Thioune explains Samuel Mbangula situation at Werder Bremen

Samuel Mbangula is still waiting for his real breakthrough at SV Werder Bremen, and his current situation has sparked debate among fans and observers.

In the 3-1 defeat to 1. FC Köln, the 22-year-old attacker spent the entire match on the bench, even though Werder offered very little going forward.

Recently, things had looked more promising for Mbangula. He started in the game against VfL Wolfsburg and then received around 30 minutes of playing time in the following match, suggesting he was moving closer to a regular role. In Cologne, however, he did not feature at all.

Head coach Daniel Thioune explained his decision to DeichStube primarily with tactical reasons and the way the match developed. After a red card and a change of system at half-time, Werder switched to a shape without classic wingers, which left no natural position for Mbangula: “We then played in a 4-3-2 formation and no longer needed wings on the pitch.” Thioune also pointed out that recent performances played a part, noting that, in his view, Mbangula had not worked hard enough defensively and had not been as present offensively as desired.

Even so, the door is not closed for the Belgian-Congolese attacker. Looking ahead to the upcoming derby against Hamburger SV on Saturday, Thioune signaled that Mbangula could get another chance. “I believe he can be a factor again against HSV.”, said the coach, adding that this depends on his work in training during the week: “Perhaps he will become a factor and can show how good he is – but he also has to do that during the week.”