The alarm bells are ringing at FC Schalke 04: After a horror performance against Karlsruher SC (0:3), the Bundesliga relegated team is worried about remaining in the lower house. The Royal Blues started the season with a strong tailwind. How could the miners crash like that? Club icon Olaf Thon is looking for an explanation.
“The main problem is that the individual parts of the team don’t work together. The coach has to put his finger in the wound and say very clearly: ‘If you don’t follow along, you’ll fly,'” emphasized the 57-year-old in an interview with “Sky” .
A clear message to the new S04 coach Karel Geraerts, who recently replaced Thomas Reis and made a catastrophic debut on Sunday. “The first half in Karlsruhe was very shameful, destructive and passive,” criticized Thon.
The 1990 world champion sees the club he loves in a dilemma. “You have to give the new coach time, but Schalke doesn’t have the time,” he noted.
Thon added: “The experts in the 2nd Bundesliga said before the season that this Schalke 04 team could play for promotion. We have seen that that is not the case. It is mainly not due to the quality of the individual players, but rather They don’t work as a team.”
Currently in 16th place, the Gelsenkirchen team is already five points away from the rescue bank. Next opponent is Hannover 96 next Saturday.
FC Schalke 04: Thon sees “very tricky situation”
Thon hopes that there will then be “a turnaround in the trend, because we absolutely need it, and quickly.” However, it is a “very tricky situation” for the club.
The former national player expects a course correction in the winter. “You’re almost forced to react in terms of personnel. You’ll have to wait for the next games, but then you’ll put out feelers to get players in the next transfer period,” said Thon. “We now need guys who can pull the cart out of the mud.”