Interim coach in Mainz: “I only think about tomorrow”

AWhen asked about his future at Mainz 05, Jan Siewert remained silent. His answer is something like this: “You don’t know me well yet, but it’s true that I don’t worry about this, I only think about tomorrow.” for the fate of the club? The Bundesliga squad after head coach Bo Svensson was released eight months before his contract expired?

“Until further notice” Siewert, who was brought up by the U-23 coach, will hold the position, it was said on the first day after Svensson, when a quick decision was needed. Neither sporting director Christian Heidel nor sporting director Martin Schmidt gave a more detailed definition of this period.

The latter only prompted the claim that Siewert had not diminished his chances after the 2-0 win over RB Leipzig, but had sent his best letter of application to become the interim coach’s permanent decision.

Only he knows whether Sievert really doesn’t care how and where things will develop for him next, whether he remains a coach in the first division or returns to the regional league team during the winter holidays at the latest. The 41-year-old man can only do his job himself, let him talk.

Regression in Darmstadt

The interim balance after two games under his leadership looks brilliant: four points were scored (there were only three in the previous nine games), and Mainz remained without conceding a goal – up to this point they had 29.

However, you should not be blinded by this. While the 05ers enjoyed deserved success against RB Leipzig, as they were solid defensively before the break and also impressive offensively after the break, the game at Darmstadt 98 was a step back. Mainz’s side did not show their confidence had been boosted by their first win of the season and to say they had a clearer chance just because Leandro Barreiro fired a high shot was heavily disguised.

In fact, goalkeeper Robin Zentner and the Lilies’ ineptitude saved a point in the end. Sievert surprised by changing Leipzig’s attacking formation and replacing Marco Richter with Ludovic Ajorque to link the opposition centre-backs with a long centre-forward and create space in the midfield.

A week earlier, Richter may not have been the strongest man on the field, but he put a lot of energy into his runs and duels and thus played a significant role in the success.

On the other hand, Ahorke, who had been below his potential for months, remained as pale and miserable on Böllenfaltor as he had been in the previous season. It was also difficult to understand that Vrajan Gruda, who was injured in the match against RB, but who had previously been the only bright spot in the Mainz offensive, came on for Ahorke in Darmstadt only in the middle of the second half.

The trainer, and this is a communication flaw, does little or nothing to answer such questions or explain his work. At previous press conferences, his answers were friendly, but usually so brief and evasive that his content still fell behind Svensson on days when he was in a bad mood. The Dane has already done a lot to keep his work with the media to a minimum. The 05ers are apparently working on their own spiral of silence at the moment.

Productivity is critical

Perhaps Siewert, who worked as a football teacher for ten years and then worked predominantly in association and youth work but also coached then Premier League club Huddersfield for six months, is afraid of saying the wrong thing. But fear is a bad advisor, even in coaching. And to say after the game that he can’t talk about next week because his entire focus is on recovery and training the bench for the next day is too trivial.

In any case, this will not help improve your own profile. Of course, the deciding factor in whether he will remain at the helm “until further notice” is not his PR work, but rather his performances and results in the Bundesliga. And whether his superiors will trust him with this work in the long term. Judging by their latest statements, they seem to suggest that the effect of the coaching change in the minds of the players will not fade quickly.

“We have complete confidence in the current situation,” sporting director Schmidt said before the start of the international break, adding that the club does not have any contact with other coaches. “The coach is really good, we like him,” center back Sepp van den Berg said after the game in Darmstadt. It will also depend on him and his colleagues whether Siewert will remain their coach.