The man with his finger in the dike

My first ever visit to a Champions League game was in 2009 for the final of THW Kiel against Ciudad Real.

I still remember my nervousness as the Sparkassen arena came into view. I still remember the smells of the arena, the beer, the bread, the meat and the wonder and awe in which I held the place.

I remember the team so well, the fact that I had never seen handball played at that pace. I remember the roar of the crowd, the swell of emotion and I remember that I was like a little boy lost in the gigantic event. I left that day, not having met anyone.

No one knew who I was and that didn’t bother me one bit.

It’s incredible to think that all these years later, that I know the coach of that day so well. Alfred Gislason has come to be someone very important in my handball life. He is a man I trust and admire. He is someone who is always willing to share information and advice.

I never would have thought in 2009 that I would be where I am today, but neither would I have dreamt that Kiel would be where they are.

This is no village or small town where handball is big. This is a city that has deep foundations. Buffeted by northern winds and a Baltic coastline it has a big sporting history. Its foundations in handball are long and rich and it is a wonder to me how they are in the position they are today.

A great coach needs a great team, just like a great team needs a great coach. The latter part of the statement is true for Paris at the moment; the first part is true for Kiel.

No one can underestimate the knowledge and prowess of Gislason. You don’t stay at a club like Kiel for as long as he has without having something about you, which is why I cannot understand the predicament, in which they find themselves.

There is an old tale about the boy with his finger in the dike. He sees a trickle of water seeping through the barrier and plugs it with his finger. The worry is that the trickle may become a stream, the stream a flood. The analogy is that he is treating the symptom and not the cure.

Gislason must feel like that at present. Injuries to Wiencek and Klein meant replacements. Departures such as Jicha at the last moment meant a replacement.

Those that have been brought in, albeit very good players, cannot be considered greats in the Kiel folklore. Anic, Mamelund, Oprea and an injured Jansen are not going to be players to set the world alight.

Dissinger is improving all the time, but cannot be expected to carry the full weight of expectation. In fact of all the new recruits only Dahmke can be seen as a revelation and as a young player he also shouldn’t be seen as the saviour of the team.

Veszprem travels this weekend and how the shoe is on the other foot. Their policy of transfer, although short-term, is reaping huge rewards. Kiel always did it a different way, at least to my mind.

When they knew that a player would be leaving, they already had his replacement on board so that he could learn “The Kiel Way” without huge pressure.

The fact is that Kiel has been decimated in recent seasons by departures and although the holes were plugged some have not performed as that might have done.

There was always a suspicion that Kiel played a 1v1 type of handball. The belief was that they bought the best players and let them do their thing. I never held to that.

The team I have watched had flair and an élan born out of tactics. I wondered whether or not I was reviewing history through rose-tinted glasses, so I decided to re-watch the Kiel vs Veszprem game from 2013. Kiel destroyed the Hungarians that day, with a verve and speed that was awesome. The final score was +11.

Ilic, Palmarsson, Zeitz, Omeyer, Narcisse, Sigurdsson and Jicha have all moved on from that day. But what stayed with me in my memory and was re-affirmed watching it again was the razzle-dazzle, the speed, the silky skills that the entire team displayed that day.

It’s a far-cry from what we are witnessing now. There are no longer two top-class players in each position and there is a malaise spreading through the team that is causing even the best of players not to fulfil their potential. If we look at the players who have left, we see that their current teams are enjoying great times.

FC Barcelona, Veszprem and PSG are reaping the rewards of top players having played with Kiel.

Kiel still play with speed, but it looks dis-jointed, it looks laboured and they are experiencing a run of results that is most un-Kiel like.

But there is hope. Landin is starting to show some form. Dissinger is getting better with each game. Weinhold also looks to be loosening up as the season progresses. If Canellas can rediscover the form that had him at the top of my charts last season, then the New Year could bring new possibilities.

Their form in the Bundesliga is also good. Although they have played all the top teams, almost, before Christmas they are in a position to strike for that title again.

Although the Kiel ship is unsteady and being buffeted left and right, they have a man at the helm that has steered a clear course from the start of his career. You don’t get to the top and stay there for so long without having something up your sleeve.

This weekend Kiel must start again to rebuild their home record in Europe, which was ended by PSG. The good news is that there is no pressure.

If you had said to me eight seasons ago, that Kiel would not be favourites in their own backyard, I would have laughed you out of the Sparkassen.

Let me be clear. They are not favourites or anything close. Palmarsson is coming to tear down the temple again.

The Kiel boys need to remember the rallying cry:

“Wir Sind Kiel”

Right now they are nothing like that.