European Leagues Thread 2012/2013

[handbags_harris]

Yeah but he didn't put any money on it, or at least didn't mention that he did, unlike the Feyenoord win against Ajax which is about as likely as me sh*tting on the moon

[bobbybottler]

Yeah but he didn't put any money on it, or at least didn't mention that he did, unlike the Feyenoord win against Ajax which is about as likely as me sh*tting on the moon

No, no money spent, regrettably, just thinking that he'd sorted them into good shape at the end of last season, and despite losing a couple of players during the summer he also landed a few decent ones. Most importantly Ajax were in a state of flux early on, Feyenoord are obviously trying to rebuild without spending very much, AZ appointed a clown and PSV haven't really started on the rebuilding job needed from last year.

What did you make of Feyenoord? Clearly they passed their primary objective, to arrest last season's decline, and they'd have to be regarding European qualification as a bonus. What of next season though?

[prostak]

Forza Sankt Pauli! Bundesliga awaits!

[chilipepper91]

Unbelievable tukkers.

[Starfish]

Bayern now champions, barring cricket scores next week, as they beat Bochum and Schalke lose to Werder. Interest maintained at the bottom though - Hannover came alive to beat Gladbach 6-1, taking them out of the relegation spots for the first time in weeks. The flipside, of course, is Starfish's FCN are now in the playoff spot. One goal in it between them and Bochum - who play still-not-safe Hannover next weekend...

Indeed. A hard weekend. Last game next week against Cologne and many many possibilities. If FCN have to play against Augsburg in the Play-Off, I would be reasonably optimistic. We will see.

I was at the Fürth - Pauli game yesterday. They came in force and had reason to be happy having made the trip. A game of two halves and so on and so forth. Standing with the Fürth fans, one or two friends 'bid me farewell', more or less. If FCN go down and Nürnberg and Fürth are playing in the same league next season, my loyalties will no longer be divided. But hopefully not.

[Starfish]

German newspapers claiming that the deal to bring Steve McClaren to Wolfsburg is all but done.

http://bundesliga.t-online.de/vfl-wolfs ... 5866/index

[handbags_harris]

Yeah but he didn't put any money on it, or at least didn't mention that he did, unlike the Feyenoord win against Ajax which is about as likely as me sh*tting on the moon

No, no money spent, regrettably, just thinking that he'd sorted them into good shape at the end of last season, and despite losing a couple of players during the summer he also landed a few decent ones. Most importantly Ajax were in a state of flux early on, Feyenoord are obviously trying to rebuild without spending very much, AZ appointed a clown and PSV haven't really started on the rebuilding job needed from last year.

What did you make of Feyenoord? Clearly they passed their primary objective, to arrest last season's decline, and they'd have to be regarding European qualification as a bonus. What of next season though?

Given the rise of AZ and FC Twente in recent years it's become more and more difficult for the traditional three clubs to retain their status at the top, but Feyenoord did reasonably decent this season. Last season was an embarrassment to the club, although it has to be said that Gertjan Verbeek's handling of the higher profile players was somewhat strange. But having said that said players didn't acquit themselves well. This season, under Mario Been, has been a vast improvement but the side is an aged one with the likes of Roy Makaay, Jon Dahl Tomasson, Gio van Bronckhorst and others being regular fixtures. They are all also major earners who will ned to be shifted on will be shifted off the wage bill as a priority seeing as the club is somewhat skint. A new team will be taking the field next season with cheaper signings from the smaller Dutch (and European) clubs as well as the implementation of players from the academy. In short, they are a team in transition. Mario Been has had success in the past with NEC Nijmegen, even taking them to Europe, so he has some pedigree in the Netherlands, and he's done well to get Feyenoord to a 4th placed finish and a cup final. It's difficult to predict what next season holds, but I personally hope that they're a lot stronger than this season. They are good defensively, but their midfield lacks a bit of guile without de Guzman and they are far from prolific in front of goal despite their last result of the season! And they need a goalkeeper - Rob van Dijk is 41!!

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Pretty Rediculous scenes in Rome last night as Lazio roll over against Inter. Inter & Lazio are "twinned" and the whole ground was cheering when Inter scored. Lazio fans were chanting "we'll beat you up if you win" to their own players

Considering Lazio still need a point to be safe as well.

Inter still on course for the treble which has never been done in Italy before.

[soggy biscuit]

[Starfish]

So, my predictions for the bottom three did not work out at all as I had imagined. Berlin bottom, but strong finishes from both Hannover & Freiburg mean they have escaped the drop. Bochum slipped into the other automatic relegation place and 1.FC Nuremberg finished 16th which means that they will have to play Augsburg (3rd in BL.2) to see who will play in BL.1 next season. Two Bavarian teams but FCN beating Cologne yesterday will be good for moral and I am confident. Very, in fact.

[Starfish]

Final Table

Bayern Munich 70
Schalke 04 65
Werder Bremen 61
Bayer Leverkusen 59
Borussia Dortmund 57
VfB Stuttgart 55
Hamburg 52
Wolfsburg 50
Mainz 47
Eintracht Frankfurt 46
TSG Hoffenheim 42
Borussia M'gladbach 39
Cologne 38
SC Freiburg 35
Hannover 96 33
Nurnberg 31
VfL Bochum 28
Hertha Berlin 24

[RoyalChicagoFC]

So, my predictions for the bottom three did not work out at all as I had imagined. Berlin bottom, but strong finishes from both Hannover & Freiburg mean they have escaped the drop. Bochum slipped into the other automatic relegation place and 1.FC Nuremberg finished 16th which means that they will have to play Augsburg (3rd in BL.2) to see who will play in BL.1 next season. Two Bavarian teams but FCN beating Cologne yesterday will be good for moral and I am confident. Very, in fact.

Funny...on the last day in the German top flight, every side that hadn't secured (in realistic if not strictly factual terms) the position in which it sat before kickoff dropped points; every side that could have improved its position by winning and watching others in front of themselves slip up also dropped points --your 2009-10 1.Bundesliga in a nut's hell, really

Meanwhile, the situation in Spain is complete delightful madness:

--No one releg7ed yet with a game left for all to play
--16th thru 19th all on 36 points
--Xerez three back of them and still with a pulse if they win next weekend and everything else breaks their way
--None of the releg7ion candid7s play each other on the last day, and indeed the matchups for most are fierce
--That includes two of 'em playing Barcelona and RM with the title yet to be decided

Tiebreakers in Spain, as in Italy, begin with h2h results between two sides and go to a mini-league if three or more are involved

RFC's Spanish amigos Real Zaragoza were made safe yesterday by results elsewhere as they lost 3-2 away to basement side Xerez

Now for Starferz' 1.FCN boys to handle their business over two legs against a second division side, and that'll make it a trifecta of releg7ions dodged by RFC and affili7ed continental clubs in 2010 --good luck your boys S

[prostak]

Depending on how tenuous you want to get, there could be four. My Polish team, Odra Wodzislaw, may yet pull off a thoroughly undeserved survival. After being awful all season, they're 1 point from safety, albeit with Wisla as one of their last two opponents. Still, they are masters of the unlikely victory, so maybe Ekstraklasa football will remain in that backwater of Upper Silesia for another year.

[prostak]

Steve McClaren confirmed to be moving from managing FC Twente to Wolfsburg for next season. I'm keen to see if he can continue his European rehabilitation act - as well as adopt a new accent. I'd imagine Dzeko will move on this summer, as well as a few more of the team which won the league last season but failed to impress without Magath leading them. They should be able to hang on to the wingers Hasebe and Ziani (though Gentner has already signed for Stuttgart), as well as Grafite and perhaps Misimovic too, though - certainly the core of a team which should be pushing for higher than the mid-table finish they just achieved. VW will doubtless ensure money is available, too, so it appears to be a smart move all round.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Starferz: Was the free-kick correctly awarded? Eyes were elsewhere is why I ask. About a dozen easier chances not converted on the nite --sheez, lookit the numbers

Looking ahead: away goals tiebreaker --yes or no?

Depending on how tenuous you want to get, there could be four. My Polish team, Odra Wodzislaw, may yet pull off a thoroughly undeserved survival. After being awful all season, they're 1 point from safety, albeit with Wisla as one of their last two opponents. Still, they are masters of the unlikely victory, so maybe Ekstraklasa football will remain in that backwater of Upper Silesia for another year.

Seconded, if it needed to be --would be pleased to hear of a desired outcome

[PEARCEY]

Isn't McClown going to Wolfsburg?

[bobbybottler]

Steve McClaren confirmed to be moving from managing FC Twente to Wolfsburg for next season....VW will doubtless ensure money is available

First job would be to bring Ruiz with him then.

[prostak]

Depending on how tenuous you want to get, there could be four. My Polish team, Odra Wodzislaw, may yet pull off a thoroughly undeserved survival. After being awful all season, they're 1 point from safety, albeit with Wisla as one of their last two opponents. Still, they are masters of the unlikely victory, so maybe Ekstraklasa football will remain in that backwater of Upper Silesia for another year.

Seconded, if it needed to be --would be pleased to hear of a desired outcome

Well. They lost the winnable game (home to Śląsk Wrocław), so now have to win at Wisła and hope Arka and Piast Gliwice both lose.

It's annoying how a season which has involved doing the double over Legia has sunk to this depth, but really Odra have been on the brink of relegation for years now - it's just that this season only Jagiellonia have been docked points for corruption, rather than 4 or 5 teams as the case has been. The sad thing is, Odra have yet to be found guilty of any fixing (I use that term as it wouldn't be entirely unfair to assume guilt until proven otherwise when it comes to corruption in Poland), yet teams who've suffered demotions and the like are now back in the Ekstraklasa, almost as strong as before. Still, all this helps to explain why only 3 Polish teams can regularly expect gates topping 10.000. And unsurprisingly, these comprise three of this season's top four. Bleak viewing...

[prostak]

Isn't McClown going to Wolfsburg?

Steve McClaren confirmed to be moving from managing FC Twente to Wolfsburg for next season.

[Starfish]

Drunk and feeling positive. Third time I have seen Augsburg this season and I really don't think they have enough in the tank to overturn, what should have been, a much clearer victory. A mere 1-0 but it could have been much much more.

And I think I sincerely hate FCA now (I am sincerely drunk). Play-Off for the first league (for the first time in goD knows only how long for Augsburg), a Bank Holiday and they sold 2000 of their 5000 allocation. And Augsburg is 60 minutes drive from here. A city with twice the population of Reading and I have no longer a decent word for them - I stood among them (the only ticket I could get) and they 'grumbled'.