SchalkeUK

Not sure if Hamburg fans would agree if they come up and have to travel to Munich and Nuremburg - not quite like Liverpool and Manchester or even West Brom and Chelsea. accept that 04 v BVB next week will be a short ride - even a walk for some just as Man U and City - there are always exceptions, but if they are sorted our fairly even if Sky or DAZN next year mess it up, the clubs will still happily take the money!

Perhaps this is not too bad when you consider that Eintracht played after everyone else midweek and had a hard game - but a successful one in the Euro. It could have been away and the extra day to recover seems fair - particularly as this game will have an effect on the BL league position of the team. Perhaps those having to play in Europe on Thursdays next season should have the option to ask for a Monday game as all the others will have an advantage if Mondays are ruled out! Mind you, the way my lot are playing at present they could take a month off and it would hardly make any difference!

Nice to see the look on Szalai's face - everyone seems to have forgotten he was with us until the idiot in charge told him he was useless and sent him away - the story of the 04 management over the recent years. One has to feel sorry for the young players - in the past they have been blooded into the BL as part of a good set up and why did we buy Harit to let him play 10 minutes having had to watch 80 of that sort of pathos. Similar a defence that puts a young keeper into such a critical problem at the start of his professional journey and two other young guys who must wonder why they are there! Close season has to be an almost total clear out - money from last years and this years profit plus the million from PSG has to be made available for whoever is willing to take on the problem. Start from the Allardyce precept that if you can defend and stop the opposition from scoring then you might pinch one or two up front - meaning we nee d a totally new defence and a striker who can actually kick a ball! I dread what Marco and Jadon will do to us next time PS: May I use Inga's last post to frame it for posterity?

Stuttgart supporters are not the only ones suffering. This afternoon I watched Werder and Bayern rather than Stutty, but now after the first half against Hoffenheim it is becoming increasingly obvious that Huub Stevens cannot have a chance to rectify the utter desolation that Tedesco caused and the rubbish he has left behind him. I thought the Magrat period was bad but this is a disaster - there is hardly a player on the field who would get into a BL3 side on this sort of performance. Problem is when Tedesco assembled them they were inferior to what he sold or let go for nothing and he had no idea of how to galvanise a team - just 11 individuals going through inept motions and kack of ability. Still Stevens persist with Burgstaller and this first half is almost without enough adjectives to start and describe how with lack of speed (no no speed at all) lack of ball-playing ability and playing 95%of the time unable to determine on or offside. Sane and Nastasic looking like total strangers and a young kid making his debut wondering what the heck is this crap I am involved in? he sooner Caliguiri is suspended and off the field with his lack of anything the better. Whilst I am writing this there are 5 new replies so I will look with interest and the sympathy (or happiness) that has been posted form the 04 pro and anti squad - trouble is - I will not be able to argue with any of them!

Now ready for a full set of games over the weekend which might determine next season - certainly the European places with Werder looking good. Have a nice Easter folks and try not to think too much about Tommy going off to the North Coast - the thought of him getting brown all over does not bear thinking about

Hundehaar Suppe- wow - not seen that for years

I remember as a kid watching the 2 Stans - Matthews and Mortensen on TV at Wembley but sadly never got see to either of them in the flesh - similarly sad having heard the radio commentaries of Man U before Munich and never got to see those (including young Duncan) who were lost to us at that time. I have been lucky as prices were nevr at the level they are these days and in the RAF in the 50s and 60s we got to travel with fans of other clubs to see their games and the Internationals with a lot of those mentioned above - I never got over watching Cruyff when we would travel from the Ruhr in the 70s for a day out in Amsterdam - he was a true magician with the ball - just like Stanley Matthews and having spent time in Drongen I was able to watch a young Kevin do the same - even at 8 or 9 and once refusing to let go of the goalpost to make his point - and now still enjoy scenes like his passing last night in the CL. To the younger ones on here - please try and keep those pictures of today's great players in your mind - the young kids love to hear them and they search google and Wiki to fill in your gaps. Sometimes they can then understand why us wrinklies often sit with a smile on our faces and get what we are remembering.

Bayern 2-2 Bremen Leverkusen 3-1 Nürnberg Augsburg 1-1 Stuttgart Mainz 1-2 Düsseldorf Gladbach 1-3 Leipzig Schalke 0-2 Hoffenheim Freiburg 1 - 4 Dortmund Hertha BSC 2-0 Hannover Wolfsburg 1-2 Frankfurt

This weekend will be interesting if Ilkay and Joel come up against each other. They were together as kids but that will count for nothing. Leroy was in the same skool but too young to be involved with the big kids (Manuel and Mesut amongst them). It's great to see so many of them doing so well - makes an old man happy

Sometimes this TFF can surprise you - Happy Blue answered my comments with respect - even though earlier he had blamed the ref - thanks fella! Nice to see your response

The obvious answer to all this on this thread is for a mod to start a 'hand or no hand' survey on all the members and then we all accept and respect the outcome. It was a great game to watch and I am sorry - particularly for my three ex school kids in the City side, but the only thing wronf with VAR is the fact that the ref has to have a final say - if it is in doubt, it is unfair to put all the pressure on him at the ground - the VAR refs should have a definite answer for him so he can get on with the game - as they did with the final Aguero decision - no one called the ref out for that so why leave him vulnerable for the other? Handling that game was - at least - hard and some others might have bottled it - but he, sadly, will be remembered for the 'hand or no hand' final decision. Let's all just be thankful that we were privileged to be able to see the match - it will stay in the memory for a long, long time and was a credit to two great teams and two fine managers!

When it gets to this part of the season and every point and goal is important, the Press are better kept away from those involved - those out because of whatever reason are the best to line up and take the pressure of the others - not as daft as it seems - someone posted on here something about looking after the players - this is one example of how to do it

If this is based on positive support then 04 is obviously my 'status', but if it is based on which teams I respect the you can keep the BVB on my list and add Werder and Dusseldorf - they are the main teams of the folks on here I have been in contact with and respected for a long time and would never sink to disrespecting their men!

Never seen 'game of thrones' and pretence has never been PM's forte! Perhaps aiming for the throne might not be too far from realism!