Sixth place is increasingly in danger after the 3-0 defeat in Stuttgart, and the criticism and pressure on coach Dino Toppmöller is increasing. As so often this season, the team is missing its basic virtues – and is heading towards the abyss.
Eintracht coach Dino Toppmöller has not yet understood how to convey the basic virtues to the team. IMAGO/Eibner
The development of Eintracht this spring is somewhat reminiscent of the misfortunes of “Hans Guck-in-die-Luft”. In the story from “Struwwelpeter” Hans is constantly looking into the air and doesn’t notice the dangers around him. So one day he falls headfirst into a river and is fished out, dripping wet.
“We slept through the first half”
Eintracht is also in danger of involuntarily going bad if it doesn’t finally sharpen its senses. “We slept through the first half,” sums up Dino Toppmöller contritely. The criticism and pressure on the coach increases from week to week. Can the 43-year-old novice still manage to turn things around? Doubts are appropriate, the deficits are too great. In Stuttgart the basics were once again lacking, above all: compact, aggressive starting and synchronous shifting.
After Fares Chaibi lost the ball before the score was 0-1, the gaps in midfield were so big that a herd of buffalo could have walked through. Major individual mistakes like those from Robin Koch before the 0:2 rounded off the picture. The first goal conceded might also have been prevented if the quick Willian Pacho had defended deep instead of playing for offside. The third goal conceded was primarily the result of an indisputable starting behavior from Messrs. Chaibi, Pacho and Ansgar Knauff – alibi football par excellence.
Sharp criticism of Matthew
“When we attack and press, we have to attack in full sprint. But we always stay one step ahead. This allowed Stuttgart to play out and we had to run after them,” complained goalkeeper Kevin Trapp. The Larifari impression that was gained last Tuesday at the only public training session of the week was confirmed. Even then, the games in a small space were far too tame. Lothar Matthäus put his finger in the wound at “Sky”: “Frankfurt’s defense was subterranean in the first half. All three goals could have been avoided with little things: think a little more, work a little more aggressively against the ball. That Stuttgart did it, Frankfurt didn’t.”
Toppmöller and the question of basic virtues
Toppmöller has not yet understood how to convey the essential basic virtues to the team. Therefore, there is no foundation to ensure football development in the second step. As a result, Eintracht stands for: nothing in spring 2024. Many fans now follow the performances of the clawless eagles in a state of apathy. The team doesn’t stir any emotions. Of course, the players also have to accept this. They let their trainer down too often and are obliged to finally do their work with more seriousness.
Only during the best phase of the season from the 7th to the 11th matchday did the team play nationally and internationally as if from one piece, emerged well from pressing situations and also showed impressive combinations in the front third. After that, however, it was only rarely possible to exploit the potential; The brilliant 5:1 against Bayern on the 14th matchday or the 3:1 against Hoffenheim on the 25th matchday seem like flashes in the pan in retrospect. “We are not satisfied with the way we play football,” Markus Krösche stated last week after the sobering 1-1 draw against Werder Bremen. The sports director has often said something like this this season.
The game is often sluggish, characterized by many simple mistakes, poor free running, a lack of compactness and a lack of penetration on offense. “We want to see less classical music and more heavy metal in the stadium,” Krösche demanded two months ago. The fans are still waiting for that. To stay with the picture: At the moment the pan flute is the highest of emotions. Even after 42 competitive games, coach Dino Toppmöller has not managed to give his team a lasting, recognizable signature.
There is a risk of a rude awakening against Augsburg
A fair assessment should include the fact that half a dozen potential regular players were missing in Stuttgart: In addition to the injured or suspended Sebastian Rode, Sasa Kalajdzic, Ellyes Skhiri, Tuta and Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe, Mario Götze also signed out at short notice due to conjunctivitis. Objectively speaking, one could not expect that the team that Toppmöller had at his disposal would score points in the third place team. But it’s about the manner, and it was unacceptable. Veteran Makoto Hasebe agrees with his coach: “We slept in the first half.”
If this happens again on Friday in the pursuit duel against Augsburg, there is a risk of a rude awakening. If the SGE actually loses sixth place, Toppmöller would hardly be able to hold on. However, there were initially no signs of a short-term coaching change on Sunday. All those involved have to be all the more careful that Eintracht doesn’t end up like “Hans Guck-in-the-air”.
2024-04-14 10:55:00
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