“What matters is how you deal with the situation”

It’s one game straight after another for SV Werder Bremen this week, with the side back in action on Tuesday night (27th January) against TSG Hoffenheim, just three days after playing away at Bayer Leverkusen. As the Green-Whites gear up for another floodlit affair at the Weserstadion, head coach Horst Steffen joined journalists on Monday afternoon for a press conference ahead of the match. He spoke about...

...the squad, with captain Marco Friedl suspended: “We’ll know within the next couple of hours if Amos can play. Regardless, we have enough defenders who can do well for us. We might already have a few ideas, but I don’t want to reveal them at this stage.”

...the opponent: “Hoffenheim are really impressive in terms of the way they play. They press really proactively and retain the ball really well. They run a lot, and they play with a real intensity. We’ve got a tough challenge ahead of us, that’s for sure. I’m optimistic that despite the absences we’re dealing with, we can put out a strong team that can hurt Hoffenheim.”

...the current state of affairs: “It’s a situation that we have to accept. There’s more pressure there than if we were coming off the back of three wins. What matters is how you deal with the situation. We want to utilise the next couple of home games to really put into practice what we’ve been working on. I’m not spending much time thinking about the future. My focus is on what we can control and what we can change, and in this case, that means our performance on the pitch. I don’t feel like I’m on trial. I see a team in front of me that make a really positive impression. Results are the only thing missing right now, but we’re on the right track this year.”

...the winless streak: “We were so close to victory against Frankfurt. If that had come off, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. I’m familiar with situations where results don’t match what’s happening on the pitch. If we keep going in this direction, then I’m convinced that we’ll soon be talking about success again.”

...his personal approach: “I usually try to stay calm and composed, whether we win or lose, even. I’m not changing my approach, it’s always been something that’s defined me. I’ve been involved in the world of football for a long time. I’ve been through good times and bad times. We address any issues head-on internally, and so I feel very comfortable with where I am. I take a lot of energy from the work that I do.”

...the responsibility of the players: “Everyone has their duty. Us as coaching staff, every single player, everybody at the club. I expect every player to understand the responsibility they have when they’re out on that pitch.”

...Cameron Puertas: “He’s a good player. We have a lot of quality in the midfield with Senne, Romano and Jens, and so he’s not been playing as much. I’m happy to have him here and glad that we have his strengths at our disposal for when we need them.”

...the depth in the squad: “We’re confident in the quality that we have in this side. We’re probably finished with transfer business for now.”

...changes to VAR this summer: “It’s frustrating. We have to take it as it comes.”