Who will replace Jackson Irvine against Heidenheim? The question has been at FC St. Pauli for a week and a half. It just doesn’t get any easier with an answer because of that.
A quartet is nominally bidding for the Australian, who is suspended due to a fifth yellow card. There is compatriot Connor Metcalfe, who returned yesterday with Irvine from his international trip with Australia. And there’s Afeez Aremu, Carlo Boukhalfa and Betim Fazliji. All four have different abilities, but none of them the same as Irvine.
Aremu, Boukhalfa, Fazliji, Metcalfe: All can replace Irvine – but not quite
Even after the team’s poor performance in Regensburg before the international matches, coach Timo Schultz emphasized Irvine’s performance. Positive, mind you. He showed that he wanted to turn the game “with all his might”. “He’s our captain, he’s our leader in midfield,” emphasized Schultz, “of course we’ll miss him.” As a footballer. And as a leader.
St. Pauli will have to face Heidenheim without the suspended captain Jackson Irvine
Especially when Luca Zander had called for the unconditional bite and Igor Matanovic had criticized the lack of fire. Compensating for this loss should be at least as difficult as compensating for the abstinence of the midfield engine in football. But, Schultz also emphasized: “We have enough good players on the bench who have played relatively little so far.”
Rotation and rhythm: That speaks for the captain candidates of FC St. Pauli
This applies in particular to Afeez Aremu, who has been the least likely to play from the quartet mentioned: only 55 minutes. Also because St. Pauli needed offensive reinforcement after a deficit and Aremu has his strengths on the defensive. In addition to the set Eric Smith, who is also a classic six, a stronger part should also be in demand against Heidenheim. This profile applies more to Carlo Boukhalfa (124 league minutes so far), who at least gained regional league match practice last weekend, but wasn’t really convincing.
Hartel to headquarters? St. Pauli coach Schultz has these options against Heidenheim
Most recently against Regensburg, when Smith was out ill, Fazliji had moved into midfield but had to leave at the break. Until then he acted unhappily. After all, the 23-year-old is in rhythm. In the international matches with Kosovo (1-2 against Northern Ireland and 5-1 against Cyprus) he was on the pitch for the full time, against Cyprus as a six. Fazliji is also rather defensive, but also shows opening passes à la Paqarada in training.
A stronger option would be Connor Metcalfe, who recently radiated dynamism after being substituted on and for whom the question of fitness arises after the trip around the world. Yesterday he completed an athletics unit on Kollaustrasse.
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It is also possible that Marcel Hartel goes to headquarters, Lukas Daschner to the left and Luca Zander to the right. Would bring a lot of change, since Leart Paqarada is also injured, but creativity in the center and more speed on the outside.