LIENEN: "UNION WILL PUSH US TO THE LIMIT"
Wednesday, 08. March 2017, 17:26 Uhr
Two days before the visit of Union Berlin head coach Ewald Lienen fielded questions from the Hamburg media at the customary pre-match press conference. Though Jens's Keller's side come to the Millerntor as the league's form team, the Boys in Brown are determined to continue their recent upward trend.
The St. Pauli boss began his remarks with the pleasing news that for the first time this season every member of his senior squad had been able to train this week. "It's a nice situation to be in and we hope it will stay like that," he said. "Having everyone on board allows us to run high-quality training sessions."
Lienen's side go into the game against second-placed Union looking for a repeat of the fine performances of recent weeks, something he believes will be vital if they are to have any chance of emerging victorious. Asked whether the table for the second half of the season, where Union lead the way in front of Stuttgart and the Boys in Brown, meant it was the game of the weekend, Lienen said: "We're just happy to have started the year so well. We don't care what you call the game. What matters is our mentality going into it."
The 63-year-old expanded upon this theme: "We haven't achieved anything yet. We wanted to change the situation we were in, which we've managed to do. For us it's about staying on course now. We can't afford to relax yet. We could only have done that if we'd gone into the winter break with 18, 19, or 20 points. Irrespective of our recent results, our aim is to improve with every game and pick up points. If we want to do well, we have to stay focused and concentrated. What's gone before doesn't matter. What counts is the moment, what happens next. It can be a counterattack, a pass or an action in defence."
Union Berlin travel to the Millerntor as the current form side. "They're the best team in the league at the moment, a top outfit with a quality squad and lots of decent options," said Lienen, for whom continuity is the main reason why Union are doing so well. "Continuity has always paid off in the second division. Union are on a decent path. I'm not surprised by the progress they've made because they've always had a good team in recent years."
The St. Pauli boss is in no doubt about the difficulty of the task facing his side: "Union will push us to the limit," he said. "They're very dangerous in front of goal." Lienen singled out Steven Skrzybski (8 goals), Damir Kreilach (6), Simon Hedlund and the sole winter signing, Sebastian Polter, (3 each) in this context. "Union have impressed me with their direct approach to getting the ball forward, their incredible transition play in both directions and their solid counterpressing. It's therefore imperative we act quickly whenever we win the ball."
Photo: Witters
