Frankfurt Ladies began the second half of their Allianz Women’s Bundesliga season with a 2-0 win at Borussia Mönchengladbach, and climbed up to fifth in the table. The deciding factor was Mandy Islacker, after the German International scored both goals: In an interview with DFB, the 28-year-old spoke about a difficult season for the record champions, this weekend’s crunch match with Turbine Potsdam, the DFB Cup quarter-final with SC Freiburg and the dream of reaching the competition’s showpiece in Köln.
DFB.de: Mandy, how good did it feel to get both goals in the 2-0 win at the weekend?
Mandy Isacker: It was a great feeling. The first half of the season was very erratic, for both me and the team but the win over Mönchengladbach was definitely more important than me scoring the goals. We worked hard over the winter break. I think that work will bear fruit from this point on.
DFB.de: Was this more than just a ‘must win’ game for Frankfurt?
Isacker: We went to Mönchengladbach as the clear favourites and showed that confidently. I don’t want to talk about it as a must win. The league this year is closer than ever before. There are no such things as separate ‘must win’ games. If you are not fully focused the team teams like Mönchengladbach can cause a big surprise. We didn’t want to be the first side to go there and not come away with the points.
DFB.de: Is consistency now the aim for the rest of the season?
Isacker: We put in some very good performances every now and again, but we did not back those up a week later. We must and want to grab that situation by the horns. Then we will be able to hopefully climb the table.
DFB.de: Is a place in the top two out of reach for this season?
Isacker: No, we are not looking at that. The gap to the very top is too big. We must use this season to rebuild the squad and develop again after last summer’s departures.
DFB.de: Frankfurt has been on top for so long in recent years. Has it been difficult to lower the standards this season?
Isacker: We knew before this season started that it would be difficult and is exactly how it has turned out. We were prepared for this so we are not as disappointed as we could be. We would of course love to qualify for the Champions League but we have already dropped too many points. We lost a lot of good players in the summer and zyou cannot always replace those spots immediately, you need time for that.
DFB.de: Nevertheless you are in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup?
Isacker: One of biggest goals now is to make the final in Köln. The draw has given us a tie away in Freiburg, which will obviously be tough. But we have the quality to make the last four, we went to Freiburg and drew 0-0 in the league so anything is possible.
DFB.de: This Saturday sees you play Turbine Potsdam, the current league leaders, in a crunch match.
Isacker: We are looking forward to locking horns with them. We have to improve from the 2-0 win over Gladbach, but we are more than capable of doing that.
DFB.de: Will it be an advantage to you that this will be Potsdam’s first competitive match of 2017. As opposition you are already in a rhythm?
Isacker: I don’t think that will be crucial. We will have to respect that they have been phenomenal up until now. I have been very impressed with how they have performed.
DFB.de: Last season was disappointing for Potsdam but they have come back strongly. Is that something that Frankfurt would want to replicate next year?
Isacker: That would be great of course. We have a lot of young players in the groups who have learnt a lot this year and will be looking to take the next step next season. Whether that means reaching the very top again will depend on a lot of factors. We will have to wait and see what squad we have. Who is leaving? Who is coming in? They are questions which cannot be answered just yet.
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Frankfurt Ladies began the second half of their Allianz Women’s Bundesliga season with a 2-0 win at Borussia Mönchengladbach, and climbed up to fifth in the table. The deciding factor was Mandy Islacker, after the German International scored both goals: In an interview with DFB, the 28-year-old spoke about a difficult season for the record champions, this weekend’s crunch match with Turbine Potsdam, the DFB Cup quarter-final with SC Freiburg and the dream of reaching the competition’s showpiece in Köln.
DFB.de: Mandy, how good did it feel to get both goals in the 2-0 win at the weekend?
Mandy Isacker: It was a great feeling. The first half of the season was very erratic, for both me and the team but the win over Mönchengladbach was definitely more important than me scoring the goals. We worked hard over the winter break. I think that work will bear fruit from this point on.
DFB.de: Was this more than just a ‘must win’ game for Frankfurt?
Isacker: We went to Mönchengladbach as the clear favourites and showed that confidently. I don’t want to talk about it as a must win. The league this year is closer than ever before. There are no such things as separate ‘must win’ games. If you are not fully focused the team teams like Mönchengladbach can cause a big surprise. We didn’t want to be the first side to go there and not come away with the points.
DFB.de: Is consistency now the aim for the rest of the season?
Isacker: We put in some very good performances every now and again, but we did not back those up a week later. We must and want to grab that situation by the horns. Then we will be able to hopefully climb the table.
DFB.de: Is a place in the top two out of reach for this season?
Isacker: No, we are not looking at that. The gap to the very top is too big. We must use this season to rebuild the squad and develop again after last summer’s departures.
DFB.de: Frankfurt has been on top for so long in recent years. Has it been difficult to lower the standards this season?
Isacker: We knew before this season started that it would be difficult and is exactly how it has turned out. We were prepared for this so we are not as disappointed as we could be. We would of course love to qualify for the Champions League but we have already dropped too many points. We lost a lot of good players in the summer and zyou cannot always replace those spots immediately, you need time for that.
DFB.de: Nevertheless you are in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup?
Isacker: One of biggest goals now is to make the final in Köln. The draw has given us a tie away in Freiburg, which will obviously be tough. But we have the quality to make the last four, we went to Freiburg and drew 0-0 in the league so anything is possible.
DFB.de: This Saturday sees you play Turbine Potsdam, the current league leaders, in a crunch match.
Isacker: We are looking forward to locking horns with them. We have to improve from the 2-0 win over Gladbach, but we are more than capable of doing that.
DFB.de: Will it be an advantage to you that this will be Potsdam’s first competitive match of 2017. As opposition you are already in a rhythm?
Isacker: I don’t think that will be crucial. We will have to respect that they have been phenomenal up until now. I have been very impressed with how they have performed.
DFB.de: Last season was disappointing for Potsdam but they have come back strongly. Is that something that Frankfurt would want to replicate next year?
Isacker: That would be great of course. We have a lot of young players in the groups who have learnt a lot this year and will be looking to take the next step next season. Whether that means reaching the very top again will depend on a lot of factors. We will have to wait and see what squad we have. Who is leaving? Who is coming in? They are questions which cannot be answered just yet.
