Kainz is threatened with the bench – does FC have a captain problem?

Does 1. FC Köln have a captain problem? Florian Kainz is chasing his form. The Austrian is not a factor in the Cologne game. Is the bank threatening him?

Timo Schultz may be facing his first difficult personnel decision during his time as head coach of 1. FC Köln. So far, numerous squad and starting eleven questions have arisen by themselves. Injuries and short-term absences have often automatically dictated the direction at FC in the last two months.

But now Schultz has to clarify a key personnel issue at FC: Will Florian Kainz stay in the Billy Goats’ starting line-up or not? From a purely sporting perspective, the answer would have to be a clear no. Kainz also played poorly at VfB Stuttgart last weekend. If he wasn’t the captain, the 31-year-old would have no arguments for another starting eleven.

The raw numbers speak for themselves: In 72 minutes of action for VfB, Kainz only had 19 ball actions, only played ten passes and did not attempt a single dribble. Kainz also lost the ball seven times, three of them in his own half. It was only in the second half after just over 50 minutes that he created something of a goal threat with a low cross to Jan Thielmann.

But beyond that, Kainz kept up with what was happening. As the second leader next to Thielmann, Kainz was actually supposed to pull the strings in Cologne’s offensive game as a “free spirit” (Schultz quote). But nothing has been seen for weeks. After a good start in Schultz’s first game against Heidenheim with an assist, the Austrian quickly recovered. In the end he was just a shadow of his former self.

Not only Cologne’s offensive game suffered from this in Stuttgart, but also their defensive work. Kainz couldn’t keep up as a runner, couldn’t get access to the VfB support players, couldn’t generate any pressure and, as the slowest FC attacker at 31.5 km/h, was unable to stop Stuttgart’s combination play. This is one of the reasons why FC came under pressure too quickly on defense, especially in the first half.

It should be mentioned that Kainz himself also suffers. The 31-year-old was actually classified as a left winger by Schultz when he took office. But because Mark Uth, Luca Waldschmidt and Davie Selke were injured in quick succession, Kainz had to move into the attack and take a central position that clearly didn’t suit him. At least the way Kainz currently has to act in the Schultz system.

But now, in this phase of all times, FC will face the championship contenders from Leverkusen, who have been undefeated so far this season. Bayer 04 is known for its fast running and passing game and is the top team in the league under Xabi Alonso. Schultz will have to come up with something to hurt the Werkself. The question is: with or without Kainz?

Recently, the FC coach repeatedly took his captain off the field early and brought in faster attackers. It is quite possible that this option will now be the first choice against Leverkusen – with Kainz on the bench. But FC is likely to rely primarily on counterattacks, and players like Thielmann, Faride Alidou, Justin Diehl and Dejan Ljubicic would be better suited than Kainz. They also have the necessary speed to follow their opponents even when reversing.

Kainz on the bench? A realistic scenario at 1. FC Köln, even if it would be the first unpopular and difficult personnel within the team for Timo Schultz. However, it is also clear: FC must now pull out all the stops to stay in the league. Individual fates can no longer play a role. The experienced Florian Kainz should also know that.