Ermin Bicakcic: "VfB are tough opponents"

Hello, Ermin. How relieved were you when the final whistle blew in Augsburg?

Ermin Bicakcic: We played very well against Dortmund, but we all knew that we needed to go one better. In a sporting sense we were doing well, but we needed to show more mental strength. We showed a reaction to the previous games against BVB and took this momentum with us to Augsburg. We fought hard for the win, had a bit of luck along the way and I’d say that we deserved all three points. It was a weight off our shoulders and I’m sure that a lot of the boys feel a lot better now. We are extremely happy to have picked up our maiden win of the campaign.

What was the mood like in the dressing room after the game?

Bicakcic: I’m sure everyone can imagine – the place was bouncing. Everyone was very happy and exhausted. It was a proper fight. We were aware that we hadn’t started the season strongly, so there was a lot of relief.

You have picked up four points from two difficult matches recently. Have you turned the corner?

Bicakcic: I wouldn’t say that just yet. We can’t expect everything to go well now just because of two good results. Football is played in the present and the win in Augsburg is already in the past. No one will be talking about it come the weekend. We had a difficult period and now we have points on the board. It’s as simple as that. We have to keep working hard in order to improve and make sure that the things we work on in training happen on the pitch. There’s a long way to go still – we have a lot of tough challenges coming up. The last two results are hugely important for us, particularly for our confidence.

Part of the team attended Oktoberfest on Sunday – did you also make an appearance?

Bicakcic: Of course I was there. Almost everyone came, we had won the day before and it did us good as a team. We all get on well off the pitch and it’s always good to do things like that together. I grew up with the Wasen, but you can’t really compare it to Oktoberfest – it’s much bigger.

You face VfB next – has their start to the season surprised you? They did beat Manchester City 4-2 in pre-season…

Bicakcic: I always keep an eye out for VfB’s results, but that won’t play any role on the pitch on Saturday. I want to help TSG win the game. VfB are in a transition period as a result of a the number of transfers that took place over summer. It’s not quite gone to plan yet, but they have played well in periods. They haven’t been outplayed yet – even though VfB don’t have many points on the board yet, they are extremely dangerous. Their attackers are strong so we will have to be at our best throughout the game.

How do you see this weekend’s game panning out and what are your aims for it?

Bicakcic: We aim to win every game and we will do all we can to claim three points in front of our own supporters for the first time this season.

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