Markus Babbel, Champions League coach

[rebel23]

congrats to Babbel and VfB Stuttgart for making the Champions league qualifiers

 

[King Binny]

Yeah. Congrats to Marcus. He's done a great job. I think he went on a pretty long and decent unbeaten run (in the league, not inclusive of UEFA cup games) and propelled them from mid table to challenging for CL qualification till last day of season. Managed to coaxed out goals and high work rate out of Mario Gomez too. Fingers crossed there won't be second season syndrome for him though.

 

[cochyn]

be interesting for us draw them in the CL

 

[rebel23]

they have to get through the qualifiers. sadly, because of Platini they will likely get a tough draw.

 

[Whitey85]

[quote author=rebel23 link=topic=33704.msg873191#msg873191 date=1243094546]
they have to get through the qualifiers. sadly, because of Platini they will likely get a tough draw.

[/quote]

Why? They will get a tough draw anyway because they aren't very good.

 

[rebel23]

[quote author=Whitey85 link=topic=33704.msg873220#msg873220 date=1243098995]
[quote author=rebel23 link=topic=33704.msg873191#msg873191 date=1243094546]
they have to get through the qualifiers. sadly, because of Platini they will likely get a tough draw.

[/quote]

Why? They will get a tough draw anyway because they aren't very good.
[/quote]

because now there is more chance of meeting the 4th team in England, Italy or Spain rather than the champions of some place you've never heard of.

 

[red_maradona]

great news - I was a big fan of his.

 

[Judge Jules]

Same here. It'd be great if we did get drawn against Stuttgart, so Markus B could get the Anfield ovation he richly deserves. The fact that we'd probably have too much for them doesn't hurt either. 😉

 

[King Binny]

On his way up after being harshly sacked by Stuttgart. Won promotion to Bundesliga with Hertha Berlin as 2 Bundesliga champions, 9 pts ahead of 2nd place FC Augsburg.

P34 W23 D5 L6 F69 A28 GD+41 Pts74

74,116 in Olympic stadium, celebrating

 

[SummerOnions]

I loved him, best RB i've seen in my lifetime.

 

[Judge Jules]

Babbel's performances in the Treble season get him the RB spot in my idea of the All-Time XI, ahead of Rob Jones (fabulous player but not a threat going forward) and Phil Neal (humungous medal tally, but a lesser player than the other two individually who was lucky enough to play in a superb side). His illness was a terrible waste and I'm chuffed he's doing well now.

 

[FoxForceFive]

[quote author=SummerOnions link=topic=33704.msg1334340#msg1334340 date=1305564356]
I loved him, best RB i've seen in my lifetime.
[/quote]

Yep, I was privileged to see most of his home matches from the kop, brilliant player.

 

[SummerOnions]

I was assuming that since i'm only 18 there'd be a mass of better RBs than him in the 70s and 80s, but i'm guessing now there weren't?

 

[King Binny]

My interest in football started off late and he was the 1st regular RB at Liverpool I watched too. Was it true that he was earmarked for CB role when he signed on Bosman ruling but ended up playing RB ahead of CB cos of the success of H-H partnership?

 

[therocket147]

Good luck in your champions league adventure Markus

 

[Judge Jules]

[quote author=Binny link=topic=33704.msg1334351#msg1334351 date=1305566053]
My interest in football started off late and he was the 1st regular RB at Liverpool I watched too. Was it true that he was earmarked for CB role when he signed on Bosman ruling but ended up playing RB ahead of CB cos of the success of H-H partnership?
[/quote]

Babbel had been predominantly a CB in Germany, so GH did initially put him at CB alongside Sami and move Henchoz to RB for a spell. However, Henchoz proved a fairly poor RB and Babbel seemed a bit lost at CB in the Prem, even though he was used to the position. That was the main driver behind reuniting H and H in the centre and trying Babbel at RB. The rest, as they say, is history. 8)

 

[King Binny]

7th place after 5 games.

Inflicted Dortmund’s first home defeat in 19 games today with a 2-1 victory. Should have no problem staying up if the good form goes on.

 

[King Binny]

Markus Babbel will not renew his contract at Hertha, Bild reported after Schalke's 2-1 away win in the capital. In fact, he's said to be off after the cup game against Lautern next week. Private and personal reasons seem to have made up Babbel's mind to leave the Olympic stadium. One German Sky reporter linked him with a move to Liverpool as Kenny Dalglish's understudy but that kind of far-fetched hypothesis only proves that no one has the faintest idea what "The Babbler" (copyright Ronald Reng) will do next.

 

[Halmeister]

He's been sacked.

He was great for us in that season. I always thought people saw Nicol as our best right back in our best XI? He was a bit before my time, though....

 

[Judge Jules]

Stevie Nicol certainly belongs in the side IMO, and he did play RB more than any other position, but I'd put him in at LB because to me RB is a contest between Babbel (to whom I'd just about give my vote) and Rob Jones. Nicol played quite often at LB and on both sides of midfield anyway. He even filled in at CB one season and looked as if he'd been playing there all his career. Crazy Horse rightly has his fans on here and elsewhere, but IMO he wasn't equally good in every position he played. That's why, to me, it's Stevie Nicol who was the best all-rounder we ever had until our current Stevie came on the scene.

 

[King Binny]

Quite a lot of open-quarrel went on between himself, the President and their DOF. From the club's point of view, its probably right to move on since he announced he won't extend his contract at the end of the season. That said, they probably think the club is save enough from relegation to take the gamble of changing manager midway thru the season - and without Babbel that might not have been possible. Bit of burning bridges.

For anyone interested, here's a piece from German press a week ago:

Berlin may be Germany's biggest city, but Hertha doesn't seem to be big enough for coach Markus Babbel. The former Bayern and Liverpool standout appears to be gradually maneuvering himself out of a job.

Actually, everything is going to plan. After taking over the newly-relegated Hertha Berlin in the summer of 2010, Markus Babbel led the club from the capital back to the top flight. And this season, he has guided them to the middle of the table.

But all is not hunky-dory in the Olympic Stadium and immediate environs. After promising to make a decision by the end of November about extending his contract, which expires after this season, Babbel has said and done precisely nothing.

Babbel sat stoically silent at Hertha's annual members' meeting on November 27 - a fact that did not go unnoticed by the press. Everyone from the controversy-seeking tabloid Bild to Germany's leading football magazine kicker ran reports last week claiming that Babbel and Hertha commercial manager Michael Preetz are scarcely on speaking terms any more.

But hard facts - particularly about what job Babbel might be headed - were few and far between. It's known that Babbel admires Bayern Munich and would love the head job there, as would 99 percent of all German soccer coaches. But like 99 percent of his peers, he lacks the necessary coaching pedigree.

So Schalke has emerged as the most likely suitor. The Royal Blues' sporting director Horst Heldt was Babbel's teammate for two seasons at Stuttgart, and went on to become his boss during the former Liverpool man's first coaching stint at Stuttgart from 2008 to 2009. The press has also seized upon a statement by the coach that he turned down an offer earlier this season to honor his contract with Hertha as evidence that Babbel has been talking to Gelsenkirchen.

That gave fans in Berlin a lot to talk about ahead of Friday's home match - against none other than Schalke.

Discussing what may or may not be going on in Babbel's brain was an excellent way to pass some chilly minutes for fans waiting to enter the stadium on Friday.

"If he wants to go, then we should let him go in the winter break," said 40-year-old Hertha fan Frank. "He's not a real Berliner anyway."

Others were a bit sadder at the prospect of seeing Babbel blow out of town.

"I always hoped he and Preetz would become another Schaaf and Allofs," said supporter Henry, referring to Werder Bremen's successful coach-manager tandem of Thomas Schaaf and Klaus Allofs.

That ambiguity was reflected when Babbel's name was announced over the stadium loudspeakers before the match, as boos mixed with cheers.

Babbel divided Hertha fans right from the start. On the one hand, he has garnered praise for his handling of the media and man-management of the squad.

On the other hand, Babbel's Berlin has rarely played eye-pleasing football, even when marching to the second-division title last season. That's led critics to question whether the coach has a coherent tactical philosophy for the team.

Another tendency that's raised eyebrows is Babbel's aversion to substitutions. The coach rarely takes advantage of his three extra players, regardless of the score.

That was the case again on Friday. Babbel only substituted twice as Hertha tried - and failed - to overturn a 2-1 halftime deficit.

The match itself was, by turns, a highly illustrative and somewhat bizarre spectacle.

Hertha played solid football and had their chances, but Schalke ultimately prevailed thanks to better individual skills. That's not surprising, considering that the Royal Blues field expensive superstars like Raul and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, both of whom earn millions more per season than Berlin's best-paid players.

With their middling fan appeal and 30 million euros ($44 million) in past debt, Hertha will not be able to compete financially with the Bundesliga's big boys in the coming years. And Babbel, who hauled in quite a few titles as a player with Bayern and Liverpool, knows that if he wants to win silverware in the near future, Berlin is probably not the place to do it.

"I can't fault the guys at all," Babbel said after the match. "They gave their all…Our time of possession and the number of challenges won were both okay."

If one so chooses, one could read a statement like that as an acknowledgement that the coach has taken this squad about as far as they can go.

But if he's secretly longing for a move to his opponents on Friday, Babbel only needed to look down the touchline to see his biggest obstacle, Schalke's current coach Huub Stevens.

The Dutchman is immensely popular among the Royal Blue faithful, having led Schalke to the 1997 UEFA Cup title as well as the German Cup and brink of a Bundesliga title in 2001. If Schalke qualify for international competition next season, which looks to be a pretty safe bet, it would be difficult for Heldt to let him go in favor of Babbel, a Bavarian native whom fans still most closely associate with Bayern Munich.

Thus, Babbel is playing a risky game. Hertha cannot afford distractions as they try to re-establish themselves in the top flight, and Preetz likely has no option but to send Babbel packing in the winter break if he still refuses to recommit.

Babbel's ambitions might then leave him without a post, a dangerous situation for any coach - particularly for one whose ultimate ambition is a plum job at Bayern Munich.

 

[SaintGeorge67]

I don't remember Phil Neal, and although I do remember Steve Nicol, I love Rob Jones.

So Rob Jones it is.

 

[Avmenon]

[quote author=Halmeister link=topic=33704.msg1446716#msg1446716 date=1324293360]
He's been sacked.

He was great for us in that season. I always thought people saw Nicol as our best right back in our best XI? He was a bit before my time, though....
[/quote]

It's still probably Phil Neal tho

 

[Judge Jules]

Not for me. Neal was a good fullback with a little bit of most things in his locker but didn't have Jones' speed, Babbel's sheer power and ability to score from open play, or Nicol's versatility. All three of them were better footballers IMHO.

 

[SaintGeorge67]

Who do you think our best ever striker is judge?

 

[Judge Jules]

As a goalgetter, Rushie (Robbie Fowler had the genius but not the consistency). As an all-round footballer, the King. Some pick the King in midfield in their All-Time XI, but he was just another player when Paisley occasionally used him in there. Up front, though, he was a danger to the opposition AND made us tick.

 

[Halmeister]

I made a Classic Liverpool team on Fifa the other day. A lot of it was guess work, having not seen many people play. I also didn't want to put in people like Gerrard etc who are playing now because they're already on the game. And I didn't want to put Liddell in because I've never seen any footage of him at all. So I went with....

Clemence

Nicol Hansen Lawrenson Kennedy

Heighway Hughes Souness Barnes

Dalglish

Rush

Nobody will bloody play against me online because they're too good.

 

[SaintGeorge67]

[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=33704.msg1446970#msg1446970 date=1324305893]
As a goalgetter, Rushie (Robbie Fowler had the genius but not the consistency). As an all-round footballer, the King. Some pick the King in midfield in their All-Time XI, but he was just another player when Paisley occasionally used him in there. Up front, though, he was a danger to the opposition AND made us tick.
[/quote]

Can't remember exactly how old you are (and don't mean to be rude sorry!). Do you remember Hunt? Opinions?

 

[Asbo]

Billy Liddell tribute

Billy was Liverpools top scorer for 4 out of the 8 seasons that he played AS a WINGER, he was then moved up front and scored 115 goals in 5 seasons, he meant so much to the team that the club got the nickname Liddlepool.

 

[Judge Jules]

[quote author=SaintGeorge67 link=topic=33704.msg1447025#msg1447025 date=1324308921]
[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=33704.msg1446970#msg1446970 date=1324305893]
As a goalgetter, Rushie (Robbie Fowler had the genius but not the consistency). As an all-round footballer, the King. Some pick the King in midfield in their All-Time XI, but he was just another player when Paisley occasionally used him in there. Up front, though, he was a danger to the opposition AND made us tick.
[/quote]

Can't remember exactly how old you are (and don't mean to be rude sorry!). Do you remember Hunt? Opinions?
[/quote]

57 last month mate, and it's no problem AFAIC. ;D Yes, I do remember Sir Roger. Strong player, excellent in the air and on the ground, model of consistency. Not quite Rushie's equal though, IMHO of course - he didn't have that deadly turn of pace which made Rushie at his best pretty much unplayable.