With a win in Frankfurt, Mainz 05 would at least spend the winter in 6th place. Coach Bo Svensson, however, makes it clear ahead of the Rhine-Main derby what is even more important to him than the points tally and the table.
The Mainz professionals have already earned the extended holiday until the start of training on 2 January. The necessary number of points, which the team had negotiated with coach Bo Svensson some time ago, has been achieved after the recent 4-0 gala against Hertha. At least that’s what Svensson said the day before the first-round finale at Eintracht Frankfurt, adding: “I’m excited. If it doesn’t go like that now, it might be said: We were already full. But the group was always able to push itself, to keep the hunger. I find it hard to imagine the boys being full now.”
And anyone who witnessed the recent home performance against Berlin in particular should feel the same way. For the full 90 minutes, Svensson’s charges embodied pure desire. Despite the English week and even after a clear 4-0 lead, Moussa Niakhaté and his colleagues did not even switch to administrative mode for a second. There have been professional coaches who take a critical view of this and advocate that a team should rest when in possession of the ball. Not so Svensson, who makes it clear: “I only see this style as positive. The approach must always be to get the maximum out of the game, no matter what the score is. Because that’s the most fun. And because you stay average if you take the gas out. We don’t want that. “
57 points is insane. But for me it’s about strategy and philosophy.
These are sentences that unmistakably reflect the extreme ambition of this football coach. But Svensson’s ambitions explicitly refer to the content of Mainz’s game, less to goals in the table. Talking about the European Cup is “not forbidden”, says the Dane, “if it gives the players extra motivation, let them do it. But for me, it’s not a big issue.” And: “What we have achieved so far this year makes me proud. Even if we had scored less than 57 points. Those are insane. But for me it’s about the fact that we’ve managed to bring our philosophy and strategy forward and have implemented what we stand for. “
On the one hand, Svensson refers to the style of play, which is characterised by intensive pressing and attacking football, in his own perception the basic building blocks of Mainz’s football DNA. On the other hand, however, he also refers to the working atmosphere established together with Chief Sports Officer Christian Heidel and Sports Director Martin Schmidt: “The culture within the group, within the dressing room, but also in the interaction within the entire club. In the end, this ensures that Mainz can remain Mainz. Even if it doesn’t automatically promise 57 points. “
Onisiwo questionable, confidence for Ingvartsen
The last goal for 2021 is to reach 60 points and finish the winter in a position that would guarantee participation in international competition. Svensson is still worried about attacker Karim Onisiwo, who suffered a painful foot bruise after a hard foul by Hertha’s Niklas Stark. The final training session will show “how free Karim is in his movements, whether he can take part on Saturday,” said Svensson. If not, Marcus Ingvartsen, whose personal first half was marked by unfortunate circumstances, would step in as things stand. Svensson: “He started very well, but then couldn’t give his all due to injury.” Ingvartsen dragged on for several weeks with adductor problems, which have since been resolved.
“If he should play, I expect him to influence the game in the way we want to see from our strikers,” Svensson formulated. Onisiwo and fellow attacker Jonathan Burkardt have set the bar very high. But, says Svensson: “Marcus has these skills too. We believe he can call that up as well.” It would be the next proof of the cohesion of the Mainz squad at a high level. And the fitting icing on the cake for an already absolutely impressive 2021 calendar year.