Following the winter break

The winter break always seems like it lasts for ever.  Perhaps because of long winter nights or perhaps the festive season giving a break in the middle makes it feel like it is longer that it really is. Whatever the reason the Bundesliga made a welcome return over the weekend.

There were a few things to think about whilst sipping mulled wine in front of a roaring log fire and not all of them left one with feelings of seasonal good cheer.  Even after five weeks it’s hard to forget the beating Hertha took at the Olympiastadion and the hands (or feet) of Hoffenheim.  This fading memory was reawakened on Sunday when Hertha were defeated again, this time away to Werder Bremen.  This adds up to seven goals conceded by Hertha, without reply in 180 minutes of play.  A sobering thought if there ever was one.

We started the 2014/15 season with a raft of new players who in theory at least should have provided us with some depth and experience.  The new players should have given us attacking options and some experience to shore up and perhaps organise the defence.  I for one started the season hoping for Hertha to move on and perhaps do more than just survive this season.

So far, and it is just so far, it hasn’t worked out like that. Hertha are in 15th place and just two points off the bottom. I have no idea why but clearly something is not working.  Two experienced players in the form of Johnny Heitinga and Salomon Kalou have spent a worrying amount of time on the bench and the first half of the hinrunde saw Valentin Stocker playing in the U23s.  Julian Schieber at least has made a bit of a start for himself and notched up a few goals.

I see little point in speculating on why or how this has happened and even less point in people saying “Luhukay out” on Twitter!  Having said this the Berliner Morgenpost is talking about tension between coach and team. However, when it comes down to it, the players are not coming up with the goods.  Too many passes go astray, too few real chances and with the resultant shots far too few are even on target.  Moving on to the defence . . thank goodness we have Thomas Kraft or things could be a lot worse!  Having said all this we have to remember that although Hertha is just two points above the bottom, they are also only five points off being mid table as well.  It is a wonderfully tight league, if you ignore the very top!

In the winter break we also found that Deutsche Bahn will be cutting back their sponsorship at the end of the season.  The familiar DB logo on the shirts will go and so will (if I remember correctly) will three million Euros of sponsorship.  That will hurt the finances for sure and a new main sponsor needs to be found and found quickly.  That’s a big ask in the financial climate we find ourselves in today.

Ahead we have an English week and ironically this will be the first home game I have missed since October!  It’s another big ask for Hertha to come out and keep three points in the capital when Leverkusen come to town on Wednesday but there are going to be a lot of big asks in the Ruckrunde if our hopes are not to be dashed.