Manuel Neuer Not Happy - Interview

In the wake of Sunday's deserved reverse, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer joined bundesliga.de for an exclusive interview and was unequivocal about where he and his colleagues are going wrong.

bundesliga.de: Herr Neuer, Schalke lost in Mönchengladbach 2-1. What was the main reason for the defeat?

Manuel Neuer: We actually started well and went 1-0 up, but then we stopped playing football. We allowed Gladbach into the game. Half our team wanted the ball but the the rest didn't. We didn't play as a unit, and if you don't play as a unit you deserve to lose a game like that. We tried to change things in the second half but we created barely any opportunities. It simply wasn't enough.

bundesliga.de: Despite the early lead, Schalke came under serious pressure in the first half. Gladbach hit the bar twice in the opening ten minutes and then turned the game on its head. How did that happen?

Neuer: The second goal was my fault, I should have stayed at my near post, but in fairness I also made another save at the start which looked a certain goal. We couldn't have complained if we'd conceded another two or three.

bundesliga.de: Once again Schalke dropped vital points in the Bundesliga on the back of a good Champions League showing. Do you have an explanation for that?

Neuer: It was a bad day for us. We needed to take something from the Gladbach game, all three points if possible. It's symptomatic of our season, putting in two decent performances and then another in the Champions League only to go on and play poorly upon our return to the Bundesliga.

bundesliga.de: Realistically do you think Schalke will have to concentrate on the Champions League and above all the DFB Cup as a route into Europe next season?

Neuer: It's not looking good in the Bundesliga. We dropped three points we really could have done with, but we'll try to win every game. We won't give up, but we are some way off the European places now.

bundesliga.de: How do you explain Schalke's up and down season in the Bundesliga? Is it a question of concentration or motivation?

Neuer: I do think we were motivated, we saw that at the start. But if only half the team offers themselves for a pass, you'll never win a match together. You get taken apart. That was the case in Gladbach.

bundesliga.de: Can you knock some sense into the players who didn't show themselves on Sunday?

Neuer: Of course, but it's a problem that runs through the whole team. I shouldn't be having to smack the ball all the way up to Raul and Huntelaar every time. They won't win much against an defender as strong in the air as Dante. We need to try and play the ball out from the back. If we can't manage that, we're at a major disadvantage.

bundesliga.de: Schalke have already conceded ten headed goals this season, more than in the past two years combined. Is there a problem at the back?

Neuer: No. It's difficult to defend against big players like Mo Idrissou. It happens. Gladbach have scored a lot of headed goals this season. We've defended better from set-pieces and in the air than we did in the first half of the season. That's not our main problem.

bundesliga.de: One of the few positive aspects of the match was the performance of Peer Kluge, who had to be taken off at half time injured. How would you judge his development?

Neuer: He's a quality player who's been performing very well over the past few weeks. He's an important player for us, and he proved that once again in Gladbach.

bundesliga.de: How frustrating is the current situation for you personally?

Neuer: It's very bitter. We had a great chance against a team who are going through a lot of problems at the moment. If you don't make the most of these opportunities, I don't know when we will.

Interview by Tobias Gonscherowski''