The loss of points in the 1-1 draw at home against Admira (game report >>>) naturally annoys Sturm coach Christian Ilzer.
At the same time, the coach also gathers important information about his team in this demanding phase:
“For me it is just exciting to see how my players do when things get difficult, when everything is not easy, when they really have to work hard. Are there grumbling, whining, are they trying to make excuses in advance? Or say they themselves in advance: Don’t give a shit, nobody cares anyway, we only get over it if we push our own limits upwards? “
In such a tough time, players would experience the greatest adjustments, and his protégés would also accept this challenge:
“There’s no mess at all. Everyone was ready for the game against Admira, too. It’s a shame that we didn’t make it 2-0 or 3-0 into the break, then it would have been a clear win.”
Conceded goal from nowhere
The Styrians did not lack opportunities for higher leadership, but the exploitation was too wasteful.
Ilzer: “We couldn’t use some of the top chances to make it 2-0 or Andi Leitner held some balls really well. Then we get 1-1 out of nowhere, you just have to defend it more consistently.”
With a 2-0 lead, according to the coach, you would have found completely different rooms after changing sides. So the Admira could act compactly, and Sturm could not add any more.
Harvest time in spring
Nevertheless, the Sturm coach only changed once. In the 67th minute, Niangbo made way for Kuen.
“I saw absolutely no reason to change,” emphasizes Ilzer. “With Andi Kuen, I had been thinking for a long time whether I should make the change at all, because the boys were still really good at running and from positional play.”
With Kuen, on the other hand, you could see that this was a game that would be difficult to get into as a joker.
In the end, it was a tie that you had to take with you once in a while: “It was a point on our way to the top 6, we have to go in there. The harvest time is in spring.”
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