bundesliga.de: Mr Skibbe, you're around half way through your pre-season preparations. How is the squad shaping up?
Michael Skibbe: It's difficult to say, but we've still got three weeks to go and the lads are going to be fully fit for the big kick off.
bundesliga.de: What have you been focusing on in training?
Skibbe: We've done a lot of stamina work and practised different formations. We've tried to find a mix between fitness and ball work.
bundesliga.de: What can the players look forward to at the training camp in Kärnten?
Skibbe: We'll be doing a lot of tactical work, just like last year.
bundesliga.de: You enjoyed an incredibly successful first season in charge. Has the bar now been raised?
Skibbe: Of course we want to keep on improving, but it's hard to set targets when we don't know how much the opposition has improved. You also have to take possible injuries into account, so we'll start thinking about goals once our preparations are out of the way.
bundesliga.de: One of the new faces in Frankfurt is Theofanis Gekas. What will be his role in the team?
Skibbe: He'll bring us an added goal threat. He's a real poacher, a true striker. With him, Ioannis Amanatidis, Martin Fenin and Halil Altintop, we've got plenty of attacking options. They're all internationals and the younger players in the squad can learn a lot from them.
bundesliga.de: Will there be an more new arrivals?
Skibbe: No, we're done in the transfer market. We actually want to reduce our squad size, but that's not going to be easy as a lot of other clubs are doing the same thing.
bundesliga.de: Before you head off to Kärnten, you have a friendly match against FC Chelsea. Does playing against such a high-calibre team make the game more than just a test?
Skibbe: It's great to be able to play against a top team like them. Pitting yourself against a top quality side allows you to see where you need to improve. Still, it's only a friendly match at the end of the day, for us and Chelsea.
bundesliga.de: Your first home match of the season isn't until 28 August. Are the team going to get a bit homesick?
Skibbe: No. We started with two away games last season and we won both of them, against Offenbach and then Bremen. I think it's a good omen.
Interview by Sebastian Stolz
