AUstime in August – that is extraordinary in the otherwise full work calendar of the Eintracht professionals. But now the Frankfurt head coach Adi Hütter has given his Bundesliga players almost a whole week. You just have to dutifully work through the fitness plans in your free time. His professionals “earned” the break. They should “be able to start the new season physically and mentally fresh,” said Hütter. The first competitive game awaits the Frankfurters with the DFB-Pokal first round game (the opponent to be determined could be 1860 Munich) between September 11 and 14, before the first Bundesliga home game against Arminia Bielefeld a week later.
The break in the second round of the Europa League by the 0-1 in Basel makes the break possible. After 30 Europa League games in the past two years, after 18 wins and a participation in the semi-finals, Eintracht will not be represented internationally in the new round. Her striker André Silva, once with Porto in the Champions League, is breaking new ground: For the first time in his club career, the 24-year-old will not take part in any international competition.
After two seasons, the Frankfurters are now released from the hunted schedule. Only: There are no reasons for the Hessians to take it easy, on the contrary. The sporting management with sporting director Fredi Bobic, sporting director Bruno Hübner and trainer Hütter will have work-intensive times. The past season and the second leg of the second leg in Basel, which was only made up in August due to the corona pandemic, have shown that the bottom line is that Eintracht has too many weak points in key positions to permanently meet high standards.
There is too much average and too little top class in the squad. Too many fighters and too few virtuosos. And when proven individual talents like Filip Kostic, who has not yet found his rhythm, Daichi Kamada and Silva cannot call up their form, the Eintracht game as a whole suffers. The highlights that can cover up some sporting evils are missing. Above all, the team lacks an individually strong game strategist who also knows how to use his colleagues profitably. Who acts cleverly from midfield and with the required overview as a link between the team parts.
Sebastian Rode and Dominik Kohr cannot be blamed for their willingness to work. But the requirement profile of a game designer who confidently arranges and supports the offensive game, both meet too little. Djibril Sow has to improve the most. The inconsistency of the million dollar purchases from Switzerland – estimated at around ten million euros – weighs heavily so far. He runs a lot – with 12.4 kilometers per Bundesliga game, he was the busiest Eintracht professional – but there are far too few significant actions from him. The 23-year-old also has to get used to the hardships in the Bundesliga.
His dribbling and agile teammate Kamada undoubtedly has great technical skills. The young Japanese can provide moments of surprise because his repertoire includes, for example, the opening pass. The role of director is still not tailored to him in a central position behind the tips. Significantly, Makoto Hasebe, who came on as a substitute in the second half, enjoyed the greatest attention with passes worth seeing in Basel. The fact that the 36-year-old got fit again so quickly after his knee operation at the beginning of July underlines his status as a model professional again.
The young striker Ragnar Ache and the offensive winger Steven Zuber will not be the only newcomers. Frankfurt still has to strengthen itself in all parts of the team if they want to increase their chances of going sporty in Europe again in the season after next. “A lot will certainly happen – also with us,” announced Bobic. “Now our focus is on the Bundesliga. We can work to ensure that we are back in Europe in the future. “
Without the triple load and constant strain, Hütter can develop the team with more time during the week. Bring you to the stable level that he envisions with a plus in training opportunities on the training ground. After a four-week summer break and eight days of preparation for the Basel game, the Austrian is now giving his players a second extra on days off. Because of the corona pandemic, “planning was not easy”. “We had to set our priorities,” says Bobic. For him and Hütter, a longer period of preparation for the meeting in Basel was out of the question. “We gave the boys four weeks out of conviction because we want to attack again this season. And for that ”, emphasizes Bobic,“ everyone has to be fresh ”.
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