SV Werder have seven points in the bank after the first four Bundesliga matches of the season, but Clemens Fritz isn’t satisfied. As usual, Werder’s head of scouting and professional football spoke from the sidelines at first team training on Tuesday, discussing the week’s major topics. WERDER.DE collects his thoughts.
...the start to the season: "We should never be satisfied, otherwise complacency quickly creeps in. We know that there is still potential to improve our play, but it is just as important that we keep collecting points. We have a young team that is capable of great improvement, and every point is good for our confidence. You puff out your chest and you trust more in your own performance – that does the team a lot of good.”
…Niclas Füllkrug: “He goes about his work for the team with heart and passion. We are really happy with how he’s started, as his goals have obviously been really important for us. Niclas can only play as well as the players around him, though. He knows the value of his teammates’ support.”
…the players’ workload: “We had a really intense preseason this year, but we always made sure that the players got sufficient time to recover. Our medical department does a great job; they are in daily contact with the players, and it is a really trusting and open relationship.”
…voices on the pitch: “The worst thing would be to have silence out on the pitch. We want our players to take responsibility and they did that well in Freiburg. Emotions obviously run high during such a match, because you want to take the point and maybe even nick a win. Next time they will be even louder, as they need to be.”
…Nick Woltemade: “He is a young player who has started two matches for us now. It wasn’t easy for him, but there is no need for him to have any doubts. He is already really well-developed for his age; he is at a point where others would hope to arrive later. We are all really pleased with his development – he is on the right path.”
…international matches: “These are the conditions that the clubs have to live with. To play three matches in one international break is a huge strain on the players, especially when they often have to make four separate journeys as well. I think that FIFA’s stance is pretty clear, though. What's important is that we keep in touch with the players so that we can come up with the best solution possible.”
…TSG Hoffenheim: “You become weaker as a club if your players have to quarantine and are unavailable after the international break. We definitely won’t underestimate Hoffenheim, though. All told, they have a really strong team. We can be sure that they will give it everything and they may even take some frustration from their situation and use that in the match.”
