The Spielvereinigung Schonnebeck just can’t get going in the Oberliga Niederrhein. One win and five defeats after six matchdays: that’s a devastating record.

After the 5:3 win against TSV Meerbusch, many in Essen-Schonnebeck thought that things would now be looking up for the Spielvereinigung. A clear case of: Thinking!

Last Sunday, the team of coach Dirk Tönnies suffered another defeat. The 0:2 against VfB Homberg was already the fifth defeat of the season. And all this only after six matchdays. At Schetters Busch, the first sporting crisis of the 2022/2023 season is already underway.

That’s nonsense! Dirk has been doing a great job in Schonnebeck for years and nothing has changed. We will all come out of this together!

Matthias Bloch’s answer to the coach question

RevierSport spoke to captain Matthias Bloch on Monday. The latter remains quite relaxed (for now). “It’s not all as bad as the results say. We could have won every game except Nettetal. The biggest problem is simply that we are not effective in front of goal. We have two or three big things in every game that we don’t score. On the other hand, we can’t play to zero at the moment and keep conceding goals. The 5:3 victory in Meerbusch is proof of that,” Bloch sums up.

Of course, Bloch also knows that the current situation is not an easy one. “Schonnebeck has very rarely, if ever, been in such a situation in the Oberliga,” he says. But he also emphasises: “We will get out of it. The quality is there. The mood in the team is also good.”

Coach Dirk Tönnies is responsible for ensuring that the potential is realised on match days. Bloch, the 31-year-old head of defence, does not believe that the 48-year-old, who has been the coach at Schonnebeck for no less than 15 years, could be showing signs of wear and tear. On the contrary, he speaks up for his coach. Bloch: “That’s nonsense! Dirk has been doing a great job in Schonnebeck for years and nothing has changed. We will all come out of this together!”

On Friday (7.30 p.m.), it’s back to business for Schonnebeck: the Spielvereinigung stays in Essen and plays host to ETB in a derby. Perhaps just the right game to break the famous knot. “We’re already fired up!” emphasises Bloch.