Despite Hertha Berlin's shocking form, the future of coach Friedhelm Funkel and general manager Michael Preetz is not up for discussion.

Berlin went down 3-1 at home to Funkel's former side Eintracht Frankfurt yesterday to make it 13 Bundesliga games without a win - leaving the side seven points adrift of safety at the bottom of the Bundesliga and without a win since the opening day of the season.

Yet president Werner Gegenbauer, who is preparing for a turbulent annual general meeting on Monday night, is not going to panic just yet.

"Friedhelm Funkel and Michael Preetz will provide the answers," he said. "I am confident that we will do it.

"The first half of the season is not yet over and there is absolutely no discussion as far as I am concerned."

Nevertheless, Gegenbauer admitted a glance at the league table made for particularly painful reading at present.

"I am more concerned about our league position than I am about the critical questions we will receive at the AGM on Monday," he added.

Coach Funkel tried to fool his former club, who he had coached for five years up to last summer, with a tactical revolution which saw him name four attacking players in his starting XI.

However, the move backfired as Frankfurt dominated from the outset and could have led by more than just the one goal at the interval. Even the 3-1 final scoreline failed to do justice to their domination, although Berlin's players were not looking for any excuses at the end.

"What can I say, we are just that bad," admitted goalkeeper Jaroslav Drobny.

Funkel added: "We were not able to do what we had talked about in the build-up to the game.

"But when you are lying on the ground, you have got to get up again and that is what we will do."

Frankfurt dispelled any relegation fears with the three points, enabling them to prepare for the local derby with Mainz next weekend in a better, more confident frame of mind.

"I am very satisfied with my team's performance," said their coach Michael Skibbe.

"We have been able to move away slightly from our rivals with this win and now we want to build on it in our next game against Mainz."