The table picture was different, completely different: FC St. Pauli confident league leader, Regensburg third, Paderborn fourth. A total of nine teams ranked in front of SV Werder Bremen after the end of this 15th matchday, half the 2nd league. The game at Holstein Kiel was lost 1-2 at the time – it would be the last one without Ole Werner, whose obligation was announced as a new Werder coach a day later, on November 28th.
- Werner took over a team in mediocrity
- The new trainer worked without doing everything differently
- a new Werder belief that proves itself
At this point, when Werner, when at the age of 33, is supposed to help this traditional club (who is only his second ever after many years at Holstein Kiel), when the youngest of all current professional trainers in Germany); In the previous season there were not even trace elements in Bremen. Markus Beginning had just given the club a vaccination scandal as an ex-coach. And – as mentioned – the sporting starting situation left was not really exhilarating.
Werner took over a team in mediocrity
Yes, after the Bremen Bundesliga relegation in a very difficult (financial) environment, a soccer foundation that also favored Werner’s work due to his very similar ideas – but the new coach took over a team in mediocrity: table tenth, eight Points behind relegation place three, twelve even in first place. The topic of ascent actually seemed to be laid, but not completely for Werner, as he performed in the Werder Bremen interview about three weeks ago. The prerequisite was: “If we should win the three outstanding games until the winter break.”
Werder won her. Four more should follow. It was the time when the first Werner comparisons were already drawn with Otto Rehhagel, whose Bremen coach start record of eight victories in a row would almost have almost been stopped by him. The name of another trainer icon also fell in this context, Thomas Schaaf, who also founded an era of 14 years in the club. Everything is a bit picked up, on the other hand: that it actually fits pretty well between this North German, sober guy with dry humor and SV Werder Bremen, can hardly be overlooked.
The new trainer worked without doing everything differently
The team also noticed that there was someone who was guessing after these turbulent months – when many players left the club when Marco Friedl wanted to go on to Union Berlin when the entire team council was injured or suspended as Niclas Füllkrug for three days Because he had clashed with Clemens Fritz, Werder’s head of professional football, after a 0: 3 in Darmstadt in the cabin. Werner, whose strengths his sharp analytical skills include, got an overview of the status quo, pulled his conclusions. He acted on the players – but without wanting to do everything differently.
Ducksch and filling jug-the 40-goal duo of the Bremen. Imago/Kirchner-Media
The new coach, actually an advocate of a 4-3-3 system, preferred to orientate itself on 3-5-2, against which predecessor had resisted until the 12th matchday-which was most likely to be the qualities of the Bremen squad does justice. For a long time, only one of the two attackers Marvin Ducksch and Niclas Füllkrug ran from the start from the start of the season, exploding the result of the duo under Werner. In the meantime, no other Werder professionals met in eight consecutive games, with a total of twelve goals.
a new Werder belief that proves itself
The now 34-year-old put the strengths of the players at the center of his approach, the rest was “hard work”, as was so often heard. Werner brought together the team, which is extremely well-occupied for the 2nd league, through clear structures in the speech and in the (training) processes. The result is probably the most attractive offensive football of all 18 second division teams: with a clear position game, high ball owners and many opportunities (which have not always been used). The winning streak and the table leadership taken over on the 23rd matchday, emotionally manifested by the subsequent 3-2 victory in the northern derby at HSV, sparked a new faith into its own strength, which would prove itself in the rest of the season.
The Bremeners also had to cope with setbacks. Captain Ömer Toprak was largely injured, and several other service providers every now and then – the worries were in the meantime. However, Werner himself never complained, always demonstrated by unrestricted (self) trust. The first defeat below him in Heidenheim (1: 2) did not cause any consequential damage, the reaction against leaders Darmstadt (1-0) followed immediately. When Werder only played “only” three times in a row, a 4-1-power demonstration on Schalke was followed. And even the painful 2: 3 defeat after 2-0 lead against Holstein Kiel on matchday 32, including slipping to the relegation place, did not leave a mental crack.
This enormous development is related to Ole Werner. When he took over the coaching office at SV Werder Bremen, the path was still taken to the return. Since then, the club has ended him.