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"Approach our target with positivity"
Following the defeat in Leverkusen, Hannover 96’s head coach Thomas Schaaf has spoken about the game at the BayArena, the development of his team and the difficult situation at the moment. Sporting director Martin Bader has also spoken about the possibility of further new signings.
- Schaaf on the Leverkusen match
“We had several chances to score in Leverkusen – for example a good one through Hugo Almeida. Our problem is that we did not do enough from the situations we found ourselves in. We simply do not do enough. That is our big shortcoming. But in any case, that has to be a starting point for the coming week. We had planned to take advantage of the spaces, but every time we won the ball in a good position, we immediately gave it away again. We just have to do more there. Admittedly, we are defending our goal well but we are not threatening the opposition goal. If we can do better in the situations we found ourselves in, then other sides will not feel so inclined to pile forward. But we are not doing that, so we are not in the position to win matches.” - Schaaf on the development:
“We cannot undo a whole year’s work in just two weeks – that doesn’t work. But we appreciate the changes that have been made, for example having a greater participation in games and also having a better set-up on the pitch. We also have more chances in front of goal. Only the results are missing, and that bugs us, and I have told the team that. It is one thing to prevent a goal, but then you have to go out and win the game yourself, and that is where we are not performing to our potential at the moment.” - Schaaf on the current season:
“Time is not an issue for us because we have no time. For us it is important to work, and work with what we currently have. That is why we have to get things straight in our heads and then implement them. We have to make sure that we carry out our work with intensity and we must not just stand around looking at one another, but at ourselves. It does not change our situation that some sides are playing well and some badly, but only we can change this by getting results ourselves. Of course we know that the gap is not small, and we have to come to terms with that now.”
- Schaaf on the current situation:
“It is a situation in which we cannot assume that every game is winnable. We have a target that we want to reach and we have several opportunities to do that on the way. For me there is not a negative mentality here when I see that we have brought about changes and are chasing our goal. I am not at all thinking we will go down, and we will approach our target with such positivity and try to win the next game.”
- Schaaf on possible transfers:
“A little experience and security would do us some good, but for that we need the right player. But firstly we must find that player, and if we cannot then we will have to kick on with what we already have.”
- Schaaf on the injury update:
“We assume that Marius Wolf will be able to re-join training again this week. We still have to wait for Oliver Sorg and Felix Klaus to recover. With Leon Andreasen, we had hoped that he’d be back earlier but his ankle is not yet fully ready.”
- Schaaf on taking on this job:
“I came here knowing perfectly well that the situation was not great. I know about the difficulties of this job and knowingly took it on.”
- Bader on possible new signings:
“We have been looking at things since October but the January transfer window is the most difficult. There is not much out there on the market. Even the big clubs find it difficult, but we do notice a difference. They are in a different position to us because we are bottom of the league. The perception of the club is also not ideal because we have been in the lower reaches of the table for the last two years. It has been the case for some years now that Hannover 96 is not the centre of the sporting world. But we are still trying to find players who are right for the club – and that is a process. We do not want to bring in just any old player who we were able to sign, but someone who is motivated. He must have personal reasons for moving to Hannover 96 – it cannot just be a job for him. He should also be aware that it is something special to play for Hannover 96. However, we currently need someone who can do a job quickly. If someone without baggage comes and plays with freedom, then that will do us some good. But it rests on us.”
