Bayern Continue Winning in Frankurt

Bayern Munich saw off the challenge of title rivals Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 on Saturday to make it 10 wins out of 11 in the Bundesliga this season.

Franck Ribery put Bayern in front just before halftime and a David Alaba penalty 15 minutes from time secured the win for the Bavarians, who remain seven points clear of Schalke at the top.

Frankfurt, which remains third, played with confidence but was unable to follow the example of Bayer Leverkusen, which won at the Allianz Arena a fortnight ago.

The visitors presented themselves for a rare top-of-the-table clash in fine form, showing no fear of their opponents and visibly keen to play their own part in the game.

The first chances fell Bayern's way, though, with Arjen Robben finding the side-netting and Ribery finding the offside flag raised as he raced through on goal.

Armin Veh's men missed their first chance of the match in the 18th minute whenStefan Aigner headed over from a good position before Sebastian Rode headed wide.

Kevin Trapp pushed Ribery's shot wide before Alexander Meier sent a header just off target as the play flowed from end to end.

Daniel van Buyten, on for his first appearance of the season after Jerome Boatenglimped off, thought he had marked his first game with a goal, but his effort was ruled out before Ribery put Bayern ahead just before the break.

Javi Martinez beat the otherwise reliable Frankfurt offside trap and squared the ball for the Frenchman to slot in from close range.

Bayern almost doubled its lead before the break, but Trapp made two fine saves, first to deny Toni Kroos and then to keep Ribery's follow-up out.

The home side appeared to put its foot down harder in the second half fearing a Frankfurt recovery, and Martinez headed Ribery's cross over the bar in the 65th minute.

Ten minutes later, Bayern was given the chance to make it two when Bastian Schweinsteiger went to ground inside the area and a penalty was given.

Alaba stepped up to convert the spot kick with a determined effort into the right-hand corner, securing yet another win for Jupp Heynckes' men.

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Dutch Back to Louis Van Gaal

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Louis Van Gaal is the new manager of the Netherlands national side, following the post-Euro 2012 resignation of Bert Van Marwijk.

Van Gaal, 60, managed Netherlands from 2000 to 2002, but failed to take Netherlands to the World Cup in Japan and Korea. However, he has since returned to winning ways with both AZ Alkmaar and Bayern Munich.

The Dutch manager brings with him former Ajax manager Danny Blind as his assistant, as Netherlands look to move past a disastrous Euro 2012 campaign where they slumped to three straight defeats.

"The Dutch Royal Football Federation (KNVB) this evening reached an agreement with Louis van Gaal over his appointment as the coach of the Dutch national eleven," the KNVB said in a statement. "Van Gaal has signed a contract that will link him from August 1 this year until the end of the World Cup in 2014."

Van Gaal has won seven league titles across his career, in four different major European leagues, as well as guiding Ajax to Champions League glory in 2004-5.

During his recent spell at Bayern Munich, whom he left in May 2011, Van Gaal came close to repeating his feat, losing to Inter Milan in the final of the 2010 edition of the Champions League.

Robben Distraught Despite Drogba

Arjen Robben was distraught after his latest "terrible" penalty cost Bayern Munich dearly in their Champions League final defeat to Chelsea.

Robben had the chance to put Bayern on their way to European glory in extra time last night when Didier Drogba fouled Franck Ribery inside the box.

But Petr Cech saved what was a poor spot-kick from his former Blues team-mate before going on to help his side win a dramatic penalty shootout.

Bayern led that shootout early on having also been two minutes away from winning the final in normal time.

Robben, who also fluffed a penalty in their Bundesliga title showdown with Borussia Dortmund, said: "I can't describe how I feel with words, but it's been a terrible night.

"Two or three times, you feel you have the cup in your hands but at the end you stand with nothing.

"It wasn't a good penalty. I wanted to shoot the ball hard and high in the goal, but the ball didn't go high enough. It was a terrible penalty kick.

"After that, I still played well but you have to change your mindset at that point."

Robben was consoled by both match-winner Drogba and UEFA president Michel Platini after Bayern's 4-3 shootout defeat, following a 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena.

"The fact that Drogba and Platini tried to cheer me up was nice, but it's worth nothing," Robben said.

"I wanted that cup but it didn't happen."

Team-mate Thomas Muller, who thought he had scored the winner for Bayern, insisted the better team lost last night.

He told Sky Sports: "That is football, we have seen it in the past. It is not always the better team that have the cup in the end.

"When you score in front of your own fans so close to the end and then you watch Chelsea holding the cup, you can see that a lot has happened.

"It is hard to find words for that, but football is not everything."

Gomez Four Helps Munich Through

Mario Gomez hit four goals as Bayern Munich swiftly eliminated the threat of a Champions League exit before humiliating Basle.

The German club, whose Allianz Arena will stage the European final in May, had been embarrassed by a 1-0 loss to Basle three weeks ago at St Jakob Park.

But they warmed up for tonight with a 7-1 victory over Hoffenheim on Saturday, a match in which Gomez hit three, and the Germany striker went one better against the Swiss league leaders, profiting from the superb promptings of team-mates Thomas Muller, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, an attacking midfield trident the envy of most coaches in this competition.

Robben netted the first goal, Muller the second, and thereafter it was the Gomez show, until Robben rounded off the scoring with nine minutes remaining. Bayern now have a quarter-final ahead of them, while Basle tonight had a long journey home.

Basle's intentions were clear from the early stages. Once Yann Sommer played a goal-kick square to a defender, it was clear they were in Munich to cling to the ball and to their slender lead.

They failed on both counts emphatically, with Bayern going ahead on precisely the 10-minute mark and building up a 3-0 lead by the interval.

Robben twice had range-setters which brought no reward before opening the scoring with a low blast from 12 yards into the bottom right corner. He reacted sharply to Muller's speculative 25-yard strike taking a wild deflection, and the Basle hands in the air for offside were waved in vain.

Two minutes later and Robben threatened again, coming in off the right flank, with Sommer forced to fingertip his left-footed strike, which was heading for the far corner, away to his right.

Gomez was quick to the ball and crashed a shot which the goalkeeper at his near post palmed down, and the striker soon followed that with a cheeky backheel which again Sommer had to be sharp to keep out.

Muller was next to threaten, his header from Robben's right-wing corner brilliantly saved by Sommer.

Toni Kroos fizzed a 25-yard strike just over the Basle crossbar, before the visitors' Alex Frei sent a half-volley a yard too high.

It was 2-0 after 42 minutes, Robben keeping the ball alive on the right before picking out Muller's near-post run, allowing the midfielder to volley in from eight yards.

Basle were floored when Bayern scored their third two minutes later, Gomez with the three-yard finish after Kroos swept a free-kick across from the left and Holger Badstuber, at the far post, hooked the ball across goal.

Any fading hopes in the Basle camp were put to rest inside five minutes of the second half as Gomez scored his second, this time a classy left-footed volley from Ribery's left-wing cross.

His hat-trick arrived on the hour, with Ribery wending his way past a crowd of would-be tacklers before teeing up a cross for Gomez to nod in almost apologetically from close range.

Basle were frustrated to have a goal ruled out, seemingly for a handball by first-leg matchwinner Valentin Stocker.

Gomez had his fourth goal after 65 minutes, Ribery doing the initial damage with a mesmerising run down the left before cutting a pass back for his team-mate to strike a fierce shot into the top right.

Muller made way for substitute Bastian Schweinsteiger, Danijel Pranjic took over from Ribery, and in the 81st minute Robben made it 7-0. Schweinsteiger played the pass, Robben sidestepped Sommer and passed the ball home, before being replaced.

Van Gaal to Leave Bayern in June

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

FC Bayern Munich board directors Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Karl Hopfner, director of sport Christian Nerlinger, and head coach Louis van Gaal, today met to discuss the current situation at the club. 

The club has issued the following summary of the meeting:

Louis van Gaal will remain FC Bayern Munich head coach until the end of the current season on 30 June 2011;

the contract between FC Bayern Munich and Louis van Gaal, originally set to expire on 30 June 2012, will be terminated by mutual consent at the end of the current season;

the reason for the termination is a difference of opinion regarding the strategic direction of the club.

Given FC Bayern Munich’s difficult sporting situation at the present time, all the parties resolved to direct their entire and combined efforts towards the club still achieving its minimum sporting targets for this season.

Bayern Suffer Another Defeat

Louis Van Gaal 

The defending German champions, Bayern Munich, were beaten 3-1 by Hannover today for their third defeat in a week.

Mohammed Abddellaoue put the Reds in front in the 16th minute and Konstantin Rausch added a second early in the second half. Arjen Robben pulled one back for Bayern almost immediately, but Sergio Pinto's goal in the 62nd minute ended their hopes of recovering.

Bayern defender Breno was sent off in the 73rd minute, whose side have now fallen four points adrift of third place and the minimum aim of a place in the UEFA Champions League next season. Hannover started the game two points above Bayern, and they appeared to have no intention of relinquishing that advantage.

They went ahead in the 16th minute when Abdellaoue met Rausch's low cross at the near post and sent it in on the stretch. Emanuel Pogatetz nearly made it two in the 29th minute, but he sent his header from a corner straight at Thomas Kraft in the Bayern goal..

Hannover continued to create the better chances, with Rausch volleying wide in the 37th minute. The home team deservedly doubled their lead in the 51st minute when the lively Rausch's shot took a slight deflection off Mario Gomez to beat Kraft.

Bayern had to respond and they did with Robben reducing the arrears just four minutes later, stealing in at the far post to head Franck Ribery's cross over the line. However, Bayern's recovery ended there as Hannover regained control of the game with Pinto putting them 3-1 up in the 62nd minute.

Pinto stole the ball off Robben before racing towards the Bayern goal and shooting from 25-yards past Kraft, who made a poor attempt to save the ball, in keeping with Bayern's day. The Bavarians self-destructed ten minutes later when Breno saw a straight red card for a retaliatory foul on Lars Stindl.

Moritz Stoppelkamp missed two great chances to make it four late on as the long faces of Bayern's president Uli Hoeness and chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in the stands expressed their dissatisfaction. 

They now have a big decision to make and Van Gaal's future is not looking very rosy as Hannover were left celebrating a win which puts them closer to a place in the Champions League next season.

Looking for Mr Right?

There have been a number of managerial vacancies in recent months, both at club and national level with some key ones becoming vacant after the departure of the Republic of Ireland manager last October. In the wake of Steve Staunton's departure job openings arose at National level in the Football Association in England when Steve McClaren's tenure was terminated; at the Scottish FA when Alex McLeish took up the opportunity with Birmingham City and in Holland when Marco van Basten announced his intention to step down after the EURO 2008 championships in Austria and Switzerland this summer.

In the chilly autumn air of Scandinavia, another Englishman, Roy Hodgson fancied a change and he decided to leave his position in charge of Finland. In Serbia there was also some turmoil in football circles as former Spanish manager, Javier Clemente, also found himself out of work. In Bulgaria too Hristo Stocihkov had left a vacancy since his walk out last year and so they were looking for their “Mr Right”.

In the Premier League the turbulence started in September when Stamford Budge saw the "Special one” hand in his notice and returning to Portugal. During October it was the turn of Sammy Lee to leave Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur vacated the managerial hot seat with the removal of Martin Jol. A month later saw Chris Hutchings gone from Wigan, Lawrie Sanchez out of a job at Fulham and Derby manager Billy Davies lose his position at Derby County. The changes thrown up in December had Hibernians lose John Collins, who decided to step down from his post not long after the National Manger had moved down south.

In Europe one of top clubs heard the intentions of Bayern Munich's Ottmar Hitzfeld made known as he sated he would finish at the end of the season leaving Uli Hoeness Deputy Executive Chairman on the look out for a replacement. In Spain the major change happened at Sevilla with Jun de Ramos handing in his papers to his chairman in October. All-in all it was a very busy period.

Against that backdrop the Republic of Ireland were also on the lookout for a new manager after the FAI ended the reign of their manager half way through a four year agreement. Since that day the search has been under way and the race has been on to find the right replacement along with all the other football organisations seeking to make appointments as well. In the 90 days that have passed since that chilly October night near Dublin Airport most of the other searches have been concluded. For the Republic of Ireland the only whisper to be heard now is the imminent arrival of Samba Soccer to Dublin when Brazil play art Croke Park on February 6th.

Even at the Africa Cup of Nations the Ivory Coast had their preparations thrown into disarray when former Real Madrid and West German defender, Uli Stielike, had to rush home when his son feel seriously ill only two weeks before the opening game. Amidst such a human crisis the Ivory Coast FA hired Gerard Gil for the job relying on his experience at Olympic Marseille and Egypt to guide them at short notice. It seems that all things are possible; at greater speed elsewhere and with greater efficacy.

Indeed the decision by Bayern Munich to name the replacement for Hitzfeld this early on has been viewed as a marketing coup allowing the club set out the commercial intentions with the return of Juergen Klinsmann to his old club. Although the Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Bayern had been critical of Klinsmann prior to the 2006 World Cup, and being no slouch at major soccer events himself, the utterings of Franz Beckenbauer's are normally not to be ignored. In the end history records that the Klinsmann and Joachim Loew partnership brought the team to a more advanced stage than perhaps anyone expected before finally submitting to Italy in the semi - final. Next season Beckenbauer will have Klinsmann at the helm of Bayern Munich and even if the sounds so far are optimistic ones no one can be sure that Juergen will relay be Mr Right.

During the past three months most of the vacancies have been filled the latest being Javier Clemente appointed as the Manager of Iran for the 2010 World Cup. Only the Dutch Football Federation (KNVB) and the FAI who have yet to declare their choices and the sense in Amsterdam is that it is less of a hurry as they do not really need anyone in place until after EURO 2008. But then in Dublin there seems to be no sense of hurry either despite all the vacancies that arose since October having been filled.

Maybe we really are the only ones looking for Mr Perfect though?

OSM - All rights reserved 2009

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