"The lads make me very proud," Vincent Wagner said as SV Elversberg continue to settle into the Bundesliga with 10 points from six games. The 40-year-old coach has every reason to be pleased after a 4-3 win over Augsburg that featured multiple VAR decisions and a game that kept swinging both ways.
Wagner's focus
Wagner is not talking up anything beyond the next job in front of them. Survival is still the objective, and he has framed the start around mentality, openness and the way new players and staff have been welcomed into the group.
That message fits the way Elversberg have played. They have 12 goals from six league games and a +1 goal difference, which points to a side that has been competitive in every match rather than riding on one or two fortunate results.
The Augsburg win and what it showed
The Augsburg game was the clearest example of that. Wagner called it a "wild ride" after a match with multiple VAR calls, momentum shifts and a finish that was still unsettled by the end.
He also said the Bundesliga step up hits differently from the second division, even after half a year there last season. That is a fair read of what Elversberg are dealing with now, because the pace of the league and the stakes around each result are already shaping how they are judged.
The wider point is that Elversberg's early return has not come from overstatement. It has come from a manager still talking about survival while his team sit on 10 points after six Bundesliga games, with another league match still to come.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
