Schalke have recently achieved two respectable victories against Cologne and Gladbach. The problem remains the harmless offensive. Friday against Wolfsburg.
With a swollen, blood-red lip, Cedric Brunner still took time to talk to reporters on Saturday evening. “I had Botox injected in the dressing room,” the 28-year-old Swiss joked with a pain-distorted grin after the Schalke game. The reality was considerably less funny: for Brunner had taken the elbow of his opponent Jonas Hofmann in the face a few minutes earlier. Part of his incisor was also knocked out of the Schalke 04 right-back in this scene.
But Brunner’s relaxed reaction shows that despite the meagre 0:0 in the away game at Borussia Mönchengladbach and the ongoing relegation battle, the mood at the Bundesliga last-place team is nowhere near as bad as the table suggests. The gap to the first non-relegation place has grown to eight points.
The fact that the Königsblauen have not yet lost their nerve despite the threat of relegation is due to the recognisable upward trend of recent weeks. As against Cologne (0:0), Schalke came close to victory in Mönchengladbach. Again, the team of coach Thomas Reis was able to create usable chances – but again the consistency in finishing was missing. “We invest a lot, but don’t reward ourselves. We have to work on that,” said Reis.
The reigning second division top scorer Simon Terodde (34) continues to be out of luck. He is currently failing to make the most of his few chances. Newcomer Michael Frey (28) and Marius Bülter (29) are not doing any better. Frey has not yet arrived in the Bundesliga, Bülter is completely out of form, as could be seen in Mönchengladbach. Shortly before the end, he miserably missed a good opportunity to score the winning goal.
“I don’t want to put anyone on the spot, because the players who miss are the ones who have the most to complain about,” says sporting director Peter Knäbel about his strikers’ allergy to goals. “But the knot must break in one of them now.” At the moment – the 56-year-old is that honest – Knäbel sees a quality problem in Schalke’s offensive.
Schalke have scored a measly one goal in their four league games this year – that is not fit for the Bundesliga.
Schalke’s defence is stable at the moment
What is positive for Schalke despite this meagre output? The other parts of the team. Schalke is stable in defence and also in midfield. A game idea is also recognisable in the meantime. This is due to returnees like midfield boss Alex Kral (24), but also to newcomer Moritz Jenz (23). Two weeks after signing for Gelsenkirchen, the FC Lorient loanee is giving the Schalke defence a lot of security. “Moritz already looks like a better player,” praises Knäbel.
Indeed, it is noticeable that the Berlin-born player’s calmness is also transferred to his team-mates. Even Maya Yoshida (34), who was often overtaxed in the first half of the season, has been playing well lately. It is no coincidence that Schalke have managed to keep a clean sheet twice in the league since signing Jenz.
Because Jenz and other newcomers like Eder Balanta (29), Jere Uronen (28) and Tim Skarke (26) have shown that they could become reinforcements, Knäbel sees a Schalke team with a face again. “No relegated team plays like that,” he says and promises: “A lot will happen in the relegation battle.”
Schalke against VfL Wolfsburg on Friday
The truth is, however, that keeping up is one thing, but managing to stay in the relegation zone is another. Schalke, who are bottom of the table, first have to catch up with their rivals in the basement. To do that, they need victories. Preferably in Friday’s home match against VfL Wolfsburg (8.30 pm/DAZN).