In the midst of the serious crisis and in the fight for his own job, Pal Dardai made use of the simplest means at Hertha BSC.

"Sometimes it was like kindergarten - so, where do you have to go, what do you have to do?" Said the head coach, describing his team's debate before the fundamentally important 2: 1 at Eintracht Frankfurt, which Dardai should also have secured the post for the time being .

In the video room, which the goalscorer Marco Richter described as “cinema”, the head coach and players laid the foundation for a remarkable comeback that the people of the capital were not necessarily capable of.

Sports director Fredi Bobic also saw the small transformation of the crisis club on his return to Frankfurt with great benevolence and emphasized that he was pleased with the "best performance of the season so far". After enjoying victory and the autumn sun at his old place of work, Bobic demonstratively strengthened the coach from Hungary: "He has total confidence, so he can be completely relaxed."

Dardai let it be known that he was not "checking" the entire debate about himself.

The success of judge and joker Jurgen Ekkelenkamp should prove that the team is not working against the coach.

“Also, in any case,” Richter replied when asked whether the victory was also for the heavily criticized head coach.

Dardai thanked the players after the tactics seminar.

“Thanks to the guys for the tactical discipline.

It's great that we took advantage of these two weeks.

Everyone did well.

We are very happy."

Dardai takes time

For him, the all-important currency this fall is time. Dardai needs time to integrate the many newcomers and to stabilize the nominally well-staffed defense. Both looked decent on Saturday when opponents Frankfurt suffered their first home defeat since June 2020 despite a goal from Goncalo Paciencia. "I'm not a wizard," Dardai said of the difficult process.

Courage gave him "a perfect first half", in which he only criticized the narrow lead. “You should go into the dressing room 3-0 to enjoy it. Out second half, counter, 5: 2, everyone happy, ”the coach fantasized. His players did not rave about high victories or many goals, but were relieved by the liberation. When asked by Sky whether “Big City Football” is possible, defender Niklas Stark replied spontaneously: “Oh, stop me.” Four days after the departure of club boss Carsten Schmidt, the club was initially grateful for a little rest.

Bobic spoke of "a long way" that Hertha still have to go.

The 49-year-old pointed out that as a functionary he acted calmly and did not act rashly.

His time at Eintracht, where not a single coach has been dismissed in five years, covers this thesis.

“At the end of the day, results are important.

But the whole thing is important, because I look at body language, the mood, what is being said and of course then also the results.

And that has to fit in the combination, ”said Bobic.

At least on Saturday, the dissolved Dardai had all the arguments on his side.