"We need to pick ourselves up"

The reaction to the Köln game
Werder left it too late against Köln (Photo: nordphoto).
First Team
Saturday, 21.12.2019 / 19:11

Werder’s final game of the Hinrunde is symptomatic of how the season has gone so far for the Green Whites. The visitors started what was a hugely important game as a compact unit and stood firm, but ultimately trailed at the break due to a lapse in concentration. They were then forced into using all three substitutes as Augustinsson, Veljkovic and Bargfrede all picked up injuries. Then, to add insult to injury, Osako’s late equaliser was ruled offside. “That really, really hurts,” head coach Florian Kohfeldt said after the game.

On the match:

Florian Kohfeldt: “You could feel how nervous we were. We wanted to defend strongly so that we could hit them on the counter. Overall we defended well but offered very little going forward. However the defending was poor for their goal. They scored with one of their only chances.”

Maximilian Eggestein: “We needed the win today, no matter what. There was enough time and we created lots of chances; something that we didn’t do in the first half. It was 0-0 for a long time but we still went behind. After the last few results it’s only natural that we wanted to stay compact at first. We felt like we were defending well.”

Short-lived celebrations: Yuya Osako's goal was disallowed (Photo: nordphoto).

Niklas Moisander: “We’re really disappointed. We were lacking confidence in the first half, perhaps due to our recent bad results. The second half was much better but it still wasn’t enough, despite giving it our all. We need to show this heart and desire the entire game. Also we shouldn’t be conceding goals like that. It’s a difficult situation to be in and it really hurts.”

Frank Baumann: “It’s the same story as the last few games – a bad performance and no points. You could feel how nervous they were. We defended well for long periods and limited them to only a number of chances. Then suddenly one long ball in behind and they take the lead. The team reared themselves up in the second half but in the end it wasn’t enough.”

On the current situation:

Florian Kohfeldt wants to start afresh in the second half of the season (Photo: nordphoto).

Florian Kohfeldt: “I’m really happy that we now have a bit of a break. We need to pull ourselves together and get ready for the second half of the season. We had confirmation today of what we’ve been saying over the past few weeks. We need to stick to our way of playing football, even in a relegation battle.”

Niklas Moisander: “The situation we’re in really hurts. We had completely different goals which we are far away from achieving. The disruption to pre season has really affected us; we couldn’t train properly as a team due to having so many injuries. Hopefully we have the opportunity to do this in January and then we can start the second half of the season much more focussed.”

Frank Baumann: “It’s been a difficult first half of the season. The boys now need to clear their heads and get ready to go again. We have lots of room for improvement.”

On the injuries:

Florian Kohfeldt: “It’s important to mention that we have now had 23 injuries this season. I hope that the situation isn’t too bad with Ludde and Bargi. Ludde didn’t look great. He picked up a hamstring problem and will be examined tomorrow.”

 
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.