answer. Or, if you want to look at hopefuls further down the ranks, Union Berlin.

To the original question: I'd support a team that has a billygoat as its mascot. But the list of truly despicables in the Bundesliga isn't that long. RedBull Lepizig are obviously out of the question. Hoffenheim are controversial for the financial doping that brought them to the Bundesliga. Bayern and Dortmund aren't lovely, obviously. Schalke has some particularly dreadful fans (yesterday's banner, calling for the Dortmund bus bomber to be freed, was unbelievably vile). Stuttgart are a CDU club. Hannover's big boss wants to change the 50+1 rule, so he's bad news (but he had a massive defeat in club leadership elections by 50+1 supporters, so 96 may be kosher again soon).

[G-Man]

Meanwhile, it's the end for Anfang. Köln -- on top of the table, eight points ahead from third place, with three games to go -- has sacked their coach. They had lost the last two games and drawn the two before that. But, truth be told, it might even be the right decision, much as I liked Anfang. He had lost what seems to be as deeply divided team, and with a squad like that, you can't lose every fourth game, as he did. There was a lot of good: some great performances, a great scoring record. But there was a lot to be concerned about: conceding 41 goals in 31 games, some spineless performances, some late collapses that cost points etc.

It's a harsh decision to let him go before he could at least claim success of having led the side to promotion, but it's also a necessary cut. The big question now is: who'll succeed Anfang? There aren't many great coaches available, and Schalke, Wolfsvburg and Stuttgart are also scouting for coaches.. Hecking won't come to Köln. Labbadia, no thanks. Weinzierl is spoiled goods. Gladbach just signed Rose from Salzburg, and the guy in charge of YB Bern has said he'll not move for Schalke or Wolfsburg, so he wouldn't think of going to Köln.

Hell, even Neururer has a job at present! Mourinho is unemployed, though......

[treibeis]

It'll be Labbadia.

Double or quits, whaddaya say? I can't keep fobbing off your mate Bubi with piss-poor excuses about "next week, I swear on my maternal grandfather's life" forever. He's started parking his tractor outside my flat and all sorts.

[ursus arctos]

Speaking of Union, they just beat HSV 2-0 and have taken over third from them on goal difference

[G-Man]

It'll be Labbadia.

Double or quits, whaddaya say? I can't keep fobbing off your mate Bubi with piss-poor excuses about "next week, I swear on my maternal grandfather's life" forever. He's started parking his tractor outside my flat and all sorts.

Bubi is the sort of guy who'll get Labbadia out of the way so that he can collect. Don't put Bruno in danger. Just pay Bubi. He makes the pimps on the Reeperbahn cry.

[G-Man]

The "Trainerkarusell" is going to be interesting. Interesting vacancies going at present are:


Schalke
Wolfsburg
Hertha
Stuttgart
Hannover
Köln

Interesting names in the mix are Hecking, Labbadia, Tedesco, Stöger, Derdai, David Wagner

Hecking could be good for Schalke, and he'd be my choice for Köln. He's not really likely to return to Wolfsburg. I'd be shocked if he wanted to go to relegated Hannover.

Labbadia is apparently very much unwanted by Köln. Without looking at his CV, I suspect he has coached every side twice already.

Tedesco has shown that he can succeed -- and that he can fail. He was dealt a rough hand losing Goretzka and Kehrer in one swoop without adequate replacement, and later Naldo. But the way he treated Höwedes, he deserved no better. I can imagine him going to Hertha, or perhaps Wolfsburg.

Stöger has been unemployed for a year, poor guy. If Stuttgart go down, I think he'd be good for them. Hannover would do well to grab him, too. A reunion with Schmadtke in Wolfsburg seems unlikely.

Pal Derdai is a good coach, though I don't know whether he's the level Sclalke or Wolfsburg aim for. But he might not regard Köln or Hannover his level. Stuttgart, then?

Wagner is inexperienced in the Bundesliga. If he comes to Germany, I suspect that Hertha would be the kind of club to take him on. Or perhaps Wolfsburg. Schalke might see him as too risky.

[ursus arctos]

Anglo sources in both the UK and US seem to think that Wagner to Schalke is a done deal.

Like you, I'm less sure. Hertha does seem a more likely destination.

[treibeis]

There's no way Hecking would go directly from Mönchengladbach to Cologne. He'll be Schalke.

Dardai was good at Hertha, in the same way that Stanislawski was good at St. Pauli - and nowhere else. He'll be Stuttgart.

Labbadia will be Cologne.

Tedesco - who I rate as much as I rate myself - will be Hertha.

Bubi now works for me. Verstanden, Type?