FC St. Pauli

Timo Schultz on...

...the personnel situation: "It's similar to last week, though I assume Jannes Wieckhoff will come into the squad. We're being cautious with Eric Smith. We want to get him into a situation where he's 100 per cent physically fit. At the moment, we're allowing ourselves the luxury of giving him the time he needs. We have very good options in that position, as they've been showing."

...possible changes to the team: "You always consider who's staking a claim, what frame of mind the players are in and whether anyone's in a phase where they might need to take a breather. And you look at the opposition as well. But in the last two games the lads have made a case for being handed another start.

...midfielder Jackson Irvine: "He's a player we need to get to know even better. We know what he can do and what he adds to the group. He's provided impressive evidence of that in the last two games. Nevertheless, we're hoping there's even more to come. He adds another element to our game with his hard running and his ability in the air, compared with the smaller streetwise guys we usually play in the diamond. We're very pleased with him so far, but as with every other player, we'd still like him to go up another notch."

...second place in the standings: "We're not a team – and I'm not a coach – for looking at the table with just eight matches gone. We have enough to do every day. That's what we're focusing on, not on our position in the table or any what-if scenarios. Obviously, it's more fun to be second and we'll do everything we can to keep it that way. We know Dresden will be another tough opponent. We have to prepare as well as possible and bring everything that makes us stand out to the pitch.

...opponents Dynamo Dresden: "They thrive on their strength in the tackle, ruggedness and power, and have put together a really good team. That's warning enough and we have to be on our guard. Both teams will get stuck in, which is what our fans love.

...possibly starting with five home wins in a row: "We're at home and have the opportunity to keep another clean sheet. We're working solely to ensure we put in a good performance, that every player does his job, that we're all there for one another, and that we really do give our all on the pitch. We would do well to concentrate on ourselves and filter out any background noise. All that does is disturb our focus. We need to be fully focused on our game because then we're good."

...home games with fans: "It feels good when you come to the Millerntor for a home game and the lads go out to warm up and that initial buzz goes round the ground. And when you hear Hells Bells as the players come out and the referee blows the whistle, then, at the latest, every player is in the zone and enjoying it. We're so happy to have such great support and we'll need it again at the weekend. When things aren't going so well, we have the power of the Millerntor crowd to give us another boost."

Photos: Witters