VfL Bochum is stumbling through the season without a win, perhaps distracted by minor issues on the sidelines which, if true, say a lot about the team.

VfL Bochum is currently battling in the Bundesliga to finally celebrate its first win and make a statement in the relegation battle. The record so far is quite shocking.

They were knocked out of the DFB Cup in the first round by second division side Jahn Regensburg and have suffered five defeats in their first six Bundesliga games, picking up just one point in a 2-2 draw with Holstein Kiel.

One would therefore think that Peter Zeidler and his team have some deep-rooted problems to address. However, as reported by the online magazine “Tief im Westen” and the “WAZ,” there are other issues that give pause for thought.

According to these reports, there is internal debate – though not exclusively – about whether certain measures taken by Zeidler are right or wrong. For example, the new coach is said to have imposed a ban on beer after games and on the journey home from away games. This apparently caused such a stir that Zeidler is said to have made concessions to the players before the match against VfL Wolfsburg (1-3), and a beer after victories now seems to be okay.

That didn’t help either; so far, the players have been left high and dry due to their lack of success, at least immediately after the matches.

According to WAZ information, two further points are said to have rubbed some players up the wrong way. For away games, all players are required to gather at the hotel by 9 a.m., followed by a group walk after breakfast, which usually lasts ten to 15 minutes.

No beer after games, be back at the hotel by 9 a.m., group walk. And that’s for away games, every two weeks, 17 times a year in the Bundesliga: To an outsider, that doesn’t sound like hell on earth at first. If those are the problems of one or two players, you’d think the team couldn’t be in such bad shape.

But it is: even in October, VfL still has no points to its name. Once again, the threat of relegation looms large, and once again, a comeback is needed. The shortcomings could be discussed over breakfast or a walk together, if that’s not too much to ask of one or the other. Apparently, players and staff prefer to use the time to bring such issues into the public eye, perhaps to spark a debate about the coach.

That’s almost as cheap as the barrage of goals they’ve conceded so far.