Konstantin Kerschbaumer thinks the tough pre-season training schedule will have him and his teammates ready for the new Sky Bet Championship campaign when it kicks-off in 12 days’ time. The Bees have been back in training for nearly a month now and the Austrian midfielder admitted that it has been a lot of hard work. Konstantin revealed that English pre-season is very different to that which he was used to in Austria but feels he will be ready when The Bees head to Huddersfield Town on Saturday 6 August for their opening league match.
“We have had tough training sessions but you need that in pre-season to get ready for the season,” said Konstantin, speaking to Bees Player after training this lunchtime. “The Training Camp was nice as well. It has been a bit different because in Austria we don’t have that long for pre-season. They have already played the first game of the new season but then you have another pre-season again in winter. I have been working hard to get fit. I had a good holiday and I needed it because I needed the rest. Last year I didn’t get a rest, I only had seven to ten days off. It was good to come back to pre-season in good shape.”
Konstantin’s first season in English football was a steep learning curve for the 24-year-old as he had to adjust to new teammates, a new style of play, and a new position simultaneously. After featuring extensively in the early months of the season, Konstantin had to wait until the final month of the season before enjoying another extended run in the team. The midfielder felt that he began to show the fans what he could do in those closing games and he is keen to carry that form onto the new campaign.
“I think I played well in the last couple of games of the season and I want to continue my performances from the last few games,” said Konstantin. “I played in my preferred position in the centre of midfield and I showed my strengths with through balls and getting a couple of assists. It was tough to learn new tactics because I have always played in the centre of midfield. It was new but it was also a good experience because I learned new tactical things and a new position. It was good to learn these things but I prefer to play in my best position as I think I can help the team more there. I don’t set myself aims of so many goals or assists. I just want to work hard and then we will see how many assists or goals I get.”
Last summer was a summer of change at Griffin Park with a large turnover of staff and players but, this summer, by contrast, has been much quieter with only David Button and Jake Bidwell departing and John Egan, Romaine Sawyers, and Daniel Bentley arriving. With Dean Smith settling into his first full season as Bees Head Coach, Konstantin feels that the stability will help bring the best out of him and the whole group.
“The team is not really different this season,” said Konstantin. “We have only lost Jake Bidwell and David Button so the team is stable. Everyone is positive and is looking forward to the new season. Everyone wants to play in the starting XI and that is good because everyone is working hard. I need to continue to play how I have played in this pre-season and continue to work hard. I want to play well in the next two games and get an assist or maybe a goal and then hopefully I will start at Huddersfield Town.”