I totally agree that it was about time to sack Robin Dutt. I think he lacked - or still lacks - some basic coaching skills and stays to his routines in coaching. He made always more or less the same substitutions and played with the same tactics. There were many times I cursed when Derdiyok was substituted for Kiessling on the 70th minute or vice versa, when the right move would have been two attackers or even a slight change in the tactical side. Maybe he was good in other areas in coaching. I think everyone remembers the start of the season when he wouldn't let Ballack play. So he was brave and he had a certain vision,at least in the beginning of the season. In the long run he ran out of ideas, and maybe the team owners saw that. Dutt is not the only one to blame in this situation, but something had to be done to keep the chances for the euro-games alive.
For me the selection of Sami Hyypiä was a huge surprise. Ok, he was a great player and a successful one as well, but the coaching experience is almost non-existent. Half a season as the second or third coach in Leverkusen and the Finnish national team are a joke compared to other Bundesliga managers. The achievements as a player speak for themselves and he has lots of experience from different leagues. The experience from the very top of European football might be the most important thing here and Hyypiä could develop a great manager. I think Leverkusen is taking a risk here, but Hyypiä even a bigger one. Its always hard to change the course of a team that is doing bad, and chances with failure are even bigger than when you start from the beginning of a season. Let's hope for Hyypiä's sake that he doesn't have to conjure any magic. Hopefully the sacking of Dutt is the necessary wake up call for the team to improve.
There is six games to go in the league and Leverkusen is on the 7th place with 40 points. Everything from 5th to 9th position is possible for them as the teams in those places have 40 or 41 points. All of the remaining games are against teams that are below them in the table, except for Hannover game. So it shouldn't be too hard a task to finish in the top seven that qualify for the euro games, or at least qualifications for them. All the best to Sami Hyypiä. Let's hope he makes a good job with Lewandowski and leads his team to good performances in the remaining games.
Some statistics of Sami Hyypiä:
105 caps in the Finnish national team (5 goals)
1992-1995 MyPa 96 games (8)
1996-1999 Willem II 100 games (3)
1999-2009 Liverpool FC 317 games (22)
2009-2011 Leverkusen 53 games (3)
Winner of the Champions League 2005
Winner of the UEFA Cup 2001
Winner of the FA Cup 2001, 2006
Winner of the League Cup 2001, 2003
