Hi !! I am new to these boards so pls dont be offended by anything i have to say as its only my opinion. However a recent event in the Bundesliga compelled me to come here and state my views. I have been a long time fan of German football and enjoyed watching my fav bundesliga players like Ballack, Kahn and Madhavikia play. But i am absolutely shocked by the way the Hamburg coach and GM have been treating Madhavikia, who was voted the best winger in Germany. I have always hated managers who pick out one player out of a squad and blame poor results on them(glenn hoddle blaming david beckham for englands poor performance), it is a sign of an extremely poor manager who has a personal problem against a player or is looking for a scapegoat. I hear their real motives could be simply financial, as they cant afford to pay his wages and are looking to get rid of him, but even so, surely the guy deserves a bit of respect. I am extremly shocked at some of the comments Doll and the GM have made about this player. Is this acceptable behaviour in the Bundesliga? Does this happen often? As it happens very rarely in the EPL, and even when it does occurr, the media usualy takes the side of the player and criticise the manager. Also interested in hearing some of the views and opinions of Hamburg fans.
The problems are not: Doll looking for a scapegoat: Doll took a team that was looking to be in the relegation battle early in the season to UEFA competition. He doesn't need a scapegoat. HSV not being able to pay his wages: Dead wrong. HSV has the money for him, especially now that it looks they will make European competition. If HSV wanted to sell Medi, they would simply do it. All they would have to say is "He doesn't fit into our plans anymore" and that would be it. There are plenty of teams who would buy the player. What I would like to know is when a popular player all of a sudden falls out of favor with his trainer or his club, why do fans automatically assume the problem is the club is screwing the player?? Perhaps Mehdi's talents don't fit what Doll is trying to do. Perhaps Doll doesn't reach Mehdi the way Klaus Toppmoeller did. Perhaps MEHDI is the one who wants to leave HSV....... We don't know. But I do know this. Yes, some trainers will let personal feelings about a player get in the way of whether they use that player or not. However, Doll's record with HSV has been so good since he took over I don't think his methods can be questioned too vehemently. I won't lie, I'd love to see Mehdi move to my club (Borussia Dortmund). But I can't sit and blame his current problems at HSV on the club either. I just don't know who is to blame and I won't assume that it's the club.
First, what are you talking about? How has Doll picked Mahdivikia out for special scorn? I admit that I don't follow HSV that closely and I certainly don't read the Hamburg newspapers, but I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary. Second, is this just Doll? I don't think Mahdivikia was playing much for Toppmoeller, either. Problems with one coach--blame the coach. But when you have problems with two coaches, you have to start looking at the player. Third, I think, as Footy mentioned, this might very well be just a case where a player doesn't fit the system. As you say, Mahdivikia is a winger. It looks like Doll prefers to play with more conventional outside MFs. He seems to like the worker bees like Beinlich and Jarolim. Less style, but in his eyes, perhaps more substance.
Yea but Mehdi might be the faster player in the Bundesliga...letting his talents go by the wayside may be a critical mistake, if Hamburg are to make a true run in die Bundesliga. I am a fan of Mehdi and I hope he transfer to us! and follow the tradition of Ali Daei.
Well, i would totally agree with you if there was just a problem with him not fitting into the club since the manager doesnt like using wingers. But even so, there is no excuse for singling out a player and blaming his performances. Since i have not been able to watch bundesliga games consistently this season, i have had to surf the web to try and keep up with whats been goind on, and some of the comments his club have made about him are ridiculous. I will try and post them on here, but one of them was something along the lines of the General manager saying that if his performances dont improve this season they will sell him to another club, and the coach questioning madhavakia in one on one situations and other such quotes. Plus from everything i have gathered, he has not even had that bad of a season, yes he was in a bit of bad form earlier in season but now he looks to be playing much better. To sell a player who has been with you for over 7 years and is one of your most loyal players, not to mention popular, simply because he had a few poor months, not right. Even when Sir Alex Ferguson, was unhappy with david beckham to the point of attacking him with a shoe , he didnt speak out against him publicly. And thanks for your logical response, appreciate it. P.S. Is it true the player didnt get along with his former coach aswell, would appreciate some info on this. Thnx.
Yeah, blame it on the Dutch Actually HSv ticket prices will really be getting up, like 10 percent. On Mahdavikia, Doll is the one to see him in practice, and if he is treated unfairly in the public by Doll he would complain publicly.. don't see a big problem there... Doll is one of the most sympathic and interesting coaches in the BL, so I would not blame it on him... But I have actualy not a real idea what is happening at the little HSV so whatever...
like I said before, I want him to go to Liverpool not because I like Liverpool (or EPL for that matter) just because one of the moderators in Liverpool thread said that Mehdi is simply not good enough to play in Liverpool based on what he saw from him when he played for Bochum!!!!!!! but I'm pretty sure after living 7 years in Germany (he speaks fluent German) and because of his family and his little girl... he will stay in Germany and sign with a better German club than Hamburg...
i sypathize with HSV... if they want to start establishing themselves as a contender they need to start with qualifying for europe regularly. If they can lure Raphael Van der Vaart, it would help them.
The thing is, HSV haven't even sold Mahdavikia yet. I've seen nothing that indicates they'll sell him yet. Of course, if they can realistically get van der Vaart, I'd sell Mahdavikia too.
See, this is the irony of the thing. If they do decide to sell Madhavikia, they will do so based on his poor performance over the last 6 to 8 months. Which isnt all that bad, compared to his supposed replacement Van Der Vart, who has had an absolutely abhorring season with Ajax. Ahh well, if they do let him go, he should try and move to EPL. Maybe join a club like Everton, or even better Bolton. Bolton has a great manager who has the ability of getting the best out of his players, plus he would get a chance to play in Europe. But i still say the club should show the guy more respect. Poor wingers all around the world, not getting any respect from their managers or clubs Figo, Madhavikia, Rommedahl, Saviola, etc.
What type of midfielder is van der Vaart- left winger? Because if he was a left winger, and if I were Doll, I'd put VdV at left wing, put Mehdi in the right, keep the central midfielders, and have only one striker, either Lauth or Mpenza.
he is an offensiv allrounder so he can probably play on the left side or attacking mitfield on a diamond formation.. and I think thats how he will be used. about mahdavikia, i don't know if HSV will have the patience with him this time around. They already threatened his position on the team a few weeks ago. I think they might look to sell him in the late summer
this is ridiculous I thin Mahdavikia should be the one out of patience... the new coach comes in changes the formation and basically puts Mahdavikia on the bench... what do you expect of course the player would degrade but last 4-5 weeks that Mehdi was a starter he really played good (scored and assisted)... what exactly have van der Vaart done this season?.... there are a lot of clubs out there who will accept Mahdavikia with open arms… he played (and played good) for Hamburg several years but he is not one season star but he is been treated like one only because they want to decrease his salary….
i don't watch too many HSV games so i can't comment further. Against werder he played very well though. That is supposedly when he was warned.
Yeh totally agree with kami, i find it absurd that people are saying it is the team and coach who have run out of patience with him, cause it should be the other way around. But i was going through some of the posts and i came across one that mentioned Iranian players in the German league, and i think it kinda relates in to most Asian players in Europe. I dont think the clubs are racist or anything like that, but i do feel that they lack confidence in Asian players. So where as if a European or African player is not performing, he is always allowed to play games and find his feet and try and adjust to the club, Asian players just dont get that chance. It is the same here in EPL, its almost as if the managers just dont have confidence in them, even when they are season performers like Madhavikia. So as soon as the guy hits a rough patch, thats it, they want to get rid of him (although there might be financial reasons behind Madhavikia being sold if, if he is sold off). The only European coach i have seen who has 100 percent confidence in his asian players is Hiddink, and we can see the performances he got out of his players in CL. As to where Madhavikia should play if he does leave Hamburg, id love to see him come play in the EPL. I dont think Chelsea would ever bring the lad to West London , but even so, Everton, Manchester City, Bolton (he wold be great there) or Tottenham, all viable clubs for him. Plus i think maybe joining a better league than the bundesliga would give him a bit more exposure, no offense to my German friends ofcourse. As to Van Der Vaart, very Very overrated. HSV would be better spending that money buying a couple of players, rather than spending it all on him.
First, I don't see anything particularly heinous about what you allege Doll to have said. Seems to me the comments were appropriate for lighting a fire under the butt of an underachieving player. Second, IIRC, Doll made similar comments about Christian Rahn. With Rahn, Doll shipped him out to Koeln(?). So he has treated Mahdivikia better than a German NT player. Third, the numbers suggest that Doll and Toppmoeller have treated Mahdivikia very similarly. Under Toppmoeller, Mahdivikia played 6 of 8 games (75%), starting three and coming on as a sub in three (in other words, in 50% of the games he played, he started) (FYI, Mahdivikia's kicker ratings during those six games were 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 and 6, absolutely atrocious). Under Doll, Mahdivikia has played in 19 of 24 games (79%), starting six and coming on as a sub 13 times (32% starts). So both coaches viewed Mahdivikia as a part-time player who they used 75%-80% of the time, with anywhere from 30% to 50% of those appearances being starts. Since both coaches treated him similarly, my guess here is that Mahdivikia's efforts on the field and in practice merited such treatment (as opposed to the vendetta you suggest Doll has against Mahdivikia). Bottom line, I think, is that Mahdivikia has had a subpar season, others such as Beinlich, Jarolim, Barbarez and Benjamin have played much better, and Doll is playing the people whom he thinks give him the best chance of winning. Any comments directed to or about Mahdivikia strike me as being reasonably tailored to motivate a player Doll knows can play better but thus far has not.
well the last 4-5 weeks kia has been 2 times in team of the week! but last week when Hamburg LOST he only played 5 mins
don't waste your time... according to these guys Doll only plays someone who deserves to play and someone who proves himself in the practice sessions and the previous matches.... I really want to hear explanations about why Mpenza or Takahara are even in HSV... the latter sells a lot of jerseys, but Mpenza??... you guys should get real… just like what Mehdi said “I’m a footballer and do my talking on the field” after Doll’s criticism… he has been playing great last weeks but he got sent off (thanks to that brilliant ref)… but doll won’t put him back in the team again… I know coaches tend to don’t change the formation of the winner team but HSV lost the previous game….
All right; I tried to respond to your concerns in a rational, objective, thoughtful way. Apparently, that's not good enough. What was I thinking? Why think rationally, objectively, and thoughtfully when knee-jerk, sensationalistic, jingoistic rhetoric is the tool of choice. Well, good luck to you all. As for me, before I go to bed tonight, I'm going to repeat, over and over again, the following words to live by: Don't feed the trolls; don't feed the trolls; don't feed the trolls; don't feed the trolls . . . zzzzzzzzzzzz
whatever man... first time I'm being called a troll in BS!!!... do you call anyone who disagrees with you a troll!???!? I was just stating that the argument of "Doll doesn't play Mahdavikia because of Mahdavikia's poor performance" lacks credibility!
But you don't get it (and not because you aren't intelligent, I think you just aren't being terribly receptive to opinions other than those you hold. I have no dog in this fight--I'm not an HSV fan, I'm not a Doll apologist, Mahdivikia to me is just another HSV player, like Beinlich, or Jarolim, or Benjamin, or Takahara, or Mpenz--I'm Switzerland in this debate). Doll has played Mahdivikia, contrary to your statement. In fact, Doll has played Mahdivikia MORE than his predecessor in terms of appearances (less in terms of percentage of starts, but not significantly so). So Doll has given Mahdivikia his opportunities. And, very recently, Mahdivikia began to take advantage. In fact, Mahdivikia comes off the bench in Sp. 28 (I think), scores a goal in a loss, is on the Kicker team of the week, and what is Doll's response? If you read the posts on this thread, one would assume that he banished him to bench. But that's NOT what happened. He started him the next game. And the next game. And the next game. And what did Mahdivikia do in that game. He got a 5 rating from Kicker and was red-carded in an important match (and I know, the ref was stupid and heaven forbid, it couldn't have possibly been Mahdivikia's fault--even though the ref, who I believe was Germany's best, Markus Merk, was rated a 2 by kicker and kicker specifically said he handled Mahdivikia's red card correctly). I don't know about you, but if I'm a coach, I generally don't reward crap performances and red cards. So, when Mahdivikia serves his suspension, he finds himself back on the bench. I don't find any of this unusual whatsoever. You play well, you play a lot. You play poorly and cost your team valuable points, and you're on the bench. I mean, it's not like Mahdivikia has been consistently strong for HSV all season (his overall Kicker rating is a rather weak 4,14) and has earned a mulligan. If you choose to see some sort of giant anti-Iranian conspiracy in all of this, I have decided there is NOTHING I can do to convince you otherwise, which means I need to bow out. As I said, good luck to you.
If I could write decent English I would try something like that but it wouldn't be half as good as your post!!