Suche
Mein Konto
FC St. Pauli on the brink: Which errors lead to a crash?
FC St. Pauli is facing relegation after a defeat against Borussia Mönchengladbach. Problems on offense and defense characterize the season.
FC St. Pauli on the brink: Which errors lead to a crash?
The supporters of FC St. Pauli had to swallow a bitter pill last weekend. The club suffered a bitter 4-0 defeat against Borussia Mönchengladbach. This means that there are more and more voices that see the traditional club's relegation from the Bundesliga as sealed. After nine games, the Kiezkicker are at the bottom of the table with just seven points and a miserable series of six defeats in a row. You can ask yourself: What is going on in the heart of Hamburg?
At the same time, there are also alarming statistical data that underpin FC St. Pauli's current negative spiral. In the last six league games, the team only managed one goal, and that only from a set piece. The average xG value (expected goals) also remains at a worrying low at just 0.8 per game. This shows that despite a balanced goal scoring ratio, the team often fails miserably in finishing. If you take a closer look, you can see that a whopping 47.6% of all shots come from outside the penalty area - only FC Augsburg has a higher value in this statistic. This makes it clear how harmless FC St. Pauli's offense appears.
Defensive problems and lack of compactness
But it's not just the attack department that leaves something to be desired. Defensively, the team has conceded 18 goals to date and has only kept a clean sheet once. This defense is even more vulnerable than the numbers suggest, because the Kiezkickers allow the third fewest shots on goal, but have a high xG value (0.16) per opponent's shot on goal. This imbalance indicates a lack of compactness - another problem that coach Alexander Blessin has to work on.
Why is that? It seems like the team is unable to present itself as a cohesive unit. Critical voices are increasingly commenting on the coaching performance and the need to rethink the style of play. Blessin himself emphasizes the importance of bringing the team back together and significantly improving defensive work. But time is of the essence because the season is still long and without quick successes it will be difficult to break out of this negative spiral.
Regardless of the sporting misery, FC St. Pauli fans must not give up hope yet. It remains to be hoped that the club will make the necessary adjustments to get back on the road to success. Because one thing is clear: there is something going on and it is time for the team to show it again in their style of play.