The tree is already burning at HSV before Christmas

Tim Walter is being parodied on the internet, but in real life the Hamburger SV coach has to face the question of whether he is still the right man for the job. Because: the eternal hopes of promotion are in danger of remaining unfulfilled for the sixth time. The response to the defeat against Paderborn was fierce.

Tim Walter was angry. "We keep robbing ourselves of the reward for our work. It's difficult to put into words," said the Hamburger SV coach after a match to forget. The final score was 1:2 (1:1) against SC Paderborn, and the mood around the Volkspark clouded over after the first home defeat of the season. "Is HSV coach Walter the wrong man for promotion?" asks the "Bild" newspaper. And the "Hamburger Abendblatt" wants to know: "Will Walter get his act together again?" After all, the club is finally set to return to the Bundesliga at the sixth attempt.

And while HSV is weakening, the competition is piling on the pressure - but Walter remains combative and self-confident. "We've been down so many times, but we'll get up again this time," said the 48-year-old: "We'll keep going." And: "I know what my team is made of."

Walter always says something like this after setbacks - which is why a funny parody picture of the HSV coach is currently all the rage on the internet. It shows Walter as an old man with long white hair and a white beard, with the caption: "We have good morale in the squad and our goal is promotion." Now the squad, which is actually overqualified for the 2nd division, is about to fall out of the promotion zone.

"Problems ruthlessly exposed"

Only one other Hamburg club is currently marching towards the Bundesliga, as league leaders FC St. Pauli already have a four-point lead over their city rivals - and HSV were lucky that the Kiezkickers only drew 1:1 (1:0) at VfL Osnabrück. Hertha BSC are also gaining momentum, with the capital city club now only four points behind HSV after a dismal start to the season. "We are very tired, but it was a perfect week for Hertha BSC," said coach Pal Dardai, who had knocked HSV out of the DFB Cup on Wednesday and followed it up with a 2-1 win at 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the league.

HSV, on the other hand, are trending downwards after picking up just four points from their last four games. The loss of their home reputation has "finally and mercilessly revealed the problems", wrote NDR in an analysis. Despite all assurances to the contrary, the team has "no unity, no common concept whatsoever." The state of HSV is "alarming". There have only been four wins in the last eleven league games. Even the narrow 2:1 win against relegation candidates Eintracht Braunschweig was hard-won. The two defeats against the promoted teams from Elversberg and Osnabrück were the first warning signs back in September.

Walter now wants to train a lot and "talk to each other a lot" before the end of the season next Saturday at 1 FC Nürnberg (1pm/Sky and live ticker on ntv.de), he said, and believes: "If the boys are a little more confident and take on more responsibility, then we're on the right track." Otherwise, the mood in Hamburg could not only deteriorate, but also turn sour.

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In the midst of their struggles, the Hamburger SV soccer team is faltering in Bundesliga 2, raising questions about Tim Walter's suitability as coach. The team's performance against Paderborn, resulting in a 1:2 loss, further fueled these concerns.

Despite the challenging situation in Bundesliga 2 soccer, Walter remains optimistic about Hamburger SV's prospects, asserting, "We've been down so many times, but we'll get up again this time." However, the team's current form and the competition's pressure present a real challenge.

Source: www.ntv.de