Bundesliga resumes for HSV tomorrow – Let’s get up to date!

By: Mark | January 14th, 2011

Have these guys built a team that can succeed in 2011?

OK, so my promise of keeping you informed of HSV happenings and transfers over the winter break didn’t happen. Sorry about that. But to be honest, there wasn’t a lot of activity, and so far all the transfer news is just rumours at this point.

Follow along and I’ll try to give you the run-down of the winter break in Hamburg (and Dubai!):

Winter in Dubai
Dubai training

HSV spent most of the winter break in sunny Dubai, training and trying to get healthy again. Most of the main squad is back in training, but Mathijsen and Petric are likely a few weeks out still. The good news is that players like Kacar and Jansen are ready to get back into the lineup, and younger players like Anis Ben-Hatira are getting a chance to show what they can do. HSV played one friendly test match in Dubai against Al-Wasl and won 3-2, with a last minute winner by Ben-Hatira! Overall, the team considered the Dubai trip to be a success, and hopefully will have helped them gel a bit more.

Back at the Imtech Arena
Ajax Friendly
The hard work in Dubai seemed to pay off once the team got back to Hamburg and played a friendly last weekend against Ajax Amsterdam. HSV won the match 4-2 on the strength of a hat-trick by Ruud van Nistelrooy! This match leaves me feeling pretty positive after a good performance against a good team. I hope that Ruud’s good form continues and wasn’t just a temporary spike, fueled by playing against his Dutch compatriots!

Transfers, or lack thereof
So far, Hamburg have not picked up any new players during the break. There is still time left in the transfer window, so we have to wait and see. Some of the rumors suggested possible sales of Ze Roberto or Ruud van Nistelrooy, but those have quieted down and it looks like both players are committed to finishing their contracts that expire at the end of the season. After that, who knows.

The big transfer target is Eljero Elia, who is coveted by both Wolfsburg and Liverpool. Both teams wanted him on a loan deal, but HSV have said a sale for 15 million euros is the only way they’ll part with him. Sounds good to me. Elia seems to be healthy again and showing good form since the last couple of games in 2010. I think he is committed to making an effort for the rest of the season as well. If Hamburg sell him now, at least they won’t lose any money from what they paid for him, and if he stays, he will help the team and then maybe fetch a big payout in the summer. It’s pretty clear that HSV is not the long-term plan for him though.

Hamburg have been looking for a central defender due to Mathijsen’s injury. They tried to get Daniel van Buyten from Bayern, but that fell through. They are also looking at 19-year old Jeffrey Burma from Chelsea, and this still seems like a possibility. The last 2 central defenders that HSV acquired in the winter have not worked out so well however: Michael Graavgard and David Rozehnal. Needless to say, they should exercise some caution before making a deal for this position. At the moment, Gojko Kacar is filling in at CB, and Heiko Westermann says it’s working out well.

Another bit of good news is that HSV successfully extended the contract of left back Dennis Aogo until 2015. I think Aogo is vital to the team, and it’s great that they have secured his services for another 4 years.

Lastly, there is some uncertainty about the future of Armin Veh as coach of the club. Apparently there have been talks with ex-Koeln man Christoff Daum. I don’t know what will become of this, but I don’t like it one bit. HSV just keeps replacing coachs with other recently fired coaches, and something has to change. Bring back Martin Jol please! He’s left Ajax, so he might still be available! If Bernd Hoffman doesn’t get a contract extension, maybe this could be a real possibility? I doubt it…

To Schalke Tomorrow!
Enough rumors and speculation! The football is what you want to see! Well, it’s back tomorrow baby! Here’s a preview of tomorrow’s Hamburg vs. Schalke match: http://www.goal.com/en/match/48131/schalke-04-vs-hamburg/preview

Enjoy the match if you get to see it, and keep your fingers crossed for a good 2011 for HSV!