Schalke manager Felix Magath pointed the finger at his players for Saturday's fifth Bundesliga defeat of the season.
The result leaves the Royal Blues 17 points behind the league leaders Mainz after only seven matches.
The 2-1 loss at Nurnberg will also see Schalke drop to the bottom of the table if Stuttgart pick up a point against Eintracht Frankfurt today and Magath said the players have got to recognise their share of the blame.
"I am absolutely unhappy with what my team showed today," he said.
"There was no comparison with the way we played in the Champions League. In that game, we invested a lot, but today we just stood back.
"These are difficult times for Schalke, for our fans and hopefully also for the players.
"Probably some of them were already thinking about the trip home and to their national teams."
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer accepted Magath's criticism, saying his side should "never have conceded the second goal".
"We only have ourselves to blame for this defeat," he said on his club's website.
