It has been a rough start to the 2014/15 Bundesliga campaign for Werder Bremen players and fans alike; eight games into the season and Robin Dutt's side are rooted to the foot of the table with just four points. Die Werderaner's 1-1 draw with SC Freiburg this Saturday meant Bremen have still been unable to record a victory this season.
'We must be more focused, not influenced'
- Thomas Gauge
Since the 2-1 loss to Wolfsburg, the club have taken the decision to ban all newspapers from the Bremen dressing room. It is a move that sporting director Thomas Gauge defends as a requirement for the players to retain focus: 'It's about being even more focused and not to be influenced by things from the outside.' With Bayern Munich up next after the international break, Bremen fans grasp at any method - however tenuous - of trying to turn their side's fortunates around.
It is questionable whether banning newspapers from the dressing room is a measure that makes any sense, as the headlines are hardly going to go away. It appears to be a case of 'out of site out of mind', but it remains to be seen whether te idea will work in practice.
Manager Robin Dutt defending his newspaper ban, trying not to place to much importance on the measures taken: "It is more a sign and be regarded as symbolic. We want a refuge mentality and no external influences. We want to talk to each other, to focus on us and not on what others say. "
Dutt seemed to sit on the fence, suggesting that after all reading the media could have benefits for the Werder players: "Sometimes it's also good when you read things. It helps to get criticism. You have to get a feedback. That can sometimes be positive," he said.
Dutt's comments imply that banning newspapers is not a strict more, nor should it be taken too seriously. Instead, it is psychological, aimed at making the players focus on their performances on the field, rather than being fixated on the media. It is yet to be seen whether this idea will bear fruit, but Bremen fans will be hoping their side can recover quickly from what has been a dreadful start to the season.