Schalke vs. Udinese

A new leader stepping up

As Schalke struggled through the second half of last season, very few players stood up against the rot to lead the team. Club captain Benedikt Höwedes was one of them and so too was Ralf Fährmann. The young goalkeeper has now cemented his place as the number one and was in good form against Udinese, with his voice, as well as his gloves.

In the quiet Wörthersee Stadion, it was easy to hear the players and coaches voices. One of the more predominant of those was Fährmann's. Playing behind Joel Matip and Roman Neudstädter (with Höwedes injured) against Udinese, the core of the Royal Blue defense was experienced. However, as a defender, the calls and advice coming for behind you, are as important as what you can see in front of you.

Fährmann provided a second set of eyes for each defender, as well as fine shot-stopping. He was quick to deny an effort at his near post in the first half, and showed the same in the second. Despite conceding an Antonio Di Natale free-kick in the second half, it is safe to say one position at Schalke can be left unhampered for the coming season.

The future looks fine

A lot has been made of Schalke's young squad at present. The likes of Julian Draxler, Max Meyer, Leon Goretzka, Kaan Ayhan and Sead Kolasinac have all shown their quality, but have been far from consistent, especially last season. Transfer rumors, injuries and tired legs added up as major distractions for the emerging talents, but a certain maturity seemed to appear against Udinese.

Draxler, Goretzka and Kolasinac were involved from the start, each having fine first halves. Goretzka, operating in a midfield role alongside Marco Höger, looked to get on the ball at every opportunity. With composure and an assured mind, he was able to operate with his calm style that has won so many plaudits. On the back of a sour season, Draxler needs to get his head down and concentrate on what matters this campaign. He showed, though, that his injuries last year have left little scarring, for now at least, as he bombed down the left hand side without any issues.

With a young coach, young players and a fan set expecting results, the pressure is high upon these youthful shoulders. However, despite it being only a friendly against the Serie A side, the aforementioned rising stars showed that their confidence has not been dented after last season's troubles. And as a youngster, confidence is a key attribute that must be kept intact so that nerves are left behind.

Wing-backs at full flow

The injury problems of both Astuto Uchida and Sead Kolasiac meant that Schalke's full-backs last season were usually back-ups, or players in an unorthodox position. After a summer of rest, unlike the World Cup of last year, Kolasinac looks refreshed and ready to show his skills. Whilst Uchida continues to struggle, new signing Junior Caicara appears to be an astute signing.

Schalke showed on Tuesday evening that the wings are where their best play will come from under Breitenreiter. Their only goal of the evening, in fact, came from a Kolasinac cross down the left, which was tapped home by Klass-Jan Huntelaar. Schalke stretched the pitch superbly, with the full-backs constantly overlapping the wingers in front of them, allowing them to move in-field.

Once more, Huntelaar and his strike partner Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting were then given more opportunity to get on the ball. The 4-4-2 formation was often adapted and shuffled, but it was the right platform for Breitenreiter's game-plan to work. Although still far from being the end product, good signs are evident as Schalke look to bounce back from last season.