Peintinger: “We have to continue to improve”

On Wednesday afternoon, assistant Christian Peintinger and sporting director Roland Virkus answered questions from journalists ahead of Gladbach’s trip to VfL Bochum on Friday evening (20:30 CET). Coach Adi Hütter remains absent after testing positive for coronavirus. Here are the highlights from their press conference.

Assistant Christian Peintinger on..

…The state of the squad: Apart from Nico Elvedi (positive test), Jonas Hofmann (muscle strain) and Mamadou Doucouré (muscle problems), all players are fit and available for selection.

…The previous match: It won’t just happen overnight that we play like we did in the first half against Hertha. We played well last weekend and we want to improve bit by bit. I gave the players the credit they deserved but I also pointed out that we just won one game. We have to continue to improve, that has to be our goal. I hope that we can take another step in the right direction against VfL Bochum. This is what we work for everyday.

…His expectations for the game against Bochum: I expect us to perform as we did in the first half against Hertha with an aggressive style of play. Bochum are very strong, very aggressive and intensely battle for the second balls. We have to be prepared for that. But of course we want to show the quality that we have and that also means being able to play with the ball.      

…The game in the first half of the season against Bochum (2-1): I won’t use our game against Bochum in the first half of the season as a benchmark because it took place a while ago. Instead we will focus on the current situation and where we are at this moment in time. We will orientate ourselves more towards the game we played against Hertha.

…The philosophy of the coaching team: In essence, we want to stick to our philosophy, whether we are playing at home or away. It is important that we stick to our approach and bring what we want to implement on a matchday. 

…About the possible lineup: I am a big believer in the idea of: “never change a winning team.” As a player, it makes you feel better if you are being rewarded for good performances and when a team gets a chance to establish a way of playing. However, I will be forced to make a change due to the absence of Nico Elvedi.

…Lars Stindl: I am delighted that Lars was able to make his comeback against Hertha and that he can also fully take part in training again. It is however too early for him to play 90 minutes because he was out for so long. It is important that he gets the time to get fully fit again.  

…Jonas Hofmann: Hoffi is able to take part but is training without the ball. We still need to be patient with his injury.   

…How he sees himself as a coach: I try to be calm and objective with how I communicate with the team. I can be more energetic on the sidelines, but within reason.

…His role as assistant: When I asked Adi back in the day if I could work with him, I swore my allegiance to him for life. I am so thankful that he put his faith into me and therefore I want to give something back to him. I do not aspire to take up another head coaching role and I want to be by his side for as long as he wants me to be.

Sporting director Roland Virkus on...

…The current sporting situation: Of course we have to try to pick up points as quickly as possible, so that we can put daylight between ourselves and the relegation places. Every point that we get is valuable. That’s why every game is important, not just the one on Friday against Bochum.

…Previous matches against Bochum, particularly the relegation play-off match in 2011: I was in the stadium for that game against Bochum and it made everyone in the stadium emotional. I can’t however speculate on what emotional impact this game has on the players, particularly the ones who were at Borussia at the time. You also can’t compare the current Bochum team with the one that played in that game. Bochum are now a top-flight club and they have put in some strong performances against the top sides. They beat FC Bayern 4-2 and although they lost 1-0 to RB Leipzig, they were actually the better side. They play in tight stadium and it will be a thriller on Friday night.

…Manu Koné: In the case of Manu Koné, our scouting department has done a great job. When a 20-year-old plays in a pivotal position and fills the role really well, you feel validated and it shows that he has the potential that you thought he had. It makes you happy to see how well he is playing in this difficult period, albeit with a few ups and downs, which are to be expected at this age. However, I believe that he still has lots of potential and we can develop with him.