The new week begins for the Eintracht professionals in a mood that they have not experienced for a long time. Markus Krösche had no doubt that they would finally get back to work with a “positive feeling”. The victory in Heidenheim will act as a balm after “many blows in the neck,” said the sports director. The 2-1 win was “important for everyone”.
Krösche, who recently wanted to help stabilize Dino Toppmöller’s position in the increasingly critical discussion about his commitment with supportive statements in public, said that the coach and the team can now “continue working” in a somewhat calmer atmosphere. After the previous six games without a win, including an exit from the Conference League, he “naturally feels a relief” from the coaching team.
The 43-year-old obviously didn’t want to be accused of making things look nicer than they really are after his ninth win of the season. He named deficits that made the duel against the promoted team, who put up a brave fight, a difficult match for Frankfurt, despite a two-goal lead after the break.
“We have to play better football”
“It certainly wasn’t a great game for us,” said Krösche, who didn’t use some players’ lack of self-confidence as an excuse: “Nevertheless, we have to play better football.” They had luck on their side when they took the lead. With a back pass from Benedikt Gimber, FCH goalkeeper Kevin Müller made a hole in the air (due to a field error). He didn’t expect “the ball to bounce so high.” It rolled into the empty goal (39th minute) – Müller looked after it in disbelief and felt “like the first person to kick a ball”.
For him, “every year in review is certain. I’m glad I didn’t fall over. “It’s just an amazing goal,” said the goalkeeper. Eintracht joked about the faux pas and recalled that on his first day at Eintracht, Toppmöller saved a mole that had gotten lost in the campus building: “We sent you on your way in the summer. You have now completed your task in Heidenheim. Thank you, Mole!” wrote the Hessians at X.
The hit had an impact on Müller. He also didn’t look good when Niels Nkounkou made it 2-0 (49′) when he tried to clear the shot into the near corner with his foot. But Toppmöller’s team is not a solid structure this spring that can reliably derive determination and confidence in its own abilities from such an advantageous constellation.
Regardless of the skill and temperament that flashes in many places, the team is often a headless formation that has few functioning processes. She is only able to a limited extent to systematically break free from the first pressing line and has to stop many attacking actions in the beginning because she is unable to carefully bring the ball into the space and within reach of a colleague. so that the advances can be completed in a dangerous manner.
“Some still have a lot to learn”
Instead of taking advantage of the opportunities that Tuta, Ansgar Knauff and Hugo Etikité had to extend their lead, the Frankfurters were caught cold by Marvin Pieringer (59th) – and the big nervous flutter began, which had no bad consequences because Kevin Trapp in the hectic final phase with many crosses and headers into his territory, he quickly parried against Tim Kleindienst.
The Frankfurt support later praised the morale of his colleagues. “Winning here is not easy, many teams have failed here. “To survive like this shows the character of the team,” said the 33-year-old. The team is a “team that wants”. And some of them are young and “still have a lot to learn.”
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Accusations are therefore inappropriate, claimed Trapp, who said that the press also “likes to report negatively” about Eintracht, “because it reads better”. With this transfigured view of reality, the keeper also stood out from the self-critical tone that his superior chose.
Toppmöller admitted that this performance was still a long way from what he actually had in mind for the team: “We managed it without shining too much.” For his “taste,” the players provided “not enough relief,” he said that they “always had to survive difficult situations”. “I hope that we can regain some self-confidence through this dirty win.”
Toppmöller is “in good spirits”
When asked whether the result would be good for him in his personal situation, Toppmöller did not want to go into further detail. “It’s not about me at all, it’s about us defending ourselves tooth and nail,” he said. The focus of the training will be on perfecting the “state of fitness” until the next match this Sunday against their pursuers from TSG.
Toppmöller said he was “in good spirits” about the coming weeks. In any case, the demands are and will remain high. Against Hoffenheim, Krösche also made it clear before the journey home from the Swabian Alb, that he expects “a better performance in terms of play”.
