Wolfsburg coach Steve McClaren said his side had “hit rock bottom” after being knocked out of the DFB-Pokal by Energie Cottbus on Wednesday night.
McClaren’s job is in danger after the embarrassing home defeat, which comes after a poor first half of the season in which the 2009 Bundesliga champions have struggled and currently sit in 13th place in the league table.
“It was simply not good enough and the first half of the season was not good enough,” McClaren said after Wednesday’s defeat. “I am disappointed, frustrated. We have problems in the dressing room, problems on the field.
“We have hit rock bottom.”
McClaren also recognises that he may pay a heavy price for the loss.
“This club needs changes,” he told ZDF television. “They may be drastic, but I cannot control them. I don’t know how these changes are going to look precisely. Nobody knows what will happen in the coming days.
“We have got to take a decision quickly. Now is the time, during the winter break, to clean things up.”
Wolfsburg’s managing director Dieter Hoeness also warned of consequences, and hinted that McClaren could be on his way out.
“We are going to have to discuss everything,” he told the Wolfsburger Allgemeine. “I can assure you that I cannot sleep well. I don’t think I will be going on holiday – our plans for Christmas have changed.”
When asked if McClaren’s job was safe, Hoeness said: “I cannot say that yet.”
