This was a season to forget as far as Werder Bremen are concerned. Schaaf´s side were always known as being the highest scorers previously, but a season hovering around the relegation zone left them struggling to survive this time round. Werder were no more than a shadow of their previous selves and only a late run of results including a win over Dortmund, kept their heads above water. Problem are as are many though. Goalkeeper Wiese is a fine keeper on his day but can be relied on to produce howlers from time to time. The defence marshalled by Per Mertesacker sometimes leaves much to be desired. Indeed, Mertesacker has had a poor season by his standards. Bremen tend to leave themselves open at the back as they push forward in search of goal. The real crunch came for Werder with the departure of Mesut Özil to Real Madrid. Little Marko Marin hasn’t quite lived up to expectations while the departure of Hugo Almeida to Besiktas has left a vacuum up front. Tim Borowski has lost some of his flair while Claudio Pizarro has a problem with consistency. Neither is veteran international Tosten Frings the force he used to be. All in all, below par team performances left Werder struggling for most of the season.
