Elversberg head into Fürth home game with the wind in their sails
After SV Elversberg’s first win of the new year, which they celebrated in Darmstadt a few days ago, the team are now seeking to repeat the euphoria in front of a home crowd. The first opportunity to do this is on Saturday 15 February, when SVE are facing SpVgg Greuther Fürth at the URSAPHARM Arena on Kaiserlinde. The kick-off is at 1 p.m.
Steffen praises his team’s mindset
Regardless of what starting eleven head coach Horst Steffen sends out onto the pitch to face Fürth, he will have one key focus in mind: his team’s attitude. ‘Our approach to the game is crucial, and I was very satisfied with it – how we performed, interacted with each other, and even approached head-to-heads’, Steffen emphasised regarding their recent success in Darmstadt. However, there are also areas with potential for improvement. ‘Nevertheless, there are of course also things we could improve and will be working on, including in preparing for the match against Fürth. Our opponents will demand the same of us, with their good individual players and what now seems to be a very clear structure.’
A lot has happened at the club since their change of coach in November. ‘They have found their structure’, Steffen said. But they have still remained flexible: ‘They are still also continually making adjustments and using different positioning in their play, which we need to keep in mind. We are aware that we need to defend well, but we also want to implement solutions that will allow us to push forward against any formation.’ Ultimately, it will come down to the team’s own performance: ‘Whether the match goes our way or not will in part be due once again to how we perform.’
Whether the match goes our way or not will in part be due once again to how we perform.
Horst Steffen
Fürth on the rise – but cautiously so
After a weak start to the year with two defeats, SpVgg Greuther Fürth have recently gotten back on track. In February, Jan Siewert’s team managed wins in Paderborn and at home against Regensburg 2:1. ‘There is a different mood’, the Fürth coach said, speaking of increased self-confidence. Nevertheless, he warned against relaxing too much following the recent successes: ‘Let’s not get carried away. We haven’t achieved anything yet. We have chalked up two wins, but that is all.’
Despite this positive development, SpVgg are not yet out of the woods. The team are currently safely in the middle of the table and eight points above relegation spots, but things could change very quickly in this extremely tight second-division season. ‘Two bad games would put us back fighting to stay in the league’, Siewert noted. To prevent this, they will need to keep putting what they have learned into practice: ‘We have to understand what we need to do to achieve this.’
Fürth have further developed their play in recent weeks. After the team played attractive football against Kaiserslautern but were ultimately still defeated, they changed their approach. ‘The most important thing for us at the moment is not this “come hell or high water”, throwing-the-dice form of play, but rather getting the result’, Siewert explained.
His game plan for their match in Elversberg is therefore clear: ‘We need to fight our way into the game.’ This piece of footballing wisdom is heard as often on amateur pitches as it is in professional stadiums – and Siewert similarly sets great store by it. ‘We need to start by finding a way into the game, overpower our opponents and then find solutions in our play’, is his line of approach for the away match.
We need to start by finding a way into the game, overpower our opponents and then find solutions in our play.
Jan Siewert, coach of SpVgg Greuther Fürth
Elversberg focusing on training week
Although SVE’s clear 3:0 win in Darmstadt ensured high spirits, the team have long since been back in work mode. ‘It boosted our mood for a few days’, Horst Steffen acknowledged, but added that this was now over and done with. ‘It is not a major topic any more. We are focusing on the upcoming week. The boys have trained hard, pushed themselves and taken their teammates along.’
The boys have trained hard, pushed themselves and taken their teammates along.
This focused approach will similarly be needed against Fürth. Ultimately, Elversberg are facing a team that – as mentioned – will be bringing plenty of dedication and fighting spirit. To counter this, it will be vital to keep to their own style of play and not slip into pure battle mode.
Sahin back in training – Baum in question
There are still a few staffing question marks at SVE. Midfielder Semih Sahin, who had to pull out of the Darmstadt match at short notice due to illness, has returned to training. However, whether or not he will be an option for the home game against Fürth remains to be seen. The situation regarding Elias Baum also remains unclear: although the attacking player did not suffer a serious injury in Darmstadt, he is not yet back in full team training.
For the upcoming match, SV Elversberg will be seeking to continue their positive development and gain three points in the URSAPHARM Arena with a cohesive team performance. The task against Greuther Fürth will be anything but easy – but with the right attitude and necessary consistency, SVE could secure their second win of the year.