"I have become more professional," said Alexandru Maxim to German football magazine kicker, "I will now give 100 percent in every training session." This was apparently not always the case with the young Romanian attacker. Coach at the start of the season, Bruno Labbadia, initially left Maxim out was the season opener a year ago; this in spite of the Romanian being one of his key players towards the end of the previous season. The reason, apparently, for his absence; was due to a poor attitude on return from holiday.
The 24-year-old doesn't want a reoccurrence and has seemingly adopted a new, 'German' work ethic: "In Germany, people are always focused on their job," he explains: "If they work three hours, then they work for three hours and not two hours, fifty-five minutes. This mentality was new to me, but it is very good."
Maxim scored seven goals and racked up nine assists in twenty-nine appearances for the the Swabians; an impressive total for someone who started just eighteen of those games. Despite being a regular fixture of the team in the opening months, from December onwards, game time was limited after that. He admitted himself that he went through, "better and worse" periods of form. "I realised that I should avoid the fluctuations in form. And, for that to happen, it is important to be 100 percent fit. I had problems in the past, but I've changed."
"He likes to play football," as Maxim spoke about new coach Armin Veh, who he'll work under for the first time. "This is great for us forwards, the football is naturally beautiful and fits very well with my style of play. If we work a lot with the ball, I feel better." The Romanian, who is normally deployed as a number ten, will be hoping to rekindle his early season form and maintain it through-out this year. Something that the Stuttgart side will be keen to do as well, with a 15th placed finish last time around; Veh, the most recent title-winning manager at VfB, doesn't want a repeat performance.
A remarkable ability to create chances, with ease, using both feat; an improvement in Maxim's form should coincide with an up-turn in Stuttgart's results. Adam Hloušek and Daniel Ginczek, will be the new beneficiaries of his talents, the pair will be especially keen to get on the end of his teasing crosses. If Maxim's promising pre-season is anything to go by, Stuttgart should be pushing for a top-half finish once more.