Loan Update: Julian Green Comes off the Bench Against his Parent Club

The Tone on Loan

Julian Green, Hamburger SV

Match Result: 0-0 D vs. Bayern Munich

He did not get the same chance under Josef Zinnbauer that he did under Mirko Slomka, but what he did with his 15 minute shift was encouraging to see. He came on for Pierre-Michel Lasogga in the 76th minute and ran his tail off as a center forward, harassing Jérôme Boateng and Dante with all his might. The effort he showed was greater than any I have seen him exert in his brief senior career for club and country, which shows that he is really willing to fight for his place. Whether Zinnbauer will give one to him is yet to be seen, but Green operating under the direction of a reserve coach that understands youth development is also a positive sign.

Jan Kirchhoff, FC Schalke 04

Match Result: 2-2 D vs. Eintracht Frankfurt

The curious case of Kirchhoff continues. Struggling with another knee issue, he traveled to London as one of five defenders with the corps of center backs depleted for Jens Keller. He trained prior to Schalke's match against Chelsea, but Revier Sport suggested that he was ultimately not fit enough to play. Thus, he was left off the team sheet, and was not named in relation to Schalke 04's wild match against Eintracht Frankfurt. His fitness remains a giant question mark, and that ultimately might be the reason Bayern will eventually relinquish him after his loan is up.

Buy Back Brigade

Raif Husic, SV Werder Bremen

Match Result: 2-4 L @ Augsburg

Husic was on Robin Dutt's team sheet, and watched another brutal defensive performance with his warmups on. Werder Bremen have allowed 12 goals in five matches, but the blame cannot go solely on Raphael Wolf's shoulders. At this point, it is hard to project whether Dutt will hand the reigns to the 18-year-old, but his presence on the pitch will not make much of a difference.

Alessandro Schöpf, 1. FC Nürnberg

Match Result: 0-3 L @ Kahlsruher SC

Full disclosure, this was the first time I have watched Schöpf since his transfer to Nürnberg. Even with five matches with the team, he has not developed chemistry with any of the players. He looks lost at times in the midfield, but that could be a combination of his inexperience and Valérian Ismaël's lack of direction. The raw on-the-ball skills are there, but his spatial awareness and decision making is not. He is not currently a Bundesliga player, but he has plenty of matches to prove that he is.

Going Halvsies

Diego Contento, Girondins de Bordeaux

Match Result: 2-0 W vs. Evian Thonon Gaillard

Contento started his fourth Ligue 1 match in five, but was removed with what looked like a head laceration. Fabien Camus elbowed him on the left side of his head while both were going up for a ball, and Bordeaux manager Willy Sagnol removed him from the match shortly thereafter. Up until then, he was successfully assisting in Bordeaux's possession as they patiently advanced in to Evian territory. Bordeaux reported that he received stitches after he left the match and no other serious injury.