Glatzel and Poulsen: how HSV will use their veteran strikers | OneFootball

HSV are continuing to work intensively on the squad for the upcoming Bundesliga season. The attack is at the center of their planning.

That is because the departure of Ransford Königsdörffer leaves a noticeable gap. HSV coach Merlin Polzin would have loved to keep the forward and fought for a long time to persuade him to stay. “I tried, both publicly and personally, to communicate as clearly as possible what we had planned for him,” Polzin said on the Abendblatt podcast “HSV, wir müssen reden.” When Königsdörffer finally told him his decision, it was “of course a disappointment.”

Accordingly, the promoted side must now look ahead and address the question of what its attack should look like going forward. One thing seems clear: they are looking for a type of striker who can at least partially replace Königsdörffer’s profile. Polzin put it this way: “We have a clear idea of how we want to play football in the new season.” The focus, he said, is on a dynamic forward with pace, runs in behind, and a strong willingness to contribute when out of possession.

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HSV want to “take Poulsen’s injury record into account”

That is not especially good news for Robert Glatzel. The prolific striker offers enormous presence in the penalty area and can create important space for his teammates as a target man. At the same time, the 32-year-old’s profile, lacking standout athleticism, is not an ideal fit for Polzin’s preferred style of play. A summer departure is therefore far from out of the question.

Planning is also complicated when it comes to Yussuf Poulsen. After a first season heavily affected by injuries, there is a huge question mark over his physical condition. Polzin spoke openly about it: “In our squad planning, we have to take into account that he has had one issue or another. We’re not blind and saying: it’ll all work out.”

Even so, the coach is still counting on the Dane. The door remains open, provided Poulsen can stay fit over the long term. “When I see how fired up he was after coming on in Leverkusen, then I hope we get to see a lot more of that from him,” Polzin said.

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