Hoeneß praises debutant Richards: "Very neat and tidy with the ball"
Another lopsided defeat for Hoffenheim means only relegation-candidates FC Schalke 04 and FSV Mainz 05 have conceded more league goals than the Kraichgauer.
Bouyed by a reunion with one of his FC Bayern II protégées, trainer Sebastian Hoeneß expressed the hope that a turnaround in the squad's defensive play may be near.
Thirty-seven league goals conceded through twenty rounds can hardly be labelled acceptable in Germany's top flight. The Sinsheimers of Baden-Württemberg can, of course, point to the many injuries in their defensive corps.
Bouyed by a reunion with one of his FC Bayern II protégées, trainer Sebastian Hoeneß expressed the hope that a turnaround in the squad's defensive play may be near.
Benjamin Hübner, Ermin Bicakcic, Kevin Akpoguma, and Havard Nordveit have all missed significant time this season. Additionally, Kasim Adams has run into a very poor stretch of form.
In light of all of this, trainer Sebastian Hoeneß jumped at a chance to acquire one of his former Bayern reserve stars on loan during the January transfer window.
US International Chris Richards found himself immediately inserted into the starting XI for Sunday's encounter. While his performance was by no means outstanding, his coach declared himself satisfied with his work in a back-three alongside Kevin Vogt and Stefan Posch.
"It was a pressure situation for the lad," Hoeneß told reporters after the match, "he defended well and was very neat and tidy with the ball."
The assessment would seem to suggest that Richards would once again be deployed as a regular in the lineup. The Kraichgauer face a tough slate of upcoming fixtures in the league and must also deal with the demanding schedule of the Europa League Knockouts.