Press conference

"We must keep finding the right players"

Christian Titz spoke in the press conference about the home game against SSV Jahn Regensburg, the availability of his squad, the upcoming opponent and the importance of squad rotation.

The game are coming thick and fast for Christian Titz and his team. The match on Sunday will be the third game inside eight days, following the wins against 1. FC Heidenheim and SG Dynamo Dresden. During the week, HSV played the first of two midweek games in two weeks. In order to defend their newly acquired lead at the top of the table, Die Rothosen require fresh minds and energetic bodies. Titz explained in the press conference: “The most important thing is to keep finding the right players. That is a bit of a cliché but it is especially true for midweek games. This means that we have to find the right balance and make the right decisions, using the quality and depth in our squad. I hope we keep getting it right because it is never easy.”

The 47-year-old spoke in the press conference in detail about…

Lewis Holtby and Tatsuya Ito are close to a return to the squad

... squad availability: Lewis Holtby and Tatsuya Ito returned to training today. They came away from it with no issues. Lewis’s foot did not give him any problems and ‘Tatsu’ looked as though he had never been away. We will see how tomorrow’s session goes, but if it is as positive as today, there will be no doubt that they will be involved on Sunday.

… being league leaders: It is a nice position to be in at the moment, however we have to keep working hard, just as we have in the past few weeks. We are all feeling confident at the moment but we are always aware of the dangers that wait around the corner. I have made sure the players know this too. Our full focus is now on Regensburg and we want to pick up the next three points.

… our next opponents: Regensburg have been doing really well over the past few years. They are a small club working on a shoestring budget but they managed to earn promotion to the 2. Bundesliga and even finish fifth last season. I think it is quite incredible. They are a tricky opponent that press well and are very disciplined.

Every player is needed to be ready to play at any time due to the need for squad rotation.

… the challenges of midweek games as a coach: There are players that can keep playing to a high standard despite being fatigued. There are also players that can be mentally tired. We need to make the most of the players at our disposal.

… the importance of squad rotation: I believe the idea of rotation has become more and more important over the years. You used to have twelve or thirteen players who get you through a season. You now have a much larger number of players and the speed of the game has increased significantly. It is absolutely crucial for teams that are competing at the top of the league to have good squad depth. We therefore train with lots of players and make constant changes during training. It is especially helpful when you have midweek games. The past few weeks have shown that the players we have brought in have integrated into the team effortlessly and that they can make the difference.

… impressions on the 2. Bundesliga: The results have shown that it is a very tight, but interesting league. Anyone can beat anyone. There have also been shock results which nobody expected. This shows that you have got to always be on the ball in this league and keep working hard. I am fully expecting the upcoming weeks to be just as exciting. The table is so tight that if you have a string of decent or poor results you can see yourself move drastically in the table.