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Youri Mulder: It’s fun watching this team play
There was a lot to please Youri Mulder during the home match at the VELTINS-Arena against Fortuna Düsseldorf on Saturday (14/12). 19 shots, the majority of the possession and impressive passing accuracy formed a good picture. On top of that, the use of space, intensity in tackling and splendid sequences with the ball would have given the Dutchman reason to smile. He is set to remain as director of professional football until the end of the season while he has already stepped back from duties on the supervisory board.
The only reason for the 55-year-old not to be fully satisfied was that the decisive second goal never arrived. “I think I went a bit grey during that match,” joked Mulder. More than once did the Royal Blues have the chance to take all three points; however, according to Mulder, “we were centimetres from getting that winner on multiple occasions. Unfortunately, sometimes that’s just the way it goes in football. Nevertheless, the draw was far from a step in the wrong direction. The whole team performed well and the fans could see that.”
Regardless, the former striker made no bones about the fact that the two points dropped thanks to the 1-1 draw left him frustrated. “You need to get points to have success in football. We earned three in Paderborn and really wanted to repeat the trick. We were great on the ball and defended well too. We offered a tough opponent very little.”
I can sense that things are starting to click more and more. We feel a real unity with the fans.
Fortuna’s Dawid Kownacki capitalised on an opportunity to put his side ahead just after the hour mark. Mulder explained that the positive response from the team after going 1-0 down was important for the end result. “I can sense that things are starting to click more and more. We feel a real unity with the fans. That’s the way it needs to be.” He also stated that the way in which Kees van Wonderen set up the team, as well as the substitutions made, bore fruit. “The lads that came on had a good impact,” the Dutchman said regarding Ilyes Hamache, Emil Højlund and Adrian Gantenbein.
“It’s fun watching this team play,” asserted the director of professional football. The Knappen still have one final task on the agenda before the winter break. A trip to face now-top-of-the-table Elversberg awaits on Friday (20/12). Mulder is optimistic that the boys in Royal Blue will able to pull off a similar result to that away to former league leaders SC Paderborn 07 in order to take home some points. “I can see the development that this team has made as well as the establishment of a way of doing things,” emphasised Mulder. “The boys are full of motivation and we all want to keep on improving, day-by-day. That development doesn’t happen overnight, however. It’s a longer process but I believe we are on the right track.”
