FC St. Pauli

Alexander Blessin on…

...playing away on home turf: "I haven't been in this situation before. It's a nice story, of course. Our Under-23s play at Norderstedt and we as a coaching team have watched lots of games there. Now Norderstedt come to us, although officially it's a home game for them. That doesn't alter our focus on winning the game on Saturday."

...the approach against Eintracht Norderstedt: "We have to be alert. We saw what quality there is in the [fourth-tier] Regionalliga in the warm-up game against Drochtersen/Assel. In the first round at Halle last season we really struggled. We'll go into the game with the necessary care because we know what we have to do. Putting in a focused performance and imposing our game on them will be key. We won't underestimate our opponents."

...the personnel situation: "Everyone's at 100 per cent apart from the long-term casualties. There was a small question mark over David Nemeth but he's back in full training now after his adductor problem. Everyone's available apart from Karol Mets, Jackson Irvine and Ricky-Jade Jones. Karol and Jacko are slightly ahead of schedule."

...whether he'll pick a "cup goalkeeper": "We have a very high opinion of Ben Voll and would normally want to give him some playing time, but because this cup-tie is our first competitive game, Nikola Vasilj will start so he can become attuned to playing with the team."

...potential tests during the game: "The test is whether we're ready and whether we progress or go out. It's a completely different type of pressure compared with a warm-up game. We're clear favourites and we want to take the role on. It won't be easy in possession because Norderstedt will sit back. We'll need to have clarity in our actions."

...the choice of captain: "We decided early this week that Jackson Irvine is our captain. Eric Smith is the number 2, Hauke Wahl the number 3. Karol Mets, Nikola Vasilj and Adam Dźwigała make up the rest of the players' committee."

...looking forward to the season opener: "I'm looking forward to the atmosphere at the Millerntor combined with the Dom [funfair]. It's a great way to start the campaign and in Dortmund we have another cracker at home next week. Pre-season is always long for me and so I'm glad there's something at stake again. The adrenaline is higher straightaway."

…possible new signings: "We have our eyes and ears open should something materialise but basically I'm very satisfied with the squad. I don't see too much of a need for us to do anything, but if we do, it has to fit in character, footballing and financial terms."

Photos: Witters & FC St. Pauli