Something is not right at Borussia Dortmund and this problem is growing after the BlackYellows produced an underwhelming draw against Lazio in the Champions League midweek and a disastrous home loss to lowly Koln the previous weekend.
It’s not an exaggeration to say the defeat against Koln could be life threatening to Dortmund’s title challenge as the team they are tasked with wrestling the meisterschale off is the imperious Bayern Munich.
It’s not out of the realms of possibility to assume Dortmund can win back the Bundesliga eight years after last winning it in 2012 with Jurgen Klopp. The BlackYellows have a wealth of talent at their disposal including Europe’s second most deadly striker to Lewandowski – Erling Haaland. However the team is faltering, having already suffered three defeats in the league and finding themselves four points adrift of Bayern in a competition where every point really does count.
All this goes some way to explaining the already rather severe fan reaction to the loss to Koln.
Social media reaction after Koln loss
“What the fxxx is this? Are we even title contenders? Not having the will to win, a lack of mentality, we need a fresh coach now.”
We are supposed to be European giants when we can’t even beat a struggling Koln side at the bottom of the table. You can’t take these games for granted. Literally no one took anything seriously.
Why don’t we play the full 90 minutes? You have to be on from the first whistle or you will never win Bundesliga.
Favre is the issue. The slow intricate go through the middle passing doesn’t work when teams pack 10 people in the box.
What the fxxx is this? Are we even title contenders? Not having the will to win, a lack of mentality, we need a fresh coach now.
Favre out. Are the club seriously ok with this mediocrity year in year out? Not what this club is about
That was an atrocious showing. Losing to a team in 17th AT HOME, no excuses – AWFUL!
Not everyone wants Favre out with a few supporters holding the presence of mind to see that the responsibility for results largely falls to those on the pitch.
Can someone explain to me how this is Favre’s fault?
I put it down to Brandt, Sancho, Haaland and Hummels.
Is a new manager going to fix things and who’s the replacement?
One of the key issues with Dortmund is their main attacking talents are young (Haaland 20, Sancho 20, Reyna 18). To gain that relentless winning mentality which was more evident in Lewandowski (32) compared to Haaland in the opening Klassiker of the season, is not something that can be turned around with tactics.
Instead the ‘will to win no matter what’, whether scoring goals, tracking back or sacrificing individual performance for the good of the team – as Kimmich did against Haaland in the win at Signal Aduna Park – is something that comes with experience.
Further articles:
–Favre sacked: reaction and analysis
–BVB frustrated at Frankfurt pouring misery on Favre: Match report on matchday 10
–Haaland taught a lesson on winning by Lewandowski in first Klassiker of the season: Match report
–Muller delighted under boss Hansi Flick: hear what the Bayern forward had to say in a rare interview with Bundesliga
–Bayern hang on to defeat unlucky Stuttgart in matchday nine of Bundesliga: Match report
–See the array of tributes to the late great Diego Maradona who dies at 60 of a heart attack
If Dortmund replace their manager who do they go with? One thing in their favour is that the project in the Ruhr Valley is a very attractive one.
Dortmund have all the pieces in place to mount both domestic and European campaigns of real merit.
The list of managerial candidates could include Mauricio Pochettino, Massimiliano Allegri, an under pressure Zidane at Real Madrid.
Three names that came up in the feeds from the fans were Julian Nagelsmann of title rivals RB Leipzig, Jesse Marsch of Leipzig’s sister club RB Salzburg, and most intriguing of all Ralph Hasenhüttl of Premier League outfit Southampton.
Hasenhüttl’s stock is rising after the Austrian’s work on the English South coast having – briefly – put the Saints at the summit of the Premier League this season.
Players have to step up and support Haaland
When you’ve got a player as prolific as Haaland it’s not surprising that an expectation for team goals can arise from just one player.
Haaland is a phenomenon having scored ten goals in eight appearances in the league this season, finishing with thirteen in fifteen in the league last season – having joined Dortmund half way through the campaign – and amassing a total of 102 goals in 143 in his career to date. Compare that to the five fellow attackers in the team.
Between them Jadon Sancho, Thorgan Hazard, Marco Reus, Julien Brandt and Giovanni Reyna have scored a paltry four goals in nine games. In fact Dortmund’s second highest goalscorer in the league is a defender; Matts Hummels.
An undercurrent of issues at Dortmund have been running for sometime and if these issues are not tackled head on, soon Signal Aduna Park could find itself swamped in the bitter taste of failure having worked so hard to put the groundwork for success into the coming years.
Harry Jamshid Reporter Sports Pages 