After three games in a row without a win, Mainz 05 have a demanding programme to look forward to between now and Christmas. Coach Bo Svensson, however, is not looking at the number of points – but at the content of the game.
Mainz are far from complacent at the moment. The recent performances in Stuttgart (1:2) and against Cologne (1:1) were too mixed for that. “Against Cologne, we lacked the willingness, the mental component,” says coach Bo Svensson, “in Stuttgart, it was more a lack of every player on the pitch having the same idea, with the ball as against the ball.” This is precisely what shows “how important a complete week of training is for us”, says Svensson. “We didn’t have the group together completely for over three weeks because of the international break.” And: “When you can’t invest that much time, you need great individual class. A club like us needs the training content to get the quality on the pitch. “
“If our performance is right, we are happy, regardless of the points “
After three games without three points in the month of November, the conditions seem good for a successful year-end rally. However, the programme up to Christmas is a tough one. After Champions League participant Wolfsburg on Saturday, FC Bayern (A), Hertha BSC (H) and the strong Frankfurt Eintracht (A) await. It seems an imposing task to significantly improve on the current tally of 18 points. Svensson is therefore unable to give a concrete answer as to what score he would be satisfied with under the Christmas tree. “The important thing is that we are satisfied with our performance,” emphasises the football coach, looking back at the two most recent home games as examples: “We achieved the same result against Gladbach and Cologne, but they were two different performances. We were satisfied with one, but not with the other. If our performance is right, I’m in good spirits that we’ll sit under the Christmas tree satisfied, regardless of how many points came about. “This form of luxury, not having to define oneself by the bare results, has been well earned by the Rheinhessen side with their well-deserved haul so far this season.
Task for Kohr substitute Barreiro: “His game with the ball must become clearer “
While Stefan Bell, who was recently suspended with a yellow card, will return to the three-man backline against Wolfsburg, six-man Dominik Kohr will certainly be out for the rest of the Hinrunde. “He is still at the beginning of his injury period,” Svensson said of the central clearer, who is suffering from a muscle-tendon injury in his thigh. Incidentally, the coach gave Kohr’s deputy Leandro Barreiro a more positive assessment in Stuttgart than the majority of outside observers: “I thought he did well. He can play well in this role with his qualities as an extremely hard-working and good ball-conqueror.” However, Svensson also has an unmistakable order for the 21-year-old: “His play with the ball has to become clearer. Especially on the six, you need a high passing rate, it’s all about distributing cleanly. That’s a bit different than on the eight or ten, where you can take more risks. Leandro has to improve his technique, but also his perception of situations.” He should get his next opportunity to do so against Wolfsburg.
