Experienced backbone, new impulse

Side by side: Veteran Junuzovic and young hopeful Aycicek worked perfectly together over the weekend (Photo: nph).
First Team
Monday, 01.12.2014 / 18:59

Was it really a weekend for the youngsters? At first glance, it might seem like the "young wild ones" were allowed to race around Weser Stadium in the game against Paderborn to win...



Was it really a weekend for the youngsters? At first glance, it might seem like the "young wild ones" were allowed to race around Weser Stadium in the game against Paderborn to win the hearts of the fans. But coach Viktor Skripnik's analysis goes a bit deeper and he believes the mix of experience and fresh ideas was the recipe for success. "The experienced players, for example Sebastian Prödl and Zlatko Junuzovic, took the youngsters very seriously. You could see that against Paderborn and it was also visible in the changing room that they help one another and support each other. They kind of took the youngsters by the hand a bit," said the coach.

Junuzovic, for example, was the match-winner against Paderborn. The Austrian's free kick goal got Werder on the road to success. He also assisted on the youngster Davie Selke's goal to make it 2-0 on a set piece and on the final goal, he made the pass to Levent Aycicek. He was like the perfect symbol for the connection between experienced and fresh powers along the Weser. "Together, we came up with the optimal result," said Skripnik.

Junuzovic is in top form, having taken the most shots on goal (5), having the most ball touches (86) and the most assists for shots on goal (8). "I went through the pre-season without any problems and remained fully in rhythm. I feel good," said the Austrian international. Junuzovic's strong play has allowed Aycicek to play freely in the midfield and give the offensive game creative impulses. In general, it's important to support the young teammates. "We always say they should really have confidence and have fun. There is nothing to lose for them. The young players are given more responsibility in the youth ranks than back in my time. They come to the professional side with a lot of confidence and create competition - also in training. You could see that it does the whole team good," said Junuzovic.

But they also need experienced professionals supporting them who can give them orientation. "It's about finding the right balance between young and experienced powers. This match was special. It worked well but we have to be careful to maintain a sustainable development," said Rouven Schröder, director of roster planning and scouting. There were starting spots open due to injuries and suspensions, which ended up resulting in the youngest Bremen starting line-up in one and a half years.

For the game against Frankfurt, Skripnik can once again call upon captain Clemens Fritz and leftback Santiago Garcia. "The competition continues to develop. I am looking forward to the reaction from those who did not play on the weekend," said Skripnik. Nobody can sit back and relax. The youngsters can use the fighter and leader Junuzovic as an example. There's no way he will tune it back down. He is the only SVW field player who has played the full 90 minutes in all 13 Bundesliga matches - an excellent role model.

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