SchalkeUK

This is beginning to look like a repeat of the last weeks of last season where the best teams all faltered and let us into 2nd place which was both unexpected and undeserved. Now this season's title is up for grabs as are the other Top 4 positions. At least we shall not be bothering them but a few more games like this from Nurnberg and Stuttgart and anything is possible at the bottom end of the table too!

Perhaps Roy is finally getting the message - Max gets 90 minutes at last and makes it worth it!

Perhaps I may be allowed to offer GW a bit of advice. At the moment my lot are a disgrace to the BL. Not down to the players but the pathetic attempts by management - up and downstairs - to continually blame anything and everything else for their incompetence and lack of any man management skills. Coward Tedesco summed it up yesterday when the three main players were the kids who - lacking experience maybe - still gave everything in trying for 100% of the time they were on the pitch. What did he do - subbed all three kids cos they were not likely to kick up a fuss and he was scared to bring off the real poor performers - summed up by replacing one of the genuine kids with Bentaleb! So what's that got to do with GW I could rant like this every game and every day (gawd help me this week against Man City) but I try and do it only on the 04 thread if I can't hold out any longer. Simply stick to one thread where we can see what you are saying and sympathise - or not - but we know where to find you! Someone as angry as you seem occasionally to be makes me feel just a little bit better at times and nudge will tell you - I for one have NEVER dissed the guys in green and with the Pokal coming up I fear you will have an automatic pass through to the next round - if yesterday is anything to go by - see there I go again - Sorry PS can I have odds on Wednesday proving that, after Saturday, Newport County are a better side at present than 04?

Can't argue with that!

I had the impression that this was a thread to comment on the game last night. Forgetting the nonsense that has gone before can anyone explain to me - after watching Arsenal regularly lately - how any team would tolerate the inept inaccurate and useless sort of performance Owobi gave last night (and every game recently). I can only recall 2 passes which did not go to the opposition all night from him - and where were the kids who haver been performing in previous Euro games when seniors have been rested? If the same team (minus Lacaz) takes the field for the return leg I would be worried!

Now here was I thinking that hyperbole did not exist in Canada - I always assumed you left it to the folk down south in Trumpyland.

May I, from a little amount of experience, correct just at least one statement from above - tsubasa was NEVER young and dumb - young - maybe - but that was not by choice, purely by existence, but dumb? As for his choice of BVB I think that was probably to give him a real reason to be able to continually argue with me - or at least twice a year when the derby comes round. Now that's not dumb - manipulative maybe, but not dumb!

There is one serious lesson to be learned from this game as far as Man U are concerned. I watched it - mainly from a neutral point of view having great respect for Ole after his playing career despite not a great love for the side, but more to see what my 04 kids were doing. Julien has started to play forwards at last (normally most of his passes were towards his own goal) and that unusual position for him seems to have worked, but at 22 years old, young Thilo(who we let go in our normal looney way) was way in front of any of the Man U defenders. Therein lies the Man U problem - a defence which is only just better than my lot in Germany - and they are dismal to the point of farcical. Pogba, Rashford and Co are having to play Klopp football - score as many as possible so that we get more than the defence lets in! Last night they met a strong defence and their own was full of holes. Not Ole's fault but give him some of that Man U Money and he will have to go and find more like young Thilo - they are out there, but Sam Allardyce has been crucified sometimes for that sort of thinking - get it right at the back and the chances will come up front - not the other way round cos getting it right up front never will cancel out the chances coming against the back! The team is playing like a team again and the present PL future is better than it was, but keep Ole, keep the team spirit and fill in the gaps - then perhaps next year the CL will be possible. Present PL form suggest that a CL place is there for them so the red army should keep believing and stop the 04 idea - just look how many managers we have had since 2000 so that doesn't work at all - you eventually end up with a Tedesco and Ken Dodd can be heard singing 'Tears' every game! Will be interesting to se what young Sancho does in London tonight. Looking overseas all the time ignores some brilliant young talent in the UK and that has to stop! How many of the young Academy Man U kids do the supporters really know? I'm sure there are better prospects there than on the African Continent - no way a racist comment as many of the Man U boys will have similar origins! Rashford and Lingard is a great start - now let Ole sort the rest and give him time and, if he needs it, some money in the short term. Fergie was not an overnight success, but time, patience and belief got... well we know what it got then, why not now?

Sorry nudge - perhaps I should have said 'his time at Bremen - viz a vie the contract - was coming to an end . He was willing to pass on what he knew and how he played rather than be mentally selfish - sign of not only a good pro, but a respectful fine man!

There comes a time when even the greatest players realise that it is just not there anymore. The genuine guys retire or take a backroom role to help the young guys coming along - the self-indulgent ones are fawned over by pathetic managers who ignore any possibility of young talent being able to emerge. Beckham and Linekar left the highest level - not to stop playing, but to be of use to younger up-and-coming talents. Diego at Werder was the perfect example when his time was coming to an end and what he taught Mesut was to turn a good player into a quality international talent. Raul's time at 04 did wonders for Max and Leon and encouragement from Daniel Farke has brought out the ability which we knew at 04 that Timo Pukki had and look what he's doing at Norwich now! To over-use Max Kruse will be a sin, but to let time on the pitch with the younger players be educational as well as contributing to the team can be clever if used properly. I'm not sure 90 minutes at his age is a good idea. The problem is, some older players become totally self-centered, Prince Boateng and Choupo-Moting are perfect examples - blame everyone else - mainly the kids - for their shortcomings and they totally disrupt any team. Poor Management lets them do it - our present example is Bentaleb teaching McKennie that being a Thug (a la TDB Scholes)is better than playing good football - McKennie is now leading in the yellow/red card stakes with his mentor not far behind and the team is suffering from nothing in mid-field. Only a strong leader on the side can sort that out. Your present position in Bremen is promising - ours - well......Patience my green friends is what is needed!

Can anyone tell me what the heck is Roy Hodgson playing at? He has potentially three of the most dangerous strikers in the league at the moment and the goal tally for Palace is woeful. Nothing in the way of assistance from the mid-field and he has signed one of the best mid-field attackers last year and gives him 5-10 minutes each game. When young Max came on on Saturday he had 10 minutes to create chaos on the field, but to expect him to perform to his full potential with this silly on/off situation will lead to the sort of frustration which got him to Palace in the first place. The young captain of the national team who led them to the final in Brazil and regularly was near or at the top of the assist tables in Germany every season until idiot Tedesco tried to change him into a midfield defender is spending far too much wasted time on the bench. If Roy is not sure of his decision to sign him then test it! Nothing can be gained by leaving such a talented player on the bench and his ability at set pieces is one of the best since he moulded his young career on one D Beckham. So many Palace corners and free kicks are a total waste and he is sitting watching the poor efforts on the field. He won't say anything, but someone has to! He had too much mental bullying at 04 last season to last a long time so he will just sit quietly and take it at the moment, but meantime the strikers are suffering. Come on Roy, (I can still refer to you as young Roy) if I can see it from here, you must really be able to sort it from where you are!

Love this!!! Now when you have finished with Max will you swap him for Burgstaller - then you will really have something to get your teeth into! Luckily his injury has forced our idiot to play young Tucu (another from the school ranks nearby). At least he knows where that netty thing between the two wooden sticks are!

Just about to switch off the game with 04 getting a 4th from Sane for a 4-1 result. Bayern and Hertha heading for extra time and Man C going top in UK with a 1-0 score at Everton and 7 minutes extra time being played and a second goal to City after 6 extra minutes! With only one match left time for the laptop and bed! Hope it gets as good as last night!

Hennings gets one back for Tommy 3-1

David Selke levels it for Hertha