"No better way to start the season" - Ole Werner

Ahead of the blockbuster curtain-raiser at the Allianz Arena, Werner shared his views on his new club, Die Roten Bullen's goals after missing out on European qualification last term, what it takes to beat Bayern, working with Jürgen Klopp and more...

bundesliga.com: You took over at RB Leipzig at the end of June. Can you explain your impressions so far?

Ole Werner: "It’s been a lot of hard work, which is always the case at the start of a new job. You are introduced to a new team and a new club and there are a lot of new influences and impressions. I think the start has been good. Our pre-season was not that long, but I think it went well, and the team has got itself into good physical shape through the games we played. There were a lot of changes in personnel and style, and you can still see this, but I think we are on the right path."

bundesliga.com: What sets Leipzig apart as a club?

Werner: "A high level of professionalism and internationality. It’s a globally aligned club with a lot of players and staff from all over the world. This is a real benefit for us and it’s a club with a lot of high expectations. We have a clear idea of how we want to play football and how we want to work, and this is maybe a bit clearer here than at other places."

bundesliga.com: Was this one of the things that attracted you to the club?

Werner: "The attraction was being able to learn about a new club which is organised differently and operates on the global stage. There are more people here with experience that you can learn from. There are big opportunities with a strong squad and a very professional staff. All these factors combined appealed to me and led me to making this decision."

bundesliga.com: What have you made of the team and the staff here at Leipzig?

Werner: "There has been a lot of movement in the past few weeks. It’s not always easy when you have a big squad on the training pitch, but the team has got on board and worked very well, and the same applies to the staff. We have a big staff, but everybody knows their role and what they are talking about. We have a lot of expertise, and our job is to make sure everyone is working in the same direction. This has worked very well in the first few weeks, but now we are going into the competition and now we have to prove that it will work there as well."

bundesliga.com: How would you describe your style of play?

Werner: "First and foremost, the style of play should be aggressive against the ball. You cannot hide and hope that the opposition gives you the ball back, you have to actively do something to get it. On the ball, we have to have a plan in order to open up spaces through a clear structure. We want to play football in clear patterns, and this is what should set our team apart and what should set RB Leipzig apart as a club.

"We want to demonstrate these ideas of pressing and counter attacking that are part of modern football. If you want to have the ball and play football, it is important that you are solid at the back and that you are aggressive in the moments that you lose the ball so that you can switch again quickly. These are the core ideas of my philosophy."

bundesliga.com: You mentioned that you had a good pre-season, and you got through the first round of the DFB Cup. How would you sum up these opening weeks?

Werner: "The position we are currently in is OK, but things will certainly improve once we continue to cement the style of play. We are in a change process with new staff and a lot of new players, so these things will take time, but I am still happy with where we are. We have made progress in terms of our physical shape and our style of play. However, the cup showed us that we still have a lot of work ahead of us."

bundesliga.com: You mentioned that a lot of key players left, and new ones came in. How happy are you with the squad?

Werner: "I am very happy with the quality of the squad, and now it is about working in the same direction in a unified way. I cannot rule out that more things might happen with players coming and going because the transfer window is still open, but the quality in the squad is very high. It is now about working together as a team because that is always the key part of team sport, and we will achieve this."

bundesliga.com: Will you be able to compensate for the loss of Benjamin Šeško? Do you see your team in more of a change or an upheaval?

Werner: "It is our job as team to replace a player like Benjamin Šeško. It is a normal process that all clubs go through, and RB Leipzig has often developed young players. When players then reach a certain level, it might be that we part ways, but then there are other players coming through and we have acquired the services of a very talented striker in Rômulo. We will have to overperform as a team, regardless of any individual names, and that is all we can really do. It is a change to a new era and a new style of play, and there is also a change to personnel in terms of staff and players. Both things go hand in hand, and it is our job to turn the upheaval into a breakthrough."

Watch: Rômulo arrives at Leipzig 

bundesliga.com: You already mentioned Rômulo and Johan Bakayoko. What can you tell us about these two players?

Werner: "We did our research and the scouting department put in a lot of hard work to develop the player profiles that would be important to our style of play. They are all young and hungry players with potential who want to take the next step here together with us. I think all the new signings can be faces of the team in the future, but one or two might need a bit more time. It is important for us as a team to find the right balance between patience and ambition. We want to see performances from the new players, and we trust them with key roles, but they are still in a new league and in a new team at a new club. There might be a few weeks where the boys are still learning."

bundesliga.com: What are the biggest aspects that you and your team still have to work on?

Werner: "As is always the case when you start working together, things can be improved in every area. The decisive thing now will be to stay clear-minded in our aims during competitive games and under stress situations. When we try something new in training, building it into a friendly is one thing, but implementing it under pressure in a competitive game is something else entirely. This is the difference, and it will become evident. The lads know what we want from them in every phase of play, and now it is about implementing it. This is going to be a particular challenge in competitive games, especially with all the changes that have happened."

bundesliga.com: Would RB even be ready to step in if Bayern were to falter?

Werner: "We are just focusing on ourselves and in what part of our development we are in. Our aim this year is to take another step forward and we want to qualify for Europe again. We want to play attractive football and develop players further, but we are at the start of this development. We trust the players to make an immediate impact, but we have to accept the fact that it may take time in some areas."

bundesliga.com: Leipzig want to play in Europe and return to the UEFA Champions League. What does it need to achieve this, and how can it succeed?

Werner: "We need to bring the individual quality that we have onto the pitch as a team. We have very talented players, a good core, and a lot of good players around them, so now it’s about working as a team and building something together. It’s about bringing the individual quality onto the pitch as a team."

bundesliga.com: With all due respect to Werder Bremen, to what extent does the higher individual quality in the squad change your training work and your expectations of your team?

Werner: "To be honest, there is not much difference in terms of my work with the team. The structure of my work is the same, even though I have different players here with different strengths without wanting to rank them in any way. I always try to teach the players my way of playing football and it is my job to develop a style of football with the team in which the players can show off their strengths. I have different players here to my previous club and some things are different, but this does not necessarily have anything to do with the quality of the players or my expectations. It is about developing a style of football in which our players can play to their strengths."

bundesliga.com: You have said several times in interviews that you want to continue pursuing your ideas at Leipzig. Are there things that you deliberately do differently at RB than you did at Werder because you have developed further, rather than because the circumstances are different?

Werner: "The circumstances here are different because it’s a different club and a different team with different players on the pitch. There are different expectations and maybe as a result, the opposition will approach us differently in comparison to my previous club. However, I will go about things like I have at every club, and I try to make the best decisions to help us as a team and as a club. I have been able to do this well in the past and my job is to help and to make the right decisions for the players and for the club. As was also the case in the past, it is not about me here in Leipzig."

bundesliga.com: What is your relationship with Jürgen Klopp like, and how often do you communicate?

Werner: "We have a good relationship. We have known each other for a while but, naturally, our communication here at Leipzig has become a little more regular. We are on the phone very regularly and we often message each other with ideas and impressions. It’s good for me to have someone who has experienced everything in football and as a coach. It’s always good to be able to ask for his advice, but it is ultimately my job to work out what to do with that advice and whether it fits to the situation. It is a good relationship, and I benefit a lot from it. During my time as a manager, I have always benefitted from talking to other coaches who might have a different perspective and that is also the case with Jürgen Klopp. We all benefit from this a lot."

bundesliga.com: Thomas Tuchel and Pep Guardiola used salt shakers and glasses to recreate line-ups and discuss football. How would that work with you and Jürgen Klopp? Did the tablecloth in the restaurant become a tactics board?

Werner: "I’m not sure if these stories are always true! I don’t know any restaurants where there are 11 or even 22 salt shakers on the table. We have not done this, but ahead of our work together and throughout the start of our working relationship, we exchanged a lot of ideas, but mostly away from a restaurant and without salt and pepper."

bundesliga.com: As a northern German, you seem very relaxed, as if nothing could upset you. Will that remain the case in Leipzig?

Werner: "Hopefully. Being relatively objective is something that sets me apart and I try to stay calm in difficult situations. I think I have proved many times that I am quite immune to pressure, but I am also sometimes a bit more relaxed and maybe not your typical north German. I hope that will remain to be the case."

bundesliga.com: Your season opener is against Bayern. How excited are you about this first highlight on Friday evening?

Werner: "I am very much looking forward to the game. It is always special to play away in Munich and to have the opportunity to write a big story. I have already had the pleasure of experiencing that, as have many of the players at RB Leipzig. We know that we are not the favourites going into the game, but we will do our best to get the most out of this game. We want to put in a good performance, and I am looking forward to seeing my team in the Bundesliga. We want to go for the win, but in the right way. Regardless of all this, it’s just going to be cool because it’s the opening game of the Bundesliga and I think the number of countries watching will be in triple digits. There is no other game taking place at the same time, so there is no better way to start the season."

Watch: Leipzig kick off new season in Munich

bundesliga.com: You caused an upset in Munich as Bremen coach with a supposedly weaker squad. How do you have to play against Bayern and how can you beat them?

Werner: "You have to take the circumstances as you see them. I think the last time we won there was two or three years ago, so that will not necessarily help us on Friday night. It is always about defending well and defending in an active way in the right moments. We have to win the ball back, be annoying to play against, and be confident enough to play football. We will be under pressure in Munich, but we have to deal with this and then we will have a chance to take something from this game, which is our aim."

bundesliga.com: What are your expectations for the entire season?

Werner: "Our aim is very clearly to qualify for Europe, and this is what we are working towards. For me personally, it is important that we are able to deal with this big change and that we show a clear way of playing football while still developing players and developing the team. We do not just want to be successful for one year; we want to set up the club in such a way that it is going in the right direction for many years. These are the two aspects that we want to bring together."

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