Bayern advance.. and other things.
By: Angela | March 20th, 2008Yesterday was the semi final of the DFB Pokal and Bayern beat Wolfsburg 2-0 with goals by Franck Ribery and Miro Klose. I didn’t get to watch the match because it wasn’t aired here, but I am glad to see that the team made a come back and played like I know they are capable of playing. From what I’ve read and heard from friends that were at the match, Bayern played with real heart and they were finally playing like the team we use to see. Mark van Bommel is back from suspension and Ze Roberto is fit again. Midfield probably is going to have some order again. Anyone out there have any thoughts on the match?
There are more rumors about Lucio. Evidently Tottenham is prepared to offer 15M for him. Or that’s one of the latest stories anyways. Also making the rounds is that Bayern will make a £10M bid for Polish keeper Artur Boruc. Lukas Podolski couldn’t be more pleased about this news.
“I would like very much that, after Kahn, we could have Boruc. “I want him in the team because he is one of the best goalkeepers in Europe. I like to watch him, especially in the Champions League, because they do not show the Scottish league in Germany. Also, I would help him from the first day that he would stay at the club.”
There’s rumors that we could also see the departure of Philipp Lahm and Daniel van Buyten, but I haven’t found anything concrete on those. I know that Klinsmann has asked Daniel to stay, but we’ll see what happens.
In other news, former Bayern captain Stefan Effenburg has said that Bastian Schweinsteiger needs to leave Bayern or he will never be a great football player. He talked about how being at Bayern has in fact set Schweinsteiger back instead of helping him progress. There is no denying that he’s seen a dip in performance since the WC, whether due to injury or personal problems or other reasons, but Schweinsteiger is not pleased with Effenburg’s comments. He had this to say:
“I respect Effenberg as a player, but not as a person. If you have your heart in the right place, you don’t do things like this. He played so many years for Bayern, so I don’t understand this.”
That’s all for today. 
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I could see loaning Schweinsteiger out and seeing if he gets his form back. I hope we don’t lose Lahm, he’s my favorite player. If he goes, at least let him go to Barca and not Man Ure.
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United States
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Hey Angela:
I was able to watch the match online. It was very typical of the type of home match Bayern ordinarily plays against a mid-table opponent; generally slow pace, not a ton of chances created, but slowly and surely breaking down the defense. There were some big chances early, but it settled into a scoreless, but one-sided affair through the first half. Actually, the first goal was really the result of some sloppy touches by Wolfsburg in their own end. The second more deserved, Klose just cleaning up on a rebound from another Podolski miss. Personally I felt Demichelis’s return really stabilized the defense; he was superb in back, and the most encouraging sign there was that Grafite was really a non-factor (and he’s about the hottest player in the league at the moment I would argue). Podolski was sub-par, with some terrible missed chances. An entirely satisfactory performance.
I don’t buy all these Lucio rumors. Of course, things could get unpredictable under the Klinsmann regime, but selling him doesn’t really make sense. I suppose, if they think they’re getting Mertesacker, that changes the calculation quite a bit. But, I’m trying not to worry about that right now. After all, we’re not 4th in the table now are we?
I hope we’re not relying on Podolski to advise the team on transfer matters. After all, he would have advised the team to sign him! And what a great decision that was! Maybe if Köln gets promoted, we can sell him back! Personally, I would be comfortable with Rensing. But, I feel like they need a battle-tested veteran on the bench behind him. No, that doesn’t mean I think Lehmann should go to Bayern!
Well there are a lot of things Schweini doesn’t understand, so why should this be any different? I think he needs to go. I really *really* think he needs to go. I think it would be a good contest to finish the sentence “Watching Bastian Schweinsteiger take a corner is like…
Ok, that’s enough for the halftime show, back to Frankfurt-Cottbus, another Bundesliga thriller!
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Hey Luke, thanks for your reply. I enjoyed reading your thoughts on the match. I wish I could’ve seen it. I was working though and didn’t have the option to stream.
I try not to put too much stock in the transfer rumors until they become conrete. Nothing is concrete until an offer is officially made and a contract signed.
I’m with you on Schweini too… I just haven’t seen the kind of performance that we know he’s capable of. He needs to improve and drastically, but there are people who are far more willing to work harder for it.
I may have to post your contest
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United States -
…like watching George Bush speak. May be a bit harsh, but both cause me a degree of despair and make me start swearing at the television.
I think they need to keep the three musketeers Lucio, Demichelis and Van Buyten for the C-League run next year. While Lucio might be a bit slow, we need his strength and heading ability when we go against the top teams. Van Buyten we’ll need for his conservative play and positioning skill, and Demichelis because he can basically do everything, and do it all pretty damn well. This importance is magnified by the fact that we’ll probably have a green GK.
I do think a change of scenery would help Schweini. I’m not sure Effenberg was trying to criticize him, but to suggest that players are sometimes helped by switching teams. Nothing personal. His game might not be cut out for the Bundesliga. I bet he’d be a stronger player in La Liga, but perhaps he can regain his form under Klinsmann. It’s a tough choice, but Schweini needs to think about it and not be afraid to take a risk to be the best player he can.
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