I think it's save to say that Babbel is finished. Unlucky defeat for sure, but there really is not much speaking for him these days. A pity, because Stuttgart, like many other Bundesliga clubs, really could do with more stability and continuity.
Screw the no-posting for one second, i'll just throw it out there that with Babbel gone my 100% first option is Klinsmann. I'm just throwing it out there. Now that is all, i'll make no other comment on the coach, the manager or this atrocious side until after we've appointed someone new.
I didn't watch, I didn't listen. I had no doubt that we would lose this game. I never had any hope that we would get a result away to a BL2 team. That's what it has come to. Babbel needs to be fired. He needed to be fired at least two weeks ago, but I kept hoping that he could get things turned around. As for Klinsmann, no thanks. My grandmother could get Germany to a 3rd place finish as the host nation of a World Cup. I'd rather have Schuster or anyone else with a modicum of previous success as a club coach. Löw was the one really running the show when Klinsmann was coaching Germany anyway. Klinsi is the sentimental pick because he's from Schwaben, but he's not really a VfB guy as far as I'm concerned, and I don't want another guy who will be learning on the job. We just did that and look where it got us.
Well, it surely wasn't a boring game. Great atmosphere (although the match wasn't sold out) and incredibly dramatic last 10 minutes. In contrast to the "dramas" against Bayern & Werder in the past, Fürth finally got the luck you always need as underdog in such a game (thanks to the incompetence of the VfB strikers. To be honest, your guys also didn't deserve to have any fortune tonight, as I noted the first real Stuttgart chance after 75 (!) and the first save (what a brilliant one) from the Fürth goalie after 80 (!!) minutes! If the 2nd league team didn't waste so many good counter-attack opportunities after the interval, the game would have been decided even before those 4 VfB top chances within the last 10-15 minutes (Hilbert & Schieber caused a lot of trouble to the strong Fürth defence). I'm really sorry for Markus Babbel if he gets fired now, but I didn't have the impression that his team tried everything to save his job (except for the last 15 minutes). IMO a deserved win for the brave Fürth guys, since Stuttgart proved to be the better squad only during the first 20 and last 15 minutes. Btw: After the game, your players went to the guest section (about 2,000 VfB fans there) in order to thank for the support ... but I better don't tell you the reaction of the supporters. ) Gute N8 PS: I'm going to post some nice fotos this evening.
Klinsmann is a good coach, if he picks a smart tactical #2 next to his side. He got some idiots for America and failed at Bayern. If he found smart, European coaches and put them by his side, he could make something out of this imo.
For those who didn't watch the game last night: ---> here you can find a 22 min video (high quality) with the highlights and lots of post-game interviews (a.o. Babbel & Held): http://sport.zdf.de/ZDFsport/inhalt/0/0,5676,1700000,00.html?dr=1
Give me a break. Bayern aren't really that much better now with a coach who has won the Champions League in the past. Your squad isn't nearly as good as everyone over there likes to imagine, and that was also the case while Klinsmann was coach. You're never going to return to the elite level of European clubs as long as losing the likes of Martin Demichelis is a huge blow to your defense.
THEY AREN'T "BETTER" AT ALL!! Unless you count goal difference, and even that isn't great. They scored more under Klinsmann, but conceded more too. Under LvG, they aren't scoring nearly as much, but conceding less. Six in one, half a dozen in the other....... I think the major difference is that LvG was smart enough to replace Rensing with Butt while Klinsmann allowed himself to be bullied into playing Rensing because Uli Hoeness "promised" Rensing the chance. If Klinsmann should take over at Stuttgart, he needs to be allowed to do things his way. If he fails, let him fail his way.
Well, argue about the degree of Bayern's continued mediocrity if you want, but I don't want Klinsmann. Schuster is my man.
I get that. And I think Schuster would be a good choice too. I just worry about the Spanish influence on his coaching philosophy.
Stall the trainer discussions.... .... in a further gesture of complete insanity and ineptness from the management, Babbel hasn't been fired!! Right now signals are that he will be our coach yet again for the ScheissBayern match this weekend. ABsolutely ********ing incredible. Bremen and Schalke and Sevilla were the 3 end games it was decided. We lost all three. Hannover was the end game. We lost. Greuther Fuerth was a new COMPLETELY MANAGEABLE end game. We lost again. And still the management is too spineless to make a change. Total Versager. I said after Sevilla we should make the change now rather than wait more losses before a difference is made. Well the management has done the opposite, and again they were wrong as we have had two further losses, one of which caused the exit from a cup we had a shot at. And now they're just gonna let us to Bayern as well before any change. Unbelievable.
REally how the ******** can we lose ********ing 5 games in a row (after it was said results needed to come) and not make the change????? Spineless. Weak. **************.
An in the first wonderful act of the continuation of our failure for at least another 4 days, Hleb has been suspended by Babbel for the Bayern match and will sit in the tribunes. What. A. ********ing. Joke.
Really surprised that Babbel remains coach, totally expected him to be fired. At least the Stuttgart management can't be accused of kneejerk reactions. And Babbel can't really complain about not getting enough chances to prove himself. The management has been remarkably patient with him, especially going by Bundesliga standards. It's not like he's been their coach for a long time, with a long successful history at the club.
Where are you getting your info re: Hleb, VfBFan? Kicker has him being fined, but not necessarily suspended at this point. And let me be the first to make the joke about the club higher ups simply being too cheap to fire Babbel.
This management is the joke of Germany. They gave him three ultimatum's and he lost all three times. There is absolutely no excuse for them not to have taken the necessary steps today. What will happen if we actually win a game??? Will that suddenly equal a new 2-year extension for Babbel?? Outrageous. I'm not angry at Babbel, i'm sorry for him, but he really should be gone for the better of the club. I am angry at the management, after Heldt ********ed up all summer long, he's now ********ing up these non-transfer decisions as well.