Back in the day, there was never a dull moment for the Frankfurt fan. One week he would be celebrating a pulsating victory, the next mourning a pasting as result of another a gung-ho display of attacking football gone wrong. Still, it was all good news with the club living by the motto "if you're going to lose, lose with a bang!"
Boring, boring Frankfurt
Over the years this mentality changed dramatically. The 1959 league champions ushered in a period of defensive solidity, with the goal of staying in the Bundesliga taking precedence over all forms of entertainment. Needless to say, it took the fans a lot of getting used to.
For years, former coach Friedhelm Funkel (who in light of the above appears to have found just the right job at Hertha Berlin) insisted on a systematic, efficient and above all defensive style of play, but even he could not silence the entertainment-hungry Eintracht fans for long. Indeed, it was clear to the Frankfurt hierarchy that they had to bring in a man who could get results whilst also giving the club's loyal fans reason to smile on a Saturday afternoon.
Breath of fresh air
Thus the signing of Michael Skibbe as coach over the summer brought a breath of fresh air to the Commerzbank Arena and immediately recaptured the imagination of the fans. "The most important thing is that the fans know they can rely on a good days' entertainment if they take the trouble to come to the stadium," proclaimed the 44-year-old German upon his arrival at the club.
Having spent the previous year abroad at Turkish Süper Lig side Galatasaray, Skibbe kicked off his Bundesliga return with a surprising, yet entertaining 3-2 victory over Werder Bremen. After only managing one win in their next seven outings, Frankfurt finally picked up their first home win of the season last Saturday with a 2-1 victory over Hannover 96.
Fans want to be entertained
Although the club have hardly set the league table on fire and currently occupy ninth place, the football on display has been attractive, exciting and, most importantly from the fans' point of view, attacking. Of course Skibbe cannot afford to approach every match with the same all-out-attack philosophy, particularly against the likes of FC Bayern München (who they face this Saturday) or 1899 Hoffenheim, but the former Leverkusen boss is certainly keen to reverse the recent stereotype of Frankfurt `parking the bus' in front of their own goal.
Some questioned the coach's decision to remove the captain's armband from fan favourite Ioannis Amanatidis, but the move appears to have paid dividends with the Greek striker Frankfurt's leading scorer this term with four goals having been able to focus on his own game. Meanwhile, Brazilian trickster Caio has suddenly found himself thrust into the limelight after two seasons in the reserves thanks to his ability to bring the crowd to their feet. "I think Caio mirrors the fans' yearning for attacking football," said the likeable tactician.
Whether Skibbe's positive approach to the game will pay off over the course of the entire Bundesliga campaign remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain: the Frankfurt fans are in for an interesting ride!
Adapted by Andy James
