Rehm hopes for an end to the slump: "We have to fight back"
In view of the sporting downturn in the 3rd Football League and the elimination from the Baden Cup competition, coach Rüdiger Rehm is swearing SV Waldhof Mannheim on to the turnaround they are striving for. "We have to keep at it, not put our heads down, but put our heads in the wind and fight back," said the coach on Wednesday.
Ahead of the home game against SC Verl on Friday (7 p.m./Magenta Sport), Rehm defended his team, which is lagging behind expectations. After 15 matchdays, Mannheim are in a relegation spot. Most recently, Waldhof missed out on a place in the semi-finals of the Baden Cup and thus the chance to qualify for the DFB Cup after a 4-1 defeat at league rivals SV Sandhausen. "We have to be aware that we are capable of beating any opponent. But of course it wasn't the result we wanted. That really pisses us off," said Rehm.
However, Rehm did not allow a comparison with the German national team. After the 2-0 defeat in Austria on Tuesday evening, national team coach Julian Nagelsmann said: "When the referee blows his whistle, you get the feeling that we're a couple of lone wolves and not the unit we are off the pitch." Asked about this, the Waldhof coach replied: "My team plays as a team. Everyone fights for the person next to them, but we don't reward ourselves."
In their quest for improvement, SV Waldhof Mannheim will face SC Verl in the 3rd league on Friday. Despite their current position in the relegation zone, Rehm emphasized that they believe in their ability to beat any opponent, as demonstrated in their Baden Cup match against league rivals SV Sandhausen, where they narrowly missed the semi-final slot by a score of 4-1.
Source: www.dpa.com
