Merlin Polzin vindicated after Hamburg turn his process into Bundesliga points

Merlin Polzin vindicated after Hamburg turn his process into Bundesliga points One week after Merlin Polzin insisted that Hamburg could take tangible signs of progress from a second consecutive 5-0 Bundesliga defeat , the 35-year-old finally watched his side turn some of that optimism into points. Hamburger SV defeated 1. FC Cologne 2-1 at the Volksparkstadion on Saturday, ending a disastrous start to the new campaign with both their first Bundesliga goals and first league victory of the season. The breakthrough arrived at an especially significant moment for Polzin. Hamburg entered the fixture having conceded 12 unanswered goals through three matches, yet nevertheless chose Friday to hand their young head coach and his staff new contracts . One day later, the decision looked considerably less uncomfortable. Hamburg finally turn Polzin’s process into points Saturday’s opening half hardly suggested that HSV were about to turn the corner. Cologne dominated possession, repeatedly created chances and forced Daniel Heuer Fernandes into several important saves. Polzin’s side nevertheless survived and eventually produced the sort of sequence their trainer could point toward as evidence of work done during the week. Albert Sambi Lokonga released David Møller Wolfe down the left before the Norwegian’s run earned a corner. Albert Grønbæk delivered the ensuing set piece and Nicolas Capaldo rose highest to head home HSV’s first Bundesliga goal of the season shortly before halftime. The timing changed the atmosphere immediately. Polzin had spoken repeatedly after the Leipzig defeat about the need for his team to retain belief and remain united despite brutal results. HSV emerged for the second half with considerably greater confidence and required only five minutes to double the advantage. The second goal also supplied Polzin with immediate vindication for his halftime change. Yussuf Poulsen replaced Terem Moffi and promptly finished a sharp transition move after Møller Wolfe released Grønbæk down the left. Poulsen’s goal proved decisive. Cologne continued to create opportunities and Said El Mala remained particularly troublesome, but Heuer Fernandes and the HSV defense protected the advantage until Ragnar Ache finally pulled one back in the 90th minute. This time, there would be no collapse. HSV leadership doubles down on Polzin backing Hamburg Board Member for Sport Kathleen Krüger admitted afterwards that the tension surrounding the fixture had been impossible to ignore. Krüger nevertheless stressed that Friday’s decision to extend Polzin had never depended upon what happened against Cologne. HSV’s evaluation of their coach stretches back to the beginning of his tenure, encompassing promotion, Bundesliga survival and the broader development of the team. That position closely mirrored Polzin’s own response to the crisis. Following the Leipzig defeat, the HSV trainer insisted that difficult phases could only be navigated if everyone remained together and resisted the temptation to apportion blame. After Saturday’s victory, he returned directly to the same theme. Polzin spoke warmly about the support his team continued to receive during a run in which little had gone right. He also pushed back against criticism of those supporters for refusing to turn on the team, arguing that HSV are attempting to leave behind a culture dominated by pessimism. For one afternoon at least, the relationship Polzin repeatedly invoked during the difficult opening weeks worked exactly as he envisioned it. Kathleen Krüger on HSV’s first win and Polzin’s extension “It would be a lie if we said we weren’t tense before the game,” Krüger told DAZN . “In the first half, you could feel the little burden from the first few games. We were too passive. We did that much better after the break.” “I think we also scored at psychologically important moments,” Krüger continued, referring to Capaldo and Poulsen scoring either side of halftime. “You can ask the question either way,” Krüger said when asked about the timing of Polzin’s contract extension. “You don’t extend a contract because of three games. There is an evaluation period that, with a coach, essentially begins when he takes office.” “Merlin and his team have consistently achieved the club’s objectives,” Krüger continued. “And even during the past week, we saw the team and coaching staff remain very united. This conviction has developed and that’s why we didn’t want to move away from it just because of three matchdays, like a flag in the wind.” “We’re happy to go into the long international break with three points.” Merlin Polzin on HSV’s first Bundesliga win of the season “Great job from the lads in this week’s analysis and training sessions to create the first goal,” Polzin noted in his opening press-conference statement. “When one is in the game, one can believe in oneself more. That wasn’t the case in recent weeks, especially in the second half against Leipzig. The lads came out for the second half excellently. Excellent substitute work from Poulsi [Poulsen]. Great job in the lead up to the goal from Albert [Grønbaek].” “After that, we saw what I’ve always talked about,” Polzin continued. “The stadium is there for the team. There’s a magic that takes place between the stands and the pitch. Everyone supports one another. That was brutally good again today how we all pulled together in one direction. It was a great moment for all of us.” “It was very interesting for me to observe who stuck with us and our process in [these past few weeks],” Polzin answered when questioned about the disastrous start. “What gives me an unshakable positive feeling and confidence is how we stuck together as a club. That’s the case from the board to the young boys and girls who continue to support this team in the stadium.” “It irritated me a bit to hear criticism when the fans supported us,” Polzin continued. “We’re no longer the HSV bogged down by pessimism. We want to stand together in both good times and bad. It was an interesting phase, made all the better thanks to the fact that the boys could reward themselves with a win today.” GGFN  |  Peter Weis