"Wasn’t my cup of tea": Polzin explains Pherai’s tough situation | OneFootball

Both against Stuttgart and Kiel, Immanuel Pherai recently did not make it into the squad. HSV coach Merlin Polzin now explained why.

The recent encounter against Holstein Kiel was telling: Even though a total of six outfield players were rested or injured, Immanuel Pherai was missing from the HSV lineup.

Merlin Polzin made it clear before the northern derby against Werder Bremen that more performance is expected at HSV. "Since summer, he hasn't really gotten into the rhythm. This changed over the course of the first half of the season. However, there are things in defense that are non-negotiable for us. I was less impressed with the performance in Augsburg, regarding certain things on and off the field," said Polzin. In Augsburg (0:1), the playmaker only came into the game in the 86th minute and did not leave a good impression.

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Pherai Criticism: "We clearly talked about it"

Another substitute appearance was similarly problematic: Against 1. FC Köln (1:4), he received a yellow-red card just two minutes after being substituted in.

Following these negative experiences, Pherai showed insight. "We clearly talked about it and he accepts it," confirmed Polzin. "Since the conversation, he has made a noticeably fresher and more focused impression. He is back among those who can make it into the squad. But our central midfield is well-stocked in terms of depth and quality."

The difficulty Pherai faces in this competitive environment is evident from the bare numbers. Due to a medial ligament injury during summer preparation, his season start was significantly delayed. It was not until October that the midfielder made his season debut as a substitute in the 1:2 match in Leipzig. After four substitutions, Pherai has so far accumulated just 51 minutes of play in the Bundesliga.

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