Room for improvement: HSV signing shows surprising weakness | OneFootball

Damion Downs undoubtedly imagined his start at HSV differently. After his winter transfer from FC Southampton, the former Cologne player was seen as a beacon of hope.

His assignment was clearly defined from the beginning: Downs was supposed to breathe new life into the previously harmless attack of the Rothosen. In the race to sign the American, HSV prevailed against some notable competition, which further raised expectations. However, an initial interim assessment after three appearances is sobering.

Statistically, Downs’ start can still be explained: Three appearances without a goal involvement is not an unusual figure for a new signing in an already struggling offense. The real problem, however, has been his performances. In the away game in Freiburg (1:2), Downs was completely isolated for long stretches, registering only 15 touches due to HSV’s passive style of play. Still, one of those few actions could have been enough to take the lead. After a pass from Sambi Lokonga, he pushed the ball too far ahead and missed the chance to go one-on-one with the opposing keeper.

Against Borussia Mönchengladbach (0:0), the first signs of progress were visible. Downs impressed with his pressing, worked well off the ball with strike partner Ransford Königsdörffer, and played a strong through ball to Nicolas Capaldo. Unfortunately, the Argentine—by trade a defensive player—missed the clear chance. Nevertheless, this appearance also ended in disappointment. Symbolic of this was a poorly missed header from a promising position.

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Downs delivered his weakest performance in an HSV shirt so far in the city derby against FC St. Pauli (0:0). With only eleven touches, he was almost invisible, posed no goal threat, and overlooked a completely unmarked Fabio Vieira in a potentially promising situation. After just three games, much of the initial goodwill among fans has already been used up.

Downs’ problems in direct duels are particularly noticeable. He has won only one of 13 aerial duels so far, and overall, he has won just two of 22 challenges. His weakness in the air is especially surprising given his height of 1.92 meters and hardly fits HSV’s cross-heavy style of play.

Nevertheless, it would be premature to write off the striker already. Downs arrived in the Hanseatic city with little match practice and therefore needs time. At the same time, the frustration of the supporters is understandable. Everyone around HSV is longing for a striker who defines himself by goals—not by work rate or the occasional well-timed run. For this reason, among others, the club is likely to strengthen its attack again before the deadline day on February 2. And even though the focus is clearly on the wing positions, it cannot be ruled out that another number nine will find his way to Volkspark in the coming week.

A small glimmer of hope: Off the pitch, Downs has settled in very well in Hamburg. “Since I’ve been here, I feel extremely comfortable,” he recently emphasized, explaining that loneliness in England had affected his footballing performances. So, the hope for a successful time at HSV is still alive. But a successful start certainly looks different.

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