Are Schalke doomed?
Thomas Reis's side sit bottom of the Bundesliga table and have failed to score any of their last four league games. Are the Royal Blues destined for relegation from the German top-flight?
Despite picking up what was perhaps the most surprising Bundesliga result of the weekend, Schalke head coach Thomas Reis was far from delighted following his team’s 0-0 draw with Union Berlin on Sunday afternoon. A point apiece with a team pushing Bayern Munich in the title race would usually be seen as a good result for the Royal Blues, but Reis didn’t exactly see it that way.
"We defended very well, but unfortunately we didn't keep calm in the final third,” noted the 49-year-old coach, lamenting the fourth consecutive game in which his team have gone the entire match without scoring a goal. When asked how he hoped his side would address this issue, Reis responded in a typically blunt fashion: "practice, practice, practice and conquer your inner bastard.”
Naturally, Reis is a battle-hardened expert when it comes to surviving in the Bundesliga and it’s unlikely that we’ll see the head coach even consider a smile until Schalke are well clear of relegation. But, while there may be frowns and groans aplenty in public, there are some suggestions that the Gelsenkirchen side are turning things around under their new tactician. Only whisper it, but Schalke may be on the cusp of a comeback.
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