'There has to be a reaction'

"The players were very self-critical after the defeat. We know we didn't play well. We've analysed the game, identified the mistakes and worked on what we need to do better next time. There has to be a reaction! But those are just words – we have to perform on the pitch tomorrow," said the head coach.

'Angry and disappointed'

After the match at FC Köln and ahead of the encounter with the Old Lady, the dismissals of Aleksandar Dragovic (two yellows) and Leon Bailey (a straight red) were the subject of much discussion amongst the players: "It was just daft of us – above all that Leon has been sent off twice within such a short space of time. Anybody who knows him will also know he's normally not like that. He’s not the type to just hit an opponent," said Bosz about the 22-year-old who has been suspended for three league games and also fined €20,000. "We were angry and disappointed," Bosz made clear, "he has to learn from his mistakes. With the benefit of hindsight, we have to help the player." Dragovic and Bailey are both unavailable for the game against Hertha as are the injured Mitchell Weiser and Joel Pohjanpalo.

'We can't afford to let our heads drop'

The approach to the final home game of the year is clear: "We want to take all three points at home to Hertha. We can't afford to let our heads drop because of a bad game at FC Köln. We've played some good football in the first half of the season and, at times, won points where others might not have expected it. On the other hand, there were also games I wasn't happy with where we should have won. I'm not completely satisfied," said the Dutchman an assessment of the season to date. That makes it even more important to end the year with two wins.

And the Werkself are looking to start with a victory against the club from the capital tomorrow. How Hertha will line-up at the BayArena under new coach Jürgen Klinsmann, who won the World Cup in 1990 along with Rudi Völler, is not yet clear to the Werkself coach. "A new coach often works on the system or rotates a lot. Klinsmann has tried different things." Therefore, it's particularly important to focus on our own game. In the second packed week of fixtures in succession, it will be important to manage the work rate. "The second day after a game is hardest for the players. In our experience, it's much better 24 hours later. We'll be able to give our all tomorrow."