KICK OFF!

Berlin - Every football club has its legend. Without doubt Hertha BSC's is Andreas "Zecke" Neuendorf. He has blue and white blood coursing through his veins. He has been at Hertha for 15 years, making 278 appearances, scoring 28 goals in the process. Everyone knows he has his heart in the right place and is a true "Berliner" if ever there was one. This season "Zecke has become a "football pensioner" working within the club since hanging up his boots last term. He is still very opinionated and will tell us all how he sees his beloved Hertha's games going before each matchday in the 2014/15 season. No doubt he will play with his cards on the table. He will be honest, open and probably sometimes a little tongue in cheek - typical "Zecke"! So what does that mean for opponents? Watch out! ""Zecke" will pull no punches and take no prisoners as he tells it as it is... Read here his feelings ahead of matchday 5.

The first evening game of the season at our Olympic stadium in Berlin. Floodlights! I especially like floodlit matches, add maybe a little drizzle of rain - my kind of football weather Football is not only played. Such things are a part of the overall event. As I have recently told you: The three main things we must have on board on Wednesday night are fight, effort and a strong will.

The eleven men on the pitch - regardless of their names, have a huge responsibility to fight for points for Hertha BSC. As you know both teams begin the game with a single point. Hopefully Wolfsburg will be empty handed after 90 minutes. That would mean that we have done everything right!

I don't care how we win our first three points in a single game so far this season!!! We must not forget that VfL Wolfsburg - Bundesliga champions of 2009 - have put a competetive team together this season which will probably challenge for the Champions League places in the league. We don't have such ambitions. But we are playing at home and are about to start a winning home run - how cool is that! Wolfsburg have made a decent start to their season: A narrow defeat to Bayern Munich followed by two draws. Then last time out they beat Champions League qualification hopefuls Bayer Leverkusen 4-1.

A couple of stats: I could mention that in the last 15 home games against the Wolves Hertha won eight and there were four draws. But they are just stats. It's cliché time: The ball is a round object which must go into the rectangular thing with a net. Bit of a clichè, but not without truth. 

At the end of the game the home players hug each other with pure delight. That is how I want my Wednesday evening to end. On Thursday.

Until next time - hahohe.