Marc Wilmots: There are no discussions about the head coach

The 55-year-old made his view on matters clear: “For me there is no discussion about the head coach. We made too many individual mistakes on the pitch – that’s not the coach’s fault.” He continued: “It annoys me that people are always looking for someone to blame – it’s more complex than that. We lost the game together. Against St. Pauli and Paderborn we were brave in attack. Everyone was praising the coach after that, and now everything’s apparently gone to pot. It’s more complex than that.”

The side are not, of course, satisfied with their results on the road. “We have to do some analysis. I’ve seen three games in the last few weeks where the team showed real character. We came from behind twice in Berlin. The mentality against St. Pauli and Paderborn was very good.”

It is important, per Wilmots, to deal with the pressure well. “Everyone knows how important the game against Karlsruhe is.” There is also an acute awareness amongst the squad of where they find themselves in the table. “Everything’s very tight. There are seven or eight teams in the relegation battle.” The coaching team and backroom staff know what they have to do, says Wilmots. “We have to get our injured players back to full fitness. We will use the international break to get as many back on board as we can.”