Bundesliga 2011/12: Here We Go Again! A Preview of the 2nd-Half of the Season

By On January 18, 2012

Only a few hours separate us from passion, drama, spectacular play, upsets, beautiful combinations, and off-the-field incidents & decisions! Yes, the Bundesliga is resuming action this  Friday when European contenders (!) Moenchengladbach host Herbsmeister and league favorites FC Bayern at 20:30 CET / 14:30 EST. It promises, which is nothing new, to be a very exciting Rueckrunde (second-half of season) whether for the race to the title, for a European spot, or for safety against the atrocities of relegation! Even the mid-table is very congested. No doubt we will be holding our breath till the very last second. Over are the sunny tours in the Middle East, preparation at the Mediterranean and Portuguese beaches or in high altitude, as well as those team building activities combined with friendlies. All clubs should have taken the opportunity to assess what needed to be improved during the winter break or what gaps needed to be filled, according to the objective set earlier in the season, and based on their available resources. Many have experiences surprises & disappointments, guaranteed to happen again between now and May. Are they all well prepared? The transfer period is still open till 31 January. In the meantime, here is a quick assessment of the situation with each of them in order of their table position before the season took a pause in December. One thing for sure, it will be an explosive finish.

  • FC Bayern: One can write endless previews evaluating the strengths & also some weaknesses the Munich club present. You may want to visit the analysis in depth my colleague Michel wrote a few days ago. Statistics may point that probability is on their side as 67% of Herbstmeisters ended up as Deutscher Meister. Yet many of us recall Meisterschafts were lost on the very last day or second of the season. The board & manager Heynckes view that no acquisition was required to re-inforce any sector, while also no departure was registered. Contrary to their direct title rivals, the club is still heavily involved at all 3 fronts: Bundesliga, Pokal and especially the Champions League which sees the final at the Allianz Arena . How safe are they against any key player suffering a major injury and long absence (e.g. Ribery, Gomez, Schweinsteiger)? Will they be able to apply a proper rotation as the season progresses into long European nights and legs getting tired? Every club will be disputing their league game as if it was their final. The club has gone through rough patches in mid-Fall after looking to be running away with the title, but Heynckes has managed to keep the team together maintaining a high spirit. All stars mentioning they are happy to stay. It will not be a walk in park like the start of the season, yet you can bet they will be crowned as champions for the 23rd time, perhaps at the very last whistle of the season
  • Borussia Dortmund: The current champions have experienced a patchy start of the season, wondering at some point if their title was an exception. All talked how the departure of Shahin to Real Madrid may effect their performance and if the youngsters will be able to sustain the pressure. Well, manager Juergen Klopp was able to silent his critics once again, at the least at the national level, by making ground against FC Bayern & beating them in their own back yard to also take the lead of the league for a short stint. Are they a complete team yet? Their European journey was a massive disappointment. And like Bayern, they have not had any winter signings (Reus is in next summer). But their absence in the continent may prove to be an advantage for recuperation time & preparation of games. Some of his young players have more experience by mixing with their national team colleagues, while Lewandowski has found his marks (and goals) in the system. The game on 10 April at the Westfalenstadion (sorry, but traditional names of stadia are more appealing) v Bayern will likely be a title decider. Expect them to finish a very close second. If so, expect Klopp to be back with his lads stronger next season
  • Schalke 04: Give full credit to Huub Stevens who brought stability back to the Koenigsblauen now running, against all expectations, in the race for the title! The big question was how the post-Neuer era will be managed. In fact, they now have 2 keepers who can equal the best on their day: Faehrmann and Unnerstall! The involvement of the club in the Europa League may have finally served to try different line-ups and tactics to apply in the Bundesliga. Raul is knowing a second youth while Huntelaar would want to continue scoring goals, eyeing for a transfer to a big club & for putting his hands on the Torjaegerkanone (a canon given as a trophy for the best goalscorer). The only problems facing Stevens is the indefinite absence of Jefferson Farfan who always brought creativity to this mates, and the 8-match suspension of Jermaine Jones. This prompted him to sign striker Chinedu Obasi from Hoffenheim. The Ruhr derby v Dortmund will be heated. Final position: 3rd
  • Borussia Moenchengladbach: Hats off to manager Lucien Favre! From relegation candidates he made European contenders! And it didn’t take long for the Fohlen to show their colors: They simply frustrated Bayern 1-0 on the opening day in Munich. Their progress has not gone unnoticed that opposition is not taking them lightly anymore. They don’t only watch Reus, but also Herrmann, Arango, and particularly keeper ter Stegen who some consider to be even more talented and advanced than Neuer at his age. The big question: Will the bubble burst in the second-half of the seaon? With Reus already signalling his departure to Dortmund next July, will that destabilize the player in question? What about his team mates? Will they have doubts about the board having ambitions to be back as a force in the Bundesliga? Or again just a factory producing talents for others? Don’t be surprised to see them finish 5th or even 6th
  • Werder Bremen: One always expect Bremen to play the front-runners. They have shown shadow & lights, either giving outstanding performances or being at the receiving end of heavy defeats. Yet one has to consider that the duo of manager Schaaf and director Allofs have weathered all crises, especially after a lot of movements in the summer, like the departure of Mertesacker to Arsenal, the various injuries (e.g. Naldo, Bargfrede) & the dip in form of some (Marin, Hunt). But Pizarro is still in tremendous form and continues to be a threat against any defence, turning a game single-handedly. A final position of 5th is within reach.
  • Bayer Leverkusen: With the wealth of experienced players in the squad and their solid second place of last season, one would have expected the Werks team battling at the top with Bayern and Dortmund. Some critics doubted how new manager Robin Dutt will step into the shoes of the departing Heynckes. After a hesitating start, one should not undermine his efforts at all & he took well the advice of experienced colleagues like Rudi Voeller : He was able to manage the departure of Vidal, installed harmony esp in midfield with Rolfes and Ballack, who has known a great spell the weeks preceding the break. He didn’t hesitate to off-load the international Balitsch to Nuernberg, being surplus to requirements. Dutt also had to find a quick solution to the long-term injury of Rene Adler by bringing Bernd Leno on loan from the reserves of Stuttgart; now the kid is definitely staying and is a strong prospect to the Mannschaft. Add to this a qualification to the 2nd Round of the Champions League by giving Chelsea & Valencia a run for their money. This means more can be offered. A European spot with a 4th position is very probable
  • Hannover 96: Manager Slomka has so far been able to get the best of his squad banking on continuity with a cohesive stable squad. The club is still in the Europa League and are still able to beat the best if they can, Bayern can witness to this. However, Slomka may not have the destiny of the remainder of the season in his won hands. Striker Ya Konan could be absent for more than a month, joining the Cote-d’Ivoire squad for the African Cup of Nations. Who is the other option in this position? Can Abdellaoue keep his form & do everything alone? Director Schmadtke & president Kind have attempted to land either Petersen (Bayern) & Lakic (Wolfsburg) on loan, but with no success. They are also not happy with Ya Konan’s latest behaviour at the club since signing a new contract: Buying new cars & gaining weight… Yet it seems Schmadtke & Kind have a disagreement in the club’s transfer policy which has now gone wider in the press! Will this affect the performance of the players & Slomka’s plans? A mid-table finish could be the likely outcome
  • VfB Stuttgart: After a strong opening and 4 points v Schalke & at M’gladbach, Labbadia’s troops looked to be on par for a European objective. Yet their form has been in yo-yo and they managed to win only 1 of their last 8 games. Director Bobic is showing players the ambition the club with intentions to committing them to long-term contracts, solving the captaincy issue (Tasci) & still trying to bring more firepower to the attack (Lakic?)  alongside Cacau who is not happy he has been voted out of the players’ council. The club should have a less of a bumpy road (thanks again to keeper Ulreich), but may fail to clinch a European position (only if clubs above them win other trophies). Between 7th and 9th
  • TSG Hoffenheim: New manager Stanislawski was able to run the squad effectively in spite of having less cash to what was available back in time to his predecessors like Rangnick. He was able to install the St.Pauli mentality & was able to bring the best in Ryan Babel; while Ibisevic may have regained his scoring touch. He may have lost Obasi to Schalke but was quickly able to spot holes in his back-line that he signed defenders Wieser from Basel & Thesker from Twente. Safe from relegation, but finishing between 10th & 12th
  • 1.FC Koeln: 8 goals conceded in the first 2 games! Not the ideal beginning for manager Solbakken. Some thought he would not last till Christmas. Yet he was able to put some pieces of the puzzle together, hitting 4 past the likes of Hamburg, Leverkusen & Freiburg but also seeing his defence letting often keeper Rensing down. He has decided to bring more harmony by keeping a smaller but more effective squad & getting rid of 5 players since the New Year. The resignation en-bloc of the board back in the Fall may have repercussion for next season, but for now, as long as Podolski shows signs of his brilliance, the Koelner can secure a spot between 9th & 11th
  • Hertha Berlin: Here lies the astonishing situation. How can a club sack manager Markus Babbel who brought them back from a horrible relegation season & prevented them from spiralling down further in the 2nd division , then brought them up as 2.Liga champions with a very homogeneous squad? Only because of not prolonging his contract beyond June 2012? That was a big surprise & a wrong decision in the eyes of experts! Observers will be closely watching the club of the capital to see how players will cope with the departure of Babbel and also how new manager Skibbe can keep up his players motivated. He has already contacted his predecessor for some advice! Best scorer Raffael is missing the next 3 games through suspension & skipper Mijatovic is also out 3 games due to injury. Add the atmosphere in the dressing room, it may be difficult months ahead for Skibbe. Not a surprise if they end 14th or 15th
  • VfL Wolfsburg: The management system of Magath remains an enigma or more precisely like a revolving door? With all those signings, he should be fighting at the top. Since the beginning a season, he has, count them well, bought 21 players & sold 18! A total of 39 transfers! It may not be over yet as he already obtained 8 players during the break. One day he likes players he acquires , the next he wants them out. Some are exhausted by his army-like training methods which are now old-fashioned. Hopes are he still can pull out a coup like in 2008 when he was down in the table at wintertime yet ended 9th, then won the title in 2009. He may still push up to 9th again, but the long-term outlook this time will be very different, as the Volkswagen board & chairman Winterkorn may have other ideas
  • Hamburger SV: A calamitous start of the season with 5 defeats in 6 games. Everyone was calling for new sports director Frank Arnesen to go as the Bundesliga-dinosaurs (the only club from the original founding 1963 season to never be relegated) became hot favourites to go down. He decided to operate a managerial change but took a lot of time till he found someone who would accept transforming his players: Thorsten Fink from Basel (& former Bayern player having been assistant to the likes of Trapattoni). The club has now gone 9 matches undefeated! A solid run resulting in climbing to 8th is a strong possibility
  • Mainz 05: True the departure of talents like Holtby and Schuerrle didn’t help Mainz’s cause. But their exit in the preliminary round of the Europa League to a Romanian team didn’t do proud at all to German football in Europe. And perhaps it was a real representation of the ding-dong season they were facing. 2 wins in their opening games, faltering then 10 games before beating the likes of Bayern & Stuttgart, and again losing points in their last 4. If manager Tuschel doesn’t find a magic recipe, then relegation can come suddenly into the face of the club. A tough end of season
  • 1.FC Nuernberg: Guendogan, Ekici, Schieber (and even Mintal), not easy departures to compensate. Yet manager Hecking expected a better display from a team that showed much promises and talent. He has brought 3 players at the break, including Balitsch from Leverkusen in order to hold the midfield together. They will be fighting relegation throughout the coming weeks, and should manage to escape it
  • 1.FC Kaiserlautern: The departure of Lakic & Ilicevic, in addition to injuries to best assist player of last season Tiffert meant the Roten Teufel had the weakest attack in the league: only 13 goals. The mission to director Kuntz and manager Kurz is one and clear: Safety from relegation. 2 players have left at the break & talent Walch could do the same. The tight financial situation is making tough to attract big names, though they did bring 2 strikers: The young Pole Swierczok (19) & Sandro Wagner, former U21 European champion on loan from Bremen. K’lautern may stay up, but may have to do it via the relegation play-off
  • FC Augsburg: The lads of manager of Luhukay have gained a lot of sympathy in what is the club’s 1st ever season in the top flight but the honeymoon of the 1st matches was over as they could not continue to languish at the bottom of the table. After an endless run of 8 games & dropping many points in the last seconds, the newcomers have managed to beat the likes of Wolfsburg & M’gladbach, while holding Hamburg away, that they are no longer at this unenvious last position. Keeper Jentzsch has produced some marvels (in the top 5 best graded keepers !) while Moravek has joined the club on loan from Schalke. Don’t be surprised to see Augsburg stay up!
  • SC Freiburg: The writing is on the wall for the Freiburgers. And this since the departure of manager Dutt to Leverkusen in the summer. The old touch of long-time manager Finke has been lost, and Sorg could not revive it. He has been thanked for his services before the Holidays, while 5 players were told they have to pack their bags, including solid defender Butscher off to Frankfurt! To top it all, while striker Papiss Demba Cisse (37 goals in 65 games!) was expected to be absent for the Bundesliga re-start due to the the African Cup of Nations, he will now be gone forever as he has just joined Newcastle United for 4 1/2 years & 12M Euros. Striker Freis coming from Koeln will not solve their problems. Definite relegation
You are welcome to share your predictions as well as any opinion on how the remainder of the season will turn out to be, as surely the Bundesliga will end up playing some of the cards differently!
It will be fantastic months ahead culminating with the Euro 2012. Enjoy!