<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Filipe-Luis.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-110307" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2014/07/Filipe-Luis-600x399-600x399.webp" alt="Filipe-Luis" width="600" height="399" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></figure></div></a>
FIFA’s annual Ballon d’Or shortlist inevitably divides opinion. From the widespread disgust that Wesley Sneijder didn’t receive the award for his outstanding 2010 campaign, where he led his club side, Internazionale, to Champions League glory and then his national side, the Netherlands, to the World Cup final, right through to the annual battle for the award between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, there have been a lot of controversial choices down the years.
This year is no different with several key names not even making the 23-man shortlist, with some of them inexplicably missing out. I have produced an alternative 23-man list which I hope captures the 23 players in contention for the award in a rather more realistic manner.
FIFA’s 23-man shortlist
Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Diego Costa (Atlético Madrid/Chelsea), Thibaut Courtois (Atlético Madrid/Chelsea), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Ángel Di María (Real Madrid/Manchester United), Mario Götze (Bayern Munich), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG), Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich/Real Madrid), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Thomas Müller (Bayern Munich), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Neymar (Barcelona), Paul Pogba (Juventus), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich), James Rodríguez (Monaco/Real Madrid), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Yaya Touré (Manchester City).
My amended 23-man shortlist
Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Diego Costa (Atlético Madrid/Chelsea), Thibaut Courtois (Atlético Madrid/Chelsea), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Ángel Di María (Real Madrid/Manchester United), Mario Götze (Bayern Munich), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Filipe Luis (Atlético Madrid), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich/Real Madrid), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Arturo Vidal (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Thomas Müller (Bayern Munich), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Neymar (Barcelona), Paul Pogba (Juventus), Diego Godin (Atlético Madrid), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich), James Rodríguez (Monaco/Real Madrid), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Yaya Touré (Manchester City).
As you can see there are only four changes from the official list to my own. In fairness to FIFA, this year’s list has been a widely impressive and realistic selection of the real elite players in world football, however there have been just a couple of selections I cannot agree with, or at the very least cannot justify placing in the shortlist ahead of other names.
First of all I have replaced Andres Iniesta with Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero. There can be absolutely no doubt that Iniesta is a superstar, a world-class footballer, however his 2014 has not been especially impressive.
His club team FC Barcelona struggled both domestically and on the continent, failing to reach the semi-final of the Champions League for the first time since the 2006-07 season. Conversely, Aguero played a huge part in City’s Premier League title triumph, scoring 17 league goals as well as 10 others in separate competitions. Aguero also impressed at the World Cup, despite struggling with injuries throughout the tournament. I just feel as if on an individual basis taking achievement and stats into account, Aguero deserved to be on the list for 2014 more than Iniesta.
Atletico Madrid had undoubtedly their finest season of the Millennium, perhaps even in the club’s history with Diego Simeone’s fantastically unique style of management guiding Atleti to a La Liga title and the Champions League final. Key to those successes was Atletico’s outstanding defence, however only goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois makes the shortlist.
This I feel is quite perplexing. Atletico’s two most important players in defence were central-defender Diego Godin and left-back Filipe Luis, now at <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/category/chelsea/">Chelsea</a>. Godin was a rock at the heart of Simeone’s defensive line. The experienced Uruguayan formed a strong partnership with Miranda and even scored the goal which secured Atletico the domestic title.
I have replaced Godin with Ramos due to the fact that their achievements with their respective teams probably balance out, with either side winning a major crown. However, Godin’s individual contributions were far more important and impressive over the course of 2014.
In the case of Filipe Luis, there are few arguments that suggest the Brazilian was not the best left-back in Europe last season. Of course David Alaba was right up alongside him but Filipe’s defensive play mixed with his ability to get forward was quite the asset to his team. His performances were so consistently at a high level that he earned himself a £15.8million transfer to Chelsea.
I have chosen to replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic with Filipe as I feel that whilst Ibrahimovic’s play exhibits outstanding individual skill and technique, the like of which we have seldom seen before, Filipe simply added more to his team’s success as well as looking to rectify the bias between offence and defence within the official shortlist.
Finally, I felt it a crime not to include Arturo Vidal on the list. The general consensus amongst Juventus supporters is that their Chilean midfielder has been the real catalyst for the club’s resurgence in recent years and 2014 has been no different. The troubling question for me was just who to replace?
<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2014/10/15/javier-mascherano-one-of-world-soccers-underrated-gems/">Javier Mascherano</a> had an excellent World Cup with Argentina, he was the holding midfield presence which gave the attacking talents of Di Maria, Messi and Aguero so much freedom to play their natural games. Mascherano was a leader of the team and put in an excellent display in the final, even if he did end up, rather undeservingly, on the losing side.
However I simply felt as though he hadn’t done nearly enough in the colours of the Blaugrana to remain on the list. Vidal on the other hand contributed in the World Cup, despite injury, but was a hugely important figure in Juventus winning their third consecutive Scudetto, providing assists and goals from a deeper midfield position. Vidal has certainly cemented himself as one of the globe’s premier box-to-box midfielders and deserves to be on the list.
Finally, the continued omission of Luis Suarez. Not included by FIFA in the official shortlist and I too have left the Uruguayan forward out. In terms of Suarez’s performances on the pitch in 2014, it is difficult to not select him, he almost dragged Liverpool to the Premier League title with his outstanding 31 goal tally and contributed to Uruguay qualifying out of a difficult World Cup group, however it is his troubling behaviour on the pitch which has put paid to his chances.
Suarez’s bite on Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup has cost him his place on the shortlist, the general criteria for selection is noted in FIFA’s guidebook and it states, ‘The selection criteria for the players of the year (men’s and women’s) are: sporting performance as well as general behaviour on and off the pitch from 30 November 2013 until 21 November 2014.’ 
Suarez’s bite certainly doesn’t represent good general behaviour and as such I would feel it unfair to place him on the shortlist when he cannot be considered according to the regulations.

Analyzing Who Should Have Made The Ballon d'Or Candidates Shortlist

Analyzing Who Should Have Made The Ballon d'Or Candidates Shortlist  - World Soccer Talk

Wolfsburg and Bayern drew at the VW Arena in a high-tempo match that was end-to-end and full of drama this weekend. An early fluke goal by Thomas Müller in the 7′ was equalized by Sascha Riether late in the game. In between the early and late book-end goals was a game full of stories. Franck Ribery twisted his knee in the 20′ minute after a clash with Josue. Both teams shook the wood work and both missed penalties that they didn’t deserve, while both were denied goals by the referee that the arguably did deserve. Bayern Munich fell a further two points behind the leaders Dortmund, while Steve McClaren’s job was possibly saved by the 86′ goal.
<div><figure class="external-image"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5127/5363994661_d071f67666.jpg" alt="Wolly with the Brolly"></figure></div>
Here are seven musings on the entertaining match. 
<ul>
<li>Thomas Kraft looked great in goal. It looks like van Gaal’s decision to use the young keeper is the right one. Although it could be his undoing. The kid looked fantastic in goal and seemed to be more than just a shot-stopper. Shot-stoppers are a dime a dozen in football. The ability to organize a defense and make proper decisions is what separates average from great. Kraft made all the right decisions. The problem is that the front-office wants Schalke’s Manuel Neuer, and now that might not be such a good idea. I doubt having a coach mess up your summer plans will go down well with the egos at Bayern. 

</li><li>Some would argue that seeing Messi or Ronaldo with the ball is the greatest image in the game. For me, it’s seeing Marc van Bommel being fouled. Don’t get me wrong, I have no issues with Bayern Munich and don’t wish to see any of their other players treated roughly. But van Bommel represents everything wrong with football: fouling, diving, cheating, arguing. The sooner Milan buys him, the better the league will be. But until he goes, thanks Josue! 

</li><li>This might be more of a question than a statement. During the match, Wolfsburg were getting to the by-line often. The passes made from this position were always excellent in my opinion. They were deeper than the defenders and were placed for a trailing player to blast into the net. But nobody was ever there. It would seem to me that this should have been Diego’s role. However, having taken a year off from the league, I can’t say if this was perhaps a space that Dzeko might have often inhabited. Is that true? Or was it just bad luck? Seems to be something McClaren might want to focus on as there was ample opportunity. 

</li><li>Robben can’t do it all. While the possession stats show that Bayern Munich had more of the ball, watching the game didn’t give you that impression. It seemed that the only time Bayern were really eating up possession or pitch was when Robben had the ball. He was the only one for Bayern that was really having a go at the Wolfsburg defense. Granted they lost Ribery early, but there is still enough talent that they should have more in attack. If your only link between the rest of the outfield and the forwards in one player then you are obviously easy to defend. And that seems to be something that van Gaal must focus on. 

</li><li>Dzeko’s departure may well pay dividends. McClaren wants a 4-3-3. Dzeko demanded a 4-4-2. A manager that has to change his system to accommodate one player, does no club a favor. With the forward’s departure, they seemed to start the process of converting their tactical shape. While they lack the personnel to play the preferred system, and plan to use the proceeds from Dzeko’s sale to get the right players, for now they seem to be working with a 4-2-3-1, using Cicero and Josue as a double six behind Dejegah, Mandzukic and Diego. If they can get Elia, as has been rumored, then they can have three forwards. Possibly replacing Cicero with a more box-to-box midfielder might help as well. 

</li><li>There is nothing worst that a referee that loses the plot during a match. Manuel Gräfe did just that. He allowed the players to boss him. But worse was the way he allowed the questionable offside that disallowed a Diego goal to influence the penalty he awarded when Dejegah dove. It could be argued both ways that the goal that went through Kraft’s hands should or should not have been allowed. So if there is a case, there is not need for a make-up call to right a wrong. Luckily Kraft saved the penalty to preserve the match’s integrity. 

</li><li>With Bayern drawing and Dortmund taking out their other closes competitor, Bayer, over the weekend, it’s over. Or is it? It’s a big lead, but two years ago Hoffenheim returned from the break as Herbstmeiser and won their first match, 2-0 over Energie Cottbus (I miss them). Yet, they lost the league to a red-hot Wolfsburg that year. They didn’t even end up in Europe. While Dortmund are a stronger side than that Hoffenheim squad, everyone (including myself) should realize that there is a lot of time left in the most competitive league in Europe. But for Uli Hesse’s sake, I hope they hold on 🙂 
</li></ul>

Seven Things We Learned from Wolfsburg &#8211; Bayern

Seven Things We Learned from Wolfsburg - Bayern - World Soccer Talk

Seven Things We Learned from Wolfsburg – Bayern

<div><figure class="external-image"><img src="http://www.eloquor.net/mod/ixp_compositions/resultats/composition-8.php?mon_champ=allemagne%2Fbundesliga%2Fwolfsburg2.png&amp;gardien=DROBNY&amp;Defdroit=BARZAGLI&amp;Defcentdroit=GEROMEL&amp;Defcent=&amp;Defcentgauche=SUBOTIC&amp;Defgauche=DELPIERRE&amp;Mildefdroit=&amp;Mildefcentdroit=&amp;Mildefcent=PETIT&amp;Mildefcentgauche=&amp;Mildefgauche=&amp;Mildroit=SALAHOVIC&amp;Milcentdroit=&amp;Milcent=&amp;Milcentgauche=&amp;Milgauche=JAROLIM&amp;Milorgdroit=&amp;Milorgcentdroit=&amp;Milorgcent=MISIMOVIC&amp;Milorgcentgauche=&amp;Milorggauche=&amp;Attdroit=&amp;Attcentdroit=DZEKO&amp;Attcent=&amp;Attcentgauche=GRAFITE&amp;Attgauche=&amp;Rempa=NEUER&amp;Rempb=MATHIJSEN&amp;Rempc=WESTERMANN&amp;Rempd=KEHL&amp;Rempe=RIBERY&amp;Rempf=GOMEZ&amp;Rempg=WICHNIAREK&amp;submitButtonName=Elf+n%B04" alt="XI"></figure></div>
Goalkeeper 
Jaroslav Drobny (Hertha Berlin) 
Make no mistake about it, Berlin’s rise from bottom half side to title contenders was based on defense. They were a hard side to break down and on the off-chance that a team did, there was Drobny to get by. His performance against Bayern was the stuff of legends.
Defenders
Nevin Subotic (Borussia Dortmund)
Borussia Dortmund had an outstanding season defensively. At the heart of it were youngsters, journeymen and a slew of injuries. Yet despite this their goal against was 37 and only slightly bettered by Schalke 04, who played a very defensive brand of football. The only consistent starter in Jurgen Klopp’s back four was Suba. Few 19 years old are ready to lead a back line in any major European league, but Subotic proved why he is the hottest defensive property in the universe by leading and leading well.
Matthieu Delpierre (Stuttgart)
When Delpierre plays, Stuttgart is a better team. Full stop! This has been true for the past four years, helping them to a cup, a league title and another late season run this year. Last year when he was injured most of the season, Stuttgart struggled. On top of his positioning and reading of the game, he has helped turn Sedar Tasci from a defender that caused one to cringe to a solid center half, who deservedly won his first call-up. 
Pedro Geromel (Koln)
Last year’s best defender in Portugal has a case to be this year’s best defender in Germany. And he did it manning a poor back line in front of a dodgy keeper. If Koln keep him this summer, it will be one of the biggest shocks since Wolfsburg won the title. 
Andrea Barzagli (Wolfsburg)
No Italian has made such a quick and decisive impact on the Bundesliga since the heady days of 2007/08. Unlike compatriot Zaccardo, Barzagli fit right in with Magath’s system and the league and his leadership at the back gave the the magic triangle time to work out the kinks. Much is lost the further you back on the Wolfsburg tactical lineup, but holder Josue, winger Gentner and keeper Benaglio could have all made this list as well. 
Midfielders
David Jarolim (Hamburg SV)
With the loss of Van der Vaart, Manchester City poking massive holes in their center and Alex Silva’s histrionics, Martin Jol was still able to compete on three fronts despite an ever evolving midfield. One of the biggest factors was captain David Jarolim, who led the team, provided the cover for the back after De Jong left and still chipped in offensively with a pair of goals and three assists. 
Petit (Koln)
While all three promotion sides survived this campaign, they each did it in a different way. Gladbach were just the best of a bad bunch, Hoffenheim attacked and Koln defended. And in order for Koln to shine with a keeper they weren’t keen to keep behind an inexperienced back line, they needed cover and someone to set the counter. Christoph Daum rebuilt the team around yjr veteran Portuguese holder, with Petit as the engine of the midfield rather than as the guy that just breaks up play. Providing cover along with Pezzoni and launching the attack from deep for the likes of Ehret, Vucicevic and Novakovic, Koln were a tough team all year. They may have had ups and downs, but they were safe very early for a promoted side thanks to the leadership and performance of the Pitbull.
Sejad Salahovic (Hoffenheim)
One of the things we quickly learned about Ralf Ragninck’s side was that he had accumulated a plethora of young talent. Salahovic was the most talented of the lot, providing expertise set pieces and being the wide outlet on Hoffenheim’s blistering counters. Along with Carlos Eduardo, they made a better 1-2 punch than Diego and Ozil until a mid-season team slump. 
Zvjezdan Misimovic, Edin Dzeko and Grafite (Wolfsburg)
It wasn’t all defense, but the magic triangle was the difference between Wolfsburg and everyone else. Contributing a total of sixty goals and twenty-nine assists, these three were a steam-roller, crushing teams and putting them on the back foot all year long. Grafite and Dzeko became the first pair in Bundesliga history to score 20 goals from the same side. Dzeko turned out to be one of the best link forwards in Europe, pursued more than a baseball player by Madonna; meanwhile, Grafite was too strong for Bundesliga defenses, bulling his way to the scoring title despite a long absence. And Misimovic was just the best player in the league. It was his control of the pace and pinpoint passing that allowed the forwards the chances. These three were absolutely incredible. 
Bench
Manuel Neuer (Schalke 04)
He had 84 saves and 11 clean sheets. And he was injured early in the season and missed 7 matches. And for a team that couldn’t score he had one assist. Neuer’s steady presence (along with his cutting out of young keeper errors) allowed him to overtake Rene Adler as the hot young keeper in Germany.
Joris Mathijsen (Hamburg)
Martin Jol overcame a lot to make it back to the UEFA Cup. He suffered as much injury as anybody. He obviously lost many of his best players in the summer and winter windows. He went too deep in too many competitions. But he survived and can build on his success next year. One reason for that is center half Mathijsen, who made 33 appearances and was the central figure in one of the Bundesliga’s stingiest defenses. 
Heiko Westermann (Schalke 04)
He never played a position enough to be given consideration for any one. When asked, he provided excellent work at center-half, fullback, defensive midfielder and as a box-to-box. No matter the position, he played it well. And when Schalke was inept up top, Westermann was their leading scorer, helping to keep Fred Rotten in a job way too long.
Sebastian Kehl (Borussia Dortmund)
The steady presence in the back, he allowed the Kuba/Hajnal pairing to flourish early and late in the season. When he was injured Dortmund suffered their only long term slide. He’s the rock that Dortmund’s squad is built upon and with a few tweaks, Jurgen Klopp can build around him for a Championship run next year. 
Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich)
As went Ribery, so went FC Bayern. He is the heart and soul of the Bavarian giants. Unfortunately, they rely too heavily upon him and that was part of their problem as he started the season injured and suffered with niggling issues throughout. 
Mario Gomez (Stuttgart)
Super Mario is Super Mario. There’s not much more you can say about him, other than awesome. Oh, and please stay!
Artur Wichniarek (Arminia Bieliefeld) 
While they came in last, it wasn’t the Polish international’s fault. He scored almost half of Bielefeld’s total goals and may well have kept them up had he not suffered late season injuries. And his 13 goals were scored without the benefit of a partner of any Bundesliga level service. No player was more important to their team than Wichniarek, and we don’t acknowledge those players enough. 
We would love to hear your best XI of 2008/09. Please leave a comment!

The Bundesliga XI 2009

The Bundesliga XI 2009 - World Soccer Talk

<a href="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/8/files/2008/10/week7php.gif" title="week7php.gif"><div><figure class="external-image"><img src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/8/files/2008/10/week7php.gif" alt="week7php.gif"></figure></div></a>
Jaroslav Drobny (HBS) 
13 saves! This is what it takes to stop Bayer. Fantastic effort by the Czech puts him above Lehmann and Rost, who were both impressive as well.
Pedro Geromel (Köln) 
This is the second straight week for Brazilian. He had a fantastic game neutralizing Rob Freund and he had a goal-line clearance that preserved the win.
Andreas Ibertsberger (Hoffenheim) 
Speaking of goal-line clearances, he had one against Eintracht that was better than even Träsch’s goal. Oh and these new boys can defend too.
Tim Sebastian (KSC) 
Both he and Franz were excellent in their victory over Bielefeld, but I thought he got stuck in at important times.
Zé Roberto (BM) 
He clears a ball off the line with his hand, he scores three goals against Lyon and Bochum, and now he wants to leave for the MLS? Bad news for Bayern, who showed frailty when he left the pitch on the weekend.
Sami Khedira (Stuttgart) 
Playing as the AM, as Veh tries to figure out his best midfield, he might have won the role as he was massively impressive in the first half and scored a great goal.
Marko Marin (Gladbach) 
Yeah, things suck at Mönchengladbach right now, but not for his lack of effort against. Especially against Köln.
Josué (Wolfsburg) 
It took him time to get established in the draw with Schalke, but once he did, he locked down the midfield. It was his defense-splitting pass to Caiuby that created the 2nd goal.
Christian Träsch (Stuttgart) 
His amazing pass to free Hilbert for the third was overshadowed by his blast on a cleared corner from the edge of the area for the second. In his second match for the Swabians he gave a new shape to the midfield that showed start contrast with last week’s disorganization against Dortmund.
Kevin Kuranyi (Schalke) 
Well it’s about damn time.
Demba Ba (Hoffenheim) 
His two goals against Eintracht reminds us all of why Ibesevic isn’t the only forward for the Hoffe.
Clearances of the Week 
While Ibertsberger is obvious, his teammate Andreas Beck must have saved three shots on goal before clearing earlier in the match.
Assist of the Week 
Manuel Neuer’s incredibly accurate mishit to Kuranyi to salvage a point at home.
Most Productive Eight Minutes of the Week 
On in the 65′ and off in the 72′ due to Costa’s red, somehow Caiuby found time to score the go-ahead goal.
How to get your Manager Fired 
You knew it was all going wrong, when Christofer Heimeroth pushed a shot by Köln wide, and then decided to admire the conditions of the pitch at Borussia Park, before remembering to go after the ball. Lukukay was done when Ehret beat the speedy keeper to the ball.

The Bundesliga XI (Round 7)

The Bundesliga XI (Round 7) - World Soccer Talk

<a href="http://www.bundesligatalk.com/schalkes-keeper-worries-grow-schober-injured/71/manuel-neuer-xd/" rel="attachment wp-att-72" title="Manuel Neuer X’d"><div><figure class="external-image"><img src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/8/files/2008/09/manuelneuerx.jpg" alt="Manuel Neuer X’d" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="15"></figure></div></a>Schalke, currently sitting at the top of the Bundesliga, have surged ahead to the peak of another, less prestigious table – the goalkeeper injury table. First choice keeper Manuel Neuer has yet to make an appearance this season, having broken his fifth metatarsal during a pre-season friendly against SpVgg Erkenschwick (currently playing in the equivalent of Germany’s sixth tier). Thankfully teams are prepared for these kind of eventualities by keeping reserve keepers on hand. The hope is that in the absence of the usual no. 1, that the man who takes his place between the sticks won’t do more harm than good. That is the situation Mathias Schober, Hansa Rostock’s former first choice goalkeeper, currently finds himself in at Schalke. He’s been doing a great job, too, conceding only once so far (against Torsten Frings and Bremen) this Bundesliga season. I say Bundesliga season because the 4-0 thrashing by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League qualifying tie wasn’t a stellar performance, but it doesn’t seem to have impacted his domestic form.
<a href="http://www.bundesligatalk.com/schalkes-keeper-worries-grow-schober-injured/71/mathias-schober-xd/" rel="attachment wp-att-73" title="Mathias Schober X’d"><div><figure class="external-image"><img src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/8/files/2008/09/mathiasschoberx.jpg" alt="Mathias Schober X’d" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="15"></figure></div></a>Now Mathias Schober is off to see team doctor Bernd Brexendorf and his team of physiotherapists after picking up the injury in training. The diagnosis is not good. Schober will be out at least two to three weeks due to a torn left calf muscle. He will definitely miss this week’s clash against Revierderby rivals Dortmund and the following weeks’ games against Frankfurt and Köln. At the absolute earliest he might be available to play Wolfsburg on matchday 7. The problem is Schober’s opportunity to cement his position as Schalke’s new no. 1 will likely have passed by then because Manuel Neuer has already begun light training this week. While it is unlikely that he will be declared fit in time for Saturday’s game, his return will almost certainly coincide with Schober’s absence. Even an unfit Manuel Neuer should have little to worry when it comes to competing with the third choice keeper for playing time. But who’s left to play goal this week (and possibly longer if Neuer’s recovery should suffer an unfortunate setback)?
<a href="http://www.bundesligatalk.com/schalkes-keeper-worries-grow-schober-injured/71/ralf-faehrmann/" rel="attachment wp-att-74" title="Ralf Faehrmann"><div><figure class="external-image"><img src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/8/files/2008/09/faehrmann_ralf.jpg" alt="Ralf Faehrmann" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="15"></figure></div></a>Two 19-year olds are the only remaining fit first team goalkeepers at Fred Rutten’s disposal. The first is Mohamed Amsif, a German-born Moroccan who only signed a professional contract earlier this May. The more likely choice, however, is Chemnitz-born Germany Under-21 international Ralf Fährmann. Last year he started 28 games for Schalke 04 II, keeping a clean sheet 14 times. Now the level of competition he’ll be facing is vastly greater than the Oberliga foes he faced, but the biggest challenge will be staying healthy.
What do you think, will Schalke be able to draw or defeat their rivals Dortmund this week with an untested 19-year old in goal?

Schalke’s Keeper Worries Grow: Schober Injured

Schalke’s Keeper Worries Grow: Schober Injured - World Soccer Talk

die Tabelle lügen nicht! Preview

die Tabelle lügen nicht! Preview - World Soccer Talk

<div><figure class="external-image"><img src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/8/files/2008/08/raphael-honigstein.jpg" alt="raphael-honigstein.jpg" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="15"></figure></div>The new Bundesliga season is just days away, so Bundesliga Talk writers Mark Moll and Double Pivot decided to interview one of the preeminent writers and authors on the topic of German soccer, Raphael Honigstein.
Many readers may know Honigstein best from his appearances on the Football Weekly Podcast by The Guardian. Here’s the transcript of the interview. Enjoy.
The Gaffer: What goals do you have with Footbo.com?
Raphael Honigstein (RH): We’d like to be the natural destination site for people who love football and want to discuss/enjoy/experience it with others online. You’ll see big new features in the next month or so that will radically expand our scope. Social networking is only the start for us.
Mark Moll (MM): Growing up in Munich, did you ever appear for a local youth side?
RH: My football education was somewhat unusual because I never liked the idea of organised sport as a kid. My parents didn’t push me towards that direction either, so instead of joining a club, we literally played football seven days a week with friends in parks and on school pitches – until the janitor kicked us out. We also formed a team that took part in Munich’s biggest amateur tournament every year. I only played my first game for a proper club when I was 18, in Munich’s lowest league (C-Klasse). A year later, I moved to London where I played for UCL (University College London) but I think it’s fair to say I found their interpretation of the football rules a little disturbing. In 90 minutes, there’d be perhaps one free-kick. I’m not exaggerating. After a few more years in a London Sunday league and three ACL surgeries later, I called it a day in 2002.
MM: You’ve been living in London now for 15 years, how did you get your start covering football?
RH: I started writing music features for Süddeutsche Zeitung’s youth supplement while at college. When my predecessor, the legendary Ronald Reng, decided to move to Barcelona in 2002, I inherited his job.
MM: Having written for English, German, and American audiences do find that you write in a distinct style for each?
RH: It’s not so much a case of different audiences in different countries – more important is the type of publication. In a broadsheet, you have to explain things a bit more because you can’t be sure about the detailed knowledge of the reader. The opposite is true for football or sports magazines, where you can concentrate more on the details. And writing for the Guardian online is obviously a writer’s dream assignment – there are no rules, apart from filing on time. That’s the most difficult part of it.
MM: If the Premiership is noted for its tough, uptempo play and La Liga for its technical virtuosity on display, how would you characterize the Bundesliga?
RH: I think the Bundesliga has traditionally tried to blend the controlled aggression and physical side of the English game with good technique. We’ve also had good input tactical input from Eastern European coaches in the 60s and 70s. 
It’s an interesting time now. After years of neglect, most teams are waking up to a more scientific approach when it comes to fitness and tactics. The stadiums are always full and cheap prices have insured that the core audience of young males hasn’t been alienated. I think the league is well poised to challenge La Liga and Serie A for second spot in the long term.
Double Pivot (DP): Last year, after a seemingly very successful Ligapokal, there was talk of expanding the pre-season tournament to as many as 32 teams. Yet this year, we find it canceled. What is the situation with that tournament, and how do you see it evolving in the coming years?
RH: Due to the Euros and the late return of the German internationals, they simply couldn’t find suitable dates this season. Its future is under review right now. There has been talk about staging it abroad, but I don’t see that happening in the coming years.
DP: Felix Magath has really turned around Wolfsburg and seems poised for a very successful campaign. If he does have success, could you see the Bundesliga moving from trainers to English style managers?
RH: It’s possible, but most clubs are naturally reluctant to give too much power to a single individual. I think it’s more likely that the continental model – coach + sporting director – will make headway in England rather than the other way round. A few PL clubs are already run that way because they’ve found that the task is too big for one individual. Even Ferguson or Wenger delegate a lot of work.
The continental model is also better at avoiding George Graham-type situations of “conflict of interest” when it comes to signing players.
DP: I would love to get your opinion on the capabilities and weaknesses of Germany’s bumper crop of young keepers: Rene Adler, Manuel Neuer and Michael Rensing. And when do you think Low will give these kids the chance they deserve?
RH: Adler is the best by far. He doesn’t have any obvious weaknesses. He’ll be a very serious contender for the World Cup, along with Hildebrand and Enke. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bayern had already secretly talked to him. I don’t think they’re really sold on Rensing, who is good but not outstanding in my view. He doesn’t dominate the box enough, lacks presence and is suspect when it comes to long-range shots. He’ll be given six months to prove himself. Neuer, on his day, is an incredible shot-stopper, with good instincts. But he seems to suffer from nerves and still makes too many mistakes.
DP: The well has dried up as far as Europe is concerned with Bundesliga sides. What do you think needs to happen for Germany to start catching up with the big three leagues in UEFA/UCL?
RH: In the Champions League, it will be a while before German clubs can compete on equal terms. The financial power of the big four in England, the top two in Spain and the top three in Italy is just too big. Bayern can and should make some sort of an impact, but for a more sustained attack, we simply need more TV money or oligarchs. In a way, the Bundesliga has also been a victim of its competitiveness: the top five, with the exception of Bayern, are very fluid, and without regular CL money, clubs like Hamburg or Stuttgart find it hard to sustain the challenge in Europe.
As for the UEFA Cup, I think there’s actually a good chance a German team will win it this season. Results notwithstanding, Bayern and Werder were the best teams in the competition last year, and decent results over-all have seen us over-take France in the UEFA rankings. Significantly, the Bundesliga clubs also got better results collectively than Italian teams last season. That hasn’t happened before in the last ten years. Similar results this season would put us on course to wrestle third spot from Italy in the UEFA rankings in two years time.
Visit Raphael Honigstein’s page at Footbo.com.

Interview With Raphael Honigstein: Aug. 2008

Interview With Raphael Honigstein: Aug. 2008 - World Soccer Talk

<a href="http://www.bundesligatalk.com/the-new-gaffer-introducing-rutten-at-schalke-04/31/fred-rutten/" rel="attachment wp-att-33" title="Fred Rutten"><div><figure class="external-image"><img src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/8/files/2008/07/rutten.jpg" alt="Fred Rutten" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="15"></figure></div></a>This week we make the short trip west on the A40 from Dortmund past Bochum to Gelsenkirchen, home to Schalke 04 and their new coach, Fred Rutten. Much like his new Ruhr rival, Jürgen Klopp, Rutten has been a one club man for almost his entire 30-year playing and coaching career, all with FC Twente (five years at PSV notwithstanding). His first exposure to German football will be as part of the Revierderby, arguably the country’s best rivalry.
In the Bundesliga era (since 1963) the tie has been finely balanced. With 26 wins Dortmund currently lead Schalke by one, with 21 draws between them. Over the past four and a half decades Schalke and Dortmund have tended to alternate periods of success. Expect a shift in Schalke’s favor this upcoming season, although not as a direct result of Rutten’s appointment. The 2003/2004 season saw the two teams decisively diverge and that should continue on into the 2008/09 season. Dortmund’s position has, to put it diplomatically, nosedived. Schalke, in the meantime, have bounced between 2nd and 4th over those same four years:
<a href="http://www.bundesligatalk.com/the-new-gaffer-introducing-rutten-at-schalke-04/31/the-revierderby/" rel="attachment wp-att-34" title="The Revierderby"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/8/files/2008/07/800px-revierderby.jpg" alt="The Revierderby" align="middle" height="256" hspace="15" vspace="15" width="499"></figure></div></a>
To continue this run of form, the club’s best since the halcyon days of 1933-1945 (six championships under the Nazis), Schalke must contend with personnel issues. Trite but true. Three in particular stand out: the injury to Manuel Neuer, and the integration of Orlando Engelaar and Jefferson Farfan into the lineup.
Manuel Neuer – Out until Mid-September with a broken foot suffered in a preseason friendly against SpVgg Erkenschwick. Neuer stands, alongside Rene Adler and Michael Rensing, as the likeliest candidate to take over long-term goalkeeping duties for Germany after Lehmann’s international retirement. His immense potential is already being realized, having been voted goalkeeper of year in 2007 in a kicker poll. His best performance was undoubtedly his <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb_hNhcRDzY" target="_blank" title="Manuel Neuer vs. Porto">one man show against Porto</a> in the Champions League. Mathias Schober is the natural replacement, having been Hansa Rostock’s first choice keeper the six years (2001/02 – 2006/07) prior to arriving at the Veltins-Arena. No one will confuse Schober for <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nztu1kA9ong" title="Lev Yashin Highlights">Lev Yashin</a> or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=563mhgsxBjc" title="Sergio Goycochea at Italia &apos;90">Sergio Goycochea</a> when it comes time to repeat Neuer’s penalty heroics. Having Neuer back fit and healthy is like a new signing.
Orlando Engelaar – He was hugely impressive for the Netherlands over the summer at Euro ’08. His signature was a major, but understandable, coup given that Rutten was his manager at FC Twente. A relative late bloomer to fame the 28-year old’s stock has risen considerably since his international debut last year against South Korea. His preferred position is as a defensive midfielder, although his scoring touch and passing skill are more reminiscent of a deep-lying playmaker than a Dutch Makélélé or Gattuso.
Jefferson Farfan – Continuing the Dutch theme is the Peruvian Jefferson Farfan, brought to Schalke from PSV to replace the oft-injured and ineffective Søren Larsen. Farfan is looking to continue the good run of form Peruvian strikers have shown in the Bundesliga, like Claudio Pizzaro and Paolo Guerrero. Over the last four years he scored almost every other game, which bodes well for his new club.
Finally a major concern for Schalke fans must be Rutten’s coaching experience. Although he has spent three decades around football in playing and coaching capacities, his time alone in charge is actually quite meager. He was the sole gaffer of FC Twente on three separate occasions for a total of only five years before switching to Schalke 04. The rest of this time was spent in various other functions, mostly as an assistant manager. How prepared is he? PSV did well when he was there (2002-2006, Champions League semifinalists in 2004/05), but this can be attributed to Guus Hiddink, who has found success at every stop.
Like Jürgen Klopp (the two intimately linked as long as they remain with their Revierderby clubs), Rutten is being given a chance to shine on one of the brightest stages in German football. His task is comparatively easier, although the expectations may be too high. Mirko Slomka, the previous manager (ignoring the interim Michael Büskens) was the Bundesliga’s second most successful trainer behind Ottmar Hitzfeld in his two years at Schalke. Failing to advance in Europe or to end the club’s 50 year championship drought cost Slomka his job.
Will Rutten end up like Slomka as just another victim of Schalke’s neverending quest to replace Huub Stevens? He is the team’s 9th trainer since the end of the 2001/02 season and the end of Stevens’ affiliation with the club. Does Rutten have the players now in Engelaar and Farfan to finally capture the Bundesliga crown and bring peace of mind to Gelsenkirchen? Or are Schalke destined to continue being second best?
Next week: Martin Jol at Hamburg

The New Gaffer: Introducing Rutten at Schalke 04

The New Gaffer: Introducing Rutten at Schalke 04 - World Soccer Talk

Latest news from Manuel Neuer. Find out about all the news related to Manuel Neuer on worldsoccertalk.com

ALL POSTS TAGGED "Manuel Neuer - Page 2"

News

Analyzing Who Should Have Made The Ballon d'Or Candidates Shortlist

News

Seven Things We Learned from Wolfsburg – Bayern

News

The Bundesliga XI 2009

News

The Bundesliga XI (Round 7)

News

Schalke’s Keeper Worries Grow: Schober Injured

News

die Tabelle lügen nicht! Preview

News

Interview With Raphael Honigstein: Aug. 2008

News

The New Gaffer: Introducing Rutten at Schalke 04