Farke: “We want to build a team that defends Borussia’s values”

Borussia head coach Daniel Farke answered the journalists’ questions at Monday afternoon’s media round. He gave an insight into how things are going at his new side as well as his impressions from his first full week with the Foals.

Daniel Farke on... 

...his main tasks as Borussia head coach: It’s a new beginning for Borussia. It’s important to me that we don’t look back at the past too much. We’ve got a good base, and it’s my job to ensure we get the optimum performance out of that base. We know it won’t be an easy task, and as head coach, my first task is to convince the team of our ideology. Following that, a large part of our job will be to incorporate the entire club and surrounding groups. If we don’t build something of a community and head in the same direction together, then it’s almost impossible to be successful at this level. 

...the importance of a good atmosphere in the changing room: It’s always a positive prerequisite when you have a good working climate. Thankfully, the times in which you would ensure top performance of your players with a regime of fear and aggression are over. We need a strong focus in the dressing room, and that’s where a good atmosphere is extremely important. From what I’ve seen so far, I can only pay the lads compliments. It’s a very, very pleasant working environment.  

...the team’s character: I’ve got to know all the players and the staff personally, and they all know exactly what it means to put on the shirt and represent the club, as well as what it means to defend the honour of the badge. We’ve spoken a lot about contracts, money and business, which is also part of the job. But when you can tangibly see just how much the club means to the players and how much the last 18 or 24 months, which did not go ideally, are motivating them, then that shows a really good foundation as well as a team together with which I’m more than happy to work. We want to give the fans and the board what they want: a Borussia side that plays good football and that defends Borussia’s values. 

…Marcus Thuram: Every player who is here now has the chance to prove themselves and show what they can do. The same goes for Marcus. He’s a player of extraordinary quality, and he’s shown that before on many occasions. He’s perhaps not always played at a top level every week, but that’s normal. Sometimes even the smallest of influences can keep you from playing your best. It’s our job to get Marcus back to his best. I can see him totally focused and refreshed at the minute, Not just in training, but also off the pitch, he’s conducted himself really well, so I can only praise the work he’s done so far. 

...having fans at the Foals’ training sessions: In England, training sessions are behind closed doors for both journalists and fans, which is very different to how things traditionally go in Germany. I know that’s something to appreciate here at Borussia and I’m enjoying it, too. I think our proximity to the fans and our transparency is one of the great qualities of this club, something which sets it apart. Of course, we’ll have some behind-closed-doors sessions from time to time, to work on particular aspects of our game. If we didn’t do that, we’d lose a competitive edge. However, we’ll try and keep that to a minimum. We’ll always try to welcome our fans with open arms. Above everything, football is for the fans, and that’s how we want to keep it here at Borussia. 

...his approach to try and give Borussia more defensive stability: When you talk about defensive stability, it’s not just about how you play when you haven’t got the ball, but also having a good structure in possession. The more we have the ball, the less we present the opposition the chance to score a goal. You can also save your legs when you have more of the ball, which means that when you do lose it, you can defend with more intensity and dynamism. We want to be defensively stable, and we’ll work hard to achieve that. However, I do also believe that what we do when we have the ball also plays an important part in that.