Turning The Tides In Gladbach

First Team
Sunday, 25.02.2007 / 08:55

„We’re a round further, that’s all that counts“, commented midfielder Tim Borowski following Thursday nights UEFA Cup second leg defeat against Ajax Amsterdam.

„We’re a round further, that’s all that counts“, commented midfielder Tim Borowski following Thursday nights UEFA Cup second leg defeat against Ajax Amsterdam. ‘Boro’ continued: “There is nothing else we can take from that game. The team was somehow out of sorts with itself despite their success in the round of the last 32 in the tournament. It hasn’t been an all too positive in 2007 with Werder suffering their fourth defeat in seven games since the year began. There wasn’t much time for Werder to dwell on the European competition with the next test in the Bundesliga on Sunday, 25.02.2007 against Borussia Mönchengladbach. It will be a challenge for the Green-Whites against a side struggling at the foot of the league table.

 

Werder Bremen got to see exactly how little a poor position in the table can mean as they were beaten at home last weekend by the then rock bottom side Hamburg SV, and that at the Weser Stadium. To overcome the challenge, Werder coach Thomas Schaaf is going to focus on the ‘Little’ things: “We will have to push the little things to the forefront. We need to take the positive outcome of our last tie without forgetting the criticism”. Even if Thursdays defeat was overshadowing, there have been success of late. For distinct periods, the Green-Whites did show just why they are such a healthy position in the Bundesliga and have great expectations in the UEFA Cup. Putting it up to Stuttgart in the second half, the complete control against HSV in the first half. Chance upon chance and superiority during the first 45 minutes at the Amsterdam Arena. The men in charge at the Weser Stadium know what they have to work with: “Even when not presenting ourselves from our best side, we still believe in the potential which this team possesses. We have a controlled game, good combination play, stability – we know that we have to summon that. The team knows that too.” The side have also been using technical means to aide them in reaching their goal: “Video analysis, individual discussions, group discussions, we’re using the whole repertoire that we have available to us”; said Schaaf.

 

Goal: Getting back on track and continuing a home deficit for Gladbach which stretches back for four months. Having lost 3:0 against Werdder on the sixth match day they then beat Wolfsburg 3:1 at home. Since then they haven’t been able to win even one of their six home games. On the seventh match day Gladbach were fifth in the table after making a start with four wins in four. The dilemma for Gladbach is clear. Away from home they haven’t had much to shout about. Five points from twelve games including nine defeats is a miserable record, the worst record in the leagues history. The only win on their travels was a 2:o win in Bielefeld on the day Luhukay took over the reigns from Heynkes. The new trainer could do little to hinder the tumble to the bottom of the table. Cursed at home an weak away has left Luhukay’s side in eighteenth place.

 

Gladbach will put up some tough opposition despite the unavailability of top scorer Kahe (4 goals) and Oliver Neuville who is recovering from a heel operation: “They have always played a good counter attacking game, they will attempt to do that against us too”, explained Thomas Schaaf who has the antidote to their plan: “Get active, even in the defence try to find a way forward, put them under pressure and leave them struggling.” That could be the best medicine for Werder and their faithful fans to take more than just a guilty feeling from the game.

 

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