Pre-season preparations are well devised schedules. Form, acclamation, fitness, integration and tactics in all of their diversity must be approached and optimally organised in the right order of importance.
Pre-season preparations are well devised schedules. Form, acclamation, fitness, integration and tactics in all of their diversity must be approached and optimally organised in the right order of importance.
Pre-season preparations are well devised schedules. Form, acclamation, fitness, integration and tactics in all of their diversity must be approached and optimally organised in the right order of importance. It’s a well planned process which is of vital importance before the beginning of a new seasons campaign. Notable then the comments from Werder trainer Thomas Schaaf ahead of his sides season opener on Saturday, 11.08.2007 at 3:30pm at the rewirpowerSTADION against VfL Bochum: “With the problems we’ve had in pre-season, we haven’t yet reached 100%.” With the number of injuries and international players on extended holidays, Werder never really had the opportunity to get the squad together in order to train the necessary aspects and the result of this was a number of friendly and league cup defeats.
Bochum vs. Werder – A done deal?
Thomas Schaaf added further: “We are ready for the game in Bochum. We have high expectations here despite the problems we’ve had. With the players we have available to us, we have a strong side.” The problem could be in this particular bunch of players gelling. Schaaf: “I’m expecting them to call up their best and put in a good performance even if everything can’t be expected to flow with ease.” Last season tie in Bochum could hardly have flowed better. In October last year Werder travelled to the then newly promoted side and thought them a lesson – if only in the second half.
Aaron Hunt gave the Green-Whites a narrow half time lead but after the break Schulz, Vranjes, Diego, Fritz and Naldo notched up another five goals to give Werder their ‘first’ 6:0 win of the season. In the second half of the season Werder made light work of Bochum at the Weser Stadium with Aaron Hunt on target three times in a 3:0 home win. Two games, six points and 9:0 goals in Werders favour. Impressive, but then, the Green-Whites have a history of holding the upper hand against Bochum. In 60 clashes between the two VfL have won just nine, Werder taking all three points a total of 38 times. All Bochum’s wins were at home where Werder also managed to run out on top 14 times. VfL’s last success against Werder was a 3:2 win in March 1997, Bremen’s goals were scored by Arie van Lent and Andi Herzog.
Who can fill Gekas’ boots?
Ten years have passed since then and it’s been a turbulent decade for VfL. In the 96/97 season they finished in 12th place but then the rollercoaster ride began. 1999 relegation, re-promotion, relegation, re-promotion. In Werdrer’s double winning season, Bochum finished in fifth place for inly the second time in the clubs history, the following season they found themselves back in the second division before yo-yoing back to the top flight. Much hard work saw VfL finish the season in 8th place which was impressive considering they were in the drop zone by the 16th match day. After their defeat at the Weser, Marcel Koller’s side were shaken into action beating Dortmund, Hanover and Schalke, losing only one game in four on their travels in Wolfsburg. One major reason for their success was the effectivity of Greek striker Theofanis Gekas, who scored ten goals in ten games during the clubs best run. In summer the Greek left Bochum in favour of Bayer Leverkusen. VfL are hoping new signings Benjamin Auer (Kaiserslautern), Marcin Mieciel (PAOK Saloniki), Marc Sand (FC Kärnten) and Slovakian international striker Stanislav Sestak can make up for the loss of Gekas. The club have also had the departures of keeper Jaroslav Drobny (Hertha BSC Berlin), playmaker Zvjezdan Misimovic (Nuremberg) and Dariusz Wosz (retired) to compensate.
Two new men are battling it out to win the number 1 spot from Drobny with Philipp Heerwagen (Unterhaching) and Jan Lastuvka (Fulham) both very capable options. The number ten spot from Misimovic has gone to Joel Epalle (Fürth) and there are alternatives on the right from Marc Pfertzel (Livorno) and Matias Concha (Djurgardens). Contrary to Werder, Bochums pre-season has gone very well: “They have been very consistent and stuck to almost the same starting eleven for each game – especially at the back”, noted Thomas Schaaf.
Their friendlies proved almost exclusively positive: Hadjuk Split (5:4), Rot-Weiß Erfurt (4:2), Mönchengladbach (3:0), Darmstadt 98 (5:1), a local selection (8:0) and in the cup they beat Dynamo Dresden 1:0. Most impressive was a 2:1 win against Galatasary Istanbul. Tommy Bechmann, Ivo Ilicevic, Marcin Mieceil and Christoph Dabrowski all regularly hit the mark which leaves a guessing game as to who will play up front against Werder - “They’ve tried out a lot in attack. Only Epalle was a regular. They will make life difficult for us in front of their own fans.” Around 4,500 Werder fans are expected to make the trip to support their team.
Johnnie Muldoon
