FC St. Pauli

Timo Schultz on...

...freshening things up after the cup-tie at Dresden: "Anyone who saw the Dresden game will have recognised that some players were really on the limit or maybe even over. Yesterday was only about recovery. I spoke to every player. The most important thing is that we came away with no major injuries. I still think it would do us good to freshen things up a bit, though."

...possible changes to the side: "I think everyone knows I'm loath to change the spine of my team. It also depends on what options we have in which position. Then you ask yourself what would fit the opposition. I'm not the type to make seven or eight changes. More like two or three."

...progressing to face his former club on the touchline: "It's something that's developed. I've worked to improve myself as a coach in recent years. You then have the aim of coaching at the highest level, of course. It's nice to run out at the Weserstadion with St. Pauli, for Werder less so. They would have preferred to stay in the first division, that's for sure. Nevertheless, it's a game you look forward to not only as a player but also as a coach."

...a possible favourites tag: "It's strange to go to the Weserstadion as St. Pauli relatively early in the season and perhaps run out as favourites. I don't see it that way, to be honest, you only have to look at the possibilities both clubs have. We can't match Werder when it comes to the market value of their squad or their total budget. That said, we're in a very comfortable position in footballing terms and know where our strengths lie, and if we bring them to the pitch, we're more than capable of competing. We think we have a chance if we can do that."

...Bremen's tactical approach: "Markus Anfang is very flexible tactically and adjusts to the opposition in part, especially in the way they defend. We have to expect anything. I think there are worse strike pairings in this league than Füllkrug and Ducksch. On the other hand, we have a clear allocation of responsibilities. We'll take it as it comes. I think we're really well set in our system and essentially know what we have to do beforehand. The key thing will be that we're fully fit and go into the game feeling mentally fresh, and that we get stuck into the tackles and are willing to chase the ball. That's part and parcel of the game and everything else will play a role, too, that's for sure. But we shouldn't talk it down. Whether we win or lose won't be the decisive factor."

...the key tasks against Bremen: "We have to stay solid when we're out of possession. We've done that well this season. It's also clear we can carry a threat ourselves if we keep winning the ball. We also have to continue defending set pieces well."

Photos: Witters