While there is plenty of anger around Graham Potter’s West Ham United right now, the very real terror of relegation is yet to transform into tears.
The same cannot be said, however, of another traditional old club who have endured a nightmarish start of their own.
While West Ham United’s dreadful beginning took a turn for the worse on Tuesday night – Wolves triumphed 3-2 in a dramatic Carabao Cup turnaround at Molineux – Werder Bremen have already suffered an early exit themselves.
The four-time Bundesliga champions were knocked out of the DFB Pokal at the first-round stage by second-tier Arminia Bielefeld. That proceeded Saturday’s 4-1 drubbing by an Eintracht Frankfurt side exploding out of the blocks despite the loss of Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool.
How Werder Bremen respond to a high-profile departure of their own, though, remains to be seen. As Southampton refuse to budge on Mateus Fernandes’ £40 million price-tag, Bundesliga reporter Florian Plettenberg claims that West Ham are exploring a deal for Romano Schmid too.
But, as the tears fell following Werder’s four-goal thrashing by Frankfurt, was this the telltale sign of an imminent farewell?
Werder Bremen midfielder Romano Schmid during Austria v Romania - European Qualifiers Group H - FIFA World Cup 2026
Photo by Christian Hofer/Getty Images
Romano Schmid cries on the pitch as West Ham United eye Werder Bremen talisman
Schmid could not hold his emotions back as Werder Bremen suffered a heavy defeat on what could prove to be his final appearance in that green jersey.
Sky Sports Germany now claim that, while there have been no serious bids at this stage, discussions have taken place with interested parties.
MORE WEST HAM STORIES
Deich Stube back up these reports, saying that offers have been few and far between even if there is plenty of interest. Lille, Ligue 1 champions in 2021, are another club to keep an eye on before the window closes.
Though West Ham is a link which just will not go away.
“Were those tears of farewell?” Werder Bremen specialists Deich Stube ask. “After the decisive 4-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt, Romano Schmid was overcome by his emotions and let them run wild on the pitch, which was clearly visible during the TV broadcast.
“Since goalkeeper Michael Zetterer had caused similar images following the cup exit in Bielefeld, which were directly related to his imminent move to Frankfurt, many fans now fear that Schmid, too, is about to leave.”
Schmid has similarities with Martin Odegaard and Bruno Fernandes
Both Deich Stube and BILD, however, believe that Schmid’s tears had more to do with the result than an impending departure. BILD add that Werder Bremen have raised their asking price to £17 million in the knowledge that finding a replacement may be almost impossible at this stage of the window.
Then again, a £17 million fee is still less than half the sum Southampton want for Mateus Fernandes.
Fernandes was left out of Southampton’s squad for the 3-0 Carabao Cup thumping of Norwich City on Tuesday, though head coach Will Still insists that the Portugal Under-21 international had simply been rested after he played the full 90 minutes on the weekend.
Schmid, meanwhile, shares many of the same attributes with Southampton’s highly-rated number 18.
As you might expect given that he is a massive cog of Ralf Rangnick’s Austria machine, Schmid is a relentless worker and a positive, purposeful passer. A midfielder tailor-made for the so-called ‘Godfather of Gegenpressing’.
Per Data MB, Schmid ranks amongst the very best in European football for ‘progressive carries’ and ‘key passes’. Fbref claim that those closest to the former Red Bull Salzburg ace, in terms of style and statistics, include Enzo Fernandes, Martin Odegaard and Bruno Fernandes.