Now there is a new coach, contracted until 2025 IIRC: Sebastian Hoeneß, who was a VfB academy player, and moved around a bunch, then played with the second teams of Hertha & Hoffenheim. He has managed U-17 & U-19 teams with RB Leipzig & Bayern Munich, then the pros at Hoffenheim. He did OK with Hoffenheim, so I hope we'll at least get the "New Coach Bounce" for a couple of games from him.
Week 27: 5-8-14 23 points It looks like the "new coach bounce" finally happened with this latest appointment. VfB went to Bochum and pulled out a 2-3 victory to move out of the basement, but still in the relegation playoff zone. Ito with first goal. Guirassy with second goal off Sosa assist. Vagnoman with the winner, assisted by Millot. Goals-Assists Sosa 2 - 7 Guirassy 7 - 0 Silas 4 - 2 Endo 3 - 2 Tomas 2 - 3 Führich 4 - 0 Ahamada 2 - 2 Mavropanos 2 - 1 Ito 1 - 1 Hariguchi 0 - 2 Dilas 1 - 0 Coulibaly 1 - 0 Anton 1 - 0 Perea 1 - 0 Vagnoman 1 - 0 Karazor 0 - 1 Millot 0 - 1 Stenzel 0 - 1 Kalajdzic 0 - 3 - gone to Wolverhampton and picked up season-ending ACL injury in first match Goals scored: 32 Goals conceded: 47 Clean sheets: 2
Next three matches in a row: Borussia Dortmund, Augsburg, Borussia Moenchengladbach. Only Augsburg looks like a point in that group.
Week 28: 5-9-14 24 points VfB lost Mavropanos to a red card on 39' and went behind at home 0-2 to Borussia Dortmund. But they fought back for a 3-3 draw. This is a positive result, but with Schalke winning yet again, VfB aren't making much progress out of the relegation zone. Goals by Coulibaly (Anton assist), Vagnoman, and Silas (Vagnoman) in minute 90+7! Goals-Assists Sosa 2 - 7 Guirassy 7 - 0 Silas 5 - 2 Endo 3 - 2 Tomas 2 - 3 Führich 4 - 0 Ahamada 2 - 2 Mavropanos 2 - 1 Vagnoman 2 - 1 Coulibaly 2 - 0 Ito 1 - 1 Anton 1 - 1 Hariguchi 0 - 2 Dilas 1 - 0 Perea 1 - 0 Karazor 0 - 1 Millot 0 - 1 Stenzel 0 - 1 Kalajdzic 0 - 3 - gone to Wolverhampton and picked up season-ending ACL injury in first match Goals scored: 35 Goals conceded: 50 Clean sheets: 2 Winoman repped
I don't want to get ahead of myself, but it looks like Hoeness has the team believing in itself. Good Lord, if they had signed him instead of Labbadia?!?!?
That fact ^^^ along with some key personnel changes, like moving Vagnoman to right wing. He has been a revelation there in the past two matches.
Week 29: 5-10-14 25 points Away draw 1-1 at Augsburg keeps VfB in the relegation playoff spot (16th place). There is only a one point gap above Schalke in the automatic relegation spot, and a two point gap behind Bochum in the safety spot. Endo with the goal. Goals-Assists Sosa 2 - 7 Guirassy 7 - 0 Silas 5 - 2 Endo 4 - 2 Tomas 2 - 3 Führich 4 - 0 Ahamada 2 - 2 Mavropanos 2 - 1 Vagnoman 2 - 1 Coulibaly 2 - 0 Ito 1 - 1 Anton 1 - 1 Hariguchi 0 - 2 Dilas 1 - 0 Perea 1 - 0 Karazor 0 - 1 Millot 0 - 1 Stenzel 0 - 1 Kalajdzic 0 - 3 - gone to Wolverhampton and picked up season-ending ACL injury in first match Goals scored: 36 Goals conceded: 51 Clean sheets: 2
Schalke lost 4-0 to keep the relegation spot. I'd take 6 points from the last 5, but it never seems to work out that way.
Quoting myself, how's that for cheek? So far, two points from this group of three with B-russia M-bach left to play.
I'm hoping (I know, I'm delusional) for 7 points from the last 5 matches. It's doable, but will they actually do it?
Week 30: 6-10-14 28 points Just finished watching the replay of VfB's 2-1 home win over Borussia MG. Guirassy back healed an Anton pass into the net for the 1-0, and then Coulibaly scored a PK after Tomas had been dragged down in the box. Goals-Assists Sosa 2 - 7 Guirassy 8 - 0 Silas 5 - 2 Endo 4 - 2 Tomas 2 - 3 Führich 4 - 0 Ahamada 2 - 2 Coulibaly 3 - 0 Mavropanos 2 - 1 Vagnoman 2 - 1 Anton 1 - 2 Ito 1 - 1 Hariguchi 0 - 2 Dilas 1 - 0 Perea 1 - 0 Karazor 0 - 1 Millot 0 - 1 Stenzel 0 - 1 Kalajdzic 0 - 3 - gone to Wolverhampton and picked up season-ending ACL injury in first match Goals scored: 38 Goals conceded: 52 Clean sheets: 2
Well, my prediction of a single point from the last three matches luckily didn't age well. VfB gained 5 points instead. Now even on points with Bochum, VfB have a better goal differential. Bochum are in 16th, the relegation playoff spot, and VfB are in 15th. Here are the final matches: Week 31 Away to Hertha Berlin Week 32 Host Bayer Leverkusen Week 33 Away to Mainz Week 34 Host Hoffenheim Should be able to pick up 5 points from that set. A win over Hertha Berlin and two draws. Hoffenheim are one point ahead of VfB so that should be a draw (or a win) and one point from either Bayer or Mainz. Still, not sure 33 points is good enough to escape relegation playoff spot.
Damn! Schalke gets another added time winner. Nobody deserves relegation more, but they've taken themselves out of trouble for now. Our next match will be crucial.
When Schalke beat VfB, Schalke were the bottom club and they went on a run to pull out of the basement. Now Hertha are the bottom club, and they beat VfB. Seems like the Stuttgart squad want to go down. Not sure where the points are coming from. Hertha was the best chance at 3. We can't beat Bayer Leverkusen who are fighting for a spot in Europe. Away to Mainz might gain a point since they seem off form also. Hoffenheim in Stuttgart? Will there be a last minute escape like last season?
Week 31: 6-10-15 28 points Loss away 2-1. Guirassy from Vagnoman. Goals-Assists Guirassy 9 - 0 Sosa 2 - 7 Silas 5 - 2 Endo 4 - 2 Tomas 2 - 3 Führich 4 - 0 Ahamada 2 - 2 Vagnoman 2 - 2 Coulibaly 3 - 0 Mavropanos 2 - 1 Goals scored: 39 Goals conceded: 54 Clean sheets: 2
If Stuttgart remain in that relegation playoff spot, they would likely face Hamburg in the playoff. Darmstadt and Heidenheim are #1 and #2 in the 2.B table with Hamburg 7 and 4 points behind, respectively.
It looks to me that the fizz has gone out of VfB's pop. Schalke and Hertha were the best places to pick up the needed 6 points. Now, I don't see any more points, if I want to be brutally honest. VfB is going down.
Not only will they go down, they absolutely deserve relegation. I lost all hope after the Schalke match, then Hoeness made me believe again, the jerk. Losing to Hertha put me right back where I was before. Maybe a few years in the wilderness is what this team needs. Of course, sometimes teams go into the wilderness and never get out....
Exactly. Several seasons ago, I started following Energie Cottbus, when they were in 1.B, for one season. They dropped to 2.B, then 3.B, and have spent several seasons in the Regional Liga (Nordost). Now they are poised to enter promotion back up to 3.B. Bouncing right back up doesn't always happen as you say.
Week 32: 6-11-15 28 points Well, they got a point in their 1-1 home draw against Leverkusen. But with Bochum's win, it keeps VfB in the drop zone. Guirassy with a PK. Goals-Assists Guirassy 10 - 0 Goals scored: 40 Goals conceded: 55 Clean sheets: 2
OMG! Where did that come from! I counted this away match as a loss, and I was figuring out what they would need from the final home match to save them selves from automatic relegation. It was made worse by Schalke's draw against Frankfurt. Now this changes everything! A win at home against Hoffenheim and they're completely safe. A draw means that each win by Bochum and Schalke would move us down a spot, even to automatic relegation. A loss could still be enough, if Bochum doesn't draw and Schalke doesn't win. Schalke has RB away. They're toast. I only wish RB had something to play for. They're locked in 3rd. Bochum has Leverkusen at home. Leverkusen needs a win to stay in the Conference League spot. It's gone from must win and needing results from others, to win to avoid the playoff, and might have enough already. What a great Sunday!
I never imagines this match as anything other than a loss, and had written VfB off as going down. Now, there's the possibility that they can stay up, but they absolutely MUST take care of Hoffenheim.
I only just read that Matarazzo has been coaching Hoffenheim since February. Nice revenge angle there. Looks like he started with a losing streak, but has them playing well now. They beat Union this week at home, but now they're safe. So, no reason to give their all to beat lowly VfB.
Just now saw the result. Didn't watch it live since Feyenoord were playing at the same time. Anyway, out of relegation only due to goal differential. Still need to pick up a point or more in the final match to pip Bochum for 15th place.