So at least Unterhaching broke their run of eight games without a win (L1, D7), with a 6-0 home defeat of Fortuna Köln. Despite this, we'e still sixth in the table, which suggests the standard in the 3. Liga is not the highest.
Must say the fans who came down from Cologne were very magnanimous and amusing, as we all got somewhat drunk together in the biergarten after the game.
Your problem, as I've said before, is the lack of Sebastians in the team. You've got the Max/Maximilians, but you're lacking the Sebastians.
Cracking game, though. With the absolute highlight of all highlights being the footage of Hoeneß and Rummenigge as Dortmund scored their third. You see Hoeneß saying, "Abseits" and then standing up and wagging his finger and shaking his head. Then they are both showered in beer from celebrating fans above and are suitably outraged and start yelling. After the final whistle, Sky had to interrupt its interview with Marco Reus because Uli and Kalle were being serenaded across the pitch to an almighty Pfeifkonzert. The Sky dude could barely conceal his glee - they've quit any pretence at objective coverage of Bayern since the famous Auf-die-Fressekonferenz (copyright Süddeutsche Zeitung) of three weeks ago.
Hoeneß has admitted in retrospect that the press conference made them look pretty pathetic. Because of his ranting and naked hypocrisy? No, because he says it was a mistake of Rummenigge to quote the German constitution.
Why can't they give an Ex-Con an even break? It's so hard on the outside.
The dream really would be for Bayern to appoint José Mourinho. Just imagine Mourinho, Hoeneß and Rummenigge united at last. There'd be movies made about that. Alas, not even Uli and Kalle are as stupid as to appoint that guy.
The dream really would be for Bayern to appoint José Mourinho. Just imagine Mourinho, Hoeneß and Rummenigge united at last. There'd be movies made about that. Alas, not even Uli and Kalle are as stupid as to appoint that guy.
With Matthäeus and Effenberg as his assistants. While 'Brazzo' remains as sporting director because his comedy value is too precious to lose at Carnival time. And Klinsmann as Yogic and Karma Coach.
I mean, if you're leading by two goals with eight minutes to play, and the opposition, who are shit, pull one back, and you're the Bayern Munich coach in the middle of a bad spell, then surely, for the remaining eight minutes, you get eleven men behind the ball and then do nothing but try and hit Uli Hoeneß in the stands? Why can't youngsters these days defend a two-goal lead? It's not difficult, it really isn't difficult.
Hoeneß has hinted strongly that Kovac is pretty much going to be on his way out. He told reporters after yesterday's game that Kovac will still be in charge against Benfica. After that, who knows?
And rumours are that Ollie Kahn will come to Bayern in a leadership role. Looks like fun times ahead.
Saw the highlights of the Jena-Haching match on Youtube, looked like a totally mental 90 minutes. And then discovered that there are brief highlights of the Bundesliga matches on the Fox Sports channel there as well, so laughed my way through the Bayern-Düsseldorf goals too. There is something immensely satisfying about seeing the Bayern back line defend about as effectively as I used to on a wet Monday night in Walldorf.
Meanwhile, the natives are getting restless in Kaiserslautern: 10th place in the 3. Liga is not enough for the fans and, more importantly for the club's survival prospects, it's won't be enough to keep the banks happy either. In terms of overall attendance figures, FCK still boast the best numbers in the division with nearly 200,000 spectators having passed through the turnstiles at the Betzenberg so far this season, but they are on a downward trend: 41000 turned up for the season-opener against 1860, but just 18000 witnessed what was by all accounts a truly dismal 0-0 draw with Wehen Wiesbaden at the weekend. In a totally unsurprising turn of events, people have now realised that Michael Frontzeck perhaps isn't a tactical genius and can't figure out how to get the best out of a young squad. They are eight points off second place (and it doesn't help that Karlsruhe are looking down on them from those giddy heights) and only four points off a relegation place. Unthinkable, surely...
Could be worse. Could be Braunschweig, who followed a promotion play-off season with a relegation followed by another probable relegation. It could have been so different....
Bloody Werder, not defending properly. I was really looking forward to my deep-frozen pizza.
On the subject of pizza*, I've noticed that Stumpy Pepys has yet to comment on Unterhaching's 5-0 thrashing of Kaiserslautern last night.
* Stumpy Pepys once mentioned that Manfred Schwabl bought him a pizza at an Unterhaching home game. I reckon he (Stumpy Pepys) is the only Englishman in the history of the world who can lay claim to this privilege.
Today, the regulars' Alte Herren (over-32s) team had a game. The opponents' forward line consisted of ... Ivan Klasnic and Ivica Olic.
Imagine being a defender. You get up early on a Sunday, you're old, you're hungover, you've got a family you'd like to spend time with, all you want to do is have a kickabout with your mates - and you get to the ground only to find out you're up against two blokes with a total of nearly 150 caps for Croatia and who are still as fit as a butcher's dog.
That 5-0 humping in Haching marked the end of Frontzeck's reign in Kaiserslautern. They'll be looking to get a new trainer confirmed in time for the winter break so that the squad can be rebuilt (yet again) in a desperate attempt to get out of the 3. Liga...
Watched Nürnberg and Leverkusen play water polo this evening, and noted the match had a female ref. Have any other European leagues made this sensible move? I know the English Premier League has at least one female assistant and there are women officials further down the pyramid, but I haven't seen one elsewhere at the top level.
Ah sorry, I interpreted his water polo comment to mean that he had actually watched water polo, but now I am getting the message that he was making a comment about the state of the pitch....
I watched this, or the second half at least, and am sure that the game would not have taken place, or would have been abandoned, if it was in the UK. I was impressed with the way the players generally just got on with it while occasionally expressing frustration if the ball got caught in a puddle or bounced, or didn't bounce, unexpectedly. The equaliser was either brilliant reaction, or it would have been in Row Z if the ball had bounced normally. The Leverkusen manager looked fairly pissed off at the end but as it was on English telly, with the sound down, I don't know if it was something to do with the game, that it was even being played, or whether it was because he'd been standing in the pissing rain for the best part of two hours. And I've made a mental note that if I ever go to Nürnberg to make sure I book a place near the back.
I watched this, or the second half at least, and am sure that the game would not have taken place, or would have been abandoned, if it was in the UK. I was impressed with the way the players generally just got on with it while occasionally expressing frustration if the ball got caught in a puddle or bounced, or didn't bounce, unexpectedly.
Generally that's one of the reasons I prefer watching Bundesliga games to the Premier League. There's far less moaning, time wasting and "game management." Not sure why that should be, but it makes them much more entertaining for a neutral.
Unterhaching have now scored 16 in three games. Since that seven-draws run they have won 6-0, 5-4 and 5-0.
After that interminable run of draws, the last three games have been rather splendid. Did feel a bit sorry for the Lautern fans, who'd brought down about 2,500 on a wet Friday evening. However, they weren't as funny or magnanimous as the Fortuna Köln bunch. Suffice to say I got very drunk afterwards and Fräulein Pepys kicked me out of bed for snoring.
The odd thing is that league leaders Osnabrück have also drawn a ton of games but, like us, have only lost one game all season.
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