Burkardt’s first impressions: “A good final lifeline”

Although Jonny Burkardt was taking part in an individual running session and therefore was unable to get the full experience of new head coach Bo Henriksen’s first day with the 05ers, he kept a close eye on the team while they trained alongside him. Burkardt is “slightly unwell” at the moment, so it is unlikely that he will make an appearance in the all-important clash against FC Augsburg on Saturday afternoon. After just a few hours, the Dane had already made quite the impact on the youngster and his teammates.

Despite the forecast of heavy rain, around 200 fans responded to Henriksen's last-minute call to attend the public training session, so that they could get to know each other a little better. The spectators were certainly were not disappointed by what they saw, and were able to express their support for both the team and the new head coach. The boys put on a show with a series of high-tempo drills involving small-sided games and lots of goals. The main objectives for this week of training are for the boys to build on their self confidence, and to be brave both on and off the ball. “Everyone put in a shift in the first training session. It was really about making the game enjoyable and inciting the belief that we can win our remaining matches. The coach was able to get this across in just a few hours,” explained Burkardt, evidently impressed by what he saw. “He did a great job of getting the message into the boys’ heads.” 

However, Burkardt was also self-critical when interviewed, and his disappointment regarding the team’s recent results and their involvement in the relegation battle was palpable. Henriksen, who is the third head coach to manage Mainz in the 2023/24 campaign, is “likely the final lifeline that the club could give to a team that is yet to perform at the necessary level. Unfortunately, the head coach is always the one that has to move on. Nevertheless, the initial feeling is that he’s a good final lifeline for us,” revealed the forward.

After watching the 90-minute session, the fans in attendance, who received autographs and took photos with the team beforehand, must have left with a similar feeling. “It’s insane how many fans were there. It’s likely that a lot of them will have seen yesterday’s press conference. I don’t know if I have ever experienced so many supporters showing up to watch training in such horrible weather. The fans and the team are generating a lot of new energy right now, which is great,” Burkardt praised, before he headed inside to continue working on his recovery.