Borussia Mönchengladbach, VfL Wolfsburg and Werder Bremen are in free fall in the Bundesliga. All three of them have already changed coaches. This raises the question of an unpopular topic.
The mentality question is a much-discussed topic in the Bundesliga. Players don’t like to hear them because they are denied the basic qualities needed to win football games – namely resilience, discipline, willingness, willpower, determination.
Daniel Bauer, head coach of VfL Wolfsburg, asked the famous mentality question again last weekend – and very mercilessly. His team had just lost 2-3 against FC Augsburg. The “Wolves” were still leading until the 87th minute. They are therefore still in 15th place in the table, just one point ahead of a relegation zone.
Farmers Oath of disclosure: “Like one student team”
“We sometimes behave like a team of students”said farmer: “We simply lack the necessary punch, the aggressiveness and simply meters. What happened at the back is difficult to accept.” The 43-year-old criticized the lack of toughness in duels and the ability to “To play a foul at the right moment. We are too naive and don’t learn from it. If we don’t learn quickly, we won’t stay in the league.” More oath of disclosure is not possible.
Polanski calls for “dirty victory”
Mönchengladbach’s sports director Rouven Schröder chose his words more carefully, the topic was the same. “Playing along and not scoring is the worst possible thing”he said after the 2-1 defeat at SC Freiburg, denying his team any absolute will to win. She was actually quite harmless in Breisgau. The “Foals” are 15th in the table and the lead over the relegation places is shrinking week and week. “In the meantime I would also take a dirty victory”said coach Eugen Polanski.
After the 1-2 defeat in the basement duel at FC St. Pauli, the Werder Bremen players were asked not to show themselves in front of their own fans. A precautionary measure that reveals profound things. The supporters of the Green-Whites probably also saw too little mentality. Bremen slipped to 17th place due to bankruptcy.
Danger probably recognized too late
You get the impression that people in Wolfsburg, Mönchengladbach and Bremen recognized the seriousness of the situation too late. It is repeatedly claimed that the squad is too strong to be relegated. But teams with poorer personnel bring different things to the pitch.
Wolfsburg’s coach Bauer named Mainz 05 and Hamburger SV as positive examples. The two teams, which were also at risk of relegation, recently drew 1-1 after an intense game. “The two of them showed what relegation battles can look like and, above all, what relegation battles should look like.”said the coach. FC Augsburg also accepted the relegation battle early on and is now in tenth place.
The long wait for that Liberation strike
The trio of worries have something in common. The coach has already changed in each case. And since then – it seems – everyone has been waiting for the liberation, which has to come at some point and after which everything will be fine again. Or not. The fact is: Wolfsburg has been waiting for a win in six games, Gladbach for seven and Bremen for 13.
Managing Director have failed
However, you can feel sorry for the new coaches. The Wolfsburg squad, put together with a lot of money by managing director Peter Christiansen, was supposed to play for a place in the European Cup. Now the question arises as to whether he is even suitable for the Bundesliga. There is a surplus of central midfielders. In Gladbach, the expensive transfer flops Gio Reyna and Shuto Machino sit on the bench when they are not injured. Schröder’s predecessor Roland Virkus was responsible for this. In Bremen, managing director Clemens Fritz’s transfer record is also considered disastrous. Of the 22 newcomers, hardly any are in the starting line-up.
Bremen doomed to win in the basement duel against Heidenheim
Werder awaits bottom-placed 1. FC Heidenheim on Saturday. A win is mandatory. This also applies to Gladbach, Borussia have to play against Union Berlin. Wolfsburg is an outsider at VfB Stuttgart. But perhaps Bauer’s speech had an impact on the minds of his players.
