The gymnastics club Essen-West is currently experiencing a negative streak in the Lower Rhine District League 6. Coach Dietmar Krause talks about the reasons and calls for tried and tested methods.
The Turngemeinde Essen-West is currently going through a difficult time in the Lower Rhine 6 district league. Coach Dietmar Krause’s team got off to a poor start to the season and has not yet been able to stabilize.
The result: out of twelve games, the gymnastics club has only won two and drawn two. The rest of the games were lost. The consequence of this poor performance: with only eight points, the team from Essen-West is in a relegation spot. The gap to safety is three points.
Coach Krause is dissatisfied with the situation, but can put it into perspective: “We have a lot of injured players at the moment. Plus, we have no striker. Jani Dragoni is suspended, Özkan Akcapinar is injured. So it’s just difficult to keep up in the district league at the moment.”
The squad, which is already very young with almost ten U19 players, is currently being put to the hardest test. The numerous absences mainly affect leading players and regulars. As a result, starting goalkeeper Stefan Nass, Luca Manis and captain Faruk Kuduzovic will be missing for at least the next few weeks. Due to the absences, the young players have to take on responsibility, which is almost too much for Krause.
We have to collect as many points as possible by December and finally realize that we are in the relegation battle. This has to be anchored in our heads now.
Dietmar Krause
Despite a shaken squad, things are going in leaps and bounds for Essen-West in the league. On Sunday, Krause’s team will host Vogelheimer SV at 1:30 p.m. The 53-year-old himself isn’t sure what to expect at the moment: “With so many young players, it depends mainly on how they perform on the day. If we start the game well, anything is possible. Otherwise, it will be difficult again.”
Krause himself recognizes the seriousness of the situation and urges his team: ”We have to collect as many points as possible by December and finally realize that we are in the relegation battle. This has to be anchored in our minds.”
A change of system due to the crisis in results? On the contrary. Krause relies on tried and tested methods: “Since we don’t have the quality on the pitch at the moment, we have to bring in other virtues. We need fighting spirit, will and readiness. I expect these things for the upcoming games.”