“Some games are decided by two or three moments”

Having recovered from a broken ankle that kept him out for the first half of the season, Olivier Deman has once again established himself as a key player in the defensive department at SV Werder Bremen. Even if what looked to be his third-ever Bundesliga goal in the game against Heidenheim was struck off by VAR, the Belgian still put in an applause-worthy performance during Saturday’s 2-0 win. The defender sat down with WERDER.DE to share his thoughts on new head coach Daniel Thioune, the return to a back-four setup, and the situation around his goal being disallowed.

WERDER.DE: Moin Oli! Bremen is seeing some lovely weather again, for the first time in a while as well. How are you finding things here on the Weser in those moments when you’re away from all the football?

Olivier Deman: I love it. The stadium is in a great location. I live near the river, too, and so I know this area really well. When the weather is playing ball, especially, it’s just beautiful here.

WERDER.DE: On the weekend, the team put an end to an extended winless streak, and the sun is also finally back in Bremen. How does it feel to be starting the week off the back of a win?

Olivier Deman: Good, although we can’t forget that we’ve been struggling for quite a while now, and one win doesn’t immediately change everything. After such a long run like that, you forget how it feels to hear the final whistle blow on three points. When that feeling is as fresh as it was last weekend, it gives you a lot of positive energy as you head towards your next game.

WERDER.DE: You seemed to bring a lot of positive energy to that game, it seemed, making your second starting appearance of the season and running a total of 12.84 kilometres over the 90 minutes. Why do you think you’ve looked so sharp recently, considering how little action you’ve seen this season?

Olivier Deman: I’ve been getting a few more minutes in the legs recently, but of course, it’s not the case that I’ve been running out for 90 minutes week in, week out. On the other hand, it means I can bring fresh energy, and I have the chance to provide a new impetus on the pitch. When you’re playing a full game, it’s easier to find a good rhythm and stick with that. I feel good, which I think is also partly down to the fact that I always try to put in as much effort as possible in training, whether or not I make the starting XI come the weekend.

WERDER.DE: When you last sat down for a chat with us, at the start of February, it wasn’t yet confirmed that Daniel Thioune would take the reins as head coach. What are your impressions of him so far?

Olivier Deman: He’s come in with new, positive energy and a clear idea of the way he wants to play. You’re not always going to see a complete transformation in a team right from day one, but the way we played on the weekend marked a clear difference. We’re on a good track at the moment, but I’ll say it again – one win doesn’t secure anything. We have to keep working and try to win more games.

WERDER.DE: Daniel Thioune himself revealed in a media round that respect and appreciation aren’t always directly reflected in minutes on the pitch, and that he’s delighted that you truly showed up when it mattered. Does this open and communicative approach give you the confidence that you need?

Olivier Deman: Yeah, for sure. It’s really important, because otherwise it’s really tricky to understand the situation. I was in the starting XI for his first game, when we were away at Freiburg, then I didn’t feature at all in the next two fixtures. He took the time to speak with me, and that cleared up a lot. I try to focus on what I can do, what I can influence, and I’ll give it all I’ve got whenever I’m called upon.

WERDER.DE: Let’s dive a bit deeper into you as a player. You’ve already operated in a number of positions across your career, most recently as a left-back in a back-four when you were on loan at Royal Antwerp. How did you find the transition to a new kind of system here?

Olivier Deman: It felt really comfortable. As you say, I mostly played in a back-four at Antwerp, but I also enjoy working in a back-five. I don’t find it makes a huge difference to me. We switched things up once again for the game against Heidenheim. When you’re starting with four defenders, you usually have a few more options in front of you, while if you’re playing in a back-five, it’s more about being a little higher up the pitch yourself.

WERDER.DE: With an impressive drive into the box, you seemed to have scored your third Bundesliga goal on Saturday, only for VAR to chalk it off for offside. How did that whole situation feel to you?

Olivier Deman: I don’t often find myself with so much space in front of goal, and to be honest, I did think: “That was a bit too easy,” (grins). It would have been great to open the scoring in that moment, but when it ended up not counting, my only priority was to keep going. When we finally went ahead in the second half, it did the group a lot of good. Ultimately, the moment the final whistle blew, it didn’t matter to me whether or not I’d got on the scoresheet, I was just so pleased about the three points.

WERDER.DE: You’ve already mentioned how important it is that you build on this positive result. How can you take that momentum with you into your next few games?

Olivier Deman: We played with so much energy and invested so much against Heidenheim, and we need to do that again as we move forward. Some games are decided by two or three moments, which haven’t been going our way as of late. This weekend, we finally managed to start getting the better of our opponent in those kinds of situations. It’s important that we bring that positive feeling with us as we start a new week of training, when we travel to Berlin and when we head into the next few weeks.

WERDER.DE: When you head to the capital to face Union Berlin, you’ll be coming up against an opponent with the lowest average possession in the Bundesliga. What kind of game are you expecting on Sunday?

Olivier Deman: They operate as a really compact unit on the pitch. It’s not going to be an easy afternoon. We know what our strengths are, we have skilled players, and if we can be up to the task when it comes to winning our duels and playing with the right amount of intensity, then anything is possible for us. Things are very tight in the table right now, but it’s important that we take each game as it comes.

WERDER.DE: Good luck in Berlin, Oli. Thanks for the chat!