2024-11-03 09:12:00
The Upper Austrians have been winless for over a month and have only picked up one point in the last four rounds. In the 1:2 cup loss to Sturm Graz, Blau-Weiß was anything but demotivated. The team, now seventh in the table, could move within one point of Austria with an away win.
The Viennese don’t want to let this happen. What Austria has to offer so far this season is not spectacular, but the yield proves Dominik Fitz and Co. right. While Austria has always been worried about getting into the top six championship group in recent seasons, it is currently well on its way there.
Stephan Helm spoke to an “extremely hungry, receptive” team. “We are still not there yet where we can play our game on the pitch for 90 minutes. But the phases are getting longer and longer. And if things don’t go well in terms of play, we are extremely closed,” said the Austria coach, referring to defensive stability. His team only conceded one goal in the victories against GAK (2:1), Austria Klagenfurt (1:0), WSG Tirol (3:0) and in the cup against SV Horn (1:0).
Bundesliga, twelfth round
Start at 5 p.m.:
Austria – BW Linz
Generali Arena, SR Semler
Possible lineups:
Austria: Sahin-Radlinger – Wiesinger, Dragovic, Galvao – Ranftl, Barry, Fischer, Guenouche – Fitz – Prelec, Malone
BW Linz: Vitek – Wallner, Maranda, Moormann – Anderson, Diabate, Pasic, Pirkl – S. Seidl, Ronivaldo, Goiginger
Need to catch up on offense
Things aren’t working as expected at the front, but Helm is also seeing a certain upswing there. He said that his team was very focused on the opponent’s goal, but didn’t reward themselves enough there. Marko Raguz made his first starting appearance in Horn. The comeback of the long-injured center forward has boosted competition internally.
“But we still have to keep an eye on how long and intensively he plays,” Helm reported. Muharem Huskovic appears to be deregistered at the moment. The U21 team striker didn’t even make it into the squad recently. “The decisions are close, but one or the other is ahead,” noted Helm.
“Unpleasant outsider”
For Austria it is also about making them forget the 0-1 loss in Linz at the beginning of August. Blue and white now also pays off a bit. In Graz, coach Gerald Scheiblehner spoke of the best away game his team had ever shown as a Bundesliga team. This should also inspire people in Vienna.
“After our recent performance against Sturm Graz, we are going to Vienna with a very good feeling. Austria has had a very good run in the last few games. We believe in ourselves and will appear as dangerous and unpleasant outsiders,” said Scheiblehner.
The backdrop should be right: Austria has already sold 14,000 tickets for the members’ game. Helm wants to see a step forward again. There is always work, he noted. “Training a team is like renovating a church: when you’re done with the tower, you have to start again at the bottom.”
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### Interview with Stephan Helm, Coach of Austria Wien Football Club
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us today, Stephan. Your team has had a difficult run lately, but you’ve managed to maintain some strong defensive performances. How do you assess the team’s current form?
**Stephan Helm:** Thank you for having me. It’s true that we’ve been winless in the league for over a month, which is certainly a challenge. However, I’m proud of how hard the team has been working. We may not have achieved the results we wanted, but our defensive stability has improved significantly. In our recent victories, we’ve only conceded one goal, which speaks volumes about our grit and determination on the field.
**Interviewer:** With the upcoming match against BW Linz, how do you plan to prepare the team for this challenge?
**Stephan Helm:** Preparation is key. We’ll focus on maintaining our defensive coherence while also trying to enhance our attacking phases. My players are extremely receptive right now, and they’re hungry for success. If we can carry on building those longer phases of play, I believe we can secure a positive result against Linz.
**Interviewer:** You mentioned that the team is “not there yet” in terms of playing a complete game for 90 minutes. What specific areas do you think need improvement?
**Stephan Helm:** I think we need to work on our consistency. While we can see flashes of brilliance, we struggle to sustain that level for the entire match. Additionally, we must improve our offensive transitions. Creating more goal-scoring opportunities will be essential as we push to re-establish ourselves in the top six championship group.
**Interviewer:** Your thoughts on the upcoming opponent, BW Linz? They seem to be looking for a win as well, making this match significant.
**Stephan Helm:** Absolutely. BW Linz is a competitive side, and they’ll come out strong, especially since they are eager to move up the table. We need to be prepared for their intensity and ensure we maintain our focus. Every point counts, and we must seize our chances.
**Interviewer:** Lastly, how does the team stay motivated through this tough stretch?
**Stephan Helm:** The motivation comes from within the players. They are driven, and their desire to improve each day is inspiring. We remind ourselves that every challenge is an opportunity to grow. We’re close to turning things around; we just need that breakthrough.
**Interviewer:** Thank you for your insights, Stephan. Best of luck in your match against BW Linz!
**Stephan Helm:** Thank you! We appreciate the support and hope to deliver a positive result.
