Max: "We need to keep playing as a team"
FCA left-back talks ahead of Saturday’s trip to Paderborn
First Team
06.11.2019, 13:24
Despite consecutive draws against top teams and a good performance against Schalke on Sunday, FC Augsburg currently sit in the relegation playoff spot. Left-back Philipp Max talked to us about how he is coping with this rough patch and how the team will go about finally getting that second win of the season this Saturday (9th November 15:30).
Chances were at a premium on Sunday, as FCA put in an impressive team performance, even managing to take the lead twice. Despite this, the players left empty-handed. "We were extremely disappointed," said Philipp Max, describing the mood in the FCA camp post game. "Against Wolfsburg we’d already shown that we can compete against the top teams and we showed that again against Schalke. We’d set out to win this game and we were desperate to do so. I think everyone at the game saw that we gave it our all. At the end of the day, we deserved to come away from the game with at least a point." Despite the disappointment, Max says the team must "try to see the positives, in order to have the energy to move forward."
Philipp’s trick to keeping concentration and performing well in difficult times is reminding himself of the following: "What does it mean to play in the Bundesliga: When you see the lads in the U19s, you see how great an honour it is. The fact that thousands of people watch us from the stands, crossing their fingers for us from the bottom of their hearts, should be enough motivation for every player."
A different kind of game in Paderborn
Motivation is certainly paramount for the next game in Paderborn. Ten games into the season, FCA have played almost all of their matches against teams from the top half of the table, so Philipp Max is expecting "a different kind of game." The fullback made clear that despite Paderborn’s position in the table, they are a team that should not be underestimated. "We may be the favourites this time, but we have to live up to this and take our game to the opposition." More importantly, however: "We need to be 100 percent focused and keep playing as a team. That’s what defines us at FC Augsburg. If we do that, I’m confident of a good result in Paderborn."
