Thomas Reis: Everyone wants to do their bit to help us stay up

“It is on another level. The support from the fans is incredible. Everyone wants to do their bit to help us stay up,” said head coach Thomas Reis, who got goosebumps just thinking about the thousands of S04 supporters in Sinsheim, as he himself emphasised. “Receiving this support gets that extra couple of percent out of you,” said the 49 year-old. Reis suggested that this vocal support from the fans helps the team, especially in periods when it is not going so well on the pitch.

Set pieces a possible route to goal

Reis stated that they have gone through the defeat to Leverkusen and done video analysis of the mistakes. “The team was very self-critical,” reported Reis, who was been working hard with the team this weekend on set pieces, which had not been threatening enough against Leverkusen. “We definitely have to do better in this area, so that they are also a possible way to open up a defence.”

Start bravely and wear down Hoffenheim’s defence

The ‘Knappen’ are facing an opponent who have refound some form. Having gone months without a win, Hoffenheim have now won two games back-to-back. Accordingly, Reis expects to face a confident Hoffenheim side. “They will play active football, are happy in possession and unbelievably dangerous upfront,” said Schalke’s head coach, who undoubtedly wants to pick up a win against a direct competitor in the battle to avoid the drop. “It will be important for us to be brave as well. If you allow them to play it can become difficult. You have to cause them problems in behind,” said Reis.

Number of players back

Among others, Moritz Jens, who missed the game against Bayer Leverkusen with a thigh strain, is back and could help the team take three points back to Gelsenkirchen. “Moritz is a player who through his personality alone is able to make the players alongside him better,” said Reis of the 23-year-old centre-back. Jenz is not the only possible player returning, with other players who have not been available recently once again present an option for selection.

The head coach is positive when looking ahead to the upcoming games against Hoffenheim and Hertha BSC, with his team having been successful in similar games recently against direct competitors to stay up. “We had a similar situation with the games against Stuttgart and Bochum. There is pressure there, but it is now about focussing in exactly the same way that we did in those two games,” said Reis. “It is in our own hands and we have the opportunity to keep ourselves up.”