“A fight for every metre of the pitch”

By Thursday afternoon, almost 32,000 tickets for Mainz’s duel with VfL Bochum on Saturday (15:30 CET) had already been sold – a number which indicates that the MEWA ARENA should be close to a full house for the crucial clash. For Bo Henriksen, the sales figures are a clear indication of just how much the club means to its fans. “They are the most important thing; we need their passion. They give everything for us, and we’ll give everything for them on Saturday,” said the Dane in Thursday’s press conference. For Henriksen, both he and his team have a responsibility to deliver after the defeat in Munich last time out. “We want to go out there and show that we’re ready to work harder than every other team, both with and for each other.”

Going into this week of training, Henriksen demanded a response from his team. And the squad have delivered, with the Dane highlighting the two public training sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday in particular. There was also a competitive element to the sessions, says Henriksen. “No-one wants to be a bad version of themselves. The players have worked extraordinarily well on being the best possible version of themselves this week, and it’s been fun,” reports the FSV head coach, who is optimistic of a very different display to last week’s. In training, says Henriksen, he has seen players “who don’t want to let what occurred in Munich happen again under any circumstances.” Without energy, the team has no chance of success, and Henriksen’s men must therefore approach training with the aim of getting 100% ready for matchday – both physically and mentally. “We play as we train,” as Henriksen explained recently.

Nearly everyone available

He was very pleased with the team’s sharpness in training. At the end of the day, they are facing an opponent in Bochum from whom they know what to expect. “It’ll be a back and forth game. Second balls will be important and I’m expecting some fiercely fought duels and lots of set pieces which could decide the game.” Henriksen was clear that it will be “a fight for every metre of the pitch.” That’s what he’s preparing his team for and will pick the players who he thinks are best-suited to fighting the battle ahead as a unit. It’s also possible that Leandro Barreiro and Dominik Kohr (“one of our leaders”), both of whom are strong in individual battles, will return to the starting eleven after suspension. For the first time since his arrival at the club, Henriksen has almost a full squad at his disposal, leaving the head coach spoilt for choice. Only Nelson Weiper, who is back in recovery training, and Stefan Bell (myocarditis) are still unavailable. “Nearly everyone’s fit for the first time all season. That’s good news, because we’ll need every one of them. I’ve got 13, 14, 15 players who deserve to play, but I can only pick eleven. The other four or five have to prove themselves,” said Henriksen, who as expected did not delve deeper into his own thought process.

As the relegation battle comes to a head, the 49-year-old makes it clear that he’s still certain the team can finish at least 16th. “We still have nine, and hopefully eleven, games left. And we have a chance of achieving our aim. That’s what we’re focusing on, instead of being worried. The onus is only on us.” If they win and results go in their favour, the 05ers could overtake 1. FC Köln (who take on Leipzig on Friday evening) on Saturday evening, giving Mainz a slight psychological advantage. This would certainly make the celebrations of the club’s 119th anniversary even more joyous.