[lewisant]

They really are the German WBA 

The old, comforting feeling of being let down. I have missed this cruel mistress

[alex1]

Don't get the Eintracht- WBA link.
I'm quite happy as I've followed Gladbach for several years. They play some good attacking football. Thuram is son of the famous international, and looks quite lethal. 

[lewisant]

Don't get the Eintracht- WBA link.
I'm quite happy as I've followed Gladbach for several years. They play some good attacking football. Thuram is son of the famous international, and looks quite lethal.

Don't think there is one i think Gazberg and I randomly chose them then BBC decided to link them to us due to similar success - 5 cup wins and 1 league win. Unless there's a link i don't know about?!

[alex1]

I think this game may show the importance of a home crowd. There's nobody to lift Eintracht at the moment.

[gazberg]

Don't think there is one i think Gazberg and I randomly chose them then BBC decided to link them to us due to similar success - 5 cup wins and 1 league win. Unless there's a link i don't know about?!

I've always liked the name and then i saw the BBC link so it just fully confirmed them as my German footy team.

[gazberg]

I think this game may show the importance of a home crowd. There's nobody to lift Eintracht at the moment.

They should rely on themselves. They are professionals. Suck it up and go time for them.

[AlbionFan]

Not sure if it’s been specifically referred to, sorry if it has, but did playing, behind close doors in these games, influence results as a matter of an individuals opinion?

[gazberg]

Not for me personally. Some teams have been extremely professional AKA Dortmund.

[TheJacko2000]

I think this game may show the importance of a home crowd. There's nobody to lift Eintracht at the moment.

Not according to Chaz Austin...

[gazberg]

Love the fact that you can hear everything said. Don't need to be German to understand the tasty words.

[alex1]

Well done Gladbach. Clinging on to the faint hope they may catch Bayern Munich.

Also see that Bruno Labbadia, who we were heavily linked with, won his first game away with Hertha 3-0.

[WBArgo]

I've always had Frankfurt as my German team too.
I basically played with them on LMA manager back in the day, got them up and kept them mid-table.

[EastYorksAlbion]

It’s Gladbach for me, was big fan of theirs when in Germany in the 90s watched them regular at home and a few away games too, including a derby at Fortuna Dusseldorf where we took 25000 fans, fabulous club and support. Die Fohlen.

[BigFrank20]

I used to travel to Berlin fairly regularly for work and was always drawn to the Hertha Berlin club shop in the Bhan Hoff because they also play in Blue and White stripes, sadly not Navy Blue but nevertheless I always went in for a look at their shirts. 

[Albionic]

Same, one club is enough for me... 😉

Cough, Liverpool

[WBArgo]

I've watched 5 games from the Bundesliga now which is a bit sad but I've got more time on my hands and I'm currently desperate for football.

I've never really paid the league any attention other than those playing in the Champions League. I'm honestly a bit dissapointed by the lack of quality by most teams bar the likes of Munich, Leverkusen Dortmund. I genuinely think a lot of the clubs are around mid-table Championship quality and other than those three the quality has been lacking. Even Liepzig looked pretty bad at times.

For instance, Freiberg had a QPR player as a starter who looked solid and David Wagner is managing when he was very out of his depth in the Premier League with Huddersfield.
Overall it's still entertaining and enjoyable but it's definitely not as good as the Premier League.

[skyclad99]

I don't know why but I have always been drawn to St Pauli, possibly something to do with the skull and crossbones supporter flags. They are not in the Bundesliga at present though.

Watched some of the games over the weekend, I thought Dortmund were very good to be honest. I can see why there is a queue forming for Haarland, would be nice to see him in the Premier. Havertz from Leverkusen looks pretty useful as well.

 

[boinging_along]

I don't know why but I have always been drawn to St Pauli, possibly something to do with the skull and crossbones supporter flags. They are not in the Bundesliga at present though.

Watched some of the games over the weekend, I thought Dortmund were very good to be honest. I can see why there is a queue forming for Haarland, would be nice to see him in the Premier. Havertz from Leverkusen looks pretty useful as well.

Not to make it political, St Pauli are quite left-wing in Germany so you can imagine what they find themselves in opposition to occasionally.  They consider themselves anti-racist, anti-fascist, anti-homophobic and anti-sexist.  They're based in Hamburg and there's a club shop on the Reeperbahn.  As clubs go they're pretty cool and have a strong connection to punk and rock music and their local area.  They really don't care what others think about them.

[Standaman]

I've watched 5 games from the Bundesliga now which is a bit sad but I've got more time on my hands and I'm currently desperate for football.

I've never really paid the league any attention other than those playing in the Champions League. I'm honestly a bit dissapointed by the lack of quality by most teams bar the likes of Munich, Leverkusen Dortmund. I genuinely think a lot of the clubs are around mid-table Championship quality and other than those three the quality has been lacking. Even Liepzig looked pretty bad at times.

For instance, Freiberg had a QPR player as a starter who looked solid and David Wagner is managing when he was very out of his depth in the Premier League with Huddersfield.
Overall it's still entertaining and enjoyable but it's definitely not as good as the Premier League.

I am not sure being ex-QPR is a stigma that forever prevents a player from being any good and tend to think the Huddersfield were a club out of their depth in the PL but Wagner's time there enhanced his reputation as a coach. Schalke however will either make or break his reputation in his homeland and to be generous let us just say the jury is out. 0:4 defeats in a local derby aren't a good look and he can be grateful that there wasn't a crowd.

In general you are right the drop off in quality between top and mid table Bundesliga is quite pronounced. Money from European competition particularly Champions League is hugely important to German clubs. The difference in terms of recruitment and retention of players for a club like Schalke almost cannot be over stated.

[skyclad99]

Not to make it political, St Pauli are quite left-wing in Germany so you can imagine what they find themselves in opposition to occasionally.  They consider themselves anti-racist, anti-fascist, anti-homophobic and anti-sexist.  They're based in Hamburg and there's a club shop on the Reeperbahn.  As clubs go they're pretty cool and have a strong connection to punk and rock music and their local area.  They really don't care what others think about them.

Well funny you should mention that because I was talking to a German friend who is a big Hoffenheim fan a few months ago. Given that I thought there was something a bit iffy about St Pauli I discreetly asked about them and what they were like. He was quite complimentary to be fair so I didn't mind owning up to liking them, more for the name and flag, I know they are not that good!

In the same conversation I mentioned my love of Rammstein music, and that did get the left wing reaction which also surprised me.   

[boinging_along]

Well funny you should mention that because I was talking to a German friend who is a big Hoffenheim fan a few months ago. Given that I thought there was something a bit iffy about St Pauli I discreetly asked about them and what they were like. He was quite complimentary to be fair so I didn't mind owning up to liking them, more for the name and flag, I know they are not that good!

In the same conversation I mentioned my love of Rammstein music, and that did get the left wing reaction which also surprised me.

Yeah, it's a nice team to support, they're my german team too.  And we all love Rammstein  \m/

[Hull Baggie]

Well funny you should mention that because I was talking to a German friend who is a big Hoffenheim fan a few months ago. Given that I thought there was something a bit iffy about St Pauli I discreetly asked about them and what they were like. He was quite complimentary to be fair so I didn't mind owning up to liking them, more for the name and flag, I know they are not that good!

In the same conversation I mentioned my love of Rammstein music, and that did get the left wing reaction which also surprised me.

Rammstein have always had a bit of a fascist following though. They do like to play with fascist imagery as well from what I gather, although so did Marylin Manson when he first started out. They don't help themselves by refusing to discuss it one way or the other.

St Pauli would be my choice because of their stance on "isms"...just a shame they play in a brown kit!

[skyclad99]

Rammstein have always had a bit of a fascist following though. They do like to play with fascist imagery as well from what I gather, although so did Marylin Manson when he first started out. They don't help themselves by refusing to discuss it one way or the other.

St Pauli would be my choice because of their stance on "isms"...just a shame they play in a brown kit!

I can see it now but I never really connected to it at the time. I was always slow on the uptake though in that respect. I remember seeing Judas Priest some years ago and thinking that Rob Halford looked a bit like one of the blokes out of the Village People - at the time it never occurred to me that he was gay …..

I think I will add a St Pauli shirt to my 'wants' list.....

[timdon]

St Pauli for me too. I found out all about them when I was over in Hamburg many years ago and have followed their fortunes ever since. Personally, I quite like their strip but can understand that it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea. They have historic connections with Celtic too.

[zippyandbungle]

I don't know why but I have always been drawn to St Pauli, possibly something to do with the skull and crossbones supporter flags. They are not in the Bundesliga at present though.

Watched some of the games over the weekend, I thought Dortmund were very good to be honest. I can see why there is a queue forming for Haarland, would be nice to see him in the Premier. Havertz from Leverkusen looks pretty useful as well.

Thought Havertz looked a real talent..

If you had to pick his position (only one) what would you put him as ?