Köln give their fans reason to believe again after seasons of struggle | Andy Brassell

By -

After surviving the relegation play-off last year, Effzeh appear to be on the up under their new head coach Steffen Baumgart

“If you want to avoid relegation,” suggested Anthony Modeste, “then you have to beat these opponents.” The Köln striker might have missed Bochum’s impressive, dogged opening performances back in the Bundesliga but his perspective is one you understand from someone who knows this fascinating, drama-heavy club so well. Safety first, second and third after the experience of recent seasons.

The circumspection of FC Köln’s players is never going to be matched by the fans in the home of Karneval, though. Cologne, as a city, never needs much encouragement to be swept up in a wave of optimism but there are reasons for observers beyond the faithful to believe in Effzeh this season. Failing to beat Bochum, as Modeste suggested, might have taken a bit of air out of the Köln balloon. Yet a 2-1 win over the plucky promoted team was only the tip of the iceberg in what should have delighted the new coach, Steffen Baumgart, and all those of an Effzeh persuasion.

Continue reading...

from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/aug/30/bundesliga-review-koln-cologne-bayern-munich

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Newcastle’s transformation and reconnection testament to Howe’s coaching | Andy Brassell

By -
Club’s supporters’ minds will start to wander to potential trips next season after long-awaited return to Champions League The roar at kick-off, the roar that had been there in most of the previous 18 home games of this season, was maybe given a few extra decibels here. Added to renewed hope, present all season, was a touch of yes, this really is happening. Then came the moment, with fireworks being wedged into the tops of milk bottles, at the beginning of stoppage time, when Nick Pope was finally forced into some sort of movement to deny Timothy Castagne, to make sure it did happen. It came after one of the Newcastle keeper’s slowest days of the season, after what had often resembled a half-pitch, beat-the-packed-defence training exercise against a Leicester team largely too meek to threaten Geordie dreams. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2023/may/22/newcastle-champions-league-eddie-howe
Read more

Richarlison’s first Tottenham goals punish Marseille for Mbemba’s red card

By -
There was the obligatory pre-match footage of Lucas Moura’s winner at Ajax and then the declaration on the big screen at Tottenham’s magnificent stadium, one that is built to stage these kind of Champions League nights. “We’re back.” For so long, it appeared that the grand return after a two-season absence would fall flat, even when Marseille were reduced to ten men in the 47th minute following Chancel Mbemba’s last-man foul on Son Heung-min. It was a dreadful misjudgment by the former Newcastle centre-half. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/sep/07/tottenham-marseille-champions-league-group-d-match-report
Read more

Super Eagles player, William Troost-Ekong shows off his girlfriend on IG as she turns a year older today

By -
Image
Super Eagles and FK Haugesund defender William Troost Ekong took to his Instagram account this morning to wish happy birthday to his beautiful girlfriend. " HBD to my girl. Wish I could be there".  The 22 year old half Dutch, half Nigerian is in Nigeria for the Super Eagles 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Tanzania holding in Akwa Ibom state on Saturday.
Read more