Second division soccer club FC St. Pauli had looked like a sure climber for a long time last year before they ran out of breath on the home stretch. In view of the numerous departures, another good performance is questionable. The team check.
Preseason: The big dream burst shortly before the end
The 2021/2022 season was marked by a surprisingly good start, followed by dreams of promotion and a hard serve at the end of the season. The Kiezkicker benefited for a long time from the fact that the favored Bundesliga relegated Werder Bremen and Schalke 04 needed a lot of time to establish themselves in league two. In addition, HSV dropped many points due to numerous draws.
St. Pauli, on the other hand, regularly scored three times – mainly because storm oldie Guido Burgstaller scored almost at will in the first series. In combination with Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, who became the best playmaker in the second division during the season and was also a threat himself, the brown and whites had one of the most effective offensives in the league. After the 2-1 win over Schalke 04 on matchday 16, St. Pauli was a full point ahead of second place.
Not recovered from the onset of winter
At the turn of the year, however, the club slipped into crisis. Kyereh returned injured from the Africa Cup and Burgstaller failed to match his impressive goal tally. A brief resurgence of success was the victory in the round of 16 of the DFB Cup against cup defender Borussia Dortmund, but a round later the Hamburgers were eliminated at Union Berlin.
In the end, St. Pauli could no longer keep up with the reinvigorated Bremen and Schalke players and HSV. A six-game winless streak, which often only came about in injury time, finally shattered the big dream of promotion to the Bundesliga.
Big bloodletting on the offensive
St. Pauli gave up twelve players, including almost the entire regular offensive. Kyereh will play internationally with SC Freiburg next season. Burgstaller moved to his native Austria, and Simon Makienok and Maximilian Dittgen also went. With Finn-Ole Becker (Hoffenheim), a highly talented homegrown player left the club and with the departure of central defenders Philipp Ziereis and James Lawrence, St. Pauli not only lost a lot of experience, but also the previous captain and his deputy.
Sports director Andreas Bornemann and trainer Timo Schultz are faced with the task of replacing the quality and establishing a new corset. St. Pauli is again relying on players who can develop, as has been the case in the recent past with professionals such as Leo Östigard, Rodrigo Zalazar, Omar Marmoush and, most recently, Kyereh.
Only a few signings
This year there are not too many new ones – apart from our own junior players who have received a professional contract. David Nemeth came from Mainz and is scheduled to play alongside Jakov Medic in central defence. He was initially slowed down by an injury in preparation. Greek right-back Manolis Saliakas, who is expected to provide stability on the flank, is also worth mentioning.
Up front, hopes have so far rested on striker Johannes Eggestein, who is looking to build on his past performances after a disappointing season in Belgium. The 24-year-old, who was trained as a junior at Werder, could become an important building block – possibly with David Otto, who came from Hoffenheim. Midfielders Connor Metcalfe and Carlo Boukhalfa also fall into the young and viable category.
Coach Schultz sees the team on the right track
When Timo Schultz talks about his team, the word “development” comes up again and again. Since taking office two years ago, the East Frisian has been able to establish his offensive and combative style of play. The good development of several players ultimately led to several first division teams using the good work. Schultz maintains a good personal relationship with his players, but has no qualms about breaking old habits. This has already hit established and deserving players with “St. Pauli DNA” on several occasions, who could no longer keep up with the development of the team.
The 44-year-old was satisfied with the training camp in South Tyrol, which ended on Sunday: “We were able to train a lot, did a bit of team building and definitely made progress.” Nevertheless, before the league opener on Saturday (1 p.m.) against 1. FC Nürnberg, further steps are necessary, “and we will continue to work on that next week in Hamburg”.
How fast will the upheaval happen?
Before the start, St. Pauli is a bit of a surprise bag. How well the club manages the upheaval and how long it will last is difficult to estimate. Above all, the friendly defeats against Kiel and Silkeborg (each 0:2) showed that there is still a lot of work and coordination ahead of the new formation, especially offensively. After all, a strong 4:1 against the Croatian first division team NK Istra succeeded in the end. In addition, the squad is certainly not complete. In previous years, sports director Andreas Bornemann had repeatedly pulled a spectacular deal out of a hat shortly before the end of the transfer period.
Nominally, the league without Bremen and Schalke and with rather weaker relegated players from Fürth and Bielefeld is not as good as last year – and that represents an opportunity for self-proclaimed promotion candidates. While city rivals HSV are in preparation and “all in” with the transfers seems to be going, St. Pauli continues to focus on gradual development. However, this must not progress too slowly, especially at the beginning of the season, if the club does not want to slip early into the lower half of the table and expose itself to unwanted pressure.
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Hamburg Journal | 07/10/2022 | 19:30 o’clock
