(R) VfB Stuttgart Thread 08/09

[benztown]

Cricket is a GREAT game when it's "test cricket" (in whites)...

I don't know...a game that lasts five days and usually ends in a draw isn't really my thing...it is fun to play though. We played backyard cricket many times.

and, sorry for the long off-topic post ;)

You could have just sent him a PM.......

(Says the king of the mile-long off-topic posts! - :D)

It's the winter break after all ;)

[benztown]

I see a change in VfB's overall attitude on the field. I don't think that this occurred in tandem with Veh being let go is any coincidence.


No, it doesn't mean Babbel is a better coach than Veh, but it does mean that Babbel is possibly better for this team at this moment than Veh was.

Exactly. And even Veh knew it. I remember seeing a press conference where he was asked if he'll be tougher on the team and he said that it wouldn't be of any use anyway, because it wouldn't be credible for the team. When I heard that, I knew he wouldn't stay much longer.

[Rainer24]

I see a change in VfB's overall attitude on the field. I don't think that this occurred in tandem with Veh being let go is any coincidence.


No, it doesn't mean Babbel is a better coach than Veh, but it does mean that Babbel is possibly better for this team at this moment than Veh was.



For sure, we just don't know if it was so much Babbel or Anyone but Veh that made the difference. Know what I mean?

[+Gooner+]

For one thing Babbel has them training longer hours and is supposedly tougher on them - their fighting spirit and effort have improved enormously since Veh left so far - and I guess that's down to such changes.

Veh did great things, but over the last season and a half it seemed like he was simply too easy on the side, and didn't come up with solutions to problems that arose, he couldn't steady the ship any more. And that proved to be his undoing.

I read a new Kicker-interview with Babbel and it sounds as if he is tough yet very understanding with them. Coming late to training costs 100 Euros per minute. They are having lunch together from now instead of running around the city and having food in restaurants that might not be ideal for a football player. And of course more training overall. But at the same time he tries to avoid things that he did not like when he was still playing football. Like Trap giving them tactic lessons for 2-3 hours on the training ground in winter in the freezing cold when it got really hard to follow the lesson after about two hours. Or marathon video sessions that made him remember players dozing off so he tries to keep the video analyses short but spot on.
And there was a nice article from Stuttgarter Zeitung about how Babbel surprised the team with a buffet for second breakfirst on Monday before training as a thanks for the game against Bayern. Which apparently was a huge success. The paper also reported sightings of Boula and Mario singing while walking to training afterwards. :D

[ElChavo6575]

Pavel to America

http://www.mediotiempo.com/noticia/71502/pavel-pardo-es-una-realidad-para-las-aguilas/

[Vfbstuttgartfan]

Okay, the most important match of the season so far and the last game of the year begins in an hour.

In defence, Delpierre will probably not be able to play due to a minor injury. Boulahrouz should take his place alongside Tasci in central defence. Boulah has played well since Babbel took over, partnering well with Tasci against Sampdoria, Schalke and Cottbus. Against Cottbus he was even my man of the match, and it must have been a tough choice to drop him for the Bayern game. But i'm confident he'll do well tonight. Question at leftback over whether Boka will return to the starting side or whether they'll keep Traesch to maintain some stability. I'm guessing Boka will start.

Should be no changes in midfield. It was tough to leave out Pardo last game, but Khedira was simply brilliant that match(he's been perhaps our closet-best-field-player this season. So no question over Sami. And if Pavel really will leave over xmas, which by the way has not yet been reported in the German press, then obviously there's no point in starting Pardo tonight. Personally, I hope he stays for the second half of the season though. Hitzlsperger played his best game in a while against Bayern, and I also don't see the point in dropping either Simak or Hilbert.

In attack, Super Mario will return to the starting 11. Marica is fit and did quite well again Bayern. So he'll almost certainly start alongside Gomez. Cacau simply can't score to save his life at the moment, the winter break will do him good I think, but he definitely shouldn't start tonight. So here's the team I expect:

-------------------Lehmann
Osorio------Boulahrouz---Tasci----------Boka
---------Khedira----------Hitzlsperger
Hilbert-------------------------------Simak
------------Gomez------Marica

Notice how with Babbel we've return to the two central midfielders, two wingers midfield formation with which we did so well at the end of the title year. It's worked well so far, Simak has settled in solidly on the left wing so far, so that'll stay.

Pretty strong team overall.

Here's the situation:
To go through we need to equal Sampdoria.
If we win and Sampdoria win, we go through in second.
If we win and Sampdoria draw or lose, we go through in third, unless they draw and we overtake Sevilla goal tally.
If we draw and Sampdoria lose we go through in third.
If we both lose we go through in third.
If we lose and Sampdoria draw or win we are out.
If we draw and Sampdoria win we are out.

Mind you, since second place gets the CL rejects and third gets the group winners, it doesn't really matter in my opinion which of those two positions we finish in. It is only important to make it through. But we'll always have to keep one eye on the other game.

I'm nervously confident, the team has played really well lately and if they continue on this path they can beat Liege. BUT, Liege have won all their games, including beating Sampdoria and Sevilla. They only went out in extra time to Liverpool in the CL qualifiers. So I cannot stress enough how strong their side is.

We can take nothing for granted. We need to push for the whole 90 minutes, boys need to give it all they've got, and hopefully it'll be enough.

[footyfan1]

Okay, the most important match of the season so far and the last game of the year begins in an hour.

I hope to catch it on SWR. Good luck guys!

[Vfbstuttgartfan]

Apparently some potential late changes to my predicted starting 11:

Delpierre seems to have passed as fit after all and should start alongside Tasci.
Also, they have Lanig down on the leftwing instead of Simak. First time Lanig would start under Babbel. I'm not too excited about that, we'll see what happens.

[Vfbstuttgartfan]

'3 minute 1-0! Dream start!

And it's Samiiii again! He's scored our last four goals in a row now!

Wonderfully created attack, really nice goal. Perfect start boys!

[The Old Lady Hertha]

Keep it up ;)

[Rainer24]

Man oh man is Sami on fire.


Perfect start for me in that we are already leading, and as far as I could tell, it wasn't Onyewu's fault! As they say, weiter so!

[Equilibrium]

Sami the beast!! Keep the result now.

[Rainer24]

And, as he is wont to do, Boka is generally just running around like a headless chicken whenever he gets the ball.

[benztown]

Good game so far...now go for the second goal.

[Rainer24]

Solid first half and really controlling the midfield for the most part. I just don't like Boka that much. I remember him being better a couple of years ago, but it just doesn't seem that he is at all aware of where his teammates are and when they are making runs. Way too much trying to beat his man one v. one.

[Vfbstuttgartfan]

Halftime:

Still 1-0.

We've played pretty well, some decent football with good passes. Good pressing too. The defence has been rock solid so far. Marica is the only one so far who has been bad - I hope he improves in the second half.

We need to get a second as Liege are pretty quick on the counter attack. Make it 2-0 and ill be calm, but at this score anything can still happen.

ALTHOUGH Samp - Sevilla is still 0-0, so at this rate we'd be through even if Liege equalised. But I don't want to rely on Sevilla for us to go through, so better we just score a second ;)

[Vfbstuttgartfan]

TORRRRRR!

Gomez misses his volley but it bounces to Hilbert who finishes sublimely!

1 goal and 1 assist now for Roberto!

Hello third round :)

It'll be hard to mess up now. Things looking good.

[benztown]

Crap, I missed the second goal...and now Khedira almost with the 3-0

[Vfbstuttgartfan]

And now Khedira hits the crossbar!

[Rainer24]

There ya go. 2-0. Goal from Hilbert. Can breathe a bit easier now.