Going to South Africa without Wiese is like going hunting without an accordion.

Excuse me while I bust a fuse.

2009-10-09T01:38:35Z

This is a comment of mine on the following post: community.livejournal.com/loewsmiserables/3084.html, in which the community was informed that German Football Federation-president Theo Zwanziger felt compelled to grant Joachim Loew a job-guarantee even if the Mannschaft were to fail qualifying for the World Cup at all.

Since I archive my songs in my journal, it is posted here as well:

"this piece of news just lost me a good few of my remaining nerves. I would have taken any intellectual bullet for the man around Schaftgate, but the way things are rapidly developing ever since then, I must blow off some steam and will do so, once more, with a song. Not sure if this one will make it into the Mannschaft!musical, since it's a bit harsh even for me (yet at least), but here you go:

Gilbert&Sullivan again, this time from "The Mikado".

Midi to sing along (for all of you who don't know that song or want to sing along) can be found here:

math.boisestate.edu/gas/mikado/webopera/mk_midi/105a.mid

I've got a little list (2.0 version)

As some day it may happen a new trainer must be found,
I've got a little list--I've got a little list!
Of a bunch of Bundestrainers I'd much rather see around,
And who I slowly start to miss -- who I slowly start to miss!

Our old friend Matthias Sammer who once led Dortmund to fame -
Or our dear old "auntie Kaethe", Rudi Voeller is his name!
Or that grumpy man Rehagel who still holds his sweepers dear -
Or the "general" Ottmar Hitzfeld who friend and foe both fear!
Or Favre, Ragnick, Magath - all those "football-scientists" -
They all are on my list -- they all are on my list!

They're on bismarcksotto's list — they're on bismarcksotto's list;
They increasingly are missed — they increasingly are missed.

Let's not focus just on names though, for it's values that I crave,
In the man I would enlist -- I've got them on my list!
Since we need a Bundestrainer while we got a Bundesknave,
A trainer is what's missed -- a trainer is what's missed!

Some honest nominations, someone open to critique -
A minimum "old laurels" and much more "Leistungsprinzip"*!
A smart rejuvenation, not a goddamn "Under-" team -
A man who just plays Stuttgarters if competent they seem!
A Lothar/Klinsmann crossbreed e'en, if such a thing exists -
All this is on my list -- all this is on my list!

It's on bismarcksotto's list — It's on bismarcksotto's list;
It's increasingly what's missed — it's increasingly what's missed.

*Leistungsprinzip is the German word for "principle of performance", meaning only those players wil be nominated for the Mannschaft who continuously (and especially at the time they are called up) perform above-average for their club. It is the opposite of nominating players for deeds they have done in the past (goals they scored, defenses they stabilized and marshalled...) was MUCH propagated by Loew over the last year as the reason he kicked Frings and Metzelder from the team and has recently been blatantly contradicted by Loew himself, who explained his nominating of Klose, Podolski and Gomez as well as Hitzlsperger (all grossly out of form) with "the deeds everyone knows they have done for the national team" and "Thomas is having trouble at his club and got mental issues that bog him down", respectively.

my very first meme:

2009-09-21T21:24:38Z

Snatched from drbillbongo , most magnificent lj-footie-aficionado I know:

The problem with Livejournal is this: We all think we are so close but really we don't know much about each other.
I want you to ask me something. Anything that comes to your mind. Anything you think you should know about me but have no idea about. Ask away. I'll try my best to give you a satisfactory answer.
Then post this in your LJ to find out what people don't know about you.

Ask away, people!

Musical therapy for the crushed Mannschaft-fan, Part 2

2009-09-03T22:28:07Z

"What ho!"

Oh no. No more hoes for you, Sir!

I return to you with yet more musical gifts. After all that went down over the last few days (the fellow up there becoming a daddy, Jogi trying his luck with the two pairs of Mertesacker/Westermann and Tasci/Friedrich in central defense), I felt utterly compelled to try myself on the next song for my Mannschaft musical - if I ever get that far.

Protagonist of this little ditty is Christoph Tobias Metzelder, the most noble and refined of all our Mannschafters, personification of the "German Gentleman" (if such a thing ever existed), forever talking about and displaying his impeccable morals.

In the realms of my mind, he has finally returned to his beloved fellow Mannschaft-defenders before the world cup and celebrates his reinstallment as the Mannschaft's chief central defender with a little song.

For the chorus, he's suppoted by fellow defenders Mertesacker, Lahm, Friedrich, Fritz, Jansen.

The song chosen for this is"My gallant crew, good morning/I am the captain of the Pinafore" from Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta HMS Pinafore. To give you an idea what this is all about, the original version can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch (starting at around 07:00).

As always, for you to sing along, the music to it (kindly open in a new tab/window) as a midi-file:
math.boisestate.edu/gas/pinafore/web_opera/pin_kar/pin04.kar

Metze: Mannschaft-defense, good morning!

Gang: Chris! Good morning!

Metze: I hope you're all quite well?

Gang: Quite well, and you Chris?

Metze: I am in tolerable health, and happy to play with you once more!

Gang: Just don't get hurt, man!

Metze: I am the Mannschaft centerback-in-chief,

Gang: And a right good defender too!

Metze: You are very very good and be it understood I am glad to be back with you!

Gang: We are very very good and be it understood we are happy he's back now too.
　

Metze: Though this year I nearly quit

My job with Real Madrid,

I once more feel fond and free!

Pellegrini joined our crew,

I have played a game or two

And I'm never out with injuries!

Gang: What, never?

Metze: No, never!

Gang: What, NEVER?!

Metze: Well - hardly ever!

Gang: Hardly ever's out with injuries!

Then give three cheers and sigh in relief for our hardy Mannschaft centerback-in-chief!

Yes, give three cheers and sigh in relief for our Mannschaft centerback-in-chief!

Metze: I have come back to don the white and black!

Gang: And with you, we'll see the World Cup through!

Metze: You're exceedingly polite and I think it would be right if Loew realized that, too.

Gang: We're exceedingly polite and if Loew won't see the light, we can wave the bloody cup adieu

Metze: With my years of expertise,

I can read a game with ease,

And with refs I don't debate.

Noone ever saw me shy when a striker's drawing neigh,

And I never come a stept too late!

Gang: What, never?

Metze: No, never!

Gang: What, NEVER?!

Metze: Well - hardly ever!

Gang: Hardly ever comes a step too late!

Then give three cheers and sigh in relief for our agile Mannschaft centerback-in-chief!

Yes, give three cheers and sigh in relief for the Mannschaft centerback-in-chief!

Inglorious Defenders?

2009-09-03T03:03:52Z

We had the Lahm Identity, now I stumbled across this:

No job is too dirty for Christoph Metzelder.

I'm not kidding you. That's the opener of this little Metzelder vid, that looks to all the world like Quentin Tarantino had his hands in it.

If Quentin Tarantino would make 30 second clips about footballers recycling used printer cartridges, that is.

you know, Metze, for a guy who goes around and screws loose women, you're pretty badass.

as badass as a guy who recycles used printer cartridges can ever be I guess.

But I'd never complain, seeing as the money they save goes to his foundation. But that vid is just a bit... over the top.

Metzelder + 26.000

2009-08-20T01:28:44Z

The best active German central defender re-visits his old home

"Walk on though the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone."

So, my new love visited the fellas my old love just clobbered 4:1, to deal them a 5:0 blow of their own. As a centennial birthday present. But all of that is rather redundant to me because among all the big names and the big stories (and oh how the German media was all about Ronaldo and Kaka), an old friend returned to the periphery of their limelight as well.

A man who, not much more than two years ago, used to be smack dab in the middle of it in his own right. Christoph Metzelder, former captain of Borussia Dortmund and as far as anyone can tell at this moment, sadly also former member of the German national team, returned to the stadium that hosted most of the greatest as well as saddest moments in his sportive career. It is where he played his first Bundesliga match. It is where he secured the German championship in his first Bundesliga season. It is where he made his first Bundesliga game after the injury that cost him 2 years of football and almost ended his career at the age of 24. It is where Italy ended his and every Germans' dream of becoming World Champions at home. It is where he played perhaps the best game of his career, setting up two goals and preventing about half a dozen, pretty much singlehandedly preventing Dortmund's arch-rivals Schalke 04 from winning the league title that season.

So, after tonight's match (Metze being once more in the starting lineup and played a decent yet unexciting game) during which he was subbed out in the 78th minute to a roaring cheer and standing ovations from the crowd, he waited until everything was done and over and returned, one man alone, to the home of the Borussia-fans, the mighty Suedkurve, the largest standing-terrace of world football. And he thanked the crowd he had given his all for in seven consecutive years for a great night and bade them farewell again.

The footage from his return to the catacombes showed that he was in tears.

As someone who has been a distanced yet faithful fan of this great footballer and marvellous person for almost a decade, I can do nothing but express my deep gratitude for this marvellous display of comeradie.
Dortmund truly has the best fans of the Bundesliga. They never forget one of their own, even if during his time as a player and captain, many of them didn't know what to make of this overly-smart, well-spoken young kid that sidelined their old idol Woerns.
So thank you, all of the nearly 26.000 Borussen there tonight, who gave my favorite old campaigner such a precious memory to take back to Madrid. I am sure it will help him find the strength to fight future injuries (keeping my fingers crossed of course but we ARE talking Metzelder here!) and for the minutes on the pitch that may ultimately continue his Mannschaft career.

His last international game was the final against Spain. For eight years of serving his country without a single complaint or display of bad attitude, I think he deserves better than letting it all end like that. Even if it were just a pointless friendy, he would at least know it to be his last.

As a parting gift, I leave you with the perhaps best-known, most haunting of football-related songs there is:

Official Announcement

2009-08-09T22:02:10Z

Senoras Y Senores, Online Friends, Passers-By, World,

after long weeks of contemplation and reflection, I decided to go public with this now:

I am henceforth officially rooting for the Colors of Real Madrid, it's coach and players.

Let's see where this will take me. I usually don't support clubs outside of Germany (and the only club I ever declared myself to be fan of until this day is my very much beloved Hamburger Sport Verein), but watching all those matches, the longs talks with my brother-in-law and the last few summer signings (Granero and Albiol, anyone?) have convinced me of the fact that this affair has become a lot more serious than I tought and needed to be made public. Also, the club hymn is pretty damn good and you all know I like a good song.

Now all I need is a Real Madrid-themed icon. If any of you reading this woul be able to provide me with one, I'd be eternally grateful.

Well, "Hala Madrid!" then. ;)

Musical therapy for the crushed Mannschaft-fan

2009-08-07T16:26:34Z

In regards of Jogibear's recent follies (aka the WCQ-callups for the game against Baku next week) I had to put my disappointment and anger to some form of good use and went creatively berserk once again. You all know I have a knack for Limericks and musicals, and you will soon learn that I adore anything remotely Gilbert&Sullivan.

Okay, Rodgers and Hammerstein are superb too! ;)

So, without much further ado, I present you with my newest "baby". It was all rather off the top of my head, yet it still took me almost an hour to come up with the two stanzas - finding rhymes to an "ar"-ending in a language that isn't your own and without looking anything up is quite the task, let me tell you.

Crank up your speakers to highest volume and belt along full-force - you know you want to! XD

Tim Wiese talks about being the very model of a modern Mannschaft-regular:

Prelude

I am the very model of a modern Mannschaft regular,

my reflexes are quite superb, my penalties spectacular.

The fellas up in Hamburg, they are looking kind of weary on,

I ridiculed, repeatedly, those sods in their own stadium.

My kit is flashy yellow and my tanning it is permanent,

My hairgel will best anything from putty, plaster to cement.

I won't refrain from taking aim and kicking strikers in the head -

If these guys want to get by me, they're warned they might just end up dead.
　

interlude

I loudly claim a starting spot through BILD, my favorite newspaper,

And may even get through with it as long as Enke won't transfer.

My conduct is obnoxious yet my escapades spectacular -

I am the very model of a modern Mannschaft regular!

Interlude　

I have, so says the media, quite little sense of decency,

My interviews ahead of games remind of charging cavalry.

My gal grew tired of cens'ring me despite the fact that she's a shrink -

But I can't help it - I am known for talking faster than I think.

My vision of goalkeeping, experts say, is bord'ring the antique,

My blunders frequently have knocked ol' Bremen from the Champions League.

Especially the Rangers-game 2008 was quite a shock -

And made me for a good few weeks the Bundesliga's laughing stock.

Interlude
　

I'll yell at my defenders until Mertesacker is in tears,

And thrive on all the hatered from the other BuLi-fanbase queers.

If you ask bismarcksotto, I'd be long deployed to Kandahar,

Still, I'm the very model of a modern Mannschaft regular!

(only two stanzas because those were hard enough to come up with in the first place, but if you supply me with ideas for more, this may very well go on infinitely)

Vítáme Vás!*

2009-07-29T14:12:21Z

After a few days in transfer-limbo, Hamburger Sport-Verein finally secured the services of David Rozehnal, formerly of Lazio, on-again, off-again member of the Czech national team:

Look at him! Bit of a beard and a decent haircut - I know we'll get along fine! ;)

Welcome to the family, David. I must admit I wasn't too thrilled about signing you due to what I remember your Premiership-performances to be like, but I've been assured from all sides that you're not only two steps up from Gravgaard but also very much resemble my favorite current central defender in playing style.
If you'll commit yourself half as much to the club as fellow countryman David Jarolim, you'll have nothing to worry about from the fans.

Have a great time, I'm very much looking foreward to seeing you on the pitch and around the training grounds. If I ever make it over there this summer, that is...

Source, as always:www.hsv.de/index.php

* If any of you reading this know your Czech and this is wrong, kindly let me know. It's straight from google-translate since I don't speak Czech and no nobody who does either.

This might be reduandant for you but "mine eyes have seen the glory"...

2009-07-28T23:51:03Z

The English version because I couldn't find a SINGLE decent one of the original German on youtube:

I went to Meldorf on an errand for a friend yesterday, in the course of which I also went into the local cathedral to take a few pictures but was barred from the nave because of reconstruction work going on there. The only thing that was there was the tree of lights at the front, with one last candle left on the table next to it.

So I went, paid and lit it. And I said my prayer. And made a most humble intercession for an "old friend" of sorts.

And tonight, maybe 30 hours after that moment, the almighty Lord has shown me he had heard.

Now, I'm religious, but not overly religious. I'm no avid church-goer, but I believe in the Lord God and pray to him on occasion. and I've seen his revelations in small things here and there throughout my life, but I've NEVER experienced anything like this before. I'm not saying this was a miracle (though in my book it came pretty close), but it was enough of a sign for me to celebrate the occasion with a drink of my best Single Malt and a humble thanks to God.

I'll return to Meldorf in November to take those pictures of the interior, and I'll make sure to spare some time for a prayer as well. Good Lord in Heaven, this place will never be the same to me again.

I'll leave you with 2nd Corinthians 9:15:

"Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift."

Edit: My brother-in-law actually called to break the news to me in case I hadn't seen it. When I told him I did he actually personally congratulated ME. The strangeness of this family can not be measured.

I guess we were both just kind of happy... ;)

You have GOT to be f*cking kidding me!

2009-07-17T16:29:38Z

Looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of him:

Yes, it's true, HSV re-uped Bastian Reinhardt after he just broke his foot AGAIN.

He had broken it before in the starting match of the return-leg of the last season and refused to sign an extension of his old contract that would grant the almost 34-year old defender a 2 year contract extension and a guaranteed post in the club after his retirement, but for a lower salary than before.

Let me try to get this straight - Alex Silva will miss the entire season due to a torn cruciate ligament, Bruno wants "two more central defenders" and we re-sing bloody Bast Reinhardt who just broke his foot AGAIN?!

Jesus tapdancing Christ, how I hate you, Bernd Hoffmann...

1 year contract, the insurance will pay 2/3 of his wages and he will be DEAD WEIGHT until at least winter.

I think I got it now:

Hamburger

Sozial- und Wohlfahrts

Verein

Source:www.hsv.de/index.php

Well, I'll be da... - no,actually this all but warrants a 'we're doomed'.

2009-06-23T21:07:00Z

After a late-night meeting of the board of executives, Dietmar Beiersdorfer, Sporting Direcotor of Hamburger Sport-Verein, got sacked.

Management director Bernd Hoffmann remained in the saddle after this latest fallout with Beiersdorfer, who had called onto the board of executives after the chief purse-keeper had repeatedly overstepped the boundaries of his position by engaging in unconsented transfer negotiations (allegedly a 4 million offer for Josip Simunic) while Beiersdorfer was out of town to negotiate with Olympique Marseille over Lorik Cana, for whom Hoffmann refused to provide more than €8 million in transfer money..

Great fucking job.

We chased off perhaps the best porting director we had in over a decade (Van der Vaart, van Buyten, Boulahrouz, Mathijsen, Jansen, Petric, among others) and kept the cheapskate-bastard from Bertelsmann who personally admitted only last year to "not having a sodding clue about football, that's Didi's job".

If the rumors from the HSV-environment are true, half the staff of the sporting-branch have a strong mind to follow Didi out. And a good few players are exceedingly disgruntled as well.

This is what ex-HSV coach Stevens had to say yesterday:

"Das gab es zu meiner HSV-Zeit zum Glück nicht. Als ich da war, habe ich alles Sportliche ausschließlich nur mit Didi besprochen. Und die Zusammenarbeit war einzigartig. Nur deshalb hatten wir Erfolg. Bernd kam immer erst dann dazu, wenn es um die Finanzierungen ging. Mit anderen Worten: Die Aufteilung war klar und hat so funktioniert. Damals gab es zum Glück keine Störsender. Aber wenn sich jetzt plötzlich jemand auf einen fremden Stuhl setzen will, gerät alles in Gefahr. Der HSV sportlich, das ist doch Didi, das ist seine Handschrift. Das wissen in unserem Geschäft alle. Ebenso, dass ein HSV fürs Wirtschaftliche Hoffmann braucht. Genau in der Aufteilung. Mit einem Rafael van der Vaart als Linksverteidiger hätten wir auch nicht so viel Erfolg gehabt."

Ex-CEO Baehre:

"Man muss sich durchaus fragen, warum so viele Leute vor Bernd Hoffmann flüchten oder aber Dispute mit ihm haben. Es ist auch nicht der erste Streit mit Dietmar Beiersdorfer. Und vielleicht sollte man sich mal überlegen, warum Huub Stevens seiner kranken Frau zu Liebe zurück nach Holland gegangen ist und nun aber in Österreich arbeitet. Auch Martin Jol ist von sich aus gegangen. Alles nur Zufall?"

Set to replace Beiersdorfer is ex-HSV foreward Sergej Barbarez.

God help us all.

Goodbye, Dukaten-Didi. I'm utterly devastated with loosing you. Many thanks for the grand seven years with you. God knows the fans will miss you.

Mr. Hoffmann, please at least keep your bloody hands of Mr. Simunic. Nobody wants to see him here again, especially not for the 7 million Berlin want for him. If you want a decent, moderately reliable, pretty damn old centerback, go buy Arne Friedrich.

Just get lost, please

2009-06-10T15:22:54Z

Just when I thought we had finally gotten rid of the walking liability known as Bastian Reinhardt for good, the greedy old bastard realized how good he had it in Hamburg in the first place. Now, after being formally retired (with flowers and all) but most importantly after his new deals with Wolfsburg and Hoffenheim didn't work out, our hapless old central defender wants to rejoin the squad and even accept the "utterly unacceptable" terms he was offered as a contract extension last winter.

Please, please, pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease, Bruno - don't let him come back. He won't help our defense in the least - he may be better than dismal Gravgaard, but he's as limited as ever and not getting any jounger. This "transfer" wouldn't be a step up, it would be two steps down.

Basti - go join Freiburg, or Nuremberg, jump off a cliff - anything, but if you have a tiny bit of love for HSV left in your heart, back the fuck off. Nobody wants to see you here. Just take a minute and listen to the bloody fanbase.

Habemus Trainer

2009-06-05T03:51:01Z

Well, after a long ten days, BILD (and who else but them?) kindly revealed at around 0100hrs Friday morning that Hamburger Sport-Verein 1887 e.V. will start the 2009/2010 season under the tutelage of an old acquaintance:

Bruno Labbadia HSV:'87/'88; 44 (11)

I'll give you some thoughts on this in due time, but right now I'm just glad we can get started with all the transfers. Bruno, if you happen to be reading this, here's a little transfer to-do list from yours truly:

+ 1 striker (work-horse type,)
+ 1 offensive midfielder (playmaker type, not too heavy on the personality-side)
+ 1 defensive midfielder (Jaro is none. Think Rolfes, but with balls)
+ 1 central - ah, screw this:
+ Metzelder. (With your approach to the game and and aging Rost in goal, we need the best we can get for our little money.)
+ 1 cheap backup cent (for the 10-15 games Metze will be injured. DO NOT just plan with Boateng here!)

- Alex Silva (troublemaker. whiner. general bastard and not good at what we bought him for [cent]. You won't get along with him)
- Trochowski (troublemaker. whiner. inconsistent. the personified 08/09 season of Leverkusen. YOU won't be able to handle him)

How is he going to manage this team? This is Hamburg we're talking about here. A squad many have deemed exceedingly difficult to handle. Bruno here started in Leverkusen a year ago with a bunch of 10+ FRIENDS and ended up with a full blown mutiny and a plebiscite against him that turned out 20 to 4. He alienated Simon bloody Rolfes, for God's sake - that's like getting the Dalai Lama to call a jihad on you.

Well, at least we got an offensive-footie visionary now. The first thing that came to my mind when I heard this news was Goethe's Faust I:

"Die Botschaft hör’ ich wohl, allein mir fehlt der Glaube."

Ambrose Bierce defines 'Glauben' for us in this context:

"Glauben: Dinge für wahr halten, für die es keine Parallele und keinen Beweis gibt und die jemand verkündet, der über kein Wissen verfügt"

God is a Bremer

2009-05-26T11:27:35Z

This 11freunde.de/newsticker/120302#

is true, we're screwed.

Good GOD almighty, right before the transfer period! We'll get some cheap-ass coach and the last crop on the market shortly before it closes again.

F*ck you, Bernd Hoffmann, you bloody cheapskate, you've done it again...

Who else is there?

Funkel?

Labbadia??

Berger???

Doll????

Excuse me while I go jump off a cliff.

This is worse than not making the Europa-Cup could have been.

SOME sense of continuity - is it SO fucking hard?!

For the love of God, at least make an efford to get someone decent.

Sammer.

Slomka.

Schu... *urgs*

Klins- nah, can't afford him.

Hell, I don't know. All the good ones are taken or otherwise occupied.

Edit: Switcheroo: Slomka and Bruno.

Update - Jol is gone.

Goodbye, big Martin! Many thanks for a year of excellent work!

Don't you just love 'em?

2009-05-24T23:04:59Z

Those very first post-season transfer rumors?

According to various media sources, the Hamburger Sport-Verein e.V. is contemplating to sign various new players for the next season. Among them are:

Kevin Kuranyi (Schalke 04)

Marko Pantelic (Hertha BSC Berlin)

Maik Franz (Karlsruher SC)

Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid)

Khalid Boulahrouz (VfB Stuttgart)

Ivan Klasnic (FC Nantes)

Tim Borowski (FC Bayern Munich)

The first three:

What the hell is this?
Did we hire Don Rumsfeld to come up with a Hearts and Minds-program for HSV?
If we're out for those three, we might as well buy Mark van Bommel, K.P. Boateng and Jens Lehmann and keep Albert Streit with us.

Together with Jarolim, they'll help us form the most despised Bundesliga cadre ever.

The second two:

Returnees only the Erfolgsfans cry for.

Has everyone forgotten how these two went about leaving the club?
Plus, Boula is well beyond his prime, as he's impressively shown on countless occasions throughout the season. The last game against Bayern was a nice showcase of it all.

As for Rafa: Real Madrid has knocked his salary out of proportions. Our proportions anyway. Apart from that, I don't want our entire game to return to focussing on passing the ball to Rafa. We've become a good deal less predictable since he went and should build on that.

The last two:

Uh, do we have to? Really?

Don't get me wrong. Klasnic is a great guy. But I don't trust his new kidneys to hold up to a continued career of professional football on the highest level.
Plus, we don't have the best of experiences with transfers from Nantes (ain't that right, Gravgaard?).

Boro, oh well. He's lost his bite at Bayern. He isn't that great of a midfielder anyway in my opinion. And there MUST be a reason why he has been little more than a welcome substitute for Bayern.

For now and at least until the transfer market opens, I'll keep my feet still and hope for the best. The media usually gets most of Hamburg's transfers wrong anyway.

On the other hand, I just listened to our CEO Bernd Hoffmann on NDR Sportclub, where - after promising to reveal a few "real great names" directly after the end of the season, he now talked about saving money and sustainability.

Bloody damn hell, Bernd:

Next year's Europa-League final is IN OUR VERY OWN STADIUM. How about making some transfers that enable us to get to play it IN EARNEST?

*rant off

HSV Transfer to-do's 2009/2010

urgent:

[   ] get rid of Gravgaard (do it now. NOW. Is he gone yet?!)

[   ] get rid of Silva (he won't become a decent cent and is cranky anywhere else)

[ ] buy one REAL defensive midfielder (sorry, Jaro)

[   ] buy one technically apt striker for under €10 million

[   ] buy one central defender of international caliber (Metze is love)

[   ] buy one offensive midfielder of good quality/great potential for under €10 million

furthermore:

[ ] sell Trotsche when anyone offers more than €12 million

[   ] buy adequate(!) replacement (tell Marin we'll play international)

[   ] buy backup cent when buying Metze or similarily injury-prone defender (don't trust Boateng)

[   ] buy one more wingback (Jansen is better off in midfield)

[   ] Barnetta is up for grabs - who 'bout him?

[   ] Eugen Polanski wants home too - ain't that an idea and a half?

KINGS OF COMEBACK!!! KINGS OF COMEBACK!!!

2009-05-23T15:38:50Z

Oh goddamn was that game worrysome. We completely collapsed after the 2:1 but luckily, luckily there was still Trotsche.

Schwalbenjaro - who would have known?

Goodbye, Ivi and Godspeed!

Many, many thanks my Gladbach-friends. Marko: When Leverkusen win on Saturday, I think we may still have a spot for you... ;)

Hey there, players of the world (and especially those in Spain) - while contemplating adding a win of the first EVER Europa-League title to your vita, please enjoy this lovely song with some pictures of that beautiful city of ours:

www.youtube.com/watch

Hail to the Chief!

2009-05-23T12:50:06Z

Five more years of Host Köhler, thank God.

The national anthem for celebration - the entire national anthem, with all its stanzas, just the way it should be for an entire nation, North, South, West and East, native citizens and all who joined them by choice, 60 years old on this very day, 20 years reunited: www.youtube.com/watch

Now, on to footie...

Keep the good news coming!

2009-05-22T18:08:01Z

Madlung extended his contract with Wolfsburg!

And we're not going to pay 3 million for Gravgaard either - so he'll be back to Nantes!

And Silva is a near-certain goner as well.

Best of all - Jol doesn't want to break Boateng into a center back either!

We're gonna get us a few brand new cents, hell yes.

Now, could we PLEASE make the Europa-League, so the decent ones will even so much as consider us?

Go spend some bloody money, Didi!

Don't disappoint me yet again!

Holy Iker who thou art in Goal...

2009-05-21T00:00:17Z

Happy belated Birthday, Santo!

And many thanks for bringing me a small measure of satisfaction tonight.

This Season Ain't Over Yet - The List:

[X] Tim Wiese loosing Bremen the UEFA-Cup

[X] Hamburg winning against Frankfurt

[X] Gladbach at least tying with Dortmund

[ ] Tim Wiese loosing Bremen/Rene Adler winning Leverkusen the DFB-Cup

[ ] Marko Marin heading for Leverkusen to play internationally next season

Please do enjoy this little ditty that many proud citizens of Hamburg have been whistling for two weeks now:

www.youtube.com/watch

Well, let's get this show on the road

2009-05-10T01:14:11Z

Greetings, all!

This journal will most likely not see extensive use - who am I kidding, it will probably not see any use at all. I'm basically using this account for community-purposes and not to bother the world with my incessant ramblings.

At least that's what I'm trying to do since I fear I'd get carried off with it. My life is pretty busy these days and there's hardly any time to invest in Livejournal as it is, unfortunately.

I will, however, probably write the odd football-related comment here just to blow off some steam and not bother other hardworking people with my rage and grief anymore... ;)

Fell free, however, to drop me a line, ask me a question - anything, really. I'll gladly get back to you asap.
But who am I telling this? Most of the people who'll make their way over here will come from some footie-related journal I frequent and therefore know that already.

Cheers!
J.C.