Farke ahead #WOBBMG: "We will approach the game with the necessary respect"

Daniel Farke spoke to the press ahead of Saturday’s clash with Wolfsburg at the Volkswagen Arena (15:30 CEST). Here are the most important statements:

Daniel Farke on…

…the state of the squad ahead of #WOBBMG: There were a few question marks after the derby. Things are looking good for Manu Koné, who has been able to return to team training. I am also optimistic about Joe Scally as he was also able to fully participate in training on Thursday. There are still doubts about Chris Kramer. He has not been able to train with the team this week. It’s touch-and-go but there is still at least a small chance he could feature. Florian Neuhaus, Ko Itakura and Hannes Wolf are all still out.

…his expectations of the game: We expect a difficult game. Wolfsburg have a very strong squad and players with lots of individual quality. They also have a very experienced coach in Niko Kovac. They haven’t started the season as they would have liked but that can give you a bit of a wake up call. This all points towards a reaction and their past performances also speak for that. They are starting to pick up some momentum and we will approach the game with the necessary respect.

…his assessment of VfL Wolfsburg: They have a very clear way of playing football and a clear idea of how they want to create chances. It hasn’t been effective in every game so far, otherwise they would have more points. You can, however, see that they are on the right path and it won’t be easy to create chances on Saturday. They are also a side with lots of quality, they play with a high-tempo and use the ball well. We will have to get it right tactically on the day and defend well in order to quell any threat.

…possibly switching things up in order to deal with the busy schedule: I’m used to busy schedules after my time in England. Playing matches is the best thing for the the boys. They are professional footballers. You do have to tone down the intensity of training a little bit but three games in seven days shouldn’t be a problem. It’s important not to look too far ahead and we are fully focussed on Wolfsburg on Saturday.

…Gladbach’s recent performances on the road: I don’t think they have been drastically different to our home performances. On the contrary. Apart from the first half against Bremen we have been pretty steady away from home. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that not many teams get a point away at Bayern. Not many teams will dominate Freiburg for 60 minutes and take a point off them at home. We were 2-1 up against Schlake until the last minute. We’ve come close a couple of times away from home. We want to also put in a good performance in Wolfsburg.

…Julian Weigl’s strong performance in the derby: Julian Weigl’s range of passing is exceptional and that’s exactly why we signed him. He has so much quality, confidence and he has a great feeling for the rhythm of the game.