Reactions to the League

Austria Captain: “Our defense was absolutely terrible!”

Austria captain Manfred Fischer didn’t mince words when speaking to the “Krone” either…(Bild: Krone-Collage/APA/MAX SLOVENCIK, krone.tv)

Read HERE what the winners and losers had to say after the matches between FK Austria Vienna and WSG Tirol, as well as FC Red Bull Salzburg and SK Rapid!

Stephan Helm (Austria Coach): “Of course we’re very disappointed because we all set out to secure the three points right away to move up to the part of the standings we’d all envisioned. Still, it has to be said that we lacked the necessary punch. In the final third, we lacked that final burst of energy and decisiveness. We’ll have to do better next time. It’ll be important for us to get our heads in the game quickly. I know how fast you can turn things around with good performances.”

Manfred Fischer (Austria captain): “It’s inexplicable. As a team, we were far too disjointed. It felt like we had absolutely no spark, especially in the first half. On top of that, our defense on set pieces was abysmal. It’s important that we don’t let this drive a wedge between us now.”
On the botched league start: “The situation isn’t unusual. Unfortunately, it feels like we go through the same drama every year at the start of the season.”

Philipp Semlic (WSG coach): “It was clear to us that we had to be very aggressive, very solid, and very consistent when defending. Then you also need moments where you let the opponent have the ball and can make an impression. Up to that point, we did everything very well, but in the final third we left a bit too much on the field. In the end, we’re happy about the win, but we also know how to put it into perspective. Wins naturally build confidence. But we also have to give the team that confidence even when things aren’t going so well.”

Danny Röhl (Salzburg coach): “First of all,I’m very happy about the win against a very good team. We set a new benchmark for ourselves in terms of possession—we were very fluid, precise in our passing, found the open spaces very well, and accelerated at the right moments. When you’re leading 3–0 after a little more than 20 minutes, that generally helps. In terms of possession and shots on goal, it was an even match—we shouldn’t forget that. In the end, though, we won thoroughly deservedly. Even after halftime, we still had the clearer chances. We’ve now won 3–0, 4–1, and 5–1 in the span of six days—that’s outstanding on offense. As a coach, I’m always bothered by the goal we conceded; we need to stay even more alert there. We can go home satisfied and start celebrating already.”

Johannes Hoff Thorup (Rapid coach): “In the first half, our level of play wasn’t good enough in terms of how we handled Salzburg’s attacks. Salzburg is really strong, but we had a numerical advantage a few times and enough time to defend those situations—yet we gave them far too much space. The start of the game wasn’t all that bad, but they punished us mercilessly for our mistakes. There were moments that weren’t even really big chances. Overall, we just didn’t do enough. We need to be much more careful when tracking back. I was hoping we’d score the first goal after the break, but things turned out differently. It was a tough, first real loss. But you can always lose in Salzburg.”