Mwene says about the absentees: "Those were players you could always rely on, who made the difference in such tight games. Now, every single person has to take on even more responsibility. We all have to try to do more, take one more step, and compensate for that through the collective."
Ultimately, in the final minute, it was Mwene himself, at 32 years old the oldest Austrian on the pitch at that moment, who scored the relieving 2-1 – ideally set up by Paul Wanner, the youngest ÖFB player on the field.
Solutions Sought
Before that, there was a lot of fruitless searching for solutions in front of the opponent's goal, admittedly made more difficult by the increasingly deep-sitting Israelis.
Nicolas Seiwald believes: "You can create even more chances, be more precise with the final pass, be better in box presence. We flooded the box better minute by minute."
Wimmer also thinks one can "already take away some positive things. We had a clear plan when playing with the ball and implemented quite a few things well. The energy in defending was very good."
It Takes Time
"Of course, one or two aspects of coordination weren't quite there yet, but that comes with time," adds Sasa Kalajdzic.
Time that hadn't been given until now. Wimmer speaks of "only one and a half proper training sessions together."
That probably also explains why national coach Ralf Rangnick initially relied on proven forces in the first of four international matches in this training camp.
Intensive Training Sessions and a Different Vibe
Mwene talks about very intensive training sessions recently. "But that was important so that the newcomers immediately understand what they have to do and can implement our playing philosophy. Those who came in immediately stepped on the gas. That's how it has to continue. Everyone needs to be on the same page regarding our tactics, then everyone will be able to help us," he says.
Newcomer Horvath confirms this with his statements: "We are new here, we have to train a lot to get to know the routines. We play a different system here. The way they press every ball, I thought in the first few days: there's a bit of a different vibe here than at LASK."
The extent and intensity of the transition can certainly be debated, but one thing is clear, as Wimmer states: "It was important to win this game."
