“We can’t wait to pay back the fans’ trust”

“Of course we find ourselves in a bad situation”, Tedesco summed up. Despite the run of defeats in the Bundesliga and the team now sitting bottom of the league, the head coach has sensed the tremendous support surrounding the club. “The support which I have had from the fans is very important to me,” he stated. “There couldn’t be any more support given to us than there is at the moment. I’m eager to pay back the support given to us from the fans.”

Tedesco is hoping that Schalke will be able to take the lead in a game for the first time this season, something which he feels would lead to the first Bundesliga win: “We are missing that opening goal, which we are determined to score.” The team, however, shouldn’t lose its rhythm and flow just because they go behind though.

It is also important that the players can find their fluency in the next few games, something which has been discussed in both one-on-one and team meetings over the last few weeks. Tedesco also feels that the feedback from the squad has been mainly positive: “I am happy as long as I feel that the lads have accepted the current situation we are in and will give 100% on matchdays. At the moment I feel that this is the case,” confirmed Tedesco.

McKennie injury-free

The afore-mentioned attitude should lead to the first Bundesliga win against 1. FSV Mainz 05. “Mainz are a team who play with a lot of passion and heart”, said Tedesco about the opponents with eight points so far this season. “They have some tough players in the middle, but they always try and play good football.”

Tedesco understandably didn’t reveal too much into how Schalke plan to set up against Mainz, with a return to a back three one possibility, “because we have the right players to do so”, said Tedesco. He also revealed that Naldo was rested for the game in Freiburg after playing two intensive games in a row against Porto and Bayern. “It’s an obvious decision to rest a 36-year-old instead of making him play every three days,” he explained.

There has been little change to the injury situation after the 1-0 loss in Freiburg. The only man back available is Weston McKennie, who has been training with the team again after his muscular injury he suffered against Bayern.