With 13 points taken in eight league matches, just one goal scored more than conceded, one point in four away games, new BVB coach Nuri Şahin already knows what a crisis looks like. Borussia Dortmund continues to struggle to break the deadlock, after a disappointing first few months of the season. The frustrating defeat synonymous with elimination (1-0) against VfL Wolfsburg during the 2nd round of the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday will not help the situation. The result condemns Dortmund to their fifth consecutive away defeat this season as pressure continues to mount on Şahin. The German press in particular BILD points out the many concerns of the German team. Dortmund are completely devastated after three consecutive away defeats (2-5 at Madrid, 1-2 at Augsburg, 0-1 at Wolfsburg).
BVB coach Nuri Sahin faces big challenges. A lack of leadership and mentality puts a strain on the team: “calm, but disappointed of course. The boys are extremely disappointed because they completely sacrificed themselves, also because of the situation in which we had to chase some of them for more than 120 minutes. The boys are exhausted, but extremely disappointed. That’s why I left them alone for now. We can’t go to Berlin this year, we can’t win a title in Berlin. In fact, we start the season every year to be in the DFB Cup final. I really can’t fault the boys too much today because they really gave it their all. In the end, you have to succeed, we didn’t do it. And then I think that conceding a goal like that in the 118th“, he declared after the meeting. At the same time, the Schwarz-Gelben have been going through a real sporting crisis in recent weeks. After the final whistle, goalkeeper Gregor Kobel (26) threw his gloves violently, his fuses burned briefly and he let out a cry of rage.
Three scathing defeats!
The problem of leadership and mentality is particularly visible in Donyell Malen (25 years old). The Dutchman changed agents a year ago by parting ways with Rafaela Pimenta to join the SEG agency based in Amsterdam which had the mission of finding him a new club without success. Malen therefore separated from the SEG agency out of frustration at not having been able to find a new club: “the boys are extremely disappointed. It wouldn’t do anything quickly. We need to deal with this first. The disappointment is huge for me and for the players. We really wanted to go to Berlin. But we have the impression that everything is coming together. Things are not going well on the sporting front. It hurts a lot right now, but we still have to get up tomorrow morning. The boys are extremely disappointed. It’s not about me personally. It’s about the club and I have a responsibility as coach“, he explained. Other top players are on the list of those found guilty, including captain Emre Can (30). The leader’s fate is now a concern for most of the team as Can is popular in the locker room. However, his performances in recent weeks have been so poor that there are whispers in the locker room that BVB has no leader.
The team also doubts that vice-captain Julian Brandt (28) can fill this void. Dortmund could also get a decent fee from him for the last time next summer. Due to the lack of leadership, some players said internally that the departure of Mats Hummels, who left for AS Roma, had been very badly received, which explains the deleterious climate and the discomfort of many players in the team. band. And in the midst of all this, Nuri Şahin does not know what he must do to heal the wounds of a group full of ills: “This is not about my personal situation. It’s about moving the club forward, getting back to winning ways as quickly as possible, winning our matches. It’s not about me. It’s about the club and as coach I have a responsibility. Believe me: it is extremely, extremely bitter and disappointing to me that we are in this situation right now. There’s nothing we can do but carry on“. Sahin will now have to carry out a lot of construction work in a few days leading up to Saturday night’s clash against Leipzig. A herculean task for a coach who is already struggling.
