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Changing coaches can often seem like split-second decisions. This week, Hertha Berlin decided to part ways with Jos Luhukay, the man who had navigated them out of the second division and back into the Bundesliga. Even the hurried nature of Luhukay's departure, as justifiable as it was, saw the current Hungarian national team coach Pal Dardai juggle the task of being interim Hertha boss.

But like in Schalke and Bremen, the arrivial of a new coach brings the inevitable 'bounce' effect. Players, all of a sudden, are reinvigorated and desperate to prove themselves. Others are lifted by the change in morale or the sudden level of competitiveness in training. Even just the timing of when you change coach can be a factor in the season outcome: too early and you might run out of gas; too late and there's perhaps not enough time for ideas to be put across. Six or eight weeks later, it could be the same doom-and-gloom as before.

Roberto Di Matteo has certainly had success in implementing his ideas, with Schalke unbeaten in their last five encounters. Key, in recent weeks, has been Switzerland national team player Tranquillo Barnetta, who is undergoing a mini-renaissance in his career after bouncing back from a spell in the football wilderness.

The 29-year-old fell out of favor at Bayer Leverkusen, despite making over 150 appearances for the club. A left winger with a tendency to cut in on his stronger right foot, a loan-spell with Hannover led to a move to Schalke, where he soon found himself sat on the fringes under Jens Keller.

But with three goals and three assists - he set up all three Schalke goals in the 3-0 win at Stuttgart last year - he's become a feature in Di Matteo's team. Most noticeably, Barnetta's proficient range of set-pieces strikes a chord, plus, as demonstrated against Gladbach, he can maneuver between defensive and attacking responsibilities - and that's certain to have impressed his Swiss coach.

Stocker to come good?

The following day, one of his teammates from the national side, Valentin Stocker, finally looked at ease with the Bundesliga. The highly-coveted label that the attacking-midfielder had earned at FC Basel appeared to have been a burden for him at the Berliners, with Luhukay not convinced enough to give him a central role in the team.

Already on many people's radar from performances in the Champions League, Stocker was the marquee signing at about 3.5 million euros that the team from the capital had long coveted. Following the 2014 World Cup, he battled through a series of issues: a hasty move to a new city followed up by injuries, then demotion to the reserve team.

But how refreshing it was to see the diminutive 25-year-old come to life in the 2-0 win over Mainz. Tricky and creative with the ability to slice through defenses with killer passes, the midfielder was a constant nuisance, especially in transitional play when Hertha had a man advantage for a long phase in the match.

It was his press that forced Loris Karius into a challenge that saw the 'keeper receive a straight red card and he was key in the second for Roy Beerens. Stocker now has six assists for the season in 13 games.

Above all, what both instances cement to observers is that rushing to conclusions is dangerous. Players, coaches and staff are just human beings - they react differently to situations, they take time to adapt and evolve; then there's the technical, physical and mental scars from injuries and rejection to overcome.

Just as hitting the ground running is worthy of acclaim, recovering from setbacks should equally be applauded.

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