The final section of the 18 Bundesliga transfer primers here on Receive German football news examines Borussia Dortmund. To say that the eternal “also hikers” of the Bundesliga have had an eventful year is an understatement. A year ago, Nuri Sahin’s shaky coaching regime entered its final throes. Team planner Sven Mislintat and the other BVB leaders argued constantly about the general nature of the BVB project.
Disaster loomed. Disaster has struck. From the ashes of a housekeeping project which finally saw Sahin and Mislintat sidelined, stability would nevertheless eventually emerge. The appointment of Niko Kovac, former coach of Eintracht, Bayern and Wolfsburg, initially aroused little enthusiasm. Kovac’s first matches also yielded almost nothing in terms of success. Kovac has always made the team evolve gradually upwards. At the end of last season, a welcome normality returned.
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Where are we now? The author would like to point out that in seven years of writing these primers, he has never had the opportunity to discuss a second-placed Dortmund team during the winter break. Year after year, there was always talk of a BVB crisis that needed to be resolved urgently. Most years, Dortmund sits in fifth or sixth place in the table. Qualifying for the Champions League has always been a major obstacle.
This team – and how a more discipline-focused trainer chooses to treat them – can still harbor their share of problems. At least there is a sense of calm when talking about Die Schwarzgelben. The fact that discontent exists among players And questions about the work ethic of some of the younger prospects seems almost as irrelevant as all the problems Bayern faced that ultimately didn’t matter.
As strange as it may seem, this sort of thing seems to be a symptom of a healthy club. Discontent and disagreement arise from passion. Continuing internal problems simply mean that another useful household is on the way. Maybe, for once, this club can stick to a somewhat unpopular path and simply ignore the sensational, reactionary headlines that pose no real threat to them. Maybe, for once, Dortmund are ready to be a little more like Bayern.
Borussia Dortmund
Despite poor results at the end of the year, job well done!
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Checking the winter forecast, Borussia Dortmund
Predicted position at the table – 3rd place
Actual table position – 2nd place, 32 points
(9-W, 5-D, 1-L)
(+14 G-Diff)
Getting knocked out of the Pokal by Leverkusen wasn’t ideal, but scoring points against Werkself a few days before still counts for a lot. So is the job done with six league points taken away from Hoffenheim and Gladbach in December. The two Bundesliga opponents waiting at the end of the Hin-Runde (Eintracht Frankfurt And Werder Bremen) also have serious problems. Thanks to the magic of comparison, Dortmund appears to be a stable club. Six Bundesliga points to conclude the Hin and a fairly flexible schedule to start the Rück could mean that this January will prove the opposite of the previous one.
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Dortmund’s next UCL opponents (Tottenham and Inter Milan) are, naturally, a completely different matter. BVB enthusiasts used to counting with dark predictions from this author and all others can claim here their last dose of pessimism. This is not the year for Europe. Stay satisfied with the success in the Bundesliga standings. Additionally, allow said success to trump all other jives that ultimately don’t matter. Karim Adeyemi’s legal troubles And The antics of Mark Bellingham It really doesn’t matter.
Autumn transfer review, Borussia Dortmund
Estimated summer transfer balance = -€27 million
This Bundesliga journalist consciously saved Dortmund for the end of this year. For what? Because the assessment of the BVB transfer class is proving to be a very difficult task this time. Few Bundesliga clubs have ever played in a class as strange as this one. Apart from the case for the permanent purchase of winger Daniel Svensson (a certain “success”), all other cases remain very nebulous. Strong arguments can be made for and against each individual actor. The criteria are also evolving rapidly.
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At this point, Yan Couto can probably be called a solid shot. The fact that it took so long to mature may be as important as one wants it to be. Damn, now that Ramy Bensebaini is is finally starting to live up to his potential for this clubit can be argued that it doesn’t matter if it literally takes years for the transfers to work. With that in mind, Fabio Silva is suddenly starting to look good. The poor, maligned striker needed this winter break less than any other Bundesliga player.
The late deal to loan Chelsea defender Aarón Anselmino worked out pretty well, but now that we know that Lars Ricken and Sebastian Kehl botched the details of the loan contract, can we really speak of success? The author actually surrenders when it comes to the case of Anselmino’s teammate, Carney Chukwuemeka. The wild swings in the Englishman’s fitness level are simply unprecedented. Chukwuemeka has a minimum of five personalities. At least three usually end up surfacing in any given match.
Jobe Bellingham’s case simply cries for mercy. We get tired of reporting on different ways in which Jobe failed to emulate his brother. He’s not his brother. The child absolutely deserves a little time to get his bearings. Mark Bellingham wasn’t necessarily wrong either emphasizing that Kovac should try to find a consistent role for his son tactically.Moreover, “Papa Bellingham” pointed this out after the first match of the season. After a while, Kovac might consider starting to consider that it made sense.
Overall, it probably has to be said that Kehl and Ricken haven’t done a very good job with this summer’s transfer class. TRUE, the club’s participation in the Club World Cup meant they had started late. A negative transfer balance following a summer during which Jamie Gittens got over €65 million back, that’s just rubbish. Far too much money was spent after average players. The author never understood why this club needed so many damn personnel managers or even why Lars Ricken was led to do this.
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Kehl is (in this columnist’s opinion) a very competent sports executive.
Let him do his job unhindered!
Ledger of dead weight and expiring contracts, Borussia Dortmund
Reliable rumors suggest that the four young players on the ‘dead weight ledger’ will be parked somewhere. Hamburg is linked to Almugera Kabar as ways to strengthen their central defense. Stuttgart and Frankfurt remain interested in Cole Campbell. The American is also linked with loans to Belgian Pro League sides. Both Borussia Monchengladbach And Werder Bremen I still like the idea of hiring Julien Duranville. Filippo Mané could end up in the 2. Bundesliga or down south in Serie A.
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The issue of expiring contracts is proving problematic as Dortmund have been trying for years to rein in their notoriously exorbitant salaries. Pascal Groß, Niklas Süle and Julian Brandt will therefore not receive any renewal offers. It doesn’t appear that any member of this trio is heading anywhere else during the January window, unless there is indeed something to be said. with rumors suggesting Brandt could be in line for a return to Leverkusen. Reliable sources report that Salih Özcan is already heading to Turkey.
As difficult as it may seem, Dortmund wants to extend with captain Emré Can. The 31-year-old’s high-profile mistakes and repeated injuries in recent years do not entirely mean he is of no value to the club. Most Bundesliga observers believe Can will take over and then relinquish the captaincy of BVB. Can truly remains a valuable presence in the dressing room, not to mention a very capable footballer with a great personality. He should stay to help mentor the next generation.
Deadweight Ledger = Almugera Kabar (CB), Filippo Mané (CB), Cole Campbell (RW), Julien Duranville (LW)
Expiring contracts = Emré Can (CB), Niklas Süle (CB), Salih Özcan (DM), Pascal Groß (CM), Julian Brandt (ATTM)
Additional needs and rumored links, Borussia Dortmund
Although this team needs help everywhere, reliable inbound links are rare. Some German publications even suggest that the previous transfer deficit will allow Dortmund to remain largely stable over the next month. It’s impossible to believe as they desperately need help on the attacking flanks. Oscar Bobb rumors seem to have some weight behind them.
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The author’s bold prediction revolves around the fact that Kehl will recruit more flexible men, much like he did with Julian Ryerson three years ago. Ryerson could even be sold to free up cash. If Omar Haktab Traoré from Heidenheim is the first railway player recruited by Kehlthe author could be mistaken for someone who knows what he’s talking about.
Additional requirements = GK LB, CB, RB, ADM, CM, ATTM, LW, RW, CF, LS
Rumored links = Victor Valdepenas (CB), Loun Srdanovic (RB), Hugo Larsson (CM), Oscar Bobb (RW)
