Frank Kramer is about to be kicked out at FC Schalke, sports director Rouven Schröder makes that indirectly clear. The next game could be the last. However, the coach doesn't really understand that.
Frank Kramer is aware of his situation as (still) football coach of FC Schalke 04. Another defeat like the devastating 0: 4 at Bayer Leverkusen cannot afford Schalke on Friday against TSG Hoffenheim (8:30 p.m. / DAZN and in the ntv.de live ticker), otherwise the 50-year-old should he'll probably be out of his job again in just three months. "Of course I can feel the nervousness," said Kramer about the murmurs in the notoriously restless environment of the promoted team. "The discussions before the game aren't productive either. My focus is on Hoffenheim," said the Schalke coach, who seemed very nervous himself.
The Bavarian still doesn't seem to have really arrived at the Revierklub. Because Kramer was irritated by the way the criticism was criticized after three defeats. "We committed ourselves from the start to just playing to stay in the class. If you look closely, we're exactly where we were expected to be," Kramer commented on the criticism that was pouring down on him. After nine games, the promoted team is third from bottom in the table with six points. "We have to face this situation, and I do that too. I give everything every day to achieve our goal," said Kramer. "And even if you feel the unrest, the focus is clearly on the team, the goal and the club. We have to be aware of the situation, everyone has to be aware of it."
There was an unmistakable hint from sports director Rouven Schröder. "The last game disappointed us all," said Schröder about the performance in Leverkusen, which was not suitable for the Bundesliga. "The result is one thing. The other is the attitude. That wasn't Schalke 04 and we made that clear," said Kramer's manager. "We are very confident that tomorrow will be different. There is clearly an appeal for us to show a different face tomorrow."
In view of these words, there is no imagination that in the event of another disappointing performance against the club of ex-Schalke coach André Breitenreiter, Kramer will also be back on the Schalke bench when both teams meet again in the DFB Cup in Sinsheim on Tuesday. In any case, Schröder avoided questions about contacts with possible successors. "We're dealing with the here and now and the game against Hoffenheim and nothing else," said Schröder.
The top candidate for Kramer's successor is probably unsurprisingly former Bochum coach Thomas Reis, who should come in the summer. However, since this was still forbidden because of his employment at the unloved district neighbor at the time, Kramer came. Now rice would be free - theoretically. Because the 49-year-old is still employed at VfL.
Meanwhile, Kramer announced that he wanted to fight for his job with personnel and tactical changes. For example, he is expected to switch to a three-man defense in order to consolidate the defense, which is missing important players with injuries to Marcin Kaminski, Ibrahima Cissé and Sepp van den Berg. Rodrigo Zalazar is also missing a top performer on the offensive. The perseverance slogans and meaningless phrases typical of a crisis situation have long been heard from the players themselves. "We have to be more self-confident," said central defender Leo Greiml. "Every player has to put more on the pitch, give more."
In view of the performances shown recently, it is questionable whether the players can show more. Because there is not much potential in the squad that has been put together under difficult financial conditions.
