Red Bull Salzburg: Thomas Letsch about the missing defender gene!

Red Bull Salzburg: Thomas Letsch about the missing defender gene!

Sunday was an important day for FC Red Bull Salzburg: With a 2-1 victory against WSG Tyrol, the team was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief again after a worrying series of three competitive game defeats. Coach Thomas Letsch was relieved after the game, but also clearly addressed the problem that currently affects the defensive stability of the team. "We lack the defender gene," says Letsch, who denounced further challenges in defense and described the current form as no longer as dominant as in the past. In the past games, the team had difficulties again and again, especially with long balls, which was also clearly visible in the game against Tyrol when the connection goal of Lukas Hinterseer fell after a corner.

However, worries in defense are increased by numerous injuries. At the moment, Letsch can only fall back on three operational central defenders. The departures of several central defensive players in summer are now noticeable. John Mellberg is longer due to a knee injury, and Anrie Chase is also injured and has not yet been able to do a team training. Captain Mad's Bidstrup also had to get off the pitch prematurely after a blow to the thigh, the exact diagnosis is still pending. "We have to work hard," summarized Letsch, summarizing the situation and made no secret of the fact that the squad is currently not optimally occupied.

An outlook on the next challenges

With a view to the next games against Lyon and Rapid, the question remains how the team wants to master the current challenges. However, players like Maurits Kjaergaard and the Youngster Kerim Alajbegovic were optimistic and seem to be ready to support. However, it will have to be shown whether this optimism is sufficient, especially considering the injury statistics in the Bundesliga, which has tended to increase in recent years. According to an analysis of Statista, there was a significant number of injuries in the 2023/2024 Bundesliga season, which makes other teams facing similar problems.

The look forward remains crucial for Salzburg to stabilize its own shape. The fans hope that the defense worries will soon dissolve in pleasure and the team will find their way back into the usual track of success. After the victory against WSG Tyrol, there is at least a little ray of hope - and that is often worth gold in times of crisis.

In summary, it can be said that Red Bull Salzburg is in a challenging phase, but belief in a turn remains strong.

For further details about the injury trends in the Bundesliga, take a look at the data of Statista, while tirol.orf.at has reported on the latest games and Salzburg24 the statements of Letsch summarized.