FT Nürnberg 1 - 2 Mainz Connor subbed in at 77'. 0:1 N. Weiland (15., Kopfball, Vorarbeit Abel), 1:1 Mintal (18., Foulelfmeter, Rechtsschuss, Kießling), 1:2 Thurk (87., direkter Freistoß, Rechtsschuss)
Nice to finish the season as the top promoted team... and even better to finish ahead of Kaiserslautern in the table! Apropos Conor: it's going to be crowded in the attack for the FSV next year. Auer re-signed, gerber re-signed, they signed the attacking player Petr Ruman from G. Fuerth AND now they're taking a flier on Otto Addo (BVB), who's been through 3 knee surgeries in the last 2 yrs. But he was an international class player with Ghana before the injuries. Interesting to see what he brings, cause as I remember him from Dortmund, he was an exciting player. If he can be fit, he's a wicked athletic type player that we currently don't have. I look at this as half full for Conor, though--- competition steels you. If he can break through this logjam (Thurk and N.Weiland will be back as well), he'll have proven to really have something. I'm already excited for opening day in August!
I had hoped that he would come back to Hannover because he's still very much loved here just like Asamoah. So we signed Balitsch. Why didn't he play that much in Mainz? Do you think he might help us? I'd be great if you could post some thoughts about him here!
I just remembered that he scored a goal the AFTER the last time he blew his knee out. It was amazing.
You were fully correct, sidefooter, that such a player was missing in mainz. It just didn't seem very likely that we'd be able to find one at a price we could afford...ie. free. What with all BVB's financial problems, their offer to him to extend was laughably low... so our laughably low salary probably didn't seem so bad! The test of course is what kind of player he'll be after yet another surgery. Klopp seems certain that he'll fit into the system, so that's good (in juergen we trust!). But the only thing that gives me pause, is that from what I remember of him, he's the type of player where he's capable of magic at any moment, but he can frustrate fans and teammates sometimes by holding the ball too long, going on a mazy run to beat 3 guys, but lose it on the 4th when there's a better option. Will that fly here? Dunno, but I do know that Da Silva has periodically been that kind of a player... and is the only player (on mainz naturally) i've ever seen roundly booed by the crowd(i'm forgetting against which team it was, but Klopp had to substitute him, he had a nightmare). This isn't to say that they don't love flair players here... they do. However, on a team like 05, there isn't a lot of leeway for inadvertantly sending the other team in on a break due to an overambitious pass. Having said that... I like those kind of players. And actually, I just think this was a great move by management. Low risk, high reward possibilites. Nice one Heidel!