3. Liga and below - 2017/2018

[Faithcore]

No worries, we are always here for you 

[nudge]

Another match and our unbeaten run continues, 0-0 against Wehen thanks to a brilliant performance by Oelschlägel.

[Rucksackfranzose]

The first half of the season in RL Südwest is played, so it´s time for my semi-annual Saarbrücken round-up. We´re in first place 5 points clear of second placed Offenbacher Kickers and even 9 points clear of third place, which is the first not to take part at the promotion play-offs. Since we lost only one of our 18 encounters in the league this season and the most matches were dominated by us, we should be favorites of one of the two play-off spots provided by the league. Apart from the league we played in the period covered: one DFB-Pokal match 1-2 loss versus Union Berlin after extra time, where we´re close to a surprise; and 2 matches at the Saarland-Pokal, we both won, which means our season goals ( a spot in the promotion play-offs and qualifikation for next years DFB-pokal by winning Saarland -Pokal) are both still within reach.

Concerning our performances, can only speak about our matches, which I watched ( all bar 3 thanks to streaming), but it showed why all coaches in this league had us favorites before the first kick-off. 46 goals scored and only 13 conceded in 18 matches gives a fair reflection of what happened on the pitch. Especially our attacking trio Manuel Zeitz, Patrick Schmidt and Kevin Behrens, who played  that good  that Markus Mendler brought in from  2.Liga club Nürnberg is normally benched, are  a level above their rivals from other clubs in this league. Baring a desastrous second half of season I can see the league objective being reached, as for winning the Saarland-Pokal, that´s tough to predict since Elversberg are one of the better RL sides and Homburg, although playing in Oberliga RPS, won all 17 matches they played in their league this season, hence both are capable of beating us when on form.

On a sidenote, it´s amazing how the likes of Bruno Labbadia, Michael Frontzeck et al are always mentioned whenever a first to third tier club looks for a new manager, but Dirk Lottner, who plays no insignificant role at our progress, isn´t even considered. Long may it continue.

Although I´ve now an idea of what it might feel like to be a Bayern fan, there are still two concerns. First of all whether we will be capable of keeping the core of our team if we´re promoted and even more so if we´re not. And second that unpleasant stadium issue;

because the real costs surpassed the projected costs signifikantly the reconstruction of Ludwigspark was brought to halt in 2016, and the stadium will be finished in 2020 instead of 2018. Our alternative home Hermann-Neuberger-Stadion in Völklingen isn´t fit for 3.Liga., so we have to look for a new alternative if we are promoted.

 

[nudge]

Nice mid-season review there!

Any idea how the new Regionalliga reform is going to look like? Are they finally going to develop a format which allows each Regionalliga winner to be promoted directly, or will they keep the playoff-for-promotion nonsense?

[Rucksackfranzose]

1 hour ago, nudge said:

Nice mid-season review there!

Any idea how the new Regionalliga reform is going to look like? Are they finally going to develop a format which allows each Regionalliga winner to be promoted directly, or will they keep the playoff-for-promotion nonsense?

As far as I know there are four proposals, in no particular order.

a) nothing changes, problem here 3.Liga has three relegation spots, but we have 5 Regionalligen, so there has to be a promotion- play-off procedure.

b) The last 5 teams of 3.Liga were relegated and the five RL winners will be promoted automatically, issue here the 3.Liga clubs, who insist they were promised only three teams would be relegated, when the 3.Liga was introduced.

c) RL Nord and Rl Nordost merge, Clubs from Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland leave RL Südwest and join RL West, and the rest of RL Südwest and RL Bayern merge, which would lead to three RLs with their respective champions been automatically promoted. This proposal is opposed in Bayern, where many clubs want to keep their own RL as well as in Nord and Nordost where some clubs fear the longer distances and the lesser amount of derbies might lead to clubs going in insolvency.

d) The introduction of a 4.Liga consisting of 20 clubs of which the top 3 are promoted to the 3.Liga and the bottom 5 are relegated to the 5 RLs, which according to this proposal should stay as they are. Critics of this idea are mostly from the weaker RL clubs, who probably rihgtfully fear a 5th tier RL would loose the interest of the media and therefore TV money and sponsors.

Although I´m torn between C and D, my money will be on everything stays as it is!

[nudge]

Option C makes the most sense for me, personally. I do understand the concerns about having to travel longer distances, but in the end, it's still more manageable expenses than the likely lack of sponsoring in the 5th tier RL (if proposal D goes through, that is). Or alternatively, maybe changing to 4 RLs and finding a compromise with 3. Liga to allow 4 clubs to be relegated would make some sense as well - just leave RL West and Südwest as they are, merge RL Nord and RL Nordost, just not sure what to do with Bayern as I don't think they really deserve their own Regionalliga with the lack of quality present. Maybe move clubs from Thüringen there from RL Nordost, wouldn't make much difference distance-wise anyway.

[Rucksackfranzose]

The more I think about it the more I like your idea with 4 RLs leave West and Südwest as they are, merge Nord with the northern part of Nordost, ie Berlin Brandenburg and Meck-Pom and merge the southern part of Nordost with Bayern, would have the advantage of four Rls with more or less the same amout of DFB members and would spare the problem of changing the fith tier format since Thüringen, Sachsen and Sachsen-Anhalt share the same OL.

[nudge]

Brilliant, we solved the problem within less than 24 hours  

[Faithcore]

The last statement I heard a few weeks ago is that the most realistic scenario is currently that the leagues won't be changed but that there will be 4 promotion spots in the future. I think it was Grindel who said that.

[nudge]

4 minutes ago, Faithcore said:

The last statement I heard a few weeks ago is that the most realistic scenario is currently that the leagues won't be changed but that there will be 4 promotion spots in the future. I think it was Grindel who said that.

As in, 4 promotion spots for 5 RLs? 

[Faithcore]

Yes. Found the interview:

https://www.derwesten.de/sport/fussball/regionalliga-reform-das-plant-dfb-praesident-reinhard-grindel-id211911881.html

[Rucksackfranzose]

Now, as Faithcore mentions it, the idea was having winners of West and winners of Südwest promoted directly, whilst the winners of the other three Rls and the second from Südwest play for the other two places, wouldn´t solve the unjustice of RLchampions not being  promoted, though and replace one play-off scheme with another.

[nudge]

So just a lazy solution which is slightly better than the current situation, it seems.

[Faithcore]

That's true. For this year I'm happy there is no solution yet though

I really don't need Uerdingen in Liga 3 with their dubious people in power.

[Rucksackfranzose]

https://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/regionalliga/startseite/712638/artikel_aufstieg-per-losentscheid_regionalliga-reform-beschlossen.html/

It´s amazing, DFB never fail to astound with stupidity. Them not only postponed the final decision about Regionalliga promotion to 3.Liga till 2019, they also introduced drawing lots to decide one of the promoted teams.

These lot are. 

[Guest]

On 17/03/2017 at 11:54, Daedalus said:

A win today for Münster would be absolutely massive.

What's a Rugby team got to do with football 

[Eco]

1 hour ago, Gunnersauraus said:

What's a Rugby team got to do with football 

Who goes back and quotes something from 11 months ago... 

[Rucksackfranzose]

Since today we´re the second team, after Cottbus, that is qualified for the  3.Liga promotion play-offs. Top 2 finish in RL Südweat secured with 3 matches still to go.

[nudge]

3 hours ago, Rucksackfranzose said:

Since today we´re the second team, after Cottbus, that is qualified for the  3.Liga promotion play-offs. Top 2 finish in RL Südweat secured with 3 matches still to go.

Congrats! How do you rate your chances in the playoffs?

[nudge]

On a related note, our reserves got relegated today  

[Rucksackfranzose]

Depends on who we get. If we get the winner of RL West ( probably Uerdingen or Viktoria Köln) it´s a fifty fifty chance in my opinion, against the winner of RL Süd (most likely 1860) I see us as slight favorites.

[Faithcore]

Congrats!

8 minutes ago, Rucksackfranzose said:

Depends on who we get. If we get the winner of RL West ( probably Uerdingen or Viktoria Köln it´s a fifty fifty chance in my opinion, against the winner of RL Süd (most likely 1860) I see us as slight favorites.

I definitely prefer Saarbrücken over all of these teams. Would be nice to have you guys back in the 3rd league.

[Peemeejo]

I'd like to see Uerdingen back to a professional league more than 20 years after they were dumped on the motorway by Bayer. Plus Saarbrucken to have each land having a representative in a national division. My third promotion team would be 1860. Their fans haven't deserved what has happened to their venerable old club.

[Tommy]

What is going on with Uerdingen? I read today that they're intersted in Lumpi Lambertz as well, and that they could offer him a Bundesliga-esque wage. Do they have an Investor or something?

[nudge]

Don't they have some Russian businessman in charge?