He has led Bochum back into quieter waters. When Heiko Herrlich joined Bochum the team was 17th in the league. Now the team has been able to build a mini-cushion from the relegation ranks. And that is certainly a tribute to the services of the 38-year-old football coach Herrlich. In 16 matches under Herrlich, Bochum have collected four victories, seven draws and five losses. WERDER.DE talked to Herrlich before the Werder Bremen-Bochum showdown on Saturday 3:30 p.m. at Weser Stadium.

Hello Mr. Herrlich, after your team's 4-1 losses against Wolfsburg and Dortmund, you face a tough challenge of going against Werder Bremen, who have not lost in six matches. What makes you optimistic going into the game?

We recently have had good performances on the road and before the Wolfsburg match we had not been beaten in six matches away from home. Even against the German champions, we dominated the game for about an hour until their individual class shined through after the equaliser.

Since coming to the team in late October 2009, the team has won four games in 16 matches, including three on the road. Do you have an explanation for why things seem to work better for your team on opponents' grounds?

Road games are befitting to our style of game because most opponents - the host teams - have to control the game.

You are currently the second-youngest head coach in the Bundesliga. Do you think that with your 38 years you have a certain advantage over your older coaching counterparts?

Certainly I have a big portion of idealism, which can also be a disadvantage. At the moment though I can work rather carefree, which I find very positive.

Werder played on Thursday night in the Europa League Round of 16 against FC Valencia. Do you think that could be an advantage for you?

The short time frame between the Europa League and Bundesliga is not a disadvantage for the top teams - look at Wolfsburg last week. And they also had extra travelling stresses and strains, which Werder did not have with the home match against Valencia.

What is your tip for Saturday?

We will see two determined teams who will be fighting for three important Bundesliga points.