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Daily Record
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
We're as prepared for Rangers as we can be, says Motherwell boss
Jens Berthel Askou says his side are ready to face the Ibrox giants Jens Berthel Askou says his Motherwell side are as prepared as they can be for their Premiership opener at home to Rangers next Saturday. The Lanarkshire side drew 1-1 with German 2 Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin at Fir Park on Friday night in their final warm-up game before Russell Martin brings his Rangers side to town. Askou feels that the Premier Sports Cup group stage games and friendlies have allowed him to properly assess his squad, so that he knows who should play where, and which areas need to be strengthened. He said: 'I think we are as prepared as we can be. We would like to have had a few more weeks with just one game a week, because it would have given us some extra time to train and load them differently. 'We could have put more volume into the week, in terms of running and specific phases in training, but that's how it is. 'I think we've got the most out of it, we've had the results we wanted and needed, and progress in many phases of the game, and then we know we have to keep building over the summer. 'We still have to add players to the squad, and we also know that our goal is not to be the best we can be in July or August, but to be the best team we can be this season, and from next season, see if we can become even better. 'I think the games have been very competitive, so it's not like we've missed competition. There have been some really tough cup games for us as well. 'We had a good intense game against Carlisle United, Twente, and [Hertha Berlin] was surely very competitive as well. 'We're getting answers every week of what do we think of the players in the squad, who will play that role the most. 'We've swapped a little bit in different positions, because the system we play is a little bit different from what they've been used to. 'That means some of the answers we had a couple of weeks ago are maybe different to what we're getting now, so it's a bigger puzzle, and we're working with it every day, but I think we're getting more and more valuable information. 'That lets us figure what position we need to target.' On Hertha, Askou said: 'It's the closest we'd get to the standard of Rangers. 'The team we played is pushing to get back to the Bundesliga, and have a good possibility of getting there, with some really good players who have a lot of experience at a very high level. 'I expected this to be a very hard test, it was for sure, but I think we managed it very well. 'We looked the fitter team in the end and I was impressed with that and I was happy with many things. 'In the first 10 or 15 minutes during the middle of the second half we started to look really tired, and were able to pull ourselves up, without the possibility to swap five players. 'I was also happy with the intensity that we started the game with, and some of the spells we had throughout the game, and the courage to press them high on many occasions. 'In the moments when we struggled a little bit, we didn't lose the bravery and didn't drop back more than necessary.'
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Hertha Berlin clash will get Motherwell ready for Rangers, says boss
Jens Berthel Askou says Friday's friendly clash is good preparation Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou reckons Friday's friendly against German giants Hertha Berlin will set his side up for their Premiership opener against Rangers – because they're a similar standard. The 2 Bundesliga side arrive at Fir Park in the final warm-up match before Russell Martin brings his new-look Rangers side to ML1 on August 2. Having qualified for the Premier Sports Cup last 16 with a 3-0 win over Morton on Tuesday, Askou says he has been using the competition's group stages as preparation, getting as many players as possible used to playing 90 minutes, and giving his squad a chance to impress him. Askou has made several changes from game to game in the League Cup, and said: 'We are rotating and mixing up as we need to, right now, while we're playing twice a week in pre-season. We're trying to get people ready to play 90 minutes. 'We have a big game for us against a very good opponent, that will match us like some of the level that we're going to face against Rangers in the first league game, so we need to get people through that in a good way, both physically and finding a high level of performance. 'I want to see everyone and give them an opportunity to show themselves.' Askou is pleased to have progressed to the next stage of the competition. Apostolos Stamatelopoulos opened the scoring in 52 minutes, bundling home the rebound after James Storer had parried Johnny Koutroumbis' volley, before Tawanda Maswanhise netted a double, the second a tup-corner curler from 25 yards out. Askou said: 'I'm pleased. Result-wise that was the goal. There will be more important goals for us this pre-season. 'Getting as far as possible in the League Cup is important, but we want to see if we can balance that out with progressing, improving and building the squad, and getting through the pre-season without big injuries. I think we've done that. 'We're pleased to finish it off strong, with the strongest performance in the group stage. 'I think Tawanda has the potential to be a very important player for us and we try to create an environment where everyone can express themselves. 'He has looked better and better, there was room for him to exploit, it suits him very well. He took advantage of that today and I expect him to do that, going forward. 'Apostolos's first goal in seven months, and I don't care and I don't think he cares how it came. 'I've told him, and he had several situations in the first games here, it started against Twente when he was a foot off scoring, but he was there today and put it the last few inches over the line, which is what we need.'
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hannover confirm centre-half Ghiță as latest coup
Hannover 96 have officially confirmed the signing of centre-half Virgil Ghiță, the club has announced. The side will pay a fee in the region of €1million to Polish club Cracovia for his services. Advertisement With three caps for Romania to his name, Ghiță who is still just 27-years-old, pens a deal at the Niedersachsenstadion until 2028. Amazingly, Ghiță becomes Hannover's twelfth incoming player of the summer and adds greater cover in their defensive third. Managing director Marcus Mann is excited about the new signing: ' Virgil is an exceptionally fast yet robust central defender. "He has a good mentality, defends forward, and tries to create and push forward situations even when in possession. 'With these attributes, he fits the profile we need for our game very well. In addition, he wants to lead the way,' he explained.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
German coach Zeidler takes charge of Lausanne
Then Nuremberg coach Dieter Hecking pictured during the German 2nd Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Nuremberg and Hansa Rostock at the Max Morlock Stadium. Veteran German coach Peter Zeidler has been named the new boss of Swiss first-division side Lausanne-Sport. Daniel Karmann/dpa Veteran German coach Peter Zeidler has been named the new boss of Swiss first-division side Lausanne-Sport. He replaces Ludovic Magnin, who has joined champions FC Basel. Lausanne said in a statement on Saturday that the 62-year-old, who previously managed Sion and St Gallen in Switzerland, was their first choice. Advertisement Zeidler started last season in charge of Bochum but was sacked after drawing one and losing seven of their first eight games. The western German side were later relegated from the Bundesliga. Lausanne finished fifth last term.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Roma to face Kaiserslautern in preseason friendly
Roma are organizing their summer preseason with Gian Piero Gasperini at the helm. With the arrival of the new coach, the Giallorossi club will need a significant period to best assimilate the changes. After the friendly test already scheduled against Lens, another important event is being added to the calendar of pre-season games. Advertisement According to German newspaper Die Rheinpfalz, Roma should face Kaiserslautern, a team from the 2. Bundesliga, on July 26. The match against the German club would represent a further test for Gasperini's group, who will thus have the opportunity to put into practice the work done in retreat and refine their preparation for the start of the official season.
