Season review part IV
- False start against Borussia Dortmund: Quiroga (far right) scores for the 1-2
Wolfsburg – The signs were right for a successful start to the second round. The VfL pros were full of optimism after training in La Manga in Spain and before the match against Borussia Dortmund on the 22nd of January. A weak opponent like Borussia Dortmund at the second roud opener seemed to be just the thing to help the Wolves to maintain their place among the top teams with a “three”.
Unfortunately, things turned out quite differently. In their first game after the winter break, VfLseemed uninspired and inconsistent. Their guests, on the other hand, gave them a good dressing down. Before the Wolves knew what happened, they were losing 0-2.A goal from Facundo Quiroga to make it 1-2 came too late. Coach Erik Gerets was furious. Luckily, the competition in the standings also lost, so Wolfsburg was able to stay in fourth place.
- In Freiburg, too, the Wolves went away empty-handed: Riether and Topic (front)
Second setback
Erik Gerets’ anger regarding the performance at the VOLKSWAGEN ARENA continued into the middle of the week. "The team didn’t follow the plan," he said. A win against SC Freiburg was now obligatory, especially given that the Breisgauer team was in last place.
But this didn’t help. The second setback followed and with it a descent into eight place. Zlatan Bajramovic scored the only goal in the game, in which the Wolves brought a 0-1 loss onto themselves. Gerets’ boys really should have won the game giving their numerous scoring opportunities. But a lack of decisiveness, a bit of bad luck andproblems with the defence in the last part of the game brought down their hopes of victory. The green-and-white went home for the sixth time in a row without scoring a point. The injured list surely contributed to this misery away from home. InAndres D' Alessandro, Diego Klimowicz and Thomas Rytter three regular players were missing. And the suffering of Marian Hristovcontinued:-the Bulgarian is still struggling today with knee problems.
- Took over the captain’s role from Stefan Schnoor: Simon Jentzsch
Jentzsch is the new captain, Thiam extended
Before the next point game against Werder Bremen, the number of players unable to play even increased. Marino Biliskov and Kevin Hofland were unavailable to Gerets because of yellow-red suspensions. But other topics were more important for Wolfsburg at the beginning of February. Stefan Schnoor had laid down his role as captain after two years. Simon Jentzsch took the place of the VfL veteran. A day later Pablo Thiam prematurely extended his contract until 2008, thus expressing his confidence in the team and its staff.
But the downswing continued on the following weekend. The game against Werder, which had been declared "key game" by Thomas Brdaric and others ended 2-3. Bremen celebrated an important victory. The Wolves tried to keep their disappoint in check after the defeat at home.
- Dismay in the faces of Maik Franz und Thomas Brdaric (r.)
The low point at AufSchalke
The Wolves could have won against Bremen. Manager Strunz was optimistic before the next away game at FC Schalke 04. But things only got worse. The low point followed. The Wolves went down 0-3 at the AufSchalke arena – without any real defence, without any resilience – and slipped into tenth place.
Gerald Asamoah, Ebbe Sand and Mike Hanke mercilessly uncovered the Wolves’ weaknesses. VfL was completely unable to deal with the press of the opposing team. Only Jentzsch was able to prevent a debacle with his outstanding displays. In view of the disastrous last four games, Jentzsch demanded that the team pull themselves up out of their slumpand re-activate the strengths of the first round. For the coming days this meant above all: "Work, work, work and training, training, training."
Find out if this path led to success and ended the Wolves’ losing streak in the fifth part of our epic season review.