BUNDESLIGA MID-SEASON REVIEW
Bayern top of the class but Augsburg and Bremen are getting schooled
Time to assess how each club has perfomed so far this season
With the half-way point of the Bundesliga season Kicker Magazine have assessed who is head for prefect and who looks like they may be dropping dow a class....
AUGSBURG
Augsburg started collecting five out of a possible nine points, but it has all been downhill from there. That early point collection was a false dawn and has not been enough to clear up the serious issues surrounding the club. One win in the next fourteen games would see most managers removed, but somewhat remarkably neither coach Manuel Baum nor the board has flinched as of yet. With issues surrounding player unrest and fans turning against the club, there is frankly no reason to believe they will turn this around. They do not have the skill of Bremen, the firepower of Freiburg, the unity of Hamburg or the organisation of Hertha. Short of a new manager and new squad they are heading down fast.
Best Result: 1-0 vs RBL
Worst Result: 0-2 vs Hannover
Player of the season so far: Daniel Baier
GRADE: D - A lost cause surely
BAYERN MUNICH
The team that has dominated German football like no other looks set to be top of the class once more this term as Jupp Heynckes kept the team that has won the Bundesliga for the last five years in a row at the top. Their Champion's leagues exploits have not set the world alight, but take nothing away from a side who have set their stall out by shutting out the opposition at the back with a league best of only eleven goals conceded thus far. A six point gap is not that big in normal circumstances but when that six point gap belongs to Bayern it almost seems very likely that they will make it six from six.
Best Result: 3-0 vs Hamburg
Worst Result: 1-3 vs Dortmund
Player of the season so far: Robert Lewandowski
GRADE A- Excellent work so far but not quite perfect.
BMG
It's been a bumpy season so far for BMG. Four defeats in their opening six games was not the start the club had hoped for under new owners. Heading into December the club were hovering over the relegation zone, which prompted the dismissal of Dieter Hecking. With the club recording their first back to back wins of the season over Bremen and Mainz respectively. Pugh has acted to install former Germany and USA national coach Jurgen Klinsmann as manager. Things may be looking up for BMG but the club still has plenty of obstacles to over come. Given the inherent frailties of the team and the burden carried by Raul Ruidiaz, BMG need to tread steady to avoid slipping down the league.
Best Result: 3-0 vs Dortmund
Worst Result: 0-2 vs Hannover
Player of the season so far: Raul Ruidiaz
GRADE C- By no means out of the woods yet but certainly on the up.
BREMEN
Bremen are in disarray with no real light at the end of the tunnel. The side have just managed three victories from the first half of the season and currently sit bottom of the league on thirteen points. Things are looking bleak by all accounts. The problem it seems runs deeper then Kohfeldt's mis-management. The identity and cohesion of that once underpinned the club has dissipated, with the club's new signings struggling to make a impact. Unless a window of opportunity arises this month the relegation looks all but certain.
Best Result: 2-1 vs Dortmund
Worst Result: 1-3 vs Frankfurt
Player of the season so far: Max Kruse
GRADE E Out of sorts and out of hope.
DORTMUND
Pre-season expectations put Dortmund second to Bayern, and given that they have slipped up this season, there's no reason why Dortmund shouldn't be top of the bundesliga by the half way mark. But instead there's an air of familiarity to their campaign and they head into the new year fifteen points behind Bayern. Munich have been impressive but everyone remembers Dortmund's 3-1 win over them but they simply never built on that result and only one win in seven has followed.
Best Result: 3-1 vs Bayern
Worst Result: 0-3 vs BMG
Player of the season so far: Harry Kane
GRADES C Needs to show their will to work to fulfil their potential
FRANKFURT
For the first time in a while Frankfurt fans can relish seeing their club in the top four of the bundesliga at the halfway stage. Despite it only being 17 games in, it feels as if something special is brewing at Waldstadion. The board are optimistic but understand how close the run in will be with just seven points seperating 4th-12th. Whatever happens it makes a change from mid table obscurity.
Best result of the season: 3-2 vs Leverkusen
Worst result of the season:0-2 vs Koln
Player of the season so far: Sebastien Haller
GRADE A- Going about their work beautifully
FREIBURG
After defying gravity last term, Freiburg are feeling its heavy force this season. They have reverted back to their old bottom-half selves. Throw in the added distraction of Europa League football which ended before the year and all the energy has been sapped out of Freiburg's league campaign. They have only won four games and float in and around the relegation places. Freiburg now have the serious task of trying to stay in the Bundesliga and not be relegated and undo all the work of last season.
Best Result: 3-1 vs Hamburg
Worst Result: 1-4 vs Leverkusen
Player of the season so far: Nils Peterson
GRADE D Weighed down by the pressure of success from last term.
GELSENKIRCHEN (SCHALKE 04)
Schalke's powerful and domineering perfomance last week against Hertha was a stark reminder of the side's ability. After losing on the opening day, Schalke have fought back with fifteen points out of the last twenty one. For a side who have struggled mentally at times a corner seems to have been turned. With the league seemingly out of reach Champion's League football is an immediate target but consistency is vital. Their next game against Leverkusen will undoubtedly confirm whether or not Schalke are up now up for the test.
Best Result: 3-0 Hoffenheim
Worst Result: 0-3 Leverkusen
Player of the season so far: Eugene Konoplyanka
GRADE B Still up there among the league's elite, despite sporadic set back.
HAMBURG
Hamburg have always looked to be one of the more settled sides in mid-table, but that hasn't been the case this year. They have the worst away record in the division with six defeats from eight visits to away grounds this term. With no signings in the summer investment is needed. If this happens then Bundesliga survival should be on the cards but only if the teams below them do not hit form.
Best Result: 3-0 Hannover
Worst Result: 1-3 Freiburg
Player of the season so far: Nicolai Muller
GRADE D- Must do better in second half of term to stay in the class.
HANNOVER
Hannover looked like they were still celebrating their promotion to the Bundesliga in the early stages of the season. Not winning a game until game six against BMG. Since they have improved with a run of four successive victories, only to undo this by now finding themselves on a winless run of six games. The target for Hannover has to be survival and currently they will achieve but their defensive frailty will be a worry for any manager.
Best result: 2-0 Hertha
Worst Result: 0-3 Hamburg
Player of the season so far: Niclas Fullgrug
GRADE C Must try harder and concentrate more.
HERTHA
Six defeats out of seventeen dosen't seem so bad but couple that with a league high of seven draws and that means Hertha have only managed only four wins this term. Hertha's struggle in the league has not transferred over to the continental stage however. They topped their group and now face a winnable tie in Portugal. New signings haven't had a look in as new manager Marcelo Bielsa has trusted old boys such as Kalou and Ibisevic. Berlin will be confident they achieve survival but must make sure that any European dream does not serve as a distraction.
Best Result: 3-2 vs Leverkusen
Worst Result: 0-2 vs Hannover
Best player of the season so far: Vedad Ibisevic
GRADE D+ Better in foreign languages then domestic class.
HOFFENHEIM
Julian Nagelsmann, one of the class favourites, has his side paying attractive football that has won a lot of fans in Germany. They took centre stage when they beat dismantled high flying Koln in the German Cup last week and are threatening to break into the top four. Hoffenheim's transfer business looks astute, non more so then the loan signing of Liverpool's Ragnar Klavan. The foundation has been built for a good second half to the season.
Best Result: 3-1 vs Hannover
Worst Result: 0-2 vs Hamburg
Player of the season so far: Ragnar Klavan
GRADE B Continuing to build on last year and maturing with age.
KOLN
Koln have thrown up a pleasant surprise to the Bundesliga this season. They have developed a reputation as one of the league's toughest teams to beat and the margins by which they have lost to the big guns certainly testifies to this. A narrow 1-0 Loss to Leverkusen partnered with a spirited 1-1 draw with Schalke 04 demonstrates this. This has not been the case in Europe but arguable in the tightest group they qualified on goal difference to the knockout stages. Despite media tips to fall away they have remained in the hunt for Champion's League football. They couldn't could they?
Best Result: 3-1 vs Dortmund
Worst Result: 0-3 vs Mainz
Player of the season so far: Claudio Pizarro
GRADE A Have proved many critics wrong so far this term.
To be continued.......
