Devastating home record
©IMAGO
Hertha BSC have suffered five defeats from their last seven competitive games. After the 1:2 home defeat against newly promoted Preußen Münster, the mood in the capital is at its lowest point. While Ibrahim Maza and captain Toni Leistner subsequently issued devastating analyses, criticism of coach Cristian Fiél is also growing in those around them.
In the Olympic Stadium on Friday evening there were loud whistles against the coach and the team. Fiél struggled to find words for his team’s performance. “It’s difficult for me to explain. It’s not enough to win. I think you have everything under control and then a mistake happens that shouldn’t happen. And then we lose. There’s just uncertainty and nothing of what we had done up until then. And then it’s difficult.” The Berliners initially took the lead through Derry Scherhant (28th minute), but gave the game away in the second half. Daniel Kyerewaa equalized in the 57th minute, and three minutes before the end of regular time, Torge Paetow turned the game in Westphalia’s favor.
The coach was then criticized by fans and the media. Key points: His selection seems insecure, is too negligent on defense and not efficient enough up front. The 44-year-old took over Hertha in the summer and has six wins, three draws and seven defeats from 16 games. Fiél currently has a lower points average than his predecessor Pál Dárdai. Not enough for the demands of the Hertha environment. On the last matchday of the first half of the season next week, the home-strong Hannover 96 will be waiting for the Berliners.
“There was also great disappointment within the team about our own performance and the defeat on Friday evening at home. It’s just a disaster. After what we’ve done in the last few weeks, we actually had to take revenge and finally show what we can do. We took the lead again, didn’t close the lid and then conceded stupid goals again. “That’s how we lose it,” said homegrown Maza.
Maza would not have come to the stadium for Hertha BSC as a fan
The most valuable player in the 2nd Bundesliga went further: “It’s not just one game, but in several games in which we gave up the lead. We should now concentrate on the next game and really get revenge – and still keep in mind what we did today and in the last few games. (…) If it had been up to me: I wouldn’t have thought that so many would come today. If I were a fan, I wouldn’t have come today. I say that honestly. The fact that so many were here in the last home game and that we return it with such a performance is simply disrespectful.”
Hertha was only able to achieve two home wins from eight home games. 45,767 spectators watched the game in Berlin on Friday and, according to Hertha captain Leistner, saw the “lowest point of the first half of the season”. With a view to the defeats and goals conceded, the 34-year-old veteran added: “Somehow we will become the league’s developing opponents, that shouldn’t be the case. (…) If it happens with this frequency, you can raise the question of quality.”
We die in pretense instead of playing simple and goal-oriented football.
We make so many unnecessary bad passes, especially in the final third. Even in the build-up, it is better to play a long ball to a teammate who is already being run at, rather than the simpler pass to the man next to you, who can then push the ball.
Also how long it sometimes takes you to make a decision if you want to move the side to make the game quick. This feels like it takes 5 minutes…
