Hertha hit the skids

By Manfred Christoph

Hertha BSC Berlin famously took their name from a pleasure boat in the German capital - however, as the only team in the Bundesliga yet to win a game, following Hertha has been anything but plain sailing this season.

Severe crisis
With five points from their eight games so far, the UEFA Cup contenders are 15th in the table and in the midst of their most severe crisis since being promoted back to the German top flight in 1997.

Winning ways
Having drawn 0-0 in the away leg of their UEFA Cup first-round tie against Polish side Groclin Grodzisk Wielkopolski, coach Huub Stevens would love his side to get back to winning ways this week at the Olympiastadion.

High hopes
Confidence in the Dutchman's squad took a major blow with a 4-1 defeat against FC Bayern München in their last league game - all the more so as the club had pledged to battle for a UEFA Champions League place at the start of the season and even challenge to add a third title to the ones they won in 1930 and 1931.

Cool heads
For the moment, the club's top brass are keeping their cool. Stevens, who won the UEFA Cup with FC Schalke 04 in 1997, remains a man of few words - a typical example of his responses to criticism of his side this season has been: "We will carry on going our way."

Persistent questions
Meanwhile, Hertha sporting director Dieter Hoeness, a former German international and brother of Bayern sporting director Uli Hoeness, has fended off questions about Stevens' future as he aims to maintain continuity at the club.

Genuine concerns
However, the calm demeanour of the Stevens and Hoeness cannot mask the genuine concerns over the squad at the Olympiastadion. With Hertha's best striker, Michael Preetz, and the fans' favourite, Eyölfur Sverrisson, both having retired, the club's options are looking increasingly threadbare.

Unfulfilled promise
That situation has not been helped by a number of high-profile signings that proved unsuccessful. Brazilian Alex Alves left in the summer, after a stressful spell in Berlin, and former German international Stefan Beinlich left the club for Hamburger SV under a cloud after seemingly promising so much.

Questionable assets
The men who came into replace those players this summer - German international striker Fredi Bobic, Bayern midfield player Niko Kovac and DSC Arminia Bielefeld's Artur Wichniarek - have yet to settle. Nor, indeed, have the previous summer's big signings, Brazilian international Luizao and Poland midfield player Bartosz Karwan.

On the ropes
Add the fact that a couple of key players have been suffering from major injuries - Marcelinho has a broken foot while Thorbern Marx has a cruciate injury - and it is easy to see why Hertha are on the ropes.

German relief
Indeed, the only relief in the past few weeks for the beleaguered players has come in the form of international football, with Bobic and Arne Friedrich both playing in Rudi Völler's German first team.

’A nice change’
"These days I like to be in the German team," said Bobic, who scored in both of Germany's last two UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifiers. "It is a nice change from the current situation. You always go there as an individual player and not as a club. You can get new confidence."

Choppy waters
Stevens would love Bobic to bring some of that optimism back to the Hertha camp. After all, for the moment it seems that the pleasure cruiser is heading for the rocks.