The first half of the season for TSG Hoffenheim showed some encouraging signs in amidst an undertone of inconsistency. Even their last five games have gone WLWLW, and if that doesn't scream out inconsistency then nothing does.

Nevertheless, the last game before the winter break, a 5-0 victory away at Hertha BSC, was possibly their most encouraging result of the season at the best possible time. The crafty Brazilian Roberto Firmino and young starlet Kevin Volland chipped in with three assists between them in a fantastic team effort that epitomised the attack-oriented style that ‘Achtzehn99’ have become synonymous with.

Ever since the early days under Dieter Hopp, Hoffenheim have been fantastic to look. Fast-flowing, quick football, looking to score all the time, and this is largely due to the works of Hans-Dieter Flick and Ralf Rangnick. In recent years, players such as those mentioned in the title (Volland and Firmino) have carried this image and reputation forward.

But just how have the performances of Volland and Firmino progressed from last season, if at all, to the present?

Starting with the 22-year-old Volland, an 1860 München Academy graduate who was poached by Hoffenheim in January 2011 but remained at 1860 through summer 2012 on a loan agreement. Upon joining Hoffenheim at the beginning of the 2012-13 season, he had netted 20 times in 50 appearances playing on the right side.

Volland netted his first for the club on Matchday 10 of the 2012-13 Bundesliga season, netting an assist as well when Hoffenheim beat Schalke 3-2. He went on to bag 5 more goals in 34 appearances through the season, including a brace against Freiburg on Matchday 20, as well 11 more assists. An impressive debut season for the Kraichgau side in which the youngster demonstrated an array of skill, flair, pace and prowess in his 31 starts and 3 substitute appearances in a hit and miss campaign for his side.

2013-14 was even better for Volland, who bagged 12 times through 37 appearances in both competitions (Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal). He also amassed 9 assists, and secured over 3,200 minutes of first-team action at the RW and CF positions.

Firmino and Volland proved a formidable partnership last season (Kicker.de)

A stocky 5ft10” Volland, has the potential to be considered for the German National side without doubt, if he continues at his current rate of progression. As the statistics show, the Makrtoberdorf-born forward developed more of an end product to his game, and many were shocked that Joachim Löw didn't take a risk by including him in the World Cup squad. Without a recognised centre-forward the decision was even more baffling, but the end result of the tournament (Germany’s 4th WC win) was hard to argue with.

The 14/15 season has so far yielded similar results, with Volland netting 3 times in 16 appearances against Paderborn, Hannover and Eintracht Frankfurt chronologically, as well as five assists. With a market value of £17.6million (according to transfermarkt.co.uk), he will likely attract January interest, and it is imperative Hoffenheim hang on to their starlet to mount a European push.

The second subject of the article is attacking midfielder Firmino, or Roberto Firmino Barbosa de Oliveira by his full name, who signed from Brazil club Figueirense Futebol Clube. At 23 years of age and with a valuation of £22million, Firmino has been nothing short of sensational for the Blau und Weiß, already appearing 188 times for the club in all fixtures, netting on 57 occasions.

An impressive strike-rate for an attacking midfielder, which all began on Matchday 21 of the 2010-11 season when Firmino made the substitutes bench for the first time as a Hoffenheimer. He started three of the last four games that season, and scored in three of the last five, making a quick impression on then manager Marco Pezzaiuoli.

Firmino collected seven goals and four assists through 33 games in 2011-12, and four goals and three assists in 2012-13 (through 35 games). There was no steep rise in his productivity mainly due to the fact his position was constantly changing from LW to RW and back to AM. It is also important to note that from 2011-2013 Hoffenheim went through 6 managers (Rangnick, Pezzaiuoli, Stanislawski, Babbel, Kramer as caretaker and Kurz), which hardly helped any of the players get into a rhythm and likely affected Firmino’s development.

Last season however was completely different as the young Brazilian blossomed from a talent into a well rounded player. Appearing in 37 games and attaining 3,293 minutes of first-team football, Firmino netted 22 times (16 times in the Bundesliga, six in the DFB-Pokal, and notched a cool 16 assists (12 league and four cup) to become the teams offensive catalyst and propel little Hoffenheim to 9th place.

This season so far he isn't quite in line to match the amazing statistics of 2013-14, but with six goals and eight assists in 18 competitive appearances he is still the ever reliable force sitting behind the striker(s) as Volland tears down the right flank.

They are a dynamic duo, and with the right support from Anthony Modeste, Ádám Szalai, Tarik Elyounoussi and company Hoffenheim can keep if not extend their tradition of graceful attacking football. The duo will excite the Hoffenheim fans to see what this young core of a team can bring for years to come - should the Bundesliga club hold on to the two in summer.

Expect bids to fly in and prices to rise, but there is no denying that with Kevin and Roberto, there is potential for successful years ahead in the Rhein-Neckar area.

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