Thomas Reis has been familiar with the subject for more than thirty years.
And yet there are always experiences and results that bother him despite all the routine that has long since set in in the business.
The 0:3 on Saturday in Frankfurt was such a case.
Marc Heinrich
sports editor.
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The "Royal Blues", who he has been in charge of since October, also missed a liberation when they restarted after the World Cup break and Bundesliga winter holidays, with which they could have reduced the gap to the saving bank in the table basement.
"If I were to put it in the Ruhrpott language: It sucks how it went," Reis said unequivocally.
With the 36th game in a row without an away win, Schalke set a negative Bundesliga record.
His team, who suffered their eleventh defeat on matchday 16, presented themselves as destined to be relegated, but not really.
And that in turn encouraged Reis.
Many statistical values read respectably for him: Schalke had 19 shots on goal (and thus seven more than Hessen), their pass rate showed an advantage over their opponents at 76 percent (64), and they won more tackles than Frankfurt in percentage terms (52:48).
The 49-year-old then stated, not without justification, that he had seen an exchange of blows "at eye level".
"That's why it's very bitter that we're going home with a defeat.
Frankfurt has made a lot of capital out of few opportunities.
We, on the other hand, need too many chances.
That was the difference and explains why Eintracht is currently high in the table and we are currently at the bottom," said the coach, who thanked the winner for a courageous performance for the manifold praise from the ranks, but something else he would have preferred by far: points.
His team only has nine to show on the credit side - a yield that, when viewed objectively, gives rise to fears of the worst.
"We were brave, we were aggressive"
It was also important for the managerial staff at the Knappen to make it clear that he hadn't lost his confidence.
"We were brave, we were aggressive," Reis said.
"I enjoyed the whole team, unfortunately individual things decided the game.
There are 19 games left.
We have to defend better and score more goals," he announced before the following home game against Leipzig this Tuesday.
Danny Latza, the captain of a team that, despite half a dozen injured or ill regular players, kept driving the favorites briskly into the parade, said that all was far from lost.
“We were dominant, especially in the first half.
But we didn't manage to score again.
That was already the problem in the test games.
The opponent showed us how it has to work,” said the veteran.
Jesper Lindström (22nd minute), Rafael Borré (84th) and Aurélio Buta (90th + 1) scored for Eintracht, who followed on from the high they had enjoyed in the first half of the season and jumped to second place.
"They were cold as ice," said Simon Terodde with the authority of a former goalscorer.
He himself once again struggled in vain as Schalke striker;
with 13 hits, the team provides the most harmless attack in the league.
What makes the situation even more difficult: Sebastian Polter, a colleague, injured his knee badly during preparation and will be out for months.
In order to counteract the lack of offensive design options, board member Peter Knäbel committed Michael Frey from Royal Antwerp.
"He showed that he's there, but we mustn't blame him for everything," said Reis, classifying the debut of the novice who came on as a substitute in the 82nd minute.
“We need mentality and we have to let the sparks jump over to the fans.
Michael is predestined for this, he starts everything that is not on the tree at three.”
In the winter sale, another (midfield) bargain is also being sought, which is intended to provide more variability.
"The people involved are working on it day and night," said Reis, not sounding as depressed as he did immediately after the final whistle.
Although the hope of rescue has dwindled again, it is not excluded if they continue with the performance in Frankfurt.