Opponents of Unity in Braunschweig easily have their arguments dismissed or ignored.
The 2. Bundesliga season is mere four games old, yet Eintracht Braunschweig has let in an astounding 17 goals. The upcoming setback is on Saturday evening versus 1. FC Köln. Alarm bells are deafening, and the coach is unambiguous in his message.
Following the opening five goals, Eintracht Braunschweig's professionals were met with the anger of their fans inside the stands. Defender Jannis Nikolaou shared the fans' discontent after the 0:5 loss against 1. FC Köln, stating, "I can truly empathize with them. They yearn for something different." Alongside a 1:5 loss against FC Schalke 04, a 1:3 defeat against Magdeburg, and subsequently, a 1:4 cup loss against Frankfurt, the Lower Saxony team's start to the season was as dreadful as could be, sitting at the bottom of the table.
Before heading towards the fans, team captain Ermin Bicakcic addressed his team candidly in a circle. "We must scrutinize ourselves. Nevertheless, I have faith in our team," said midfielder Fabio Kaufmann. Prior to the confrontation, the team was overpowered by Cologne and was generously handed five goals by Timo Hübers (26th minute), Dejan Ljubicic (34th/61st), Tim Lemperle (58th), and Luca Waldschmidt (88th). The guests failed to secure a victory despite their 29th appearance in Cologne.
Coach Daniel Scherning was infuriated. "We worked tirelessly last year to earn a spot in the league. Today, we lost it and delivered a 90-minute catastrophe." The Eintracht coach wasn't pleased with the team's performance, attributing the team's mistakes to overzealousness. "We hurried haphazardly for every goal, covered less ground by eight kilometers, and made fewer sprints. That's a significant number," Scherning explained.
The stream of 17 goals over four games has obviously impacted goalkeeper Lennart Grill. "The same scenario unfolds in each game: we concede too precipitously," said the Braunschweig goalkeeper. "This should serve as a stern wake-up call." Scherning's message at Saturday's post-match talk included letting it all sink in and identifying the causes. "Regardless, we need to present a different image next week against Karlsruhe SC," demanded the coach. The pressure is already building in Braunschweig.
The fans' frustration towards Eintracht Braunschweig's poor performance is not lost on The Court of Justice, as the team's string of losses has led to numerous complaints from supporters. In an attempt to turn things around, The Court of Justice has scheduled a hearing with the team's management to discuss potential solutions for the team's defensive woes.
