Union backs fishermen and cohesion despite crisis
The chants in the stands at the An der Alten Försterei stadium did not foreshadow the twelfth defeat in a row, but the look on the faces of the Union Berlin professionals and coach Urs Fischer did. Even after the painful 3-0 defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt, players and coach were celebrated.
The relegation battle has arrived in Köpenick. The club and supporters seem determined that this can be overcome together - and especially with Fischer. "Great, it also describes the cohesion of Union. It's not just talked about, it's lived," said the Swiss player after the game with a mixture of emotion and astonishment.
Difficult tasks await
In sporting terms, the turnaround will also be difficult in the coming games. In the Champions League, they face SSC Napoli on Wednesday. In the league, unbeaten league leaders Bayer Leverkusen await on Sunday.
The debate about Fischer's future? Just a media issue, as was emphasized in the stands, in tones ranging from challenging to insulting. The management also tried to clarify matters before the game. President Dirk Zingler unequivocally backed Fischer in the stadium booklet and on Sky.
It seems unlikely that he will step down after just one game, and Fischer himself is not thinking of resigning. "I'm ready to fight," said the Swiss on ARD.
Trimmel: "We'll get our act together at some point"
"We don't go to soccer, we go to Union" is a popular saying in the east of the capital. The fact that the Unioners aggressively flaunt this perceived uniqueness has not only made them friends in the rest of footballing Germany in recent years. But even when viewed objectively, the way Köpenick has reacted to the long negative streak is extraordinary.
"That says a lot about the club. People don't forget," said captain Christopher Trimmel. "But we have to make sure that we turn the corner at some point. In the end, it's also in our interest to give them something back."
The match against Hesse was almost a best-of of the crisis weeks. After the warm-up, the players were whipped up in front of the stands on the Forest side. It was already 1:0 for Frankfurt in the second minute. A flattering free-kick for the visitors, which was poorly cleared. After the rebound, Omar Marmoush had the entire Berlin defense in front of him and still found the gap. Once again, the opponent's first shot on goal was on target.
"The first goal is unnecessary, another goal from the back," said Fischer. "Then they play it well for the second goal, even though we actually knew what to expect. We didn't defend that well as a team." A lack of luck, insecurity and an accumulation of individual mistakes are the ingredients for a long relegation battle.
Ongoing goal drought
Added to this is the attacking harmlessness. The Berliners hit 40 crosses. Too few arrived. The good chances they did have were wasted. Union have not scored a goal in five games. "We have to find our strength again, where substitutes sometimes made the difference, where we conceded few goals," said Trimmel.
Nevertheless, the game is only of limited use as an argument for a change of coach. After going 2-0 down early on, Berlin shook themselves briefly and then went on a consistent run. "When you see the situation they're in right now, after the 2-0, after a blow like that, there are many teams who then fall apart. They made life difficult for us up to 3-0, tried everything, nobody gave up," said Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmöller.
It remains little consolation for the Berliners, but once again there was no doubt from the team about Fischer. "We owe it to the coach. What is currently happening is a situation that we got ourselves into," said Robin Gosens.
However, a certain sense of helplessness is slowly spreading. "We try, we train, we do, we do. In the end, the current situation is that we're not good enough," said Trimmel. "We have to communicate well with each other because we really have to start picking up points now."
Despite the 12-game winless streak and the 3-0 defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt, 1st FC Union Berlin and coach Urs Fischer were celebrated by the players and supporters. Regardless of the difficult tasks ahead in Bundesliga, such as facing unbeaten league leaders Bayer Leverkusen, Urs Fischer is not considering stepping down and is prepared to fight. [Soccer, 1st FC Union Berlin, Bundesliga, Urs Fischer, Eintracht Frankfurt]
Source: www.dpa.com
