Danny Latza debuts for Königsblauen against Bochum
By: Porter | February 15th, 2009
Three weeks since the re-start of the season, it is a sad realization Schalke have slowly becoming common but far worse, management seems glued to watching the slide down continue. Early season hopes of a championship are long forgotten, as well as mention of the Champions League and the club is drifting from match to match like a mid-table team willing to accept their fate.
Yesterday facing VfL Bochum, a club hampered with considerable injuries and in a fight for relegation it was Schalke that were outplayed in route to a 2-1 loss. Considering the fall in goal production this year and that they last three matches resulted in only one victory, that being against fellow “crisis mode” Werder, what precisely is management doing to halt the slide? However while the match was particularly unsettling for Schalke it did mark the debut of Danny Latza and that recognition of the youth program is a good sign of the future.
Against Bochum, Fred Rutten took action with a more aggressive lineup pairing Jefferson Farfán, Kevin Kurányi and Gerald Asamoah up top with Halil Altıntop and Ivan Rakitić pressed behind them and Orlando Engelaar into defensive midfield. Clearly the Dutch manager was going with an attack minded vision and is owed credit, yet what transpired was far short of the goals. This should be stressed because while I question how long he will hold his job, particularly with rumours of Hubb Stevens swirling around, it is the eleven on the pitch that lacked the resolve to fight for a victory.
The match started well for Schalke as not quite twenty minutes in Jefferson Farfán and Halil Altıntop played a smooth one-two before providing Kevin Kurányi a shot on Bochum ‘keeper Daniel Fernandes. The Canada born keeper saved the attempt but the rebound quickly came to Kurányi who slotted it home. With the one goal lead, Schalke attack embarrassed itself but not having the nerve to go forward. Bochum, worried about the drop but nothing else and pushed forward with Mimoun Azaouagh driving the ball into the top right-hand corner from twenty metres with a minute left in half. Three minutes past the hour, Bochum took the lead off the counter when Christoph Dabrowski slotted the ball in from close range after Diego Klimowicz’ shot was blocked on the line by Levan Kobiashvili.
In the last twenty minutes Vicente Sánchez, Christian Pander and Danny Latza were brought in but they could not find the path to another goal and Schalke lost 2-1. This was Danny Latza first appearance in the Bundesliga and I suspect he will begin to figure more in the lineup given his potential and the intensity he shows on the pitch.
Category: Schalke Team News
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