Analyzing FC St. Pauli’s Bundesliga Performance and Transfer Strategies

The inaugural piece in our series of 18 Bundesliga transfer primers on Get German Football News focuses on one of Germany’s most captivating clubs: FC St. Pauli. This club finds itself in a particularly interesting predicament, having defied the fate that befell them during their previous two promotions to the Bundesliga. Last year, the Kiezkicker successfully avoided relegation after two consecutive seasons in the top flight that lasted just one year.

The question now is whether they can escape the notorious ‘second-year curse.’ Their current situation appears more precarious than anticipated at the start of the season. Statistically, Alexander Blessin’s squad, the ‘Piraten,’ is underperforming compared to this point last year. However, for devoted supporters of this Hanseatic club, there remains an abundance of reasons for optimism.

While their style of play may not always be visually appealing, the results do hold significance.

**Predicted Table Position:** 12th place
**Actual Table Position:** 16th place, 12 points
**Record:** 3 Wins, 3 Draws, 9 Losses
**Goal Difference:** -13

The author acknowledges a possible bias favoring this popular club in the predictions regarding their relegation battle. Observations made after St. Pauli’s promising start to the season indicated that a downturn was likely, yet the extent of a nine-match losing streak was unforeseen. Moreover, the team faced an alarming stretch where they failed to score in seven league fixtures.

With Werder Bremen and Leipzig scheduled before the end of the first half of the season, there is still a possibility for the team to secure four points. Many of the new summer signings have been slow to find their form, but performance improvements have recently been noted. Last season, the team stood at a more favorable 14th place with 14 points and a goal difference of -7 at this junction, yet the current squad appears to be significantly stronger. Additionally, sporting director Andreas Bornemann heads into the January transfer window with a comfortable surplus.

**Estimated Summer Transfer Balance:** +€2.55 million

While there have been moments of defensive vulnerabilities, Japanese midfielder Joel Chima Fujita has emerged as a commendable addition. However, it is unfortunate that Bornemann could not also bring Daisuke Yokota to the club. Fujita has recently redeemed a dip in form by assisting Dutch striker Martijin Kaars’s first two goals for FC St. Pauli, which was crucial as they also needed English winger Ricky Jade Jones to make his mark.

The upgrades in the wingback positions with Louis Oppie and Arkadiusz Pyrka are promising. Oppie has brought some of his ‘Pokal magic’ from his time in Bielefeld, while Pyrka has settled the debate regarding Manolis Saliakas’s starting position. It is essential for Bornemann to remove Saliakas from the roster to eliminate distractions. With USMNT international James Sands back from injury, his consistent presence in midfield serves as a summer transfer success, despite his arrival last January.

Concerns regarding the form of attackers Mathias Pereira Lage and Andreas Hountondji are minimal. The injury that led Hountondji to decline his AFCON call-up could turn out to be a blessing in disguise—of course, this is contingent on whether he and Kaars do not end up sidelined with new injuries during the winter break.

The time may be ripe to consider a return for Johannes Eggestein.

FC St. Pauli’s 29-man roster is in need of some trimming, both in terms of offloading players and reallocating younger prospects. As previously mentioned, Saliakas needs to be moved on. The acquisition of Abdoulie Ceesay has not yielded the anticipated results. Naturally, a team in a relegation battle has more pressing concerns than finding suitable development opportunities for younger players, yet talents like Jannik Robatsch, Nick Schmidt, and Romeo Aigbekaen should either be integrated into the first team or loaned out to gain experience.

**Dead-Weight Ledger:** Jannik Robatsch (CB), Manolis Saliakas (RB), Fin Stevens (RB), Erik Ahlstrand (CM), Nick Schmidt (CM), Marwin Schmitz (CM), Romeo Aigbekaen (LW), Abdoulie Ceesay (CF)

Regarding expiring contracts, efforts are already underway to capitalize on the transfer of notorious English striker Oladapo Afolayan. It is with regret that the author notes the possibility of colorful captain Jackson Irvine departing the team. Despite Blessin’s commendable attempts to incorporate Irvine tactically, he has largely been more of an impediment than an asset in recent matches. Additionally, an unwelcome social media incident may complicate Irvine’s future at the club.

FC St. Pauli, like many smaller clubs, does not typically disclose contract lengths, and their affairs do not attract sensational media attention. Along with Afolayan and Irvine, Estonian defender Karol Mets is the only other player confirmed to possess an expiring contract. There are likely others from the aforementioned ‘Dead Weight Ledger.’ Last year’s primer accurately predicted that certain players, such as Simon Zoller and Andreas Albers, were nearing the end of their deals.

**Expiring Contracts:** Karol Mets (CB), Oladapo Afolayan (RW), Jackson Irvine (CM)

Currently, rumors suggest that Bornemann is preparing to acquire Japanese center-back Tomoya Ando while offloading another central defender, potentially Eric Smith. Although activity has been quiet on the rumor front, similar to last year, a busy January transfer window is anticipated. The club and its brand typically generate millions in transfers during this period, and leveraging this potential remains feasible, even in the context of operating at a deficit. Funds from the recent sale of Philipp Treu remain unspent and will likely be utilized to maintain quality.

**Further Needs:** GK, CB, LM, LW, CF
**Rumored Links:** Tomoya Ando (CB)

— GGFC | Peter Weis.