http://www.theoffside.com League Football, Soccer News and Views from Around the World Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:55:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/bayern-the-good-guys.html http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/bayern-the-good-guys.html#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:01:42 +0000 chris http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/bayern-the-good-guys.html If you’ve paid any attention to the Bayern Munich news bits over the past years, you’ll know that they’ve got some characters running the show. Thus their public persona isn’t exactly seen as the cuddly teddy bear, smiled-at-least-once-in-their-lives types. So to hear that they gave Borussia Dortmund, a direct competitor, a loan which saved them [...]]]> http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/bayern-the-good-guys.html/feed 0 http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/bayern-munich-signs-the-common-man.html http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/bayern-munich-signs-the-common-man.html#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:09:10 +0000 chris http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/bayern-munich-signs-the-common-man.html High up on the list of things no to do with football fans is to promise the unveiling of a big new signing and then fail to follow through. Worse is to promise a big signing and then come through with someone who won’t even find the end of the bench on the reserves. Like [...]]]> http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/bayern-munich-signs-the-common-man.html/feed 1 http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/mario-gomez-v-morgan-de-sanctis-the-finale.html http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/mario-gomez-v-morgan-de-sanctis-the-finale.html#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2011 23:00:07 +0000 chris http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/mario-gomez-v-morgan-de-sanctis-the-finale.html Mario Gomez scored three goals by the half, bringing his Champions League tally to 5 goal in 4 games, to go along with its Bundesliga counterpart of 12 in 10. In a few words, he’s untouchable right now. And yet, the most memorable will be the one he didn’t score in the final seconds of [...]]]> http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/mario-gomez-v-morgan-de-sanctis-the-finale.html/feed 2 http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/bayern-the-club-of-lovers.html http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/bayern-the-club-of-lovers.html#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:36:14 +0000 chris http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/bayern-the-club-of-lovers.html The Bundesliga seems to be considered the neutral’s favorite league, as it’s not the highest quality league, but it has enough skill, energy, pace, enthusiasm and complete disregard for defensive responsibilities (Werder says hi) to enthrall the masses. However, this year it’s turning into more of a prison ward with people throwing feces and now [...]]]> http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/bayern-the-club-of-lovers.html/feed 0 http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/philipp-lahm-rolls-jurgen-klinsmann-under-the-bus.html http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/philipp-lahm-rolls-jurgen-klinsmann-under-the-bus.html#comments Tue, 23 Aug 2011 13:41:51 +0000 chris http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/philipp-lahm-rolls-jurgen-klinsmann-under-the-bus.html There likely aren’t too many who suffer the delusion that Jurgen Klinsmann is a great coach. Figurehead, perhaps, but not a great tactician. The credit for ‘06 lies in the background with the quiet fellow rolling little bits of nose candy into his mouth as he dreamed of the day he could force Michael Ballack [...]]]> http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/philipp-lahm-rolls-jurgen-klinsmann-under-the-bus.html/feed 0 http://www.theoffside.com/daily-dose/daily-dose-august-16th-2011.html http://www.theoffside.com/daily-dose/daily-dose-august-16th-2011.html#comments Tue, 16 Aug 2011 19:19:26 +0000 chris http://www.theoffside.com/daily-dose/daily-dose-august-16th-2011.html Jupp Heynckes. Possibly a serial killer. Keeping Leo interested. (Sabotage Times) Now just keeping Cesc. (Sid Lowe) A late bloomer in the Bundesliga. (DW) Take him seriously. Go ahead. (Dirty Tackle) What’s in a shape? (Uli Hesse) Not so bad. (Three Match Ban) The calcio challengers. (WSC) ]]> http://www.theoffside.com/daily-dose/daily-dose-august-16th-2011.html/feed 0 http://www.theoffside.com/europe/some-refreshing-summer-candor.html http://www.theoffside.com/europe/some-refreshing-summer-candor.html#comments Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:28:24 +0000 chris http://www.theoffside.com/europe/some-refreshing-summer-candor.html As ever, all too many politically correct, don’t-muss-up-the-carpet type of tip-toeing through the wonderful landmine fields that are pressers and interviews. Fortunately it’s the summer, when egos can swell and transfer moves can be made with the slight utterance of a few words. Fernando Gago and Thomas Muller know of what we speak. Lady Gago has seemingly [...]]]> http://www.theoffside.com/europe/some-refreshing-summer-candor.html/feed 0 http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/the-great-bayern-europa-league-slam-party-continues.html http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/the-great-bayern-europa-league-slam-party-continues.html#comments Mon, 28 Mar 2011 18:36:58 +0000 chris http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/the-great-bayern-europa-league-slam-party-continues.html Things went so well when asking Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery on the Europa League, journos the world over continue going back to the well. We’re onto Captain Lahm now who, while perhaps a bit more tactful, was in no way offering confusion on his thoughts of the continent’s second tournament. We can only hope Der [...]]]> http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/the-great-bayern-europa-league-slam-party-continues.html/feed 1 http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/everyone-at-bayern-hates-the-europa-league.html http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/everyone-at-bayern-hates-the-europa-league.html#comments Mon, 21 Mar 2011 15:19:22 +0000 chris http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/everyone-at-bayern-hates-the-europa-league.html We get it: no one would choose the Europa League. Certain clubs of a certain stature have no place in the Europa League outside of a delicious dollop of schadenfreude, and one of those clubs it Bavarian behemoth BM. First Arjen Robben took the tournament which had never done anything to anyone and threw it [...]]]> http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/everyone-at-bayern-hates-the-europa-league.html/feed 4 http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/arjen-robben-not-a-fan-of-the-europa-league.html http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/arjen-robben-not-a-fan-of-the-europa-league.html#comments Thu, 17 Mar 2011 16:02:48 +0000 chris http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/arjen-robben-not-a-fan-of-the-europa-league.html The Eruopa League is nice. It’s swell. It’s neat-o. But it’s nothing spectacular. The games are nice, but it’s typically lacking the elite and thus is very much a second competition. Arjen Robben doesn’t think it much of a competition at all, which is too bad, because that’s exactly where Bayern are headed next year should the [...]]]> http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/bundesliga/arjen-robben-not-a-fan-of-the-europa-league.html/feed 3