Friedrich Feels Hertha Could Go Either Way

The capital club surprised most pundits by enjoying a highly impressive opening half to the season.  More used to mid table mediocrity, the 'Old Lady' under Swiss trainer Lucien Favre have built their success on a solid back line that is the third meanest in the league and occupy the third Champions League berth as a result.

Friedrich has attributed this to the group dynamics and tactical astuteness that coach Lucien Favre instilled as well as everyone's willingness to step up to the plate.

"We have a very good team spirit, we've been well disciplined on the pitch and we're working hard on tactics. All-in-all we've been very compact and we've edged a lot of tight games. That's helped define us so far," the German international told the Bundesliga's official website.

Friedrich agreed wholeheartedly when the interviewer pointed out that the team became less reliant on the goals of Marko Pantelic as the season progressed.

"A team can't afford to depend on any single player," he elaborated. "Our midfielders above all have been getting among the goals this season. Alongside Marko up front we're very well stocked, with Valeri Domovchiyski, Amine Chermiti, Raffael and the experienced Andrei Voronin. It was a different story a year or two ago.

"So far this season we've been on a constant upward curve," added Friedrich, who recently put pen to paper on a new deal. "But there will certainly be a few setbacks ahead. We've got 33 points already and nobody can take them away from us. We've certainly exceeded general expectations. So in that sense we're relaxed about the rest of the season. If we can take another 33 points, we'll still be right in the mix at the top. But if our form drops off we'll find it a struggle to qualify for the UEFA Cup."

Derek Wanner, Goal.com