Simonis: "A lot of room for improvement" | OneFootball

Paul Simonis spoke to the media in Wolfsburg after his VfL side drew 1. FC Köln by a 3-3 score. The result means that Simonis remains undefeated as Wolfsburg coach, with a 1-2-0 record.

Simonis was first asked to give a summary of the match, shortly after Köln coach Lukas Kwasniok, on the other side of the desk, gave his own version of how the match went for the visitors.

The 40-year-old Dutchman begun: “Köln started the match much better than we did. We were lucky with the thunder, because after the break, we went shortly inside, we discussed what we should have done better - and we did [get better], we scored the 1-1, and I think that in that period of time, it was well-deserved.”

Simonis added, “So I was a little bit devastated that we needed to go in again [for the halftime break], because I wanted to keep that momentum - nevertheless, in the second half, it was an emotional rollercoaster, it went up and down, our two teams were fighting until the end.”

“I am much more glad with what I saw, what the team delivered today… where we need to take the next step is to be more mature at the end of the match, because it is now the second time that we conceded a goal in stoppage time and especially today, when you score in the ninty-ninth minute, you think you have won, but then you need to defend your goal with everything you have got. We did not stick to the plan.”

“Regarding defending the zones, where we need to be when crosses come in, that is a big thing for us and what we need to improve very quickly,” Simonis concluded.

In the following question, Simonis re-iterated the positives and minuses of the afternoon. “The energy today was much better - we were more aggressive, we were not letting the opponent come too much into our side. But the last 15 minutes were very crucial, because they brought the ball in twice, one time with a throw-in - we do not have the positions covered.”

“We need to mature regarding that very quickly, because now we gave away a second possible win in stoppage time,” Simonis stated.

When asked about how he feels his time in Wolfsburg has been, after the summer transfer window and picking up five points from nine in the first three matches of the season, Simonis said, “Overall, quite good. It was a hectic transfer window, with a lot of players who came and also went. I am happy that we know, for at least four months, who we will work with, the group that we have now.”

“We have a good squad, I think - we have a group of youngsters, talented youngsters, as well as guys with a bunch of experience, so I think that is better in terms of balance. And if you look back at the three matches we have played so far, this one was quite good energy-wise. We had phases that controlled the match quite well, but there were also phases that were not mature enough. A lot of room for improvement, but overall, an okay feeling up until now,” the Dutchman concluded.

Another major point of the press conference was the potential injury to Mohamed Amoura, the club's top goalscorer from last season who also opened the scoring in this match before being brought off. “Mo [Amoura] played two matches in a week with the Algerian team, so the load [of work] went from zero to very high. The first information that I got now is that it was nothing serious, so we hope that he will be back on the training ground Tuesday - maybe, at the latest, Wednesday,” Simonis said.

The final question he was asked was regarding the mood around Volkswagen Arena, with the eightieth anniversary celebration.

“This was absolutely amazing, when we entered the field. The last match against Mainz was less than 22,000 spectators - now it was full, with great choreography,” Simonis said regarding the fanbase. “So that was amazing and it was uplifting. We said to the players, ‘you need to play the match for the fans’, and they did … I think the ambience in the stadium was like you wanted to have it, always.”