Hoeneß blames Stuttgart complacency after Gladbach defeat

Hoeneß blames complacency as Stuttgart fall to Gladbach

VfB Stuttgart head coach Sebastian Hoeneß has suggested that complacency contributed to his team's disappointing 2-3 home defeat against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday evening. The 44-year-old believes his players became too comfortable after dominating the opening stages against the Bundesliga's previously pointless bottom club.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Hoeneß acknowledged that Gladbach fully deserved their first victory of the season. He highlighted the visitors' superior physical commitment, noting that Alexander Blessin's team covered approximately 128 kilometres over the course of the match.

"They developed a siege mentality," Hoeneß said of Gladbach. "The statistics show it as well. They covered 128 kilometers, significantly more than us, even though we didn't exactly cover a small distance ourselves."

How the match unfolded

Stuttgart appeared well positioned to secure a much-needed Bundesliga victory when Ermedin Demirovic opened the scoring in the fifth minute. The hosts went on to create several chances to extend their advantage but failed to capitalise before Joe Scally equalised in the 38th minute.

Shuto Machino and Wael Mohya then completed Gladbach's turnaround after the interval. Demirovic's second goal in the 83rd minute proved insufficient to prevent Stuttgart suffering their fifth Bundesliga defeat in seven matches.

Too sure of themselves

Asked whether his team's collapse reflected an underlying attitude problem, Hoeneß conceded that Stuttgart may have become too certain of victory as the first half progressed.

"I think there are matches in which you become too sure that everything is going your way," Hoeneß told reporters. "And I think you would probably confirm that if you watched the match. You were probably thinking about how lopsided the score would become."

The coach acknowledged that Gladbach's poor start to the season and considerable injury problems had created expectations of a comfortable home win.

"Probably everyone came to the stadium today wondering: 'How badly are we going to thrash them?' And the team, as the opening stages showed, wasn't thinking that way. But perhaps after 25 or 30 minutes, they were."

Hoeneß emphasised that Stuttgart initially showed the necessary aggression and intensity, but became increasingly careless in possession after failing to extend their lead.

Rejecting the Champions League fatigue excuse

Hoeneß was also asked whether Stuttgart's midweek 1-1 Champions League draw against Atlético Madrid had contributed to the defeat. He rejected the suggestion that physical freshness was the decisive factor.

"We made six changes. Freshness shouldn't have been an issue today," Hoeneß said. "It's more about the course of the match. It's more of a mental issue. Being a little too sure of yourself, not keeping the opponent down, but allowing them to get back up."

A warning sign

The defeat leaves Stuttgart with six points from their opening seven Bundesliga fixtures, despite collecting seven points from three Champions League matches. For Hoeneß, the result must serve as a warning that promising spells of football and strong European performances will count for little unless Stuttgart regain the consistency and determination needed to win domestic matches.