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05 November 2008 19:27

Well, I had a few days away and what has happened to the HSV? Last we heard HSV was looking strong, top of the league, going well in the UEFA Cup, through to the last 16 of the DFB Pokal - all was rosy.

Well, things started to go a bit downhill with a thumping at 2nd placed Hoffenheim. I know all about the millionaire club, how their software money has mde them what they are, how they are not real football. But when it comes to running, passing, kicking the ball, tackling etc etc it doesn't matter how much money you have. And on this day at least, the better team won.

So they don't have our great tradition, our history, blah blah blah.

Well, tradition never scored a goal. If it did, we may as well go and watch Schalke (ha ha ha) or Eintracht Braunschweig. Hoffenheim are a team playing fast, direct football. Their passing is crisp and they have pace through the team. Their players have not come from Real Madrid or Chelsea, but from Hertha Berlin, Karlsruhe or Borussia Monchengladbach - hardly dining at the high table of world football.

We followed up our catastrophe in Hoffenheim (actually Mannheim but you know what i mean) with a midweek game against Stuttgart. We were out of the starting gate very fast and completely dominated the first half but the only goal was a penalty by Trochowski after a foul on Jarolim. Predictably the focus was on whether Jarolim had been fouled and once again the TV pictures were not very convincing, but i think the defender did hold him back - which is a foul - even though his fall came a second or 2 after. Hmmmm. Special mention to Silva who was excellent in the 1st half.

In the second half, we were several notches lower on the scale and a better team than Stuttgart would have taken advantage. But it was HSV who took the points after a deflected shot went past Jens Lehmann - I almost felt sorry for the ex-Arsenal keeper. Almost, but not quite.

With a trip to Hannover on Saturday, we wondered which HSV team would turn up from Wednesday - the first half team, all energy and pezzazz? or the second half team, as flat as last nights Holstens? I'm afraid it was the latter. Second to every ball, weak passing, generally dopey. Hannover took the lead when Rost bravely dived upwards to a shot that went 2 yards wide of him? what was he thinking? I don't think he knows himself. The hosts doubled the lead when Schlaudraff just ran past the defence, pausing long enough to wish them "Auf wiedersehen" and prod the ball in the net. Guerero went off injured and although Hamburg had a header cleared off the line it was still 2-0 at half time and deservedly so. In the second half, Hamburg showed some more aggression but missing Guerero they made no headway to speak of, and it was only a matter of time before Hannover scored a third.

so HSV down to 5th and not really playing too well. One week to lick their wounds before Dortmund come to town. Stamp on those wasps!