Schalke showed no signs of improvement at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne overnight, losing 2-0 to a lively Koln.
The result could have been much worse for Schalke had Koln converted more of its chances. The Billy Goats will not be concerned though – they are now mathematically guaranteed survival in the Bundesliga.
Entering the match, Schalke would have sat ninth on the Bundesliga table if only 2015 matches counted. This shows how poor its run of form has been since the turn of the year. The Sky Blues also had not won away from the Veltins-Arena in the same period.
Fans remained hopeful of a victory, however, given Roberto Di Matteo’s men had won for the first time in seven games a week earlier against bottom-placed Stuttgart. Every win for Schalke is vital considering it is precariously placed only three points above bitter rivals Borussia Dortmund as both clubs seek a Europa League position.
Koln started with mean intensity, putting Schalke on the back foot immediately. The ability of The Billy Goats to find space behind Schalke’s back four – which included usual midfielders Marco Hoger at right-back and Dennis Aogo at left-back – was frightening. Schalke’s inability to balance defence with attack is a worry for fans of The Royal Blues – for all of their frailties at the back, their attacks were slow in build-up and lacked direction.
Despite Koln setting a new record of nine 0-0 draws this season, it only took it 34 minutes to open the scoring in the RheinEnergieStadion. Marcel Risse tapped home his fifth goal of the season after Ralf Fahrmann saved well to his left to deny Kazuki Nagasawa. It was a deserved lead for the home side given it dominated the first half.
Schalke showed little improvement in the second half, continuing to build up at a slow pace and allowing Koln to settle into two banks of four. On the hour mark, Koln created an opportunity down its left-hand side with precision, allowing Dusan Svento to be found on the overlap, but he missed the simplest of tap-ins and the score remained 1-0. The match was waiting for a second Koln goal and after butchering numerous opportunities, Yannick Gerhardt scored in similar fashion to Risse in the first half, prodding home a clearance to make the points safe.
It is important to remember Schalke have suffered from injuries
When judging Schalke’s season, it is important to note the injury toll it has been burdened with. It is not just the sheer number of injuries that have crippled Schalke, but the players who have been injured. Some of Schalke’s biggest stars have not even managed to play 15 games this season – Julien Draxler, Jefferson Farfan, Sidney Sam and Leon Goretzka have played just 39 games between them. Given this, it is perhaps premature and unfair to be calling for Di Matteo’s sacking.
Di Matteo must make a statement early in the 2015-16 season
When Di Matteo signed for Schalke it was met with excitement and was widely regarded as a good managerial signing. Having won the FA Cup and Champions League at Chelsea, he is a man who knows what it takes to succeed at the highest level. Unfortunately for Di Matteo and Schalke, he is yet to prove his worth, and European qualification is no longer a guarantee. It is important that Schalke stand by Di Matteo though, and give him the chance to work with his squad over the off-season and create a greater balance between attacking football and defensive football. When Schalke play with pace and energy, it constantly looks dangerous going forward with its exciting young talent, and this is something Di Matteo must foster.
Schalke don’t deserve European football on current form
On current form it is hard to mount a case that Schalke deserves a berth in Europe next season. The longer this run of appalling performances continues, the more you are inclined to think it might not be a good thing for Schalke to make it either. A season with no Europe may allow Di Matteo to focus on building a solid squad that is ready for a strong European campaign in 2016-17. Apart from the obvious financial benefits it is hard to see how else the Royal Blues will benefit from a European campaign if they cannot turn things around swiftly.
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