After his first home game in mid-September against Heidenheim (2-1), Fabio Vieira received ovations from all sides. Since then, the HSV playmaker has been sent off twice and recently disappointed in terms of intensity during his comeback in Augsburg (0-1) – and is now under close observation.
Whether Merlin Polzin deliberately chose the subjunctive when assessing the 25-year-old Portuguese player last week remains the Hamburg coach’s secret. “Fabio Vieira can make the difference for us,” he said. In fact, the subjunctive is appropriate so far, as one assist in the league and one in the cup are not enough – especially since the number of his red cards is the same as his scoring points.
In Augsburg, Polzin had fielded the player on loan from Arsenal on the right wing. This is obviously not the Portuguese player’s ideal position and was due to the desire to have him and Albert Sambi Lokonga, the two best players in the squad, on the pitch at the same time. Looking back, the coach says: “Of course, you can’t always get everything right.” He also explains: “Of course, we can also use a player like Fabio in a different way, for example further up the center, so that he has a little more control to shape our game.”
But Polzin also makes two things clear to his artist. It’s about the interpretation of the role and intensity. “The right wing position,” says the 35-year-old, “is very variable for us and allows a lot of freedom.” While Jean-Luc Dompé is a classic winger on the left, Rayan Philippe also often moves into the center from the right, and Emir Sahiti has interpreted this role in the same way on the first two match days. Polzin therefore says: “This position suits Fabio’s strengths. We were convinced that he could also pose a threat from a higher position.“
”I expect certain things from the boys that must always be there“
Regardless of his positioning, he also wants to see the highly talented player demonstrate basic virtues. ”I expect certain things from the boys that must always be there.” Polzin does not explicitly mention Fabio Vieira’s name in this context, but it is clear that Vieira must feel addressed after his half-hearted performance in Augsburg and the coach’s subsequent words. “It’s about being intense, running through. And it’s about trying to change something when you realize you’re not winning the first tackle.”
Fabio Vieira did not show any willingness to change things last weekend. Consequently, it is to be expected that Polzin will make some changes. This could mean that the playmaker will move back into the center and Sambi Lokonga will have to make way for him. But it could also mean that Fabio Vieira ends up on the bench. One thing is clear: he has to impose himself. Because after his celebrated start in Hamburg, too little has come of it recently. Completely detached from the fact that both the red card in Berlin and the yellow-red card in Cologne were not without controversy.
