Farke ahead of #BMGSCF: “That’s the point when you have to show the right attitude”

Daniel Farke and Roland Virkus faced the media ahead of the Foals’ home game against SC Freiburg on Saturday, (15:30 CET).

Trainer Daniel Farke on…

…the chances of Jonas Omlin playing: Jonas trained individually today and wasn’t pain-free. We’ll need a minor miracle for him to play on Saturday. We will try everything we can until the last minute, as he’s a very important player for us. But the likelihood that he will be available is very low.

…other team news for Saturday: Marcus Thuram was able to train fully yesterday and today. He will be available. Hannes Wolffelt the strain a little this week, but he was back on board today. Even if it was a light session, we are full of hope that he will make the game on Saturday. Jan Olschowsky won’t be available as he still has some inflammation after his stomach flu. Tobi Sippel is back in training though and will start in goal. As before, long-term absentees Jule Weigl and Tony Jantschke are still out.

…the chances of Marvin Friedrich playing: Marvin Friedrich is always in my plans and he is pushing to be in the starting XI. It’s definitely the case that we have a lot of competition for places in this position. Nico Elvedi and Ko Itakura are being pushed to play well because Marvin is breathing down their necks. All options are possible – also this coming matchday.

….avoiding giving away dead balls against Freiburg, who are dangerous from set pieces: It will be important to have a lot of possession because then the probability of there being a corner or a set piece against you is less. We know that Freiburg are a team that are good from set pieces, but so are we as well. In Vincenzo Grifo, Freiburg have an exception set-piece taker in their ranks, but it doesn’t do any good overthinking it, because then it starts to play on your mind. In fact, we want to use our own set pieces to win the game for ourselves.

…the 6-0 loss to SCF in the previous home game: I can’t see into people’s heads, but my feeling anyway is that footballers always think about the next game. Maybe the 6-0 is in the back of people’s minds here or there but the boys aren’t going to collapse in fear because of that, the same as me. We know Freiburg’s strengths and have the attitude that something like that won’t happen to us for a second time.

…SC Freiburg’s sporting development in the past few years: I can only speak about this club with the greatest of respect. It is not only a likeable club, but it is remarkable how brilliantly they have developed. Christian Streich is an exceptional coach doing brilliant work. Freiburg have been an Europa League level for years now, and are one of the great places to go in Germany.

…the Foals’ current sporting situation: It is important for us to collect more points. We are highly motivated to do this – especially because we are unhappy with the result in Mainz. If we play the way we want to then we have a good chance to take the points on Saturday.

…the fluctuating performances of the team: If games go our way, and we have momentum on our side, we’re in a position to deliver high intensity, to put in a lot of running and to be aggressive. But if the momentum is not on our side then these qualities often go missing. That’s the point when you have to show the right attitude. We are in the position to react to this, but have not done this consistently. It is a question of attitude, which we definitely have to work on because these themes have gone on the whole season. If we talk about these points, the boys are very self-critical.

Sporting director Roland Virkus on…

…the fluctuating performances of the team: The defeats in Berlin and Mainz annoy me because I know we could’ve done better. For me it is crucial that we defend better. That should be the basis of every game. You always start at 0-0 and you have to do everything to keep this clean sheet. I don’t doubt the mindset of the team and won’t against the desire they have. It is much more about all the players on the pitch defending their own goal with everything they have. The team has already shown that they can do this and because of this these performances go against the grain. It is now essential to work better as a collective.

…the contract situation with Jordan Beyer, who is currently on loan at Burnley: It is only logical that Burnley would really like to keep Jordan in England, and he also has to consider if he would like to take this step, because as the leaders of the Championship with a 19 point lead over the second-placed team, Burnley have a big chance of being promoted to the Premier League. We would like him back, but it is not in our own hands. In the case that he moves, all sides would definitely profit from that.

…current planning surrounding the contract situations of Marcus Thuram and Ramy Bensebaini: We have to plan for the event that both these players or other players whose contracts are running out will leave the club. We are watching the market and will see what’s possible and what’s not.

…Matthias Ginter’s return and his exit from Mönchengladbach last summer: His exit was a completely normal process how it often happens in football. His exit was amicable. He put in good performances here. I am looking forward to seeing him again this weekend.