In the fifth year since the change in mode in the Bundesliga, the master group is rising for the first time without the WAC. The almost historic failure of the Carinthians was certain on Saturday after the 2-1 defeat at TSV Hartberg. “If I’m the problem, then I’ll take responsibility,” emphasized the somewhat helpless coach Robin Dutt. The next crisis talks with club president Dietmar Riegler should increase.
Riegler recently backed his coach in the media, but according to Sky information, he has already exchanged views with ex-Austria coach Manfred Schmid. “If I sit down with the President and we decide that I’m the problem, then WAC, the team, is way too close to my heart,” Dutt said with remarkable calm. He will not fight for survival. “I’m not attached to my job, I’m a little attached to the WAC and the team.”
Dutt has been working in Lavanttal since the summer of 2021, with 29 wins and 28 defeats and 8 draws, the balance sheet is just about positive. The 58-year-old German couldn’t get the defensive problems under control in the spring either. Forced changes, mostly due to injuries, leave the defense with more holes. The WAC conceded 40 goals – exactly two per game – and thus more than any other league team. The second-best offensive department, along with the oddity that striker Tai Baribo (12 goals) could well be top scorer, doesn’t help.
“What seems well-rehearsed at the front is exactly the opposite at the back,” said Dutt, alluding to the lack of “consistency in personnel”. “I could also play with eleven chefs and it would be: Why don’t you win?” The defensive pillars Dominik Baumgartner and David Gugganig are currently missing, and goalie Hendrik Bonmann fell ill on Saturday.
The situation with the upcoming opponent and qualifying group opponent Austria Lustenau is almost mirror-inverted. The Vorarlberg defend well, but score no more goals without Bryan Teixeira leaving for the winter. In the spring they managed just one goal in four games – against Salzburg (0:4), Austria Vienna (1:0), LASK (0:1) and Sturm Graz (0:2).
“We didn’t have a real chance to score again for 90 minutes. That’s not enough at this level,” said coach Markus Mader after the home defeat against Sturm. “We already have some construction sites as far as the offensive game is concerned. We can now work on them for three weeks before the tough relegation battle begins.”
At the bottom of the table, Ried is two rounds ahead of the points and league division. The game association lost 3-1 to Wiener Austria on the debut of neo-coach Maximilian Senft. Senft did not want to accept the red card against David Ungar as an alibi. “It’s important to me that nobody looks for excuses today. I can see and feel that in the team,” emphasized the 33-year-old. He was “convinced that we will pull the right levers in the coming weeks.”
Stefan Nutz’ artful shot from the corner to make it 1-0 ended up being worthless. Senft saw seven shots in the direction of Austria’s housing as “far too little”. “We can play better with one man less.” In the first reaction, he described the mood as “sour”. The fans said goodbye to the team without emotion. Under the game, criticism of the club leadership was made on a banner.
Goal scorer Nutz used phrases from a team stuck in the relegation battle. “If you’re in the back, you feel like you’re being punished for every mistake,” said the game designer. But Senft “brought some momentum”. Ried will need that in the future. The next game takes the game association to Altach, before the WAC makes a guest appearance in the Innviertel at the end of the basic round.