Koné: “I want to get back to 100% as soon as possible”

Manu Koné speaks about being back on the pitch, his preferred position in midfield and the upcoming trip to VfL Bochum.

Manu, you made your comeback in last weekend’s game against RB Leipzig after a long time out injured. How did it feel to be back on the pitch?

Koné: It’s the second time that I’ve missed the start of the season due to injury for Gladbach. I tried to get back to playing at a high-level again straight away and help the team out as much as possible. I found the start of the game pretty tricky, but I improved as the game progressed and, fortunately, got my second wind. It was alright, but I know that I’m not back to 100% yet.

Did you think you’d be straight back in the starting XI for your comeback?

Koné: No, it came as a surprise. It was a bit like last season’s game against Borussia Dortmund. I tried to get straight back into the swing of things so that I’d be able to play against Leipzig. I wasn’t really bothered about whether I’d start or not. I just wanted to do my best.

You were out of action for almost three months. When do you think you’ll be back to 100%?

Koné: It’s hard to say. I don’t think I’ve lost much of my technical ability. It’s more my power and freshness that I’m lacking at the moment, but I’ll do everything I can in strength training and during the sessions on the pitch to get back into my groove as quickly as possible. That’ll help me get back to my best.

You played as an “eight” against Leipzig and looked to attack more. You’ve mostly been deployed as a “six” in the past. How different do you find playing in these positions and which do you prefer?

Koné: I actually don’t mind where I play in the midfield. I like having the ball at my feet. I like getting up the pitch, but equally I like defending. The positions are very different. As a six, you’ve got to stay in front of the defence, whereas you have more opportunities to join the attack as an eight. At the end of the day, it’s down to the coach to decide where I can best help out the team. I’ll do everything I can to live up to his expectations.

What do you make of the Foals’ start to the season, with the three defeats at home against strong opposition and the two away draws?

Koné: We all knew that the start to the season was going to be tricky to navigate, especially the games at home against Leverkusen, FC Bayern and RB Leipzig. That being said, there’s no such thing as an easy game in the Bundesliga. We’re working hard to improve in training.

You didn’t manage to get your first win of the season against RBL despite a good performance. Do you think that the game was a step in the right direction?

Koné: I’d prefer to play badly and win than the other way around. The game against Leipzig was definitely a step in the right direction for us, as we were playing based on instinct again. However, we lost, so we can’t be fully satisfied with the performance. The thing that we’re very happy about is that the fans are continuing to support us. In doing so, they’re showing us that they fully back us.

You travel to Bochum on Saturday. Head coach Gerardo Seone spoke yesterday about there being a special energy there. What did he mean by that?

Koné: The atmosphere there is always special. Bochum have great fans and bring a lot of energy into the match as a result. It feels a bit like they’ve got an extra man when they’re at home.

What do you need to do to get your first win of the season?

Koné: Bochum play in a very particular way. We’re familiar with their game and know that it’s not easy to play there. We’ll have to do lots of running and ensure that we win our battles. We’ve got to want it more than them in order to beat them. We’ve done a lot of video analysis this week and we’ve prepared well in training. We’re ready and we’ll do everything to beat Bochum.