MT Melsungen in the criticism: Out of shape

In Melsungen they have got used to ridicule and malice.

"We didn't get off to a good start, to put it nicely," replied Axel Geerken on the phone when asked whether the public criticism of the past few days was justified.

Geerken, board member of MT Melsungen, is in demand again as a crisis manager in northern Hesse: three games in the handball Bundesliga, no win, a decent performance against THW Kiel, but then a bankruptcy against Füchse Berlin - coach Gudmundur had to go on Monday Gudmundsson go. Geerken, 48 years old, says: “Good and bad alternate far too much with us. That is the point that runs through different constellations: We do not manage to achieve consistency. "

For years the club has tried to use the money from the medical supplies company B. Braun to become the top club in German handball.

Geerken denies that higher salaries are paid in Melsungen than in Kiel, Magdeburg or Berlin.

But he maintains an expensive team there that forms the framework of the German national team: Timo Kastening, Julius Kühn, Silvio Heinevetter, Finn Lemke, Kai Häfner.

MT Melsungen has become MT Germany - with the consequence that people take a close look at what is happening there, this has direct consequences for the selection of the German Handball Federation (DHB).

"Never as empty as after the final"

Bob Hanning pointed this out before the Tokyo Olympics. The outgoing DHB Vice President castigated the alleged lack of mentality at MT in June. Money rules there. Players are satisfied too quickly. Geerken says: “We are not so nervous that we have to react to everyone. But then we did it. ”He publicly protested against the negative description of the condition.

But Hanning was not wrong about this; apart from Kastening, the MT national players played under form. Accordingly, the Germans performed at the Olympics. Incidentally, a “somewhat more German character” was wanted at MT from 2017 onwards. At that time Kühn, Reichmann and Lemke came. Further obligations of German players would have just resulted like this: “We don't see ourselves as MT Germany. This attribute is often ascribed to us from outside, ”says Geerken. He has been responsible in Melsungen since 2012.

There are enough examples of the maximum and minimum capabilities of the MT Melsungen. Last season, Häfner almost secured a point with the last throw in Kiel. Two days later in Flensburg the MT 20:36 went under. The worst dissonance under Gudmundsson was the cup tournament in Hamburg at the beginning of June. After the victory in the semifinals against the team from Hanover, TBV Lemgo waited in the final - after a surprising success against the Kielers. MT Melsungen could have covered a lot, almost everything, with a cup triumph against the nominally weaker Lemgoers. But they clearly lost. Geerken says: “I've been a player and manager for a number of years. But I've never been as empty as after the final. We missed a huge opportunity there. Big discussions started.“Of course, the coach's position was weakened after this debacle.

"That was a good phase"

It remains a mystery why a team is so moody when it has leading players like Heinevetter, Häfner, Kastening with them.

Especially the nimble outside does not skimp on criticism.

“It's a false start for me,” Kastening said openly as usual.

One also misses that in Melsungen: that poor athletic performances are actually named.

That goals are set that correspond to the value and ability of the cadre.

After all, fans and professionals have been waiting for the big breakthrough for years.

The fact that the astonished access André Gomes from Porto has not yet been injured has at least given the new coach some leeway.

The new coach is the Swede Robert Hedin. It would also be important for Geerken that the new man hits the ground. In the end it didn't fit either with Heiko Grimm or Gudmundsson: “I'm so reflective to say that I brought Gudmundur and it didn't work,” says Geerken, “I am heavily criticized myself. It focuses a lot on me because I am responsible. And it is also clear to me that we are creating expectations with these players in Northern Hesse that we have not yet lived up to. "

Fourth place in the 2015/16 season was MT Melsungen's best result so far.

At that time the coach was called Michael Roth.

He and Geerken worked at MT for eight years.

Geerken says: “That was a good phase.

We worked our way from the lower midfield to the upper third.

But now we have to take the next step. "

Geerken has no desire to be the scapegoat of German handball.

The new coach, a spirit of optimism, an attitude that is all the more important: "It is important that we present ourselves as a real unit in every game, every training session as a team." a lot about the situation in Melsungen.