McMonkey's Eintracht Frankfurt game

[McMonkey]

Some drama before my home game versus Mainz. Markus Pröll damages his neck and has to go to see a specialist for treatment. He will be out of action for at least two weeks. Unfortunately both my reserve keepers have minor injuries too. I desperately search around for a short term loan or an out of contract keeper to take on, but I can't find any in time and have to give a debut to 18 year old Bosnian youth team keeper Erman Muratagic.

I decide to send Sebastian Nayar on a season long loan to Dynamo Dresden to give him the first team football he wants. Hopefully the experience will help him develop. Bayern Munich enquire about one of my youth team players, 15 year old centre-back Ilir Curri (possibly a fictional character). After some negotiations I agree to see for £2.2m (in instalments) with 50% of any future transfer coming to Frankfurt. Sounds like this lad is going to have a big future in the game, but I need the cash now!

[McMonkey]

Team: Muratagic, Ochs, Russ, Franz, Monzon, Gunnarsson, Linderoth, Carmona, Cisse, Fonseca, Zaki

I decide to stick with the tactics from the Hamburg game and after eleven minutes Frankfurt make the breakthrough. Cisse recieves the ball outside the box, beats two players and cooly slots the ball under the diving keeper. Great goal. 1-0

The 33rd minute and Borja receives the ball in what appears to be an offside position. However there is no flag from the linesman and he beats Murgatagic with relative ease. The Frankfurt players run to the linesman, but their protests are waved away. 1-1

Just before half time and Die Adler win a corner. Mainz fail to clear their lines and when Zaki heads the ball to Franz who is lurking on the edge of the box the captain powers home a fierce shot that deflects past the helpless Muller. 2-1

Half time. No substitutes. I'm happy with the way things are going.

60th minute. I replace Linderoth with Fabio Santos. I need his energy in the centre of midfield to chase down every ball.

65th minute. Gunnarsson pulls the ball back to Fabio Santos on the edge of the area who rifles a shot into the top left corner. Frankfurt are cruising now! I instruct the players to play on the counter and let Mainz commit men forward.

70th minute. I change formation to a 4-1-3-1-1 and bring Marveaux and Meier on for Fonseca and Zaki.

89th minute. Gunnarsson is forced to make a tackle on Polanski in the area and the referee awards Mainz a penalty. Ivanschitz in off the post. 3-2

Frankrurt manage to hold out for the last few minutes, despite several Mainz corners, to record a well deserved win!

Result: 3-2
League position: 6th
Man of the match: Maik Franz

[McMonkey]

Before the game in Bremen I manage to get veteran keeper Georg Koch, formerly of Duisburg and Kaiserslautern, on a four week trial. More importantly I use the money from the sale of Curri to bring in Bosnian keeper Asmir Begovic on a season loan from Portsmouth. The deal will cost me £450k and I have agreed a fee of £2.2m if I want to make the deal permanent at any point. I have high hopes for the 6'6" Asmir who, at 22, has years ahead of him and can learn from Markus Pröll.



So to the game against Bremen.

Team: Kocj, Ochs, Monzon, Russ, Franz, Appiah, Gunnarsson, Carmona, Cisse, Fonseca, Zaki.

I decide to go into this game with a slightly more cautious 4-3-3 Counter formation.

8th minute. Appiah plays the ball through to Cisse on the edge of the area who turns smartly to get past Naldo and unleash a fierce shot that Wiese can only parry into his own net. Great start! 1-0

41st minute. Boenisch is allowed to run into space in the area and his low cross is met by Moreno who cooly slots the ball under the onrushing Koch. 1-1

Half time. After a relatively equal and quiet first half I decide to stick with the same players for the start of the second half.

52nd minute. Gunnarsson takes a knock and I decide to replace him with the pacey Sarioglu who I on as a winger and tell to attack down the right.

64th minute. A Werder corner is cleared as far as substitute Almeida who hits a fierce shot that deflects off Pizarro and past Koch. 1-2, but wait. The linesman flags for Pizarro and Die Adler are off the hook! 1-1

65th minute. I bring on Bajramovic and Marveaux fot Appiah and Zaki and go to a 4-4-2 to try and keep hold of the ball a bit more in midfield and make use of the wings.

The rest of the game is a bit flat and it ends 1-1. I'm happy enough with a draw away from home.
League position: 8th
Man of the Match: Monzon

Next up Die Schwaben!

[McMonkey]

Team: Begovic, Ochs, Monzon, Russ, Franz, Appiah, Gunnarsson, Carmona, Cisse, Fonseca, Zaki 4-3-3 Counter

20th minute. Pogrebnyak plays the ball to Cacau on the edge of the area. Good first touch to take him past his marker and he lashes a shot past Begovic. 1-0

28th minute. Having had a good share of the possession Frankfurt change to a more attacking style of play in search of the equalizer.

43rd minute. Amr Zaki hits the bar with a powerful long range strike.

Half time. Reuter instructs his team to be more direct with their passing.

49th minute. Kikin Fonseca's close range header forces a magnificent save from Jens Lehmann.

51st minute. Sabri Sarioglu comes on for Appiah.

60th minute. Monzon's low cross into the box deflects in off Delpierre. Nothing Lehmann could do to stop that one! 1-1

72nd minute. Cacau forces a great save from Asmir Begovic.

76th minute. ...and again!

86th minute. Subs: Lell for Ochs and Fabio Santos for Gunnarsson.

87th minute. Terrible timing. Maik Franz gets a second yellow card for a nothing tackle. Not sure what the referee was thinking!

90th minute. Begovic fails to hold onto Cacau's first time shot and the striker manages to poke the ball home on the second attempt. 1-2

In the end a disappointing result after a good performance by Die Adler. Once again an over zealous referee has cost us the game!

League position: 12th
Man of the match: Cacau

[McMonkey]

During the international break several Frankfurt players are away for international duty. Amr Zaki manages to net three goals in two matches. Can he continue this impressive form upon his return?

[McMonkey]

Team: Begovic, Ochs, Russ, Van Damme, Monzon, Gunnarsson, Appiah, Carmona, Cisse, Fonseca, Zaki 4-3-3 attack

6 minutes: Cisse recieves the ball on the edge of the Nuremberg area after good work from Gunnarsson. He beats the keeper with a typically powerful strike. 1-0

Half time. After a pretty uneventful half I bring on Alexander Meier and Sabri Sarioglu for Gunnarsson and Zaki who have both picked up minor knocks.

64th minute. Marveaux on for the injured Kikin Fonseca.

68th minute. Marveaux's outswinging corner is flicked on by Cisse at the near post. Russ beats Andreas Wolf to head in at the far post. 2-0

91st minute. Van Damme brings down Charisteas in the box. Penalty to Der Club. Jelle is already on a yellow card but the referee deems the foul not worthy of a second. Phew!

92nd minute. Mintal steps up and puts the penalty straight down the middle past the Begovic. 2-1

There is no time for a Nuremberg equalizer as the referee blows his whistle for full time. On the balance of play Frankfurt deserved this victory.

Man of the match: Charisteas (I think it should have been Marco Russ)
League position: 8th

[McMonkey]

During the Nuremberg game Fonseca picked up an injury that will keep him out for around four weeks and Meier one that will keep him out for two. This forces me to change to a 4-4-2 formation, though looking at the Schalke squad which includes loan player Mahamadou Diarra, this may be a good idea anyway!

Team: Begovic, Ochs, Russ, Franz, Monzon, Sarioglu, Gunnarsson, Appiah, Carmona, Cisse, Zaki 4-4-2 counter

No goals to report in the first half. Frankfurt must have had ten or more corners and a lot of the posession, but we couldn't make the breakthrough.

65th minute. Fabian Monzon's powerful long range free kick beats Neuer but not the post. Close!

72nd minute. Marveaux comes on for Appiah and I change to a more attacking 4-3-1-2 formation.

86th minute. Glorious chance for Zaki from distance. Marveaux squares the ball very cleverly to Zaki on the edge of the box. His rasping shot flies agonizingly wide of the post. Another chance missed!

Final score: 0-0
Man of the match: Rafinha
League position: 9th

[McMonkey]

Poor Sabri Sarioglu is missing Turkey and Galatasary. He can't settle in beautiful Frankfurt. So sad! I allow him a month leave of absence to sort himself out and hopefully get settled down. Players

[Dario]

Which is next? Bayern Münich?

[McMonkey]

Team: Fährmann, Lell, Russ, Franz, Van Damme, Linderoth, Gunnarsson, Bajramovic, Marveaux, Cisse, Zaki 4-1-3-2 Attack

I decide to rest a few of my first team regulars to give the fringe players a chance to show what they can do. But in the first half that's not a great deal. Schwegler comes on for the injured Marveaux after 26 minutes.

Half time and all square. No subs.

60th minute. Die Adler have a strong shout for a penalty waved away by the referee as Zaki goes down in the area. I decide to change things around a bit and bring Fabio Santos and Carlos Carmona on in place of Linderoth and Bajramovic.

71st minute. Carmona puts in a clever floating cross from near the left corner flag. Zaki out jumps his marker and heads the ball down to Santos who is in acres of space. He has an easy finish from six yards out (or 5.4864 metres ). 1-0

The game really takes off in the last twenty minutes with Frankfurt having lots of chances to extend their lead. However this is not to be and the game finishes one - nil.

Man of the match: Amr Zaki

[McMonkey]

Which is next? Bayern Münich?

Bayer Leverkusen next. Bayern is in a few games time

Do you know Nayar and Monzon? Are they any good in the real world? I assume Monzon must be pretty handy as he has played for the national team now. In the game I'm playing he is still un-capped.

[McMonkey]

Team: Begovic, Ochs, Russ, Franz, Monzon, Santos, Appiah, Gunnarsson, Carmona, Cisse, Zaki 4-1-3-2 Counter

The game is played during a heavy rainstorm so I instruct my players to adopt a more direct approach.

25th minute. Stefan Kießling loses Franz who is supposed to be marking him and gets on the end of a pass from Eren Derdiyok. 0-1

27th minute. Derdiyok rattles the cross bar with a powerful header.

47th minute. Zaki sets up Gunnarsson with a clear cut chance but the young Icelander hits a rather limp shot straight at Rene Adler.

Half time. I bring on Jelle Van Damme in place of Carmona who has picked up a knock. Jelle goes to left back and Monzon moves forward into left midfield.

68th minute. This time it is Zaki's turn to rattle the bar with a header from a corner kick.

79th minute. Zaki heads on a Begovic goal kick. The ball lands mid way between the Leverkusen defence and keeper. Adler hesitates for a second which is enough time for Cisse to sprint in and slot the ball past him. It was like the whole Leverkusen defence was paralysed, what a shambles! 1-1

89th minute. Cisse picks up a knock. He looks like he is struggling so I get young Magyar Marko Futaks prepared to go on.

90th minute. On the counter attack Cisse has a golden opportunity to win it, but the knock has slowed him down and the Leverkusen defence is able to catch him and put in a challenge.

Final score: 1-1 A fair result over the 90 minutes.
Man of the match: Kadalec
League position: 9th

[Dario]

Monzon played in Boca Juniors since 2008, he wasn't very regular because he had to alternate with another player his position, but he was a very good defender player with full projection up to the enemy area. He scored a few times... I don't remember one of his goals.
Then he migrated to Europe and I didn't know anything else of him.
Oh yes, he was back in Boca Juniors in 2010, but he wasn't taken into account by the coach.

btw, i would like to see that german team..... Moengeblandach... i don't know its spelling, it's hard to pronunciate. Are you going to post it?

[McMonkey]

I think Monzon now plays for OGC Nice in France. He also had a load spell at Real Betis in Spain. So far he has been very consistent for me and I'm looking forward to one of hiss free kicks flying into the net! I read on Wikipedia that when he returned to Boca from his loan in Spain his contract was for 2,000 pesos [€376] per week and they were not willing to increase it. I don't know what the average pay is in Argentina, but that seems remarkably low for an international footballer. In the premier league the average must be something like £15,000 per week. The article did suggest that the other player did get paid a lot more.

I will be playing Borussia Mönchengladbach at some point this season. Hertha Berlin are next up though.

[McMonkey]

Team: Begovic, Ochs, Russ, Franz, Monzon, Bajramovic, Appiah, Gunnarsson, Carmona, Cisse, Zaki 4-1-3-2 Attack

23rd minute. Frankfurt hit Hertha on the break. Cisse receives the ball and dribbles into the bo and squares the ball to Zaki on the edge of the six yard box who nearly bursts the net with his emphatic finish. Zaki finally gets his first league goal of the season. 1-0

25th minute. Cisse goes close with a powerful shot into the side netting.

31st minute. Appiah passes to Cisse who turns his marker and lashes in a curling shot from the edge of the area. 2-0

42nd minute. Appiah's powerful shot hits the post.

Half time. No subs.

54th minute. Lustenberger hits the cross bar with a speculative long range effort.

64th minute. Hertha have two shots cleared off the line in quick succession.

67th minute. Meier and Linderoth on for Zaki and Bajramovic.

77th minute. Schwegler on for Gunnarsson.

The game ends 2-0. Frankfurt were by far the better team, but Berlin did give them a few scares half way through the second half.
Man of the match: The wonderful Papiss Demba Cissé (where would I be without him?)
League position: 8th

Bayern Munich are currently top of the league with Mainz, who have lost every single game, at the bottom!