Analyze this: Schalke can't be this bad can it?
There are a few Bundesliga teams we had high hopes for entering the season that have gotten off to absolutely horrific starts. Over the course of this week, we are going to look at what is going on with Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke 04, and RB Leipzig. Take a look below for our take on Die Königsblauen.
Schalke 04
The Roster
The Schalke roster from top to bottom is solid, but not spectacular. With a mix of gritty veterans such as Sebastian Rudy, Naldo, Guido Burgstaller, Ralf Fahrmann, Mark Uth, Daniel Caligiuri, Salif Sane, and young players like Weston McKennie, Breel Embolo, and Alessandro Schopf; Schalke has some versatile parts to work with.
This is not an overwhelmingly talented roster, but it is one that should be competitive in the Bundesliga and Champions League. There is a lack of offensive talent, which Uth was supposed to bolster this season. It has not happened as of yet for Die Königsblauen or for Uth, who was very solid for Hoffenheim last season.
Fahrmann is a solid keeper and can typically keep Schalke in games if he has support. This issue for Tedesco's troops this season, however, has been maintaining any type of offensive consistency.
The Stars
The funny thing about Schalke is that it doesn't really have any major stars. Rudy? He's still trying to figure out what his role is on the squad. Uth? The Hoffenheim transfer has been a big disappointment so far. Naldo? The veteran defender is still capable, but not a player that would be considered a star per se. McKennie? Still you young and inexperienced.
Therein lies part of the problem; Schalke has no stars. Last season Schalke thrived with cohesive team play, a sturdy defense, and an offense that capitalized on its opponents mistakes. That team identity is not really there right now. Perhaps, Schalke would be wise to inquire about Mario Gotze or Julian Draxler in hopes to raise the star quality on this team a bit. Gotze has no role with Borussia Dortmund (as of now) and Draxler is in a constant battle for playing time on the deep, Paris Saint-Germain squad.
If Schalke continues its downward trend, it would be doubtful that Gelsenkirchen would be an appealing destination for Gotze, Draxler, or any other players who could make an offensive impact.
The Coach
Domenico Tedesco is not having a great campaign thus far. The 33-year old coach has not yet been able to grasp how to best align his roster and the constant mixing and matching of personnel has caused a complete and utter lack of cohesion on the pitch. For things to get moving in the right direction, Tedesco is going to have to wrap his brain around which 11 players can operate best together as a baseline and then figure out how to integrate the other players as part of the rotation.
Offensively, Schalke just doesn't scare anyone right now and Tedesco will have to figure out how to best ignite his scoring attack or this could be a long and uninspired season.
Analysis
Schalke tied Porto 1-1 on Tuesday in the Champions League, which marked a better performance than its 0-3 record in the Bundesliga. The Porto game, however, was imminently winnable and shouldn't really be considered a moral victory of sorts.
Schalke is in a bad spot. While many of its Bundesliga competitors are getting better and acquiring more diverse talent, Schalke is trying to shoehorn parts into its system and it's not panning out.
Tedesco is under the gun and how he responds to the team's poor start is going to be scrutinized in Gelsenkirchen and elsewhere. I was high on Schalke prior to the season, but the results and effort so far is a major cause for concern. Until the Schalke offense gets on track and can actually threaten opponents, I don't expect much, if anything, to change for Die Königsblauen.
