Thorup: “We can’t let up”
FC Augsburg want to build on their three game unbeaten run as they take on TSG Hoffenheim at home on Saturday afternoon (15:30 CET). Despite his good start in charge, head coach Jess Thorup still sees potential for improvement.
Thorup rated the performances against Köln (1-1 draw), Wolfsburg (3-2 win) and Heidenheim (5-2 win) first as “okay” and then as “good”, with his side picking up a total of seven points from these three games. “It was just a small step in the right direction. We can’t let up now because there’s still a lot of work to do,” said the 53-year-old Dane, who would like to further fine tune the balance between attack and defence.
Augsburg’s new assistant coach Jacob Friis will be in the dugout for the first time against Pellegrino Matarazzo’s side, who come into this game with a perfect away record (five games, five wins). When asked about his fellow countryman, whose arrival was announced on Wednesday, Thorup said: “I’ve known Jacob for a long time and wanted him as my assistant before my time at FCA. He will add to our coaching set-up in the best way possible.”
Die Pressekonferenz vor dem Heimspiel gegen Hoffenheim im FCA TV!
Plenty of competition
With the exception of the long-term absentees, the whole squad will be available on Saturday, meaning that the number of players taking part in training has been correspondingly large. “Everyone is ready for the game,” rejoiced Thorup, who considers the high levels of competition to be very important. Not only academy graduates Aaron Zehnter and Mert Kömür, but also Irvin Cardona and Nathanaël Mbuku will play for the U23s on Friday night in order to get some match practice. The head coach announced during his press conference that he would once again be watching the U23s.
In the form of sixth-placed Hoffenheim (18 points), Thorup is expecting a team that is particularly well oiled in attack. The 53-year-old has meticulously prepared his players for this during training this week. FCA can once again look forward to their fans’ support since there are only a few remaining tickets in the home section for the game on matchday 11.
