

Fixtures set
By: Chris |The fixtures for next season have been published by the DFB, and HSV open on the road at current holders Bayern on 15 August 15 in the “traditional” Friday night opener of the Bundesliga season.
The Worldwide Leader
By: Chris |This is a completely personal post, in which I will profusely toot my own horn and give thanks for blind luck. You see, I, your worthless humble HSV scribe, am the winner of The Offside/World Cup Blog Euro 2008 Bracket Predictor. I was going to wait to post this entry until the main page is updated but what the hell.
Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!
By: Chris |Somebody has made an offer for Thimothee Atouba! Who? Who cares! There’s more after the drop . . .
No mo’ MoMo
By: Chris |So long Mohamed Zidan, we hardly knew you.
More Rumors, Lies & Inuendo, or Transfer “News” Redux
By: Chris |A credible source (OK, a bit more credible than this one) has a story this morning about Hamburg starlet Rafael (or Raphael) van der Vaart. Seems that VDV has told United and Chelsea to hold off on transfer talks until after the Euro. I’ve always maintained that he is a club guy to the end.
Rumors, Lies, Inuendo
By: Chris |A couple of interesting transfer rumors in today’s media.
Manfred Kaltz’s ramblings
By: Chris |An interview with former HSV star Manfred Kaltz (who is 55, b-t-w. I cannot FREAKING believe that Manny Kaltz is 55; that makes me . . .) reveals that Kaltz doesn’t like HSV’s long term prospects. Too many players who are dead wood that nobody wants (Atouba, Sorin, Zidan), and the one guy that everybody wants (VDV) is the last guy they need to sell. And when they do sell him, Manny feels that HSV does not have a blueprint for taking the transfer fee and building the team into a championship side. He compares HSV with Felix Magath’s Wolfsburg (who do have the distinct benefit of a corporate owner and deeper pockets) and notes that Magath “builds his team with a target and structure.” And lastly, ol’ Manny doesn’t think that new manager Martin Jol deserves double the salary of ex-manager Huub Stevens, at least until he delivers double the results. Where does he foresee HSV finishing next season? Fourth or fifth. Yech. Thoughts: Well, HSV had to pay Jol what the market would bear, so that’s a moot point. But I do tend to agree that HSV seem to be putting the side together without a specific set of targets and timetables. And I doubt that you will find an HSV supporter anywhere who doesn’t feel the same way about Atouba and Zidan. Sorin missed most of last season recovering from injury, and I think, once fit, he will work out fine.
Arsene Wenger’s been watching Da Man since Vince was 16. Wenger further reveals that while he adores Kompany, Kompany is not a transfer target this summer.
An interesting interview with VDV’s “second papa”–former Ajax star Sjaak Swart. He’s advising VDV to go to England–particularly, The Big Four.
You can guess where I spent my morning. Colin Benjamin has missed Namibia’s last two WC qualifiers (losses to Zimbabwe and Guinea) with a toe injury he suffered this past spring in Hamburg. He will be fit and ready to go when pre-season training commences in July.
What a hoot
By: Chris |
Reading some of the trashier sites for a little club news during the Euro, I came across this gem, and nearly pissed myself. Welcome to the party, pal. Beer’s in the kitchen. Seriously, this guys is just now writing that Raphael van Der Vaart may get some transfer offers if Holland continue their hot streak at the Euro? Really? He is playing quite well, if a bit quietly for Holland. But his perfectly struck corner in the match versus France (on the first goal) was but a brief glimpse of his mad skillz.
HSV News and Notes
By: Chris |Please accept another apology for the lack of posts. Between the Euro ‘08 (lack of club news) and what’s been happening in the town where I reside (follow the link and look for Cedar Falls), I haven’t had a chance to write and not much to write about. . .
Oh no, MoMo or CATFIGHT!
By: Chris |A bit (OK-a WHOLE lot) of fur flying between former manager Huub Stevens and, ahem, underutilized striker Mohammed Zidan over the last few days.
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