Not sure if UK fans know it but you can now watch every game from the 2. Bundesliga (the second tier) live on the Bundesliga YouTube channel. Huge crowds, wild atmosphere & a madcap league. Commentated yesterday on Darmstadt who jumped from 8th before the game to 1st. Try it!

Chaos on the Köln-Düsseldorf train line this morning due to cable damage (vandalism) at Leverkusen Mitte. To make matters worse, there’s a signal box problem in Nippes. www1.wdr.de/nachrichten/...

Kicker cover has “Shine without bling bling.” “A world star in Wolfsburg. On the ball Christian Eriksen possesses a certain something. As a person he is simply normal.”

As a Scot I think I’m allowed to say we can sometimes be regressive ⚽️ watchers when it comes to our own. Oliver Burke might have been a limited player a few years ago but you have to actually watch to see the huge improvement - & in a top league environment. A must pick for Scotland surely?

If you’re looking for early football today, join me for Fortuna Düsseldorf-Darmstadt in the 2. Bundesliga. On air at 13:20 German time/12:20 UK/07:20 ET. UK viewers can find it on the Bundesliga youtube channel. It’s on ESPN+ in the USA.

My column focus for ESPN is Gladbach this week with special attention given to their American talent Gio Reyna. www.espn.com/soccer/story...

After a couple of fun days helping promote #FC26 in London, back to the Bundesliga & 2. Bundesliga this weekend with 2 games for the world feed: - Sat: Hoffenheim-Bayern with co-comm Patrick Owomoyela - Sun: Fortuna Düsseldorf-Darmstadt Join us if you can.

Today‘s Kicker (Thursday) headline“is “The Motivator” “The hunt for the Henkelpott (CL trophy) is already well underway. Bayern can in fact still beat the big teams.”

It seems to me we need more conviction politicians, not people who check the wind before taking a stance. For example why are there not more making the case in the UK for the EU? So much ill stems from Brexit & cozying up to policy positions of those who backed it, only compounds the initial error.

From the memories vault. 10 years ago today at the Amsterdam Arena commentating on Ajax-Celtic for BT Sport with Chris Sutton.

Eintracht Frankfurt’s Nathaniel (Nene) Brown tells Kicker he has had a good talk with Julian Nagelsmann & hopes at some point to be called in by Germany. Kicker asks if that means he has now chosen Germany over the USA? “Put it this way. If a call comes from Germany I wouldn’t say no.” (laughs)

Didn’t take too long. Gerardo Seoane out as coach of Gladbach…on a day that saw Dieter Hecking relieved of his duties at 2. Bundesliga Bochum.

Afternoon from Köln. The Kicker front covers has “Stage set for the best.” “The hunt for the Henkelpott (CL trophy) begins. With new stars & particular duels, this season’s Champions League gets underway.”

The way this is going, Gerardo Seoane is in trouble. Gladbach 0:3 down at home against Bremen & yet to score at all in the Bundesliga this season. Leverkusen & Frankfurt coming up in their next 2 matches. This from a team that fell away badly at the end of last season. #BMG

Out for a Kölsch with a friend after work last night. We both agreed this was the week when it felt the 🌎 had truly been turned upside down to the point where a large chunk of the population believes up is down & vice-versa. Pick & mix your preferred reality. 😟

Mainz-RB Leipzig today for me if you would like to join at the usual time around the world. Always a good day to try out the Goal Arena-Bundesligakonferenz if it’s available where you are & see all the goals go flying in on MD3.

Cracking match from a neutral perspective at the BayArena last night & again that strange dynamic in football. A new coach comes in, has the players for only 2 training sessions & finds something, It wasn’t Xabi Alonso‘s Leverkusen but fortunately for Bayer 04, it wasn’t ten Hag‘s Leverkusen either.

Honestly, I will never understand the American attraction to guns and the lack of willingness to learn from other countries who don’t have this pernicious problem impacting daily life.

After a rest over the international break, back on 🎙️ duty tonight (today for US viewers) with Leverkusen-Frankfurt exclusively for ESPN+ alongside Stewart Robson. Then working solo tomorrow for the world feed, Mainz-RB Leipzig. Join us if you can.

My column for ESPN on Leverkusen under new leadership. www.espn.com/soccer/story...

Kicker Thursday cover has “The Counter Proposal.” “Hjulmand’s cold start into a hot autumn. The new coach must bring Leverkusen back on course after the ten Hag blunder.”

Still a lot of work to do for Scotland in terms of actually qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in nearly 3 decades but as good a start as anyone could reasonably have imagined.

Have been spending this international break away from football in places like Metz & now Trier (below), the oldest city in Germany. Both have their charms & certainly history.

Kasper Hjulmand is Leverkusen‘s new coach with contract until 2027. #Bayer04

GuMo from Trier. The Kicker headline is „The debacle, the response, the questions.“ „The performance of the Nagelsmann-XI against Northern Ireland after the disgrace in Bratislava in World Cup qualifying.“

Spend a big chunk of the ⚽️ season in Germany & this week enjoying the international break in France. As someone who actually does this, please disregard anything re Europe that comes out of the mouth of the horrific JD (Dunce) Vance. Either he is an unworldly oaf or is playing the role of one.

keine fließende 1. HZ, was Deutschland angeht. Luft nach oben für die Nagelsmänner.

Kick off time & date confirmation in the Bundesliga & 2. Bundesliga through until late Nov. www.dfl.de/de/aktuelles...

Thursday edition of Kicker has Julian Nagelsmann on the cover with „Course Correction.“ „The start of the World Cup season: personnel, system, tactics. Here’s how Bundestrainer Nagelsmann will change his team.“

Quite remarkable that Erik ten Hag lasted only 3 competitive games as coach of Leverkusen. The fit was wrong & he‘s out. #B04

Eine große Ehre :) Hat Spaß gemacht, einen kleinen Beitrag zu machen, falls irgendjemand anschauen möchte.

Morning! Today‘s Kicker cover has „Our Coach…is barely older than us.“ „The coaches in the Bundesliga are unbelievably young. Why? And are they better for it?“

9 🎙️ games crammed into the first 16 days of the season here in Germany. Now for the international break & a few days of an actual break from commentating not too far away in France. Alsace for me is a kind of heaven.

Very tight, tense match in Stuttgart earlier. Slightly flattering for VfB but a memorable occasion as they celebrated 100 years of the hoop (Brustring) across the shirt. Chema Andres in his Bundesliga debut came on to head in the winner. BMG now 9 without a league win going back to last season.

Gio Reyna not in the Gladbach squad yet. Gerardo Seoane did say they were assessing his data with BVB and due to lack of game time it would take time to get him up to speed physically.

Thanks everyone who joined @archiert1.bsky.social & media pitchside in Hamburg last night on ESPN+ On the train now & back to my usual role in the commentary position today on Stuttgart-Gladbach. Join us on the 🌎 feed & also check out the Goal Arena-Konferenz to follow all matches simultaneously.

We are live. Join us, for @raecomm.bsky.social’s notes alone.

ESPN+ plan for the derby in Hamburg from 2pm ET is as follows: @kaylmurray.bsky.social & Ale Moreno in studio @archiert1.bsky.social tolerates me next to him pitchside pre-match, half time & full time @kevinhatchard.bsky.social & Thorsten Stuckmann on world feed commentary #HSVFCSP

Can we please fight this weird American far right propaganda about European cities? I say this as someone through my work/daily life, more qualified to comment on both than the execrable Vance or any of his online robots As we say in Scotland, their nose is too close to their own a—-

Aberdeen thrashed sadly but watching Mainz ease into the Conference League on TV here. Wouldn’t be the worst place for Dons fans to enjoy a trip!

Heading north to Hamburg in the morning for the Stadtderby, HSV-St. Pauli. My thoughts for ESPN. www.espn.com/soccer/story...

Nick Woltemade going to Newcastle for silly money it seems. Another one to file away the next time someone wants to dismiss the Bundesliga. PL clubs deciding it’s the league for key attacking players & paying over the odds to get them.

Kicker front cover has “Gaps, Loans, Shelf Warmers” “General Managers under stress. Only 4 more days until the transfer window closes.”

Der Pokal hat seine eigenen Gesetze oder?

This week’s assignments here in Germany: Friday: Hamburger SV-Sankt Pauli (Working pitchside on the derby for ESPN+) Saturday: Stuttgart-Gladbach (world feed commentary) Join us if you can.

Wahnsinn in Braunschweig!

I think what Derek is trying to say here is that he wants me to lend him something for Friday night...

Carney Chukwuemeka has been signed permanently by BVB from Chelsea for around 25 million Euro with contract until 2030. This is significantly less than the original buy option fee the 2 clubs had agreed on.

Niko Kovac has had his contract as Borussia Dortmund coach extended by 1 year from 2026 to 2027. #BVB

Slightly different role on Hamburg pn Friday. Heading north to the Stadtderby, HSV-Sankt Pauli, not to commentate but instead to do pitchside work next to @archiert1.bsky.social exclusively for ESPN+ viewers in the USA. A fiery occasion in store at the Volksparkstadion. Join us from 14:00 ET.