“We have to be focused”

Jonas Wind is VfL Wolfsburg’s sharpshooter par excellence and has already hit the net at an incredible rate this season, even if the 24-year-old is without a goal in his last two games – and the Wolves without a win. However, that could also be interpreted as a positive omen; Wind has never gone more than two games without scoring this season. In this interview, the Denmark international discusses his role at VfL and upcoming opponents Darmstadt 98.

Jonas Wind, you are the only player in the squad who has so far started all 14 Bundesliga matches. You have played 1,227 minutes, which puts you 20th in the Bundesliga overall this term. To what extent do you view statistics like that as confirmation of your performances?

Jonas Wind: “They give me a great feeling. As a professional footballer you want to play as much as possible. Whenever I’m out on the pitch I give everything to help the team and to repay the faith that’s been put in me.”

The Wolves have scored 18 goals so far this season, nine of which are yours. In light of that, do you feel added pressure to produce the goods?

Jonas: “Obviously I’m aware of the amount of responsibility I carry, but I don’t view it as pressure. As an attacker it’s my job to score goals and decide games. It wouldn’t be possible without my team-mates.”

For the first time this season, we’ve gone two games without a goal. How much does that affect you as a striker?

Jonas: “Not very much. Obviously, we’re aware of the situation we’re in. We missed several chances against Gladbach in particular, but also against Freiburg. You could call it bad luck, but it’s also a lack of quality at the decisive moments. Having said that, we’ve played well and created chances. Now all we need to do is get the ball over the line. I’m sure we’ll manage that at the weekend.”

There are still six points available before the end of the year. How can we get back into the groove on Saturday?

Jonas: “There are a few things we have to do better in Darmstadt, both up front and in defence. Simply put, we’ve conceded too many goals and haven’t scored enough ourselves. We have to be focused from the first second onwards and implement the small details perfectly.”

It will be your first match against Darmstadt. What are you expecting it to be like?

Jonas: “Darmstadt don’t get a lot of possession, but they’ll certainly put up a fight. There are no easy games in the Bundesliga, especially away from home. Darmstadt don’t complicate things; they play a lot of long balls. We’ll need to be ready for that.”