Three losses in a row
Marcus Mann, sporting director at Hannover 96, has called for a more energetic approach in Lower Saxony after three second division defeats in a row with a total of nine goals conceded. “You can’t win a game if you defend like that. The mistakes must be addressed very clearly. We shouldn’t act like that. We have to get going now,” the 38-year-old demanded via “Picture”.
“It’s unbelievable what chains of mistakes we had when conceding goals. That’s too much for the 2nd league. We’re acting stupid. You can’t score as many goals up front as you get at the back,” Mann complained. With 28 points after 20 match days, 96 is seventh under coach Stefan Leitl, who was newly hired in the summer. Hannover has sufficient distance to both the promotion and relegation places.
Shortly before Christmas, Mann had extended his contract on the leash until 2027. “The cooperation with Marcus Mann is characterized by great trust. A year and a half ago, we started a process with him to successfully shape the sporting future of Hannover 96. We will continue this development with great conviction and consistency,” said Managing Director Martin Kind at the time.
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Mann has now hinted that the promotion places would never have been the focus this season anyway: “We always said that it was about a single-digit place in the table. There was never a change of destination. We have always assessed the situation realistically. For the 2022/23 season, the 96 managers had brought in a total of twelve newcomers – Mann & Co. refrained from making any personnel adjustments in the winter.
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