Next up for the Boys in Brown is a trip to VfB Stuttgart on Friday evening (20.30 CET). Head coach Alexander Blessin took time out in the run-up to speak to the media.
Alexander Blessin…
…the injury situation: “Jackson Irvine has muscle trouble and won’t be fit in time for Stuttgart. Karol Mets has trained without any problems and is making good progress but won’t be ready for this weekend. Abdoulie Ceesay resumed full training today and if nothing happens before the Leverkusen game will return to the squad. AndrĂ©as Hountondji looked a bit tired after the two international matches and the exertions of travelling. We left him out yesterday, but he trained again today and is available. Ricky-Jade Jones has done a lot of running work and is slowly starting working with the ball again. I’m interested to see when he can return to full training. David Nemeth is on crutches and needs some time after his operation. It’s going to be a long process.”
…aspects that need work despite the strong start: “Some of the lads have been self-critical in interviews, for example Hauke Wahl and Eric Smith. They said we haven’t been clever enough in some situations. We’ve played too many short balls in possession and we have to improve our play off the ball. There’s still a bit of work to do in that respect. We’ve had repeated problems when we move as a unit. It’s a question of who’s responsible in what areas.”
…the battle for places in attack: “AndrĂ©as Hountondji was tired against Augsburg and had a muscle problem. He wasn’t angry about being substituted. AndrĂ©as has done a very good job. Martijn Kaars is raring to go and he’s fit as well. He’s had plenty of playing time and will continue to get it. I told him again today that he’s important and should keep pushing. Both of them have responded well to the competition for places.”
…VfB Stuttgart and their style of play: “They try to create overloads in the channels and the wide positions. They then have asymmetry in their movement. You always have to keep your eye on Angelo Stiller, who operates a bit like a quarterback. In Jamie Leweling and Chris FĂĽhrich they have lots of pace coupled with quality on the ball. We’ve talked about various high lines we want to play in. It’s definitely going to be a challenge. In some areas we have to be clear in the way we defend. They have unbelievable quality despite not making the best of starts. We aim to use the quality we have to ensure theirs doesn’t come into play.”
…the approach: “We want to continue the run we’re on and will do our utmost to do that. We know it’s going to be difficult. We also know about the atmosphere at the MHP-Arena. The crowd are sometimes very critical so there’s an opportunity for us to tease out some dissatisfaction. If you surrender too much of the initiative, they start to feel comfortable and get a flow going. We aim to be active and have spells of possession where we show what we can do. We want to bring the quality we’ve showed in the last three games back to the pitch again.”
