Oliver Glasner on…
…personnel: “The personnel situation is positive - apart from Ragnar Ache, Ajdin Hrustic and Almamy Toure, all players are fit. Filip Kostic is suspended but we have good alternatives in Steven Zuber and Christopher Lenz.”
…his feelings ahead of the season opener: “We’re all looking forward to getting started. I’ll definitely be a little nervous on Sunday because it’s the start of a new challenge for me. We’ll find out where we stand in our first competitive game. Like many other teams, our preparations have been a little complicated. New players have joined us every week and managing all that was a challenge. There’s a great deal of excitement and anticipation.”
…dealing with being favourites: “As a Bundesliga team, you’re always favourites in the first round of the cup. A lot of our players were involved two years ago and know that Mannheim will be a tough challenge. It’s great that 12,000 fans, including 1,250 Frankfurt supporters, will be in attendance. We’re forewarned and know we’ll have to approach the game with utmost professionalism. That’s exactly what we’ll do.”
Every player in the squad would be deserving of a starting place.
Head coach Oliver Glasner
…contenders for a starting berth: “I’m happy that so many players are in good shape and I’ve got a big selection to choose from. Every player in the squad would be deserving of a starting place.”
…his team’s mentality: “There’s a very positive and ambitious mood among the players. We demand a lot from them in terms of training intensity and challenge them mentally as well as physically.”
…potential systems: “It’s possible that we’ll play in a 3-4-3 formation because the players feel very comfortably in that system. If you finish fifth in the table with 60 points, there’s no need for Oliver Glasner to come in and turn everything around. Whatever the formation, the right balance is important and making sure all players fulfil their roles depending on the situation.”
