Helm: “We’ll have to work our way through this step by step”

During the long international break, the coaching team used the time to work with the squad on the various phases of their own game.

“It’s clear that we see room for improvement both in our play with the ball and in our counter-pressing. We want to put our style of play and our principles into practice in every match, but at the same time we must also adapt to the opposition and find the right approach to be successful. One of the things that has set us apart in recent years is that we’ve always been a bit unpredictable,” explains manager Stephan Helm.

Helm wants to develop the team step by step and make the most of the players’ individual strengths: “We have a wide variety of player types in our squad and want to help them realise their potential. It’s about developing the team over the course of the season – we have to work on this step by step to regain our former strength.”

Sturm as the next opponent

Sturm Graz sit fourth in the table with eleven points after seven rounds. Before the international break, the Graz side suffered a 0–3 defeat in Salzburg; prior to that, they had celebrated a 2–1 home win against LASK. In the Europa League, coach Fabio Ingolitsch’s side picked up a point in a 0–0 draw against Stade Rennes between these two league matches.

Stephan Helm erwartet einen Gegner, auf dessen Spielweise sich die Austria gezielt einstellen muss: „Sturm ist eine Mannschaft, die gegen den Ball mannorientiert spielt. Darauf müssen wir uns einstellen und Lösungen finden, um ihre Muster zu durchbrechen. Wir haben uns einige Möglichkeiten überlegt, aber es wird auch darauf ankommen, dass wir uns in den Eins-gegen-eins-Duellen durchsetzen.“

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