Alex Kral’s nightmare goes on just months after West Ham United exit

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You would struggle to find many players who have endured a more miserable 18 months than Alex Kral. 

At least, after spending virtually the entirety of his loan spell at West Ham United twiddling his thumbs on the substitute’s bench, the Czech Republic international is finding game time a little easier to come by at Schalke. 

Saturday’s Bundesliga meeting with Borussia Monchengladbach was his 11^th start since joining one of Germany’s most historic football institutions. But if you thought things could only get better for Schalke following their most humiliating of relegations in 2020/21, think again. Once more, The Miners appear to be digging their own graves; bottom of the Bundesliga, eight points adrift of safety and with just one win in their last 13 games. 

Successive 0-0 draws against Gladbach and Cologne are, at least, an improvement on that 6-1 thumping by RB Leipzig at the Veltins Arena. But more, a lot more, is still required if Schalke are to claw their way back from the chasm that stands between themselves at the bottom of the table and an ever-improving VFL Bochum in 15^th. 

Bundesliga basement dwellers Schalke look destined for relegation again

“They have to win two games in a row,” former Germany international and Ballon D’Or winner Lothar Mathaus argues (Revier Sport). “With a win, they can make up a place in the table. They have been close a few times now, but they can’t take anything from that.  

“I think they’re currently a relegation contender. But they also need luck so that their rivals lose games.”

Kral, it must be said, has brought about a slight uptick in standards at Schalke. After a spell out with a back problem, the former Spartak Moscow enforcer was arguably the bright spark at Borussia Park. If the rest of Thomas Reis’ team can take a leaf out of Kral’s book, then a ‘Great Escape’ to rival that of Bryan Robson’s West Brom all the way back in 2005 cannot entirely be discounted. 

But if Kral thought that things could only get better after West Ham, then he was very much mistaken.