Believe it or not, we are just a week away from the start of another glorious Bundesliga season. Having taken the summer off from worrying about football (and cramming in seven Harry Potter books into those months), it is time to dive head-deep into my favorite passion.
The difficult thing about this year is that the season will start nearly a month before the end of the transfer window. That makes it hard to predict as teams still have plenty of time to address issues and change the course of the season early on. However I think it’s important that we do so. This year, rather than me giving my predictions, I think we will run a contest.
Your job is to provide the following:
The top six in order. +1 for each team that you guess in the top six. A perfect spot is an additional 3 and another 2 if you get the Champion correct.
Three relegation sides. +2 for any team directly relegated. +1 if a team is relegated via playoff.
The depth within the competition of the three UCL teams. Options are: out at qualification, out at Group, UEFA Spot, Group Stages, Quarters, Semis, Finals, Winners. +3 if right. +1 if the team makes it to the group stages (and you predicted at least group stage) but progresses further than you predicted. For example if you predict Wolfsburg to make the group stages and they make it to the semis, you get a point.
The Player of the Season. You cannot predict Franck Ribery. We have no idea if he will be here by September 1st. If Franck stays and he’s the player of the year, whoever is second counts for this contest. This one is worth 10 points.
Total points is 50. The final day for entry is August 17th. Any post after that will be erased. This gives you two match days, but precedes the start of the Qualification round of the UCL.
The winner will receive a signed copy of Rafael Honigstein’s new book, which comes out in September and will be reviewed shortly here.
But what would this be, if we were just competing with each other. So you will have 2 experts and an idiot to beat. The soon-to-be famous author Rafael Honigstein (and creator of Footbo) along with broadcaster Derek Rae have graciously provided their picks. So you get to see if you can beat these experts. I have also provided mine and any supporter caught below me on the final table will be handed a bicycle helmet and asked to ride on the short bus.
Derek Rae
Top 6
1. Bayern Munich
2. Bremen
3. Stuttgart
4. Wolfsburg
5. Schalke
6. HSV
Relegation: Mainz, Freiburg, Bochum
Europe:
Stuttgart (CL Round of 16)
Bayern (Quarters)
Wolfsburg (CL Round of 16)
Player: Alex Hleb (Stuttgart)
Rafael Honigstein
Top 6
1. Bayern
2. Hamburg
3. Stuttgart
4. Wolfsburg
5. Leverkusen
6. HoffenheimRelegation: Mainz, Gladbach, Hannover
Europe:
Stuttgart: Needs to wait for draw on August 7 (WEAK!)
Wolfsburg: last 16
Bayern: quarter-finalPlayer: Mario Gomez
Me
Top Six
1. Hoffenheim
2. Bayern
3. Werder
4. Stuttgart
5. Dortmund
6. HamburgRelegation: Eintracht, Freiburg, Bochum
Europe:
Stuttgart (UEFA Spot)
Wolfsburg (Group Stages)
Bayern (Semis)Player: Carlos Eduardo
Have fun!
Top 6
1. Bayern Munchen
2. HSV
3. Schalke
4. Stuttgart
5. Cologne (Podolski)
6. Bremen
Relegation: Hoffenheim, Frankfurt, Freiburg
Europe
Stuttgart: UEFA Spot
Wolfsburg: Group Stage
Bayern: Semis
Player of the year: Mario Gomez
1. Bayern
2. Werder
3. Hamburg
4. Wolfsburg
5. Stuttgart
6. Schalke
Relegation:
Mainz, Freiburg, Bochum
Europe:
Wolfsburg: UEFA spot
Bayern: Quarters
Stuttgart: UEFA spot
Player of the year: Mesut Ozil
TOP SIX:
BAYERN, HAMBURG, BREMEN, WOLFSBURG, SCHALKE, LEVERKUSEN
BOTTOM THREE: (16th-18th)
BOCHUM, FREIBURG, MAINZ
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE:
WOLFSBURG: EUROPA LEAGUE
BAYERN: SEMI-FINALS
STUTTGART: EUROPA LEAGUE
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: LUKAS PODOLSKI (COLOGNE) 20 plus goals!!!
Top 6:
Bayern M.
Stuttgart
Schalke
Bremen
Hamburg
Bayer Leverkusen
Relegated:
Freiberg
Mainz
M’gladbach
UCL:
Stuttgart – UEFA spot
Bayern – Quarter Finals
Wolfsburg – Bottom of their group
Player of the season:
Ozil (as I am having a complete brain freeze at the moment). Can I guess that it won’t be a Bayern player?
LOL, I forgot Wolfsburg in my top 6! Akh, what a poor effort on my part.
TOP SIX:
BAYERN, HAMBURG, WOLFSBURG, STUTTGART, HOFFENHEIM, SCHALKE
Relegation: Mainz, Freiburg, Bochum
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE:
WOLFSBURG: CL Round of 16
BAYERN: Quarters
STUTTGART: UEFA spot
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: MESUT OZIL
Top 6:
FC Bayern
VfB Stuttgart
Hoffenheim
HSV
Wolfsburg
Werder Bremen
Relegation: Mainz, Bochum, Freiburg
Europe:
FC Bayern – Semi’s of the CL
VfB – Round of 16
Wolfsburg – Round of 16
Bremen – Uefa cup winners
HSV – Semi’s of the Uefa cup
Leverkusen – Quarter
Hertha – Group stage ele
1.Bayern
2.Bremen
3.Wolfsburg
4.Hamburg
5.Schalke
6.Hoff
Relegation: Bochum, Mainz, Nurnberg
CL
Bayern- Semis
Wolfsburg- Quarterfinals
Stuttgart-UEFA spot
Player- Gomez
Top Six
1. Bayern
2. Hamburg
3. Werder
4. Wolfsburg
5. Koln
6. Leverkusen
Relegation: Nurenberg, Mainz, Bochum
Europe:
Stuttgart (Group Stage)
Wolfsburg (CL round of 16)
Bayern (Final)
Player: Podolski
Top 6
1. Bayern
2. Hamburg
3. Wolfsburg
4. Hoffenheim
5. Stuttgart
6. Bremen
Relegation: Mainz, Freiburg, Bochum
Europe:
Stuttgart: Group stages
Wolfsburg: quarters
Bayern: quarters
Player: Mario Gomez
Top 6
1. Bayern
2. HSV
3. Wolfsburg
4. Stuttgart
5. Bremen
6. Schalke
Relegation: Mainz, Freiburg, Gladbach
Europe:
Stuttgart: Group stage
Wolfsburg: UEFA spot
Bayern: Quarter final
Player of the Year: Marko Marin
1. Bayern
2. Bremen
3. HSV
4. Stuttgart
5. Dortmund
6. Wolfsburg
Relegation: ‘Gladbach, Mainz, Freiburg
Europe:
Bayern: CL quarterfinals
Wolfsburg: Europa League
Stuttgart: Europa League
Player of the year: Marko Marin
Top 6:
1. Bayern
2. Stuttgart
3. Bremen
4. Hoffenheim
5. HSV
6. Leverkusen
Relegation:
Mainz
Freiburg
Gladbach
Europe:
Bayern – 1/4er Finals
Wolfsburg – UEFA
Stuttgart – UEFA
Player of the Season – Kevin-Prince Boateng (yes, yes, I know). If he doesn’t come in then Mario Gomez.
You still have until next week to enter this contest. Trust me, the book is worth it
Joey55 from SC
1.) Bayern
2.) HSV
3.) Stuttgart
4.) Werder Bremen
5.) Wolfsburg
Can’t win this, but he’s a knowledgeable poster. And he ends the entry.