Max Meyer: We’re improving week on week

Max Meyer, you were only seconds away from getting the win against Wolfsburg and recording a fourth win on the trot…
It’s true, we were very close. It was probably a fair result after the second half performance – remember, Wolfsburg missed a penalty and it could very easily have already been 1-1.

The Wolves were much improved in the second half…
… and unfortunately we were more passive. We didn’t find space as well in the second half, while Wolfsburg grew into the match and showed their quality. I don’t think VfL’s actual ranking reflects their strengths. They have a lot of good footballers in their ranks and still haven’t lost a match under Martin Schmidt. That shows how difficult they are to beat – we came very close.

How much does that 1-1 impact on Schalke’s position in the league?
Dortmund, Hoffenheim and Leipzig lost so we could have made inroads with three points. At the same time, we didn’t lose either, so we’re not going to let our heads drop. We will be working hard on what went wrong in the next few days. We want to perform for the full 90 minutes – and extra-time – against Freiburg.

You put in a strong performance as a defensive midfielder, running 12.74 kilometres – that was a Royal Blues best…
Yeah, it was tiring (laughs). It took a lot of energy.

It shows that you’re growing into your role. How are you enjoying your new position?
I like that the game is happening in front of me and seeing a lot of the ball. I put in a lot of tackles. It’s been a lot of fun.

Overall, the development of the team has been positive. How do you assess the start to the season?
The team has worked very well together so far. We’re improving week on week, and have a lot more to offer this season.