Vieira and Lokonga: No chance of linking up? | OneFootball

Fábio Vieira made his comeback in yesterday’s home game against Wolfsburg. His return sparked a fundamental discussion regarding his interplay with Albert Sambi Lokonga.

Fábio Vieira, who had been highly impressive before his red card suspension and provided the team with a lot of creative input, initially started on the bench. In the 64th minute, to the surprise of many HSV fans, he replaced Albert Sambi Lokonga, who once again proved to be one of the key players in the team. At the post-match press conference, Merlin Polzin was asked about his decision and emphasized that, in principle, there was nothing against fielding both players together.

“The reason against it is that with Rambo, we have a player in the number six position who gives us a lot of stability, and who also ensured that almost nothing happened in terms of Wolfsburg’s offense. That’s why we decided not to lose any stability, because we also know that we don’t have to decide the game for ourselves in the 70th minute,” explained the head coach.

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HSV: System change for Vieira and Lokonga?

Polzin continued: “That’s why I’m pleased to be able to make decisions from the quality we have in the squad.” The decision could turn out the same way more often in the coming weeks. Due to the system, there are few opportunities to put Vieira and Lokonga on the pitch at the same time. Nicolai Remberg is a fixture as the defensive midfielder in the 3-4-3 formation for good reasons. The two players who joined from FC Arsenal are competing for the role alongside him.

However, for a promoted team, it’s not a given to be able to rely on two such players with outstanding footballing abilities. So there should at least be the option to send Vieira and Lokonga onto the pitch together. One possibility would be to move the former, as in his debut in Munich (0:5), to the right wing.

Photo: IMAGO

Furthermore, at least in certain situations – such as being 0:1 down against a largely harmless VfL Wolfsburg – a change in system could be considered. By taking off a central defender, space could be created for an additional central midfielder, allowing Remberg to continue his role while Vieira and Lokonga could shape the game in possession. How Polzin feels about this alternative is not known. However, he has not used it so far this season.

Photo: IMAGO

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