Bochum head coach commits to Timo Horn despite error, praises Jakov Medic’s successful comeback | OneFootball

An shocking goalkeeping error from VfL Bochum’s Timo Horn yesterday will not lead to a change in net. Bochum head coach Dieter Hecking made this as clear as possible at Saturday’s post match press conference. Patrick Drewes will not displace the long-time Köln backstop.

“There is no discussion about it,” Hecking told reporters. “Timo is not our 1B. He remains the number 1.“

It was Hecking himself who opted for Horn to stand in goal after a long Bundesliga hiatus, then quickly committed to making him one of his pet projects. Like everyone else at the Revierklub yesterday, Hecking found himself frustrated with the team’s narrow loss to Hoffenheim.

The veteran gaffer tasked with rescuing the relegation threatened club nevertheless found positives to single out. After acknowledging that winter signings Tom Krauß and Georgios Masouras could have had a better day up front, Hecking praised Ajax loanee Jakov Medic for filling in on short notice.

Erhan Masovic (illness) and Ivan Ordets (hip problems) found themselves unable to go. The Croatian thus had to step in and anchor the back-three for the first time since a nightmarish outing against Borussia Mönchengladbach on matchday 19.

Per Hecking, the 26-year-old did well in his first meaningful minutes in five weeks. Hecking had relegated Medic to the bench. He remained unused on the bank in the last three Bundesliga fixtures.

“Problems [in the final third] were naturally a question of quality,” Hecking said. “[Medic] did his job very well.“

GGFN | Peter Weis