Werder Bremen manager Horst Steffen has urged Victor Boniface to raise his performance levels following another underwhelming display in their 1–1 draw against Mainz.
The Nigerian forward, who is yet to find the back of the net for Bremen this season, was singled out by Steffen for not doing enough in attack despite his work rate.
“He tried to hold the ball up in attack, but today I thought, come on, he can still do better,” Steffen said after the match in Mainz.
It marks the second time this season that the Bremen boss has publicly criticised Boniface’s performances.
Earlier in the campaign, after a 3–0 defeat to Freiburg on matchday four, Steffen expressed his frustration at the striker’s positioning.
“He moved around too much for my liking. I would prefer him to stay more central. It wasn’t exactly what I had in mind,” he said at the time.
Boniface’s struggles have been glaring. The 24-year-old, on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, has gone 13 games without scoring in all competitions, with his last goal coming in March during Leverkusen’s defeat to Bochum.
Reports in Germany suggest the forward is still battling minor fitness issues and has been advised to shed some extra weight to regain sharpness. Steffen, however, remains optimistic that the Nigerian can rediscover his form.
“He’s on the right path, but he still has a long way to go,” the coach added.
Boniface’s goal drought has had a significant impact on his market value, which has fallen from €40m to €20m according to Transfermarkt.
Once one of Nigeria’s most promising attacking prospects, he now ranks sixth among the country’s most valuable players and 57th in the Bundesliga.
His decline follows a turbulent summer, during which a proposed big-money move to AC Milan collapsed after he reportedly failed a medical. Bremen later secured him on loan from Leverkusen in hopes of reviving his form.
Despite his struggles, Boniface remains the most valuable player at Bremen and is determined to prove his worth when the club travel to face Wolfsburg on Friday.
