Wimmer sounds the alarm

All nines – that’s just too much

Even if for Michael Wimmer red is not the same as red - it happens too often. In addition to the "discipline issue", the Austria coach also sees deficiencies in the game.

Even if Michael Wimmer doesn't consider all exclusions to be the same ("you have to differentiate between the cards, look at each one individually - the cards I can't live with are assaults or stupidity for complaining, that's not acceptable") - nine exclusions this season (eight in the league and one in the European Cup) are simply too many for the Vienna Austria coach: "That's too often, we don't even need to discuss it."

It also costs points; only once have they won a game while short-handed, on Friday against Blau Weiß Linz they had to play with ten men from the 16th minute after Moritz Wels was shown an early yellow card ...

"Wels has my trust"
Wels, who according to Wimmer "sat in the dressing room like a watered poodle at half-time", is not one to beat about the bush. "It was his debut, he was certainly a bit over-motivated, now it's up to all of us to help him out. You have to give him the feeling that he hasn't ruined everything he's built up in training and through his professional behavior with the yellow-red card. He still has my trust because he's earned it."

Moritz Wels was sent off with a yellow-red card against Blau-Weiß Linz.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

The fact is: Austria are not getting up to speed in the qualifying group and have not been able to convince in terms of play - Wimmer is just as challenged here as he is when it comes to discipline.