Werder To Set Out Stall At Schalke

First Team
Thursday, 25.10.2007 / 19:39

„You’ve got to come out of a game like this looking good“, remarked Werder coach Thomas Schaaf. Of course the trainer meant any game against an equally ambitious side in the league.

„You’ve got to come out of a game like this looking good“, remarked Werder coach Thomas Schaaf. Of course the trainer meant any game against an equally ambitious side in the league. One of these sides is, without a doubt, FC Schalke 04 who will host Werder at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen on Saturday, 27.10.2007. The Green-White’s coach knows the game is more than just about the three points that are up for grabs but the status and boost in confidence that a good result in such a tie can bring. In games against the likes of Schalke, Stuttgart, Munich or any other side with similar ambitions, there are gauntlets set down and the rest of the league sit up and take notice.

 

Turning the tides against the big guns

 

From last season’s top four, Schalke are the last side which Werder must face and as unnerving as the 0:4 against FC Bayern Munich may have been, the Green-Whites 4:1 win against champions VfB Stuttgart on the sixth match day of the season was clear evidence that what was last season, can be very different this time around. In 2006/2007, Werder picked up four points against Bayern last season whilst failed to get even the odd one against Stuttgart. This time it was exactly the opposite and that’s how Thomas Schaaf would like things to continue. Last season his men lost both clashes with the ‘Royal-Blues’ from Schalke 0:2.

 

It is about time to turn the negative tides for the Bremen club who haven’t been able to win in their last five meetings with Schalke. Werder’s last win against the Gelsenkirchen club was back in November 2001 on their travels. “It would certainly sound good to win there again after a six year drought”, explained Per Mertesacker who continued: “We want to prove that we deserve to be in second place and we want to maintain out three point lead over Schalke. To do that, we are going to have to improve greatly on our recent performances against them.” General manager Klasu Allofs considers his side to be mature enough to rise to the challenge: “We had games in the past that we didn’t really approach correctly, we can do better than that now even in that atmosphere with those fans.” Torsten Frings sees his team as being brimming with confidence: “We’ve been improving all the time and it would be nice if that was to continue.”

 

Sturdy Schalke beginning to buckle

 

The time would appear to be nigh. Contrary to Werder, who are five Bundesliga games without defeat and found their international form against Lazio in the Champions League on Wednesday night, fifth placed Schalke are currently looking less than completely convincing. The season began impressively for Mirko Slomka’s team with a 2:2 draw on the opening day with reigning champions Stuttgart and that was followed by a 4:1 thrashing of local rivals Dortmund as well as a point win in Munich. Last season’s runner-up in the Bundesliga avoided defeat until the ninth match day when they got caught under the wheels of newly promoted Karlsruhe SC losing 2:0 and that was followed by a 1:1 draw in Rostock last weekend.

 

Fingers have been pointing at shooting star goalkeeper Manuel Neuer who cost his side two points against Hansa with a nightmare throw out directly to an opponent. The youngsters mistake in London on Wednesday night gifted Chelsea an early lead. All in Gelsenkirchen are rallying behind their keeper and in Bremen there are few making too big a deal of his recent mishaps. ”Everyone goes through those kind of phases, especially young goalkeepers. That doesn’t alter the fact that he is a good keeper and he will prove that again given time.”

 

Evenly match in the treatment room

 

A bigger problem than the keeper for Schalke is the loss of a number of first choice players: “It’s difficult to compensate when you’re missing Krstajic, Kuranyi and Altintop”, acknowledged Thomas Schaaf. The former Bremen centre half is back in the 04 squad but Kuranyi is struggling with a calf problem and is in doubt, as is Christian Pander with a thigh injury and Dario Rodriguez (knee). Halil Altintop is definitely not an option and the same goes for Gustavo Varela and Levan Kobiashvili. The situation means the home side will have just as many personnel problems as the Green-Whites whose injury list was added too by the illness of Petri Pasanen (flu).

 

The Finish international could make the cut for Saturday but Schaaf will have to be patient. 6,000 Werder fans are expected to make the trip to support their team in the giant arena and Klaus Allofs had some inspiring words: “We are back in the running”.

 

Johnnie Muldoon

 

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