Having lost 14 times in 17 rounds and conceded 49 goals, 11 points less than the penultimate team, Fürth not only broke the Bundesliga record for the worst start, but also became the team with the fewest points in the five major leagues. In other words, they became the worst performing team in the five leagues.
The worst team in the five major leagues
As a Bundesliga promotion horse, Fürth won the Bundesliga three times between 1914 and 1930. In the 2012-13 season, Fürth was promoted to the Bundesliga, but in this season, Fürth finally scored only 21 points, finishing at the bottom of the table and ending the Bundesliga year.
After 8 years, Fürth is back in the Bundesliga again. This time, however, they performed the same way, scoring just five points after 17 rounds, not only at the bottom of the Bundesliga, but even in the top five leagues.
The failure to win the first 14 Bundesliga games allowed them to set the worst start in Bundesliga history. After a 1–0 win over the Berlin League in the 15th round, Fürth lost to Borussia Dortmund and exchanged blanks with Augsburg.
In bundesliga history, Fürth's first half was only higher than that of Union Berlin in 1965-66, when Union Berlin won 1 win, drew 1 and lost 15. In addition, 49 goals conceded in the first half, leaving Fürth only higher in Bundesliga history than Düsseldorf in 1986-87 (52 goals).
Nicknamed "Clover", Fürth did not get luck. Fürth's results were so bad that their manager asked the fans not to feel sorry for them, and some media commented, "The next goal: applause rather than pity." ”
Even rival fans will "pity" this promotion horse. Scored 4 goals by Leipzig and Borussia Moncheng, 5 by Borussia Dortmund, 6 by Hoffenheim and 7 by Bayer Leverkusen, Fürth's poor performance, even the opposing fans are reluctant to cheer for the team's goal.
New signings in the doldrums? Tactically aggressive?
After losing 7-1 to Bayer Leverkusen in early December, Fürth's morale was at its lowest and the team's strength was questioned. Why is Fürth so sluggish? Poor reinforcements and the manager's emphasis on offensive tactics may be important reasons.
After promotion to the Bundesliga, Fürth signed several new signings in the summer, including former Dutch internationals Willians and Phil Heffel, as well as German midfielders Griesbeck, Christiansen and Dujachik.
However, Phil Heffer, Duachik and Gliesbeck are only worth £1.1 million combined, while Williams, Christiansen and Zoefier are all free to join. Instead, they lost Germany internationals Raume and Stach.
Christiansen, from third-tier side Mannheim, now plays the centrepiece of Fürth's midfield. Similarly, Williams, who did not get a chance to play in Frankfurt, became Fürth's main left-back.
In addition to poor reinforcements, Letle's tactics have also been questioned. Some insiders believe that Fürth should give up unrealistic offensive football and should first do a good job of defending.
Kickers states that "if Letle's team wants to attack bravely, then they are equivalent to inviting their opponents to score." However, if they focus on defense, then they can't score goals. For Letel, it was a dilemma. ”
However, Leterh doesn't agree with the view that "no one expected us to be so far behind in the standings." Still, we have to keep attacking, that's the DNA of the team. ”
Christmas without the heart to celebrate
Fürth's performance improved before Christmas, and after the victory over Union Berlin, Fürth won his first win of the season before exchanging white papers with Augsburg. In the 2012-13 season, Fürth had never won in 17 Bundesliga home games, only 4 draws and 13 defeats, and defeated Union Berlin, and Fürth finally ended the curse of 23 Bundesliga home games.
However, they are more than 15 points behind Augsburg in the relegation zone, and the media has widely believed that Fürth has locked up a relegation place in advance. However, Fürth did not give up. In order to better prepare for the second half, Fürth shortened the Christmas holiday and asked the players to resume training on December 27.
Fürth sporting director Azoz said, "We owe ourselves and all the fans a beautiful second half. I hope we will be in better shape when the time comes. ”
Despite scoring only five points in the first half, Fürth did not lose his self-confidence. However, to be miraculously relegated, they need to quickly improve the performance of the team.