Bundesliga: Can Werder Bremen Go All The Way This Season?

Werder Bremen having last season finished a creditable second but a disappointing ten points off the pace set by Bayern Munich will have a bit of work to do this season if they are to challenge the supremacy of their red clad rivals.

Bremen have recently signed a new striker in Hucenovic from Bosnian side Sloboda Tuzla seemingly as a replacement for the now departed Ivan Klasnic who is now plying his trade with French side FC Nantes.

Hucenovic is a promising young talent who was a top performer in the Bosnia-Herzegovina League and is said to be excited but level headed at the opportunity Bremen have given him. Playing up-front with Ivorian Boubacar Sanogo he will be looking to hear the sweet sound of the ball hitting the net as many times as possible.

Though they did finish well off the pace in the end they played some outstanding football ending the season as the leagues top goal scoring side.

With Brazilian midfield playmaker Diego they have a world class attacker who could on his day score against any side in Europe.

Add to this a solid midfield which includes German national team member Torsten Frings and a capable backline featuring the likes of Per Mertesacker and another Brazilian Naldo, who is said, by Bremen Coach Thomas Schaff, to be "the most talented defender in Brazil" and they have a formidable line up with anchorman Tim Wiese known as one of the top keepers in Europe.

They have a European schedule to look forward to with direct qualification to the Champions League and in the league will be looking to tighten up a defence that was guilty of a few lapses last season, notably a 4-0 home loss to Bayern Munich and a 6-3 loss to Stuttgart.

They did of course have some high scoring victories including an 8-1 demolition of Arminia Bielefeld. 

But since the glory of the double they achieved in 2004 they have not won any trophies and Coach Thomas Schaff will be looking at addressing that this season.

A proud club and no stranger to European success having won the old Cup Winners Cup in the early nineties maybe they will turn a few heads in Europe as well.

Can they knock Bayern off their perch this season? I am sure they will give everything in trying to do so.