week 26 - match preview

Game one under new regime

"We have to make sure we get something in Bielefeld", said Mike Büskens ahead of Friday's trip to Arminia Bielefeld - the first game under the interim coaching triumvirate of Büskens, Youri Mulder and Oliver Reck.

"The situation hasn't been made any easier by the rather unfortunate timing of the game", he continued with reference to the international break. Several internationals will be back in action again just 48 hours after playing for their countries. Added to this are injuries and players carrying knocks. "It's meant we've only had ten outfield players in training at times during the last few days", Büskens explained.

"Obviously that's not the ideal way to prepare for a Bundesliga game, but the players have shown often enough that they have character and can handle situations like these", he added. "We have to deal with these negatives, but they shouldn't prevent us from putting in a committed performance.

Büskens feels his side have done just that on occasions in recent weeks, citing as an example the away game in Wolfsburg, when five players were hampered by a stomach bug. "You can say what you like about the team but you can't accuse them of not trying and not showing character", he emphasised. "But players aren't just highly paid professionals who have to function. They have souls, too, and the discussions in recent weeks have had their effect on them.

"But it's now down to us to put all this behind us. And although Bielefeld are only 15th in the table we'll have to be at our best. They beat Karlsruhe and could have got a different result in Wolfsburg, too. Arminia created the majority of the chances, they just lacked a cutting edge in front of goal."

Bielefeld's most prolific marksman is Artur Wichniarek, but it won't be enough simply to mark him out of the game, as Büskens explained: "Thorben Marx and Christopher Katongo do a lot of running and like to get in behind the defence, while Mijatovic is a threat from set pieces", the former Schalke left-back said, listing just a few of the home side's strengths. "So we'll just have to make sure they can't get in behind us in the first place", he concluded.