FC St. Pauli

...his fifth year at the Millerntor

Like the first four it was never boring. In that time we've either knocked on the door at the top end of the table or battled against relegation right to the end. To finish the season as high as seventh after an outstanding second half to the campaign was something no one could have expected in winter. We didn't do that bad a job after the mid-season break.

...the reasons for the inauspicious first half to the campaign

It didn't go well from the word go, starting with the defeat at Stuttgart. In the next game against Braunschweig we made too many simple mistakes. We then went into a downward spiral that we just couldn't get out of in spite of some decent performances. We didn't have the luck you need in phases like that, though we have to admit we weren't as tenacious in the first half of the season as we were in the second. Our chance conversion rate was poor in the first half but after the turn of the year it was much better.

...the reasons for the vast improvement in the second half

It was down to hard work and a great team spirit. Everyone pulled their weight. The lads who weren't playing were angry at the time but they put themselves at the service of the team instead of moaning about it. I always knew we had the quality to stay up despite the first half of the campaign. It was just a matter of time before we turned things round. Our run really got going with the win at Braunschweig. It was important for us to keep our composure rather than lose our heads. We had a brief barren spell in March but that didn't knock us out of our stride and after that we managed five wins in a row. That's not down to luck, it's down to quality. First you show the necessary aggression and then you play football. The fans were behind us all the time. Their support was outstanding, even before Christmas when things weren't going at all well.

...the mental strain

The second half of the season, and especially the run-in, were really energy-sapping. After the final home game against Fürth I was out on my feet. Playing catch-up took a lot out of us – both physically and mentally. We knew throughout that jobs were on the line, too, but we had the mental strength and were able to ward off what would have been a devastating relegation to the third division.

...his role as a more attack-minded holding midfielder

This season I managed to take a step forward and up my level of performance a notch. That was the target I'd set myself and one that was demanded of me before the season started. I could have scored even more goals but I can be satisfied with six over the season.

...his favourite goal of the six

The one against Kaiserslautern. I set off from the halfway line, played a one-two with Aziz and was clinical in front of goal. It felt like it was two of us against six of them but I still smashed it in. And until the game at Düsseldorf I hadn't scored from a free-kick for a while, so I was all the more delighted to find an inch-perfect strike that evening.

...the objectives for the new season

We aim to carry on exactly where we left off and be just as aggressive and tenacious. We want to take the fans with us right from the start, especially at home. Every player, including the new signings, has to understand that at St. Pauli you work your backside off first and then you play football.

Photos: Witters