Solutions needed

Schopp must solve the five “construction sites” at LASK!

Bello and Co. will have to fight for 90 minutes again.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Daniel Scharinger, Werner Kerschbaummayr)

With Markus Schopp, LASK have made a real coaching coup. In order to be able to implement his ideas, the Linzers have to give the coach some time. Nevertheless, the 50-year-old has a few things to fix before the derby against Blau-Weiß Linz in nine days' time!

Markus Schopp arrived as the new coach at LASK to great praise. There was a lot of applause from some fans when he led the first training session. Which is not surprising! After all, the 50-year-old has proven with bravura in recent years at Hartberg that he can develop a team with limited financial resources enormously and lead it to European qualifiers.

If the Styrian is given enough time at LASK, he will also be able to make his mark in Linz. Schopp will probably already have a lot to do in the next nine days, with the prestigious Linz derby at Blau-Weiß already on the agenda. Ahead of which the manager should tackle five urgent "construction sites":

• Fitness level: after 60 minutes played at the latest, the tank is empty for many players. Even if predecessor Thomas Darazs had justified it with the injury history of some players, Schopp must get the players ready for 90 minutes of derby action with intensive training sessions!

• Conclusion: In which the chances must finally be exploited. Five goals after just as many league games is still far too few for LASK's requirements. Not least because one-man striker Marin Ljubicic in particular has acted like a foreign body so far. It will also be important to get king transfer Maximilian Entrup fit as quickly as possible. But defensively, too, there is still something lacking at the moment, having "swallowed" the most goals with eleven.

• Playing philosophy: However, this could change with a refined philosophy. While under Darazs they uncompromisingly stuck to their plan of keeping possession despite misplaced passes, Schopp and Hartberg managed to have the longest phases of possession in the basic round. They were also excellent on the counter-attack after winning the ball, as LASK experienced for themselves in the direct duels.

• Starting eleven: But Schopp still has to find out who will really be in the starting eleven against BW. In the first competitive matches, hardly any players have recommended themselves for the starting eleven, especially as the starting line-ups are constantly being shaken up, not least in the 1:5 against WAC.

• Mood: The coach will probably be able to solve this virtue the quickest. The players were already eager and smiling in the first training session. This must now be consolidated with a sense of achievement.