Kees van Wonderen was not satisfied with just getting his first point as FC Schalke 04 manager. The Dutchman is demanding more and has praise for 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.” For him, the promoted team had been better and closer to taking all three points on this Friday evening.

A statement that Kees van Wonderen also had to accept. “I think so,” he said soberly. “You have to be honest. We didn’t do enough in all areas. We want more, but I don’t think it will happen overnight. It’s clear that we have to try harder.”

The numbers proved the two coaches right. Ulm had more possession (53 percent), more shots on goal (6:2) and covered more kilometers (123 to 118). The lucky punch for the Royal Blues, which Armin Younes suddenly had on his foot in the final phase, would have been more than flattering. After all, after three defeats in competitive games, it was the new coach’s first point and the first time without conceding a goal. Still not enough.

“These are only small steps, but you want to take big steps,” admitted the Dutchman. The focus is now squarely on Regensburg: “We have to show that we are much better. That’s the only thing we can say now. It’s not enough, we have to show more and do better.”

I knew what my job would be. I’m not going to shy away from it.

Kees van Wonderen

The 55-year-old didn’t have any concrete ideas after the final whistle. “It’s about teamwork, but also about self-confidence, which is also important: how do 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 that was not enough. We have to improve that.”

Schalke could end the eleventh matchday in second-last place after their fourth game without a win. The mood around the club is correspondingly bad. How does the new coach deal with that?

“Schalke is a very big club that is not where it belongs,” he said, emphasizing, ”If that’s the case, the position is not good enough, then criticism will come. That’s logical. It’s about us doing the work every day to find a way to get back on top. We have to do it quickly.”

Van Wonderen can handle the criticism. “I knew what my job would be. I don’t run away from it. I do my work from morning to night. We have to work with the players, regain their trust and improve.”

Schalke: Kees van Wonderen praises Ben Manga

Speaking of trust. Does the beleaguered coach also feel this from squad planner Ben Manga?

“The work Ben does is the best I’ve experienced. He talks to players and staff and is present at every meeting or training session. He helps where he can, says when something needs to be said, and sees our process.” And: ”He expresses his trust in me, says how we work, you can’t do more than that. But we want more. We want to play better football and win, so we’re not satisfied.”

He was unable to say whether the team also needed a sports director. “I think I’m satisfied, but if Ben says he needs someone, then I understand.” But the person would have to know the club and the task.

And at the moment, the only task is to avoid relegation.