As of: February 8, 2024, 3:58 p.m
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Frankfurt's head coach Dino Toppmöller at a press conference.
Eintracht will play against VfL Bochum on Saturday.
© Arne Dedert/dpa
After a lackluster win against Bremen and a defeat with a poor performance in Cologne, criticism of Eintracht Frankfurt has become loud.
Coach Dino Toppmöller only thinks it is partly correct.
Frankfurt/Main - The public scolding from the club's management after the 2-0 defeat at 1. FC Cologne really annoyed Eintracht Frankfurt's coach Dino Toppmöller.
“Criticism for the performance in Cologne is okay.
We’ll face it,” said the 43-year-old on Thursday.
“But I am far from saying that things are going badly.” It is true that “a good initial situation” could not be improved.
In the Bundesliga home game on Saturday (3:30 p.m./Sky) against VfL Bochum, they want to make amends and “make things better in all respects”.
In response to the bankruptcy and the miserable performance in Cologne and the happy but lackluster win against Werder Bremen (1-0), board spokesman Axel Hellmann warned at the club's general meeting at the beginning of the week: “Quality must be put back on the pitch”. receive.
After all, they have the best squad since he was at Eintracht - and the most expensive, said Hellmann.
“We have won three times, drawn once and lost one in the last five Bundesliga games.
And we are in sixth place with 31 points, three ahead of SC Freiburg,” explained Toppmöller.
“We have created a good starting point for a good second half of the season.”
You also have to adjust your expectations to what is possible.
“We have great new additions, but so far it’s not like they’re stars from heaven,” emphasized the head coach.
This particularly applies to the French offensive player Hugo Ekitiké.
“He hadn’t had any team training for four months and hadn’t had any individual training at Paris St. Germain for four weeks,” reported Toppmöller.
During his short stint in Cologne he hinted at his potential, but fitness is needed to develop it.
Sasa Kalajdzic (previously Wolverhampton Wanderers) and midfielder Donny van de Beek (Manchester United) also only had a few appearances at their previous clubs and still need some (training) time.
It's similar with captain Sebastian Rode.
After a long injury break, it's only enough for missions lasting not much more than 30 minutes.
Midfielder Dina Ebimbe will definitely miss the game against Bochum due to muscular problems.
Defenders Tuta and Niels Nkounkou are suspended after their yellow-red cards in the game at 1. FC Köln.
“We are positioned defensively in such a way that, despite two suspensions, we can decide whether we play with a three-man or four-man chain,” said Toppmöller.
“In any case, we will put a strong defense on the pitch.”
The return of the 40-year-old Japanese Makoto Hasebe as defense chief in a three-man chain is also an option.
The commitment of Aurelio Buta and Kalajdzic, who are looking forward to fatherly joys, is open.
dpa