Now, it's about continuing the recent positive trend. "We want to further improve our ideas," Laimer said. "Now we have two weeks to take steps. We've already seen some good things in the games, and it will keep getting better. I am very positive about the future."
The absence of some prominent players doesn't change that. "These are magnificent players, magnificent characters who have done so much for football in Austria and who will be missed. You can't compensate for that one-to-one, but we want to compensate for it as a team," said the 61-cap ÖFB international.
Due to the quality of the current squad, they are capable of doing so, Laimer emphasized. "It's important that the merit principle is there, that everyone steps up, everyone takes responsibility, and that we collectively push hard as a team. You could see that it doesn't matter who is on the pitch if everyone plays with the same idea."
Pushing hard instead of speculating about hierarchies
In this respect, the topic of "new hierarchies in the ÖFB team" should not be overrated.
"There are always hierarchies in a team, and there will be some again now. The most important thing is that everyone pulls in the same direction, that everyone gives their all, that everyone supports each other and that we make each other better. If we do that, we are on the right track and will always get better," Laimer stressed.
