New Hamburger SV boss Martin Jol has insisted that the club are big enough to get over the loss of Rafael van der Vaart, though within the same breath he admitted that they may have to adjust their targets for the season downwards because of his departure.
The prodigious Dutch playmaker officially signed for Real Madrid on a €9m deal earlier this week, leaving a gaping hole at HSV which Jol admits will be extremely hard to fill.
"Without van der Vaart half of our productivity is gone," the ex Spurs boss grudgingly admitted in an interview with Kicker magazine.
"He was involved in 60% of the goals last year, and his offensive numbers and his goals per chance ratio was almost better than the strikers.
"Nevertheless, we will do everything to reach our goals," he added, though before that he had suggested that they could very well miss out on a spot in Europe as a result of their star player's departure.
Jol went on to insist that he will gamble on unknown quantities in their search for a replacement for van der Vaart.
"I need the finished article," he stressed. "Anything less would be a joke."
The Dutch coach will be thrown right into the deep end, as they will take on defending champions Bayern Munich to start the season on August 15.
The prodigious Dutch playmaker officially signed for Real Madrid on a €9m deal earlier this week, leaving a gaping hole at HSV which Jol admits will be extremely hard to fill.
"Without van der Vaart half of our productivity is gone," the ex Spurs boss grudgingly admitted in an interview with Kicker magazine.
"He was involved in 60% of the goals last year, and his offensive numbers and his goals per chance ratio was almost better than the strikers.
"Nevertheless, we will do everything to reach our goals," he added, though before that he had suggested that they could very well miss out on a spot in Europe as a result of their star player's departure.
Jol went on to insist that he will gamble on unknown quantities in their search for a replacement for van der Vaart.
"I need the finished article," he stressed. "Anything less would be a joke."
The Dutch coach will be thrown right into the deep end, as they will take on defending champions Bayern Munich to start the season on August 15.
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