1. FC Nuremberg: Relegation battle rhetoric after 180 minutes

He'd just spoken matter-of-factly about what his team did well in the 1-0 defeat against SV Darmstadt 98 , what they didn't manage, and how he, as coach of 1. FC Nuremberg , is approaching the new week after their second defeat in the second game of the season. But now Klose, who is usually so level-headed, has to vent his incomprehension.

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"We didn't even manage to chip the ball behind the center backs," complains Klose, and then repeats it, this time with emphasis, syllable for syllable: "Not once!" Klose, 47, looks out at the crowd of reporters who are still circling him on this Friday evening after the press conference. He seems a little more liberated now that it has burst out of him. But Klose isn't finished yet. He pushes things further. "I'm almost 50 now," says Nuremberg's coach, although he, who usually speaks standard German, doesn't say "fünfzig" but "fuffzich." And even at this age, he can still do it. "Really!" exclaims Klose.

Just like a year ago, the club has undergone a massive transformation this summer. And just like a year ago, it will likely take a long time before it's truly accomplished in Klose's favor.

Nuremberg coach Miroslav Klose feels challenged and throws himself into the work

Twelve months ago, FCN stumbled into the season, picking up just seven points after their first seven games. Then, after an explosion of performances in the fall, Klose's team emerged as the team of the moment, playing some of the most exciting football in the second Bundesliga. This time around, Klose says: "I firmly believe we can turn things around."

Turnaround? After just two games? Isn't that relegation battle rhetoric, even though the season is only 180 minutes old?

Even if his outburst after the press conference suggests otherwise, Klose is miles away from giving too much space to his negative feelings or even moaning – quite the opposite. Klose has no time for fatalism; he feels challenged and throws himself into his work. Nuremberg's coach is counting on his team to develop, as they did in their first year under his leadership. But he also knows the club he's working for. That time is of the essence. That results are needed to maintain control in a perpetually agitated Nuremberg.

Against Darmstadt, his team showed that they can dominate their opponents, at least for a time. Before Killian Corredor scored the decisive goal for Darmstadt in stoppage time, they built up such intense pressure in the final half hour that they had several excellent chances to win the game – but they couldn't hide the fact that they were still unfinished.

As long as Caspar Jander is out injured, Rafael Lubach will be needed in front of the defense. While he performs well in that role, he can showcase his strengths on the ball even more effectively in a half-back position further forward. However, Berkay Yilmaz, normally a left-back, is already playing there. And up front, in the completely revamped attack, there's still a real lack of finesse.

The summer preseason will therefore extend into the fall, as the club announced just before the Darmstadt match that it had signed Augsburg defender Henri Koudossou – and a striker is also expected to arrive at Valznerweiher. "We said from the beginning that it would take a while," Klose revealed, referring to the squad plans. "We're trying to ensure that quality continues to emerge. That's clear."

On Saturday we will face a fourth division team in the DFB Cup

The 0-1 defeat against Darmstadt can be considered just as avoidable as the 0-1 defeat a week earlier at the season opener in Elversberg, but both performances also made it clear that the squad is neither deep nor strong enough to rise above mediocrity.

Despite the good scoring opportunities against Darmstadt, things aren't going well offensively. And so the club is already under pressure. The first round of the DFB Cup takes Nuremberg to fourth-division side FV Illertissen on Saturday, before another three-point clash in Münster. "Now we need to find the players who can handle the pressure," demands Klose, sounding almost as if the final matchday is approaching: "This is the first headwind for many, so I'll have to see how one or two of them handle it. We don't need world champions in training, we need those who deliver on the pitch." First in Illertissen, then in Münster.

Before Klose says goodbye, he indulges in gallows humor and says, "It's going to be a great week." Then a grin spreads across his face. The message is that Nuremberg's coach will take it as it comes. Even if it's as tough as it was a year ago.