After the cup embarrassment
©IMAGO
Paul Simonis should remain coach of VfL Wolfsburg even after the embarrassing cup defeat against Holstein Kiel. The Dutchman will sit on the bench in the next Bundesliga game against 1899 Hoffenheim on Sunday (5:30 p.m./DAZN), sports director Peter Christiansen confirmed on Tuesday evening after the 0-1 (0-1) defeat against the second division team.
“Yes, he is our coach. We want to work through this period together with Paul,” said Christiansen.
There are obviously deeper reasons why Wolfsburg are only in twelfth place in the Bundesliga and are no longer in the DFB Cup after the second round. In a kind of incendiary speech after the Kiel game, goalkeeper Marius Müller denounced serious attitude problems within the team. Captain Maximilian Arnold had already indicated this and a lack of cohesion in the past few weeks.
Wolfsburg’s Müller: “It’s no longer possible to gamble here, gamble there”
“If you try to throw everything in too late and if you try to loosen up a bit with 70, 75 percent beforehand, then it will be difficult. Then you won’t win any games in the 2nd league, not in the 3rd league and not in the regional league either,” complained Müller. “What is quality? A very big component is mentality and attitude. Do I want to win games or do I let everything go that way? For us it’s too much of a go at the moment, that has to be said very clearly.”
When asked whether there was still agreement within the team, the goalkeeper said: “Hopefully that should be the case.” Was he still sure about that? “I won’t say anything about that.” Müller’s clear request is: “You now have to achieve this turnaround through very dirty work. It’s no longer possible with gambling here, gambling there and a bit of La Paloma. You now have to verbally slap yourself in the face.”
Problems at VfL have already been discussed internally
The 32-year-old confirmed that the problems had already been addressed internally. “It’s not like we come here every day and don’t give a damn about anything. Even if it sometimes seems that way on the pitch.”
When asked about his own influence, Müller, who is only the representative of the actual number one Kamil Grabara at VfL, said: “What should I do? Should I hit the players in the face? Then I can go over to the factory and pick up my contract. You can’t do more than talk about it and kick the boys’ asses during the week.”
Sports director Christiansen did not deny Müller’s assessments. “Marius Müller has a good feeling for that. If he says that, then it may be true,” said the Dane.