SchalkeUK

Doing fine! Interesting day today - CT and MRI Annual scans - will spend part of my afternoon in a tube!!! Otherwise just a normal Tuesday and Tv Cup games tonight to look forward to!

Final score of 4-0 is good in any form of game, but a clean sheet and a performance which was summed up by the speed of attack and Burgstaller getting on at 71 minutes and touching the ball 3 times - the first on the 81st minute showed why he is totally out of his depth with these kids. The young guy from Tommy's town looks tough and ready to go as support in defence and the final result left a nice feeling for the 2020 restart - oh and a very happy new year to you nice people!

Hi people - back home and as if to show that anything is possible I am watching the sort of performance in Hamburg which is totally alien to 04's recent past - no Burgstaller and already 7 good chances - one completed and most by Gregoritsch leading up front with players behind full of running and very few passes back to the keeper. If we can do it, surely your lot can Inga! - someone said the guy was a mid-field player - but he's already the best forward we have had this season! - happy days again!

Oh dear... We still seem to be keeping Guido but have let young Fabien go - not the best of moves but Uth to Koln seems about right. Still time..... Max physically hurt yesterday to add to the other hurt he has had this season. The sooner he comes home the better.

Have a nice break - depending on how far North you are going - I'm going West to NC tomorrow for a week - probably just as cold as your destination. Michael has promised to keept the threads alive whilst we are away so I will try and see if it travels to Chadwell country!

You and Inga (nudge) need to up your positive optimism - I cannot imagine the Eggesteins living in BL2!

So can I after this week's performances

Seine Einstellung war nicht gut und ist oft nicht glücklich mit seinen Freunden in Defence. Unser Hauptproblem ist Burgstaller! Die jungen Spieler zeigen, was möglich ist und David muss sie spielen lassen. Sorry - that's the best I Can do - Have a great Christmas und wie immer! Sei nett! PS: Do not forget that Ralf is only on loan to Norwich until the end of the season and has only made one appearance for them so far this season.

I have nothing negative about my thoughts re Paderborn, but today, I'm keeping my gingers crossed for nudge's green men - may the Eggesteins be with you!

Be interesting to hear what the Barca fans think of your young Harit. My young mate Ivanovic confirms they have been watching Amin

Sorry to read that - the US team needs him to offset the 'Scholes' type performances our idiot is producing of late. Hope he can get back soonest!

Perhaps this is the wrong time to assess this. With the January transfer window nearly upon us BVB could lose Sancho, RB will be asked for Werner, Harit is being chased from us and a number of Gladbach players are being watched. Italy, Spain and The UK are all looking at the BL and only young kids are coming the other way. Only Muller in the South is being talked about for the US as the one to leave there so anything could happen and - despite contradictory assurances, if Barca offer real cash for Harit, our chances of anything will go as we will - as usual - bite the hand holding the Euros! Perhaps this discussion would be better served when the dust in January has settled and we all know who is left with us to fight out the second half of the season. Incidentally young Max was not even on the bench last night and he might be back in the BL sooner than he thought!

More news on the 'fight' for Harit - Inter and Liverpool appear to be front runners and with DW's experience with JK he could be advising that Liverpool would be his best choice! Meanwhile Uth is out of tonight's game - oh dear!!!! He has so far produced absolutely zilch so unless he is replaced by Burgstaller the chances of a win are high as DW will have to look to the younger players with hopefully Kutucu getting a chance again! One can but hope!

We appear to be looking at the young Wolves guy, Otasowie, but - and here we go again - now Tottenham are talking about young Alex Nubel - despite the Munchkins interest - he could be the next to go!

I know I tend to keep going on about how many young players 04 have - in the past - let go for simply money rather than hold on to good players and produce a good team, but they seem to be at it again. I can't believe that DW will hang on to Burgstaller and Uth the way their game has gone recently and let young Kutucu go on loan in January - but that seems to be the latest thinking - oh and letting Amin go for a fee as soon as Barca make up their mind. Madness descending again!

Lost one of my old friends this week. Wolfgang had been an 04 fan since his teenage years and left is sadly on 65 years old after a life of hard mining and then jazz band playing in one of the local Gelsenkirchen bands. Great Guy and sadly missed. Maybe 04 will remember him in the next programme! https://www.waz.de/staedte/gelsenkirchen/dieser-gelsenkirchener-blues-service-ist-ausgezeichnet-id212373009.html

Interesting comments from Stan - I wonder if my colleagues(should |I perhaps, say friends) here , like me, since his arrival a long time ago on TFF have followed the Foxes - up or down - and lately, happily more up. I have a feeling it is more to do with respect for the supporter than love of his team! But the team doing well always makes it easier for the onlooker.

With the potential quality of your strike force, Max would have been perfect for them if he had been given time together to bring the skills he possesses and if anyone is in doubt, just watch the You Tube set of his actions in Gelsenkirchen and his leadership of the German Olympic team which only lost the Gold on penalties after he scored the only goal in the final for them. Not the sort of ineffective guy Roy has made him. Sad really, because I thought that his move to be under Roy was a good one - now his next one - which will almost certainly come soon - will be important for the rest of his career! Still nice to see Palace safely in the table at the moment!

Word in Germany is that Roy is looking at one of the up and coming young players with a view to making an offer - word is also that he had completely demoralised Max with his attitude and no young German player will be interested. Sounds about right! Sorry my info comes from Wolfsburg!

Welcome to Ale - happy that we will not be arguing for a few weeks after getting Part one of the derby over last week! As for Tommy - have a great set of 180's tonight and a whole day tomorrow to get over the consumption which will undoubtedly follow tonight's matches. Stay happy in the knowledge that there are far worse teams this year in the BL and you are safe for another season already (almost). Now for Pokal 3 next Monday! - trust in Jen, Jis and Feder!

Only if it's brewed in Dusseldorf!

Aldi has always been a leader in 'cut-price' offers. It is a while since I was last in Hamburg and I just wondered if there is an Aldi there with special offers and if so which shelves are they on?

Where does the Reperbahn fit in with this? Nord, Sud or Mittel?

Please, please don't all fall about laughing, but in all parts of the world where I have travelled, the one bottled 'beer' which tastes the same and I find acceptable is Corona. I know most connoisseurs will berate this post, but I also like the Belgian wit beers in Oostende with a four inch head!

That must make Aldigrun somewhere near Bremen!