Offensive orientation remains

Created: 12/30/2022, 10:00 am

By: Wolfgang Krzizok

Wants to get his boys back on track: Gladiators team boss Felix Schütz (left) shows how to do it.

© Christian Riedel

The away treble for the Erding Gladiators ends tonight.

Erding – Somehow the EHC Königsbrunn doesn't seem to suit the Erding Gladiators.

After the 1:7 in the first leg, it was 1:6 on Wednesday evening.

But there's no time to lick wounds, because this Friday evening Felix Schütz's team is going to TSV Peißenberg in their third away game in five days.

Kick-off is at 8 p.m.

"Even if it sounds strange after a 1:6 draw, the lads played really well," says Schütz about the defeat in Königsbrunn.

Together with coach Ales Jirik, he watched the game again on video.

“We put brutal pressure on the offensive, had so many chances and could easily have scored eight goals, but the keeper was outstanding,” says Schütz and is certain: “If we score a goal or two right at the start, then we win we."

With the two foreigners Roni Rukajärvi and Tomas Plihal as well as Dominik Wagner, Basti Cramer and Christoph Schedlbauer, a handful of regular players were missing.

"We had a very young squad at our disposal and had to change a lot within the ranks," emphasizes Erding's team boss.

"Normally I'm not a fan of that, I prefer to rely on well-established rows."

The Koenigsbrunner withstood the pressure, repeatedly set pinpricks and successfully completed almost every counterattack.

Most of the time, goalkeeper Thomas Hingel, who had been left criminally alone, faced one or even two attackers.

"They stopped the goals," says Schütz, but doesn't want to blame the defenders alone.

"We have five players in the block, and strikers also have to work backwards - that didn't work in Königsbrunn."

He rejects fan criticism as to why all-rounder Lukas Krämmer plays in attack and striker Sebastian Busch in defence.

"We think about it every day.

It's not like we roll the dice to see who plays where," Schütz grumbles.

“Lu is strong up front and Sebi plays a very good attacking defender.

We've had the idea of ​​putting him on the defensive for a long time."

So tonight it's against TSV Peißenberg, who are in fifth place, just ahead of the Gladiators and have three more points.

Nothing will change in the Erdinger squad, Rukajärvi, Schedlbauer and Cramer are still ill, Wagner is injured and, according to Schütz, it was agreed with Plihal that he could stay in his native Czech Republic between the years.

He will be back on the ice in Erding early next week.

Landshut license players will again take part in the away trip.

"In Peißenberg we're going to face opponents similar to those in Koenigsbrunn," believes Erding's team boss, who doesn't want to question the previous offensive orientation: "After all, we won five times in a row before the Koenigsbrunn game." Schütz trusts his team.

"We have to be better at the back and we can't allow too much," he demands, adding: "I want to win in Peißenberg."