River Island Wrap

On the last home match before Christmas, when the Werder crest becomes a tannenbaum, the club raises awareness about old-age lonliness, and the the men on the field make us feel empty inside.  Jim and Christian do what they can to avoid talking about the game, but it can't be helped.  Is Horst in trouble, is the team in crisis, why does everything look so broken all of a sudden?  Nobody is panicki...

Bremen blow a first half lead and drop the first Nordderby with all the fixings since 2017. Jim's Bears blow an NFL Derby for first place in the division. Jim also fails at podcast producing. Failure all around.  Jim and Christian discuss the game, and it seems like Positive Christian may have had passport issues when trying to leave Mexico. Christian sets us straight on why Champions League is no...

Bremen see their home win streak snapped in added time and enter Nordderby Week with a 1-1 draw against 1. FC Köln.  Christian reveals how he made it back alive and whether Mexico has anything as Bundesliga friendly as a Colombian Hooters, while Jim gets back to his tale of making friends in the airport and why a corkscrew dildo was a crucial component.  Most importantly, they preview the Nordderb...

Christian is in Mexico, Jim is in Las Vegas, pigeons are on the pitch, and the moments of brilliance are in Ole's favor when Bremen take on the "club" sponsored by a Swiss marketing concern.  A delayed Wrap explains itself, runs afoul of the cartels, can't hedge its bets, and lets listeners behind the curtain on whaaaa happened during attempts to produce this episode.  Also, nuggets on his time at...

Horst and Werder send another Bundesliga manager to the Jobcenter line after a thrilling late rally under the Friday night floodlights at the Weserstadion.  Jim and Christian discuss the victory, including appreciation for Jens Stage and Yuki Sugawara, a rundown of Keke Topp's touches in his first start of the season, and what they thought of the changes to Horst's starting eleven.  Jim addresses...

Werder travel to the southernmost of the traditional Karneval cities for a clash with Mainz 05 and need a moment of brilliance from Jens Stage to escape with a draw. Jim and Christian discuss the match, including Horst's smooth subs, problems in the final third, more top play from the back, Topp finding his way back to the pitch, and the latest shoutout to HSV from the guest bloc.  Bremen executiv...

Werder Bremen took on Union Berlin under the brand new floodlights at the Weserstadion in the Matchday 8 lid lifter Friday night.  Jim and Christian recap the match, discuss exactly how Horsty they are, and celebrate the opposition support before getting into the good and bad of the match.  They also return to the question of rivalry in football, especially with scheisse HSV, Big Vic's debut,  and...

After sleepwalking through most of the first half, Bremen squander two second half leads and leave Heidenheim with a disappointing draw.  After catching up on what they did during the international break, Jim and Christian discuss the match, including ups and negatives, players playing out of position, and paternity leave. The Frauen Nordderby is the impetus for a discussion about when it's ok to...

 After a rousing start, Bremen adjust their setup slightly and hold on for a 1-0 victory against the Hamburg neighbor you can respect. Jim and Christian discuss their respective days out to watch football with two different sets of St. Pauli supporters, how a Covic sighting might have created a football house-divided in Toronto, Jens Stage's 100th appearance with the Green Whites, fan reaction fro...

Bremen travel to Bavaria for their annual football enema and things go exactly as expected. Horst stays away from the lederhosen, but both style and substance belong to the hosts. Jim and Christian look for the positives in the aftermath of a moneybomb exploding all over the Green Whites.  Then they turn to Big Vic and his socials for some expected comic relief that turns into a lesson on Nigeria/...

On World Children's Day, Horst sports a sweet shirt, but Werder come up short trying to give the kids something to cheer about.  Christian and Jim recap the match, talk ups and negatives, go over some of Horst Steffen's prematch and postmatch comments, including thoughts on whether there's going to be a Big Vic Winter in Bremen. 

Horstball has arrived and Werder is Horsty again. The newest additions to the squad show out, key veterans return to action, young boys show signs of improvement, and a dominant Bremen send another Bundesliga manager to the lines at the Jobcenter. Positive Christian stops by to discuss the closing of the transfer window and whether he's ready to change his tune on Clemens Fritz. Plus, Pronunciatio...

Coulibaly rides the ups and downs of his first Bundesliga start, the new boys at the back strut their stuff, Keke makes his case, and a Bremen comeback for the ages leaves Erik Ten Hag in line at the Job Center. Plus, a little transfer talk just before the deadline.   

The season opens with a goal for Werder but not before Frankfurt makes Backhaus's Bundesliga debut a rough one. The kids are everywhere as injuries continue to bite and Clemens Fritz might finally get a response from Leeds. What else does the Front Office need to accomplish in the week left before the transfer window slams shut on Bremen's search for reinforcements. All this week on River Island W...

Leo may be the Pope, but he can't ignore the traffic lights. Bittencourt's yellow/red clouds assessment of Horst Steffen's debut as Werder Bremen manager.  Is there a crisis on the Weser already? Is Clemens Fritz staring at his handy assuring himself Leeds said they'd call back? Does Marco Friedl regret signing an extension back in April? What do Bremen need to do before the close of the transfer...

There's a new pod on the block. It's a work in progress, but it will be here all season to discuss this team we love.