"Want to Continue the Positive Trend"

Jörg, since the last international break, the team has shown a positive trend in both performances and results. In the last six competitive matches, you've had three wins and two draws. How do you look back on the past few weeks?
There has definitely been an improvement. Of course, it would have been nice to get the win in the Conference League as well (referring to the 2-2 draw against Djurgardens IF), but the results have certainly been better than before, and we want to continue this positive trend in the coming weeks.

The influence of coach Markus Schopp is becoming increasingly clear. Where do you think the team has made the biggest strides, and where do you see the most room for improvement?
We definitely have room for improvement in every area. Overall, though, we're more controlled, finding better and simpler solutions, and especially getting into the final third of the pitch more effectively, delivering more balls into the box. When you force the opponent into making mistakes, they tend to happen, and that's something we've been doing quite well.

After the 4-0 Cup win against Mauer, you also managed to keep your first clean sheet in the Bundesliga recently with the 4-0 win against Klagenfurt. How good did that feel, and how has defensive stability improved overall?
We're more stable now because we're losing the ball less often. When we do lose the ball, it's usually in the opponent's half, which allows us to reorganize well. Against Klagenfurt, it worked perfectly, also because we played really well going forward. For the defense, it's always great to keep a clean sheet. It shows that everything was done right, and I hope we can have more of these games going forward.

How did you use the international break, and what did you specifically work on?
We worked a lot on fitness, and last week was really tough. The start of this week was also quite intense, but then we began preparing for the match against WSG Tirol, where the focus shifted more towards the tactical side. The goal is to keep solidifying our gameplay.

Now, you're facing a stretch of seven games in three weeks. How do you assess the current situation, and what are your goals for the upcoming matches?
Our goal is to break into the top six in the league standings. That’s where we want to be, and now is the time to start moving in that direction. In addition, we want to win as many games as possible in the UEFA Conference League to position ourselves well and increase our chances of progressing through the winter.

In the UEFA Conference League, you have two important games coming up against Olimpija Ljubljana and Cercle Brugge. How do you rate these opponents?
There are no easy opponents, and both games will be very challenging. However, I believe that if we bring 100 percent to the pitch, we can win both matches. We need to be very consistent and, if we take the lead, make sure we hold onto it until the end.

With 308 Bundesliga matches, you are one of the most experienced players on the team. How would you describe your role within the squad at the moment, and how do you try to bring your experience into play?
I’ve always known that it’s important to stay calm. There are phases where things don’t go as planned, and even after a coaching change, things won’t be perfect overnight. I try to bring a sense of calm to the team, and in this case, I could be more active in that role because I was on the pitch. And I help the team by stopping a ball here and there — it doesn’t hurt (laughs). I just want to contribute, as I’ve been through these situations many times before. When you’ve been in football for several years, you know there are always ups and downs. I believe we are on the rise again now, and we want to continue along this path.

You’ve been with LASK for two years now. How have you experienced the club during this time?
There have been many great moments, but also some challenging periods that we fought our way through. We’re in that process again now, and I hope everything remains stable so we can continue along the path we’ve started on and meet the expectations that have built up over the past few years. That’s the goal for the coming months and years.

Finally, a quick look ahead to the match on Sunday (14:30) against WSG Tirol. What kind of game are you expecting?
There are no easy opponents or games in the Bundesliga either. WSG will be playing at home, and of course, they’ll want to win against us. I’ve heard that Tirol hasn’t scored many goals in front of their home crowd so far, and we’ll be aiming to keep it that way. If we play consistently and push forward, I’m confident we can take all three points back home.