Rouven Schröder: Go through thick and thin for this club

Rouven Schröder on…

…the search for a new head coach:
It’s been an intense couple of days. We won’t rush into any decisions, but won’t dilly dally either. We want to present a new head coach in the next week – that’s the plan. We won’t fill the role internally. It’s no secret that our financial situation isn’t a bed of roses, but I don’t want to make an issue of that. We needn’t pretend that Schalke isn’t an attractive club. The new coach that comes in has to go in all for Schalke. Of course finances play a role, but it’s more about being prepared to go through thick and thin for this club.

…interim coach Matthias Kreutzer:
There is a lot of appreciation for Matthias Kreuzer. I’m pleased that he is leading the team together with the rest of the coaching staff. You can already see a reaction. He has a real talent for motivating people and addressing things with clarity, so we’re hopeful that he will have a positive effect.

…the Schalke path:
Our path hasn’t changed; we remain down-to-earth, but ambitious nonetheless. That’s why it has been incredibly frustrating to see performances where we haven’t shown those traits.

…possible January signings:
We will sit down as a group and look at things critically. We will do everything we can to ensure that we won’t look back at the end of the season and blame ourselves. No one here wants to be relegated, so bringing in reinforcements in January is something we’re looking at. It could be the case that players want to leave, so that would also free up some budget.

…expectations of the team on Sunday:
Of course we have spoken to the players, but there’s only so much talking you can do – the most important thing is what happens out on the pitch. We can deliver a response on Sunday. No matter which players are on the pitch, they have to give everything for Schalke – that is what we want to see.