Bundesliga: Werder Bremen Boss Steffen Slams Boniface After 3-0 Home Defeat

Werder Bremen’s head coach Horst Steffen has openly criticised Victor Boniface’s performance following their 3-0 loss to SC Freiburg on Saturday, saying the Nigerian forward didn’t stick to his tactical instructions.

The match at the Weserstadion, Boniface’s first home appearance for Bremen, proved a disappointment for the home fans. He entered in the second half, with Bremen already two goals down, but was unable to spark a comeback. Instead, the visitors sealed the result with another goal, claiming all three points.

Steffen admonished the team generally for lapses in defensive shape, but singled out Boniface for drifting out of his intended zone. “I felt he was too ‘everywhere.’ It’s fine for him to be more central. It wasn’t the way I wanted it,” the coach said.

He added that several players failed to remain in their positional responsibilities: “It wasn’t just him, but a lot of players weren’t staying in their spaces. We have to be positionally consistent so that we can overload the attack every now and then. That’s an issue I’ll address.”

Since his loan from Bayer Leverkusen late in the summer transfer window, Boniface has logged only about 45 minutes of play across two substitute appearances. Steffen emphasized that the striker must be patient as he adjusts to the team’s style and tactical demands. deichstube.de+1

• Positional discipline was a key weak point; even though Boniface was meant to play centrally, he often wandered into other roles (deeper or wider), which disrupted Bremen’s shape.
• Adjustment period should be expected: Changing clubs, systems, perhaps even fitness levels all matter. Boniface’s limited minutes so far suggest Bremen management sees a gradual integration rather than immediate start.
• Teamwide issue: Steffen didn’t ascribe the failure only to Boniface; several teammates also didn’t maintain positional discipline. The defeat seems as much about collective off-game as about individual missteps.
• Boniface joined Werder Bremen on loan from Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the recent transfer window.
• His early promise showed in the club’s earlier match: he delivered an assist in Bremen’s convincing 4-0 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach.
• To see Boniface play more centrally in future games, adhering more strictly to his positional role.
• The coaching staff will likely work on reinforcing positional awareness across the squad.
• Patience is expected, both from player and fans, as the newcomer adjusts.