whither Ballack ?

the GERMANY CAPTAIN's contract is running out at Chelsea at the end of this season

and

Ancelotti is now mostly using the mighty Saxon as a late sub



the Mannschaft CAPTAIN has ALWAYS been wasted at a club so in thrall with Fat Flumps

so WHAT NOW ?

surely a return to the booming Bundesliga

now the best in Europe

would be the OBVIOUS move

but

Ballack's salary expectations would be prohibitive (then again, he would be on a FREE Bosman transfer)

+

and Michael's dream is of CL glory

and only Bayern are serious contenders

a move back to Munich looks IMPOSSIBLE though

should Ballack go to REAL , maybe

or

AC Milan

so that a team can be build AROUND HIM ?

the mind boggles

certainly THAT of the Saxonian prince himself

A team with Ballack in it will never win the CL.

Building a team around him ?!

He's not a sub for no reason old chap

Come to think of it : there's also a reason why none of the stars of Das Bundesliga are German.

Face it : Germany is past it.

He'll stay at Chelsea. He loves it in London - I read an interview. Or if he does move, I guess he'll just go to Spurs. Important thing is staying in England.

Is there a reason people spell "whither" in this context without the h?

No German stars in Das Bundesliga? How many stars are there?

He's the right age for Milan, but he'd have to run around in midfield to compensate for pirlo's lack of movement, so he'd last about 10 minutes per game

Allez les rouges wrote:Is there a reason people spell "whither" in this context without the h?

Wither is an apt word for Ballack as he does seem to wither into 2nd place whenever the big games come along

But you're correct that it should be whither.

Ballack will be the MANNSCHAFT CAPTAIN for the next two years

I, therefore, seriously wonder whether he will happily get subbed in the 85th minute at Chelsea from now on

also

he is bound to win the DOUBLE this season

IF he left Chelsea afterwards

he could reasonably claim to have won a few pieces of silverware and played in a top 3 league

he'd also have a few new Facebook pals with streetcred like Drogba, Malouda and Essien

mission accomplished

what about JUVE ?

could that be a destination for him ?

apparently , HSV have shown interest in him

he would also fit the Ze Roberto + Ruud mold, I suppose

anyway

I wonder whether the EPL really would survive the collective LOSS

of

Ballack, Torres and Fabregas in ONE SEASON

ballack was starter in the last game

he had some problems to train aswell, thats the reason he started not

Özil wrote:ballack was starter in the last game

he had some problems to train aswell, thats the reason he started not

Germans in denial is a pretty funny thing.

L r dd wrote:

Özil wrote:ballack was starter in the last game

he had some problems to train aswell, thats the reason he started not

Germans in denial is a pretty funny thing.

ballack wasted his carrer at chelsea, thats for sure

ballack was the best when fatty was injured, always

so if ballack dont win the cl next season (if he gets a new contract) his move to chelsea will end in the history books as epic fail

a double this year can`t overlay that

Why make excuses for him Ozil ?

In however many years in England I seriously can't remember a single exceptional moment he has provided for Chelsea. Pound for pound and relative to reptuation, Ballack is just pipped by Shevchenko as the biggest flop to play in the EPL.

Although he comes with an extraordinarly high wage, the fact we got him "on a free transfer" means he goes down as a much greater success than the likes of Shevchenko and several other big money flops who have played in the EPL at one time or another.

His greatest performance by far, imo, was the 2-1 win against Man Utd in the league (in Avram Grant's season). A shame that his effort in the Champions League final hit the bar, otherwise he could have been credited with scoring the winning goal in a Champions League final

Now he's just far too slow and too static in his movement to play in the team. When all are fit I'd rather see Essien, Joe Cole or Deco playing that role that he plays. So, he's more than welcome to leave and if Germany's hopes of World Cup glory rest on Ballack then god help Germany.

The Daily Mail is reporting today that Ballack might join Inter Milan next season. Seems the Special One still rates him...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1266028/A-Special-reunion-Inter-Milan-boss-Jose-Mourinho-eyes-limbo-Chelsea-midfielder-Michael-Ballack.html

Michael Ballack is what - 33/34? Exactly how much longer does Otto think the man has? He might be made of Teuton granite, but even he cannot outrun the ageing process.

He was never a quiick player to begin with, and now he just looks positively static.

Blaming his less than exceptional career at Chelsea on managers and/or Frank Lampard is just tosh - he hasn't been a flop, however neither has he performed consistently well enough to warrant a move to another major European Club.

Whilst "Fatty"'s reputation has never really recovered from an awful World Cup in 2006, he's continued to defy the criticism and put in concistently good displays for Chelsea, serving to prove its onfiled perfomance and not reputation that counts.

Ballack, on the other hand, has been living off his past reputation for far too long now.

It's no coincidence that Chelsea's fortunes have taken an upward turn since Ballack was dropped and Deco / Joe Cole returned from injury. Mikel and Ballack is just far too pondering and slow a midfield.

I agree with S4P - if Germany are truly going to build their World Cup campaign around him, then God help them. He might be a leader and respected member of the National Team, but he belongs on the bench. Midfields with pace and guile like Argentina, Spain and Brazil are going to run rings around him

Embarrassingly, this is true barring an unexpected return to form.

Even now it is questionable whether he deserves his place in the national first XI (in the "2" of a 4-2-3-1) so it is bizarre at best and alarming at worst that Otto sees him as an automatic captain until the next Euros. There needs to be at least an alternative (who can step in when he's not on the pitch, as with when Neville/Giggs aren't there for United). Who should this be?

I imagine Otto's choice would be Philipp Lahm.

Allez les rouges wrote:Embarrassingly, this is true barring an unexpected return to form.

Even now it is questionable whether he deserves his place in the national first XI (in the "2" of a 4-2-3-1) so it is bizarre at best and alarming at worst that Otto sees him as an automatic captain until the next Euros. There needs to be at least an alternative (who can step in when he's not on the pitch, as with when Neville/Giggs aren't there for United). Who should this be?

I imagine Otto's choice would be Philipp Lahm.

Otto just cannot let go unfortunately of the "old" Germany. Where men ate raw meat and beat their wives for merely looking out the window.

Ballack, I assume, is representative of the old Germany. Men made of granite. Players like Frings.

I can see Ballack's role in the National team as a vocal voice off the pitch, he plays a similar role by all accounts at Chelsea.

But he hasn't got the ability anymore to keep up with the likes of Schneider, Messi, Iniesta etc - midgets with speed and guile.

He looked lost against Inter, a yard too slow.

It's time to allow the junge ones in. Germany looks to have plenty of midfield talent waiting in the wings, Ballack needs to call it a day after this World Cup.

Go play out retirement in America with Becks

Well, the question is still whether this isn't premature obituarizing and whether he, for all the loss of pace etc to which you refer, can't still offer the German midfield something valuable with his experience in the largely defensive role I mention (as opposed to the 4-4-2 which he can no longer really play). It's not as if the alternatives are that impressive or plentiful in the absence of an Alonso or Pirlo type (apart from Schweinsteiger, Khedira and Rolfes would head a list also featuring Gentner, Hitzlsperger?, Kehl??, a few other young talents and in Otto's dreams Frings and Borowski).

He's still needed, but his pallid form is a cause of concern and alternatives need to be thought about (is he even going to play every minute of this World Cup? A plus side as opposed to last time is that you can't really point to any player whose absence in a one-off game would be an obvious disaster...)

Allez les rouges wrote:Well, the question is still whether this isn't premature obituarizing and whether he, for all the loss of pace etc to which you refer, can't still offer the German midfield something valuable with his experience in the largely defensive role I mention (as opposed to the 4-4-2 which he can no longer really play). It's not as if the alternatives are that impressive or plentiful in the absence of an Alonso or Pirlo type (apart from Schweinsteiger, Khedira and Rolfes would head a list also featuring Gentner, Hitzlsperger?, Kehl??, a few other young talents and in Otto's dreams Frings and Borowski).

He's still needed, but his pallid form is a cause of concern and alternatives need to be thought about (is he even going to play every minute of this World Cup? A plus side as opposed to last time is that you can't really point to any player whose absence in a one-off game would be an obvious disaster...)

"Premature obituarizing". And English isn't even your first language.

I can only bow at your feet as you put the rest of us to shame

Agree wholeheartedly with your post by the way, even if it is far too thoughfull and balanced for these surroundings

Borowski

allez

I wonder why none of the Germans on here EVER discussed the circumstances of his DEPARTURE at Bayern ?!

they are BIZARRE indeed

VERY BIZARRE



------------

as for Ballack, or "Bally" as Terry calls him ( ) ,

being our AUTOMATIC captain until 2012

well

I was surprised by that AS WELL

when Löw tried to build up Hitz and Rolfes as Frings and Ballack CHALLENGERS

the two old warhorses could not believe it

Frings lost his marbles

Löw kicked him out

Ballack called Löw DISHONEST and implied that he was INCOMPETENT

then

for about TWO WEEKS

football Germany was holding its breath and wondered how the scarfwearer would react

and SURPRISINGLY

he PARDONED Bally

THEN

Lahmi, Klosi, Friedrichi had a go at Mikey

in a blatent ATTEMPT to suck up to Löwi

SILENCE descended upon the Vaterland for a few years

and RECENTLY

Löwi said something ASTONISHING

in terms of hierarchy

he pointed out

there was BALLY

and then there was NOBODY



in other words

Löwi has COMPLETELY given up on even pretending that Schweini, Lahmi, Merti, Klosi and Coi are on ONE level with BAllY

and breathing down his kneck



according to the man, whose main critic still is Mikey

aka

Bally

aka

the ONE

THEN

something strange happened

in addition to the previous, strange occurences

Rummeniggi

aka

Dummeniggi

ie

the main who threw ALL the DIRT and MUD at Mikey

aka

BALLY

when he left Bayerni

said

that Lahmi or Schweini would probably be CAPTAINi of Germany

after Euro 2012

when Bally was likely to retire



me wondered at the time

like

no doubt

80 million Germans also (and why do Americans use "also" instead of "as well) ? )

when the German football establishment had given up on the idea that Lahmi or Schweini would already be captain AFTER the 2010 World Cup

like 94.7 % of the German media had

SEEMINGLY

believed

if

however

BOTH

Löwi AND Dummeniggi

have

ZERO doubt that there is NO way beyond BAlly as Mannschaft captain until 2012

we have to conclude

that a seismic shift

AWAY from Lahmi and Schweini

has occurred in the German football sphere

WHILST

most of us

had our eyes

on

ZEROoney's

ABYSMAL performance in Munich

wahre G

think about it

Rumeniggi , verging on the controversial you were right there.

Good stuff Otto.

Doesn't change the fact that Bally,

aka Mikey,

aka The ONE

is clearly the TWO now. Second to everything, including the ball

lol read today on the Gazzetta that Ballack would like to come to Inter...

Brilliant

(very good point on "also" as well Otto)

Yeah Chrissi posted that last page, abundance...

There does need to be a successor though, I'd go for Schweinsteiger.

Just come across a statistic that otto and mini otto should be aware of as they blame fat frank for being picked over ballack. This is it- lampard has scored 22 goals in all competitions this season and is second highest assist maker in the league with 12, behind only fabregas. Lampard has now scored more than 20 goals is 5 consecutive seasons. Quite astonishing, and proves why he is undroppable. Only a fool in charge would ignore that kind of return.

Noah and the Bale wrote:Just come across a statistic that otto and mini otto should be aware of as they blame fat frank for being picked over ballack. This is it- lampard has scored 22 goals in all competitions this season and is second highest assist maker in the league with 12, behind only fabregas. Lampard has now scored more than 20 goals is 5 consecutive seasons. Quite astonishing, and proves why he is undroppable. Only a fool in charge would ignore that kind of return.

Sorry to rudely butt in noah but what happens when we massage these stats a little bit and remove pens from the equation. I'm guessing that accounts for about ten of flumpy's goals for this season anyway.

However I will concede that Lampard minus pens is still considerably >>>>>>>>>>>> than the Two.

COTR #6 wrote:

Noah and the Bale wrote:Just come across a statistic that otto and mini otto should be aware of as they blame fat frank for being picked over ballack. This is it- lampard has scored 22 goals in all competitions this season and is second highest assist maker in the league with 12, behind only fabregas. Lampard has now scored more than 20 goals is 5 consecutive seasons. Quite astonishing, and proves why he is undroppable. Only a fool in charge would ignore that kind of return.

Sorry to rudely butt in noah but what happens when we massage these stats a little bit and remove pens from the equation. I'm guessing that accounts for about ten of flumpy's goals for this season anyway.

However I will concede that Lampard minus pens is still considerably >>>>>>>>>>>> than the Two.

Can't be arsed to check, but I'd say he's scored 6 or 7 penalties this season max?

That's still 15 goals he's scored from open play.

It's not even his goal scoring record that surprised me, it's the fact he has 12 direct assists. From a player who if you listen to most people - me included - isn't seen as a playmaker.

If anything, it is Mikel who plays the Ballack role at Chelsea, and some would argue not very well

It's not so shocking TRWP. Lampard has had good stats for a number of seasons now. Don't you remember how people on the old 606 were arguing he was better than Ronaldinho because he had more goals and more assists?

Lampard didn't play in Ballacks's best game for Chelsea.

Even if Lampard wasn't around. I think he'd still have underwhelmed, just by the fact that he is getting old, but he's rarely been allowed to play like he was for Munich/Leverkusen/Mannschaft.

Today in Kicker:

Michael Ballack: "I did even sleep in Werder bedding when I was a child."

Ballack to Bremen now?

Think about it.

looks cl winning material

ballack-frings
özil-marin
pizarrro-klose