FC Schalke: David Wagner had one little thing wrong about Ozan Kabak

FC Schalke manager David Wagner hasn’t been wrong about much, but he did err ever so slightly in his assessment of Ozan Kabak two months ago.

It was almost exactly two months ago that media headlines misconstrued what David Wagner said about FC Schalke youngster Ozan Kabak. His exact words were, “He’s fully up to speed and would be ready at any time. But he’s facing competition at a very high level.”

Literally days later, Benjamin Stambouli broke his foot. Days after that, Salif Sane was ruled out for the year with his own injury. Thus began the amazing epic that is the start of Ozan Kabak’s career at the Veltins.

In that span, we have seen that not only was Kabak ready at any time and fully up to speed, but above and beyond. He’s done everything. Even if Stambouli and Sane were healthy, I don’t see how they’d take that spot from Kabak.

And that’s the one little bit that Wagner was wrong about. Kabak isn’t facing high level competition, he is now the highest of level competition on this sturdy defense.

More from Release The Knappen

• Schalke 04: Arkadiusz Milik would take everything, but he’s worth it
• Schalke 04: Ozan Kabak makes Jean-Claire Todibo pass quietly
• Schalke 04: Omar Mascarell the only boost between now and then
• Schalke 04: David Wagner just has to make it to the end of the season
• Schalke 04: At least we still have Weston McKennie

Yet again against Eintracht Frankfurt, we saw the absolute best of Kabak, and yet again, we saw him doing even more than he’s been known to do.

You’d think that two goals in his first two Bundesliga starts would be an impossible standard to stay up to pace with. He’s just a centerback after all. Surely it’s just a fluke that he would go so beyond what’s expected of his position.

Not the case. In fact, anything but. Sturdy and often miraculous defending be damned, Kabak is proving to be such a capable ball-handling defender that, as we saw against Frankfurt, he’s capable of taking the ball all the way up to the opposing goal box. Where he can pop off a shot or find team mates. It didn’t come off against Frankfurt, but it was clear that they were not expecting him to be so good on the ball.

Joke’s on them, right?

Kabak has done everything a player can do. Name something you think he can’t do and I’ll give you an example of when he’s done it. Or just watch the next match and you’ll see him doing exactly that.

It’s crazy how after every single match, I’m here doing the same thing—praising Ozan Kabak. But hey, when you’re that good, you damn well deserve it.