FSV head coach Bo Henriksen held a team talk with his squad before the beginning of a new week of training. On Tuesday, the 05ers started to gear up for their match against VfL Bochum at the MEWA Arena on Saturday (15:30 CET), where they will be hoping to set a precedent for the rest of their season. Henriksen noted that he watched a “flat” team fall to a heavy defeat against FC Bayern. “I wanted to remind the players of the situation we find ourselves in. I think they got the message,” explained the Dane after the conclusion of the session.
Mainz’s training on Tuesday morning was centred around challenges. The Mainz players got straight down to the nitty-gritty and flew into tackles. When asked whether he was concerned about injuries, Henriksen stated that he wasn’t, as worrying is never productive. “You play as you train. We need to make sure that we have this attitude during the week. The team needs energy, heart and passion in order to succeed. I saw that in my first three games.”
After the “wake-up call” in Munich, Mainz’s players need to face up to the tough reality of being right in the midst of a relegation battle. Henriksen said that nobody’s talking about “how good we are. We’re seventeenth, but we’re still in control of our own destiny. Complaining isn’t going to achieve anything. We’ve got to talk less and do more,” expressed Henriksen. Above all, he stressed that it’s about recognising “that we need to fight.”
Over the coming days, Mainz 05 will focus on transforming the frustration from the game against FC Bayern into positive energy, a winning mentality, and excitement for the next challenge in front of a home crowd. This will be their next opportunity to climb out of the relegation zone and, in an ideal world, reduce the gap between themselves and VfL Bochum to just six points. The head coach firmly believes that this game, which is the first of the remaining nine this season, must be approached as if it were a final, in which the 05ers should be “clever but, above all, brave.” He added: “On Saturday, we can go out there and prove to everyone that we’re capable of rising to the occasion and not backing down. For us, it will come down to our mentality and our performance.”
The 05ers will also be looking to follow in the footsteps of their youth side, who are set to take on FC Porto on Wednesday in the Youth League at 18:00 CET. The U19s have made quite the impression on Henriksen with their performances in the competition so far. “The boys have done exceptionally well, and have shown what it means to win and be a part of this club. It comes down to belief and bravery. Even the senior players were able to learn from their second-half performance against Man City, which had an impact on everyone here and reflects the club culture at Mainz,” praised the head coach, who will not be short of choice for the game against Bochum over the coming weeks. Nelson Weiper, who was previously involved in the Youth League himself, finally returned to action at the beginning of the week, making a vital step towards his comeback by completing an individual session next to the rest of the team. Henriksen will also be able to rely on both Leo Barreiro and Dominik Kohr for this weekend’s clash against Bochum, after both sat out of the game in Munich due to suspension.