Baum: “All we can do is focus on ourselves and get as many points as we can.”

After the hard earned 1-1 draw at home against Bayer Leverkusen, the last international break of 2017 is upon us. While eight FCA first team players are with have travelled with their respective countries, the next week of training started for the rest of the squad on Tuesday afternoon. After the session, Manuel Baum gave his opinions on... ...how the season has gone to date: “I’m happy with the points we’ve managed to get, and also the way in which we have got them. At the same time though, it’s clear that we could have had even more. We can only focus on ourselves, and get as many points as we can. If we do that, I’m confident that we will manage to stay in the top flight. It’s a long way until we get to that stage though.” ...new summer signing Rani Khedira: “His transfer was well thought out. Ever since Dominik Kohr left the club, we were looking for a player that was a bit more flexible. We’re really glad to have Rani on board with all the strengths that he brings. He’s a great learner and takes things on board very quickly.” ...the refereeing leadership turmoil: “There’s clearly a lot wrong at the moment. It’s difficult to really understand why from the outside looking in. However, the referee is one of the most important people on matchdays, so there needs to be a clearer structure.” ...the video assistant referee (VAR): “I’m strongly in favour of VAR, but it sometimes seems a bit random when it’s called into action. It’s important that the referee maintains his authority, has the final say and only changes his decision when it is clear that he made an error. If we’re going to be talking about VAR all the time instead of the game itself, that’s obviously a bit annoying.” ...Andreas Luthe’s project, “In safe hands”: “I’m really impressed with what Andi is doing. He’s a fantastic guy, who has a clear idea of what he wants to do later in life.  He maintains his project at the same time as working hard with his football. I think that such a change of perspective is really important to help you switch off from football. It has a positive impact on what he does with us.” ...Luthe’s importance to the team: “He played a crucial part in us staying in the Bundesliga at the end of last season. He’s unbelievably important for the team and always trains hard. He is also really emotionally switched on, and always knows what to do when somebody feels unsettled.”