RB Leipzig's results crisis affects mental state, says coach Marco Rose

RB Leipzig's results crisis is making itself felt mentally, according to coach Marco Rose. "It's clear to us somewhere that the last three results are in our heads. You could see that in our game today," said the RB coach after Saturday's 5-2 (1-2) defeat at VfB Stuttgart: "We wanted to avoid that. We didn't manage that. We didn't manage the simple turnaround. VfB managed it today."

Stuttgart had also been without points before the game against RB in the new year. Leipzig lost for the third time after the winter break and have now gone four games without a win in the Bundesliga. RB are four points behind surprise third-placed Stuttgart in the race for the Champions League places and could be knocked out of the top four by Borussia Dortmund on Sunday.

"Crisis, false start - pick your word," said Benjamin Henrichs on Sky. "In any case, it's not enough for our standards."

Leipzig scored two goals in Stuttgart, but otherwise disappointed. Overall, his team are defending too poorly at the moment, criticized Rose. His team did not attack well against VfB either. "We already have a rucksack now, especially with the goals we have," said Rose.

Next Sunday, RB will face 1. FC Union Berlin. "We didn't have the conviction, the confidence in many things that are normally normal for us. We have to work through that, clearly," explained Rose. "Then we have to come up with a good plan, a simple plan maybe, also to clear the other parts of the boys' brains for the game, that they don't think so much."