“It’s about being unpredictable”

Markus Krösche on...

…conditions in Windischgarsten: “We’ve been here several times in the past, the lads and the staff know the environment, the hotel and the pitches. They’re good, which is always the most important thing. The conditions are great in that respect.”

…the current squad: “There are certainly players who played relatively little last season and that is unlikely to change much this term. One or two have already said they’re considering their options, so we’ll see what happens in the next few weeks. Goncalo Paciencia is looking into one or two clubs. We’ve released Ali Akman so he can meet and hold talks with another club – we’re aiming for a loan deal with him.”

…Filip Kostic: “Filip is with us and feeling good. You could tell in Saturday’s game that he’s having fun. He knows what he has in us and has played a big part in our success over the years. Conversely, we know what we have in him. We have big plans and he’s an important part of our team. We want to have another good season.”

…players with a year left on their contracts: “Our goal, first and foremost, is to be successful on the pitch. That’s the foundation. At the same time, however, our goal isn’t to let players leave for free. We’re in talks with all our players. The same applies to Filip as it does for Daichi Kamada and Evan Ndicka. Everyone has plans for the future, but no one is giving the impression of wanting to leave us. It’s hard to come out with a reliable statement seven weeks before the transfer window closes. We’re not under pressure to sell. For us, it’s about having the best team possible.”

…new challenges: “It’s about being unpredictable. That’s the basic idea when it comes to putting the squad together – that we have different skills in individual positions so we can meet different demands. That includes having solutions and creating goalscoring chances against deep-lying opponents, for instance.”