By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- David Wagner must be what you call a go-getter.
After all, it was quite an adventure to take over a small side like Huddersfield Town in 2015 after the former professional had seen his future as a teacher in public schools after his retirement from the game.
Now again, a fair amount of courage is needed for the coach to lead an unsteady and fragile side like Schalke and get them back on track.
A severe test is now waiting when the Royal Blues cross swords with 2019 German champions Bayern Munich this Saturday evening. The outcome could decide the club's future, as no other club is defined by the mood of the supporters in far West in a worker's region.
For Wagner, the Bayern game is an essential step on his mission to gain stability and consistency.
The 47-year-old called for more courage and self-confidence ahead of the duel against the Bavarians. "Inconsistency has been Schalke's biggest problem in the past. In an atmosphere of uncertainty, people tend to be cautious and reluctant," the former midfielder commented.
This type of negative cautiousness was the general impression of Schalke as a club when he took over the job in June 2019. "But courage is the key to success," the coach emphasized.
Schalke needs to learn to develop ambitiousness without fearing mistakes. The club and the team need to get over certain mental blocks.
The Schalke coach seems aware of the motivational boost caused by success over Bayern for the entire club. The former premier league coach at the same time knows to cure a patient like Schalke takes time.
Wagner underlined the importance of the north stands where Schalke's most loyal fans are placed. They have been the club's only consistent factor over the past few years, he stressed.
The amount of optimism and confidence we can produce will decide the club's future, he said.
Wager's effort to change Schalke's style shows the first improvements. Other than in the last season, when Schalke ended up 14th and he lost first five games, have the Royal Blues intensified their pressing; attacks seem much more determined.
When achieving a goalless draw against Borussia Moenchengladbach in the season curtain-raiser, the squad looked to have understood the coach's demands. Some see Schalke in the footsteps of Huddersfield and Liverpool as the new style is described as a Huddersfield-Liverpool mixture.
"We shouldn't be talking about a certain goal such as position four or five; we should keep on working on our new style in the first place. Then I am convinced we will have much more fun and we will be successful in the end," Wagner commented.
Results are not the only important thing, he added.
Many fans though still remember the party-like atmosphere in December 2010 when Schalke beat Bayern 2-0.
"We don't need to remember this game, but we need to run for our lives, attack them all the time and act fast after winning the ball," Wagner commented.
