Berlin – Adi Hütter simply smiled away at the problems. The shocked coach gave surprisingly sovereign information about his own situation and that of the crisis club Borussia Mönchengladbach before the unpleasant reunion with his ex-club Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday (6.30 p.m. / Sky). “I’m looking forward to a lot there. It’s going to be emotional for me, definitely another game, ”said Hütter on Tuesday. “But this is about our situation.”
As many goals as conceded in the previous twelve games
And that’s miserable to say the least. Three games with a total of 14 goals conceded – just as many Gladbach had previously conceded in the first twelve games of the season in the Bundesliga – let the mood at Borussia plummet. For the dicey reunion with unity, Hütter would certainly have wished for other circumstances. After all, his move in the summer was not exactly silent. After the announcement of his departure, Frankfurt hardly succeeded and the possible Champions League qualification was gambled away.
“Of course it will be a special game for the players who have worked with him for three years,” said Oliver Glasner, Hütter’s successor in Frankfurt. The performance curves of both teams have recently been contrary. With four wins from five games, Frankfurt is currently the best-form team in the league. Borussia, on the other hand, stumbled into the table cellar in only three games. “I do not hope, however, that there will be pity for the old coach,” said Glasner.
Another bankruptcy would probably not have consequences for Hütter. Gladbach’s sports director Max Eberl had recently made it clear several times and vehemently that the coach would not have to worry about his job even if he lost further. “It’s too easy to always reduce it to the coach,” said Eberl last. Probably due to the support in the club, Hütter does not seem at a loss at the moment. “You can’t be the first to fall over in a headwind. You have to stop there, ”said the 51-year-old. “I don’t know which coach doesn’t even experience a crisis.”
Personnel changes to the squad during the winter break are more likely than a short-term change of coach. Hütter did not want to evaluate the increasing speculation of personnel (“We do that internally”). However, he indicated the desire for new impulses: “We certainly have to go through the roster and see what we do in winter.”
There are enough candidates for an exit in winter. Matthias Ginter and Denis Zakaria are not the only ones to be considered for this, whose contracts expire in summer and for whom a transfer could only be achieved in winter. Unless both of them extend. But the likelihood of this currently appears to be negligible. In addition, the squad, which has only been changed selectively since summer 2020, mainly due to corona, is crying out for (major) corrections. The team structure seems too stuck.
Several top performers are in an inexplicable form
It is also not always possible to rationalize the performance lows of actual service providers such as Florian Neuhaus, Nico Elvedi and Marcus Thuram. In particular, Neuhaus and the currently very phlegmatic Thuram are considered possible exit candidates. It is uncertain whether this also applies to the inconsistent Breel Embolo and Alassane Plea. It is clear, however, that not all of the above will of course leave the club in winter. Two or three departures may be enough to get urgently needed new impulses.
But here Eberl faces further problems. On the one hand, he is dependent on potential and, above all, potent customers. On the other hand, players have to be available who can immediately help Borussia, which is in dire straits.