MSV Duisburg will face Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday (October 21, 4:30 p.m.). Boris Schommers will then celebrate his league coaching debut for the Zebras. He is aiming for the first three points.
Boris Schommers’ debut as coach of MSV Duisburg failed when the team was eliminated in the Lower Rhine Cup in Krefeld. MSV lost 0:1 at KFC Uerdingen.
Now Schommers is set to make his debut in the league. On Saturday (October 21, 4:30 p.m.), Arminia Bielefeld comes to third-division bottom team MSV Duisburg. The Zebras are expecting 14,000 spectators – around 3,000 of them fans from Bielefeld.
Boris Schommers talks about…
… the cup defeat at KFC Uerdingen: “It doesn’t matter who was absent due to injury. As MSV Duisburg, we have to beat this opponent and advance to the next round. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage that.”
… on his negative debut as MSV coach: “It’s not about me at all. It’s about the fact that we should have advanced as MSV. It went like crap. And not for one person, but for the entire club. We missed this chance for a turnaround. Against Bielefeld, we have the next one.”
… the closed-door sessions on Thursday and Friday: “It’s not about doing things all over again. It’s simply about rehearsing things with the team that won’t be revealed right away. Before my time, not everything was bad, but not everything was good either. We’ll try to continue the good things and rotate other things. That’s where I just want to spend two days working with the team in peace. “
I want to take a very close look at who has understood the situation at this club and who is one hundred percent behind MSV. I hope I don’t find anyone who puts themselves first and only thinks about themselves. We are in a team sport here, not an individual sport.
Boris Schommers
.. the personnel situation before the Bielefeld game: “The glass is half full. So Thomas Pledl has trained the complete week, he is an option. I’m keeping that open for myself. Marvin Knoll works mainly in the athletics area and is still further away from team training. The nice thing compared to Uerdingen is that four players have reported back in the last 96 hours. 48 hours before Uerdingen, four players had still signed off. We actually had all the players on the pitch this week. We see that all the players want to. Now we have to see who the first eleven players will be.
… the next opponent: Unfortunately, Bielefeld is stronger. Arminia is a big club and relegated from the second league. They have managed the turnaround and recently scored four points and three goals. With Fabian Klos, they have the target player up front. But MSV has also picked up four points in the last two games. We want to continue this series.
… his plan until the winter break: “We actually have an internal plan. In addition to the issue of getting over the line quickly, it’s also about finding out with the coaching team why we’re where we are. Then we can also achieve the turnaround within the team. I want to take a very close look at who has understood the situation at this club and who is one hundred percent behind MSV. I hope I don’t find anyone who puts themselves first and only thinks about themselves. We’re in a team sport here, not an individual sport.”
… Talks with Engin Vural: “I’ve already talked to him several times. I approached him and we had two good talks. We talked more about the future than the past. For me, it is important that we have the interface with the youth and live it. That has to be the way of an NLZ and a club that focuses on young talent. “
Relating to the fans, I said it directly after Uerdingen: I could completely understand their displeasure. We were disappointed, the fans were disappointed. But on Saturday, over 10,000 MSV fans will come again. That is outstanding. We have a responsibility to bring a one hundred percent attitude to the pitch. That would be the first step.
Boris Schommers
Sebastian Mai as a striker: “I don’t think the past coaches did this out of a sense of desperation. We now have to figure out as a coaching team how to manage to score goals. Mai might be an option as a player with a strong header. But I also like to say that anything before my time is irrelevant to me. Even if we don’t put Mai in up front, we’ll have good offensive players to showcase on Saturday. But maybe I’ll put him in after all (laughs).
… the criticism from former player Aziz Bouhaddouz: “We would be well advised to focus on zero. Everything that happened, we have no influence on. The way can only be that we do not look back. But of course we also have to reflect on what was good, what we have to do better. We’re taking a positive approach here and looking ahead. That’s why I don’t concern myself with external peripheral issues. I have enough to do here.”
… his expectations on Saturday: “With regard to the fans, I said it directly after Uerdingen: I could completely understand their displeasure. We were disappointed, the fans were disappointed. But on Saturday, more than 10,000 MSV fans will come again. That is outstanding. We have a responsibility to bring a one hundred percent attitude to the pitch. That would be the first step. “