Kees van Wonderen wasn’t satisfied with his first point as coach of FC Schalke 04. The Dutchman is demanding more and praising his squad planner.
After the 0-0 draw against FC Schalke 04, Thomas Wörle, coach of SSV Ulm, did not mince his words: “We deserved to win.” In his opinion, the newly promoted team was better and closer to taking all three points on Friday evening.
A statement that Kees van Wonderen also had to accept. “I think so,” he said soberly. “You have to be honest. That was too little from us, in all areas. We want more, but I don’t think that can happen overnight. You can see that we have to try harder.”
The statistics proved both coaches right. Ulm had more possession (53 percent), more shots on goal (6:2) and covered more ground (123 to 118 kilometers). The Royal Blues’ lucky punch, which Armin Younes suddenly had on his foot in the closing stages, would have been more than flattering. At least it was the new coach’s first point after three competitive defeats and the first time his team didn’t concede a goal. Still not enough.
“These are just small steps, but we want to take big steps,” admitted the Dutchman. The focus is now fully on Regensburg: “We have to show that we are much better than that. That’s the only thing we can say right now. It’s not enough, we have to show more and do better.”
I knew what my job would be. I’m not running away from it.
Kees van Wonderen
The 55-year-old did not have any concrete plans after the final whistle. “It’s about teamwork, but also about self-confidence, which is also important: how you feel on the pitch. My feeling after Augsburg was that there was self-confidence. I had hoped that we would take that with us. But it wasn’t enough. We have to improve.”
Schalke could end the eleventh matchday in second-last place after their fourth game in a row without a win. The mood around the club is correspondingly poor. How is the new coach dealing with it?
“Schalke is a very big club that is not where it belongs,” he said, emphasizing: “If that’s the case, if the position is not good enough, then criticism will come. That’s logical. For us, it’s about doing the work every day to find a way back up. We have to do that quickly.”
Van Wonderen can handle the criticism. “I knew what my job would be. I’m not running away from it. I do my job from morning to night. We have to work with the players, regain their trust, and improve.”
Schalke: Kees van Wonderen praises Ben Manga
Keyword: trust. Does the coach, who is widely criticized, also feel that from squad planner Ben Manga?
“The work Ben does is the best I’ve ever seen. He talks to the players and staff and is at every meeting and training session. He helps where he can, speaks up when he has something to say, and understands our process.” And: “He expresses his confidence in me and tells us how we’re doing. You can’t ask for more than that. But we want more. We want better football and we want to win, that’s why we’re not satisfied.”
He couldn’t say whether the club needed a sporting director. “I think I’m satisfied, but if Ben says he needs someone, then I understand that.” However, that person would have to know the club and the task at hand.
And that task is currently and solely to avoid relegation.