retired_mully

Could you do a link for Everton on your website please as a special request, brilliant work so far don't stop now im enjoying reading.

retired_mully

CProgram Files\Eidos\CM 03-04\Everton.htm

retired_mully

CProgram Files\Eidos\CM 03-04\Everton2.htm

retired_amyslack

European Soccer Weekly

Issue 53 - Friday August 6th, 2004

League Roundup
Croatia
A fine 3-1 win at Dinamo puts Varteks top of the pile in Croatia as they are the only team to maintain a 100% record after two games. Beisce, Zadar, Sibinek and Hajduk follow on 4 points. At the bottom of the table Cakovec and Zminj are still to gain a point.

Denmark
Three teams in Denmark have won their first two games. OB stay top with a 3-2 defeat of Viborg FF. Having raced into a 3-0 lead in the first half the home side conceded two in the second half but managed to hang on for the win. Brøndby beat FC Midtjylland 2-0 and are in second with newly promoted Farum shocking visitors FC København with an excellent 3-1 win despite falling behind to an early goal. FC København have had a dreadful start, conceding 6 goals and scoring only one and are bottom of the table. Defending champions AaB are also pointless having conceded 6 goals as well and hold the second relegation place. Frem have also failed to register a point so far this season.

Finland
A busy week saw leaders Tampere United beat FC Korsholm 2-1 and then draw 1-1 at Inter Turku. VPS recorded a fine 3-1 win at HJK to overtake their opponents and climb to second place but they missed a chance to stretch their advantage when they lost 4-2 at home to MyPa in their midweek game. Bottom club SalPa had a crucial 3-0 win at home to GBK, their nearest rivals, but lost 3-2 at FC Jazz in midweek. It was a hotly contested game with the teams sharing 4 goals in a 5-minute spell midway through the first half before the home side scored a second-half winner.

France
The season got underway in France with two rounds of games being played this week. Auxerre and Nantes both won twice and are both on 6 points. Auxerre beat Monaco 3-0 and then won 2-1 at Montpellier with Nantes recording 1-0 wins over Lille and St-Etienne.

Norway
A 2-1 defeat of struggling Ham Kam was enough to keep Stabæk on top as Rosenborg kept up the pressure with a 2-0 defeat of Moss. Stabæk have a one-point lead with two games in hand. Viking remain rooted to the bottom after losing 2-1 at Vålerenga and are some 8 points adrift. Start are second bottom on 16 points and Ham Kam, Vålerenga and Moss are all just ahead on 17 points.

Poland
Group A is headed by Pogon and Wisla who have both won their first two games with Szczakowianka and Zaglebie yet to record a point. In Group B leaders Ruch Chorzow are the only team with maximum points and both Orlen and Groclin have a 100% losing record.

Russia
At the weekend the big Moscow derby saw leaders Lokomotiv beat struggling Dinamo 1-0 in a very even game. In second place Spartka Moscow won 2-1 at Rostselmash with a late winner from star player and top scorer Artem Bezrodny (25, F LC). The top two met on Wednesday in another derby with Spartak beating the visitors 2-0 with Bezrodny on the scoresheet again. The win takes Spartak to within a point of the leaders. Third place Anzhi lost ground with a surprise 2-0 loss at Rotor.

Scotland
The SPL kicked off this weekend and Celtic, Champions for the last three seasons, got off to a flying start with a 4-1 win at home to Dundee United with new signing Martin Taylor (24, DC) marking his debut with the 4th goal. Rivals Rangers won 2-1 at Dunfermline with key man Peter Lovenkrands (24, F LC) scoring both goals. Dundee, St. Johnstone and Hibs also recorded victories but Celtic head them all on goal difference.

Sweden
Leaders Halmstad had a convincing 4-0 win at home to Kalmar FF in a dominant performance. Elfsborg maintain second place after a narrow 1-0 defeat of visiting Häcken who remain rooted to the bottom of the table and appear to be relegation certainties. Helsingborg stay third after a comfortable 3-0 win at home to Örebro who are also looking like prime relegation candidates.


Spotlight On.....France
The new season is already underway in France so we are a little late with our preview this week.

Auxerre
2003/4 – 5th
2002/3 – 4th
2001/2 – 3rd
The experienced Henri Michel (56) took over as Manager back in April and his team have made a good start to the new season with two wins out of two games. New signings Ioannis Amanatidis (22, AM/F L C) and Joseph Yobo (23, D/DM RC) have settled in well with the Nigerian defender in particular looking like a good buy despite the £5.25M price tag demanded by Lyon. Experienced keeper and club captain Fabien Cool (29, GK) has also started the season brightly but is rumoured to be looking for a move and a new challenge. Last seasons top scorer Steve Marlet (30, F RC), a £1.9M signing from Fulham a year ago, has also started well, and with experienced strike partner Tony Vairelles (31, F LC) is keeping highly rated Kapo (23, F C) on the bench.

Bastia
2003/4 – 15th
2002/3 – 9th
2001/2 – 16th
A decent mid-table finish two seasons ago by Gerard Gili’s team gave the fans hope only for their team to disappoint last season. The squad has been boosted by the arrival of the experienced former England international Graeme Le Saux (35, D L) in a free transfer from Charlton. The former Bolton, Chelsea and Blackburn player has looked in good shape in his two games so far. Fellow defender Fabrice Jau (25, D/DM R) has been in sparkling form thus far as has Jean-Christophe Devaux (29, SW/D C) who cost £2.8M from Nancy last season. Last seasons top scorer Florian Maurice (30, S C) has also started well and will hope to top his 16-goal haul in this campaign.

Bordeaux
2003/4 – 4th
2002/3 – 5th
2001/2 – 5th
Last seasons League Cup winners have not had the best of starts in the league, losing their only game so far. Manager Elie Baup (49) upset his team’s supporters when he sold star winger Camel Meriem (24, AM RLC) to Arsenal for £6.5M last month and with key attackers Pauleta (31, S C), Pascal Feindouno (23, F RC) and Clement Mazibuko (26, AM C) all unavailable because of injuries his team has yet to find top gear.

Caen
2003/4 – 14th
2002/3 – 15th
2001/2 – 4th in Second Division
Manager Patrick Remy (49) has done well to keep his team in the top flight since their promotion in 2002. A couple of astute signings in the shape of Johnny Ecker (31, D LC) from Standard Liège and Florent Laville (31, SW/D C) from Lyon have boosted his defence and with record signing Florent Malouda (24, AM/F L) now finding his form, Caen have started the season well.

Créteil
2003/4 – 2nd in Second Division
2002/3 – 19th
2001/2 – 3rd in Second Division
Manager Marc Collat (54) will be hoping that his team can avoid another immediate return to Division Two following their second promotion in three seasons. Over £3M has been spent on new players in the summer, with £2M going to Second Division Angers for Ousman Nyan (29, D MC). But it is the rather more modest move of Yazid Mansouri (26, DM RC) from Le Harve for £190K that looks like the better deal as it is the Algerian international that has made the biggest impression so far. Last seasons top scorer Yannis Anastasiou (31, S C) will need to find his best goalscoring form if his team is to stay clear of the relegation dogfight.

Lens
2003/4 – 16th
2002/3 – 1st
2001/2 – 8th
Lens suffered a spectacular collapse of form last season after winning Le Championat in 2003. Their awful form saw Joel Muller replaced by Luis Fernandez in February of this year. The new man took over with his team in 11th place and by season’s end they had dropped to 16th – not a very inspiring start. In June the club paid a record £7M to Montpellier for Francisco Javier Farinos (26, DM C) but the Spaniard is yet to impress in his two games so far. Worryingly for the fans, Lens have lost both of their opening games and are currently bottom of the table.

Lille
2003/4 – 12th
2002/3 – 7th
2001/2 – 4th
Manager Claude Puel (42) has seen his team slide down the table for the last two seasons and with just a point from their first two games they have not made the best of starts this year. It may be no coincidence that the performances of club captain Sunday Oliseh (29, DM C) have also been in decline during this period. Last seasons top scorer Chilean international Hector Santiago Tapia (26, S C) has yet to start a game this season after a dispute with Puel and his absence from the team certainly does not help their cause.

Lyon
2003/4 – 6th
2002/3 – 2nd
2001/2 – 1st
Lyon had a poor season by their recent standards last year but young manager Paul Le Guen (40) has got his team firing on all cylinders from the off this year. Having been in Inter-Toto action they have been playing competitive games since mid-July and have yet to lose in 5 outings. Club captain Sonny Anderson (33, S C) may be approaching the veteran stage but with 7 goals in 5 games, including 2 hat tricks, he is looking as sharp as ever. Strike partner Sydney Govou (25, F RC) has also been amongst the goals with 4 to his name thus far. The loss of Rui Costa (32, AM C) with a pulled hamstring has not stopped their momentum and Mahamadou Diarra (23, AM RC) is starting to look like a gem of a player.

Marseille
2003/4 – 11th
2002/3 – 6th
2001/2 – 11th
Now on their third manager in three seasons, Olympique Marseilles are struggling to find consistency in the league under Alan Giresse (52). Mexican international Juan Pablo Rodriguez (25, M C) arrived from Atlas in a £4.8M deal last month but has yet to make much of an impression. Brazilian defender Cesar (28, D C) has looked good since his arrival from Rennes for a £3.5M fee at the end of May but defensive partner Daniel Van Buyten (26, D C) is out of sorts and is rumoured to have lost faith in his manager. With only a single point from their two games so far, Giresse will need to find a way to motivate his players if they are to make any kind of challenge for trophies this season.

Monaco
2003/4 – 13th
2002/3 – 13th
2001/2 – 6th
With Jean Tigana (49) having left the club to take over as the French national manager, Monaco now have a new manager in the shape of former Metz and PSG boss Christian Gourcuff (49). Key players include record signing Fabian Andres Vargas (24, D/DM C) who has been highly influential since his £9M transfer from AEK last season. Club captain Ludovic Guily (28, AM R) is a skilful right winger and Antoine Sibierski (30, F LC) has played well since his arrival from Lens on a Bosman.

Montpellier
2003/4 – 1st in Second Division
2002/3 – 12th in Second Division
2001/2 – 17th
Montpellier struggled in Division Two after their relegation in 2002 but finished as convincing champions last season. Top scorer Abdoulaye Cisse (20, F RLC), the exciting young forward from the Ivory Coast, has carried his fine form into this season and along with strike partner Fode Mansare (22, F RLC), provides a threat to any defence. Manager Michel Mezy (56) has a very young squad and they may lack the experience to compete at this level but there is no shortage of talent at his disposal.

Nantes
2003/4 – 1st
2002/3 – 3rd
2001/2 – 2nd
Experienced Argentinean manager Angel Marcos (61) guided his team to the title last season and has opened this campaign with a victory in the Champions Trophy, the French equivalent of the Charity Shield. With a big squad and lots of money in the bank his team have every chance of retaining the title this season. Mathieu Berson (24, DM C) has made a splendid start to the season in his holding position in front of the back four and is being acclaimed as the new Patrick Vieira by some commentators. The club’s top scorer for the last three seasons Ariza Makukula (23, S C) looks as deadly as ever in front of goal and the experienced Olivier Quint (32, AM L) continues to supply the ammunition.

Nice
2003/4 – 10th
2002/3 – 16th
2001/2 – 1st in Second Division
Rolland Courbis (50) took his team to a solid mid-table finish last season after an investment of some £4.5M on players. With a further £5.5M being spent this summer the fans will be looking for a steady improvement. Stephan Appiah (23, DM C) has made a spectacular start to the season, scoring a hat trick in the opening game. After an excellent debut season following his £1.4M transfer Costa Rican international Alonso Solis (25, AM RC) will be looking for more of the same but the loss of Brazilian midfielder Miranda (30, D/DM R) with a broken leg is a blow.

Paris-SG
2003/4 – 3rd
2002/3 – 12th
2001/2 – 14th
PSG are now on their 4th manager in three years as the Board try to make the club competitive once more. Joel Muller (52) took over in February of this year and led the team to their best league finish since 2000. During the summer the club brought in the vastly experienced defender Marcel Desailly (35, D/DM C) on a free transfer from Chelsea. With 111 international caps his experience on the big stage could prove useful indeed. Also joining the squad is former Arsenal player Kolo Toure (23, D/DM RC) who moved from Rennes for £4M. Brazilian star Ronaldinho (24, F LC) needs to start to live up to his huge reputation if PSG are to be successful but his contribution in the past few seasons has not matched his profile in the game.

Rennes
2003/4 – 9th
2002/3 – 8th
2001/2 – 10th
Manager Manuel Amoros (42) has been busy in the transfer market during the summer but most of the traffic has been outgoing with over £13M received in fees. The biggest sale was the £5M received from Nürnberg for Czech international keeper Petr Cech (22, GK). Belarusian international keeper Yury Zhevnov (23, GK) was also sold to Toulouse for £2.7M, a nice profit on a player who joined on a free transfer and made only two senior appearances for the club. It remains to be seen if the departures will upset the team balance, as Rennes have been a consistent mid-table team for the last three seasons.

Sedan
2003/4 – 2nd
2002/3 – 11th
2001/2 – 13th
Surprise challengers for the title last season, Guy Lacombe (49) inspired his team to their best ever league finish with their home record almost as good as Champions Nantes. It remains to be seen if this performance was a one-off. A number of senior fringe players have been released in the summer and over £6M invested in new players. The biggest signing was the £4.6M transfer of Ivan Bosnjak (24, F RC) from Sochaux.

Sochaux
2003/4 – 3rd in Second Division
2002/3 – 18th
2001/2 – 7th
Jean-Yves Kerjean (48) led his team to an immediate return to the top flight after their relegation two seasons ago. The £2.8M transfer of Andriy Vorobey (25, F C) from Bochum last June was a significant factor as the Ukrainian was the clubs top scorer last season. Young striker Vincent de Paul Pericard (21, S C) was also an influential player last season but is said to be unhappy with his manager and keen to make a move.

St-Etienne
2003/4 – 8th
2002/3 – 14th
2001/2 – 2nd in Second Division
After gaining promotion in 2002 Frederic Antonetti (42) led his team to the French Cup Final in 2003 and to a very respectable 8th place finish last season. He paid a club record £5.75M to bring Samir Beloufa (24, D RC) from Standard Liège at he start of this month to strengthen his defence but the new man is currently out of action with an ankle injury. Also on the injury list is striker Alexandr Shirko (27, S C) but Mickael Dogbe (27, S C), top scorer for the last two seasons, is fit and well.

Strasbourg
2003/4 – 7th
2002/3 – 1st in Second Division
2001/2 – 6th in Second Division
Young Czech manager Ivan Hasek (40) impressed by taking his team to a fine 7th place finish after their promotion last season. Exciting young striker Ludovic Viltard (20, S C) was last season’s top scorer and is a key player. Another important player is Vitaliy Volodenkov (28, D/DM/F RLC) and the versatile Belarusian international has started the season well. Strasbourg have been in Inter-Toto action since early July and are making good progress in the competition. A number of fringe players were released in the summer and two important defensive signings made. Brazilian Cacapa (28, D C) joined from Lyon for £4.4M and Russian Maxim Demenko (28, D/DM C) moved from Bastia for £2.9M.

Troyes
2003/4 – 17th
2002/3 – 17th
2001/2 – 9th
Troyes have flirted with relegation for each of the past two seasons and the loss of key striker Nassim Akrour (30, S C) for a month with a hamstring injury will not help their cause. Wingers Jerome Rothen (26, AM L) and Karim Ziani (21, AM R) have both started the season well and manager Alain Perrin (47) will be encouraged by their contribution. He spent nearly £3M on new players in the summer with his biggest buy being the £1.4M spent to bring young keeper Remy Vercoutre (24, GK) from [b]Lyon.


Reader’s Letters
Thanks to readers RoverMo and Mattie for their words of support. Mattie made a special request for some detailed information on Everton on ESW Online and we are pleased to say that he will find a webpage devoted just to his request - check out the Reader Specials section Mattie. Your favourites just avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth last season and their full season’s stats are on the site for your reading pleasure.

retired_nel86

I've been away from the forums for quite a while and decided to check up on them while at work. Now I've spent two weeks to read all of this and can't believe I have to wait for updates.

My compliments, this is a class A story and I hope you'll keep it up.

As a Finn I am itching for some information about the best Finnish players at the moment and how Finland is doing at the international level. I hope we're doing better than in real life... Please give at least a brief summary of the best Finns out there.

retired_amyslack

European Soccer Weekly

Issue 54 - Friday August 13th, 2004

News
The transfer market has been picking up again this week. The biggest deal of the month so far was the £12.25M move of Gaston Casas (26, F LC) from Betis to Feyenoord. Also in Spain, Dutch international Roy Makaay (28, F RC) has moved from Deportivo to Real Madrid for a fee of £9.5M. Other big money moves include the £8.5M spent by West Ham to bring Marcelo Salas (29, S C) from Juventus and the move of Tomas Ujfalusi (26, D/DM C) from HSV to 1.FC Köln for £7.5M.

League Roundup
Croatia
The Croatian First Division will be out of action until the end of this month.

Denmark
OB have maintained their 100% record with a 1-0 win at AaB leaving the defending champions bootom of the table with no points. Brøndby suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at Frem to drop to 3rd. Farum remain unbeaten following their 1-1 draw at Viborg FF and move to 2nd. Silkeborg IF and FC Midtjylland both recorded wins and are 4th and 5th respectively.

Finland
It was another busy week in Finland with two rounds of matches being played. Leaders Tampere United were held 1-1 by HJK at the weekend but had a good 2-0 win at VPS in midweek and now hold a 16-point lead with almost two-thirds of the season complete. FC Haka have moved up to second place with a 1-0 win over VPS and a 2-2 draw at FC Korsholm. MyPa are up the 3rd having beaten GBK 3-1 in their sole game of the week. SalPa have moved off the bottom with two good 3-0 wins, at home to Inter Turku and away to PP-70, and GBK now prop up the table.

France
There was a limited programme in La Championat this week. Bordeaux and Lyon fought out an entertaining 3-3 draw with Lyon’s Sidney Govou (25, F RC) netting a hat trick. There was more excitement at Strasbourg with PSG eventually triumphing 4-3.

Norway
Rosenborg have moved to the top of the table after taking 4 points from their two games. They beat Lyn 2-1 at the weekend but required two late goals to gain a 2-2 draw at Sogndal in midweek. Stabæk only played once, recording a 1-0 win at home to Sogndal and drop to second on goal difference but they do have 3 games in hand. Bottom club Viking managed only their second win of the season as they beat Odd Grenland 3-0.

Poland
Wisla top Group A after a convincing 5-1 win at home to Pogon after the visiting keeper was sent off in the first minute. Szczakowianka suffered their third consecutive defeat and occupy the bottom place. A 1-0 win for Legia over Ruch Chorzow takes then top of Group B with Orlen still bottom of the table having lost all three games so far.

Russia
Lokomotiv Moscow remain top of the table after a 2-1 defeat of Rotor and Spartak Moscow stay a point behind with a convincing 4-0 win over relegation-threatened Zhemchuzhina. A 2-1 win at Shinnik keeps Anzhi 3rd. Dinamo Moscow recorded their second win of the season, a 2-1 victory at Rostselmash, to close within a point of Zhemchuzhina.

Scotland
Rangers have moved to the to of the table after a 5-1 demolition of Hearts. Celtic are in second place after winning 2-1 at Raith Rovers with Hibs and St. Johnstone next after their wins over Kilmarnock and Dundee United respectively. All four teams are on 6 points after the first two games. Raith and Dundee United have both yet to gain a point at this early stage of the season.

Sweden
Halmstad have stretched their lead slightly when they won 2-1 at AIK and Elfsborg were held scoreless at IFK Göteborg. Helsingborg missed a chance to make some ground after losing 3-1 at Hammarby. Bottom of the table Häcken lost yet again, 3-1 at home to ÖIS, but Örebro managed their second win of the season with a 2-1 defeat of Djurgården.


Champions League Roundup
The First Leg games in the 3rd Qualifying round took place on Wednesday of this week. Blackburn will take a 2-0 lead to Denmark in their tie against AaB whilst Tottenham will defend the same scoreline at home to Czech side Slavia Prague. Celtic recorded a good 2-0 win in Finland over HJK and compatriots Rangers have a valuable away goal following their 2-1 defeat at [b]Sporting of Portugal. Rangers could have done even better but for a 90th minute own goal from defender Craig Moore (28, D C). Athletic Bilbao suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Dinamo of Croatia whilst Deportivo came back from Sparta Prague with a 1-1 draw. FC Bayern were held 0-0 in the Ukraine by Shakhtar, Sampdoria had a convincing 4-0 win at home to Rapid Bucharest, Roma recorded the same scoreline in Bulgaria against BATE and PSV take a 1-0 lead to Portugal in their tie against Benfica.


UEFA Cup Roundup
The opening games in the Qualifying Round were played on Thursday. Raith Rovers came back from a goal down to beat Elfsborg 2-1 in Sweden and Aberdeen won 1-0 at Metallurg Donetsk of the Ukraine. Armagh lost out 2-1 at home to Nistru Otaki of Moldova and Northern Ireland compatriots Coleraine suffered a 5-1 defeat at home to Orlen of Poland. Bray Wanderers let a two-goal lead slip against Atlantas of Lithuania and ended up with a 2-2 draw. Dundalk had a convincing 4-1 win at home to Armenian side Ararat. Aberystwyth Town did well to come back from Azerbaijan with a 1-0 lead over Karabagh but Welshpool were kept scoreless by visiting Jeunesse Esch of Luxumbourg.


Spotlight On…..Ireland
The top leagues in Both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland kick off this weekend so our Spotlight this week will take a look at both of these competitions.

Northern Ireland

Ballymena United
2003/4 – 7th
2002/3 – 2nd in First Division
2001/2 – 5th in First Division
Ballymena managed to avoid being dragged into a relegation struggle last season and manager Kenny Shiels (48) will be hoping for a repeat performance this year. The squad has been boosted by the arrival of two or three decent looking players from the club’s modest youth programme. However the team’s fortunes will largely rest upon their best performers from last season. Shea Campbell (23, D/M/F RLC) was the fans’ favourite last season and this versatile player will be important once again. Top scorer David Martin (24, S C) will hope to improve on last year’s total of 11 goals to keep his team out of trouble.

Bangor
2003/4 – 6th
2002/3 – 1st in First Division
2001/2 – 3rd in First Division
Manager Lee Doherty (41) was pleased by his team’s endeavours last season following their promotion. With no additions to the squad he will be looking for the same again from his playing staff. Bangor made themselves hard to beat last season, adopting a hard-working approach and packing the midfield. But as a consequence they found goals hard to come by and Gareth Graham (25, AM C) was their top scorer with 8 goals. Fan’s favourite and club captain Paul Emerson (25, D C) was a key figure in defence.

Coleraine
2003/4 – 2nd
2002/3 – 6th
2001/2 – 4th
The loss of key player and top performer Rory Hamill (28, F C) for two months with a torn groin muscle gives manager Marty Quinn (61) a major problem. His contribution to last season’s success cannot be understated and the team will struggle without him. The Premier Division’s Player of the Year last season enjoyed a great campaign with fellow striker teenager Peter McConnell (19, F C), the two scoring 49 goals between them. McConnell made such an impression that he was awarded the Young Player’s award but with Hammill missing McConnell is now paired with rookie Paul Adair (17, S C).

Distillery
2003/4 – 5th
2002/3 – 2nd
2001/2 – 3rd
After securing the runners-up position two seasons ago Paul Kirk (56) was frustrated that his team failed to capitalise. Losing in the Cup Semi-Finals for the second season in succession only added to the sense of under-achievement. With no funds to play with the squad is unchanged but if key players such as John Martin (28, AM R), Mark Holland (26, F C) and exciting youngster Jonathan Cleary (21, S C) can keep their form then the team could be contenders in this campaign.

Glenavon
2003/4 – 8th
2002/3 – 3rd
2001/2 – 5th
Last seasons losing League Cup finalists had a poor time of it in the league and the pride of Lurgan will be hoping for a better performance this year. Manager Colin Malone (44) has brought in defender Gareth McAuley (24, D C) from Coleraine on a Bosman and he has impressed in pre-season. Club captain Gerard McMahon has senior experience in both England and Scotland and he remains a key player for the club. Young striker Chris Boyle (21, S C) performed well last season, netting 20 goals after his 13 the season before, and strike partner Gavin Cusack (18, S C) shows great promise.

Glentoran
2003/4 – 3rd
2002/3 – 4th
2001/2 – 2nd
It was another frustrating season for Roy Coyle (56) and his team as they sought to win their first championship since 1999. In Darren Armour (29, F RC) they have a proven and consistent goalscorer, his 21 league goals topping the scoring charts last season. Club captain Chris Walker (28, D C) is a solid presence in defence and in Darren Lockhart (30, M LC) they have an experienced campaigner to organise the midfield.

Larne
2003/4 – 1st in First Division
2002/3 – 9th in First Division
2001/2 – 10th in First Division
The appointment of Andy Mathieson (37) in March of last year transformed the fortunes of this small club and they went on to top the First Division and reach the Cup Final. The acquisition of Tony Smith (22, S C) on a free transfer from Ballyclare proved to be a masterstroke as the young striker found the net 28 times last season. He will need to reproduce his best goalscoring form if his team are to survive in the Premiership and avoid an immediate relegation.

Linfield
2003/4 – 4th
2002/3 – 1st
2001/2 – 8th
After their golden season two years ago when they captured the domestic double, David Jeffrey (41) and his team struggled to reproduce the magic last season. Davy Larmour (26, F RC) is a key figure in attack and has broken the 20-goal barrier in each of his last two seasons. William Murphy (30, D C) is a consistent and reliable performer in defence but the highly rated forward Lee Feeney (26, F C) has not yet lived up to his star billing since his move from Rangers 3 seasons ago.

Omagh
2003/4 – 2nd in First Division
2002/3 – 5th in First Division
2001/2 – 10th
Now back in the top flight after a two-year absence, Roy McCreadie (46) will be something of a miracle worker if he can keep this tiny club in the Premiership. Andrew Crawford (27, S C) found goals easy to come by in Division One but the going will be much tougher at this level. With a number of unproven youngsters in the squad it seems fairly certain that Omagh will lack the depth and quality to survive and must be favourites for relegation.

Portadown
2003/4 – 1st
2002/3 – 5th
2001/2 – 1st
The resurgent form of veteran striker Vinny Arkins (33, F C) was a big factor in Portadown’s league triumph last season. With his team having already been in competitive action in the Champions League qualifying rounds the indications are that he is already got his eye in this season, having scored three times in their four European ties. He will be aided and abetted by the talents of wingers Wesley Boyle (25, AM/F R) and Kyle Neill (26, D/M L), both of who have started the season brightly. But with key defender Pat McGibbon (30, D C) having been transfer listed at his own request manager Jimmy Quinn (44) may be left with a difficult gap to fill.


Republic Of Ireland

Bohemians
2003/4 – 3rd
2002/3 – 4th
2001/2 – 2nd
It was another consistent season for young manager Stephen Kenny (32) and his team, although they were never really in the title hunt. The Bo’s are already well into their season as they have been in Inter-Toto action and have secured the Super Cup. Glen Crowe (26, F LC), top scorer for the last three seasons, has started the season in fine form having scored 6 times in 7 games. Key defender Simon Webb (26, D/DM L) has also made a great start to the new campaign but is rumoured to be keen to make a move to a bigger club. Should he get his wish then he will be a very difficult player to replace such has his contribution been to the team.

Derry City
2003/4 – 9th
2002/3 – 7th
2001/2 – 6th
When former Irish International Ray Houghton (42) took charge at the Brandywell towards the end of last year the Derry faithful hoped that this would signal a turnaround in the fortunes of their team. Unfortunately this was not the case and the team continued to struggle, needing to win a playoff against UCD to avoid relegation. With no transfer activity during the off-season to add to the squad the fans can only expect another season of strife. The team desperately needs to fins a goalscorer from somewhere as last season’s top marksman was midfielder Tommy McCallion (27, FC).

Dundalk
2003/4 – 2nd
2002/3 – 1st
2001/2 – 1st
When the popular and successful Martin Lawlor (46) left the club to take over the reins at Swindon Town he was replaced by Portadown boss Ronnie McFall (39). Unfortunately for the new man his team lost out to rivals Shamrock Rovers in the title race and he will be anxious to reverse that result this season. Last month he paid a club-record £150K to bring Sinisa Saric (23, AM/F C) from Kildare County. The young Yugoslav will partner top striker Darren Ward (24, F RLC) and if the two click then they could form a potent combination. Ward was the Premier Division’s Player of the Year last season and won the Golden Boot into the bargain.

Kildare County
2003/4 – 7th
2002/3 – 8th
2001/2 – 1st in First Division
The smallest club in the division have done extremely well to stay in the top flight for the past two seasons and credit must go to manager Dermot Keely (50) for this achievement. His team tries to play attacking football and are no devotees of the long ball game. They don’t always succeed but their ambition should be applauded nonetheless. Striker Philip Gorman (26, S C) is their main goalscoring threat and winger Shay Zellor (26, F RC) is probably their most creative player.

Longford
2003/4 – 1st in First Division
2002/3 – 10th
2001/2 – 5th
When former Wrexham manager Dennis Smith (56) was appointed in March 2003 the team were in deep relegation trouble and the Englishman faced a mighty challenge to keep them in the Premier Division. But with only 1 defeat in their last 8 games, they came very close to pulling it off, finishing just a point from safety. However they have bounced back in style, winning the First Division title last season. But saddled with significant debts, Smith has not been able to strengthen his squad for the forthcoming season so he will be relying on his current playing staff to rise to the challenge. Young forward Patrick Mulvihill (21, S C) was last season’s top scorer and he will be hoping to prove as effective at a higher level of competition.

Monaghan United
2003/4 – 5th
2002/3 – 1st in First Division
2001/2 – 12th
The achievements of Bobby Browne (42) may inspire Longford as his team managed a decent mid-table finish after their bounce-back from relegation last season. Another club lacking the resources to buy in players they finished some way behind 4th place but were never in danger of relegation. Lacking anything approaching a star player, the team relies on a strong work ethic and a good collective spirit. Captain John Ryan (28, AM/F C) typifies the team’s approach with his no-nonsense style and the fans can expect another season of maximum endeavour from their team.

Shamrock Rovers
2003/4 – 1st
2002/3 – 3rd
2001/2 – 8th
With successful manager Liam Buckley (44) having been tempted across the water to take over at Notts County, Rovers have a new man at the helm. The surprise appointment of Alan Kernaghan (37), the former Clyde manager, has not filled the fans with optimism given his poor track record. With their season well underway already they have had mixed success. They performed poorly in the Super Cup and were narrowly eliminated from the Champions League, but they beat rivals Dundalk to lift the Presidents Cup last weekend. Last season’s top scorer Sean Francis (32, S C) has already been amongst the goals and strike partner Tony Grant (27, S C) also looks sharp.

Shelbourne
2003/4 – 6th
2002/3 – 5th
2001/2 – 4th
The Shelbourne Board have chopped and changed managers with alarming frequency as they try to recapture the elusive league title. Former Chester boss Mark Wright (45) has been in charge since March of last year and has so far proved to be no more successful than his predecessors. In Mark Roberts (28, S C) and Bryan Caldwell (23, S C) they have a potent strikeforce and the two Scotsmen combined for a total of 36 goals last season. Winger Richie Baker (24, AM R) is a danger on the flank but the team needs to tighten up at the back as they leaked a lot of goals lat year.

St. Pat’s Athletic
2003/4 – 4th
2002/3 – 2nd
2001/2 – 3rd
Having just lost out in their title challenge on goal difference two seasons ago, it was a relatively disappointing campaign for manager Pat Dolan (36) last year. The team was dogged by inconsistency and if that problem can be addressed they have some quality players that will worry any opposition. Ugandan International Mbabazi (23, SW/M/F RC) is a versatile asset although after two fine seasons he did under-perform in the last campaign. Liam Kelly (28, F RC) notched 27 goals last season and is approaching his peak as a player.

Waterford United
2003/4 – 8th
2002/3 – 6th
2001/2 – 2nd in First Division
It was a struggle for Jimmy McGeough (44) and his team last season but they achieved their objective of remaining in the Premier Division. A lot of credit must go to striker Barry Wood (27, S C) as without his 29 goals they would surely have gone down. But with the same squad of players at his disposal again this season McGeough can only look forward to another relegation battle.


Readers Letters
New subscriber meadow lane has been in touch all the way from Finland and we thank him for his kind comments. Mr. lane is keen to know how his country is doing at present. Well we can tell him that Finland missed out on a playoff place in their Euro2004 qualifying campaign, finishing 4th in their group behind Spain and the Ukraine. Their World Cup qualifying campaign will get underway next month and they have been drawn in Group 5 alongside Armenia, Holland, Northern Ireland and Yugoslavia. He also asked about the best Finnish players. Well there are a number of players from his homeland plying their trade across Europe. Sami Hyppia (31, D C) is at Liverpool, Mikael Forsell (23, S C) is playing for Torino having been transferred from Chelsea last month and Aki Riihilahti (27, DM C) is at Crystal Palace. Peter Enckelman (27, GK) is at Aston Villa, Jussi Jaaskelainen (29, GK) plays for Bolton and Finnish legend Jari Litmanen (33, AM/F C) is now at Everton having been released by Ajax.

retired_amyslack

Having been without a PC for 10 days I have lagged behind on this one but I'll be catching up as soon as I can.

European Soccer Weekly

Issue 55 - Friday August 20th, 2004

News
There have been a couple of significant transfers during this week. Brazilian International Emilson Sanchez Cribari (24, D C) has moved from Empoli to Napoli for an £11M fee. But this was overshadowed by the £29.5M paid by Real Madrid to bring German midfielder Sebastian Deisler (24, AM/R C) from FC Bayern. This takes Madrid’s summer spending to an incredible £56M and they may not be finished yet, having been linked in the Spanish press with Dortmund’s Tomas Rosicky.


League Roundup
Belgium
The Belgian First Division kicked off last weekend and Charleroi are making the early pace, having played twice in the week. They started off with a 2-1 win at defending champions Sint-Truiden and followed that up with a 2-2 draw at home to Beveren earlier today. Newly promoted Deinze made a good start with a 2-0 win at Virton and fellow promotees KV Mechelen had an excellent 2-0 win at home to Standard Liège.

Denmark
OB have kept their momentum going with their 4th straight win, a 2-1 defeat of Silkeborg IF. New boys Farum have made a terrific start and remain unbeaten with a 3-1 win at home to AB. Brøndby beat Viborg FF 2-0 to stay 3rd and FC Midtjylland are just behind after their action-packed 5-4 win over AaB. The defending champions are still to open their account and remain marooned at the bottom of the table.

Finland
Leaders Tampere United played out an eventful 3-3 draw at MyPa. Having come back from two goals down to take the lead they were pegged back by a stoppage time equaliser. HJK profited slightly with a 3-0 defeat of FC Haka but are still 16 points behind although they do have 2 games in hand. With 11 games left in the league schedule the leaders are yet to taste defeat, which is more than can be said for cellar-dwellers GBK. They slumped to their 16th defeat of the season, losing 3-0 at PP-70.

France
There were two sets of matches played in La Championat this week and Auxerre won twice to sustain their 100% record. On Saturday they won 2-0 at home to Troyes and earlier today they won 4-3 at Créteil. Caen are two points behind in second having won 3-1 at Lille, who are now bottom with just one point, and then beating St-Etienne 1-0 at home. Monaco and Nantes are both on 9 points in 3rd and 4th respectively. Monaco won 4-0 at neighbours Nice on Saturday and followed that up with a 3-2 defeat of PSG. Defending champions Nantes suffered a surprise 3-2 defeat at Lyon but then defeated Sochaux 1-0 earlier today.

Germany
The Bundesliga season kicked off at the weekend and last season’s runners-up Schalke 04 got off to a flying start with a 4-0 win at home to 1.FC Köln. Kaiserslautern are close behind following their 4-1 defeat of M'gladbach, the same scoreline that VfB Stuttgart recorded against Werder Bremen, and defending champions Dortmund had a comfortable 3-0 win over Hertha BSC.

Holland
The Eredivisie also got underway this week and the “Big Three” all started out with wins. Ajax won 2-1 at newly promoted Excelsior, Feyenoord won 3-0 at Twente and PSV came back from Willem II with a 4-2 win. But it is AZ who top the table having played twice this week. They started out with a 1-1 draw at Den Bosch and then beat Cambuur 3-1 earlier today.

Northern Ireland
It was a low-key start to the season in the North with Distillery currently top after winning 2-0 at Linfield. Glenavon are next after their 2-1 defeat of Larne and they are followed by Glentoran who won 1-0 at Ballymena United. Defending champs Portadown were held 1-1 at Bangor, not exactly the start that they would have wanted.

Norway
There was only one game played in the Tippeligaen this week as leaders Stabæk kept up their excellent for with a 1-0 win at Odd Grenland. They are now three points clear of Rosenborg with two games in hand.

Poland
Wisla are still top of Group A and their 2-1 win at Radomsko makes it 4 out of 4 so far. At the other end Szczakowianka also have a 100% record but unfortunately it is 100% defeats as they lost 3-2 at home to Widzew. Slask have taken over leadership of Group B after they beat Gornik Zabrze 2-1 and Legia lost 3-0 at Polonia. Orlen remain bottom after losing once more, 2-0 at Groclin.

Republic Of Ireland
In the South, Monaghan United will be delighted with their start having beaten both Kildare County and Bohemians to take an early lead. St. Pat’s Athletic on the other hand, the only other team to have played twice, have just a point for their efforts, losing a lively opener 4-3 to Waterford United and then playing a scoreless draw with defending champions Dundalk.

Russia
Lokomotiv Moscow have opened up a 4-point gap at the top after they won 3-2 at Rostselmash and Spartak Moscow suffered a 1-0 defeat at Saturn. Anzhi are a further 4 points behind after their 2-0 defeat of Alania. Dinamo Moscow have hauled themselves off the bottom of the table with a 2-1 win in the relegation battle at Zhemchuzhina who are now in last place.

Scotland
The top three in Scotland are all on maximum points after 3 games. Rangers won 2-1 at Kilmarnock, Celtic beat Hibs 2-0 and St. Johnstone beat Raith Rovers 3-2 thanks to a stoppage-time winner. Last years surprise package, Raith have yet to gain a point but having been denied last week against Celtic with another late goal their luck must take a turn for the better soon. Dundee United continued their dreadful start with a 1-0 defeat in the Tayside derby as neighbours Dundee move up to 4th in the table.

Sweden
Halmstad are clinging on to first place but only on goal difference after last weekend’s results. They suffered their second defeat of the season, losing 2-1 at home to IFK Göteborg. Elfsborg took full advantage with a 3-2 defeat of Hammarby and the two are now tied on 34 points. Häcken suffered defeat number 14, losing 3-0 at Malmö FF but Örebro gained a welcome point in a scoreless draw at ÖIS.

Turkey
The Turkish Premier Division is in full swing and Fenerbahçe have started well, winning twice to top the table. Defending champions Besiktas have only played once but they too recorded an opening win.


Spotlight On…..Germany
With the Bundesliga just getting back into competitive action this week’s Spotlight takes a look at the prospects for the contenders in Germany.

1.FC Köln
2003/4 – 8th
2002/3 – 14th
2001/2 – 2nd in Second Division
Under the direction of manager Friedhelm Funkel (50) Köln are showing a steady improvement since their return to the top-flight two seasons ago. With a sizeable stadium and a decent fan base they have the potential to become an established First Division side. At the start of last season the club spent an extraordinary £27M on new players. Brazilian striker Luizao (28, S C) cost a club-record £9.25M and Hungarian Pal Dardai (28, M LC) wasn’t much cheaper at £8.25M, both players coming from Hertha BSC. They both performed well and Luizao was the club’s top scorer but some observers would suggest that his 12 goals do not represent very good value for money. Their other major acquisition was defender Frank Fahrenhorst (26, D LC) who cost £6M from Bochum but has not made a big impact despite being a regular starter. Perhaps the team’s most consistent performer last season was Carsten Cullmann (28, D/DM RC) and his recent breakthrough into the national squad has rewarded his efforts. Young Norwegian prospect Magne Hoseth (23, AM/F LC) joined on a Bosman from Molde at the start of this year but he has been used mainly as a substitute so far and has yet to make much of an impression. A number of the more senior players at the club were sold off in the summer and the proceeds have been used to fund a few more acquisitions. Perhaps the most significant is the £7.5M paid to HSV for Czech international Tomas Ujfalusi (26, D/DM C) who looks like being a key player in defence.

1860 München
2003/4 – 7th
2002/3 – 5th
2001/2 – 3rd
Despite a slight decline in their league placings, manager Peter Pacult (44) has enjoyed some success in the German Cup. Losing finalists two seasons ago they triumphed last season with a 1-0 defeat of Leverkusen. The team shares the Olympic Stadium in Munich with their more illustrious neighbours FC Bayern and their fans would be delighted if they could build on their cup success and step out of the shadows to challenge in the Bundesliga. They have a proven goalscorer in club captain Ebbe Sand (32, F C) who is partnered up front by the experienced Australian international Paul Agostino (29, S C). They also have two talented and exciting Russian youngsters in the shape of Alexandr Kerzhakov (21, F C) and Marat Izmailov (21, AM LC) but most observers would suggest that the squad lacks the depth necessary to sustain a real title challenge.

Bielefeld
2003/4 – 3rd in Second Division
2002/3 – 17th
2001/2 – 15th
Having been relegated two seasons ago a 3rd place finish in the Second Division last season sees Bielefeld make an immediate return to the top-flight. With a new manager in the shape of former Frankfurt and Werder Bremen boss Bernd Krauss (47), it remains to be seen if they will be able to avoid a quick return to Division Two. Just last month Krauss sold off his Polish pair of Daniel Bogusz (30, D LC) and Artur Wichniarek (27, S C) for a combined £13.5M, causing concern amongst the fans. The main goal threat now comes from veteran Bulgarian Ilia Grujev (34, F C) and Swedish international Yskel Osmanovski (27, F LC).

Dortmund
2003/4 – 1st
2002/3 – 2nd
2001/2 – 2nd
Having come agonisingly close to the championship in 2002/3 only to be denied by FC Bayern on goal difference, there was an air of palpable relief at the Westfalenstadion as Dortmund came out on top in another exciting title race. Their talented young manager Matthias Sammer (36) gained even more plaudits as his team completed a magnificent double by beating Roma on penalties in the Champions League final. With the giant Czech Jan Koller (31, S C) leading the line and strike partner Ewerthon (23, F LC) of Brazil in good form the two strikers were on target 45 times in total last season. Exciting midfielder Tomas Risocky (23, AM/F RC) is a key provider and with defenders of the quality of Dede (26, D/DM L) and Christoph Metzelder (23, D C) they are a tough nut to crack at the back. With many of their key players still well in their twenties they should be a major force in Europe for years to come.

FC Bayern
2003/4 – 3rd
2002/3 – 1st
2001/2 – 1st
At the start of this month FC Bayern completed a hat trick of wins in the German League Cup, beating Leverkusen 3-0 in the final, but this gives their fans little consolation for missing out on a historic 6th Bundesliga title in succession. Their experienced manager Ottmar Hitzfeld (55) has gone on record as saying that they will regain their title this season but the recent sale of midfielder Sebastian Deisler (24, AM RC) to Real Madrid for £29.5M has not gone down well with the supporters. There is no shortage of striking talent in the squad that’s for sure. Experienced Brazilians Elber (32, S C) and Jardel (30, S C) are complemented by Claudio Pizarro (25, S C) and Roque Santa Cruz (23, S C). Winger Ze Roberto (30, AM L) remains a key provider and Michael Ballack (27, AM C) is a big influence in midfield. Veteran keeper Oliver Kahn (35, GK) is still in the world class category, Robert Kovac (30, D C) is a rock at the back and Hasan Salihamidzic (27, D/DM R) is a vital, if underrated, performer.

HSV
2003/4 – 10th
2002/3 – 12th
2001/2 – 5th
The arrival of German goalkeeping legend Sepp Maier (60) as manager in March of last year has not resulted in an immediate upturn in fortune for Hamburg’s favourites but with over £25M invested in new players over the summer much is expected in this campaign. The £14.25M that it cost to bring Dutch sensation Youssouf Hersi (22. AM/F LC) from Aston Villa is a club record and the youngster is looking good so far. Virtually the only household name in the squad, there is much responsibility on the young man’s shoulders as he tries to build a striking partnership with Argentinean Bernardo Romeo (26, S C). He joins a veritable United Nations as no fewer that 17 nationalities are represented in the HSV first team squad of 26.

Hannover 96
2003/4 – 11th
2002/3 – 4th
2001/2 – 9th
After an excellent 4th place finish two seasons ago manager Ralf Rangnick (46) virtually rebuilt his squad with 15 players exiting and 19 coming in at a net cost of some £20M. The gamble didn’t pay off as many of the new players struggled to establish themselves and the team stuttered to a mid-table finish. The manager blamed the distraction of European competition as a major factor and he has continued his revolving door policy by releasing or selling a further 8 players this summer and bringing in 7 more. One of last season’s few successes was top scorer Paulo Roberto Rink (31, F C) but whether 15 goals justifies his £5.5M fee from Cottbus is another matter. As one of the most consistent performers of last campaign the £200K spent to bring in South Korean Kim Nam-Il (27, DM C) looks like a much better investment. The arrival of experienced Norwegian international Andre Bergdolmo (32, D RLC) from Ajax on a Bosman will bolster the defence but the fans should expect another difficult season ahead. If his team don’t make a good start to the season then Rangnick could be an early casualty if rumours from the club are to be believed.

Hertha BSC
2003/4 – 6th
2002/3 – 13th
2001/2 – 10th
The arrival of manager Guus Hiddink (57) almost 2 years ago was supposed to herald a new era for the sleeping Berlin giants and a 6th place finish last season may be a sign of good things to come. The experienced Dutch manager certainly made his presence known – in his time at the club he has disposed of nearly 30 players with an even dozen coming in. The arrival of veteran Argentinean striker Gabriel Batistuta (35, S C) on a Bosman from Roma last summer raised a few eyebrows but the scoring legend started barely a quarter of his team’s matches. The acquisition of former Fulham man Louis Saha (26, F RC) for £3M from Leverkusen could prove to be interesting as there is no doubt that the team need a proven golascorer.

Kaiserslautern
2003/4 – 12th
2002/3 – 3rd
2001/2 – 7th
After a terrific 2002/3 last season represented a huge disappointment for manager Eric Gerets (50). Having raised expectations with a fine 3rd place finish, the fans felt badly let down by the team’s poor performance last year. One of the few players to escape criticism was local hero Miroslav Klose (26, S C) as he once again finished top scorer. The arrival of Emile Mpenza (26, S C) midway through last season from Schalke 04 for a club-record £16.25M was an indication of the club’s ambition and there has been a further £5M spent over the summer, mainly funded by the departure of a couple of older players.

Karlsruhe
2003/4 – 2nd in Second Division
2002/3 – 4th in Second Division
2001/2 – 14th in Second Division
Playing in the Regional Divisions just 4 seasons ago Karlsruhe have progressed in leaps and bounds since former VfB Stuttgart manager Felix Magath (51) was appointed two years ago. Magath has gradually rebuilt his squad, spending a net £10M after sales are taken into account, and the fans are hopeful that their team will survive their first taste of the top division. The well-travelled Colombian striker Hamilton Ricard (30, S C) made a big impact after his arrival at the start of last season, contributing 24 goals in his team’s promotion challenge. Young midfield prospect Clemens Fritz (23, AM/F R) is attracting some attention and much is expected of record signing Milan Drageljevic (SW/D/DM C) who cost £3.7M in his move from Eintracht Trier last month.

Leverkusen
2003/4 – 4th
2002/3 – 6th
2001/2 – 12th
Klaus Toppmoller (53) may have made a serious misjudgement in allowing defender Lucio (26, D C) to move to Barcelona in June for a world record £40M fee. The subsequent sales of Jens Nowotny (30, SW/D C) and Bernd Schneider (30, AM RC) for a combined £28M may have made the accountants very happy but they have left the Leverkusen fans in dismay. The £18M spent on Labros Choutos (24, S C) and Igor Tudor (26, D/DM RC) has done little to placate them and they remain unconvinced that their team will be able to challenge for honours this season. But the squad id not without talent – last seasons top scorer Dimitar Berbatov (23, S C) notched up 19 goals, Brazilain Franca (28, F C) can be a thrilling player and Yildiray Basturk (25, AM C) has started the season in fine form. So Toppmoller may yet prove his critics wrong but if he fails to do so then his time in charge may come to a sudden end.

M'gladbach
2003/4 – 15th
2002/3 – 10th
2001/2 – 13th
The glory days of the 1970’s have long gone and under Hans Meyer (61) there seems little prospect of them returning. They escaped relegation last season by a narrow margin and endured a season of under-performing players and one poor result after another. There have been changes on the playing front as 9 players leave and a similar number arrive but a heavy opening day defeat at Kaiserslautern does not auger well for this campaign. Morten Skoubo (24, S C) is capable of scoring regularly at this level but even he looked under par last year. New Bosman signing Bogdan Apostol (24, S C) is said to be finding it difficult to settle after his move from Romania but at least another recent acquisition, the highly-rated Austrian youngster Niko Kranjcar (20, F RC) has found his feet and could be a key man for them this season.

Nürnberg
2003/4 – 5th
2002/3 – 8th
2001/2 – 6th
Michael Skibbe (39) led his team to a great start last season and they led the league up until March but dropped back in the climax of the season somewhat. If his team can re-capture their initial form and hold it together a little longer this time around then they could be in the mix once again. Top scorer Fredi Bobic (32, S C) remains key to their hopes and if Robson Ponte (27, F RC) can continue to provide the ammunition then the goals should follow. The arrival of young Czech keeper Petr Cech (22, GK) in a £5M move from Rennes should strengthen them at the back where club captain Daniel Lembo (26, D C) cuts an imposing figure.

Rostock
2003/4 – 1st in Second Division
2002/3 – 6th in Second Division
2001/2 – 17th
After a season in the Second Division the arrival of international legend Andreas Brehme (43) as manager was quickly followed by a return to the top-flight. Around 10 players left the club over the summer, including one of last season’s key men Joakim Persson (29, DM LC) who joined HSV for a £3.4M fee. The club continues to talk up the prospects of striker Kevin Kuranyi (22, S C) who had a productive first season after his £2.8M move from VfB Stuttgart, contributing 10 goals from 24 starts. If he can click with top scorer Marco Vorbeck (23, S C) then Brehme could have a very exciting young partnership on his hands. Club captain Andreas Jakobsson (31, SW/D C) remains a key figure in defence and the recruitment of experienced Christian Nerlinger (31, DM LC) from Southampton for £2.5M in the summer will do the team no harm at all in midfield. The hard-tackling midfielder spent an unhappy season at St. Mary’s following his move from Rangers the season before and he will be glad to be back in his homeland once more.

Schalke 04
2003/4 – 2nd
2002/3 – 11th
2001/2 – 4th
Schalke enjoyed their best league finish for some seasons under the assured guidance of manager Bernd Schuster (44), pushing champions Dortmund all the way before finally finishing as runners-up. Top scorer Mpenza went to Kaiserslautern just before Christmas and in the summer he was replaced by Pole Wichniarek from Bielefeld. Last season’s signing of Mike Zonneveld (23, D/DM L) from NEC has proved to be an astute move as the young Dutchman has been in sparkling form. Steed Malbranque (24, AM RC), another new arrival last year from Fulham, has also slotted in very well and is an important midfield provider. If Gerald Asamoah (25, AM/F R) can carry his form forward when he returns from injury then Schuster’s team should once again be there or thereabouts.

VfB Stuttgart
2003/4 – 9th
2002/3 – 2nd in Second Division
2001/2 – 16th
With their history of managerial changes current boss Klaus Augenthaler (46) is something of a veteran having been in place for over 18 months. During that time he has secured a return to the top-flight and masterminded a top-ten finish the season after. After scoring goals for fun in Division Two, Bosko Balaban (25, S C) found them much harder to come by last year. But such was the goal-shy nature of the Stuttgart attack that his 9 goals still made him the club’s top scorer. His teammates were more effective in defence however where captain Peter Vtsek (30, SW/D C) led by example. Bulgarian midfielder Hristov, a new arrival from Kaiserslautern last month, could prove to be an interesting acquisition after a stunning debut in their opening league encounter.

Werder Bremen
2003/4 – 14th
2002/3 – 9th
2001/2 – 14th
When previous manager Bernd Krauss jumped before he was pushed back in early May he was replaced by Bielefeld boss Benno Mohlmann (50) whose place was then taken by none other that Krauss himself – it’s a small world in football management! The new man has forked out no less than £21M in transfer fees over the summer to try to ensure that his team will not be in an embarrassing relegation struggle once again this season. The signs aren’t good however, as they have started the season with a comprehensive 4-1 defeat at Stuttgart. Last season’s top scorer Roni (27, F RC) was one of the few players who performed well in the season opener and Mohlmann has a lot of work to do if he is to get his team back on track.

Wolfsburg
2003/4 – 13th
2002/3 – 7th
2001/2 – 11th
With no significant changes to his playing squad, manager Volker Finke (56) must surely be expecting another difficult season ahead. The ever-reliable Diego Klimowicz (30, S C) looks likely to be top scorer once again and Martin Petrov (25, F LC) should be their main provider on the flank. If young Australian striker Joshua Kennedy (22, S C) can start to realise his potential then he could start to make a contribution. Rumour has it that influential Danish defender Kim Madsen (26, D RC) has had a spat with his manager and is contemplating a move. Fortunately the rock-like Greek Stelios Venetidis (27, D L) seems happy to hang around and he will continue to be a key figure at the back.

retired_amyslack

As you may have guessed by the lack of updates this particular story is now at an end. To be honest it had become so time consuming that I have been unable to keep it up to date. I am pleased that I kept it going for just over a year and I may well be tempted to do something similar in the future. Hope that you've enjoyed reading it - it was certainly an interesting project I must admit.

retired_loubou

A shame this has come to an end, but a great read nevertheless :thup: