Fan series for the 2nd league
With the help of the community, Transfermarkt will take a detailed look at the 56 teams in the Bundesliga, Bundesliga 2 and Bundesliga 3 in the coming weeks. Which players are the fans looking forward to the most, where is there room for improvement and what is in the squad for 2022/23 for your favorite club? We asked around in the forums and got our opinions – in league two we continue with user “Footballive22” and Hannover 96.
How do you rate the Hannover 96 squad?
I rate the Hannover 96 squad as a good, if not outstanding, second division squad. In the summer transfer period, sporting director Marcus Mann gained significantly more quality for 96 than lost. Newcomers like Phil Neumann, Fabian Kunze, Max Besuschkow or Louis Schaub can and should immediately become top performers. It was also very important to be able to borrow the highly talented Maximilian Beier from Hoffenheim for another season.
The midfield in particular is strong, especially when Sebastian Ernst comes back from his injury. Hannover don’t have to worry in goal either with long-time 96er and new captain Ron-Robert Zieler. The defense doesn’t convince me completely in the tip and width, in the attack a real snapper is missing next to Beier. The squad is not consistently strong and has its weak points. Compared to last season, he’s still significantly improved and in some positions he hardly has to hide from any of his competitors. I see him in the top five to seven squads in the league.
Where do you still see a need for improvement before Deadline Day?
Personally, I see the greatest need for improvement in the storm. What 96 is missing here is a reliable clipper that can at least be integrated in a playful way. Maximilian Beier, Havard Nielsen and Cedric Teuchert are different types of players, Hendrik Weydandt and Lukas Hinterseer lack the necessary level. If 96 picks up money again, then a number 9 should be the target. Otherwise, Marcus Mann and coach Stefan Leitl have already indicated that something could happen in central defense – I share this assessment. A young player who can put pressure on Neumann and Börner but doesn’t complain when he’s on the bench would be ideal here in my opinion.
Christiansen, Hanke, Joselu & Co.: The most expensive additions to Hannover 96
What do you expect from the playful appearance of the team?
Stefan Leitl is a fan of having the ball a lot and boldly playing forward from a tight diamond system. Accordingly, I also expect 96: Relatively high standing with a lot of ball possession, a strong midfield, moving up full-backs and as few long balls as possible. You could see the basic idea against Kaiserslautern, but you could also see that the team still needs time to play. A change from the “hit-and-go football” of the previous season to a functioning ball possession game does not work overnight.
But I think we’ll see little by little improvements in the game throughout the season. That will certainly lead to one or the other counterattack by the opponent, which will make me tear my hair out due to a lack of protection, but hopefully also to some well-played goals of our own.
What’s in it for Hannover 96 in 2022/23?
Hannover 96 has set itself the goal of reaching a single-digit place in the table – I think that’s realistic. The team is probably not far enough for promotion yet, well-rehearsed teams like Hamburg, Nuremberg, Darmstadt or St. Pauli have a clear advantage here. Thanks to the above-average quality of the squad and a coach who I count among the best in the league, a season with worries about relegation would also surprise me. If things go well, a top 6 place in the haze of promotion places is possible. I think a placement between seven and ten is the most likely outcome.
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