“I like it” – Philippe taken with his new role | OneFootball

Rayan Philippe was deployed in a different position in the pre-season friendlies so far and has shown improved form.

He scored in the 3–1 win over Heidenheim and, in the season opener at the Volksparkstadion against Everton (1–2), set up Patson Daka’s temporary equalizer with a composed pass. Philippe played as the central striker in those matches. Unlike last season, when he was mostly used on the right wing. That position no longer exists in the 3-4-2-1 system now preferred by coach Merlin Polzin.

The Frenchman still figures in his plans, however—unlike out-of-favor left winger Jean-Luc Dompé. Philippe is very fond of the new setup. “In our system, we have a lot of players operating in central areas. The advantage is that you can combine quickly with each other in tight spaces. That suits me. I like being in central areas. I like having my teammates close to me so we can create something together,” he explained in an interview with the club’s media channels.

Photo: IMAGO

This is how Philippe rates his first year at HSV

The 25-year-old, who is certainly a capable finisher, could become one of the main beneficiaries of the technically strong midfield around Albert Sambi Lokonga, Albert Grønbaek, Martin Adeline and possibly, in future, Fábio Vieira as well. But first, he has to secure his starting spot, with Yussuf Poulsen, the fast-starting Daka and Otto Stange all providing notable and highly ambitious competition.

In addition, another striker is still expected to be signed. “Honestly, I’m not thinking about that. I give my best in training, and in the end the coaching staff makes the decision. I can only focus on what I can influence,” said Philippe calmly, adding that his goal is to have a better season than the last one.

Nur die Raute – All the news about HSV

After arriving from Braunschweig, he scored five goals in 28 appearances, with three of them already coming in the first six matchdays. Philippe therefore concluded: “There were ups and downs. I was satisfied with the first half of the season because I was playing regularly and scoring goals. So things were going fine for me. It was different in the second half of the season, when I played less and scored fewer goals. On top of that, I wasn’t at one hundred percent because I was dealing with some physical issues.”

That likely resulted in his lack of cutting edge. In addition, Philippe, who is naturally equipped with plenty of attacking power, was held back by significant technical shortcomings, which are also being worked on during the current pre-season. The next step in his development is set to come on Saturday in the friendly against Champions League participants Lille.

Photo: Getty Images

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.