As of: March 9, 2024 2:56 p.m
After two defeats in a row, HSV is in crisis. There is no sign of an upswing under Steffen Baumgart. The new coach is facing a number of problems – but he hasn’t solved them yet.
The HSV professionals crept towards the fan block and were greeted with whistles: The 0-2 loss at Fortuna Düsseldorf on Friday evening massively angered the otherwise very benevolent supporters of the Hamburg second division club and brought about the sobering realization: Everything has been there so far under the new coach Steffen Baumgart other than the hoped-for upswing.
Rather, the picture that emerges is of an insecure team that finds itself in no man’s land between “Walterball” and Baumgart ideas. The traces left by former coach Tim Walter are deep, probably much deeper than Baumgart had imagined. The team and the new coach have not yet really found each other tactically, football-wise or emotionally.
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Baumgart with self-critical words
This became clear in the analyzes of the weak performance at Fortuna. Captain Sebastian Schonlau used the well-known reassuring phrases and wanted to radiate optimism, culminating in the sentence: “But we are still in third place – we have to be pushed out first.” That’s true, but the pursuers are getting closer. The gap to second place Holstein Kiel (1-0 against KSC) is already five points. Goalkeeper Matheo Raab said: “If we leave our hearts on the pitch in the last few games, I have no worries at all.”
Baumgart, on the other hand, began to verbally self-flagellate, as he did after the 2-1 defeat against VfL Osnabrück a week ago: “The same problems existed before I was in office. I actually came in to solve these problems. And now I have to “To say clearly that I haven’t solved them. Of course I have to question things. We did things that don’t belong on a football pitch.”
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The new coach has already made more self-critical statements in his short term in office than his predecessor Walter did in two and a half years. He almost always stood protectively in front of his players and wanted to force an “us against all” attitude.
This certainly strengthened the team’s cohesion. However, a certain amount of self-critical observation would also be good for the professionals.
Problems with new system
However, the much bigger problem for HSV at the moment is that the team cannot find its way around Baumgart’s game system. “The solutions are there, we just have to accept them,” said the coach somewhat cryptically after the defeat in Düsseldorf and then became even clearer: “There is a lot that we have to change.”
But after the wild Walter years, it would be presumptuous to believe that a team can completely reorient itself within a few weeks. Especially since basic tactical standards (defensive behavior, positional play, switching behavior) were criminally neglected by Walter.
A lack of preparation has a negative impact
It also takes revenge that HSV sports director Jonas Boldt stuck with Walter for too long and didn’t give the new coach the chance to form his team during the winter break. Now Baumgart has to implement serious changes during ongoing operations, essentially carrying out open heart surgery. He hasn’t succeeded so far.
Nothing has been lost in the fight for promotion. However, the two most recent appearances do not mean that HSV will finally achieve its self-imposed goal this season and be promoted to the Bundesliga.
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sports club | 10.03.2024 | 10:50 p.m