Rose discusses state of Silva, Werner, and Raum
Among other things, RB Leipzig trainer answered questions about three of his players after Wednesday night's victory and Thursday's presser.
Leipzig's 3-1 win over Celtic in the Champions' League last night constituted a well-executed team victory. In the words of trainer Marco Rose, however, one player nevertheless needed a reminder that "football is a team sport." German national team striker Timo Werner clearly didn't appreciate being taken off in the 71st minute. Werner hesitated to high-five his coach and then skulked off to the bench in a foul mood.
"I expect the player to come me," the RB coach told ZDF in his post-match interview, "Football remains a team sport and I will convey that message again."
By the Thursday presser, Rose was already smoothing things over. Werner was involved in the play that led Peter Gulacsi to tear his ACL on a back pass. The recent Bundesliga returnee also played an ill-advised chip pass two minutes after the restart that allowed the Scottish club to equalize on the counter.
Rose didn't reveal if a conversation between himself and Werner had taken place. He did note that his striker was happy after the full-time whistle. AS a means of underscoring that talks with a player weren't always necessary, the RB gaffer said that he didn't do anything special to coax a better performance out of last-night's brace-scorer, André Silva.
"There were no special talks between us," Rose emphasized when referring to Silva, "I just realized that he is a fully committed professional. He's willing to work hard to earn assignments over training."
"We've talked a lot about Timo and Nkunku over the last week and a half, and I've already said that André worked very hard during the international break," Rose also said, "He then deserved to start against against Bochum [last weekend] and he was very good."
An offensive attacking engine spearheaded by Silva with Nkunku working as a service striker and Werner moving back to the left wing appears to be Rose's preferred set of tactics in the near-term. The Saxon head-coach spoke of "gradually crystallizing offensive automatisms" that, while flexible, leave everyone in a role in which they can feel comfortable. Silva has started three consecutive matches.
A dark cloud loomed over the current state of the team after it was confirmed that first-choice keeper and captain Peter Gulacsi would be lost until late in the season (win the best case scenario) with an ACL tear. Rose at least had some good news to impart when it came to the case of German national team left-back David Raum.
Raum exited in the 81st with what could have been construed as a serious injury. Rose sounded the "all-clear" on Wednesday night, saying it was merely a case of cramps. This was reiterated on Thursday. Rose is surely aware that it remains very much his job to find a way of getting Raum out of his current form slump before the World Cup break.
Silva has been revived.
Raum still hasn't truly arrived for his new club.