Skripnik: "We have drawn our own conclusions"

First Team
Tuesday, 05.01.2016 / 12:41

Head coach Viktor Skripnik arrived at his office early in the morning to prepare with his coaching staff for the first training session of 2016. As well as preparing to meet up with his team again, the coach also made time for WERDER.DE and answered some of the most important questions about the rest of the season...

Head coach Viktor Skripnik arrived at his office early in the morning to prepare with his coaching staff for the first training session of 2016. As well as preparing to meet up with his team again, the coach also made time for WERDER.DE and answered some of the most important questions about the rest of the season.

WERDER.DE: Viktor, the snow on the training ground is making the lives of many hard-working helpers difficult. They have been clearing the training pitches from snow for hours. Will that be a problem for the next few days?

Viktor Skripnik: "The conditions are definitely a challenge, but we have a lot to come in the next weeks and months, so we cannot let ourselves be distracted. The team should not be disturbed by this. We have to work past it all. From Thursday onwards we are expecting temperatures to rise above zero again."

WERDER.DE: It's likely that you won't have all your players available for training, including some who have been out injured long-term. How much of a problem is that for your preparations?

Viktor Skripnik: "I am hopeful that Zlatko Junuzovic will be able to prepare himself thoroughly for the second half of the season. He will be joining us at the training camp. He can join in with all the running and football exercises after his shoulder injury, but he still has to restrain himself going into tackles. But he is rebuilding confidence on a daily basis. He is itching to get back playing again."

WERDER.DE: What about Aron Jóhannsson and Raphael Wolf?

Viktor Skripnik: "They will not travel with us to the training camp. It's still hard to predict for certain when they will return."

WERDER.DE: The public's focus is on the team's attack and on Melvyn Lorenzen. Can he fulfil these expectations?

Viktor Skripnik: "We have a few possibilities to cover for Aron Jóhannsson's absence. Melvyn Lorenzen is certainly a player who has the chance to prove himself before the season resumes."

WERDER.DE: Is there a need for action in the goalkeeping department because of the injury to Wolf?

Viktor Skripnik: "No. I have previously said that I would like to have an experienced back-up goalkeeper, bit I have to say that Zetti (Michael Zetterer) pleased me with his approach in the first half of the season. He performs well in training. I don't think we have any pressure to make changes in this department because of him. We also should not write off Raphael Wolf. He is fighting every day to make his return as quickly as possible."

WERDER.DE: You also want to make progress with the team in Belek. How important is the training camp in preparing for the second half of the season?

Viktor Skripnik: "The training camp is a very important time in the preparations. Training elsewhere is not just about our hopes for better weather conditions, but also on a greater focus. In this demanding time, it helps to be in different surroundings than the usual Bremen routine, to not have the family or distractions around you. It's just about the football."

WERDER.DE: How important are the friendly matches?

Viktor Skripnik: "The friendlies are definitely something different. On the day we have two matches, we want to give everyone the chance to prove themselves, and towards the end of the training camp we should have an idea of what we want to do when we face Schalke."

WERDER.DE: What are you expecting from your team in the second half of the season?

Viktor Skripnik: "We have used the winter break to carefully analyse the bad first half of the season and we have drawn our own conclusions. I will convey the starting points that we have found to the team. The fact is that we demand full concentration, discipline and focus on the upcoming tasks from all the players. Each individual has to contribute so that we, as a team, can finish this season a lot better than how we began it."

WERDER.DE: After analysing the first half of the season you have decided to define the two squads more clearly in the future. What has that got to do with it?

Viktor Skripnik: "We thought hard about this. We want to give our talented youngsters the chance to develop in one of the two teams. That means further developing out policy. We are working more on allowing our top talents the best possible chance to break into the first team. And after feedback on our previous way of working, we have determined that we want to give the players better guidance for their development. But the door to the first team is never closed. We need top performances in both teams, and top performances will be noted by the coaching staff."

WERDER.DE: The U23s will travel with he first-team squad to the training camp on Thursday. What points of contact will there be there? The teams will be staying in different hotels...

Viktor Skripnik: "We simply want to utilise the advantage of being so close to each other. The coaches and backroom staff can easily switch and we can quickly react to any possible injuries and then call up another player. On the other hand we will make sure than both teams can work on their own programmes in peace and prepare independently from each other."

WERDER.DE: Competitors have been listening attentively to transfer stories in recent days. How have you reacted to them?

Viktor Skripnik: "We have to remain calm. I am convinced by my squad. We have all seen where and why we have dropped points and we will work on removing these errors during the winter training. I see it as an advantage that we are remaining together. We have shown as a team that we stand together in dicey situations. Now it is about teasing out the quality that this team has on a consistent basis."

WERDER.DE: Is it an advantage that you will face direct competitors at home?

Viktor Skripnik: "We definitely had some big opponents at the Weser-Stadion in the first half of the season, and now we have to prove that it was partly down to the schedule that we picked up so few points at home. But I am warning the whole team about going into the home games in the second half of the season in any careless manner. The team have a certain duty to the fans, who have stood by use despite everything, to make them want to come to the Weser-Stadion."

WERDER.DE: Is survival decided by the home matches?

Viktor Skripnik: "Surviving relegation is about consistency. We have to go into every game believing that we can pick up points and win. In the Bundesliga anyone can beat anyone on their day."

WERDER.DE: In 2016 there will be a reunion with Thomas Schaaf, who has taken over at Hannover. What do you say about that?

Viktor Skripnik: "We know that Thomas is a great coach. It's great for the Bundesliga that he is back here coaching again. You don't have to say much more about that. It will definitely be an event for the media, but we have remained in regular contact and we won't be too concerned with this public attention."

WERDER.DE: What are your wishes for 2016?

Viktor Skripnik: "My wish is that we can show our fans that it is worth cheering for and crossing their fingers for this team week in week out, and that we can again have some successful times."

Your web browser ist outdated.
The web browser you are using is no longer supported.
Please download one of these free and up to date browsers.
Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge
Chrome Firefox Edge
Google Chrome
Mozilla Firefox
MS Edge
Why should I use an up to date web browser?
Security
Newer web browsers provide better protection against malware, data theft and other threats to your privacy and security. Up to date browsers continuously close security holes that allow attackers to enter your computer.
New Technologies
The technologies used on modern websites are better supported by newer web browsers. This both increases functionality and improves the website layout. By benefiting from new functions and extensions you will be able to surf the web faster and easier.