Club tries to smooth waves
Werder stirs up squad criticism from coach Werner
May 15, 2023, 9:05 p.m
It was quiet at Werder Bremen the whole season. But in the final spurt of the season there is unrest again. Because there are no victories and because the coach is dissatisfied with the squad. At the club, meanwhile, they are hastily trying to put the coach’s statements into perspective.
Ole Werner pointed out the problem for the first time during the winter break. The squad is not particularly lavish, the Werder coach said at the training camp in Spain. But because the green-whites had largely been spared from injury problems and played a carefree season, Werner’s statements did not cause much resonance.
Four months later it’s different. After the bitter 1: 2 at RB Leipzig due to two late goals, Werner was really served on Sunday – and found clear words. “Every change we make at the moment is actually only made because players are injured or report something,” said the Bremen coach. “In the end, in the final phase, we also talk about quality, which came from the bank – at Leipzig and here,” said Werner. “Then there was simply a difference visible and that was reflected in the result.”
“Of course I understand that”
It goes without saying that there is a squad difference between the Champions League contenders RB Leipzig and the newly promoted Werder Bremen. And yet Werner’s statements made people sit up and take notice. Because they made the whole dissatisfaction of the ambitious coach clear and, above all, raised the question of how things will continue at Werder. First in the two remaining games against 1. FC Köln and Union Berlin. But especially in the new season.
At Werder on Monday they tried to put the coach’s statements into perspective and not give the impression that there were different opinions between the coach and the sporting management. “Of course I understand that,” said professional football manager Clemens Fritz in a specially convened media panel. “But it’s not like we have to get together now, we’re together,” said Fritz. “If five players are missing, it hurts every team.”
Either quality or quantity
The question, however, is how the green-whites want to solve the dilemma in the future. Because in order to strengthen the squad qualitatively and quantitatively, Bremen need money. Money that they simply don’t have after the pandemic and the descent in 2021. Which is why there can only be one: either quality or quantity. “If you want to position yourself more broadly, you have to make a few compromises at the top in terms of quality,” Fritz made clear. Should national player Niclas Füllkrug leave the club in the summer and flush a lot of money into the empty coffers, Werder could increase their squad. However, you would then no longer have the best player in your own ranks.
“Of course I would be happy if Fulfillment and Duckschi were still here next year. On the other hand, we would then also have the means to expand the squad,” Fritz outlined the starting position for the upcoming transfer summer. Werner, who has not yet extended his contract, which expires in June 2024, will be watching this closely.
First of all, Werder is concerned with getting the points that are still missing in the two remaining games to stay up in the league. “We know that we’re not through yet and still have to score,” said Fritz. The ex-pro hopes that some of the injured players will be fit in time for the Cologne game on Saturday. Above all, a failure of Marvin Ducksch would be bitter, especially since there is still a big question mark behind Füllkrug. The national striker, who was last on the pitch in the 2-2 draw in Mainz on April 8, trained individually on Monday. “It was a test. We will continue to build it up step by step. I still have hope that abundance will play again this season,” said Fritz. What comes after that remains to be seen.