SchalkeUK

Sorry folks I am away to avoid any celebrations as today is Manuel Atsuto and my day today. Will be watching 2 games tonight on this new thing which h I have been given as a pressie

Interesting day - Marco and Joshua sign new extensions and Max sits on the bench with no offer worth even considering! At least there is still hope for the young ones in Dortmund and Munich!

Should now be referred to as Joshua Lahm! Ready to take over the role with the National Team as well!

My young friend in Madrid is telling me that Athletico have been watching my picture guy! Anybody know anything?

One of my young friends in Spain has sent me a message which might be of interest to other 04 followers. You may be aware that Snr Modric has a serious problem. It is likely to drag on for a while yet, but meantime Athletico have been discussing what if? At that point the name of young Max came up - free in June - capable of doing a job akin to the Modric role across the city - would Real be interested and if so should we make the first move? If M. Wenger is to leave Arsenal would any prospective signing be put on hold for now and we know he is keen on the possibility of Max joining him. No progress is being made at the Veltins on a new contract and - in any case - Max has not indicated that he wants one the way things are going there! The next episode of this 'soap opera' is still to be scheduled! All in all it's just another brick in the wall - leave the kid alone!!!

remember 24 Feb 2018

Quote:On another note you mention; I am a little surprised with the links to Max, if theres anything we dont need its more players in the middle of the pitch. As it is we have Leon joining along with an end to the Sanches loan, Theres been alot of speculation about Vidal's future so I dont see any reason to add another body. Could not agree more with that! Max will go somewhere he can be assured of game time without having to fight against team mates for a place every week - he could stay with us, but the present coach is impossible to read and makes too many selection errors so it's almost certain he will look for a better leader.

This morning's BBC News reports that now there are 4 clubs looking at Max when his contract runs out this Summer - Arsenal and Liverpool as we know have been watching and Inter have joined with Bayern to make up the 4. The Bayern idea is daft as he will be in competition with Leon and Inter is not a good idea if he is wanting European honours. Both Arsenal and Liverpool have problems at the back and his latest games in a new role would fit in well at both clubs - trouble is who will be boss at Arsenal and he already knows Kloppy, Joel and others in the 'pool so either could be better- there is still room with Pep but he has been quiet so far - it would be great to join up with Leroy and Ilkay again and alongside Kevin DB it could be a dream partnership!

Schade!

In the 90's to have called TH a schlager band would have resulted in at least 10 little huntsmen invading your house - if not 20 (ten on each side of the 45) At one time Andy Beck wanted to be the fourth Andreas but as they determined they were Punk he stayed at the back and defended the other three Andreases. Please do not assume that just because we seem to be totally English we do not know or appreciate the finer parts of German culture! Great to hear they are still active!

Glücklicher Rosenmontag an meine deutschen Freunde

Tedesco will look at a 2-1 defeat at Bayern and probably will report satisfaction in his 04 report page. With proper team selection this was winnable as there were better players sat on the side than were on the pitch. To play Leon in this game was pure idiocy. He is a genuine kid, but his heart is in the south and he drifted in and out - as he did on Wednesday against Wolfsburg. A totally lucky kick out at a loose ball gave Di Santo his first thing of any note for months and then he was subbed - as usual - it he can't be relied on for 90 minutes why the heck play him? Fahrman is losing his concentration and was again to blame where better keepers would have succeeded. Under Naldo, young Kehrer is improving match by match - Harit tries like hell but had little help up front with Burgstellar not even seeming to know when he is or is not onside. Schopf needs game time somewhere else - this is not a practice match and his accuracy has gone. Embolo is promising if he is given some real game time with consistency - not a bit here and a few minutes there! Meyer's booking was a farce - as was most of the decisions from this idiot in the middle- for both sides - surprised Muller got away with being so honest about his criticism.....even the old Dutchman had had enough of him by the end of the game. Caligiuri will get better when he learns to pass accurately, but giving it to the opposition is not really what he is there for - especially when our best dead-ball accurate taker is constantly ignored for corners and fouls! Perhaps someone should tell Tedesco about that! Now we ait for 1800 today and ARD to show us where we go next. Thea is convinced we will be in Munich At least there is about 7 weeks or so to try and sort things out while we slowly slip down the table at present rate. If there is any doubt about so-called good coaches not knowing what they have of value then don't just look at Tedecso, consider the idiot at Chelsea and BVB's new striker - now that's a lesson for everyone!

I interviewed the guy in HK in 1959 for a radio programme and the one I remember most at that time sums up our relationship here - BVB - Bayern - 04 - Dusseldorf - Duisburg - Koln - all together - occasionally - "When somebody loves you, it's no good unless he/she loves you - All The Time...."

At least that's another player I don't have to worry about next Wednesday!

Josh and Leon back together again - the rest of us must get used to the Trophy staying in the south for another few years

Info for nudge if you have not alreay seen it this is a quote from the Schalke press guys:Donis Avdijaj will get game time in the Eredivisie for the remainder of the season as the 21-year-old joins Roda JC Kerkade on loan for the remainder of the 2017/2018 season. Leon will continue with us until the end of the season and has agreed that Bayern will be his next home! He has asked fans to help him get the team into the Champions League next season and to try and win the Pokal - so no aggro about his decision. He has played with Joshua many times and my own thoughts are for a reunion with Bayern's best young player!

Sorry about your Aunt - it appears that Thomas - my brother-in-law who died two days ago also died of pneumonia. No one suspected it and his son has come home from the US to be with mum. Sadness has no boundaries!

Uth from Hoffenheim on his way! Waiting until he will be free in June but could make a good start for next season!

Nice to see Joshua in training again on TV today. You lucky lot - I wanted Paderborn........

Another one! Croatia winger Marko Pjaca has joined Schalke 04 on loan from Juventus for the rest of the season. After an injury left him out of the side for a while he is now getting back to form and will add to the options on either wing with Konoplyanka and Schopf are still trying to regain accuracy and there has been lack of good service to the front men from the wide players. I've not seen much of him, but message from Ivan in Barca says he is a real prospect having played with him in the Croatian national team where he got his injury. Sad to see Atsuto finally leave Germany for his home in Japan. His injury cost us and he was probably one of our best 3 or 4 defenders in past seasons. That, and the fact that he shares the same birthday as Manuel and me makes him a bit special (to us that is). Sayonara

Not sure where it came from ( maybe here?) but the UK press are now putting Leon and Bayern together!

I thought you had gone off for your usual celebrations - how come you can even remember the first two days? Happy new thingy Thomas!

Leon is having individual training sessions at the moment to try and get fit after his recent injury. The management have offered him an improved contract which will make him the highest paid player if he stays, but he seems to have set his mind on Bayern - despite Spain still showing interest. He is also somewhat still upset by what has happened recently at 04 and seems determined not to go with a large fee being paid to the club and will stay until June to make sure he is free. It is very messy (not Messi) at the moment!

Donis is somewhat out of the picture at present. Not sure if his head is sorted and his love of yellow cards has been controlled, but his possibilities on the field have always been great. If you are seriously interested I will ask my folks in Gelsenkirchen what he is up to but he is not in Benidorm with the squad at the moment and they have taken a fw kids from the Academy with them - Patryk Dragon, Lennart Czyborra, Jannis Kübler and Florian Krüger have joined them but no Donis!

First signing of the transfer period for 04 brings Cedric Teichert from Nurnberg to Gelsenkirchen for an undisclosed fee. the young striker has been impressive this season withy Nurnberg and will join the squad in Benidorm on Wednesday and, hopefully, will get a chance to wear the shirt in the friendly against Genk before the Benidorm sessions are over on Sunday. Leon is still holding on for a change to Bayern, but 04 are trying to tempt him to sign a new contract before a final decision is made. Sunday's game is being carried on Sky Sports News de which is free-to-air on firstonetv.