Union Berlin thoughts

When will the bubble burst ? Such was the title of a piece I wrote in the Summer but alas the piece did not upload and has disappeared for ever and now I look like a fraud of Clinton Baptiste proportions ! 

I did feel that we had over-performed for several seasons and that the Champions League might prove to be one hurdle too many. I did not, however, expect quite such a distasterous run of results and the departrure of Trainergott Urs Fischer.

Union won our first 2 games scoring 8 goals and all looked good. But the next 2 games were losses and it was obvious that something was not right. Away at Real Madrid  (yes the Real Madrid) we played well only to cruelly lose in injury time. That seemed to lead to a loss of confidence and in all there was a run of 12 games without a win. A new coach , Nenad Bjelica, arrived and Union have started to look better & climbed out of the relegation zone but, as I write this, there are three away games coming up (including Bayern) so the crisis is potentially not over.

So, what went wrong ? This topic has been the subject of much debate on the internet and especially in bars after games. As a fan you dont have the full picture so its not easy to come up with answers. My opinion is that its a mixture of things that all conspired to happen in conjunction ...some bad luck, some levelling out from our over-achievments, some mistakes (maybe) in the transfer market. 

In the summer - with an eye on the Champions League - we paid a reported 15 million Euros for Robin Gosens (Union's record transfer). Now Gosens is a class player but who pays a record fee for a left back ? Union have had real problems getting goals this season & while 15 million doesn't get you a Lewandowski it might buy you a few more goals !  We also had other name players sign who are likely to be on more money than the old squad. Some have speculated that this may have contributed to the very obvious lack of cohesion and the abscence of Union Berlin's notorious fighting spirit.

For some weeks it looked like the players were unsure what system they were playing and the defensive solidity disappeared - not helped by injuries to key players. There were reports too of discipline problems with at least two players sanctioned by the club - not something we are used to and signs of unrest in the squad.

Things have looked better in recent weeks and I am reasonably confident that Union will retain our top-flight status...just got to grind out those results and hopefully sign a goalscorer this month.

* what about worst case scenario ? If Union do not manage to stay up ? Well, we have been in 2 Bundesliga before (and even lower) and I will still be there & so will the people that I stand with. The stadium will still be full every game & tickets will still be a nightmare to get hold of . The 2 Bundesliga is a great league with some fabulous away days too. That said - I don't want to be back there & I don't think we will be .