Chapter 994: Getting Eliminated & Preparation for the Revier Derby!

The result somehow lasted for the whole game, and to make it worse, Schalke’s current lineup didn’t really stand a chance against Wolfsburg today.

No, their offense was lacking, unable to get into the opponent’s penalty box properly.

It didn’t matter how hard Amine Harit or even the two flanks that Frohling got from the second team tried, but they couldn’t really send a good ball to Luca Schuler, who was fighting as a lone wolf inside the penalty box.

Ao Tanaka also showcased a glimmer of what he could do that made the team recruit him.

The boy managed to insert himself into the box a few times, becoming another focal point that could receive the ball when all the attention was on Luca Schuler. It was unfortunate that no one could read his game, or he would be able to receive a good pass inside the box.

’If it was Morita or even Fabian and Beni, they would be able to find him easily, right?’ Frohling couldn’t help but think to himself.

In his mind, he was ecstatic to see that Ao Tanaka had this kind of talent. Physical state could still be improved with training, but the ability to read the space and arrive at the right spot at the right moment was not something that anyone could have even after training for their whole life.

’So, after this, I have to make sure that Tanaka can coordinate with the other midfielders, and if he is ready enough for the game against Dortmund, he would be our biggest secret weapon in that game. Shit! I cannot wait for that to happen!’

Unfortunately, Frohling had to get through this game first, as the players were so frustrated when they couldn’t really break through the opponent’s defense.

So many attempts were thrown, and yet, in the end, none of them found the back of the net that would get the team a draw.

Once the referee blew the whistle three times in a row, so many players were so dejected, as once again, they failed to use their chance to showcase their talent when the coach finally gave them time to do so.

Still, Frohling wasn’t disappointed at all. No, if anything, he was a little bit relieved, as that meant he only had to put his focus on one thing, which was the Bundesliga itself.

’Right now, we are still at the 7th position, two points behind Dortmund, who are at the 6th.’ Frohling couldn’t help but mutter as he read the data.

’We have already faced the top two, which are Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig. Next week, we will have to face Dortmund, and after that, only Wolfsburg, Frankfurt, and Leverkusen left for us. We have to shorten the gap between us as quickly as possible, or we will be left behind later.’

Yeah, even though the gap between Bayern in the first place and Leipzig in the second place was quite vast, the same couldn’t be said for the latter to Schalke in the seventh position in the current standing.

Right now, Schalke had 32 points, only 8 points behind Leipzig in second place. It might sound like a lot, but five teams were also between them, so one win would be enough to propel the team’s position to the top four.

As he thought about the open possibility for the team to get into the UCL next season, Frohling couldn’t help but clench his fist.

The man had already imagined that when the time came, not only would he not have to sell some of his most important players, but he would also receive more funds to improve his squad. That was definitely every head coach’s wet dream.

Still, before he could dream of that, the man had to face another big test, which was the Revier Derby against their annoying neighbor, Borussia Dortmund, next week.

This time, though, the stake was higher than ever, not just a bragging right, as their positions were so close to each other in the current standings.

Schalke was still in the seventh position with 32 points, while Borussia Dortmund, who didn’t have a good year so far, had to be satisfied with the sixth position, far from the runner-up that they achieved last season.

One win would be enough to let Schalke get into the top 5, jumping over their rival in the standings. That would be sweeter than ever, as they could also rub this in their rival’s face.

Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be an easy task to do, especially when the man currently faced a headache. The problem was still the same, which was a crisis that he had in the midfield.

Without Nabil and Omar on the squad, he only had Morita and Jonas Hofmann ready, and as for the third one, the coach still couldn’t decide which one he should take to complement those two.

"Are you sure that Ao Tanaka is not ready for that game?" Frohling asked his assistant once again, still unwilling to leave this option completely. "We brought him for a reason, you know?! It would be a pity if we didn’t use him!"

"As a bench player, I think you can try using him for the second half," Waldoch stated plainly, not even blinking at the man’s whining tone. "But if you want to play him from the start, he wouldn’t be able to survive against Bellingham and Delaney."

Well, wasn’t that a harsh truth? For Ao, the current Tanaka, who still lacks physicality, Dortmund, with their high pressing tactic, would be a nightmare to face.

It was better to let him come off the bench rather than forcing him to play from the start, just to let the boy get bullied by the opponent’s midfielders.

Still, now, Frohling had to face a big dilemma, as he stared at the list of midfielders who were available for him in the next game.

Those players were either not suitable for his system or had a problem with their attitude, which was definitely the worse option.

In the end, the man couldn’t help but sigh, rubbing his forehead with a headache.

"What the hell is this degenerate list?! This is a fucking joke!"