Schalke's senior players doubt coach Kramer's style of play – 70.19 % consider a change of coach sensible

By Jasmin Eigl

Promoted Schalke 04 is currently in 15th place in the Bundesliga under coach Frank Kramer. So far this season, the ‚Royal Blues‘ have only managed one win from eight games. Fans are increasingly expressing concerns about the performance of the professionals and the coach's predetermined style of play. Doubts are also being raised internally about the manager and the quality of the squad. FanQ asked football fans in Germany whether they think it makes sense for Frank Kramer and Schalke 04 to continue working together.

Kramer's playing philosophy doesn't suit the Schalke team

The upcoming matches offer no prospect of improvement to Schalke's unsettled situation, as two renowned opponents await in Leverkusen and Hoffenheim. Following their 2-3 defeat against Augsburg, according to media reports, the ‚Knappen's‘ senior players have also voiced their displeasure with coach Frank Kramer and his playing style in the dressing room. Thus, the professionals share the concerns of many fans that Kramer's way of playing football does not suit the current ‚Royal Blues‘ squad.

The style of play, which the 50-year-old already established in Bielefeld and which he is now trying to implement in Gelsenkirchen, is not characterised by great attacking spectacle. Instead, he wants his team to stand deep, primarily play with long balls, and see their chances in quick transitions. However, most of the current S04 players are simply too slow for this type of football. They bring the ball forward far too slowly in their transition moments. The attack, described by Kramer as „powerful“, consisting of Simon Terodde and/or Sebastian Polter, is not exactly known for its sprinting qualities. Furthermore, the ‚Knappen‘ often appear overwhelmed in defence and concede too many goals.

Aside from the negative mood among the fans, doubts about Kramer within the squad are also slowly but surely growing louder. In addition to criticism of the defensive playing style and the team's low goal threat, some players are apparently of the opinion that last season's squad was better equipped than the current one. For example, the central defence, with the departed Malick Thiaw and Ko Itakura, was clearly better staffed last season. Furthermore, the lack of pacey wingers who could make the difference in attacking play is also being criticised.

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The lack of internal support could yet become a problem for the Schalke manager. He already failed with his line at Arminia Bielefeld. According to S04 sporting director Rouven Schröder, Kramer is „under observation“. Schalke want to „take stock“ by the World Cup break in November at the latest. Things could then „get tight“ for the 50-year-old coach, writes „kicker“.

Aus diesem Grund hat FanQ die deutschen Fußballfans befragt, ob eine weitere Zusammenarbeit der ‚Königsblauen‘ mit Frank Kramer überhaupt noch Sinn ergibt. 70,19 % der an der Umfrage teilnehmenden Personen hält es nicht für ratsam, noch auf einen Trainer zu setzen, dessen Spielphilosophie nicht zum vorhandenen Spielermaterial passt und der allem Anschein nach auch schon erste Teile der Kabine verloren hat. 16,35 % der Befragten sind hingegen optimistisch. Sie denken, dass der Coach die zweifelnden Führungsspieler noch von seinen Ideen überzeugen und gemeinsam mit der Mannschaft den Klassenerhalt schaffen kann.

To improve the quality of the squad, which has been criticised, the Gelsenkirchen side could become active in the transfer market in the winter, especially after the serious injuries to Sepp van den Berg and Rodrigo Zalazar. „We have great trust in the group, and the painful absences won't change that. So, we certainly won't make a snap decision. Nevertheless, we are generally looking around the market, and that includes players without contracts,“ announced Schröder. Whether Frank Kramer will even experience potential new signings remains to be seen in the coming games. This coming Saturday, the ‚Knappen‘ will face the equally struggling Leverkusen side at 3:30 PM, who themselves recently relieved their coach Gerardo Seoane of his duties and appointed the renowned Xabi Alonso as his successor.FanQ reported).