[FM18] Bringing Homegrown Glory To The Old Lady: A Journey with Hertha Berlin

[bdavies26]

Bringing Homegrown Glory to the Old Lady: A Journey with Hertha Berlin

Welcome to my latest iteration of Football Manager... Where I aim to bring glory to a founding member of the DFB and Bundesliga, Hertha Berlin.

This is going to be a youth development-focused save, where the ultimate goal is to win Champions League and the Club World Cup with a fully homegrown squad.

It won't be youth-only, as I will make signings as I feel necessary until I can get Berlin to the point where we are churning out wonderkids regularly.

 

Club Goals:

- Beat Bayern and Dortmund

- Sweep Bayern and Dortmund in the same season

- Win the DFB-Pokal

- Win the DFL-Supercup

- Win the Bundesliga

- Do the domestic double (DFB-Pokal + Bundesliga)

- Win Europa League

- Win UEFA Super Cup

- Win Champions League

- Buy Olympiastadion or build a new ground

- Set Bundesliga record for most points and wins in season

- Do the treble

- Win the Club World Cup

- Do the quadruple

- Do the quintuple

- Become the richest club in the world

- Win Champions League with a fully home-grown squad

- Win the Club World Cup with a fully home-grown squad

- Set Bundesliga record for longest winning streak, most games without losing, most games with a shutout, and most team goals

- Become first team to go undefeated in a Bundesliga season

- Go undefeated in a Bundesliga season

- Have most Bundesliga titles in history

- Have most Champions League titles in history
 

Other Goals:

- Have a player win German U-17 Player of the Year

- Have a player win German U-19 Player of the Year

- Have a player win Bundesliga Player of the Year / Top Scorer / VDV Newcomer of the Season / VDV Player of the Season

- Have a player set Bundesliga record for most goals in a game, most goals in a season, most assists in a season, youngest goalscorer, and most clean sheets in a season

- Win UEFA Youth League with U-19s

- Have a player win European Golden Boy / Golden Shoe

- Have a player win Best Player / Best Young Player / Golden Boot at Euros

- Have a player win Golden Boot / Golden Glove / Best Defender / Best Midfielder / Best Forward in Champions League

- Have a player win Golden Ball at Club World Cup

- Have a player win Golden Glove / Golden Shoe / Golden Ball / Best Young Player at World Cup

- Have a player win Best Player in Europe, Ballon d'Or, FIFA Player of the Year, and World Soccer Magazine World Player of the Year

- Have a player set record for youngest goalscorer, most caps and most goals for Germany

- Germany wins the Nations League with a starting XI made up of majority Hertha players

- Germany wins the Euros with a starting XI made up of majority Hertha players

- Germany wins Olympics with a starting XI made up of majority Hertha players

- Germany wins the World Cup with a starting XI made up of majority Hertha players

 

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Club Overview

Formal Name: Hertha, Berliner Sport-Club e.V.

Nicknames: Hertha BSC, Hertha BSC Berlin, Hertha Berlin, Hertha, Die Alte Dame (The Old Lady)

Founded: July 25, 1892

Rivals: Union Berlin (Local), Schalke (Historic)

Derbies: Berliner Derby (Union Berlin), Berlin-Brandenburg Derby (Energie Cottbus)

2017-2018 Continental Competition: UEFA Europa League

Legends: Michael Preetz, Pál Dárdai, Hanne Sobek, Erich Beer, Lorenz Horr

Icons: Andreas Neuendorf, Marcelinho Paraiba, Gábor Király, Uwe Kliemann, Eyjólfur Sverrisson, Michael Sziedat, Axel Kruse, Kjetil Rekdal

Favored Personnel: Arne Friedrich, Gordon Boateng, Raffael, Christian Fiedler, Jürgen Röber, Nello Di Martino, Andreas Schmidt, Michael Hartmann, Falko Götz, Josip Simunic

    

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Club Honors

League

• German Championship (Top Flight) (2): 1930, 1931
• 2. Bundesliga (3): 1990, 2011, 2013
• Regionalliga Berlin (2nd level) (3): 1966, 1967, 1968
• Amateur-Oberliga Berlin (3rd level) (3): 1949, 1987, 1988
• Oberliga Berlin (3): 1957, 1961, 1963
• Gauliga Berlin-Brandenburg (3): 1935, 1937, 1944
• Oberliga Berlin-Brandenburg (8): 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1933
• Brandenburg regional championship (4): 1906, 1915, 1917, 1918

 

Cup

• DFB-Ligapokal (2): 2001, 2002
• Berliner Landespokal (13): 1920, 1924, 1928, 1929, 1943, 1958, 1959, 1966, 1967, 1976, 1987, 1992, 2004

Italics denote reserve team

 

Hertha in Europe

Champions League:

Year        Round            Result              Opponent / Participants
1999-2000   Third Qual.      W, 2-0 (agg.)       Anorthosis (CYP)
1999-2000   First Group      2nd (8 points)      Chelsea (ENG)
                             ---                 Galatasaray (TUR)
                             ---                 A.C. Milan (ITA)
1999-2000   Second Group     4th (2 points)      Barcelona (ESP)
                             ---                 Porto (POR)
                             ---                 Sparta Prague (CZE)

 

UEFA Cup / Europa League:

Year        Round            Result              Opponent / Participants
1971-1972   First            W, 7-2 (agg.)       Elfsborg (SWE)
1971-1972   Second           L, 4-5 (agg.)       A.C. Milan (ITA)

1975-1976   First            W, 6-2 (agg.)       HJK (FIN)
1975-1976   Second           L, 2-4 (agg.)       Ajax (NED)

1978-1979   First            W, 2-1 (agg.)       Botev Plovdiv  (BUL)
1978-1979   Second           W, 2-1 (agg.)       Dinamo Tbilisi (URS)*
1978-1979   Third            W, 5-2 (agg.)       Esbjerg (DEN)
1978-1979   Quarter-Finals   W, 3-2 (agg.)       Dukla Prague (TCH)**
1978-1979   Semi-Finals      L, 2-2 (a) (agg.)   Red Star Belgrade (YUG)***

2000-2001   First            W, 4-1 (agg.)       Zimbru Chișinău (MDA)
2000-2001   Second           W, 4-2 (agg.)       Amica Wronki (POL)
2000-2001   Third            L, 1-2 (agg.)       Inter Milan (ITA)

2001-2002   First            W, 3-0 (agg.)       Westerlo (BEL)
2001-2002   Second           W, 3-0 (agg.)       Viking Stavanger (NOR)
2001-2002   Third            L, 0-3 (agg.)       Servette (SUI)

2002-2003   First            W, 1-0 (agg.)       Aberdeen (SCO)
2002-2003   Second           W, 5-0 (agg.)       APOEL (CYP)
2002-2003   Round of 32      W, 2-1 (agg.)       Fulham (ENG)
2002-2003   Round of 16      L, 3-3 (a) (agg.)   Boavista (POR)

2003-2004   First            L, 0-1 (agg.)       Groclin (POL)

2005-2006   First            W, 4-1 (agg.)       APOEL (CYP)
2005-2006   Group            3rd (6 points)      Halmstads (SWE)
                             ---                 Lens (FRA)
                             ---                 Sampdoria (ITA)
                             ---                 Steaua București (ROU)
2005-2006   Round of 32      L, 0-3 (agg.)       Rapid București (ROU)

2006-2007   Second Qual.     W, 3-2 (agg.)       Ameri Tbilisi (GEO)
2006-2007   First            L, 2-3 (agg.)       Odense (DEN)

2008-2009   First Qual.      W, 8-1 (agg.)       Nistru Otaci (MDA)
2008-2009   Second Qual.     W, 3-0 (agg.)       Interblock (SVN)
2008-2009   First            W, 2-0 (agg.)       St. Patrick's Athletic (IRL)
2008-2009   Group            4th (2 points)      Metalist Kharkiv (UKR)
                             ---                 Galatasaray (TUR)
                             ---                 Olympiacos (GRE)
                             ---                 Benfica (POR)

2009-2010   Play-off         W, 4-3 (agg.)       Brøndby (DEN)
2009-2010   Group            2nd (10 points)     Sporting Lisbon (POR)
                             ---                 Heerenveen (NED)
                             ---                 Ventspils (LVA)
2009-2010   Round of 32      L, 1-5 (agg.)       Benfica (POR)

2016-2017   Play-off         L, 2-3 (agg.)       Brøndby (DEN)

---
*   Now Georgia (GEO)
**  Now Czechia (CZE)
*** Now Serbia (SRB)

 

Intertoto Cup:

Year        Round            Result              Opponent / Participants
2006-2007   Third            W, 2-0 (agg.)       FC Moscow (RUS)

[bdavies26]

Facilities Overview

Olympiastadion - First Team Stadium

Location: Berlin, Germany

Rent: $6.15M per year

Capacity: 74,244 all-seater

Year Built: 1936

Year Rebuilt: 2004

Owned By: State of Berlin

Stadium Condition: Very Good

Under Soil Heating: Yes

Roof: No

Surface: Grass

Field Dimensions: 115 yards long, 77 yards wide (120 x 77 maximum)

Field Condition: Very Good

Corporate Facilities: Average

Training Facilities: Excellent

Data Analysis Facilities: Basic

Youth Facilities: Great

Junior Coaching: Adequate

Youth Recruitment: Established

Stadion Auf Dem Wurfplatz - Second Team and Youth Stadium

Capacity: 5,400

Year Built: 2004

Stadium Condition: Good

Dimensions: 115 yards long, 74 yards wide (maximum allowed)

Under Soil Heating: No

Roof: No

Surface: Grass

Field Condition: Perfect

[bdavies26]

Hertha Berlin: Club Records

League

• Highest League Position: 2nd in Bundesliga (1974-1975)
• Most Points in a Bundesliga Season: 63 (2008-2009)
• Most Wins in a Bundesliga Season: 20 (1969-1970)
• Fewest Defeats in a Bundesliga Season: 6 (2004-2005)
• Most Goals Scored in a Bundesliga Season: 67 (1969-1970)
• Highest Attendance: 88,075 (vs. Köln, 9/26/1969) (Also a Bundesliga record)
• Highest Gate Receipts: $1.43M (vs. Marseille, Europa League First Knockout Round, 2/22/18) (record only valid from 6/26/17)
• Average Attendance: 53,449 (2011-2012)
• Biggest Win: 9-1 vs. Dortmund (4/18/1970)

 

Transfers

• Highest Transfer Fee Paid: €8.5M for Davie Selke from RB Leipzig, 7/1/17
• Highest Transfer Fee Received: €28.168M for Vladimir Darida from Dortmund, 1/23/18 

 

Individual

• Most League Appearances for Club: 301, Holger Brück (1972-1981)
• Most Goals in a League Match: 4, Bart Goor (vs. HSV, 3/10/02)
• Most League Goals (Career): 169, Hanne Sobek
• Most Goals (Season): 30, Thomas Remark (1981-1982)
• Most League Goals (Season): 28, Thomas Remark (1981-1982 2. Bundesliga)
• Most Clean Sheets: 19, Walter Junghans (1989-1990)
• Youngest Player: 17 years and 61 days, Shervin Radjabali-Fardi (vs. Nistru Otaci, UEFA Europa League, 7/17/08)
• Oldest Player: 38 years and 260 days, Marco Sejna (vs. 1860 Munich, 2. Bundesliga, 12/5/10)
• Fastest Goal: 23 seconds, Alexander Esswein (vs. Köln, Bundesliga, 8/19/17)
• Youngest Goalscorer: 17 years and 251 days, Marco Djuricin (vs. Oberhausen, 2. Bundesliga, 8/20/10)
• Oldest Goalscorer: 37 years and 56 days, Peter Nogly (vs. Remscheid, 2. Bundesliga, 3/10/84)

 

Sequences

• Longest Winning Streak: 8 (11/29/80 to 2/15/81)
• Most Games Without Losing: 21 (8/24/12 to 2/25/13)
• Most Games With a Shutout: 7 (3/17/90 to 4/21/90)

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League Records

Team

• Most Times Champion: 27, Bayern Munich
• Most Points in Season: 91, Bayern Munich (2012-2013)
• Most Wins in Season: 29, Bayern Munich (2012-2013)
• Fewest Defeats in a Season: 1, Bayern Munich (1986-1987)
• Highest Attendance: 88,075, Hertha Berlin vs. Köln, 9/26/69
• Highest Average Attendance: 80,959, Dortmund (2015-2016)
• Biggest Win: 12-0, Borussia Mönchengladbach (vs. Kaiserslautern, 4/29/78)
• Highest Scoring Game: 9-3, Dortmund (vs. Kaiserslautern, 11/16/63)
• Longest Winning Streak: 19, Bayern Munich (10/19/13 to 3/25/14)
• Most Games Without Losing: 53, Bayern Munich (11/3/12 to 3/29/14)
• Most Games With a Shutout: 9, Stuttgart (5/24/03 to 10/4/03)
• Most Team Goals: 101, Bayern Munich (1971-1972)
• Best Goal Difference: +80, Bayern Munich (2012-2013)
• Most Clean Sheets in a Season: 22, Bayern Munich (2014-2015)

 

Individual (Game / Season)

• Most Goals (Game): 6, Dieter Müller, Köln (vs. Werder Bremen, 8/17/77)
• Most Goals (Season): 40, Gerd Müller, Bayern Munich (1971-1972)
• Most Assists (Season): 22, Emil Forsberg, RB Leipzig (2016-2017)
• Most Clean Sheets (Season): 21, Manuel Neuer, Bayern Munich (2015-2016)
• Youngest Player: 16 years and 335 days, Nuri Sahin, Dortmund (vs. Wolfsburg, 8/6/05)
• Oldest Player: 43 years and 184 days, Klaus Fichtel, Schalke (vs. Werder Bremen, 5/21/88)
• Fastest Goal: 9 seconds, Kevin Volland, Hoffenheim (vs. Bayern Munich, 8/22/15)
• Youngest Goalscorer: 17 years and 82 days, Nuri Şahin, Dortmund (vs. Nurnberg, 11/26/05)
• Oldest Goalscorer: 40 years and 121 days, Mirko Votava, Werder Bremen (vs. Stuttgart, 8/24/96)
• Youngest Manager to Win a Title: 34 years, 231 days, Matthias Sammer, Dortmund (2001-2002)

 

Individual (Career)

• Most Appearances as Player: 602, Karl-Heinz Körbel, Eintracht Frankfurt (1972-1991)
• Most League Goals: 365, Gerd Müller, Bayern Munich (1964-1979)
• Most Seasons as Top Scorer in League: 7, Gerd Müller, Bayern Munich (1967, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1978)
• Most Goals by Goalkeeper: 26, Hans-Jörg Butt, HSV, Bayer Leverkusen, and Bayern Munich
• Most Clean Sheets: 196 (557 games), Oliver Kahn, Karlsruher and Bayern Munich 
• Most Titles Won: 8, Multiple

[bdavies26]

Career Overview

 

World Overview

[bdavies26]

Meet the Manager

Attributes you can't see: Technical 17, Mental 17, Working with Youngsters 17.

 

Finances

Overall Balance: $39,129,753

Transfer Budget: $4,167,219 (retaining 90% of transfer revenue)

Payroll Budget: $42,218,423 (currently spending $39,731,702)

Scouting Budget: $844,368

 

Scouting
World Knowledge: 15%

Senior Package: Central Europe - Middle Tier Package

Youth Package: Germany - Middle Tier Package

 

Competition Expectations
Bundesliga: Mid-table

Europa League: Second Knockout Round

DFB-Pokal: Reach Quarter Final

[bdavies26]

Meet The Squad - First Team

Goalkeepers

#22 Rune Jarstein

 

Great starting option for a team of Hertha's stature, not as good of a communicator or shot stopper as Kraft but bigger, more agile, and is a better distributor. Decent free kick taker as well... Might have to see if we can get our keeper some goals.

#1 Thomas Kraft

Excellent back-up option. Could start elsewhere, and will definitely get a run in the cups to spell Jarstein. Could see him becoming the #1 in a few years as Jarstein ages.

#33 Jonathan Klinsmann

Jürgen's son could be our keeper of the future. The Californian used a stage at the U-20 World Cup this summer to engineer a move to Berlin. For now he'll learn from Jarstein and Kraft.

 

Defenders

#27 Marvin Plattenhardt

Fresh off winning the Confederations Cup with the German B-squad this summer, Plattenhardt has the starting left back spot on lock-down for now. Can fill in all down the left flank as well.

#20 Mitchell Weiser

At just 23, Patrick Weiser's (Köln/Wolfsburg) son has already cemented himself as the starting right back. Can play all down the right flank as well. On contract through 2020, but wouldn't be surprised to see him want to leave if we don't find success quickly.

#4 Karim Rekik

After 2 seasons at Marseille, the stout centerback should slot right into the starting backline. Good potential at just 22. Going to have to harness that aggression to keep him out of the referee's book, but a strong presence should help shore up the back.

  #15 Sebastian Langkamp

Rekik's likely partner on the backline. Ideally a depth player, but for now this will have to do. Holds positioning well and could be crucial on both ends of set pieces at 6'3'' and great jumping/heading attributes.

#2 Peter Pekarik

The 30 year old Slovakian will likely back up Weiser at right back. Can fill in at left back in a pinch, but likely never more than depth given his age and skill level. Can still contribute, although we'll see if that pace and stamina start to drop off...

#17 Maximilian Mittelstädt

Just 20, Mittelstädt will be backing up Plattenhardt on the left. Could use a bit more speed, but has all the tools to be a key cog for Hertha in the future. With Plattenhardt on a long contract, we'll have to make sure to give him enough game time to continue to develop and eventually take over.

#25 Jordan Torunarigha

At just 19, Torunarigha is already in the rotation at center back. The youngster is a dual national whose father played for Nigeria in the 90s. Has drawn comparisons to Jerome Boateng. Needs work on his positioning, but again at just 19 the sky is the limit for him.

 

Midfielders

#3 Per Skjelbred

At 30, the Norweigan international is entering his fifth season in Berlin. More suited to defensive midfielder duties, but will challenge for starting roles in the midfield. Workhorse who can run for days.

#5 Niklas Stark

Stark is a player every coach loves to have - capable of being first choice in multiple areas. Is considered the most-skilled center back in the squad, but will likely see most of his time in the midfield this season barring injuries. Big game player with potential to get even better at just 20 years old.

#26 Fabian Lustenberger

Lustenberger is going into his 11th season at the Old Lady, and celebrated his 200th appearance for Hertha last season. At this point in his career, he'll be looked at as a rotation piece, but is still capable of being a contributor.

#28 Arne Maier

Maier will likely split time between the first team and the U19s this season, but could be a midfielder of the future for Hertha.

 

Attacking Midfielders

#12 Valentino Lazaro

On loan from Red Bull Salzburg, Lazaro is currently injured with torn ankle ligaments, but could be in the lineup by late September. Likely our starting right attacking midfielder when healthy, but can be inconsistent. The door is open for challengers given Lazaro's injury.

#8 Salomon Kalou

The legendary Ivorian enters his fourth season in Berlin as first choice at left attacking midfielder. He'll likely see some time at striker as well. At 31, we need to start developing a plan for his replacement, but he's still capable of leading the attack.

#16 Vladimir Darida

Key cog in the wheel for us this season. Can play anywhere on the pitch and never stops running. At 26 with a long contract in place, Darida looks to feature for the team for several years. Can drop back into center midfield as well as play attacking midfielder.

#24 Genki Haraguchi

Killer speed for this backup winger. Will likely see a lot of playing time given our preferred 4-2-3-1 Wide formation. Could work on his crossing, but it doesn't matter much if he skins the defenders...

#7 Mathew Leckie

Likely the fill-in at left attacking midfielder when Kalou steps up top, but will have challengers for the spot. Blistering speed.

#14 Valentin Stocker

The 28 year old Swiss international can contribute at both center and left attacking midfielder. His flexibility will be helpful as we try to juggle Bundesliga, Europa League, and the DFB-Pokal.

#18 Ondrej Duda

At 22, the Slovakian will challenge Stocker for playing time at center attacking midfielder. Capable of dropping back into center midfield as well. Thinking about loaning him out to a team who can guarantee him first-team status, as he has unfulfilled potential but not a lot of time to realize it.

#21 Alexander Esswein

Great depth option on the wings. High wages for someone who is likely to not be more than a third-choice option, however, so he could be shipped out before the league starts.

 

Strikers

#9 Vedad Ibisevic

Still first-choice at striker, but he'll turn 33 before the season starts. Likely good for one more season but need to focus on finding his replacement.

#11 Davie Selke

Heir apparent to our striker throne. At 6'4'', he's a big target. Won the silver medal at the Rio Olympics with Germany. Has been compared to both Miroslav Klose and Mario Gomez in the past, but couldn't break through at Leipzig before transferring in this summer. Currently out with a foot injury for the next 3 or 4 months. If he wants to realize his full potential, it'll need to happen soon.

#6 Julian Schieber

Speedy striker also capable of playing on the wings. Injured his knee cap and is out until December or January. Could be hard to decide what to do with him, as his contract runs out next June.

[bdavies26]

Social Groups and Hierarchy

 

Injuries

[bdavies26]

Club News - June 2017

 

Helpful for our German player requirement in the Bundesliga...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

World News

 

[bdavies26]

Meet The Squad - Hertha II

Unfortunately my reserves team is a dud - Hertha II is in the Regionalliga (4th tier), which is unplayable and does not have any games. That won't do for me, so it looks like any academy graduates who can't slot into the first team at 19 will be getting shipped out for development until they can.

 

Goalkeepers

Nils Körber

 

Academy graduate who was already on loan to third-tier Preußen Münster when I came in. Possible first-team future, but has some work to do to get there. No ball control, not agile, no stamina, and weak mentals leave big question marks for Nils. We'll see how he does at Münster this season, where he should be first-choice.

Marius Gersbeck

 

Starting his second season on loan at Osnabrück. Actually made his senior debut at 18, beating Dortmund away, but hasn't featured for the first team since. Has spent the last two seasons on loan, first at Chemnitz and now at Osnabrück where he made 37 appearances last season. Hopefully another season of game time helps him along, as right now I'm not sure he can be first-team quality for us.

Leon Schaffran

 

The lone keeper not on loan (at the moment), Schaffran has potential but is likely limited by his height (5'8''), unless he hits a growth spurt. He could be on the chopping block in June when his contract runs out.

 

Defenders

Enes Akyol

 

Young full-back. Needs to improve his stamina to have a shot at seeing the field for me. Contract is up next June, hopefully he can go out on loan and develop a little more before I have to make a decision on him.

Shawn Kauter

 

Another young full-back who could develop into a squad player. Has the speed, but needs to develop some stamina and mentals before I could feel comfortable putting him out on the field. At 21, he needs playing time to have a chance.

Florian Baak

 

One of the few reserve squad guys with first-team potential. Could have challenged for some time in the first-team this season but I think a season of first-team status will do wonders for him. Has to improve on the ball to play in my system. Thought of as the next Jürgen Kohler

Nico Beyer

 

20 year old who has gotten significant time with Hertha II over the past two seasons. Has to be stronger and better on the ball. 

Lukas Kraeft

 

Feels like a broken record at this point... Young defender who needs game time to develop. Not seeing my field any time soon but could get there with some hard work.

Rico Morack

 

This dude wouldn't take a mutual termination of his contract when I came in. 29, never going to be good enough for the first-team. I'll loan him out or leave him to rot in the squad until his contract runs out. Doesn't even have any PPMs or a good personality for tutoring.

 

Midfielders / Attacking Midfielders

Ugur Tezel

At 20, looks like he could actually contribute to the first team one day on the wing. Mentals and physical are weak, will definitely need to get faster to make it. Has been compared to Genki Haraguchi.

Sinan Kurt

Technically gifted and fast as hell, but may not have the work rate or speed to be a senior squad member. Offers zero defensive presence, so you better have a gifted fullback behind him. Dual Turkish national, but has featured for German youth teams up to U-19.

Sidney Friede

Exciting young prospect who will be able to run for hours at his peak.

Maurice Covic

If his mentals come along, he could contribute as a playmaker in the midfield one day. Son of Hertha II manager Ante Covic. Been compared to Per Skjelbred.

Julius Kade

Can play as a 10 and on the wing. Technically skilled, but small at 5'6'', 132 lbs. One of the few reserves on a long-term contract, so I won't have to make a real decision on him for a while.

Nils Blumberg

Can play on both sides of the wing, but is both technically and mentally weak. Not sure if he can get there for us.

Tahsin Cakmak

Great decision making, quick, and can play all over the attacking side of the field. Best as a 10, but can also play on the right wing and at center midfield. Lack of natural fitness could make him a square peg in our round hole of a system. We like to run.

Tony Fuchs

Just like Rico Morack, he wouldn't take a contract termination when I came in. He'll never see the field and will be gone next June. 

 

Strikers

Fabio Mirbach

 

Can't get in his head, but isn't technically skilled and at 21 will likely not be a contributor for our squad in the future.

[bdavies26]

2017 Preseason Results

After coming back from holiday slow against Stuttgart, we found a good rhythm and got up to speed tactically. Team got a little tired as I had some players (Plattenhardt, Mittelstadt) on vacation until about midway through the preseason. Would have liked to have a better performance vs. Union.

 

Next up, we have Koblenz in the first round of the DFB-Pokal to start the season. They are a fourth tier team playing in the Regionalliga Sudwest.

 

Preliminary 2017 Schedule

 

 

2017 DFL-Supercup: Dortmund Takes Down Bayern on Penalties For Sixth Supercup

 

Bundesliga Season Preview: Bayern Rules All, Expected to Take Home Sixth Straight League Title

 

Our best shot at winning Player of the Year is Vladimir Darida at 250-1...

[bdavies26]

Meet The Squad - Hertha Under 19s

 

Goalkeepers

Luis Klatte

 

Natural sweeper keeper with some good attributes already. First-team potential, but will need to work hard to make it. Awful first touch and some weak mentals could stand in his way.

Dennis Smarsch

 

Big presence in goal at 6'4'', 211 lbs. More game-ready than Klatte right now, but right now his ceiling appears lower. 

 

Defenders

Sebastian Mach

 

Just 16, has potential to develop into a skilled left back for us. 

Panzu Ernesto

 

Capable of playing in the middle of the pitch or at right back, but small at 5'9'', 127 and weak in our system. At 18 it might be too late for him but we'll see.

 

Midfielders / Attacking Midfielders

Luca Naumann

We've got something to work with in Luca. Decent mentals for a 17 year old, but incredibly small (database mistake) and needs development.

Nikos Zografakis

Nikos has the second-highest potential (behind Luis Klatte) of anyone on the U19s, but he's already 18 so he needs to make some improvements to be able to get there. Best used as a winger probably, but he isn't particularly fast.

Palko Dardai

The son of the man I replaced, Hertha Berlin's most-capped and longest-serving player, Pál Dárdai. His grandfather is also Pál Dárdai. Hope he doesn't hate me. Technically skilled winger, but small and not fit.

Julian Albrecht

At just 15, Julian could be a star in the Hertha midfield with the right luck. Already technically gifted, hopefully those mentals come along, because if so we could have something going.

Dennis Jastrzembski

Capable of playing on the left wing and up top. Not very consistent at the moment, and looks like he's never even seen the gym.

 

Strikers

Muhammed Kiprit

Another technically gifted weakling. Not sure I see a first-team future for him.

Jessic Ngankam

A natural striker, but his attributes indicate he could be useful as a winger. May throw him into the fire and see what happens. Have to get rid of that awful personality though.

[bdavies26]

August 2017 Recap

 

Bundesliga

Match 1: Köln

  

Great win to lead the campaign over Köln, with Alexander Esswein setting a new club record for fastest goal, and keeper Rune Jarstein scoring in the fourth minute off a free kick! Köln fought hard to cut it to a one goal lead with a quick pair of goals to end the first half, but Kalou iced it in the 63' for 3 points.

Match 2: at Stuttgart

Awful performance. Entire team looked lost out there, Asano and Terodde tore apart the back line. Ibisevic had a nice brace but it wouldn't be enough.

 

League Table and Statistics

 

 

 

DFB-Pokal

First Round: at Koblenz

Leckie with a brace, and then young Shawn Kauter came through with his first senior goal on his debut... right before I loaned him to third-tier Chemnitz for the season. He's 21 and in the reserves, he needs game time.

Next up:

 

Europa League

  

We end up with Brøndby (DEN), Gent (BEL), and Fenerbahçe (TUR). Tough group... The board expects Round of 16 as well.

September Preview

[bdavies26]

Club News

Contracts

 

 

 

 

 

 

Facilities

 

Transfer Activity

Most of these are my reserve team players getting some playing time, but you'll notice I offloaded Fuchs and Morack for the year as well, and took a last-second loan offer from Osnabrück in the second level for Arne Maier. He needs playing time right now and we're too deep at midfield to give it to him this season. The loan is recallable in case we have an injury crisis.

 

World News

Domestic Leagues

England - Spain - Italy

  

France - Portugal

 

 

 

[bdavies26]

September 2017 Recap

 

Bundesliga

Match 3: at Hoffenheim

  

Quiet draw at Hoffenheim. We dropped into a 4-1-2-3 Wide with a DM to try to grab a result away from home. Neither team really challenged for the win, only 2 shots on goal a piece.

Match 4: HSV

Smashed HSV at home behind a Haraguchi brace and a debut goal for Jordan Torunarigha off a set piece. Goals in the 8th and 11th minutes really put the pressure on HSV and allowed us to cruise to victory. Ibisevic missed a penalty in the 50th minute that could have made it worse for them. Stocker assisted both Haraguchi goals.

Match 5: at Augsburg

Torunarigha snagged his second goal of the week before Mathew Leckie added another to lift us all the way up to 3rd in the league. Ondrej Duda was MoM after bagging assists on both goals, creating 3 chances, and having 9 key passes.

 

Unfortunately, the good feelings were bittersweet in the locker room after the match, as we found out Solomon Kalou would miss serious time with an injury:

 

Missing him will be a big blow as we try to contend for Europa qualification this year.

Match 6: Werder Bremen

Started to feel the effects of fixture congestion in our 5th of 6 games this month. Proud of our ability to fight back from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits but couldn't snag that third goal to scrape a point off Werder. Johannsson, Kruse, and Delaney were nightmares for my defense to deal with. Ibisevic had a nice day, assisting both goals and creating three chances.

League Table and Statistics

Bayern takes their usual place at the top of the table. We sit in 9th, but just 2 points out of Europa contention with a game in hand. Wolfsburg and Leverkusen off to slow starts as well.

 

 

Europa League

  Match 1: Gent

Frustrating draw at home to Gent in our first European group stage match since the 2009-2010 season. We dominated possession 60% / 40% and hit the woodwork three times, but couldn't put one in the back of the net for the Berlin faithful to celebrate. Hopeful that this one doesn't come to haunt us.

Match 2: Brøndby

Trip up to Denmark to Brøndby ended in success, as we finished a whirlwind month on a high note. Mathew Leckie terrorized them on the left wing, coming away with PoM honors. 

Group Table - 2 of 6 Matches Played

 

October Preview

Another six match month, as we face Wolfsburg, Schalke, Frankfurt, and Bayern in the league, as well as Fenerbahçe away in a key Europa League match and Greuther Furth in the second round of the DFB-Pokal.

[bdavies26]

World News

Domestic Leagues as of September 30, 2017

England - Spain - Italy

  

France - Portugal

 

 

[AccyScott]

Definitely a steady start! Good luck, I'm following.

[SixPointer]

Loving this. Love Berlin along with Rostock in Germany! Following 

[bdavies26]

7 hours ago, SixPointer said:

Loving this. Love Berlin along with Rostock in Germany! Following 

 

17 hours ago, AccyScott said:

Definitely a steady start! Good luck, I'm following.

Thanks! There's no reason that Berlin shouldn't have a great club like most countries' capitals (London, Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Rome, etc.) but (perhaps) due to WWII and the Cold War's influence on eastern Germany they have never been a power. Hopefully I can change that. Germany produces the best newgens in Europe if my memory is correct, and my facilities are already great. No other top flight club in the area will help for my intake as well (depending on Union Berlin's performance in the 2.Bundesliga...) Long way to go, but the "sleeping giant" potential is awesome to work with.

I'm really bummed about Hertha II being in the fourth tier and having no competitive matches, but I seemed to find a good workaround via loans for now. Unfortunately that takes some development out of my hands so we'll have to see how the players come along as the save progresses, and perhaps come up with a new plan.

[bdavies26]

October 2017 Recap

 

Bundesliga

Match 7: Wolfsburg

  

Disappointing draw with Wolfsburg at home, as they were sitting in the relegation zone at the time. Esswein's goal was neutered by a John Brooks header off a corner.

Match 8: at Schalke

Lucky to escape here with an away draw in Gelsenkirchen. Schalke had 18 shots but we held out for crucial away points.

Match 9: Eintracht Frankfurt

An absolute gutting thriller at home saw us wipe away a 3-0 deficit in just 8 minutes before falling victim to a placed shot from Luka Jovic in the 83rd minute. My back line was terrorized in this one, average rating of 6.325.

Match 10: at Bayern Munich

Away at Bayern meant it was time to park the bus. Bayern had 16 shots to our 3, but James Rodriguez was injured in the 26th minute, which threw off their game plan. Marvin Plattenhardt was a beast, coming through with four key tackles to earn MoM honors.

 

League Table and Statistics

Sitting in 10th is fine for now but the gap is widening between us and those Europa spots. Bayer and Wolfsburg both continue to be in serious trouble, while the Champions League spots are currently held down by Frankfurt, Werder Bremen, and HSV, all of whom were projected to finish in the bottom half of the table in the pre-season.

Jarstein continues to trail only Neuer in clean sheets.

 

DFB-Pokal

  Second Round: at Greuther Fürth

An extremely uninspired performance saw us get bounced from the cup in the second round by Greuther Fürth. Sandwiched between the heartbreaking loss to Frankfurt and the match at Bayern, it's safe to say I didn't have the locker room's full attention on the day. In addition, I rotated heavily in this one and prayed to squeak out a result, which unfortunately didn't happen. The board was expecting us to make the final eight, so they were not pleased with this performance, which also saw us go without a win for our fifth straight match in all competitions.

 

Europa League

  Match 3: at Fenerbahçe

A miracle goal by Ibisevic in the 90th minute saw us escape Istanbul by the hair of our chinny chin chin on a chilly Thursday night. Kaldirim's second yellow was a catalyst for the squad, and Leckie found Ibisevic with a cross that he slammed home for the crucial away point. 

 

Group Table - 3 of 6 Matches Played

Need to have a solid November as we host Fenerbahçe and go away to Gent. With enough luck, we'll be through after matchday 6 and can rest some guys for the final match at Brøndby.

 

November Preview

Midweek fun continues, as we have six matches despite a FIFA break. Leverkusen is in terrible form at the moment, but away at Leipzig will be difficult to get points out of.

[bdavies26]

Club News

Apparently Lazaro's loan had a clause in it where he would be automatically transferred if he appeared in 5 matches. I missed this initially, and when I got a notification about him being close to triggering the clause, I decided to go ahead and do it because we needed depth on the wings.

World News

Domestic Leagues as of October 31, 2017

England - Spain - Italy

   

France - Portugal - 2. Bundesliga

  

[bdavies26]

November 2017 Recap

 

Bundesliga

Match 11: Bayer Leverkusen

  

Solid win vs. Leverkusen at home. Helped out with the own goal but gave them a gift with Mittelstadt's second yellow in the 78th. Fairly even match, but we took advantage of our chances where Bayer did not.

Match 12: at RB Leipzig

Thoroughly beaten at Leipzig. Darida's goal in injury time may help for our GD at the end of the season, but not many positives for us to take away from this one. Forsberg ran us ragged, with an assist on Brenet's goal and a goal himself.

Match 13: Borussia Mönchengladbach

A miracle in Berlin, as Ibisevic finds Skjelbred at the top of the box and the midfielder smashes a low curler into the left side netting to steal 3 points here. Ibisevic was massive in this one, with 5 key passes and 2 chances created for MoM honors. This one saw us finish shoot up to 7th in the league.

Match 14: at Freiburg

Awful finish to the month, as we got caught sleeping to start the match and Freiburg immediately capitalized on Torunarigha's red to send us packing. We were the superior team for much of the match, but couldn't finish and came away with nothing as a result. We outshot Freiburg 15-8 and had 5 clear cut chances to their 1. Darida was immense, with 4 chances created and 6 key passes, good enough for MoM honors, but we were impotent in front of the net.

 

League Table and Statistics

Finish the month down one spot from where we began, and now sit in 11th. However, we're still just 3 points out of European competition. The table is incredibly tight at this point in the season, and while Bayern appears to be running away with the title there will be multiple storylines heading into the second half of the season that should be great to follow. Leverkusen and Wolfsburg continue to struggle, and even Dortmund find themselves in 12th.

Jarstein continues to trail only Neuer in clean sheets.

 

 

Europa League

  Match 4: Fenerbahçe

Huge win for our Europa campaign, as we thump Fenerbahçe at home and move into first place in the group with just 2 matches left. Ibisevic's first half brace inspired the team, and Selke came off the bench in the 67th and added an insurance goal 2 minutes later to secure all three points for us. I usually don't sub out players who are on a hat trick but Ibisevic was recovering from a slight knock in training. Haraguchi had 2 assists and Leckie added one of his own as we overpowered them on the wings.

  Match 5: at AA Gent

A solid win away from home saw us qualify for the Europa knockout rounds with one match left to play. Esiti's red threw off their game plan already down 1-0, and Torunarigha scored yet again off a corner to allow us to cruise to victory.

Group Table - 5 of 6 Matches Played

Already through, but first place is still up for grabs.

December Preview

Busy first half of the season before the winter break. Finish off the group stages at home vs. Brøndby, and face Mainz, Dortmund, and Hannover in the league. We'll need a good run to build some momentum for our second half campaign.

[bdavies26]

World News

Domestic Leagues as of November 30, 2017

England - Spain - Italy

   

France - Portugal - 2. Bundesliga

  

[SixPointer]

Nice going in the Europa league! What system are you playing?

[Hootieleece]

I turned Niklas Stark into a beast of a BWM (D) in FM17 with Hertha.  I will enjoy this career! Hertha is my favorite Bundesliga team.

[tyler16]

Amazing thread, great to look at. Will be following.

[danmcconnell1]

Cracking progress in Europe, hopefully the league form will pick up a bit, will be following and good luck 

[bdavies26]

18 hours ago, SixPointer said:

Nice going in the Europa league! What system are you playing?

I had started the season with a 4-2-3-1 with one BPD and an attacking fullback on the backline, a DLP and BBM in the midfield, wingers and an attacking midfielder in the upper third, and Ibisevic playing as a complete forward.

At this point, I'm playing more of a 4-3-3, see below:

When Ibisevic is in I still use him as a complete forward. It's not perfect, but we're doing OK for now.

16 hours ago, Hootieleece said:

I turned Niklas Stark into a beast of a BWM (D) in FM17 with Hertha.  I will enjoy this career! Hertha is my favorite Bundesliga team.

I'm having trouble deciding where to play him because he's a great defender as well!

13 hours ago, tyler16 said:

Amazing thread, great to look at. Will be following.

 

4 hours ago, danmcconnell1 said:

Cracking progress in Europe, hopefully the league form will pick up a bit, will be following and good luck 

Thanks for the responses guys!

[Matto97]

Good thread, liking the presentation & I have a soft spot for Hertha as an Aussie due to Leckie playing for them!

[bdavies26]

December 2017 Recap

 

Bundesliga

Match 15: Mainz

  

Bounced back from the mid-week disappointment at Freiburg with a nice comeback at home vs. Mainz. Brosinski's sending off was big for us and allowed us to send numbers forward and crash the net. We were deserved winners, out shooting them 19-8. Valentin Stocker and Esswein abused their fullbacks all match, as Stocker created a chance, had 7 key passes, and assisted one of the goals, taking home MoM honors. Esswein created three chances and had 4 key passes along with his goal.

Match 16: at Dortmund

Came out flat against struggling Dortmund, struggling to shake off the hangover from our Thursday night match at home against Brøndby. We got spanked in the first half, as Aubameyang and Schurrle blizted us over the last third of the half and we went into the half down 4-0. I tore the squad a new one in the dressing room at the half - I mean 4-0, really!?  We didn't find much success despite subbing Pekarik on for Weiser and Lazaro on for Esswein at the half, but bringing Selke on for Ibisevic with about 15 minutes left ignited a spark. Lustenberger found the back of the net, and Haraguchi followed just a minute later, and all of the sudden the pressure was on. Selke added a third in the 89th minute to really turn up the heat, but we couldn't find the fourth goal and went home losers after all. Beyond Aubameyang and Schurrle, Gotze had three assists and my back line will probably have nightmares for a while about him.

Match 17: Hannover

Finished off the first half of the league campaign with a quiet win over Hannover at home. They managed just one shot on target in an unremarkable fixture. 

 

League Table and Statistics

A successful month sees us climb all the way from 12th to 7th heading into the back half of the season. Just 4 points separate Europa League qualification and 13th place in an incredibly tight middle of the table. Leverkusen and Wolfsburg look increasingly less likely to survive the drop, but there are still plenty of matches to play.

Jarstein continues to trail only Neuer in clean sheets.

 

 

Europa League

  Match 6: Brøndby 

An incredible night for the club, as a thorough beating of Brøndby at the Olympiastadion sees us finish at the top of our Europa League group for the first time in club history! As you can tell by the scoresheet, our wingers dominated the flanks and we cruised to victory and first place in the group. Leckie had to come off with an injury just 17 minutes in, but Stocker proved a worthy sub as he made it 2-0 in the 40th minute. Lazaro earned MoM honors, as he assisted a goal, created 2 chances, and had 7 key passes in addition to his goal. Selke assisted the other two goals.

 

Final Group Table

First place, and we end up drawing OM in the first knockout round!

Knockout Round Matchups

January Preview

A few friendlies to keep us match fit before beginning the second half campaign against Stuttgart.

[bdavies26]

Club News

Injuries

This happened right before the Hannover game - luckily we have the break coming up but still not ideal as Stark is starting-quality in both defense and midfield.

Contracts

 

Upgrades

We're Big in Asia! Mathew Leckie Wins AFC Player of the Year; Genki Haraguchi Finishes Third

Ondrej Duda Finishes 2nd in Voting For Slovakian Player of the Year Behind Napoli's Marek Hamsik

Domestic News

Dortmund Fires Bosz, Hires Jorge Jesus From Sporting Lisbon

 

Leverkusen Fires Herrlich, Hires Dirk Schuster

 

Wolfsburg Fires Martin Schmidt, Hires Markus Weinzierl

 

Schalke Fires Domenico Tedesco, Hires Frank de Boer

 

DFB-Pokal Third Round Results and Quarter Final Draw

 
 

World News

Domestic Leagues as of December 31, 2017

2. Bundesliga - 3. Liga

 

England - Spain - Italy

   

France - Portugal

  

2018 FIFA World Cup Draw Results

 

Champions League Knockout Round Draw

Awards

 

 

FIFA World Best XI

 

[bdavies26]

2 hours ago, Matto97 said:

Good thread, liking the presentation & I have a soft spot for Hertha as an Aussie due to Leckie playing for them!

As you can see in my latest update, he's been great!

[SixPointer]

Thanks for the photo of the system. Do you find a lot of your play goes down the left hand side? 

[bdavies26]

January 2018 Recap

 

Winter Break Friendlies

Zenit St. Petersburg and Sparta Rotterdam

 

 

Bundesliga

Match 18: Stuttgart

  

Our first league match back from the winter break saw us continue the good form we ended 2017 with, as an Ibisevic brace was the difference in this one.

Match 19: at Köln

Pretty non-descript affair here, as we draw Köln away and have taken points from 4 of our last 5 league matches. Neither team really wanted the win here, as combined we managed just 5 shots on goal. Köln hit the woodwork twice though, and may have felt unlucky that they didn't come away with the win.

Match 20: Hoffenheim

In a huge home matchup that saw us sitting in sixth place before the match, we faced fourth-place Hoffenheim and spanked them to move up to fourth in the league. It was a tight affair until the last 10 minutes of the game, when they started to fade and we punished them, as Leckie scored his sixth in 16 appearances off a counter to put the game out of reach. Skjelbred put the icing on the cake, slamming home a 25 yard bullet just 4 minutes later to break Hoffenheim's spirits and send the Olympiastadion into delirium. 

League Table and Statistics

A big month for us, as we go unbeaten in January and climb from 7th to 4th - Champions League is in sight! Both Werder Bremen and Leipzig tighten the title race, and the middle of the table starts to spread out a bit. Leverkusen and Wolfsburg remain in the drop zone.

Jarstein now leads the league in clean sheets, and is 3rd in total goals conceded!

February Preview

Midweek games return, as we have our knockout round series against Marseille. Mixed bag of games in the league, as we face both HSV and Werder Bremen away (6th and 2nd in the league, respectively), but have bottom-feeders Augsburg at home. We finish the month away to Wolfsburg, who are currently in the relegation zone but their talent is superior to their current position in the table.

[bdavies26]

Club News

January Transfer Window - Darida to Dortmund, Klatte to Ingolstadt; Athletic Bilbao FB Iñigo Lekue To Join In July 2018 On a Free

 

Huge blow here, as Dortmund swooped in for Darida and President Gegenbauer accepted the bid on my behalf. I got $33M for him (with potential for another $11M), but this leaves my midfield extremely thin for the rest of the season. I recalled Arne Maier from Osnabruck as we'll need him for the second half of the season, but I'll need to find a replacement in the summer.

 

Ingolstadt came in with a nice offer, and I added a fat sell-on clause. If Klatte ever becomes something, I should benefit from it. He's behind Klinsmann and with our reserves squad in the fourth tier (no matches), I felt it was going to be difficult to develop him.

 

Came to a decision that I am not renewing backup RB Peter Pekarik's contract when it expires at the end of June. As a result, I was in the market for a backup right back and saw Lekue's contract was coming up. He'll make more than Pekarik, at $1.25M p/a, but I have him for the next 3 years with a club option for the next 3. He has a $7.5M release clause for Champions League clubs, but if they want to activate that, I'll consider it a nice piece of business for me.

 

Affiliates

We can now loan players to Dresden.

 

Domestic News

Gladbach Fires Dieter Hecking, Lures Roger Schmidt From Beijing Guo'an

 

Augsburg Fires Manuel Baum, Hires Bruno Labbadia

 

 

World News

Domestic Leagues as of January 31, 2018

2. Bundesliga - 3. Liga

  

England - Spain - Italy

   

France - Portugal

  

 

January Transfer Window - Notable Transfers

Sime Vrsaljko - Atletico Madrid to Manchester City - $42.5M

Jean Michael Seri - Nice to Chelsea - $40M (up to $58M)

Inigo Martinez - Real Sociedad to Barcelona - $37.5M

Oriol Romeu - Southhampton to Tottenham Hotspur - $34.5M (up to $47M)

Ruben Semedo - Villarreal to Arsenal - $35.5M

Alexis Sanchez - Arsenal to Liverpool - $35M (up to $51M)

Vladimir Darida - Hertha Berlin to Dortmund - $33M (up to $44M)

Bruno - Villarreal to Manchester City - $29.5M

Angel Correa - Atletico Madrid to Manchester United - $29M (up to $43M)

Pablo Piatti - Espanyol to Guangzhou Evergrande - $28.5M

Max Kruse - Werder Bremen to Bayern Munich - $26.5M (up to $37.5M)

Isaac Hayden - Newcastle to Leicester - $25.5M (up to $33M)

Luan - Gremio to Southampton - $23.5M

Luciano Vietto - Atletico Madrid to Arsenal - $22.5M (up to $31M)

Miguel Layun - Porto to Guangzhou Evergrande - $18.5M

Alexandr Golovin - CSKA Moscow to PSG - $17.5M

Lucas - Atletico Madrid to Monaco - $17M (up to $22M)

Marcos Rojo - Manchester United to Quanjian - $16.25M

Guilherme Arana - Corinthians to Atletico Madrid - $16M

Thomas Partey - Atletico Madrid to Bayern Munich - $15.75M (up to $20M)

Sebastian Coates - Sporting Lisbon to Shanghai SIPG - $15.5M (up to $21.5M)

Yang Xu - Shandong to Quanjian - $15M

Pedrinho - Pacos Ferreira to Inter Milan - $10.25M

Douglas - Fluminense to Porto - $10M

Stefano Sturaro - Juventus to Southampton - $6.25M

Andrea Ranocchia - Inter Milan to West Ham - $4.9M

[bdavies26]

On 12/4/2017 at 15:57, SixPointer said:

Thanks for the photo of the system. Do you find a lot of your play goes down the left hand side? 

It can, but that's mostly because Plattenhardt and Kalou are two of our best players as well.

[bdavies26]

February 2018 Recap

 

Bundesliga

Match 21: at HSV

  

Fresh off our domination of Hoffenheim, the team came out flat in Hamburg and paid the price, losing 3-1 to HSV. The back line was dreadful, as both Lewis Holtby and Filip Kostic had their way with them. Holtby opened the scoring in the 24th, and responded to Salomon Kalou's 27th minute equalizer with another in the 28th minute to put Hamburg up 2-1. Kostic assisted one of the goals, and added one of his own just 8 minutes later to put HSV up 3-1. We were impotent offensively, managing just 2 shots on target.

To add insult to injury, Genki Haraguchi pulled ligaments in his knee during the match and missed our next three matches, including the first leg of our knockout round series against Marseille.

 

Match 22: Augsburg

Absolutely embarassing draw at home to relegation candidates Augsburg. Ibisevic's brace had us feeling good and loose, but we couldn't finish the job and allowed them to hit twice in the last 10 minutes of the game, leaving us standing around wondering what happened. Kalou and Duda assisted the goals. 

Unfortunately, Skjelbred was concussed in the 67th and had to leave the game, ruling him out in the first leg at Marseille and at Werder Bremen.

 

Match 23: at Werder Bremen

Following our big away match at Marseille (see below), we were faced with the daunting task of facing Werder Bremen at the Weserstadion just 3 days later. Bremen was third in the table, and we were suddenly struggling for form in the league after flying high in January. Neither team felt much like scoring, as we managed a combined 5 shots on target. Werder hit the post twice, but luck was on our side.

We suffered another concussion however, as Davie Selke had to be carted off the field in the 77th. He missed both the second leg vs. Marseille and our match at Wolfsburg, and remains out at the moment.

 

Match 24: at Wolfsburg

We were perhaps a bit hungover after our home leg vs. Marseille (see below), and got soundly trounced by Wolfsburg just three days later. Rekik looked like a shell of himself, as Mario Gomez ran us ragged and was rewarded with a hat trick. Really not much for us to take away from this one, it could have been worse as Wolfsburg hit the woodwork twice.

 

League Table and Statistics

A rough month in the league sees us tumble down to 8th from 4th, but we continue to be in the hunt. Leipzig is now just a point off Bayern, and Werder is right behind them. The 4th Champions League place and Europa League spots remain highly contested, and just 5 points separate 13th and last in the league.

Jarstein now tied with Neuer for most clean sheets, and second in goals conceded.

 

Europa League

First Knockout Round vs. Marseille (1st Leg At Marseille, 2nd Leg At Hertha)

Hertha Advances 1-0 on Aggregate

 

Huge result for us in Europe as we beat Marseille 1-0 on aggregate to go through to the second knockout round of the Europa League!

We bunkered down and parked the bus in the first leg in France, and nearly pulled off a stunner as we hit the post twice in a quiet 0-0 draw.

In the second leg, we had to balance wanting to put on a performance for our home fans with being weary of a potential dagger of an away goal. We were almost punished after Kalou turned the ball over and launched a Marseille counter-attack, but they failed to put it past Jarstein. After Lazaro made several mistakes in the first half, I subbed on Haraguchi in his place and was rewarded as the winger slotted home a pass from Ondrej Duda into the bottom left corner from 11 yards out in the 67th minute. We came close to icing the match, hitting the post twice after that, but couldn't find a second goal. Marseille managed just 3 shots on target, and after a nerve-wracking last 20 minutes, we were through. Jordan Torunarigha commandeered the backline, earning MoM honors for completing 34 of 40 passes (85%), winning 8 of 11 headers, and coming through with 2 key tackles.

 

We were rewarded with another trip to France for the second knockout round, as we will face Bordeaux. They currently sit in 11th in Ligue 1, and beat FC København 4-1 on aggregate in the first knockout round.

 

First Knockout Round Results

Few surprises, but notably Lyon takes down Everton, Milan scrapes past Krasnodar 1-0, Vitesse goes past Sporting Lisbon 2-1, and Romania's FCSB knocks out Villarreal 5-3. 

 

Europa League Second Knockout Round Draw

Leipzig with the lucky draw...

 

March Preview

Another tough month. They don't really get easy if you're still in Europe I've learned... Away to Bordeaux followed by Bayern at home should be a treat.

[bdavies26]

Club News

Contracts

A little pricey right now, but locks him in until 2022 with a club option to extend until 2025, and a $30M release clause until the January 2020 transfer window is over. 

 

Upgrades

 

Yay.

 

Domestic News

DFB-Pokal Quarter Final Results and Semi Final Draw

 

 

World News

Domestic Leagues as of February 28, 2018

2. Bundesliga - 3. Liga

  

England - Spain - Italy

   

France - Portugal

  

[Hootieleece]

Werder Bremen in the 3rd Division! What a fall........

Great Result in Europa League

[SixPointer]

10 hours ago, bdavies26 said:

It can, but that's mostly because Plattenhardt and Kalou are two of our best players as well.

Just with the FB(A) BPD DLP IF(A) all to left side of the system wasn’t sure if this was your plan. Must work having your to best players on that side. 

[Black and Yellow]

Loving the lay out and detailed information given, keep it going! Having a good season too!

[danmcconnell1]

9 hours ago, Hootieleece said:

Werder Bremen in the 3rd Division! What a fall........

Great Result in Europa League

It's their youth team pal, Werder are 3rd in Bundesliga

[bdavies26]

12 hours ago, Hootieleece said:

Werder Bremen in the 3rd Division! What a fall........

Great Result in Europa League

As @danmcconnell1 said, that's Werder Bremen II, Werder's reserve side. In Germany reserve sides can go as high as the third division.

6 hours ago, SixPointer said:

Just with the FB(A) BPD DLP IF(A) all to left side of the system wasn’t sure if this was your plan. Must work having your to best players on that side. 

Wasn't really the plan, but that's just how it has worked out as you said.

4 hours ago, Black and Yellow said:

Loving the lay out and detailed information given, keep it going! Having a good season too!

Thanks!

[bdavies26]

2018 Youth Intake Results

Decent intake this season. Some of these personalities are awful, and may make me look for a new HOYD. My current man has a Fairly Determined personality which I thought would be good enough but man, some of these are rough. Pascal Jaspert has potential to be one of the best of his generation, and at the moment we believe we have 9 players who could be first team quality eventually. I signed them all as I need some depth in my youth squad since I didn't start with many youth players, but I'd be surprised if anyone under 2.5* PA has a long future with the team. With that being said...

 

Meet the Squad - 2018 Youth Intake

Goalkeepers

Paul Kroll

 

Big kid for a 15 year old as he's already 6'2''. "Argues With Officials" is a less than ideal PPM that he'll have to unlearn. Could be first team quality some day, but he's a project for now.

 

Defenders

Milos Jankovic

Projects as our third-best player of this intake. Holds dual Serbian citizenship. Big presence at 6'5'' with already decent mentals and technicals. If he can figure out how to tackle he could be our center back of the future.

Bastian Auer

Not much of a player at the moment and his "Low Determination" personality won't help with that. We'll have to tutor him up as quickly as possible to fix it. Also holds Austrian citizenship. Capable of playing right back, but can't cross and isn't fast so not sure how helpful that is for us.

Marcus Huber

His already decent mentals give him a fighting chance if we can get the technicals up. Capable of playing right back like Auer is, but while he's faster than his classmate he shares an inability to cross the ball as well.

  Marlon Hackenberg

Plays right back, but likely not technically skilled enough to have a future with the first team.

Markus Bahls

Minute left back that can play all down the left flank. Doesn't project to be first team quality.

 

Midfielders / Attacking Midfielders

Michal Stec

Projects as our second best prospect of this year's class. Holds dual Polish citizenship, and can play in both the middle and both sides of the wings. Can't decide where I want him to focus though, as while he is best played as a right winger, he's already pretty far along in a lot of areas and could be something special with the right training.

Patrick Eikemeier

Our fourth-best prospect of this year's class. Has good vision and teamwork for a 15 year old but will need to work hard in training to realize his potential.

Mika Kurth

Our fifth-best prospect of this crop of youngsters, he's small and has a bad personality but is already pretty quick and if we can tutor him up, could develop into a nice right winger for us.

Tim Boiger

Left winger who is naturally quick but lacks quality elsewhere. He'll need some work to make it to the first team.

Marcello Blaue

Can whip a cross in on a dime but pretty unremarkable beyond that at the moment. 

Christoph Aggintus

Our very first vampire newgen... Not sure how this guy is so skilled when he apparently has never stepped outside, but that's another story. Really hope he could be a diamond in the rough, as he's fully comfortable playing multiple roles in the midfield and is naturally fit.

Malte Hielscher

Capable of playing center midfield or dropping back into a more defensive role, but not sure if he'll be able to reach our standard.

Oliver Birnbacher

This guy is quick but that's about it. Unfortunate victim of premature male pattern baldness.

 

Strikers

Pascal Jabert

The crown jewel of this year's class. Has some work to do technically, and hopefully hits a growth spurt, but looks like he could be something special.

Ziya Buruk

Projects as our least-skilled player of this year's class. Can also contribute at center attacking midfield or on the right wing, but probably not skilled enough to have a future in our first team.

[bdavies26]

March 2018 Recap

 

Bundesliga

Match 25: Schalke

  

Relatively non-descript game ends in our favor as a Kalou penalty is the difference. Our defense smothered them, and held Schalke to just one shot on target.

 

Match 26: at Frankfurt

A Leckie goal off a Haraguchi cross midway through the first half was the difference in this one, as we came away with a rare road win, and our third 1-0 win in a row in all competitions.

 

Match 27: Bayern Munich

This one was a good result for us. We bunkered down coming off our midweek match at Bordeaux, and prayed for some good luck. They outshot us 20-6, and hit the post twice, so we were lucky to an extent, and after Alaba drilled a free kick from 30 yards out, it looked like all was lost. However, Selke took advantage of Mats Hummels misplaying a backpass from Arturo Vidal, and beat Neuer one on one to tie the game!

Mittelstadt's second yellow was a boneheaded move, as we had to withstand a last onslaught from the title favorites before the whistle sounded.

 

Match 28: at Bayer Leverkusen

A disappointment here, as we couldn't take advantage of being up a man for almost an entire half and come away with a rare win away from the Olympiastadion. Selke was both the hero and the goat in this one, as he scored the goal to put us up 1-0 but also shoved Kai Havertz in the box on a free kick, causing the penalty. Charles Aránguiz converted from the spot, and neither team could find the crucial second goal from there. Selke's goal was opportunistic, taking advantage of a badly played backpass from Leverkusen right back Benjamin Henrichs to keeper Bernd Leno. He made the interception inside the box and slotted it past Leno for the 1-0 lead. Aránguiz was MoM, as beyond his goal he also created 4 chances and had 4 key passes.

 

League Table and Statistics

Good momentum for us in the league, as we go unbeaten and move up to 6th. Dortmund had a great month, earning 9 of 12 points and shooting up from 10th to 5th. Seems like Jorge Jesus has done a good job of righting the ship at the Westfalstadion. Title race remains tight, but Bremen has fallen off and it seems to only be between Bayern and Leipzig at this point. And in the relegation zone, it's a scrap for survival. While Hannover and Schalke sit outside the drop zone at this point, they're far from safe.

Jarstein continues to lead the league in clean sheets and is tied for second in goals conceded

 

Europa League

Second Knockout Round vs. Bordeaux (1st Leg At Hertha, 2nd Leg At Bordeaux)

Hertha Advances 1-0 on Aggregate

 

Our success in Europe continues as we eke out a 1-0 aggregate win over Bordeaux to send us to the Europa quarterfinals! Valentino Lazaro was a maestro in the first leg, pulling all the strings and creating 2 chances and adding 6 key passes. His 24th minute cross found Ibisevic to put us up 1-0, and we held on from there. Bordeaux managed just 2 shots on target due to our heavily anchored defensive shape.

In the away leg, we set up defensively and aimed to protect our lead and potentially snag a clutch away goal off a counterattack. It was a quiet affair, as combined we managed just 7 shots on target, but we held out for the win!

 

For our efforts, we got Europa League giants Sevilla in the quarter final. We play at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán first before playing the second leg at home in front of the Hertha faithful.

 

Second Knockout Round Results

Atletico beats Napoli, while Milan needs away goals to get past Galatasary following 4 goals from the Turks in the second leg. Sevilla gets through Arsenal on away goals, and Real Sociedad handily dispatches Lyon.

 

Europa League Quarter Final Draw

These results should be interesting...

 

April Preview

We start the month with our away leg vs. Sevilla, with a home fixture vs. Leipzig sandwiched between that and our home leg. Finish out the month with a few league matches, but if we get past Sevilla we'll have a semi final match towards the end of the month.

[bdavies26]

Club News

Contracts

Skjelbred was whining about a new contract, so I triggered his extension clause for now. I may give him a new deal, but he's on the wrong side of 30 so no guarantees I'll be holding onto him. He has been one of our best players this season though.

Injuries

Stocker came back from the international break injured and will likely miss most of our April fixtures as a result.

Transfers

We're getting some money via solidarity contributions. Syhre was a Hertha youth product who featured 62 times for Hertha II before leaving for Osnabrück in 2012.

Upgrades

 

Yay.

 

Domestic News

Hoffenheim Fire Julian Nagelsmann, Hire Ex-Werder Bremen/Frankfurt/Hannover Boss Thomas Schaaf

 

 

World News

Domestic Leagues as of March 31, 2018

2. Bundesliga - 3. Liga

  

England - Spain - Italy

  

France - Portugal

 

 

Champions League - First Knockout Round Results and Quarter Final Draw

 

[bdavies26]

Since there has been some discussion about my tactics in the past, I wanted to give an update here.

Starting in late February, my tactic morphed to something like this:

In an effort to limit opportunities for the opposition and shore up the backline, I swapped my CAM for a DM. I usually prefer to play a freewheeling, attacking style but it really wasn't getting it done with this group. When I play a weaker team I'll play with a Counter mentality but otherwise stay Defensive. When Kalou is in I'll play him as an IF and Ibisevic as a CF, but otherwise this is the core.

[bdavies26]

April 2018 Recap

 

Bundesliga

Match 29: RB Leipzig

  

Tough match against title challengers Leipzig coming back from our Europa away leg at Sevilla. We bunkered down and tried to scratch out a draw, but couldn't get it done as a Halstenberg goal late in the first half off a corner proved the difference here. Leipzig were much more aggressive, earning 12 corners to our 2 and committing 15 fouls to our 4 but we outshot them 11-7. Starting against his former club, Selke had to come out early in the second half with a groin injury that may keep him out for the rest of the season.

 

Match 30: at Borussia Mönchengladbach 

Perhaps still a little drunk from our midweek Europa League adventures, we showed up to Borussia-Park and got smashed by Gladbach. A Torunarigha goal off a set piece early in the match gave us false optimism, as Gladbach manhandled us via a Stindl brace and a goal from MoM Tobias Strobl. Arne Maier was immense in this one, earning the start and coming through with a 8.6 rating due to an assist on Torunarigha's goal, a created chance, and 6 key passes. Plattenhardt had better days at the office, and got pulled around the 60th minute, while his flankmate Peter Pekarik made a mistake that led to Strobl's tying goal.

 

Match 31: Freiburg

The team responded well to no midweek fixtures here, and dominated Freiburg from the opening whistle for our biggest win of the season. Everyone got in on the party, as we had four players add their names onto the scoresheet, and another three in Leckie, Duda, and Haraguchi add assists. Esswein added an assist of his own, but both he and Kalou, who added a brace, were edged for MoM honors by Lustenberger. Jarstein made a mistake leading to Ravet's goal that ruined his clean sheet, but otherwise the most solid victory we've had in the league all season.

Unfortunately, Plattenhardt fractured his cheekbone, but he'll play out the rest of the season before having surgery to fix it in the offseason.

 

Match 32: at Mainz

Lethargic performance at Mainz as we let them dominate possession and pummel us with shots on goal. They finally broke through in the 63rd before Jairo added another in the 82nd to wrap it up. Poor performance all around.

 

League Table and Statistics

Our inconsistency punished us and we may only have a shot at playing in Europe next year by winning Europa League at this point. Huge month for Augsburg sees them escape the drop zone, while Leverkusen looks doomed and Schalke, Hannover, and Wolfsburg all fight to survive. Leipzig edges Bayern and the race for both the final Champions League and Europa League spots remains tight.

Jarstein falls to second in clean sheets and third in goals conceded.

 

Europa League

Quarter Final vs. Sevilla (1st Leg At Sevilla, 2nd Leg At Hertha)

Hertha Advances 4-1 on Aggregate

 

An unexpected thrashing of Sevilla sees us through to the Europa League semi-finals. Duda's 16th minute goal to open the scoring in the first leg may be remembered by Hertha fans for a long time, as he blasted it from 30 yards out past a diving Sergio Rico to stun the Sevilla faithful. Ibisevic found the back of the net 20 minutes later to send Sevilla reeling, and we packed it in defensively to hold onto our lead. Sarabia got one back for the hosts, but we came away ecstatic as we would be headed home with 2 away goals in hand.

What I thought would be a nail-biter of a second leg turned into a party, as Deulofeu came in way too hard with a tackle on Nicklas Stark just six minutes in and got himself sent off. With the man advantage and two away goals in our back pocket, we were able to play loose and control the game, preventing Sevilla from putting up much of a fight.

Unfortunately, Lazaro injured himself just 13 minutes in and has missed the last four matches recovering.

 

We drew a familiar foe in Fenerbahçe for our semi-final matchup. In the group stage we drew 1-1 in Istanbul but came away with a 3-1 victory in Berlin that proved to be the difference in helping us win the group.

 

We also set a Europa League record by going unbeaten in 12 matches.

 

Quarter Final Results

Leipzig gets thumped by Atletico, while Fenerbahçe needed an early Vincent Janssen goal to send them through and Real Sociedad stuns Milan.

 

Europa League Semi-Final Draw

The winner of our matchup will face a Spanish team on the other end.

 

Semi Final vs. Fenerbahçe - First Leg (at Hertha)

Quiet first leg as neither team can find the back of the net. We held them to just one shot on target and 2 shots overall, preventing a critical away goal from finding the back of the net.

 

May Preview

We head to Istanbul to finish our our semi final series, and have Dortmund at home followed by an away trip to Hannover to finish the league season. If we beat Fenerbahçe we'll play either Atletico or Real Sociedad on the 16th in Lyon.