FC St. Pauli

Janssen has more options going into the game than first thought. With the Regional League game against Germania Egestorf/Langreder being postponed, the players who were due to play for the Under23s in that game are now available for selection on Monday. And apart from long-term casualties Ryo Miyaichi (cruciate) and Philipp Ziereis (thigh), only Kyoungrok Choi (ankle) and YiYoung Park (thigh) are sidelined.

The Boys in Brown travelled to Paderborn on Sunday afternoon having enjoyed the best-possible preparations. "The players looked very focused in training and there's been a good sense of energy during the week," said Janssen, who has set his team up for a "fiery encounter".

Janssen admitted to being impressed by the current form of the third-division outfit, who are averaging 3.5 goals a game in the league this season: "They press with extreme aggression, switch the play quickly on winning possession and attack the goal straightaway, so we'll need to be at our best. My feeling is we're in for a very demanding game."

Though Paderborn may be the underdogs on paper, Janssen has warned his players not to underestimate them. "It makes no sense to assume the favourites' tag and say we're going to beat Paderborn because we're a second-division team," he said. "The moment we think that, we're beaten."

With the Boys in Brown due to face Darmstadt in the league four days after tomorrow's cup-tie, Janssen is mulling over a variety of selection and tactical options. "I have to consider the strain of two games in a week," he said. "We need quick players capable of hurting the opposition. Are there players with enough fuel in the tank to go full out twice over 90 minutes at this early stage of the season?"

Generally, the 50-year-old aims to allow himself the freedom of absorbing the lessons of each game to judge what's best for the team. "I have good depth in the squad," he said. "There are several players who have developed well and are capable of displaying their power in the starting lineup, but we also have to set ourselves up according to the opposition and find the appropriate system, of course. All these thoughts and bits of information will flow into my decision and I hope I'll come up with something decent on Monday."

There have been no major surprises in the competition so far, with all the higher-division sides going through. "Some of the games were very close for a very long time, though, so in the end that's irrelevant," said Janssen. "It's more about having a desire for the competition and subjecting yourself to its rules, i.e. to be one of the last two teams left out of the 64 at the end. Only if you set out to achieve that will you have the right level of energy in the first round."

That is precisely the attitude Janssen expects to see from his players on Monday. "I also expect us to want to go as far as possible, while being humble enough to know that a huge hurdle awaits us in the very first round. But that can be enjoyable as well. I want to sense that my players are enjoying it and are up for the first round on Monday. I believe the teams who go all the way are the ones that take that to heart from the start. I hope my players can take that thought with them onto the pitch."

Photos: Witters