FC St. Pauli

Eric Smith on…

...how things stand in pre-season: "We took a big step forward last weekend and are very happy with the way things are going, but we know it's going to be a long season and we still have to some way to go if we're to hold our own in the Bundesliga. We're on the right track but still have work to do until we're good enough."

...the new-look team: "We're definitely on the right track and are working hard every week to get to know each other better. The foundations have been laid and the task now is to eke out the last few percentage points. That's what we're focusing on now. The coach had to work with the new team as quickly as possible and he's done that very well. We have a lot of video sessions to show the new players how we want to play. The lads who've been here for a while have to take on responsibility for helping the new players."

...the vice-captain role: "Jackson Irvine is the captain, that's clear. I simply try to do my bit and that means performing as well as I can on the pitch. I'm not the loudest player when we play or train but I do try to keep an eye on everything. It's about developing good relationships with the other players. Jackson has the main responsibility for the job and I do my best to support him."

As vice-captain Eric Smith values good relationships with all his teammates.

...the DFB Cup: "I like the cup. We've all been waiting to get started again. It's been a long pre-season, but we're really looking forward to it now. We're taking the game extremely seriously. We obviously want to progress as far as we can, but our main focus will always be the Bundesliga. Nevertheless, we'll always give our best in the cup."

...Louis Oppie, who played in last season's cup final: "I've haven't spoken to him about that yet. Louis is obviously a very good player. We lost a lot of quality in his position when Philipp Treu left, but we're very pleased with Louis so far and hopefully he'll come on even more this year and help us in this position. His attacking qualities will come in very useful."

...opponents Eintracht Norderstedt: "We have to approach the game with the necessary seriousness and give it 100 per cent. We know these games are never easy. Our first game last season was against another lower-league side in Halle and we were fortunate to win after 120 minutes. These games are a law unto themselves. It's not a question of what league you play in but of how much effort you put in."

Photos: FC St. Pauli