Hertha BSC is going full throttle again, Christmas break is over. Performance test on Monday, flight to Florida to the IMG Academy training camp in Bradenton on Tuesday. 15th place, only 14 points – you need to fly high to finally get out of the dangerous relegation zone in the Bundesliga. Coach Sandro Schwarz has to work with the team in the USA on these six construction sites.
More accurate passes
The fast switching game works well, but too many chances to score were wasted in front of and in the opponent’s penalty area due to inaccurate balls. The only thing that helps is practice, practice and practice again until the automatisms are on the offensive. So far, Hertha’s pass rate is only 77.3 percent, which is 14th in the league. Schwarz: “The focus will be on making individual adjustments. We have built stability and developed well, but we still have to take further steps.”
File the free kicks
No goal this season from a free kick or corner. That can not go on like this. It is precisely standards that can decide games. Hertha has to train out this harmlessness. Specialist Marvin Plattenhardt is also in demand. Last season, the captain saved the league in the 2-0 relegation second leg against HSV with a corner kick (Header goal Dedryck Boyata) and a brilliant free-kick goal. It has to be like this more often.
Defensive cramming on standards
The defense work has improved a lot compared to the previous season – only 22 goals in 15 games. But there were too many of these opponents’ goals from corner kicks and free kicks – a total of eight (!). A few more units are needed here in Florida to improve the positional play on the defensive.
Match Attack to Kanga
Striker Wilfried Kanga showed before the winter break after getting to know each other that he can do it. A goal in the 2-1 win against Schalke, one in the 2-0 win against Cologne. “Willy works for three. I’m expecting an explosion in the second half of the season,” says manager Fredi Bobic optimistically. For this to happen, his teammates simply have to pass more balls to him. His trajectories should be known after half a year to better integrate Kanga.
Tease out goal lust
“Sometimes we weren’t consistent enough up front in the first half of the season. There was a lack of final determination,” Schwarz also knows. There are four friendlies in just two days so that the thirst for goals is tickled out. First against Club de Lyon FC (8 January, 8 p.m.), against The Villages SC (11 p.m.), against a local talent selection on January 11 (6 p.m.). So all sub-class opponents where you want to shoot. Five hours later they face Colombia’s 15-time champions Millonarios FC from Bogota before heading back to Berlin on 14 January.
Which can be practiced little
Only one thing can’t really be trained – concentration over 90 minutes in real competition mode. In the last quarter of an hour, Hertha conceded too many goals and gave away too many points. At the start of the year in Bochum on January 21, it will be seen whether the construction sites have been cleaned up.
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