Thorup: “We’ve got to stay hungry and focused”

A trip to Werder Bremen awaits on matchday 14

FC Augsburg have proved to be a tough nut to crack under Jess Thorup, with three wins and three draw in six games under the Dane. They’ll be hoping to extend this unbeaten streak in their next game away at SV Werder Bremen on Saturday (15:30 CET).

“Success doesn’t come by itself. We’ve got to stay hungry and focused,” said Thorup ahead of the clash. FCA’s head coach was extremely happy with the team’s performance off and on the ball in the 2-1 win over Frankfurt and wants to see the players produce it again in their next game. “I’m expecting it to be a tough match. We’ve got to be prepared to fight. We want to take the next step and control the game again.”

Around 600 fans are expected to accompany FCA to Bremen. SVW currently sit in thirteenth place, two points above the relegation zone. Ole Werner’s side have lost their last two games against strong opposition, falling to a 3-0 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen before VfB Stuttgart beat them 2-0 last weekend. The Green-Whites have picked up ten of their twelve points this season at the wohninvest WESERSTADION, which is why Thorup described Saturday’s opponents as a “tough to beat at home”.

Four FCA players return to training

Thorup didn’t confirm whether the same team that started in the victory over Frankfurt will play at the weekend. The 53-year-old has a large pool of players to select from. Felix Uduokhai, who was injured after the game, is available for selection, while Arne Maier, Robert Gumny, and Irvin Cordoba are all back in training. On Monday, FCA played a friendly against third-division side SpVgg Unterhaching, which ended 0-0. The game was arranged at short notice in order to give all the players in the squad some game time.

Despite the fierce competition for starting spots, Thorup spoke about the “very positive body language” within the squad, who all took part in Tuesday’s general assembly. Augsburg’s head coach went on to explain how the club’s six-game unbeaten run has boosted the players’ confidence in their own abilities. “You make your own confidence. All the players are happy to be here and they want to perform,” said the Dane ahead of the club’s third-last fixture of the calendar year.