At VfL Bochum, “everyone is disappointed” – Butscher criticizes attitude

VfL Bochum is in third-to-last place in the U19 Bundesliga West at the winter break. Coach Heiko Butscher knows what the problem is.

In the U19 Bundesliga West, VfL Bochum has so far clearly underperformed and is only twelfth out of 14 at the winter break. Although relegation is ruled out by the upcoming reform, the aspiration is different.

In a forecasting interview, coach Heiko Butscher explains why it was good that his team lost 1:5 to newly promoted Alemannia Aachen at the end of the year, and what needs to change in the new year.

Heiko Butscher on…

… the first half of the season: We are all disappointed with how the first half of the season went, of course. There’s no point in beating about the bush. Our position in the table is not what we had hoped for. Our performances were simply not consistent enough, which is why we are where we are. But it is also a snapshot that prompts us to analyze it very critically in order to improve a number of things in the second half of the season. I think we have found the problem and we know what it is. We just can’t find the right attitude or emotionality to be successful. These are the basics that you actually hope are always there, but this year they are not so pronounced. It costs us a lot of points and that’s what’s really annoying us.

.. the best moments of the season so far : There are a few things that make me feel positive. I know that the team has a certain quality. When the mentality and attitude are right, this team can deliver good performances. But they have done that far too rarely. I think of the Schalke game, when we turned the game around to win 2:1. We also did well against Viktoria Cologne (3:2, editor’s note) and in the 1:1 draw in Duisburg, we were on top of the pitch for 70 or 80 minutes. But these are just three games out of 14, and that’s not enough.

… the worst moment: That was the 1-5 against Aachen in the last game. I have a lot of respect for Aachen because they are a very good team with a great attitude. But that 1-5 was quite something and in retrospect it opened our eyes as a coaching team and hopefully the players’ eyes as well. Even if it sounds stupid, we were almost a little happy that it really hit home again. It just wasn’t working out that way at all. The performance here really triggered a lot again…

the goals for 2024: It is certainly the aim to even out our win-loss record. We’ve only won four and lost nine, which is pretty intense. It would just be important to me that we prepare very well and with great focus, because we start against Leverkusen and then have Schalke at home. These are direct games that won’t be easy. But the league shows that with a top attitude and good preparation, you can win even against the big teams. We want to perform consistently, communicate a lot, remain critical and increase the pace of learning.