Regionalligist Rot-Weiß Oberhausen is facing a highlight match against Wuppertaler SV. We spoke to RWO coach Jörn Nowak in the run-up to the game.
Last matchday, Rot-Weiß Oberhausen celebrated a very important victory in the top match at 1. FC Düren. After falling behind early on, Pierre Fassnacht and Moritz Montag turned the game around and ensured the third away win this season.
With 19 points after ten games, the Cloverleaves are currently in fourth place in the table, just one point behind leaders Fortuna Köln. The only defeat came at the start of the season at SC Wiedenbrück (0:1), since then nine games have followed without a defeat – the longest series of all Regionalliga West clubs.
So it’s no surprise that RWO is going into the next league match with a lot of self-confidence – and it’s a tough one. On Saturday (2 p.m.), Rot-Weiß Oberhausen welcomes sixth-place Wuppertaler SV to the Stadion Niederrhein.
Ahead of the chasing duel between the two ambitious traditional clubs, Forecasting spoke to Oberhausen’s head coach Jörn Nowak (37):
Jörn Nowak, after three draws in a row, the top match at 1. FC Düren was won 2-1, despite being down 0-1. With a few days’ distance, what is your analysis of this match and what was decisive for the victory?
We put in our best away performance and deserved to win the game. We stayed calm after the early deficit and created scoring chances again and again against a good, compact opponent through very good positional play. The double strike before the break naturally played into our hands.
After ten matchdays, you’re in fourth place in the table: RWO has been unbeaten for nine games, has the best defense along with Fortuna Köln, and has conceded the fewest defeats. Are you satisfied with the start to the season?
First and foremost, I’m satisfied with the development of our team after ten match days. We’re very stable and don’t allow many scoring chances. In addition, we’re implementing a lot of the things we work on in training in the games. However, we are still in the middle of the process and we must therefore continue to work on our potential in a concentrated manner.
On Saturday, Wuppertaler SV travels to the Niederrhein stadium for the top match. Wuppertaler SV got off to an outstanding start with four wins, but recently lost three games in a row and are in a crisis. How do you assess the situation at your opponents?
For us, it’s irrelevant in preparation for the game with which series the opponent comes to us. We’re concentrating on ourselves and our strengths.
How does the team have to perform in order to land a three-pointer on this day? What’s the plan of action?
We want to play with a lot of energy and passion. The spectators should simply have fun when they come to our stadium.
On Saturday, our fans can once again become an important factor by unconditionally whipping the team forward for 90 minutes. We are just looking forward to an atmospheric top match.
Jörn Nowak.
In the Stadion Niederrhein, RWO has been undefeated for over six months. How important will the support of your own fans be again against WSV?
Our fans have played a very important part in our series. The support in Düren was amazing, and in the last cup game (5:3 against Jüchen-Garzweiler, editor’s note) they helped us out of a precarious situation with their fine instincts. On Saturday, our fans can once again become an important factor by unconditionally whipping the team forward for 90 minutes. We are simply looking forward to an atmospheric top match.
