Happy looks different: Wout Weghorst is currently searching for his lightness in Wolfsburg. The striker is on his way to becoming VfL’s all-time record scorer.
Mark van Bommel knows what makes players tick. All of them differently. That doesn’t make it all that easy for a coach. “You need a sure instinct,” explains the coach. Especially when the player’s name is Wout Weghorst. The Wolfsburg striker is special. When he doesn’t score, he can be unbearable for many. Most recently, when the VfL team made its way to the fans for a round of thanks after the disappointing 1:3 against Borussia Mönchengladbach, the 29-year-old had already disappeared into the catacombs, visibly frustrated.
Weghorst has already scored three goals in the Bundesliga this season, but things are not yet running smoothly for the goal scorer. Sometimes there are games in which he, as the last link in Wolfsburg’s sometimes awkwardly operating offensive, completely hangs in the air. And then there have been games in which the Dutchman has had his chances of late, but has not taken them with the naturalness that has made him his club’s life insurance. How does van Bommel deal with his top attacker in these times? Openly and honestly. “We have talked about it,” the 44-year-old reports. “Wout has three goals, it should be more. “
“He has to stay calm “
It’s not the first time Weghorst has experienced a dip at Wolfsburg. So far, he has always worked his way out of these phases quickly. “With a striker, it’s sometimes the case that things don’t go your way,” van Bommel emphasises. “But when the team plays well and wins, it comes back on its own.” The coach’s advice to his compatriot before Saturday’s game: “He has to stay calm.”
When the next Weghorst goal is scored, it will be a special one for him. Then the international will equal the eternal VfL scorer list with the third-placed Diego Klimowicz, who scored 57 goals during his time in Wolfsburg (2001 to 2007). Only championship strikers Grafite (59) and Edin Dzeko (66) are ahead of him. Both are still within Weghorst’s reach this season – if his knot bursts again.
