Magath confirmed this week that he will become the new manager of Schalke next season and it was the Wolves' first game since - and the loss was only their second in the last 13 games.

But Misimovic believes Magath cannot be held responsible.

"Magath was not on the pitch, we were," he said.

"We cannot place the blame on him, on the pitch or maybe because it was hot. We can only blame ourselves.

"We just played badly. We played really badly from the very first minute."

Franz Beckenbauer, working as a studio analyst for Premiere television, knew precisely where to place the blame.

He watched with disbelief as Wolfsburg substitute Cristian Zaccardo missed an open goal which would have brought the Wolves back level at 2-2 shortly after Edin Dzeko had reduced the arrears.

"If he were a young lad, I would tell him to go and play the flute or the piano, but at least give up playing football," he said.

"Something like that is inexcusable."

Magath agreed that was the turning point in the game.

"We had a huge chance at the start of the second half to get back level, but then the 1-3 decided the game," he said.

"Obviously, we had imagined a different game to this one."

Nevertheless, Wolfsburg still lead the Bundesliga on goal difference from Bayern Munich with three games of the season remaining.

But Stuttgart's win takes them to within two points of the league leaders and keeps them on course for another sensational title triumph after pipping Schalke to the championship in 2007.

"We always aim to get the maximum," said four-goal hero Mario Gomez.