Preparing for aggressive opponents

Pál Dárdai said there was just one goal for this weekend’s meeting with Frankfurt as the Hertha boys kicked off a new week of training today: keeping the three points in Berlin.

The pain is forgotten, the disappointment digested; no one was thinking about the last-second draw against Bayern Munich when the Hertha boys started a new week of training on Tuesday afternoon. The Blue-Whites were fully focused on their preparations for the next Bundesliga game against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday (18:30 CET) as they trained hard for a full 70 minutes. “We want to pick up three points against Frankfurt,” said a determined Pál Dárdai.

For that to happen, his team will have to kick on from the performance against Bayern. “We want to give our all and push ourselves to the limit, just like on the weekend,” added the boss, who is also fully aware that Frankfurt will be well prepared for their trip to the capital. After all, he knows Eagles coach Niko Kovac from their time together as players. “Training sessions under Niko are always tough, just like they are here. You can bet your bottom dollar that his players are very fit,” said the Hungarian. In order to be prepared for the visitors, Dárdai is placing the focus on possession and tackling during training this week. “We know that Frankfurt play with a lot of aggression, that they will look to counter quickly and win the second ball,” warned the 40-year-old. Niklas Stark is also expecting a close-fought encounter. “Frankfurt are a tricky side to play against, but we want to get the win in front of our home fans,” affirmed the defender.

Who will take on Schieber’s super-sub role?

Almost every Hertha player was on board for the week’s opening session, including Salomon Kalou, who had sat out of Sunday’s warm-down routine with muscle problems. However, Mitchell Weiser, Sinan Kurt and Julian Schieber, who underwent a successful knee operation on Monday, remain absent. “It’s a real shame for Julian,” said Pál Dárdai on the news that the striker is set for another spell on the sidelines. “His injury gives other players the chance to fill his boots as our super-sub though. He has helped us an awful lot in that role, so now a small door has opened for someone else,” explained the head coach. Ondrej Duda is one of those who will be looking to take his chance. “If he continues to make a good impression in training, we could well name him in the matchday squad. Everyone is curious to see how he deals with the pressure,” added Dárdai about the summer signing, who is yet to make his debut for Hertha.

Dárdai will hold two further training sessions on Wednesday at 10:00 and 14:30 CET, while there will be workouts behind closed doors on Thursday and Friday.