“We’re brimming with energy”

The international break is a thing of the past, and the focus in Hamburg is now fully back on HSV’s next Bundesliga affair, namely an upcoming visit from FC Augsburg on Holy Saturday (15:30 CEST). Ahead of the matchday 28 clash, HSV head coach Merlin Polzin sat down for his weekly press conference, in which he discussed the upcoming game at the Volksparkstadion. The 35-year-old Hamburg native spoke in detail about...

...the latest squad news: Nicolas Capaldo is definitely out, as is Bakery Jatta, although he has been able to start working through some parts of team training. His recovery is going as expected so far, although the plan is not for him to see any involvement this weekend. The same goes for Yussuf Poulsen and Alexander Rössing-Lelesiit, both of whom are still going through rehab. Jean-Luc Dompé is struggling with a foot issue and isn’t feeling comfortable in his play at the moment. Nicolai Remberg will also miss out through suspension after picking up too many yellow cards.

...the international break: We’re being cautious with our players, as many of them have travelled far and been working in different time zones. We had a total of nine players away on international duty. For HSV as a club, for us as a coaching staff and for the team, that’s really something special. It’s a great thing that we’re at such a level as to have that many players called up. More than anything else, it’s just a testament to the quality of the players, like Luka Vuskovic, who played such a crucial role for the Croatia senior team, or Philip Otele, who made his first appearance for Nigeria. Otto Stange, Hannes Hermann and Fabio Balde are also youngsters here who showed really strong performances on the world stage.

...the upcoming opponent: Augsburg have been playing Bundesliga football for 15 straight years now, and have placed a real emphasis on determined defending since their current head coach took over the role. We have a lot of respect for them. You can clearly see how they want to operate, and so how we defend this weekend is a huge focus for us. Considering the short preparation window we’ve had, it’s all about making sure each and every player has a good understanding of our game plan, so that we’re all singing from the same hymn sheet and working well as a unit. In the reverse fixture, Augsburg looked like a side who play with high intensity and also have a squad with a lot of composure in the ranks. They’re a very unpleasant team to have to come up against. Primarily in the middle of the park, they’re a real force to be reckoned with.

...the run-in: We have seven games to go now, and we want to make sure we achieve what we set out to do, together with our fans who back us all the way. The lads are all pulling in the same direction, we’ve had clear discussions and everyone knows their role. There’s no doubt about what’s at stake now. We want to go into every match fully prepared, so that at the end we can be satisfied with the performance, the result and, ultimately, the points.

We don’t want to talk too much about what we may or may not have achieved come the end of the season. It’s not so much about the end result right now, as it is about getting the details right in terms of what we need to do to get there. Every player, and the group as a whole, is clear on what matters over the next few weeks. Among other things, we want to ensure that we’re absolutely crystal clear on how we operate defensively. As the season draws to a close, it’s not about coming up with new ideas or working on new aspects of our game. The most important thing is to keep drilling down on the things that have got us to where we are. More than anything else, it’s about having the right mindset and an indefatigable team spirit. Looking ahead to the next game, we’re brimming with energy and ready to get going. On Saturday, we want to leave everything out there.