The glory days of the early-to-late 2000’s are but a fond memory now for Werder Bremen. The era when when Bundesliga stars like Ailton, Diego, Claudio Pizzaro, Torsten Frings and Mesut Özil graced the Weserstadion pitch came and went, and the reality now is that the club is operating on a budget tighter than a shoestring, all while manager Robin Dutt tries to break back into the top ten at least with players gathered at a pittance from lesser known clubs around Europe. Despite this, the stadium is almost always filled to capacity, with the spirit of the club still strong despite hard times that have befallen them.

Character is at its most apparent in times of adversity, and it is fair to say that Werder Bremen are having to face it now. A solid, if unspectacular start to the Bundesliga season suggests that another lower-to-mid-table finish can be expected. All in all, it is perhaps where they should be, given how General Manager Thomas Eichin has had to pick up the pieces after overspending from his predecessor, Klaus Allofs, ever since he joined. Under Thomas Schaaf there was a period of unequalled success in the history of the club, but once performance started to dwindle and money was thrown at players not quite at the standard being paid for, things started going south. Both Klaus Allofs and Thomas Schaaf then promptly abandoned the swiftly sinking ship for greener pastures.

Captain Clemens Fritz is now the last remnant of an era where Werder Bremen dined among the elite of European football; a decade which saw them do the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal double in 2004, reach the final of the 2009 UEFA Cup and establish themselves as perennial Champions League participants. Their last ray of light in the flailing mediocrity of the last couple of years doubtlessly was Aaron Hunt, but it is sure that no Werder Bremen fan begrudges him for moving on to the next chapter of his career after a long period of stellar service through the good times and the bad. Despite this, the fans are still eternally optimistic that this is a mere blip in their history, and continue to support their beloved club fervently. It is oddly and ironically striking how their current plight, to a slightly lesser extent, resembles that of their hated Nordderby rivals, Hamburger SV.

However, Robin Dutt has to be given a lot of credit for the work he has done on the pitch. There is a strong team spirit and sense of togetherness in the squad, and their determination to get results has to be commended. The season could have gotten off to the worst possible start in the Bundesliga season opener away to Hertha Berlin when Julian Schieber put the hosts comfortably ahead with a brace, but Die Werderaner fought back to snatch a point. The same was the case against 1899 Hoffenheim and, most impressively, Bayer Leverkusen, where Werder Bremen were involved in a game for the ages away from home where teams with lesser determination would have been blown away by Die Werkself, who made a brilliant start and absolutely dominated much of the first half. Robin Dutt is a relatively quiet man, and not the type of charismatic, emotion-driven personality like Jürgen Klopp, but one can see that he has the full support and respect of a group of players hell-bent on proving all their doubters wrong.

In Davie Selke, Die Grün-Weißen have a genuine star for the future who can truly become the cornerstone of Werder Bremen sides for years to come. In a way, his emergence at a time where the club is not capable of bringing in the big name stars of years gone by is a blessing, for it allows greater game-time and less pressure to perform at an incredibly high level due to lowered expectations for the team as a whole. The young German starred as Germany won the U19 European Championships, and recently had his contract extended to 2018 after having made his first Bundesliga appearance this season. Things might have not gone as smoothly for the youngster in his showings thus-far in this campaign, but his tendency to not shirk away from the hard graft and desire to get involved at all times has endeared him immediately to the Werder Bremen faithful, hungry for a new hero at the Weserstadion. Provided that Die Werderaner avoid relegation, the stage is set for Davie Selke to reach the heights his potential suggests he is capable of while also helping the club get back to its feet.

Summer additions have been cheap, but shrewd. Alejandro Galvez, in particular, looks to be a great bit of business for Werder Bremen. The Spanish midfielder was signed out of costless-agency this summer, and boasts great experience and temperament when the going gets tough, having helped Rayo Vallecano through consecutive relegation battles over the past few seasons in La Liga. Fighting spirit is what is needed the Weserstadion, and it is clear that the combative midfielder was signed to compliment perhaps less talented players who always give their all whatever the situation might be, with striker Franco Di Santo being a prime example of this. It is a fact that where there once were immensely talented prima donnas at the club, work ethic, desire and smaller egos has become the order of the day. Who knows, maybe this period of regeneration is exactly what the club and everyone associated with it needs to get back to what it is all about in earlier times; the love of the game and loyalty towards the badge.

There is no doubt that this will be an intriguing season, and perhaps a defining one for the club. Questions keep swirling about regarding the job security of Robin Dutt, and whether top earners such as Eljiro Elia would have to be sold sooner rather than later to keep the club’s head above water on the previously mentioned financial tightrope. The Bundesliga is a very unforgiving league, and it will be up to everyone involved with the club to ensure that things get better rather than worse.