[Milan Are Brilli...]

Recent Bundesliga Champions (Since '92)
92/93 Werder Bremen
93/94 Bayern Munich
94/95 Borussia Dortmund
95/96 Borussia Dortmund
96/97 Bayern Munich
97/98 1. FC Kaiserslautern
98/99 Bayern Munich
99/00 Bayern Munich
00/01 Bayern Munich
01/02 Borussia Dortmund
02/03 Bayern Munich
03/04 Werder Bremen
04/05 Bayern Munich
05/06 Bayern Munich
06/07 VfB Stuttgart
07/08 Bayern Munich
08/09 VfL Wolfsburg
09/10 Bayern Munich
10/11 Borussia Dortmund
11/12 Borussia Dortmund

[Fillipo Simone]

Should be an interesting season ahead of us.

[CHU-LIP]

About time for Gladbach to win the league again. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Fillipo Simone]

About time for Gladbach to win the league again. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

You think it's possible? As I said earlier, I think last seasons success was the teams maximum. Loosing Reus and Dante doesn't help either.

[kurtsimonw]

Dortmund/Bayern to run away as the top 2 again.

[Fillipo Simone]

I'd say Bayern. They've gotta win it now, or else big changes should/could be introduced.

[CHU-LIP]

You think it's possible? As I said earlier, I think last seasons success was the teams maximum. Loosing Reus and Dante doesn't help either.

Nah. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

Last season was not their maximum though, or at least they could do similar this season. I expect they will. Gladbach haven't become weaker. Luuk de Jong, Alvaro Dominguez and Granit Xhaka are quality players, making up for the three quality players that left. Most starters who are still here are very young and will only do better now, like Patrick Herrmann. 3rd or 4th should be very possible, Schalke may get 3rd again. The other teams are not better than Gladbach. Anything less than European football, and I'm hugely disappointed.

Dortmund/Bayern to run away as the top 2 again.

Most likely, yes. Both should finish top 2. They are the obvious two best sides currently.

I'd say Bayern. They've gotta win it now, or else big changes should/could be introduced.

If Schweinsteiger gets back to his former self, Bayern are favourites. Bayern really missed him last season.

Should be close between Bayern and Dortmund, though you never know what will happen, a team like Schalke can at least stick with them for most of the season, or one side can dominate like Dortmund has done two years back, and Bayern obviously can do the same. As long as the champions have Borussia in their name, I'm happy.

This post has been edited by CHU-LIP: Aug 12 2012, 05:40 PM

[Fillipo Simone]

Don't know why, but I expect Dortmund to disappoint this season. Somehow I don't see them winning 3 strait titles, even if it is a really good team.

And for once I hope they'll present a thread in Europe as well. Last season it was just laughable how they got eliminated.

[CHU-LIP]

Who knows, I don't rule out Schalke coming in 2nd, but I would be shocked if Dortmund will really disappoint.

Shinji Kagawa was Dortmund's key player last season, and even though Marco Reus and Mario Götze are quality players as well, we have to see first how that will go. Last season Dortmund used to struggle first (bar the first match), because of missing former key player Nuri Sahin, which is why they ruined the Champions League, and also lost many points in the league. I don't expect Dortmund to have another (early) period that's that horrible, so they should do better in Champions League now.

Also the season where Sahin was the key player, Kagawa has been important as well. Last season Kagawa became even more important. So Dortmund will be a different Dortmund, so that'd be interesting.

This post has been edited by CHU-LIP: Aug 12 2012, 06:22 PM

[CHU-LIP]

Well, against Bayern Dortmund actually did disappoint. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

I would not look too much into it though. The starting midfield was a joke. Kehl and Bender were injured, and they were very well missed, same goes for Götze who only subbed in. It is up to Götze to shine this season, because if he doesn't, Dortmund will miss former key player Kagawa a lot. Götze should be Dortmund's attacking midfielder, not Reus, while Götze comes closer to offering that what Kagawa (and also Sahin) has been doing in Dortmund's midfield than Reus does. Since Kuba is a good right-winger, Reus position should be left-wing.

This will probably be Bayern's season though. They only have become stronger, and Dortmund weaker. Also keep in mind how Bayern's key player Schweinsteiger was mostly injured and later off form last season.

[Fillipo Simone]

Why do you put so much emphasis on Kagawa? I don't think he was the crucial part; when he went out injured the season before, almost nothing changed - Dortmund still dominated. Don't get me wrong, he's an important player and was excellent in many departments, but I wouldn't say he was or is their key player.

[X-Offender]

Why do you put so much emphasis on Kagawa?

Because CHU loves Japanese people. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[CHU-LIP]

Why do you put so much emphasis on Kagawa? I don't think he was the crucial part; when he went out injured the season before, almost nothing changed - Dortmund still dominated. Don't get me wrong, he's an important player and was excellent in many departments, but I wouldn't say he was or is their key player.

Well, in my opinion he was. I can't name one player who was more important for Dortmund when it comes to creating attacks, and holding possession, than him. He's that kind of player that made it all much more easier.

Because CHU loves Japanese people. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

I don't love Kagawa. His girlfriend I could though.

[Fillipo Simone]

I'm not so sure. He's managed an overall of 9 assists in the Bundesliga over 2 seasons which isn't that impressive. I'd say Lewandowski was much more crucial, but Klopp managed to build a real team, not just a group of individuals.

[CHU-LIP]

I'm not so sure. He's managed an overall of 9 assists in the Bundesliga over 2 seasons which isn't that impressive. I'd say Lewandowski was much more crucial, but Klopp managed to build a real team, not just a group of individuals.

It's not about the assists. Kagawa has played an important role at many attacks. An usual good thing about Kagawa was giving a very good ball to a winger who then brings the ball to someone in goalscoring position. Obviously Dortmund's strength is being a real team, true. You have to be when playing football like Dortmund does. And then unlike with a group of individuals many players will play an important role during attacks.

This post has been edited by CHU-LIP: Aug 16 2012, 07:23 PM