Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmöller goes into raptures before the away game at VfL Bochum. Did his team learn the right lessons from the hard-fought 1-1 draw in Mainz on matchday 2?
Looking forward to Bochum – the stadium and the game at VfL: Eintracht coach Dino Toppmöller. IMAGO/osnapix
Dino Toppmöller brushes aside Eintracht’s weak record in Bochum as well as the away misery that has been going on for almost a year. Rather, the SGE coach emphasizes the positive before the duel on Saturday evening (6.30 p.m., LIVE! on kicker): “We’re going into the game with anticipation. What could be nicer than a floodlit game in the venerable Ruhrstadion in Bochum? Full house, good place, Good atmosphere, tough duels – that’s what we play football for.” Toppmöller knows what he is talking about. In the 2001/02 season he played for VfL himself, his father Klaus worked as a coach in Bochum from 1994 to 1999.
It’s not enough to accept the fight
Today’s coach suspects that his team is in for a “crucial away game”, similar to the one in Mainz three weeks ago. “We accepted the fight there, but in terms of play we had problems moving forward against this high pressure and combining ourselves,” says Toppmöller, looking back. In some cases only imprecise releases remained; the automatisms that were still missing at this point were clearly visible.
“It is important that we not only accept the fight, but also find playful solutions and act better with the ball than in Mainz,” demands the coach.
Ngankam is a candidate for the starting eleven
Pushes into the starting line-up: Jessic Ngankam. IMAGO/Kessler sports photography
He expects that VfL will also try to put their team under pressure early on and get them involved in duels. “They play a lot of man-to-man,” says Toppmöller and announces: “We want to try to break away in a playful way, but we shouldn’t be afraid to find simple solutions.” For example, playing balls behind the chain in transition moments.
Toppmöller leaves it open as to who will be waiting for such passes in the storm. Jessic Ngankam, who has so far only been used as a joker, is “definitely a candidate for the starting line-up”, but that still applies to Omar Marmoush. In principle, it is also an option to start with both.
However, Toppmöller points out: “What might speak against it: How many players do you have to add if something happens due to injury?”
Does national player Pacho give the green light?
Probably none, as Lucas Alario is in danger of missing out due to dental problems and is still a huge deficit after his knee operation during the summer break. The Argentine was back on the field for the first time last week in the test against Wehen Wiesbaden. Sixth player Kristijan Jakic (knee problems) is also a shaky candidate, but would probably not be an option for the first eleven anyway.
Otherwise everyone is fit.
Defender Willian Pacho, who only returned from the national team on Thursday evening, is also expected to start. “I’ll have another conversation with him. If he gives the green light, he’ll be in the starting line-up,” announces the coach.
The footballing development is unmistakable
Coach Dino Toppmöller is pleased with the playful development of his Frankfurt team. IMAGO/Passion2Press
The 42-year-old is confident about the individual and team tactical development of the past few weeks. “It’s a lot of fun to work with the boys. They are very inquisitive and hard-working.” The control of the game and the positional play in the second leg against Levski Sofia (2:0) and in the Bundesliga game against 1. FC Köln (1:1) were impressive. The result against the Rhinelanders still annoys Toppmöller. He knows that games like this can hurt a lot in the final analysis of the season.
Toppmöller and the flaw against Cologne
“As nice as the game against Cologne was in terms of possession and control of the game, we didn’t win. That was a flaw. You just have to win this game. We shouldn’t have too many games with such control of the game that we don’t win. “That wouldn’t be helpful. Nevertheless, it was a good step in the right direction,” says the coach.
Every success and every good game is enormously valuable in terms of development: “This strengthens the trust that the players have in the coaching team and the coaches in the players. With a sense of success, the whole thing can grow together even faster.”
Big chance in the English week
The next nine days with the away game in Bochum and the home games against Aberdeen and Freiburg represent a huge opportunity. If Eintracht manages to win these duels, a euphoria could arise in and around the club that will carry the team through the entire first half of the season. Because the past few years have shown that once Eintracht gets going, it is difficult to stop them. The reverse also applies, see the most recent two second half of the season.
2023-09-15 16:05:00
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