After return without game time: Stange drops down to U21! | OneFootball

HSV ended the loan of Otto Stange to SV Elversberg already at mid-season. However, coach Merlin Polzin has not yet found a use for him.

At the press conference before the home game against Leipzig, Polzin was asked about the situation of the highly talented homegrown player and shared that Stange will travel with the U21 to the away game at SV Meppen. In front of a great crowd of 8,456 spectators for regional league standards, the offensive player was on the field for 62 minutes and made some offensive contributions. However, he couldn't prevent the 0:2 defeat against the league leader.

It was foreseeable that Stange would not spend the full 90 minutes on the field. “Nevertheless, he is of course an option for the squad for Sunday and next week, because the playing time will then be adjusted a bit,” explained Polzin. In the previous three competitive matches since the 19-year-old's return from Elversberg, he has not yet collected a single minute of playtime.

Photo: IMAGO

Stange suffers from great competition

Nevertheless, Polzin emphasized: “We are all fully convinced of Otto. It’s about showing young players the right path, whether through training sessions or the right moments in the games. Those moments have not yet been given. It’s not directly related to his performances, but also to the guys around him who have simply done really well or the course of the games.”

Even on Sunday, the chances for the U19 national player are likely to be slim. This is because all offensive forces are available to HSV. Polzin can rely on five trained strikers alone. The previously unconvincing Damion Downs is even eyeing a spot in the starting eleven after fully recovering. Stange, on the other hand, will have to make friends with the bench once again.

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“We want to continue building him up carefully. It is very important to us in the coaching team that we do not create something where too much is expected of young people. Otto is following the path very diligently and persistently,” said Polzin. However, it is also clear that especially young players need match practice at the highest level to develop further. Regular regional league appearances do not help Stange, who has already demonstrated his qualities at the second division level and collected five scorer points at Elversberg despite limited playing time, in the long run.

Photo: IMAGO

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