an old friend returns to Stuttgart

Tucked snuggly in mid-table FC Köln is level with Werder Bremen at thirteen points and apparently quite comfortable promoted to the Bundesliga. As they go toe-to-toe against die Roten at the Neckarstadion Saturday afternoon, there is a sense of irony to the match as their return to the top-flight of German Football is due in large part to the craftsmanship of Christoph Daum the last two years.

Over fifteen years ago, the young manager had led to Vfb to the championship but the following year and a unfortunate coaching error, he was dismissed. As time went on, his career went through many very tumultuous and colourful seasons but eventually he has returned to top and since led Köln back to the Bundesliga. Asked of the return to Stuttgart he said:

"I look forward to seeing my genuine Swabian friends again" and further adding that is was a "unforgettably beautiful time."

Naturally ten matches is not a verdict but from all accounts, they have played with his classic styling and have strangled off competition that most consider superiour. Their recent 1-0 loss to BVB was a good example of this as their 4-2-3-1 formation was a pesky problem that came close to squeezing out a goalless draw. While they are the second-lowest scoring club in the Bundesliga, they also play some of the most efficient Football and if the club invests in more talent in the January window, we could be looking at die Geißböcke holding tough in the tough half of the table or above.

While Armin Veh would not go reveal too much of his tactical plan said of the match:

"We need to be more threatening in front of goal. We want to play good attacking football and give the fans at a capacity filled arena something to shout about. I think FC will approach the game relatively defensively and close down the room, as they did recently against Bayer Leverkusen. They will be looking to hit us on the break and prove successful that way."