SEven Daniel Farke was somehow torn when he had to give up hope of leading the table and making a dream debut as a Bundesliga coach. Instead of being angry or frustrated, the Borussia Mönchengladbach coach smiled softly after Schalke striker Marius Bülter scored a penalty in injury time in the match between the promoted team and the traditional club from the Lower Rhine to make it 2-2, which triggered an obsessive orgy of celebrations. “The whole temple is boiling. That’s the best proof that a club like Schalke 04 belongs in the Bundesliga,” said Farke, who was undoubtedly annoyed by the goal.
But the magic of the moment exerted a certain fascination on everyone who feels connected to this sport. And if you don’t feel deep disgust towards Schalke 04, you could somehow treat the battered Gelsenkircheners to this outburst of joy. Because the importance of the late equalizer goes far beyond just winning a point for the table. “Today it was important to arrive, that also means to score points, to show that we are competitive,” said Rouven Schröder, the promoted sporting director, after the final whistle.
embody values
Schalke’s self-confidence had been shaken to its foundations over the past two and a half years. After the deep fall during the pandemic, the feeling of belonging in the Bundesliga and being recognized as a worthy competitor had given way to a latent fear of a permanent loss of importance. Sometimes Schalke was perceived as a sleazeball who constantly produced new negative headlines, both sportingly and morally.
The question was whether this outsider might no longer fit in so well in this competition, which is supposed to embody certain values such as economic reason and sustainability. Now everyone could feel once again how enriching this association can be.
“We were aggressive, we had a good grip,” said coach Frank Kramer, “that’s what fits here, what people want to see, it’s our damned duty to throw our hearts on the pitch.” That Schalke would play with dedication , was not a big surprise, but it was not to be expected that this team, which has now been completely renewed for the second summer in a row, would perform so convincingly in terms of football.
Daniel Farke could not win with Borussia Mönchengladbach.
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Image: EPA
Farke found Schalke’s game “very structured”, especially in the first half the team seemed mature and tactically well prepared. And in contrast to the first day of play, Schalke even received support from the video assistant, who pointed out Gladbach’s Patrick Herrmann’s handball in the penalty area during injury time, making the penalty goal possible.
develop team
But the most important finding remains that this team can simply play very decent Bundesliga football. That will also do the reputation of the coach, who is committed in the summer, good, of which not all Schalke are convinced. This team was rather successful last season because special players like the cross specialist Thomas Ouwejan, the instinctive striker Simon Terodde or the risk-taking Rodrigo Zalazar contributed to many goals with their special qualities.
In just such a moment of individual strength, Zalazar scored the 1-0 from a long distance (29th). In the new year there are indications that the squad planner Schröder and the new coach could succeed in the feat of further developing this team decisively, also in terms of play.
The defensive organized by the Japanese national team captain Maya Yoshida (came from Sampdoria Genoa) seemed stable and confident in the build-up play. And in midfield, the newcomers Tom Krauss (Nuremberg), Tobias Mohr (Heidenheim) and Alex Kral (Spartak Moscow) did very solid professional work; not always error-free, but clearly suitable for the Bundesliga.
Particularly noticeable was Kral, who took on the role of a handlebar in the center, but had acted somewhat clumsily in creating both goals. Nevertheless, Kramer praised the Czech international: “He did a good job, did his job and traveled a lot. When he has the ball he’s very secure on the ball, very clean. But there is always room for improvement.”
That applies to the whole team, but after two games, with all caution, it is becoming apparent that both the squad and the coach have the potential to fight a successful relegation battle in this constellation.
