“Need to make sure we’re on our A-game”

Press conference prior to the home meeting with Gladbach

Ole Werner in the mixed zone.
Ole Werner is heading into matchday 32 full of confidence (Photo: W.DE).
First Team
Thursday, 02.05.2024 / 14:28

On Saturday, 4th May (15:30 CEST), Ole Werner’s boys will take on Borussia Mönchengladbach at the wohninvest WESERSTADION in what will be the Green-Whites’ 1000th ever Bundesliga game on home soil. The clash on matchday 32 will not only represent an important milestone in the club’s history, but it will also mark the 36th birthday of Werder’s head coach. “I don’t know when the last time I properly celebrated my birthday was,” smiled Ole Werner. “I’m excited to see what’s in store for me this Saturday.”

Over the past few weeks, the Green-Whites have acquired a new lease of life. After beating VfB Stuttgart 2-1 and inflicting a 3-0 defeat on FC Augsburg, SVW have picked up an impressive, and necessary, number of points from their most recent fixtures. “We’re heading into our next few games with the aim of building on our last performances, and are feeling confident that we can come out on top in our penultimate home match of the season,” enthused the head coach, who is aspiring to pick up the maximum number of points from his side’s remaining fixtures. “I think it’s crucial that we go into every game with the intention of winning.”

The soon-to-be 36-year-old has also been dealt a better hand than in previous weeks with regards to squad availability, and has a number of players back in his ranks for the upcoming clash against the Foals. Jens Stage has completed his red card suspension, and both Niklas Stark and Isak Hansen-Aarøen are now potential options for Werner’s starting XI. “It's good that I'm having to make difficult decisions regarding the squad again," the head coach remarked. “Whatever happens, we’ll be happy with both the XI that start the game, as well as with the the boys who will come off the bench.”

Gladbach are still in desperate need of points, as they look to ease any concerns of relegation to the second tier. However, Saturday’s visitors have played well on the road recently, having bagged three goals in both of their last two away matches. “They’re a side that have a lot of quality, even though they’ve not got the results to show for it recently,” stated Werner.

“They’re good on the break and have a lot of pace up front. That’s why it’s even more important that we try to eliminate mistakes from our game. Defending their set-pieces will also be a challenge – we can follow the example we set in our own box last weekend against Augsburg. These are problems that the opponent can cause us, so we need to make sure we’re on our A-game too.”

 
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