Even the greatest whitewasher can't say that Eintracht Frankfurt got off to a good start in the new football year.

Even Oliver Glasner does not presume to make this claim.

But the Austrian football teacher finds positive aspects in the retrospective of the first five Bundesliga games of the year 2022.

"We often play better between the penalty areas than in the fall, when we were made a candidate for the German championship by some," said Glasner on Thursday.

Peter Hess

sports editor.

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In his opinion, the meager record of one win, one draw and three defeats is mainly due to the lack of efficiency in the penalty area.

"Where the game is decided, we are not good enough," he emphasizes.

The video analysis showed that it was not due to the occupation of the penalty area that it did not become a goal threat against VfL Wolfsburg.

"We had four or five players in the Wolfsburg penalty area with a lot of running effort, but it was always because of something else that it didn't work out." Sometimes the last pass didn't arrive, sometimes the strikers didn't really free themselves, you never did well enough to perhaps force the opponent to score an own goal.

How to turn that off?

"It's not easy, there's no switch for that.

We just have to shift up a gear in the penalty area,

to somehow push the ball over the line.

It doesn't have to be a goal of the month," says Glasner.

On Saturday his team has the opportunity to do better.

However, the kick-off time does not exactly speak for a success at 1. FC Köln.

Eintracht was not able to win any of their last 15 Bundesliga games at 6.30 p.m. (in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on Sky).

And the people of Cologne are also in good shape.

"There will be full-throttle football from the first minute," expects Glasner.

The Austrian praises the work of his colleague Steffen Baumgart.

A clear coach handwriting can be seen.

And the team's style of play corresponds to the character of the coach: "They play incredibly brave, press very high, always try to play from behind.

This sometimes falls on their heads when the opponent uses turnovers.

I hope we can do it too.” There is one thing he really admires Baumgart for,

Glasner admitted: "He's standing on the sidelines in minus five degrees in a short-sleeved shirt while I have four layers on and I'm still freezing.

Steffen seems to have a lot of energy from within.”

Hinteregger or Hasebe?

The Eintracht coach gave clear indications on Thursday as to which staff should be used to kidnap three points from Cologne.

Strikers Ragnar Ache and Goncalo Paçiência are out, Filip Kostic will be in the starting XI, Sebastian Rode and Makoto Hasebe are available but not necessarily first choice at the moment.

Rode's knee problems have subsided, but after the training loads the muscles around the knee pinch.

"That is normal.

But should I chase him into a muscle injury when we have fit players in central midfield who are in good shape?” asks Glasner.

Especially since there are still many important games to come in the coming weeks.

Hasebe is not completely free of symptoms either, he still feels slight pain with some movements.

"I'm still considering whether it makes sense to bring Makoto, especially against Cologne, who by far have the most crosses in the penalty area and who have a large and strong header in Modeste in the centre.

If you feel a pain in your chest with every little bump, then that's not good, then you might pull back."

From a purely physical point of view, Martin Hinteregger would suit Modeste better than Hasebe.

But the Austrian cannot hold a candle to the Japanese in opening the game and recently also failed in his core competence - defending man against man.

He made two clumsiness against Wolfsburg, which led to the two goals conceded in the 0-2 defeat.

Glasner still sees his compatriot on the road to recovery.

“I find Martin much more committed in training than at the beginning.

He's struggling to get back to his best.

That is the prerequisite for him to succeed.” There were already signs of progress against Wolfsburg.

“He actually dominated his opponent Wind the whole game.

But of course he looked unhappy in the two situations that led to the goals conceded.”

Nevertheless, he has no qualms about mobilizing Hinteregger against Modeste.

“Martin is sensitive, introverted and is very concerned about what is happening to him and around him.

He is dissatisfied with himself and his performance, precisely because he is particularly rooted in Eintracht.

But he shows the right reaction on the training ground.

He gets my total support.”