Chapter 893: The Bad Result Continues

In the end, Higo had to accept the criticism begrudgingly, especially since the boy himself also knew that his captain was right. Still, it was so infuriating to hear those who always had his back suddenly turned away, not even batting their eyes on him anymore.

It also didn’t help that somehow, the media seemed to have a field day, highlighting how the team conceded a goal due to his miss in positioning. They tried to tone it down with words like he was too young and inexperienced or something like that, but Higo could see that this was an attempt to dismiss him.

Honestly, the treatment that Higo received so far was way different compared to any other young superstars like Pedri or Jude Bellingham. When they had a bad day, the media would fight tooth and nail to defend them, saying that it was either their teammates who failed to make them unleash their potential or that even the best player could have a bad game.

In this moment, Higo knew that the media was never neutral, and only those who had a strong background would have a great image there.

’Yeah, Kumiko-chan is right. I cannot think too much about it, or this will eat me alive.’ Higo murmured secretly.

Still, that didn’t dismiss his annoyance at how easy it was for the team to concede a goal. In the next training session, the boy didn’t hold back scolding everyone who made a mistake, especially in front of him.

"Fuck, Rudy! Again?! How could you get passed by Fabian so easily?! He couldn’t even get one in the real game, for fuck’s sake!"

"Benjy-san, where the fuck are you going?! Look! Face the opponent properly, don’t always think to fall back when you are in that situation! Fuck! How could you be a pro for so many years without knowing that?!"

"Malick, I swear to God, if you fouled Mark again, I will kick your fucking ass so quick before you can scream your mom’s name!"

"Damn! Again?! Timo, how many times do I have to tell you?! Think, for fuck’s sake! Don’t just move like a robot! Paci has the worst hit rate in the league, and you let him hit you so easily?! Are you fucking kidding me?!"

Everyone had their face so red at this point, looking at Higo with a bloodshot gaze. No one really expected Higo to turn into a demon like this, and those whose names spilled out of the boy’s mouth felt like their blood pressure rose instantly, having to hold back the urge to strangle the goalkeeper straight away.

Still, they didn’t dare to complain here, not when Frohling just kept quiet, not even saying a single shit while they got humiliated publicly by Higo like this. Yeah, the coach didn’t show any reaction, knowing that the goalkeeper knew what to do to force the defensive line back to their top.

It also helped that the man knew how furious Higo was in the last couple of days, and this was definitely the best way for him to vent his grievance. Inwardly, Frohling just apologized to his players here.

’Sorry, guys, but you have to be sacrificial lambs so that he can get back to normal again later...’

Still, this might help the defensive line get back on the right track, but the problem on the frontline was not something that could be solved so easily.

No, the trio of Fabian Reese, Benito Raman, and Mark Uth somehow always stuck even when facing Schalke’s own defense, and that told the head coach everything, since the man himself knew how bad the team’s defense would be without Higo between the posts.

It wasn’t just them, but even the replacement on the bench like Goncalo Paciencia, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Amine Harit, and Suat Serdar somehow couldn’t find their best performance in the training session. No, they always made so many fundamental mistakes that would only hinder the team’s offensive progress, unable to execute the game plan perfectly.

Even Frohling himself had a big headache right now, rubbing his forehead while also watching the disaster unfold in front of him.

’Yeah, maybe signing a new striker would be beneficial for the team next winter... Damn, that is still in the next two months! No, I have to think of a way to use all the players that I have right now! We cannot be dragged into this shit for too long!’ The head coach finally decided.

Unfortunately, even if he wanted to, the reality wasn’t as easy as he hoped for. No, the draught in the offensive line continued again in the next game, as they fought against Borussia Monchengladbach in an away game.

In that match, the usual Schalke performance unfolded once again, enough to make all the fans around the world sigh in regret.

Higo fought tooth and nail to block all the threats away from his goal, and yet, the rest of the team failed to take advantage of his good performance to score a goal. No matter how hard the frontline wanted to try, they seemed to resist putting the ball to the back of the opponent’s goal.

From a high ball that went above the goal, a ground ball that went wide, a normal header that went straight to the goalkeeper, none of them was enough to give them the goal that they wanted.

It was fortunate that Higo was back to his best form, as no one was able to get through his defense today. In total, he made 7 saves today, and while it was a little bit low compared to his usual standard against a big team, his performance was enough to frustrate Mönchengladbach today.

Still, in the end, the game finished with a draw, and while Schalke should be happy to get a point against a team that was way stronger than them, the weakness that they suffered in the last couple of days was enough to make them lose sleep.

’Fuck! What the hell is going on with our team?!’