The bottom-of-the-table VfL Bochum appears to be an easy opponent heading to the Neckarstadion on Saturday—but they recently surprised under their new coach. We spoke with VfL fan Sarah about the situation “anne Castroper”.
With the Red Stripe: Hello Sarah, and thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. After the dramatic playoff survival via a penalty shootout against Düsseldorf, VfL is once again in a relegation battle this season and has already made their first coaching change. Is the club simply not financially strong enough for the Bundesliga, or do you see mistakes being made by the management?
Sarah: I have to say that financially, even in year four, we are still trailing at the very bottom of the league, even behind some second-division teams. With this budget, everything has to go perfectly. Still, I had hoped we could compete better with Kiel and Pauli by this point.
In the summer, VfL let go of key players from last season, including ex-VfB players Kevin Stöger and Takuma Asano as well as Patrick Osterhage, and brought in free agents like Sissoko and de Wit. Do you see the team as stronger or weaker compared to last season?
I see potential in some of the new arrivals, like Sissoko and also Boadu (unfortunately injured). De Wit hasn’t convinced yet, but I hope that changes. Players like Stöger and also Schlotterbeck are missed. Still, last season’s squad only narrowly avoided relegation; we were practically gone. What’s missing for me is a technically strong playmaker—Daschner hasn’t shone so far. We’ve also lost fast wingers because Zeidler didn’t prioritize them. Above all, the team doesn’t seem cohesive.
As mentioned, Peter Zeidler is already a thing of the past, and Dieter Hecking is now tasked with saving Bochum. What’s your take on the decision to bring in Hecking?
Zeidler was a poor fit tactically. The diamond formation and high pressing didn’t suit the squad or the relegation battle. At first, it looked okay, but opponents just had to wait for us to lose the ball and exploit the huge gaps. By the 60th minute, many players were exhausted. That was down to the style of play. Without fast wingers, we lost a crucial strength. On top of that, some players were placed in positions where they weren’t comfortable and underperformed.
Dieter Hecking is the right type of coach, I’m sure of that. Back to basics, more compactness—he’ll give the team confidence and won’t experiment too much.
Was anything noticeable in the respectable 1–1 draw against defending champions Leverkusen regarding Hecking’s plans and goals?
Hecking’s plan will likely be simple play, staying more compact at the back, and relying on counterattacks again. He’ll incorporate fast players both defensively and offensively—look at Holtmann and Oermann. The coach exudes calmness, which is exactly what a shaken team needs.
Do you think he can keep VfL up, and what’s your general season prediction at this point?
I definitely believe Hecking can make an impact. But the league is strong, and the gap is already large. St. Pauli is doing very well—I’m not sure it’ll be enough for us. At the moment, I fear we might say goodbye to the league. But we’ll go out with dignity. I’d also like to see Hecking stay on and extend his contract regardless. I think he could build something here, especially with his focus on young players.
During the international break, it was announced that VfL would allow goalkeeper Manuel Riemann to participate in training again. What’s your take on him, and what impact do you think this will have on the team?
Manuel Riemann has always been a polarizing figure but was a key player in our first years after promotion, despite his characteristic blunders. The whole saga was incredibly unfortunate, especially the external communication. Now a public legal dispute with player statements, etc., has been avoided, which is good. I hope he integrates well. I assume he’ll start out sitting on the bench as the third-choice keeper. But who knows…
What are VfL’s strengths and weaknesses at the moment?
Strengths: It’s hard to pinpoint after such a historically poor start. Probably that the team is better than they’ve shown so far. And that we never give up at VfL. The past few years have shown that everything is decided in the end.
Weaknesses: The defense remains very vulnerable. A creative playmaker is missing. And our set-pieces are, to put it mildly, a work in progress. That needs to change. Wittek’s corners and free kicks have been completely ineffective so far. Set-pieces could be a valuable weapon in a relegation battle.
Finally, your prediction for Bochum’s lineup and the result?
Lineup: Drewes — Passlack, Oermann, Medic, Wittek, Holtmann — Bero, Losilla, Sissoko — Hofmann, Broschinski.
Prediction: 1–1.
Note: This interview was translated from German via ChatGPT
Picture: © Photo by Leon Kuegeler/Getty Images