I've noticed a positive trend regarding the DFB-Pokal. It took 24 years to win it a second time (1965-1989), 23 years to win it a third time (1989-2012), but since winning it in 2012, the wait for subsequent wins has been significantly reduced (2012-2017-2021). Let's keep improving that trend, shall we?
Yes it is so sad, because we had the opportunities, but the board stuck with a manager who is not good enough. Let's be honest. Terzic is learning and despite his potential is still no where near a top manager, but he at least tried to play to the teams strengths. It makes me sad, but we all know Favre should have been fired around 2 years ago. At least a lot of the young players now have experience winning a trophy with Dortmund. But now is time to focus on the Mainz match. It is going to be an extremely tough match and the match that has worried me most. If I was picking a hardest match of our run in, it would be this one after the cup final.
The Mainz match could potentially be made slightly easier if Bielefeld or Bremen don't win today, as if either fail to win it will make Mainz mathematically safe. So far Bielefeld trail 0-1 v Hoffenheim.
I'm also worried about the Mainz match. At halftime, it's 1:1 between Schalke and Frankfurt. If that would be the end result, a win against Mainz or matching any Frankfurt result next week would be almost enough for us (unless we somehow lose the 10 goal diff advantage). If we get the CL spot and Terzic ends the season with 7 consecutive league wins, maybe management will wonder whether they were too impatient to get Rose. It's true that he still has a long way to go. On the other side, as teams like Hoffenheim have shown, there are also advantages with coaches that went through your system.
Schalke win 4-3. Very surprising result. Takes some pressure off tomorrow’s match, although it would be nice to get the job done with a match to spare.