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The mood at VfL Wolfsburg is understandably quite somber following another Bundesliga defeat that doesn’t help the German Wolves’ prospects in the relegation race. Exactly two weeks ago, following Wolfsburg’s last home defeat, former Wolfsburg head coach Niko Kovac sat in the Volkswagen Arena press room and confidently declared that he believed Wolfsburg were strong enough to avoid the drop.
Matters were quite different in the very same press room following Saturday’s league loss against Augsburg. A 20-point haul through 23 Bundesliga matchdays actually leaves Germany’s green company team in a worse position than the two seasons in which they only avoided slipping down to the 2. Bundesliga via the promotion relegation playoffs. Wolfsburg also frittered away a win against visiting Augsburg in morale crushing fashion.
Wolfsburg head coach Daniel Bauer had an interesting take on the situation. Namely, he wanted his players to pour their frustration into more fouls. Bauer specifically noted that Augsburg committed more fouls than his team. He then emphasized that he considered this an advantage for the victors. The VfL head coached called for more intensity and urgency from his team.
Making specific reference to last night’s booking-laden affair between relegation candidates Mainz and Hamburg, Bauer challenge his players to adopt a more aggressive posture. It’s not uncommon at all for German football coaches to, though it may seem paradoxical, call for more dirty play. A team losing the relegation battle is expected to at least go down swinging.
Daniel Bauer calls for more fouls
“It was quite the slap in the face [to concede two goals in the final three minutes and end up losing 2-3],” Bauer noted in his opening statement. “That was not a good 90 minutes from us. We struggled to establish our game in the first half. Our half-time lead was very flattering. The result is very difficult to accept; very difficult to accept.
“We’re playing like a middle school team,” Bauer continued. “We’re not intense. We can’t even fight to foul in the right moment. We had the same problem as last week in Leipzig. We allowed Augsburg back in the game. My old protege Elvis [former Wolfsburg academy man Elvis Rexhbecaj] killed us with the winning goal. That’s doubly bitter.“
“We’re not lacking basic intensity, we’re lacking extra intensity,” Bauer answered in response to his first question about whether the team knew the full nature of the relegation race consequences. “We need players to get nasty, in a positive sense. Augsburg players got fierce and dirty when it came to contesting the duels. We’re too naive and soft.
“Sometimes one needs to try to actively hurt the opponent and push oneself over the line, just like Mainz and Hamburg did last night,” Bauer continued. “That was a match between two teams contesting the relegation race. That’s how the relegation race should be contested and must be contested.
Club man Yannick Gerhardt concerned
Veteran midfielder Yannick Gerhardt has spent the past decade representing Wolfsburg. The 31-year-old walked through the fire with die Wölfe during the back-to-back relegation scares in the 2016/17 and 2017/18 campaigns. With skipper Maximilian Arnold out on short notice, Bauer tapped Gerhardt for both a start in midfield alongside Christian Eriksen and the responsibility of donning the captain’s armband.
Gerhardt scored Wolfsburg’s opening goal, but made no effort to avoid his disgust at the defeat. Speaking in the mixed zone, Gerhardt referenced the two relegation playoff years. His 18th goal for his long-time club was of no consequence. The German Olympic representative and once-capped senior international didn’t mince words.
“In terms of points, it’s more dramatic than in the relegation years,” Gerhardt said. “It’s the worst season in the club’s history. It feels awful. The mood is terrible. The situation is getting more and more serious. Our biggest task is to keep the club in the league.”
