Hamburg coach Thomas Doll has been set a target of nine wins from the remaining 17 Bundesliga games to save his job - and the club from relegation.

Despite experiencing the worst-ever first half to a Bundesliga season in the club's history, Hamburg have decided to retain Doll for now.

However, he is under severe pressure to turn around a torrid campaign.

"It's certainly not too much to ask for nine wins in 17 games," said club chairman Udo Bandow in the Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper.

"With this squad in which there are 16 internationals, that has got to be realistic."

Hamburg are the only club remaining in the Bundesliga to never have been relegated since the league's inception in 1963.

But with just 13 points - and one win - in the opening 17 matches this term, that record could soon be broken.

Bandow admitted: "To be honest, we don't even want to contemplate it because it is so scary."

Doll's side have hardly made the best preparations in 2007 either.

A 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich was followed up by a mere 2-0 success over a local amateur club this week.

On Saturday, Doll's side travel to Arminia Bielefeld in their first Bundesliga fixture of the year.