The sick coach Andreas Wieland was missing from LASK – and the goals were also missed: After the last ten goals in two games within a week, the zero in Hartberg held at least on the defensive.
In the morning, Wieland had had to give up hope of being able to follow the team. Gartler made his Bundesliga debut as boss, Wieland helped answer the phone – via the second assistant Maximilian Ritscher. “The processes have remained the same. Before the game and during the break, you just send it directly to the players. That was new,” said Gartler about his short-term main role. “We did quite well. But we’ll be very happy when he’s back.”
View picture gallery
“Too complicated, too vague”
Yesterday Gartler had to classify the 0:0. “It would have been more indoors,” said the former goalscorer. “Too complicated, you play a lot of short passes, too vague,” he assessed the attack against Hartberg’s defensive wall. “We didn’t find the right solutions, we didn’t convert the chances with the efficiency we had in previous games.” Alexander Schmidt had his legs in the game with the best: “I should take one of the two chances,” he said self-critically.
The stress caused by the second leg in the Europa Conference League against Slavia Prague (4:3) did not allow Schmidt as an excuse. “We substituted, I don’t think you can talk about wear and tear.” Gartler didn’t use the easy way out either. “The players were hungry.”
With a two-point lead over Ried, LASK will go into a direct duel at home after the international break on April 2 for the lead in the qualifying group. Tests will show today whether defender Filip Twardzik will be fit: The Czech substitute twisted his ankle and had to be replaced. (like)
Source: Nachrichten
