text: Fusion Sound & light have the latest DJ mixers available for hire. We stock the popular Pioneer DJM 900 Nexus. With its unlimited capabilities of effects and connections it makes it now the industry standard. We supply our equipment in flight cases with all the necessary cables you need to get up and running. Why not hire a digital mixing deck to complete your set up. We can even supply the event lighting too!
  
  If you were to judge the size of a club by its membership, Schalke 04 are the fifth biggest club in the world only narrowly missing out on beating Borussia Dortmund. With a great fan base, though, comes great responsibility and, all too often, Schalke feel the pressure of their supporters all too keenly. The arrival of up-and-coming young coach Domenico Tedesco and an influx of exciting young players will hardly do anything to dampen the expectations of the fans going into the coming season. Jon Mackenzie weighs up the odds for the Die Königsblauen going into the next season
  It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. It was unbeaten in the whole of October and November; it was five straight losses at the beginning of the Bundesliga season. It was five consecutive wins in the Europa League group stages; it was crashing out to Ajax in the quarter finals to two late goals in injury time. Last season, Schalke’s record can only be described as ‘unpredictable’.
  Markus Weinzierl was fired by Schalke 04 after having a disappointing season with the club. (Photo by Simon Hofmann/Bongarts/Getty Images)
  Any excitement caused by the arrival of Markus Weinzierl and Christian Heidel as manager and director of sport respectively was swiftly dampened after the Die Knappen failed to kick start their season in the league until well into the Hinrunde, albeit with a much needed 4-0 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach. But Weinzierl couldn’t seem to produce anything from the team that wasn’t at one extreme or other of the spectrum between winning or losing. Where October and November consisted of a complete absence of losses in the league, December and January saw a return to the sort of form that had opened the season for Schalke. In the end, despite improving things in the second half of the season, Weinzerl never really managed to drag the team into the top half of the table, and they finished in what was, in the end, a disappointing tenth-place finish and was promptly sacked.
  In Europe, things could have been much different: Schalke dominated the group stages, only losing once, and, after easing past Gladbach in the last 16 were tipped by some to be favourites to meet Manchester United in the final. But then, after overturning a two-goal deficit against Ajax away to a 3-2 advantage at home, they managed to ship two goals in the second half of extra time to come crashing out of the competition.
  No doubt much of Schalke’s inconsistency in the season was caused by the added encumbrance of European football. Without this, perhaps, they may have achieved a little more consistency in the league. But, for a team in a league that is seeking to improve its European credentials, this excuse is not sufficient. Going into the future, Schalke’s fledgeling coach, Domenico Tedesco, will be expected to attain a place in Europe while at the same time building a team that can compete on both fronts.
  In many respects, Schalke’s two main pieces of transfer business this summer did not come with the sort of glamour that you might expect from arrivals at one of Europe’s top clubs. Nabil Bentaleb and Yevhen Konoplyanka arrived at Gelsenkirchen on loan at the beginning of last season and played a big part in Schalke’s domestic and European campaigns last year. Bringing both back as full signings this season, though, is important for the club, a fact which is reflected in the transfer fees paid which both feature in the top five highest payments of players signed by Schalke.