Makienok: "I don't know exactly when and why it started"
Wednesday, 09. March 2022, 17:53 Uhr
Striker Simon Makienok has been in the goals just recently and on Tuesday he took time out between the two training sessions to speak the media.
Simon Makienok on...
…the support of the fans during the Karlsruhe game: "Of course, it's always a nice feeling when you feel that your own fans are behind you. They made a song for me, which is funny and nice. I'm not sure when and why it started. It's maybe because of my derby goals, but I'm not sure, but the last couple of games it's been more and more – so for me it was a nice feeling, of course. When I meet the fans in the city, either before or after a game, I always take some time to talk to them, so maybe it's because of that. I've always just been myself, and when I'm on the pitch I always try to play my game and give 100 per cent and fight for the club and the team and I think that's what people appreciate."
...his words of encouragement for Jakov Medić straight after the DFB Cup tie at Union Berlin: "If you look at my age and what I've been through in my career and the experience I've had myself, I've learned that these situations always come, and they can be difficult for young players. So I just tried to cheer Jakov up and told him he'd had a good game and he shouldn't be too hard on himself and only focus on this one mistake. I also told him that's a part and parcel of being a footballer and he should keep his head up and keep going because he's doing a great job and I think he also did in that game. I'm just trying to use my experience to help the young guys – not just Jakov, but also the other guys, regardless of whether it's in training or away from the pitch."
...the match against his former club Dynamo Dresden: "There aren't that many players left from when I was there. We've played them twice and I haven't really played in either game so hopefully I will play this time. I think I'm in good shape and in good form and I'm looking forward to going back there. I hope there'll be more fans in the ground. I know it can be a loud place to play, but even if it's the opposition fans who are loud it's always more fun to play like that than the last time we were there."
...his contract, which ends this summer: "We've already had talks, for example during the winter training camp. Nothing has been decided yet but I'm quite relaxed about that. At my age I'm not going to stress about it or lose my focus just because I don't know what's going to happen next. I take these things as they come and I'm able to keep focusing on the games and every training session."
...the secret of successful teams: "First of all it's about having a mutual understanding of how you want to play. Even the ones who aren't playing have to know what to do because as we've seen now there can be injuries and other people come in, so it's important that everybody knows the way we want to play. Another important aspect is the communication between the coaching team and the players. Our coaching staff have been really good at this. They've been telling us since the beginning of the season that it's going to be a long season, so it's not only about 11 players playing from one weekend to another, it's about the whole team. I've experienced other clubs where the coaches didn't really talk to me and I felt a bit left out but our coaches don't do that. They talk to everyone. For me it's one of the most important things that there's this good communication and good feeling between the players and the coaches."
...what's possible this season: "It's possible we can every game and that's our mentality. We go to Dresden thinking we can get three points there. We believe we're capable of beating anyone with the kind of football we play, be it at home or away."
Photos: Witters