Jens Keller surely must feel as if the footballing gods are constantly conspiring against him. Last season, Schalke made a poor start to the season, and as has become the custom in Gelsenkirchen it was the manager who was to bear the brunt of the blame, whether it be justified or not. However, as the season progressed Die Köningsblauen started improving gradually; eventually completing their best-ever rückrunde en route to a more than respectable third-place finish in the Bundesliga.

It almost looked like Schalke would be able to kick on this season, and really cement themselves as the best of the rest behind only the giants of German football, Bayern Munich and their hated foes Borussia Dortmund. However, it once again has been a case of the more things change, the more they stay the same. Injuries have already decimated the squad, and one gets the distinct feeling that Jens Keller might be forced to yet again throw young Knappenschmiede graduates in at the deep end and see if they sink or swim.

Not that it necessarily always is a bad thing, for we saw Max Meyer and Kaan Ayhan perform at a level above what anybody could have dreamt of last season. But one gets the clear feeling that fans of Die Köningsblauen would much rather see a full-strength squad complete a whole season without placing an undue burden on emerging talents. It is telling that Julian Draxler has fell off the bus slightly in the past season or so when pressure started to build on him to single-handedly be the main creative force for Schalke. As previously alluded to, injuries have been their biggest curse in the recent past, which made it quite ironic and morbidly amusing to see them play a pre-season friendly against the notoriously uncompromising Stoke City before a Bundesliga ball was kicked.

If the ship is to be steadied after a start to the 2014/2015 season that can only be described as diabolical, striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar needs to be kept fit. We all know the quality that the Dutchman possesses, and if he can come through a season unscathed, up to thirty goals in total in all competitions is well within his reach. Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting was a fantastic bargain signing over the summer, but he is much more comfortable playing more of a support role rather than having to carry the responsibility of linking up play and scoring a large amount of goals up top on his own. Left-back remains a huge worry, with Sead Kolisinac an absentee due to yes, you guessed it, a long-term injury. Dennis Aogo is a serviceable option, but is he good enough to hold his own against the right-sided midfielders of the top five or so sides? That is doubtful, and in Christian Fuchs there clearly is not much confidence from the management team as shown by their desperate efforts to sell the Austrian over the summer.

There was a quiet optimism and expectation that this was to be the season in which young midfielder Leon Goretzka was to experience a true break-out campaign, becoming the linchpin that could anchor the Schalke midfield for the next decade or so. Unfortunately, the injury bug running through the water at the Veltins-Arena also reached the German, which adds even more importance to the role of Kevin Prince Boateng. There is no doubting that he is a hugely influential figure in the dressing room, and Jens Keller has given him a degree of freedom to get the best out of him and, more importantly, keep him happy. If the Ghanaian turns against the manager, it would be almost impossible to wrest control in the dressing room back. However, he has to justify this trust put in him on the pitch, with recent performances looking lackluster and well below what all Bundesliga fans know he is capable of. Has he become too comfortable, or is there just a lack of drive and motivation from his part?

One player that can be relied upon whatever the weather in Gelsenkirchen is captain Benedikt Höwedes, who after his World Cup winning exploits seems more focused and determined than ever. Die Köningsblauen are set to rely heavily on his influence in a defense that already looks culpable to numerous personnel changes over the course of this season, be it through loss of form or injury returns-and-departures. He might only be in his mid-twenties, but the role of senior player already sits comfortably, especially if one considers that he will have a big role to play in guiding the likes of Kaan Ayhan and even perhaps young Marvin Friedrich through a tough campaign. It will doubtlessly be an immense test for him, and one gets the feeling that he is the type of player who will relish this as a Knappenschmiede product who has royal blue blood coursing through his veins. However, a short-term injury has ruled him out for a couple of weeks, which makes one wonder whether Schalke might resemble a rudderless ship whenever he is unavailable.

Back on the topic of Jens Keller, he really has a thankless job. The worst possible thing that the Schalke board can do at this stage is to lose patience and cause further upheaval within a club that even went as far as the dictatorial player-butchering and collecting tactics of one Felix Magath in search of triumph and success in recent seasons. Once former 1.FSV Mainz 05 manager Thomas Tuchel returns from his sabbatical, Die Köningsblauen should do everything in their power to secure his services, but for the time being Jens Keller should be at least offered the security to do his job in this campaign without the hangman’s noose dangling ominously with every hiccup. He might not be universally loved or admired, but what he did last season should count for something without unrealistic expectations from fans and the board alike weighing him down in the midst of an almost comical injury crisis.

The one thing we do know for sure is that there is never a dull moment at the Veltins-Arena, and it will be extremely intriguing for the neutral how this drama called the Bundesliga unfolds. For the fans, it will be much less fun, and blood pressure will surely be sky-high at times. But that is football and what makes it great, isn’t it? Anyone?