Peruzzi becomes first signing of Marcelinho era

Gino Peruzzi has put pen to paper on a 5 year deal worth 24,000 pounds a week and has now become a Hertha player. The Argentine rightback, capped 4 times by his country, is new Marcelinho’s first signing as Hertha manager and promises to strengthen the team’s weakness at right fullback. Young and talented, Peruzzi will be looking to take a step up into the department of elite fullbacks after leaving Serie A side Catania for Hertha. While Gino’s long been linked to England, particularly to Arsenal, he’s chosen a completely different route to success. While first team football would never be a guarantee in England, Gino will be one of the first names on the team sheet for Hertha, given his impressive potential. Possessing excellent speed and technical ability for a fullback, Peruzzi will have a chance to really make a name for himself if he succeeds in Berlin. What’s even more exciting about this deal for Hertha fans was how cheap the transfer ended up being. While the official fee is disclosed, rumor has it took just 4.5M pounds to persuade Catania to sell their up and coming star. Gino burst onto the footballing scene at Velez as a youngster, and after three successful seasons in Argentina, he made the next step and signed for Catania, despite multiple rumors linking him to Sunderland. After just one season at Catania, Gino decided that his future lied outside of Italy. The move will have particularly excited fans of popular football management simulation Football Manager, as Gino always develops into one of the top fullbacks in the world. Only time will tell if Gino can repeat that same feat in real life.

Preseason Results

It was a mixed bag of preseason results for brand new manager Marcelinho. The Brazilian experimented with multiple tactics and players over the span of the 13 game preseason, but no combination of the two has emerged as a successful set-up. However, the 4-1-4-1 seemed to be Marcelinho’s formation of choice, allowing for a midfield triangle and fluid attack alongside the strength in defensive numbers the formation provides. The formation led to some successful results, most notably the 2-0 domination over AEK and the 6-0 demolition of De Graffschap. However, poorer results like the 4-1 home loss to Club America and 1-0 loss to Q.P.R. at Loftus Road dampens some of the optimism surrounding the new era in Berlin. In terms of notable player performances, new signing Solomon Kalou finished preseason with 8 goals, and Valentin Stocker finished the friendlies with an average rating of 7.54. Marcelinho’s first real test will be at the Olympic Stadium against Hamburg, with matches against Frankfurt and Hoffenheim following. Most Hertha fans are cautiously optimistic about the new seasons, despite the match-fixing scandal, poor media prediction, and inexperienced manager, but It remains to be seen whether Hertha can improve on last season’s performance or whether the team will crash and burn and end up being relegated.

Bundesliga News

• Alexandru Maxim and Martin Harnik have left Stuttgart for Tottenham and Newcastle respectively.
• Christopher Moritz has signed for Wolfsburg for a fee believed to be 3.3M pounds
• Eljero Elia refuses to sign new Bremen deal
• Dieumerci Mbokani tempted by VFL Wolfsburg
• Monaco’s 6.25M bid for Vladimir Darida accepted by Wolfsburg
• Hamburg are interested in Salzburg’s Jonathon Soriano, who’s been valued at 2M pounds

Bundesliga Table

August/September Results

2-2

Zoltan Stieber (29)
Cleber (58)
Valentin Stocker (70)
John Heitenga (75)


Marcelinho’s full Bundesliga debut went reasonably well, as underdogs Hertha left the match against Hamburg with a hard earned point. However, the stats suggested Hertha could have taken all three points. Marcelinho started the match with the 4-1-4-1 we had seen in preseason but a disappointing first half in which Zoltan Steiber gave Hamburg a 1-0 lead prompted a tactical switch to a 4-5-1 at the half. Hamburg continued their momentum with a Cleber goal, but Hertha responded just 17 minutes later as Valentin Stocker hit a first time effort from the top of the box that beat the keeper. 5 minutes later, Hertha were level, as a set piece from the top of the box allowed the centerback to get a free header at goal, and the new signing looped the header over the hopeless keeper and into the back of the net.

Marcelinho’s post-match comments

I thought we played very well, especially after we switched to the 4-5-1. It gave our more creative players more space in which to operate, and it played off. I thought Valentin Stocker played very well out wide and he was the one who sparked the comeback. Going by the number of shots we had, I feel we were a bit unlucky not to have taken all three points, but a point against a German powerhouse, albeit a struggling one, is not a bad result to start the season.

5-1

Alexander Meier (28,43)
Vaclav Kadlek (39,56)
Stefan Aigner (68)
Per Cijan Skjelbred (83)


In a truly bizarre game, Frankfurt beat Hertha 5-1 despite having less shots than their opponents and not a single clear cut chance. The opening 25 minutes were all Hertha’s, as the away side created three wonderful opportunities that left Salomon Kalou with easy scoring chances. Instead of Hertha jumping out to an early lead, Kalou missed all three chances, hitting the bar twice and going wide once. A Hertha goal looked inevitable, but instead, it was the home side who capitalized on some defensive confusion. Alexander Meier intercepted a poor clearance at the top of the box and proceeded to crush a finish off the underside of the bar. After that, Frankfurt had a bit more control of the game, and resorted to crossing to Vaclav Kadlek, who ended up scoring 2 superb headers. Alexander Meier had another screamer, and Stefan Aigner capped of the rout despite Hertha forcing Kevin Trapp to deal with 18 shots. In the end, the away side ended up hitting the bar 3 times, much to the dismay of the traveling fans, who believed their team deserved much more than they ended up getting. The only bright side for Hertha was the first goal of the season for Per Cijan Skjelbred, who ended up scoring off a rebound.

Marcelinho’s post-match comments

I was really impressed by our team’s performance out there despite the scoreline, I thought we were really unlucky. Looking at the stats, you can see we held them to 15 shots without a single clear cut chance, but some outstanding individual performances from Frankfurt really overpowered us. Alexander Meier in particular was a thorn in our side. I know some of our supporters will be concerned by the final score but I want to stressed that I’m not worried about the side’s performance and I think the upcoming home match will give us a great chance to prove that we’re here to stay in the Bundesliga.

2-1

Roberto Firmino (65)
Valentin Stocker (81,88)


After a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Frankfurt, Hertha came out in front of their home fans and scored two late goals to secure all three points. A switch to a 4-4-2 diamond didn’t improve the play for Marcelinho’s side, so the switch to the 4-5-1 was once again in order, and once again it played off. When Roberto Firmino wriggled through the Hertha defense to score an absolute beauty, Marcelinho told his side to exploit the flanks, and indeed it was a winger who scored the winning goals. In the 81st minute, Valentin Stocker capitalized on some shoddy defending to tap in a cross at the far post. Just 7 minutes later, Stocker preyed at the back post again to flick on a cross over the head of the charging keeper to win the match. Stocker’s proved a great signing so far, banging in 3 goals in 3 matches.

Marcelinho’s post-match comments

This is an outstanding win, the first of our season, and it shows the spirit of our players and supporters. I know some teams would have given up against a team such as Hoffenheim with 10 minutes left, but we kept fighting and Stocker ended up scoring 2 beautiful goals. In terms of stats, we held our own and finished with similar stats to our opponents. Valentin is looking like a great signing. Some of our supporters had doubts about his ability, but I think his goalscoring record speaks for itself. Our next match against Paderborn will be a great chance at another three points. If we can win that game, we’ll start to gain some momentum and climb up the table.

1-4

Hajime Hosogai ( 31,78)
Salomon Kalou (43)
John Brooks (64)
Mahir Saglik (84)


Recently promoted Paderborn proved no match for Marcelinho’s new look Hertha, as the away side came away with a 4-1 victory. 28 year old Hajime Hosogai emerged as one of the side’s best players when he scored a lovely volley from the penalty spot to give his side an early lead. The pressure from the away side never relented and new signing Soloman Kalou scored his first goal for the club via a cross in the 43rd minute. Young American John Brooks then ended up sealing the victory by tapping in a corner. Jurgen Klinsmann was at the game to watch Brooks, and the young prospect will surely have been delighted that his international manager was there to witness his first goal of the season. Hosogai added to his goal total when he scored a screamer from the top of the box to give Hertha are 4 goal cushion. Mahir Saglik managed to score a consolation goal but that was all it proved to be as Hertha picked up their second win of the season.

Marcelinho’s post match comments

This was an excellent result for us. We came out and dominated from the start, as we had planned, and Paderborn never really got into the game. We held them to just 4 shots, something I believe is very important. Defense wins matches in today’s game, and as much as the fans all like scoring and free-flowing games, defense needs to prioritized if we’re going to stay up. Hasime was superb today, and he really dictated the tempo from the middle of the pitch. He was the best player on the pitch today for sure, and if he can repeat those performances, I see no reason why he can’t be one of our players of the season. Our next game will be a real test, Leverkusen at home. Bayer have been struggling to start the season but they still have some really great players and it will be tough to get a win, but I’m confident in the ability of our side and I really think we can win it.


1-0

Hajime Hosogai (45)
John Heitinga (55)


In the biggest match so far for Hertha, Marcelinho’s men dominated Leverkusen and were unlucky to score just one. No one expected Hertha to get a result, let alone dominate and come away with a gigantic win, the third in a row for the club. The game’s only goal came just before halftime, as in form Hajime Hosagi used outside bend to swerve the ball in at the near post. It was a superb goal for a superb performance, and one Hosagi was clearly delighted with. Hertha won a penalty at the start of the second half, and new signing Johnny Heitinga stepped up to take it. However, Johnny ended up hitting the post and keeping Leverkusen in the game. In the end though, it ended up having no effect on the final result as Hertha kept the clean sheet and the three points. The home side ended up registering 34 shots, the most of the season so far.

Marcelinho’s post match comments

This was our best performance of the season so far without a doubt, we were excellent throughout the match. Defensively, we limited them to just two shots on target and no clear cut chances. On the other side of the ball, we ended up getting off over 30 shots, and even though our finishing was a bit off, it’s a very positive sign to see that we’re getting shots off and creating quality chances. In terms of clear cut chances, we created 3 is a good total to build on. With Schalke struggling, I think we have a really good chance of getting a result away from home, although we can’t count our chickens before they hatch

2-0

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (14)
Joel Matip (66)

After Hertha’s best performance of the season at home to Leverkusen, the momentum was stopped after being held to just 5 shots against struggling Schalke. While Hertha were full of confidence heading into this match, Schalke’s quality on the ball was evident as they passed the ball around Hertha time after time. Klaas Jan Huntelaar got Schalke off to a great start with a brilliant header of Johnny Heitinga, and Hertha went into halftime with just 2 shots. Schalke increased their cushion to two when Joel Matiip scored a volley at the top of the box, and after that, Schalke were never really threatened. With Jens Keller under pressure, Schalke needed a good performance and they delivered in a big way against Hertha, who experimented with the 4-5-1 and 4-4-2 but experiencing success with neither.

Marcelinho’s post match comments

This match was a little deflating, and it shows that we’re not at the level where we can compete with the best just yet. Credit to Jens Keller, he was receiving plenty of flak for a poor start, but his side were brilliant out there, and we couldn’t impose our style on the game. Schalke kept brilliant possession and our attempts to counter with the 4-4-2 were thwarted. That’s a little bit frustrating, but there’s only so much you can do when your opponents play like they did today. Congratulations to them, and hopefully we can rebound against Stuttgart in a week.

2-0

Solomon Kalou (6)
Hajime Hogosai (68)


After the disappointing loss away at Schalke, Hertha faced a difficult task at home to first place Stuttgart. Before the match, Marcelinho suggested that Stuttgart were overachieving, and his side backed up his words with three huge points in a difficult match. While the match stats were pretty even, Solomon Kalou and Hajime Hogosai both scored superb goals to give Hertha 3 more points. Now, at the end of a long September, Hertha are sitting pretty in fifth after playing some of the league’s top sides. Next month, a date with powerhouses Bayern Munich awaits, in a game that promises much for all the neutrals.

Marcelinho’s post match comments

This was a great victory considering Stuttgart’s form. Their side is very average but they were high on confidence and we were able to overcome that and secure three very good points. I think we’ve proven through these first 7 Bundesliga matches that we’re a top half side at least, and victories like this continue to serve as evidence. Some of the pundits though we were going down, and our official prediction was 15th, but we've done excellently to prove all of them wrong and I think if we continue our form, Europe isn’t an unrealistic goal.

Bundesliga/Germany News

• Badstuber disappointed after Germany draw with Scotland
• Liverpool are prepared to bid 9.75M for Pierre Emerick Aubamayang in January
• Marcelinho and Armin Veh argue over Stuttgart’s perceived overachievement
• Jens Keller is on the hot seat after 2-0 loss to Bayern

League Table