Interview

“We want to grow as a team”

HSV head coach Christian Titz spoke at the start of the Glücksburg training camp about the tough sides to pre-season and the upcoming Bundesliga 2 campaign.

After a five-week summer break, Hamburger SV have started preparations for the forthcoming season. Fans, the squad and the coaching staff are all excited to get going. At the start of the club’s training camp in Glücksburg, the head coach focused on what goals the team have in pre-season and what he expects from next season.

Christian, to mark the start of next season, the team trained for two hours. What did you make of the first session?

Christian Titz: “It’s been positive so far. We used the first training session quite atypically and want the lads to be aware of our playing style for next season from the get-go. Just before it started in the changing room, we took the time to explain what we want to see and used video material. The fitness tests that happened earlier in the week went well. The lads are all fit and raring to go and are excited to get going next season.”

The training session was pretty full on from the start.

That’s all because the players have stuck to the training schedules that we gave them over the summer. The lads are all very disciplined and have come back in very good physical condition.
“We want to make our playing style become second nature, have discussions as a team and one-on one and do certain things to get the lads on the right track”

Glücksburg is the first of two training camps. What should the team expect here?

We’re happy to get underway in Glückburg as we have a lot of time here to work with the squad as well as the fact that we’re preparing in an area full of HSV fans. We’re able to show the people here what we’re trying to achieve. The main focus of this training camp will be to get to know the squad, to make our playing style second nature and to speak to the players both one-on-one and as a group. We’ll speak to the lads about a few individual things to get them on the right track by showing them videos and such. Furthermore, team building exercises with the squad should bring the team together.

What are the tough parts of pre-season?

You have to spilt the tough parts into footballing and tactical areas. Physically, we want to slowly build up the burden. The players already have very good stamina which means we can get underway right away. It’s all about improving in all areas we can. Additionally, we want to get to know the team off the pitch and understand them, that’s why we don’t have two training sessions every day. That’s how you build team spirit.

You gained a lot of sympathy last season and played attractive, possession-based football. Will you be implementing that once again in Bundesliga 2 or will you have to adapt to the new league?

I think that we have to stay true to our philosophy. The Bundesliga 2 is a very physical league. We’re going to be facing teams who are very motivated to play against us. The games will have a cup game feel to them all. If you don’t put in a proper performance, it’ll be difficult. We also think that we have to contend with the fact our possession football might not work in the colder months when the pitches’ condition worsen. We have to work on that in the coming weeks to be prepared for a very interesting Bundesliga 2 season.

Many are saying that we’ll be hunted from kick-off

It’s important to make sure the players are aware of what to expect. It‘s the same for us as it is for many other teams who are relegated from the Bundesliga. For all Bundesliga 2 sides, the game against us will be a highlight. Everyone wants to beat us. I’m excited to play our first game of the season. We’re looking forward to every game.

What is it like in pre-season when you know that the squad could still change?

I don’t think that it’ll be a huge problem for us. A large part of our squad are ready. When you’re talking about changes, we have to incorporate that players may leave but also, if we have the resources, players may come in. What matters most is that we trust all the players who are here.

Do you have any idea in your head of a starting XI or anything like that?

Of course, we have players who have quality and you can trust as a coach. For instance, Gideon Jung will have an important part of the team due to his speed and ability to win the ball. However, the preparations is an open season and everyone has the same chance to prove themselves. Whoever performs will get the rewards.

In training camp will also see two open sessions in which many fans are planning to attend. 25,000 season tickets have been sold, 5,000 new club members, 1,500 viewers at the opening training session – how do you find the mood round the club at the moment?

It’s amazing to see the support from the fans. It just show what a club HSV is. We want to thank them by performing well on the pitch- That’s what we’re preparing for in pre-season.