Dino Toppmöller on...
...opponents 1. FSV Mainz 05: “The game against Mainz is a completely different one to Sofia; it has a completely different character. Mainz play a lot of long balls with [Ludovic] Ajorque as their target man. We need to maintain control at the back and in front of our defensive line. Mainz are good at winning second balls and at transitions – it’s one of their main strengths. They are well-organised defensively and a completely different side to Levski. We’re expecting a very aggressive Mainz side who are a lot more powerful at home than in away games, which is partly down to their fans. It’s going to be an open and physical game in which we’ll need to hold our own and launch attacks of our own.”
...the spate of colds among the players: “It’s an issue for us at the moment. One or two of us have a bit of a tickly throat, which is why we have to maintain hygiene standards and, if necessary, keep our distance a little. We need to protect one another to ensure it doesn’t get out of hand.”
...the starting XI: “It’s never about resting players, but about finding players who are most suitable for our opponents. Sunday’s game is an incredibly important one in the Bundesliga and we’ll approach it with 100 per cent.”
We need to demand the ball, shift and pass the ball – play give-and-gos. We can still improve in that respect.
Head coach Dino Toppmöller
...the team’s development: “We’re at the beginning of our development, overall. It’s a process that hasn’t quite started yet. Generally speaking, I’m very pleased with our defensive stability so far, which has to be our foundation. We’ve managed to integrate two new players in Robin Koch and Willian Pacho as well as Ellyes Skhiri in front of the back four.
“We need time to settle as a team – that’s important to us, as is improving in football terms over the course of the season. I think we can build on the first 45 to 60 minutes of the Sofia game but we want a little more composure and courage in our play, particularly when our opponents put us under pressure. In those instances, we need more proactivity and flair in our play. We need to demand the ball, shift and pass the ball – play give-and-gos. We can still improve in that respect.”
...Ludovic Ajorque: “When a player is two metres tall and our defence isn’t as tall, you obviously won’t be able to defend every situation. He’ll flick headers on and hold the ball up, because he’s an outstanding player. We need to defend as a unit, be organised in behind and close down quickly further up the pitch so we can control the second balls. It’s always about the collective.”
