With 4 points in their Europa league group (Still in 2nd) and 5 points domestically sitting at the bottom with the next team above them 6 points away.

One has to ask what the fuck is going on over in Berlin?!

And where is Carl??? :unsure:

They're missing Voronin.

ahem.... how long do you have?

In short The club overachieved last year, sold or returned some key players, a revolt was led by the captain of the club against former manager Favre as well as the board not wanting to help out Favre with any replacements to those moved on and now Funkel has to create a "team" out of Gojko Kacar, Patrick Ebert and Jaro Drobny.

Yes I did think they would be better then they are. I did think Artur Wichniarek could score some goals but this season has been a disaster right from the beginning. Sure, getting out of the group stage of the Europa League would help but for Hertha fans I think it's safe to say the season was lost several months ago.

I've had him sedated for the last few weeks, it's for the best...really.

I'm oiling my guns and looking for a flight over.

Seriously, though, read Hertha's club history and you'll see that while this season ranks among some of the worst, it's hardly unusual for the old lady to be a basket case.

I could sum up the legacy problems with the club, but I don't think you have the reading patience for an essay. Shortest version of this season is this:

Dysfunctional club overachieved like crazy last year, then promptly sold off every player who played a key role in the season, or was any good. You lot think it was all Voronin, but they also got rid of Marko Pantelic (who was the Voronin before Voronin was Voronin), traded Joe Simunic, and lost Jaroslav Drobny to injury for most of the start of this season.

So: Keeper and experienced CB responsible for BSC having the stingiest goals against in the BL last year - gone. Striker duo who together scored 90% of the goals last year - gone.

And the replacements for these people are... (drum roll please) Artur Wichniarek, striker fresh from a club getting relegated (*there*'s a good CV for a "saviour" striker), and some unknown castoffs from like 8th division eastern european and brazilian clubs.

The selling off of veteran talent is so great that Patrick Ebert, who barely had a full season last season after being discovered through the youth system, is now one of the key players. Which is extra frustrating to me because I rate him as one of the more promising young German players (and a personal favourite) and can see that he's not being given any time to develop properly.

I personally rate Friedrich highly as a player and as a captain, and figure his revolt was probably justified. Given the evisceration job done on a team that almost won the BL last year for what would have been the first time in 78 years, if I were him I would have simply showed up to work armed and started shooting management.

It was concise, sure, but I'd have preferred a lengthier response from Carl.

I am a fan of the essay. Obviously... ;)

Well met, sir.

Oh, and, if we're going for accuracy, this thread should be called the herthabsc homicide watch.

Just a side-note (so as not to get into the suicide/homicide/combination debate), but Ukraine sure could of used Voronin too (at least as a sideline locks distraction to the stifling Greeks).

Sideline locks distraction, eh Vic? :lol:

We could desperately use (Bundesliga or preseason form) Voronin as well. The man is a puzzle. I honestly feel bad for him when he misses the sitters because his body language indicates a man fed up with himself beyond belief...then the fans echo it for him. :(

When we landed him on the free I thought we'd unearthed gold. Similar feeling after he returned in the summer. Now, well, uhh...

did you stop wearing the kit? B-)

To add to the Ukrainian/Greek connection, since we're not about the get Voronin back any time soon, we have landed Theofannis Gekas (Bochum) in the transfer window.

Also Leban Kobiashvili (Scheiße 04) and Roman Hubnik (FK Moscow). Good reinforcements up front and in defence. A good sign - that management haven't written off getting out of the relegation zone in the second half.

:lol: x5000000

They haven't written this season off but I did watch an interview with some of the management of Hertha BSC and they made it no secret that they are preparing for the 2. Bundesliga and assembling a squad that could compete for promotion right away.

Gekas is a loan signing with an option to buy if I remember correctly.

Hertha BSC 3:0 Hannover 96

The beginning of the resurrection, my friends.

And Gekas getting off the mark coupled with a solid performance by Kobiashvili.
Hertha has two home games in a row now vs. Mönchengladbach and Bochum, two winnable matches for sure.

8 points from the relegation playoff, 9 from complete safety.

brought to you by Łukasz Piszczek :D

Indeed.

What a heartwarming story his is. Born into Communist-era Poland, grew up amidst rationing so severe that although he was issued a full 14 letters for his names, his father had only accumulated enough seniority for 4 of them to be vowels.

Since coming to Hertha he's been named to the Polish national squad, confirmed after not even a German great-uncle could be dug up anywhere.

With any luck, in a couple of years he'll be able to afford a surname that doesn't look like an epileptic fit happened on the bottom left corner of the computer keyboard!

Well his father was the coach of the local team. This came with certain privliges. Otherwise, it would have probably only been 2 vowels!

What's wrong with Piszczek ? A name when converted to English means "squealing" ?

:lol:

Wow. Things have gotten...uhhh...interesting.

I've learned a new word today courtesy of Hertha Berlin: Geisterspiel

5-1 over Wolfsburg but it seems as if it is already too late.

See?

Proof positive that hooligan behaviour works

last week: 150 Harlekins storm the field with metal bars

this week: 5-1 over the champs.

Gekas was on fire.

Friedrich out, Drobny out, Markus Babbel in.

Zac - thoughts on Babbel? He's on a one-year contract that gets renewed if the old lady get's back up, so that's promising. I've heard his name lots but never really followed his career.

Carl -

Story from Bild.de

You know what, I actually thought Babbel did a marvelous job at Stuttgart only for something to go horribly wrong. Perhaps, like in Berlin, it was a player up rise that cost results and saw the team sink.
I have to say it might be a good fit as he is a young hungry trainer and Berlin could be a good spot for him but, it also could be too big.
As for Friedrich, I herd Wolfsburg want him.

This quote was awesome. Cheeky fucker:

I don't know who's going to be captain now. I'm really bummed that Friedrich's moving, but he couldn't be expected to play in the 2.BL.

I'm scared they'll lose Ebert too.

Yes! This will surely prove to be a great appointment! I thought Stuttgart were far too hasty to axe Babbel when they did. Months before there were articles in all kinds of footy mags and sites praising him along with a crop of awesome young managers out there.

Guillan-Barre took him from football way too early, but he has the potential to be a great manager and has so many years ahead of him to hone his craft.

Exciting times. Babbel bringing back Berlin to the Bundesliga bigtime before long, boom! (Alliteration never lies.)

Well he better or it's deemed a failure.

Can't decide whether I think this a terrible eye sore or just a bit neat.

Put it this way: if that was an MLS jersey we'd call it embarassing, disgraceful, and mock anyone who actually wore it. I don't slavishly believe in logical consistency all the time but I'm gonna go with that in this instance. Is it too punny to say "shocking!"

Well, it's a success.

A perfect 2. Bundesliga jersey.

With a perfect 2. Bundesliga player!!!! Robbie Friend

Story

And Christian Lell to boot.

From one under suicide watch to another: happy birthday my man!

Thanks!

On the subject of suicide watch, gotta say that having watched Arne's world cup I'm extra gutted that he left the old lady. what is with this club and luck?

And we're BACK!

As of last gameday, Hertha won direct promotion to the 1. BL.

Now to win the league.

:campione:

Congrats!

i'm very happy the way Hertha came strong in the 2nd league.. i wish they could bring the same in bundesliga.. it is still my fave team in German..


Ich Bin Eine Berliner !