Farke: “Taking positivity back home”

Borussia head coach Daniel Farke spoke to the media following the Foals’ 6-0 friendly win over 1860 Munich on Sunday, with the 45-year-old giving his assessment of the week-long training camp at Tegernsee.

Daniel Farke on…

…the training camp at Tegernsee: It’s been positive. We’ve worked incredibly hard. The lads have been very focused, and we’ve been able to work on a number of elements, particularly how we use possession. We welcomed our international players back during the week and have been able to integrate them into the team sessions. I have to give the lads credit for their fitness levels. We’re not at 100 percent yet, but we’re getting there. The 6-0 win over a third-tier side to round off the week is also a good preseason result.

…the support from the fans during the training camp: Being able to enjoy this week alongside the fans has been great. Sensing that positivity and that hunger around the club after last season is a good experience for the boys. We will take that positivity back to Mönchengladbach.

…the friendly against 1860 Munich: It was a good test. After all, we were up against a third-tier side who are much further along in their preseason preparations, and this game was supposed to be a real barometer for them going into the new season.  Nevertheless, we were able to dominate the game, score lots of goals and keep a clean sheet. Still, there are still a few areas that I think we can improve on. We allowed them a few too many chances in the first half, albeit without 1860 having a clear-cut goalscoring opportunity. We had a week of hard work in the legs, so you have to give credit to the lads. I’m very happy with the desire we showed in the second half and with the clean sheet.

… Yvandro Borges Sanches: Yvandro is a great lad, but I’m not a fan of heaping praise on young players too soon. We’re in preseason and it was a friendly against a third-tier side – if he wants to play in the first team, he needs to deliver at another level altogether. Saying that, the lad has really showcased his talent; there’s a reason he was in the starting line-up. Everyone in the squad has the chance to showcase themselves, including the youngsters. Yvandro has done a brilliant job so far, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us and his journey is only just beginning.

…Nico Elvedi and Yann Sommer, who didn’t feature in the friendly: You always have to make smart decisions during preseason to avoid injuries. The most important thing is for everyone to come through it without any problems. We only welcomed the internationals back in the middle of the week and at that stage, it wasn’t clear whether any of them would be featuring in the friendly. They all came back in very good shape and dealt with the training sessions well. However, Nico had some minor muscular problems without being injured necessarily. He just had heavy legs, so leaving him out was simply a precaution. We still have to work on his fitness though, so he completed a session on the other pitch. Yann is experienced and knows his body inside-out. He had three really tough days of training and also put in a real shift in during the morning session yesterday. We still have a number of friendlies left in preseason, so I think it was the right decision not to put him into the action too early, but his time will come.

…the first two weeks of preseason: The lads have worked superbly so far. I’m very happy and think that we’re on a good path, but we’re still in preseason and this part doesn’t count for anything. What matters is when competitive football begins, so there’s still a long way to go. We’re ready for the next weeks of intensive work with lots of friendlies and training sessions. Preseason isn’t a walk in the park; we need to keep pushing hard to be as best prepared as possible.

…the returning Famana Quizera and Hannes Wolf: Famana and Hannes are great lads, very open, very committed and focused, and very clear in their perception of things. They came back to us fit and have proven to be in good condition. Like all of my players, they have a chance to showcase themselves and make an impression. It’s not easy because we have a lot of quality in every position, but they’re doing a good job so far.

…Lars Stindl: Lars is a very special player for us and has had a fantastic career so far. He has immense quality in the opposition half and delivers an end product in the final third, whether with a goal or with creative passes and assists – that’s no secret. He has also reached an incredible level fitness-wise. He too still has room to improve of course, but he is on the right path. His character is also fantastic.