Ndjeng heads down memory lane

Posted Saturday, November 01, 2014 by PA

Marcel Ndjeng goes back to where it all began this Sunday when he travels with Hertha Berlin to Paderborn.

The 32-year-old's career started 10 years ago in Paderborn in the 2. Bundesliga, under his current Hertha coach Jos Luhukay.

"That was a great time," Ndjeng said on herthabsc.de. "It was a successful year.

"We had just been promoted from the third division and we had made a euphoric start to the season.

"At the midway stage of the campaign, we already knew that we were not going back down again, and that was an historic achievement."

Paderborn have been back down in the third division in the intervening years, but are now in the top flight of German football for the first time in the East Westphalian club's history.

Since it is their first taste of top-flight football, Paderborn have a slight advantage when it comes to pressure, according to Ndjeng.

"They are never the favourites," he said. "It makes it easier for them to be the underdogs and want to cause the big clubs an upset.

"They're doing it very well and are successful."

Hertha had more pressure on their first season back in the big time last season, but having mastered that, they are starting to struggle a little in this, the dreaded second season after promotion.

In midweek, they were beaten by another of Ndjeng's former clubs, third-division Arminia Bielefeld, in the DFB-Pokal.

"We've got to learn our lesson from that," added the full-back.

"I expect Paderborn to approach the game the same way Bielefeld did and let us take the initiative.

"We have been able to cause our opponents problems in our last three league games and force them into mistakes and that gives us faith."

With Marvin Bakalorz back from suspension, Paderborn coach Andre Breitenreiter has a different sort of problem to overcome - deciding who to leave out.

"It's going to be a tough call," he said. "We've got many different options in our mind."

With 20 fit players, two will be dealt the disappointment of not even being able to sit on the bench at the Paderborn Arena, which will once again be full on Sunday.