VfL Wolfsburg has now gone eight games without a win. Even the 0:2 defeat against Freiburg failed to reverse the trend. Both coach Mark van Bommel and sporting director Marcel Schäfer are convinced that this will happen.
On matchday 4, all was still right with the world, VfL won 2-0 at promoted Greuther Fürth and were top of the table without a loss. On the following match days, however, not much went right. After Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Freiburg, the Wolves have now gone eight games without a win – in the Bundesliga, coach Mark van Bommel’s team has lost its last four games. The last time the Wolves had a similar losing streak was in 2012/13 in the last four games under Felix Magath, who was then initially replaced by Lorenz-Günther Köstner.
“I take all the criticism because if you don’t win the games, you get criticism, no matter what way,” van Bommel said on “Sky” after the game. “You know there is pressure coming. We also put it on our own shoulders. And that comes from the outside again, which is completely normal,” the coach continued.
Always these standards
Against Freiburg, it was – once again – a standard that put the Wolves behind, albeit only after VAR intervention. The coach had little to criticise about the attitude and his sporting director Marcel Schäfer also thought: “We acted better in parts than we have done in recent weeks. I think the team tried hard, but you can also see that there is a bit of a lack of confidence.” Although Schäfer didn’t want to make the game sound better than it was, he did note that Wolfsburg did have chances to equalise. However, only Lukas Nmecha radiated danger in the Wolves’ offensive. “Lukas’ shot can also go in, then it’s 1-1,” not only the new record player of the Wolves Maximilian Arnold (260 Bundesliga games) recognised.
The crossbar prevented the equaliser in the 36th minute, after which it was not too dangerous for Freiburg keeper Mark Flekken, who only had to intervene once against Josuha Guilavogui’s header (45.+1). Especially after the 0:2, Wolfsburg went almost nowhere forward. “You can see in a situation like that, which we got ourselves into, that it is incredibly difficult to get out of it again,” said Schäfer.
As a coach as well as a player: leader van Bommel
A possible solution was already offered by van Bommel after the game: “The way I did it as a player is the way I have to lead my team now. That you always work harder, every day. Then you’ll get out of it – and not in any other way.” Arnold is of a similar opinion: “But it doesn’t help to talk about it, we can’t get out of it. We have to work hard again, work together. “
Taking the fans with us
The fan return could help. The Volkswagen Arena was allowed to fill to capacity against Freiburg for the first time since the Corona pandemic began, yet not even 11,000 spectators came out of a possible 30,000. And those who were there wanted to “see their team fight” in the 67th minute. Only one minute later, the score was 0:2. Wolfsburg’s commitment and fighting spirit could not be denied, which is why Schäfer believes “that the spark can also be transferred from us to the fans. But we have to do a bit more than we have done in the last few days or on match day today. And we are simply called upon to show a reaction. “
