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Berlin in summer. There is a spirit of optimism at Hertha BSC. The new coach Ante Covic never tires of emphasizing that Hertha should play offensive football under him. "We've done well in the relegation game over the past few years, and now I'm concerned that we're even more dangerous in the ball game," he told Goal.com.
Mainz last weekend. The match between the FSV and Hertha BSC had hardly started, as the Berliners retired into their own half. Berlin's five-pronged chain built up in front of its own penalty area. Mainz, before the game without a point and thus Table Latter, collected in the first half almost 70 percent possession. Attacking ball possession game on the part of Hertha? None.
In no Bundesliga club claim and reality diverge as far as Hertha BSC. After the twisted start of the season with only one point from three games Covic found itself forced to throw his team together in a tactical and personal mess. A clear line is not visible in the new coach. Before the game against Paderborn (Saturday, 15.30 clock, live in the SPIEGEL ticker) Covic not only has to score points, but also answer the question of which football he stands.
The dream of the hip capital club
In the spring sports director Michael Preetz proclaimed a new beginning. The contract of coach Pal Dardai was not renewed. Dardai was extremely popular as a man among the fans, but as a coach also controversial. His playing style was no longer a club that feels called to higher. Hertha's leaders dream of no longer being perceived as the "old lady", but as a hip capital club. On billboards and in the social networks, the club advertises with self-deprecating slogans. "Berlin start-up since 1982" is the new club motto. "We try, we fail, we win."
Christian Kaspar-Bartke / Getty Images
In Mainz Berlin conceded the 1: 2 in the 88th minute
Dardais football, which relies on cross pass, a deep defense and now and then a quick counterattack, counteracted this image. It was good that Hertha's U23 coach Covic had a different style of play.
When Hertha also closed a million-dollar deal with investor Lars Windhorst in the summer, expectations continued to rise. His company paid 125 million euros for 37.5 percent of the shares in Hertha BSC GmbH & Co. KGaA, further share purchases are to follow. Suddenly the always clammy club had money. The Preetz invested promptly. Dodi Lukebakio was hired for 20 million euros.
A point from four games, 3:10 goals
The season started with a respectable success. In the 2: 2 against Bayern Munich convinced Covic as a tactician. He changed during the game from a 5-3-2 to a 4-3-3 formation, Hertha turned a 0-1 deficit to a draw. Such a tactical variability was new to Hertha.
The positive mood is tipped. In the 0-3 defeats against Wolfsburg and Schalke Hertha allowed to auster badly. Against Mainz Covic exchanged half the eleven, allowed to play until the 0-1 deficit ultra-defensive football. That sounded different before the season. "After eight goals it is clear which lever we have to start first," Covic told the kicker. "Anything else would be naive, and I'm not naive."
The fact that Covic wants to react to the defeat series and defend his team defensively, must not be wrong, as well as his frequent change of formation. At the moment, as a neutral observer, it is impossible to tell in which direction Covic actually wants to develop the team. Offensive or defensive? Possession or counterattack?
This lack of strategic focus on record purchasing Lukebakio becomes clear. Sometimes he came on the right wing for use, sometimes as a central striker. If Hertha - as required by the coach - plays possession of the ball, he can not bring in his great strength, his final speed. In the switching game again missing an actor who feeds Lukebakio with balls. Thus he lingers so far mostly in the nowhere of the field around, without attachment to the game.
Covic is already under pressure
The coach rightly points out that a change takes time. However, Hertha is not the only club that has signed a new coach this summer. Even with Marco Rose in Mönchengladbach or Julian Nagelsmann in Leipzig, not all wheels mesh. Players and fans get an idea of which direction the game should take.
Covic will not only have to answer the question as to what the strategic core of his team should look like in the upcoming games. He may feel against the promoted from Paderborn and Cologne and against Dusseldorf pressure to score points - against teams that wants to leave Hertha in the table far behind. The club is not ready to give up its big ambitions.