Bundesliga 2017/18

kaiser1

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Wolfsburg is done.
2-0

Frankfurt has to win
 

FootballHQ

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Frankfurt winning now so Hamburg could be relegated today if Wolfsuburg pick up something.
 

FootballHQ

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Hamburg 2 down. They are all but relegated now...finally.
 

Classical Mechanic

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Watched Dortmund, not great. Sancho did OK and got a good assist and was involved with the few good things they did. Lookman bagged a couple for RPL and Oxford came back from injury. Not a bad day for the English in Germany.
 

FootballHQ

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Dortmund, meh...
Don't even bother watching their matches nowadays, they were a must not miss a year ago.

Will probably be battling to avoid the relegation play offs this time next year.:nono:
 

NieThePiet

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Still possible that Wolfsburg will lose at home against Cologne in this form.
 

FootballHQ

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Still possible that Wolfsburg will lose at home against Cologne in this form.
More chance surely of Wolfsburg getting a point at home to Koln than Hamburg beating Gladbach surely?

Monchegladbach are a decent top half team and had a good win today. Their manager had serveral good years at Wolfsburg so sure he'll want to help his old club out.

Wolfsburg could still avoid the play off if they win and Freiburg lose.
 

NieThePiet

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More chance surely of Wolfsburg getting a point at home to Koln than Hamburg beating Gladbach surely?

Monchegladbach are a decent top half team and had a good win today. Their manager had serveral good years at Wolfsburg so sure he'll want to help his old club out.

Wolfsburg could still avoid the play off if they win and Freiburg lose.
It's Hamburg. Logic doesn't count ;)

Last possible Bundesliga Homegame for Hamburg, they will do everything to win.
At least the 17th place is between Hamburg and Wolfsburg.
 

Zehner

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It's Hamburg. Logic doesn't count ;)

Last possible Bundesliga Homegame for Hamburg, they will do everything to win.
At least the 17th place is between Hamburg and Wolfsburg.
Actually, Wolfsburg deserves going down for failing to secure Hamburgs relegation at many occasions. If they really manage to bottle it, they'll immediately be the least popular club in Germany, second only to the HSV himself of course.

So please Wolfsburg, you are on the edge of accomplishing something historically, don't let us down. Would break my heart if Hamburg manages to stay in the league again :(
 

Damien

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Happy for Schalke. Finishing second with the number of players they have leaving on a free each season is a great achievement. Just worried how they'll cope in CL next season with two more players leaving for nothing and Kehrer's future seems uncertain with him going into last year of contract.
 

Don Alfredo

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Happy for Schalke. Finishing second with the number of players they have leaving on a free each season is a great achievement. Just worried how they'll cope in CL next season with two more players leaving for nothing and Kehrer's future seems uncertain with him going into last year of contract.
The problem is they don't get any money for those players, but unlike the downfall of Dortmund in recent seasons, they should not be worried about losing them. Max Mayer is a hugely overrated "talent" (by himself and his agent) and easily replaced by Bentaleb (not a great player himself). Goretzka has talent in abundance, but did nothing at all for months since announcing his move to Bayern and they still coped well and got second with ease. Kehrer is also just okay; Nastasic is much better and would be the greater loss.

I believe they will be fine since they have a good transfer policy, unlike Dortmund who poured the millions of the outgoing players down the garbage bin (Schurrle, Yarmolenko, Immobile, Rode etc.). They snapped up Mark Uth for free (one of the best strikers in the league with greath finishing) and Salif Sane for €8m (best CB in the league with Naldo this season). You would be really lucky to find better value for money than those two in the summer.

They should have a problem with the midweek rythm because that tends to take its toll on teams depending on high intensity (see Klopp). The good thing is, they are no newbies to international games and have many players with european experience.
 

FootballHQ

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They hate somebody for a clock?
It's a clock that celebrates their status as only every present Bundesliga team, it counts the time from the first game they played in the 60s so guess people hate the arrogance of that (Everton for example don't do it).

Actually will the clock stop ticking the second they go down or will they just take it down during the summer?
 

uamini

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Why, exactly, are Hamburg so hated.
They're on the brink of bankruptcy due to mismanagement but thanx to a wealthy sugar daddy they get to spend way more than they should be able to. They see themselves as a top German team that is about to return to its former glory yet every season they end up in deep trouble again.
Somehow they always manage to save themselves even though they're in virtually impossible situations. They've managed to score several last-minute fluke goals when they were about to be relegated. It's just very irritating, and that clock just feels a bit arrogant to some.
Basically people think they could do with being a bit more humble, and what would be more humbling thatn spending a year in the second league?
 

NieThePiet

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Small chances, but Dortmund might actually finish 5th.

Come on Hoffenheim, 4-5 would be enough. You too, Bayer.
How a 4:5 would be enough?
Dortmund has a +19 goal difference, Leverkusen only +13. They would have +18 after a 4:5 defeat, so Leverkusen would need to win with 6 goals difference. Will not happen.

Think Dortmund will lose against Hoffenheim close and Dortmund will finish 3rd. Great achievement from Nagelsmann after losing Rudy, Süle and Wagner to Bayern too.
Next season without Gnabry and Uth.

Hamburg just can go down for one season. I will miss the derbies but the clock has to end.
 

Mrs Smoker

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How a 4:5 would be enough?
Dortmund has a +19 goal difference, Leverkusen only +13. They would have +18 after a 4:5 defeat, so Leverkusen would need to win with 6 goals difference. Will not happen.

Think Dortmund will lose against Hoffenheim close and Dortmund will finish 3rd. Great achievement from Nagelsmann after losing Rudy, Süle and Wagner to Bayern too.
Next season without Gnabry and Uth.

Hamburg just can go down for one season. I will miss the derbies but the clock has to end.
I meant 4 to 5 goals from Hoffenheim only. ;)

Very small chance indeed.
 

Blackwidow

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Happy for Schalke. Finishing second with the number of players they have leaving on a free each season is a great achievement. Just worried how they'll cope in CL next season with two more players leaving for nothing and Kehrer's future seems uncertain with him going into last year of contract.
I have some problems with Schalke being second - On the one side I favour Schalke over some of the others - on the other hand I ask myself how a team with such an ugly football is able to get second. But all of the other Bayern hunters probably showed a lot more weaknesses the recent months than Schalke did who were never great but not that bad either.
 

Acrobat7

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I have some problems with Schalke being second - On the one side I favour Schalke over some of the others - on the other hand I ask myself how a team with such an ugly football is able to get second. But all of the other Bayern hunters probably showed a lot more weaknesses the recent months than Schalke did who were never great but not that bad either.
A friend of mine summed it up quite nicely: they were the least shit of the other 17 clubs beside Bayern.
 

JustFootballFan

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Leverkusen control their own destiny. Win by five at home against Hannover and they are in the Champions League.
 

RW2

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Really is amazing that Hamburg still haven't officially been confirmed relegated as we head into the final round of games next weekend. . . . Despite the fact that they've lost SIX more matches than Wolfsburg
 

PedroMendez

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I have some problems with Schalke being second - On the one side I favour Schalke over some of the others - on the other hand I ask myself how a team with such an ugly football is able to get second. But all of the other Bayern hunters probably showed a lot more weaknesses the recent months than Schalke did who were never great but not that bad either.
Its not just ugly, but also quite mediocre. They were fortunate this season to pick up as many points as they did. If they don't improve a lot next season, they'll struggle to qualify for europea with the extra pressure of playing internationally. Teams like Dortmund, Leipzig or Leverkusen are pretty terrible at times, but they also have much bigger potential. I don't see any upside in this Schalke team. You can't rely on your CB being one of your biggest goal-threats as CL team. That works only so many times; especially when this player is 35. Additionally two of their more talented players on the ball (Meyer, Goretzka) are leaving. Who is going to score/create goals for them?
 

Zehner

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Why, exactly, are Hamburg so hated.
They are really, really annoying. So many seasons they saved themselves in the last minute without deserving it (mainly luck in form of bad referee calls, stealing undeserved points etc.) with other teams who were much more exciting and likeable either going or staying down (this year, it would be Köln exemplarily). And then they start bragging about how they never got relegated again, appoint a new management which rambles about "the sleeping giant HSV" which shall regain its former glory, buy middle-class players for for far too much money, get in financial trouble, rescued by their arrogant investor Kühne again, sack their manager and everything reiterates. Meanwhile, they put up great (and occasionally unfair, overly physical) fights against top clubs like Dortmund or Leverkusen only to pickup their annual 8:0 beating in Munich as if it is determined in some strange contract. Additionally, all these stories of incredible incompetence. Like their sports director forgetting sensible documents in a public park which should never have left the office in he first place.

As a Leverkusen fan, it's also something personal. They really hate my club because Leverkusen bought and developed many talents who didn't feel supported at the HSV or wanted to make the next step (Son, Tah, Öztunali, Calhanoglu) and what you read of them in forums and social media.. wow. There used to be a user on our Facebook page who always referred to Toprak as "Go-kart Ömer" since he had a career and possibly even life threatening kart accident during his youth (still has some nice burning scars, too).
The Calhanoglu incident is another case. I don't even like him (he's an easy to manipulate idiot, honestly) but how the HSV fans treated him after the HSV director Kreuzer tried to exploit a dumb 20 year old player consulted by his even dumber father to coat their own mistakes was just disgusting. But that's typical for the HSV. Blaming others instead of minding their own business.
 

FootballHQ

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There's a Hamburg poster on here isn't there? Pretty sure last season he was saying Bobby Wood would be a good pick up for a champions league club. :eek:
 

HTG

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The people constantly complaining about Hamburg are more annoying than Hamburg ever could be. I hope they stay in the league. Huge club, great history and they are extremely entertaining.
 
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Blackwidow

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The people constantly complaining about Hamburg are more annoying than Hamburg ever could be. I hope they stay in the league. Huge club, great history and they are extremely entertaining.
I will miss the annual spanking in Munich. Every year you think that it cannot happen like this again - but somehow it does... :cool::D
 

HTG

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I will miss the annual spanking in Munich. Every year you think that it cannot happen like this again - but somehow it does... :cool::D
Exactly. Hamburg are fun. Their football is terrible, obviously. But everything else about them is just amazingly entertaining. I would really miss them.
 

do.ob

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https://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/...holt-sich-schweiz-kapitaen-55624470.bild.html

Bild reporting that Dortmund and Lichtsteiner have negotiated a one year contract which the player will sign in the upcoming days. Not sure what to make of that, Piszczek already offers plenty of experience for the RB position, I would've thought they'd sign someone younger who can grow into being his replacement. Together with Bürki, Hitz and Akanji he would increase the Swiss contingent to four players (and most likely Favre coaching them), has there ever been a top club who had that many?

Is he still good or way past it? @giorno
 
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hasanejaz88

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When did Dortmund sign Hitz? Honestly what is this club doing, they are sinking themselves into mediocrity signing average players like Hitz when they clearly need quality in that position. What's the point of having 2 average goalkeepers? One will make a mistake be replaced by the other, who will then make a mistake the next match, it's be a continous cycle.

And also having a 34 yr old as competition for a 32 yr old. Laughable. Passlack looks like he isn't the talent he once looked like, poor guy isn't even getting a game at Hoffenheim, otherwise he looked a certainty for that position.
 

do.ob

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When did Dortmund sign Hitz? Honestly what is this club doing, they are sinking themselves into mediocrity signing average players like Hitz when they clearly need quality in that position. What's the point of having 2 average goalkeepers? One will make a mistake be replaced by the other, who will then make a mistake the next match, it's be a continous cycle.

And also having a 34 yr old as competition for a 32 yr old. Laughable. Passlack looks like he isn't the talent he once looked like, poor guy isn't even getting a game at Hoffenheim, otherwise he looked a certainty for that position.
The Hitz transfer was reported about a week ago. I think signing a good midtable keeper on a free is pretty good for replacing your number two and while Bürki has his flaws a clear upgrade would've cost them a lot of money they probably want to invest elsewhere.
I think signing Lichtsteiner can be either good (if he hasn't lost his legs yet) or bad depending on the thinking behind it and the alternatives they had. Postponing that issue for another year surely sounds better than buying another Toljan or maybe they want to use him as cover while they try out Akanji there or they are considering someone from the academy or Passlack. I could also see Piszczek playing as a RCB in a 3/5 at the back setup, should Favre favour that which might be another reason why they want someone experienced. But only time will tell what their reasoning is.
 
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hasanejaz88

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The Hitz transfer was reported about a week ago. I think signing a good midtable keeper on a free is pretty good for replacing your number two and while Bürki has his flaws a clear upgrade would've cost them a lot of money they probably want to invest elsewhere.
I think signing Lichtsteiner can be either good (if he hasn't lost his legs yet) or bad depending on the thinking behind it and the alternatives they had. Postponing that issue for another year surely sounds better than buying another Toljan or maybe they want to use him as cover while they try out Akanji there or they are considering someone from the academy or Passlack. I could also see Piszczek playing as a RCB in a 3/5 at the back setup, should Favre favour that which might be another reason why they want someone experienced. But only time will tell what their reasoning is.
You can have as good a defence as you want but I don't think you can be successful without a top class goalkeeper. They have capable defenders in Toprak and Sokratis, while Akanji and Zagadou look talented. I admit I forgot about Toljan but if they don't sell him then he'll be more a versatile backup for LB/RB than a starter.

I still don't see the sense in them bargain buying defenders when it has been their weakest area this season. Where will they invest in? They attack is extremely solid with Reus, Pulisic, Sancho, Yarmalenko, Gotze, Kagawa and Phillpp though I understand they don't have a striker so maybe they will want to spend there.

How much money do you think they have to spend? Considering the amount of attacking midfielders they have maybe they should consider selling a couple to fund a striker and defender. Yarmalenko looks sellable because of the amount of wingers they have, they can probably get 15 MP for him.
 

do.ob

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You can have as good a defence as you want but I don't think you can be successful without a top class goalkeeper. They have capable defenders in Toprak and Sokratis, while Akanji and Zagadou look talented. I admit I forgot about Toljan but if they don't sell him then he'll be more a versatile backup for LB/RB than a starter.

I still don't see the sense in them bargain buying defenders when it has been their weakest area this season. Where will they invest in? They attack is extremely solid with Reus, Pulisic, Sancho, Yarmalenko, Gotze, Kagawa and Phillpp though I understand they don't have a striker so maybe they will want to spend there.

How much money do you think they have to spend? Considering the amount of attacking midfielders they have maybe they should consider selling a couple to fund a striker and defender. Yarmalenko looks sellable because of the amount of wingers they have, they can probably get 15 MP for him.
I think they will sell and replace Sokratis and solving the LB position will be priority - meaning either Favre loves Guerreiro or they will be looking to sign someone (Hector was supposedly close to being done), I also see them signing a DM to replace Sahin/complement Weigl and a more combative CM, as well as of course a striker. I have no idea how much money they will be willing to spend though, maybe €100m? Maybe less? Probably not more than ~€40m on a single player.
 
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