After midweek heartbreak in the Pokal, Werder were able to regroup and overcome missed opportunities early to outman TSG Hoffenheim 2-0 at the Weserstadion on Matchday 8.
Jim and Christian discuss the ups and downs of the match with the Good Bad and the Werder of it all, including the jerseys, the injuries, and the team’s first clean sheet in the Bundesliga this season.
Is it time to start thinking big? Is Jim even listening? Do you know what a bagel costs these days?
After match talk they recklessly speculate on what that signs in the Ostkurve said, whether green stairs can be safe, if a purchase option for Arthur even matters, and take a big swerve off course to shout out the Albanian parliament and other freedom lovers around the globe.
It’s all here, hopefully, on this week’s Wrap.
29 Oct 2026
Midweek Madness: Mainz and Dortmund Postmatch Wrap
Midweek football was back for Werder fans, if only briefly, as a Saturday league match in Mainz was followed up quickly by a Pokal round of 32 showdown with Dortmund in the beehive.
Jim and Christian break down both matches, with the Good the Bad and the Werder.
Appreciation for Arthur.
Apologies for Mitch.
And what will Herr Thioune do with his team sheet as injured contributors begin to work their way into playing form?
All that and of course some silliness on this week's edition of the Wrap.
22 Oct 2026
Unhappy Birthday: SC Paderborn Postmatch Wrap
Jim and Christian start the show with some dog talk, and a little bit about their individual settings for taking in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Paderborn at the Weserstadion. No horseflies, no beef sandwiches, no wake-up calls.
Then they take a look at the match and ask how much disappointment is fair when you fall down 0-2 to a team that had yet to score away from home.
They try to find some good in Good, Bad, Werder, but it isn’t easy, especially when the Werder of it all might be a curse as much as a blessing for supporters of the club.
They discuss the team being booed off the field by the home fans at halftime and what it says about the expectations and the frustrations of the fans before turning to how they feel about Clemens Fritz’s comments about the scene. Will these rebukes make Clem less likely to agree a new contract if one is offered?
With Werder now sitting on the same points after 6 matches as the relegation year, is there cause for concern with a start that felt so promising a week ago?
Niclas Füllkrug’s play has led to questions about a potential place in the German national team. Do we even want that?
Pronunciation Corner takes a trip to the Baltic nations and Citizenship Corner leads to calls to free Sonja!
Finally the boys revisit their discussion from last week about the club org chart and the search for a new club president. Jim tries to explain it, you be the judge that explanation’s usefullness. No matter what, we know the Soup Dumplings is going the way of unfiltered cigarettes, and the new president is definitely not Dries Mertens.
All that and probably some nonsense we’ve forgotten to mention on this week’s River Island Wrap.
Connect with the show via email RiverIslandWrap@gmail.com
Bluesky @RiverIslandWrap
Instagram @River_Island_Wrap
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine