Just one month ago, Ross Dunbar and Paul Borthwick debated Hamburg’s season. Neither of the men expected it to continue as poorly as it had started; but now, they are back to decide upon who should be the new HSV manager. Michael Oenning was relieved of his duties by Frank Arnesen and the hunt is now on for a new man in charge…

Ross Dunbar: Well then, eight games into the new Bundesliga season and Hamburg SV are bottom of the table on four points. It was very interesting to look back on our previous debate about whether HSV were certain to go down. I still stand by what I said then which was that they have enough quality, especially in attack, to see them through this campaign.

Paul Borthwick: I’ll be honest – I didn’t think it would get so bad so soon and counted on Michael Oenning hanging onto the manager’s job a bit longer for my prediction to come true and for them to be in serious relegation trouble. Augsburg now look near certain to go down so the task looks a bit easier than before. You have to think we’ve seen the worst of Hamburg already yet they’re still within easy reach of mid table safety – three points from safety, nine points from mid-table. Hardly Mission Impossible – if they make the right appointment.

RD: Things certainly looked up last Friday evening when Jeffrey Bruma and Robert Tesche turned the game around and gave Hamburg their first victory of the season. To some extent, it also looked as though caretaker coach Rodolfo Cardoso was putting his name in the frame for the job. But on Sunday, it looked as though it was one step forward, then two steps back with another defeat at the hands of Schalke. It was the same old in terms of individual mistakes but there is certainly something about HSV under Cardoso – or without Oenning – which makes you think they’ve got a chance of winning games.

PB: So I take it you’re endorsing Cardoso? Sometimes it’s not so much the new coach as the removal of the old coach that can temporarily lift spirits and see an upturn in results. Oenning was over cautious with a young squad. It was a terrible match from the start. Whereas sporting director Frank Arnesen erred in not realising that he was a poor fit before the season – he at least deserves credit for admitting his mistake before it got too late.

RD: This is a big week for Frank Arnesen because it’s now almost two weeks since Michael Oenning was sacked and HSV are still without a permanent manager. So does Cardoso get the benefit of the doubt until the end of the first half of the season? I think he might.

PB: No chance. He doesn’t have his coaching license. HSV have come out and said they want a new coach before the next Bundesliga game. The hunt is on right now.

RD: Arnesen hasn’t said he’ll have a new man, just that someone with the right license will be on the bench. Cardoso can stay in charge till tomorrow without a license. In the meantime assistant Frank Heinemann has it, so does Arnesen himself.

PB: Now that would be good – give Arnesen the manager’s job then the ‘experiment’ will truly thrive or fail in his hands. Wouldn’t be the worst move – that way you don’t have Arnesen working his way through a succession of bad managerial appointments and are all along stuck with the wrong man at the very top. I don’t endorse this but don’t hate it either – Arnesen’s Chelsea shopping spree reeked of a man trying to prove himself not a failure – if he could turn HSV’s fortunes around from the dugout he’d be a roaring success. Does he have the balls to do this though?

RD: In a word – no. I just can’t see him taking the risk, it’s going to be an outside hire. They lost out on Huub Stevens who went to Gelsenkirchen and others such as Michael Laudrup, Louis Van Gaal, Marco Van Basten and Ricardo Moniz have been linked with the position. Arnesen has stated on many occasions that there is a set criteria for the new coach – A German speaker, someone with a knowledge of the Bundesliga and comfortable with working to the new Arnesen/Hamburg policy.

PB: No man is more comfortable with the Arnesen policy than Arnesen himself. Still no? I’ll give up on that one then. I do think they really wanted Huub. Did you know his name is Hubertus Jozef Margaretha Stevens? That’s a man who should be called Maggie by his pals. Best football middle name since Miroslav Marian Klose. Or Hristo Stoichkov Stoichkov. Anyway – I think they wanted him but he went to the better, easier gig. Huub admittedly has more history at Schalke but if you look at their current squads I can see why he chose the Pokal winning, Champions league semi-finalists with two genuinely world class strikers and numerous National Mannschaft squad members over a hurriedly assembled, inexperienced relegation threatened fallen giant. So who do you think they’re going after?

RD: It hasn’t looked good for Hamburg. A bit of a PR disaster in all honesty when you’ve lost your number one target to another Bundesliga club. It seems to me as though HSV are making this up as they go along. Do they actually have a candidate in mind? Who knows. Laudrup won’t get it because he can’t speak German. Van Gaal would be ideal but he may require a hefty wage.

PB: Whoever the new man is he’s just not got enough to work with. Post Oenning the squad looks somewhat revitalised but there’s still a distinct lack of leaders and difference makers who can take over a game. Hamburg are a big club; they have to be aiming higher. The success of Dortmund has falsely swayed their thinking towards youth and frugality in my opinion – they need genuine ready-made stars, and unless I’ve missed something they can afford some. The emergence of Zhi Gin Lam and Gokhan Tore in midfield does hint at a brighter future but they need recognised names in my opinion – starting with the manager. The Dutchmen and the Dane are all decent shouts but I think only LVG really fits the criteria. Well – the first two. I could see a motivated, if slightly delusional, Van Gaal setting his sights on Bayern the day he takes the job and not even mentioning relegation. Crazy, but there is nothing wrong with wild ambition in my book. I think it’s Van Gaal’s job to turn down.

RD: If Van Gaal has actually been offered the job, then yeah, I would agree. He would be a fantastic appointment. As you say though, there are major question marks over the players at Hamburg but I do believe there is some excellent talent at the club, especially in attacking positions. The front four should pick itself – Tore, Son, Lam, Petric. Can Van Gaal do enough on the training field to sort out the defence? Not sure.

PB: Could an ex-player be the answer – Markus Babbel has done a good job at Hertha, Hamburg seems like a logical step up? Or another young German manager – Thomas Tuchel of Mainz? Holger Stanislawski at Hoffenheim? That one would get right up the noses of St Pauli, not sure he’d make that move though. Stealing another Bundesliga club’s manager isn’t usual form though – don’t they just agree mid season and leave them where they are till the summer? One final thought, and I’m only about 10% serious but – Kevin Keegan?

RD: Kevin Keegan has ruled himself out. Funny you mention the ex-player as, apparently, Sergej Barbarez has put himself forward. I think Thomas Tuchel would be a terrific appointment for Hamburg. He seems to tick all the boxes doesn’t he? The problem, I guess, will be the compensation to Mainz. To be fair, Tuchel can hardly do much more with them and he’ll be lucky to keep them up after losing Holtby and Schurrle in the summer.

PB: I can’t believe Keegan even had to rule himself out, surely he wasn’t seriously considered. Right, you’re the HSV fan – who’s it going to be? I’m sticking with Van Gaal. Unless there’s an obvious Chelsea related choice I’m missing that Arnesen is dying to appoint?

RD: Hmmm. Gut feeling? I don’t think it will be Van Gaal or Moniz. It will probably be someone fairly random.

PB: Arnesen giving the job to himself it is then. Not sure it would get more random than that.