So went the first half of the season
Hoffenheim has reported back impressively. With fifth place in the Europa League at Christmas, TSG exceeded all expectations in terms of sport. With a 4-0 win at FC Augsburg, the Kraichgauer had a brilliant start into the new season, but then four games without a win followed. It wasn’t until the 6th match day and the 3-1 win against Wolfsburg that the team became more and more stable, only lost two games by Christmas (at FC Bayern and Bochum) and worked their way up the table with an impressive first round spurt. “Never give up, always carry on, that is the hope style that we showed”, said Alexander Rosen, the director of professional football, about the successful preliminary round, “we are proud of that.”
Hoffenheim presented itself particularly well in attack with 35 goals (only Bayern, Dortmund and Leverkusen scored more often). The balance on the offensive is also striking: 16 players share the scoring, that’s Bundesliga top! Amazingly: TSG is no longer dependent on the Shooting qualities of Andrej Kramaric. If the Croatian hit the opposing net 20 times last season, he was only successful twice in the preliminary round. But the 30-year-old exceptional kicker convinced as an excellent preparer.
Hoffenheim had an excellent team in the preliminary round on the outside lanes: the one on the left advanced Ex-Fürth long-term sprinter David Raum became the shooting star of the Bundesliga and even made it to the senior national team. On the right-hand side, the strong and dangerous ex-central defender Kevin Akpoguma became stronger and stronger and recently even ousted Pavel Kaderabek, who had been set for years.
Although TSG conceded one or two goals too many in defense this season, this is partly due to the very offensive game philosophy.
Who is coming, who is going?
TSG Hoffenheim has a very broad and high-quality squad. Coach Hoeneß can even rotate in half a dozen without any loss of performance from game to game. The experienced Baumann, Vogt, Rudy, Dabbur or Kramaric complement each other perfectly with the young talents such as Raum, Richards, Stiller, Bruun Larsen and the young and highly talented French Rutter. It is not necessary to add to the roster in order to be able to maintain the current position in the top third of the table. However, if there is a possible reinforcement on the market, Sebastian Hoeneß does not want to rule out a new one.
It is much more likely, however, that one or the other player who hardly got a chance in the preliminary round (Adams, Brenet, also Gacinovic), leaves the club prematurely or receives match practice on loan (the talents John or Bogarde?). “We are in constant contact,” says Sebastian Hoeneß, “of course there are one or two candidates who cannot be satisfied with their situation and role either. It always depends on the opportunities that arise for the club and the players . “
It is also conceivable that Florian Grillitsch, for example, would use the winter transfer window to move abroad early. The loss of the Austrian would be a sporting weakening, on the other hand, TSG could still collect a handsome fee, since Grillitsch’s contract expires in the summer. An extension is considered unlikely.
The trainer
After the messed up premiere season, Sebastian Hoeneß has finally established himself in Kraichgau. For a long time, also due to injuries to leading players and numerous corona cases, only inconsistency was a fixed constant under the ex-Bayern in Kraichgau. The grumbling of many fans on social media had grown louder.
Since autumn at the latest, sports director Rosen’s loyalty to his young coach has proven to be absolutely right. Six games in a row without defeat and 14 points support this conclusion. TSG is finally showing typical Hoffenheim football again: fast, offensive and variable football. Experience kicks instead of result kicks. Memories of the time under Julian Nagelsmann are awakened again. “We wanted to develop and stabilize,” said Hoeneß, “we succeeded and we want that in the second half of the season too.”
Expectations for the season
At the last annual general meeting, partner Dietmar Hopp made it clear what he expects from his TSG boys in the medium term: a place in the top six in the Bundesliga. Gray mediocrity should be a thing of the past.
Coach Hoeneß has no problem with that: “We want to stay within striking distance of the interesting places”, so the sporting plan for the second half of the season, “and get us into a good starting position. Of course, we are ambitious and extremely hot when it comes to the final stages it’s about playing in the Europa League next season. But there are still many weeks and months until then. “
Confidence has grown tremendously with recent successes. And Hoffenheim is strong enough in terms of personnel to be able to hold fifth place in the table. With a strong spring form – and if supposed top-class players like Leipzig, Gladbach or Wolfsburg continue to weaken – this team in Kraichgau can even make it into the Champions League.
SWR
|
Status: December 31, 2021, 10:52 am