Ahead of the away game at VfL Osnabrück, Dietmar Hirsch looks back on the last few games. The MSV Duisburg coach is putting the brakes on the euphoria.

At the start of the season, MSV Duisburg racked up win after win, shooting their way to the top of the 3rd division – and that as a newly promoted team. Ahead of their game at VfL Osnabrück this Saturday (November 1, 2 p.m.), however, the Zebras have now been waiting for a win for four games.

However, MSV scored points in three of these games and always put in an impressive performance. That’s why coach Dietmar Hirsch is not at all concerned, as he explained at the press conference before the trip to Lower Saxony: “I also believe that the performances were good, that we don’t have to settle for draws. But even so, it’s a partial success for us when we draw.”

However, the strong start to the season raised high hopes – Hirsch put the brakes on: “You can’t get greedy, and you have to be happy 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.”

So, in the tight field of the 3rd league, it remained at one defeat from the first twelve games. “We are still hungry, we want to get the next three points as soon as possible, but we also know which opponents we are facing. Apart from the result, we have performed well against top opponents,” Hirsch pointed out. The focus should also be on these aspects. “If we continue to play this well, with the dynamism, physicality, and fitness, we will turn things around again. But we’re not going crazy about it; if the performances were poor, it would be different.”

Patrick Sussek did not put in his best performance of the season against RWE. However, Hirsch doesn’t see this as a cause for concern: “It’s quite normal to have a slight dip in form. He’s an important player. He may not have reached his top level at the moment, but that’s quite normal for young players, for players in general. I don’t think he’ll play badly for eight, six or five games in a row.”

Nevertheless, the 1-1 draw against RWE was over 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 and I think we took him off for good reason.”

However, Hirsch does not want to make too much of the issue. “There’s no need to dwell on it too much. I don’t think he played below average. He always works hard and tries his best,” said the head coach, backing his protégé. “His opponents definitely have more respect for him and are better prepared for him. Now comes the next stage of his development, and I know for sure that he will assert himself and deliver top performances and scores again.”