Every game is a cup final, but we should enjoy them

Bo Henriksen gave his side the weekend off following their taxing clash against league leaders Bayer Leverkusen last Friday. The 05ers used the break to recharge their batteries and relax a bit, before they hit the training pitch again on a glorious Tuesday morning in Mainz ahead of Saturday’s encounter with Borussia Mönchengladbach (15:30 CET). Henriksen was as optimistic as ever in the press conference after the session, in part due to the fact that the recent issues that have plagued his squad seemed to have subsided.

The gap between FSV and safety widened substantially over the weekend because of other results not going their way. Two points now separate Mainz and sixteenth-placed 1. FC Köln, as the Billy Goats picked up a point against high flyers VfB Stuttgart on Saturday. FSV are also 10 points adrift from safety. There are no two ways about the situation that the 05ers now find themselves in, but “we can’t control the table or other results. We can only change our performances. We’re looking forward to the next game. We know how tough it’s going to be,” said Mainz’s head coach, looking ahead to his team’s upcoming clash with Borussia Mönchengladbach. Saturday’s opponents created a bit of breathing room for themselves last weekend with a 5-2 demolition of VfL Bochum and now find themselves in twelfth place, though the three teams below them are on the same number of points (25).

“I think that anyone can see it and that all the players can feel it”

It goes without saying that Mainz will be aiming to reduce the ten-point deficit between them and 15th place but, at the same time, the 05ers want to take things as they come and avoid getting bogged down in projections. “I’ve experienced a lot in football. The most fun you can have is doing things that may initially seem impossible. For us, every game is a cup final now, but we’ve got to ensure that we enjoy it every time,” stated the 49-year-old, who stressed that he wants his team to enjoy themselves by simply playing, regardless of their position in the standings. He also stressed that they need to savour the fight and recognise the confidence they have deep down in their own abilities. “If we do things our way, we can be a really unpleasant team to play against. We’re good at set-pieces, we play with dynamism and our body language is good. I think anyone can see that, and that all the players can feel it.” The first two games under Henriksen have given confidence a big boost, even though the 05ers came back from Leverkusen empty-handed. They’ll be looking to win their second home match in a row on Saturday after their 1-0 triumph over Augsburg at the MEWA-Arena a couple of weeks ago.

Burkardt on his first appearance under Henriksen
 
 It is looking highly likely that Jonny Burkardt, who has recently been absent due to illness, will step onto the pitch in a Mainz shirt for the first time since the new head coach took charge on Saturday. Henriksen was thrilled to see the 23-year-old back in team training on Tuesday morning: “Jonny is a powerhouse and is very energetic. It's plain to see that he's always willing to do his bit for us. We all believe in his ability and I’m really happy that he’s back in action. He’s a pillar of the team,” praised the head coach, who will also have Ludovic Ajorque and Danny da Costa back in his ranks for the upcoming clash against Gladbach. Jessic Ngankam will miss his second game on the trot, and an appearance from Edimilson Fernandes is currently uncertain, as the Swiss midfielder was missing from team training at the beginning of the week. Additionally, Andreas Hanche-Olsen took part in an individual running session following his muscle strain.

However, as he has repeatedly emphasised, Henriksen has been impressed with the team cohesion on display ever since his arrival, irrespective of the difficulties surrounding squad availability. Ultimately, having such a strong feeling of togetherness makes it possible for the boys to perform as well as they did away to Leverkusen. Despite being challenged by the league leaders for the full 90 minutes, the 05ers nevertheless put in a huge display, and a point could have definitely been on the cards. “We have a great bunch of lads here who are all keen to achieve something together. There’s a good vibe in the changing room, and we have a lot of quality in our squad. These are decisive factors when it comes to winning, and we’re all fired up. Now, we have to put our actions into words.” This will be vital for the 05ers, as it is every week, for matchday 24’s meeting with Borussia Mönchengladbach at the MEWA ARENA on Saturday afternoon (15:30 CET).