2nd League: Players weak, board angry: Schalke situation “dangerous”

Peter Knäbel became more and more angry. The sports director of FC Schalke 04 settled accounts with the players with a veritable angry speech.

He described the performance of the second division footballers in the frightening 1:3 at SC Paderborn as “despondent” and “naive” and said: “We can tell each other all the time how good this team is and how much quality they have and where they are “Everyone has already played and what they would like to do. But in the end what counts is: What do they do with the jersey of the club that pays them. And that is clearly not enough today.” Knäbel needs to find a new coach for this team.

Interim coach Matthias Kreutzer, who only took over management of the team from Thomas Reis on Wednesday, did not ensure a short-term change in mood. The 40-year-old was let down by the professionals.

Looking for stabilizer

“It wasn’t an application from the team for the new coach,” said Knäbel, but also added: “I’m not afraid that one of the candidates we spoke to will say: “Uiuiui, what a shitty performance. such a mess, I don’t want to go there.””

Knäbel is looking for a stabilizer. Schalke would probably prefer to have an experienced coach. However, the trainer market does not currently offer much choice, and the financial leeway at the Revierclub is very limited. According to information from several media outlets, the former Hertha and Mainz coach Sandro Schwarz, who was considered a candidate, has other plans. The search could drag on.

“If we can act quickly, that’s good. But we’re not rushing things now,” said Knäbel about the ongoing process. “From my point of view, it is clear that Matthias Kreutzer and Buyo (Mike Büskens, note) will also sit out against Hertha BSC. I think the players also have something to make up for with Matthias and Buyo.”

The mood has changed

Against the fellow relegated team from Berlin, the pressure on the coming matchday is enormous – within the team itself, but also from outside. The mood in the stands has already changed. As they walked into the away corner on Friday evening, beer cups flew towards the players, who had previously always been supported by the fans. “We are Schalke and you are not,” chanted some supporters.

“Of course the fans are pissed off and dissatisfied. That’s totally understandable,” said goalkeeper Michael Langer. “We ourselves are pissed off and angry and are struggling with our own performance.” Instead of playing for promotion, Schalke is stuck in the bottom of the table in the 2nd Bundesliga with just seven points after eight games. The situation was “extremely dangerous,” said Knäbel.

The 56-year-old himself is increasingly coming under criticism. The doubts about the squad, the composition of which he is responsible for together with sports director André Hechelmann, are growing ever greater. The defense can always be undermined with simple means. There is a lack of ideas in the forward game. Schalke’s attacks are often easy for the opponent to calculate.

In Paderborn, center forward Sebastian Polter spoke of a “non-performance”. Goalkeeper Langer said: “That’s not enough from us, from each individual.” But he is not yet thinking about relegation to the third division. He demanded: “We just have to wake up. We have to be aware of the situation and the situation sucks.”