Henriksen: “I hope we can get even better”

After a week in Austria, the 1. FSV Mainz 05 squad returned to Mainz on Wednesday – and they did so with a good feeling. A 4-3 win in the final friendly against Crystal Palace was proof that the team made the most of their rain-soaked stay in Tyrol. “The whole game was outstanding,” said a satisfied Bo Henriksen. The head coach saw the club’s values reflected not just over 120 minutes in Wals-Grünau, but throughout the entire camp: “The boys worked really hard – and that’s part of the culture here.” Aside from Jae-sung Lee’s injury – with the midfielder expected to return to full training soon – the squad came through the week unscathed.

The hard work had been evident all week long – in team meetings, individual sessions at the Hohe Salve training base in Hopfgarten-Markt, and out on the training ground in Wörgl. Henriksen had set clear objectives before departure: to reinforce “routines and patterns” both in and out of possession. “We’ve got a good plan and we know what we want – but there are three or four areas we need to go over again,” he said after arriving in Austria.

“We saw we’ve got a strong squad”

The first friendly – a 5-0 win over Austrian third-tier side SV Seekirchen – was intended more as a physical workout, and the attacking patterns didn’t quite click as hoped. But against Premier League opposition, the progress was clear to see. “We worked really hard at this camp – on things like first-line pressing and defending in a block. There’s still a bit to do in terms of our work with the ball, but every player was focused, well prepared and knew what we wanted from them. That’s important,” commented Henriksen, who was pleased with both halves of the performance.

Everyone impressing

While the starting XI in the first half against Palace was largely made up of last season’s regulars – the only new face being Benedict Hollerbach – the second half saw a number of younger and less experienced players get their chance. Among them were 17-year-old academy defender Kacper Potulski and summer signing Konstantin Schopp. That group delivered an impressive performance too – much to Henriksen’s delight, particularly with the DFB-Pokal and UEFA Conference League play-offs on the horizon. “We saw that we’ve got a strong squad with lots of options,” he praised.

Board member for sport and communication Christian Heidel echoed that sentiment when asked about potential squad changes: “Aside from one departure, we’ve kept the same squad as last season – and we’ve added several new players too. Everyone knows we finished sixth last year and were still in the Champions League race right near the end,” Heidel said. Hyun-seok Hong is now also set to join FC Nantes on loan. That continuity makes it even more valuable that everyone in the squad was able to showcase their abilities in Austria. “It’s important that players 13, 14, 15 and 16 are ready to take the next step,” stated Henriksen. There are still around three weeks to go before Mainz’s first competitive game of the new season – and if those days are used as well as the time in Austria, there’s every reason to believe Henriksen’s hope will come true: “I hope we can get even better.”