Mainz 05 actually have little reason to be happy. And yet the new coach Bo Henriksen tries to convey that the fun of football doesn’t have to be lost even in the relegation battle. Quite the opposite.
It’s hard to escape Bo Henriksen’s positive aura. The Dane is bursting with energy that he wants to transfer to his counterpart. With him as coach, we have to succeed in staying in the league; there is no alternative. And the result of his mental coaching is already visible. The Mainz team was recently able to stand up to this season’s superior team. The 1:2 against Bayer Leverkusen was a bit unfortunate due to goalkeeper Robin Zentner’s mistake, a draw would have been quite possible and would have felt like a victory.
Bo Henriksen: We are an unpleasant opponent
Nevertheless, the realization remains that the team was capable of improving performance. “We just have to play our game. If we do that, then we are a difficult opponent for everyone. We can be annoying, we can put a lot of pressure on and are very dynamic. Everyone could see that recently and I hope our own players too We know that. And then at some point we will get the results we need,” says Henriksen and adds: “Sometimes it takes a little longer, but sometimes it happens quickly. I hope that we win on Saturday. And then it goes “It just keeps going. At the moment we’re primarily focused on the relegation place, that’s the next goal.”
Relegation place in focus
The Cologne team in the relegation place is only two points away, the saving bank, i.e. 15th place, is currently ten points away. That seems out of reach at first, even if Henriksen is not the type of person who would write it off prematurely. “I’ve experienced a lot in football. The main thing is to change things that aren’t going well. My players have always seen what they’re capable of when they pull together, have fun and stick together. I “I think that’s the most important thing at the moment in our current situation. It’s clear that it won’t be easy, we’ve known that for a long time. Every game is a final for us, but we have to accept that and just have fun with it,” said Henriksen. Fun is without a doubt the Dane’s favorite word.
Words must be followed by actions
Next Saturday the opponent will be Borussia Mönchengladbach. A defeat would be a disappointment that Mainz can no longer afford. And even a draw wouldn’t be enough. With Mainz’s new self-confidence, a victory could also be achieved. The main thing is to believe in it, that’s Henriksen’s credo: “If we do our job, I’m confident that we have a chance. Because I’ve seen in the last two weeks that the players are willing to work hard. They’re hungry, they work well together, it’s a good team. Everyone is on board and things are going in the right direction. If you all have these qualities, then it’s just up to us. We have to show it too, not just about it speak.” Sounds very simple, but that’s usually how football is.
