Ahead of the away game at VfL Osnabrück, Dietmar Hirsch looks back on the last few matches. In doing so, the MSV Duisburg coach is putting the brakes on the euphoria.
At the start of the season, MSV Duisburg racked up win after win, propelling themselves into the top tier of the 3. Liga—and they did so as a newly promoted team. Ahead of the match at VfL Osnabrück this coming Saturday (November 1, 2 p.m.), however, the Zebras have now gone four games without a win.
However, MSV earned points in three of those games and consistently put in solid performances. That’s why coach Dietmar Hirsch isn’t worried at all, as he explained at the press conference before the trip to Lower Saxony: “I also believe that our performances were good—that we don’t have to settle for draws. But even so, a draw is a partial success for us.”
The strong start to the season had already raised high hopes, however—Hirsch put the brakes on: “You can’t get greedy, and you have to be content with a draw against good teams. With a lot of bad luck, we could have conceded a counterattack against Essen, and then you’re left empty-handed.”
In the tightly contested 3. Liga, however, the team has yet to suffer a loss in its first twelve matches. “We’re still hungry; we want to pick up the next three points as soon as possible, but we also know who we’re up against. Setting the result aside, we’ve put in good performances against top opponents,” Hirsch emphasized. The focus should remain on these aspects. “If we keep playing this well—with that dynamism, physicality, and fitness—we’ll turn things around again. But we’re not going to drive ourselves crazy over it; if our performances were poor, it would be a different story.”
Against RWE, Patrick Sussek didn’t put in his best performance of the season. For Hirsch, however, that’s no cause for concern either: “It’s perfectly normal to have a little dip here and there. He’s an important player. He may not have reached his peak level right now, but that’s generally normal for young players—for players in general. I don’t think he’ll play poorly for eight, six, or five games in a row.”
Nevertheless, the game ended in a 1-1 draw against RWE after 63 minutes. Hirsch explained: “When you substitute offensive players, they often react angrily. Paddy didn’t react angrily because he probably wasn’t entirely satisfied with his performance either, and I think we were justified in taking him out.”
But Hirsch doesn’t want to make too much of the issue. “You don’t have to make too much of it; I don’t think he played below average. He’s always hardworking, tries his best, and gives it his all,” the head coach said in support of his player. “His opponents certainly have more respect for him now and are better prepared to handle him. The next phase is coming, and I know for sure that he’ll assert himself and deliver top performances and score again.”