Ain't No Bieber, Echte Liebe

Blogging About Dortmund from the Depths of Detroit

[thedortmunderwonder]

In honor of a much needed three points, let's just admire that Reus pass. 

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Thanks, buddy. 

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Top of the group! It was not easy, and it was not pretty, but Dortmund can take comfort in a more favorable draw as they progress to the last 16 of the Champions League. But see that guy above? He needs to score. Effort only counts for so much. If Miki can convert the chances he creates, Dortmund will be in great shape. 

[thedortmunderwonder]

                                                  Ignominy, Not Glory

Well. At least it is a point, right?

This season, Dortmund have managed to find a way of snatching a draw (or even defeat) right from the jaws of victory. In a game in which they were the dominant side for large spells, Dortmund could not keep the door shut and claim all three points.

Things began so auspiciously, too. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Dortmund’s in-form attacker, gave Dortmund the lead early in the first half off of a targeted cross from Erik Durm. The first half hour represented a more familiar Borussia: the pressing was intense; players moved into space and made frequent runs from wide areas. There were slick aerial balls. The attack was able to move behind Paderborn’s defenders. The team largely went off the boil after 30 minutes, but a goal from Reus right before half-time seemed to suggest that perhaps Dortmund were on their way to a second successive league victory.

It was not to be. As has been the case all season, Dortmund failed to fully capitalize on those periods of the game in which they were imperious. What is abundantly clear after so many Bundesliga games is that Dortmund will not be able to keep the opponent out. BVB is experiencing a drought in terms of clean sheets. The only practical way for them to be winning games at the moment is outscoring the opposition.

That generally requires at least three goals if today’s 2-2 draw is any indication.

The second half of the game showcased all that is wrong with present season. There were individual errors aplenty. There were clear lapses in concentration. A goal was once again conceded from a set-piece situation. The pressing became more lax and the team visibly fatigued by the end of the 90 minutes. Worse yet, Marco Reus was injured yet again two-thirds of the way through the game.

Perhaps it was partially the fault of the official. Paderborn came out for the second half looking to play rough. They did just that. Borussia’s players were constantly knocked off the ball, pushed, and beaten in 1-on-1 challenges. Reus fell victim to a rough challenge by Marvin Bakalorz, and from there, a great deal of pace and impetus was removed from the Dortmund attack.

One cannot, however, blame the ref or the rough play of the opposition. Good teams deal with adversity. They find a way to grind out a result when conditions are not ideal. Right now, Dortmund only seem capable of earning three points when the conditions are precisely in their favor. It is a bad omen.

There are no easy fixes here. This season has presented myriad problems; it is impossible to pin-point one or even two specific areas where Dortmund must improve in order to win a few games. Everything needs improving. Dortmund have the pieces to be successful—the team is not terribly changed from last season. However, Klopp will need to help the team regain some basic level of confidence and competence. This has been the case for weeks and weeks and yet few improvements have been made. That is perhaps the most troubling issue.

As injuries abate and leaders like Jakub Błaszczykowski, Nuri Sahin, and Hummels return to first-team action, perhaps some semblance of consistency will be found. But it is best not to hold out too much hope. This season’s Dortmund has a way of making a mess of even the best of scenarios.

[thedortmunderwonder]

You tried, Roman. You really tried. It was a valiant effort. 

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It is going to get better, right, Herr Klopp? 

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                                          Dortmund: False Dawn or New Hope? 

Well. This is becoming baffling. Another night in the Champion’s League, another resounding, stylish victory.

Dortmund are utterly on fire in Europe, a team with drive and creativity exploding from nearly every individual on the field. Yet they remain perplexingly awful in the Bundesliga. After last night’s performance, one is left to ponder whether this is the promise of a new beginning for Dortmund, or yet another smoke and mirrors scenario.

Breaking it down, the positives appear thus: the return of Marco Reus, İlkay Gündoğan, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan is undoubtedly a boon for Dortmund. Last night, each player took turns reminding Dortmund fans what has been missing: daring, a directness of play, and speed in passing. Playing with an attacking midfield of Kagawa, Reus, and Mkhitaryan, Klopp was able to shift his players in and out of center and have some semblance of variety on the flanks. Mkhitaryan, at least in the last few Bundesliga games, may have been the biggest miss of all for Dortmund. While often wasteful in possession and comical with some of his shot choices, the Armenian midfielder is capable of creating havoc for opposing defenses. The man creates chances. Having Reus in tow allows Dortmund to pick up on the scraps of those chances and turn them into goals or clear goal-scoring opportunities.

Gündoğan has only been back for two games. It is hard to make too much of an assessment in regard to his impact, save that his passing has been decent and he is no less mobile than he was a year ago. Heat maps for Gündoğan’s first game back in the Bundesliga revealed that he was all over the pitch, operating from deep and willing to move forward. His passing success was at an 85%. Sure, there was a great deal of rust in his game, but Dortmund have not had the kind of mobility he provided from deep in a long, long time.

Assuming that Dortmund’s midfield does not sustain any more injuries (perhaps that would be too merciful), Klopp should stick to using the same players in attack week in and week out. This would allow the players to build a greater understanding regarding build-up play. Dortmund’s biggest problems do not lie in creating chances. The issue, rather, is with finishing those chances and defending.

And therein lies the biggest, most confounding problem. Particularly in the Bundesliga, Dortmund have been committing an alarming number of individual errors, and this is costing them goals. Last week, it was Weidenfeller who committed the most glaring blunder. In truth, however, the whole team is culpable. There are miscommunications in defense that should have already been addressed on the training ground. Positioning has been questionable. And the whole team is responsible—not just the defense.

I previously discussed how Dortmund’s holding midfielders have not been providing the kind of protection the defense needs. This theory holds true for Dortmund’s performances in the Bundesliga. While Gündoğan’s return certainly alleviates this issue to some degree, as a whole, those holding midfielders are performing poorly. Sven Bender, for one, has not been the defensive stalwart he has previously established himself to be. He is often ponderous in possession and has frequently been caught out of position when opponents counter-attack. Full-backs, too, have been found wanting. Last weekend, Kevin Großkreutz failed to track the run of Kevin Vogt. Großkreutz is famed for his competency as a utility player, but the amateurish marking exhibited in recent games suggests the worst aspects of that moniker. He can play almost anywhere, but rarely is Großkreutz truly excellent. In truth, he plays far better as a forward.

Having assessed the midfield and defense, should Dortmund fans panic? No. Not yet. Dortmund have quality. The man at the helm, Klopp, is one of the best managers currently in the game. Should the team hit full fitness and Klopp be able to send out a consistent starting XI, then the team’s performances will surely improve. At least a little bit. To do so, however, they will need to find the source of Dortmund’s epidemic of individual errors. 

[thedortmunderwonder]

                                       Dismal Dortmund Drop More Points 

Can Dortmund’s defense really be this bad? In theory, they should have one of the best defenses in the Bundesliga, with arguably the strongest center back in the league, Hummels, and two compotent partners in Subotić and Sokratis. The full backs are not too shabby either.

And yet BVB are conceding sloppy goals left, right, and center, and with three losses on the board.

Dortmund this season are not unlike a mullet: its business in the front (they score goals, create chances) and party at the back. The defense just cannot come to grips.

So what is the problem? Some quick answers: Hummels is just coming back to full fitness and is shorn of match sharpness. Subotić, while having participated in pre-season games and getting a run in the league, spent most of last season injured and probably needs more time to fully adjust to the team once more. The same can be said for Schmezler, who overcame an injury he picked up during the summer. Durm, despite his promise, probably needs to take a seat. While absolutely thrilling in attack, he is often indecisive in the tackle and found out of position. Complicating matters is the fact that Klopp has had to shift, chop, and crop the defense constantly to accommodate for all the injuries.

But, in truth, Dortmund should still be better. The problems Dortmund are facing do not begin and end with the defense. A larger piece of the problem lies in midfield. While Dortmund’s defenders have lacked organization, the holding midfielders playing in Klopp’s 4-2-3-1 formation are not providing the defense with enough cover. To be frank, Sebastian Kehl is past his best. Although he may be a great leader, he cannot be playing regularly in a side trying to keep pace with Bayern Munich. Miloš Jojić is also part of the larger problem. He was an excellent stop-gap acquisition last winter; when he jumped into the Dortmund midfield, he added energy. He was an extra body and he was needed. This season, Jojić is merely an extra body. His passing has been poor. He loses possession. He is often ponderous on the ball. Sven Bender, too, is still finding his feet after a long lay-off.

Dortmund’s best pair of central midfielders, Nuri Şahin and İlkay Gündoğan, remain injured and it is unclear when they will be back and at their very best. It may be weeks or even months. And that is what is so alarming. At this moment, it is hard to envision where Dortmund will be able to find a shred of consistency. While the attacking players are capable of occasionally producing moments of magic, the like of which Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has procured, they need more fluidity from midfield to increase their capacity to create goal-scoring opportunities. Dortmund will not be winning many games by relying on scraps of chances. They conceded far too many goals for that to be an option.

So what can Klopp do? First, it would behoove everyone for there to be a definitive defensive pairing. The Subotić–Hummels pairing should be fine given a run of games. Durm should be put on the bench, at least for a while, in favor of Schmelzer, who is a more consistent defensive player. Łukasz Piszczek should retain his place. Despite some defensive errors, Dortmund need his passing from the right.

As for the midfield, there is not much that can be done. The players that are available all have limitations. Klopp will need to get better performances out of them despite those limitations. That aside, Dortmund fans must cross their fingers and hope for better. Much, much better.

[thedortmunderwonder]

                          Dortmund's Ruthless Return to European Nights

No Lewandowski? No issue. An injured Marco Reus? Meh. A score of midfielders and the club captain crocked or not yet at full fitness?

No. Problem.

Tuesday’s clash with Arsenal was classic Borussia Dortmund. The team pressed high up the pitch, ran at defenders, countered quickly, and maintained a strict sense of discipline at the back. It was a complete team performance, one which manager Jürgen Klopp described as “nearly perfect.”

And it was. Arsenal are a team renowned for passing the ball and keeping it. It is their blueprint, the very DNA of their organization. During the first half, Dortmund maintained a larger share of possession.  Arsenal were harried upon every touch of the ball. There was no space for them to operate. The gegenpress was in full effect—the Gunners could scarcely breathe. In fact, for the first 30 minutes or so, Arsenal seemed in a daze as the Dortmund players buzzed around them, nicking the ball away at every opportunity and threatening to counter attack after the slightest of mistakes. Dortmund were playing to a plan, and Arsenal simply could not cope.

An interesting statistic: the Gunners were so put off their game on the night that they failed to win a single tackle in Dortmund’s half all game. Not one tackle.

Dortmund began the game using the tried and true 4-2-3-1. The starting XI was fairly conventional, save for opting for Ciro Immobile up front and giving Erik Durm a spot at right back. Both players threatened from their respective positions, with Immobile particularly impressive—he essentially assisted his own goal, running from the center of the pitch after picking up a long ball. He dashed through the Arsenal defense, flicking a shot off an Arsenal defender, regained possession, and slotted a shot home.

Immobile will be a relieved man today. Since his much vaunted arrival at the Westfalenstadion, Immobile has often appeared the odd man out, a striker struggling to come to terms with a new system in a new land. Against Arsenal, he found his form and his place within Klopp’s troop. He may not possess the strength or aerial presence of Robert Lewandowski, the man he was purchased to replace, or even fellow new boy Adrian Ramos, but Immobile is fast, tricky with the ball at his feet, and showed that he is clever in his runs.  While he was able to score one goal, in truth he should have had two. While Dortmund were at their best in many departments against Arsenal, Henrikh Mkhitaryan was at his most wasteful (shades of the quarterfinal against Real Madrid, unfortunately) and spurned one or two opportunities to dish the ball to Immobile for an easy tap in.

Both of Dortmund’s goals came from efficient counter attacks. The pace of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in particular distressed the Arsenal defense all night (in some ways, one would not be remiss in feeling a tinge of embarrassment for Per Mertesacker and the Arsenal youngster Bellerin who seemed to panic every time Dortmund rushed forward). Auba was rewarded for his efforts shortly after the restart; his form thus far has been exceptional, scoring 5 goals in 6 games.

In truth, Dortmund should have scored more. Four, 5, even 6 goals would not have been out of the question given the amount of chances Dortmund created. Dortmund ended the game with 23 shots, 7 on target. The amount of chances created falls somewhere in the realm of 15. On another day, or perhaps with Marco Reus in the starting XI, the scoreline would have been more robust.

Special mention should made of the defense, and in particular, Neven Subotić, who was an absolute monster at the back. On the rare occasions Arsenal were able to threaten Dortmund, Subotić was there, coolly clearing the ball with a flick or erasing danger with an assured header. He won most of his aerial battles and kept Welbeck and company at bay with well-timed challenges and intelligent positioning. Having to go nearly a complete season without his services, one could be forgiven for forgetting just how good a defender Subotić really is. His partnership with Sokratis appears promising; Subotić  serves as an anchor while Sokratis has greater pace and generally plays the ball forward more often. And yet Subotić is still mobile. Should his partnership with Hummels pick up where it left off, Dortmund should be sorted in defense for even the biggest of occasions.

[thedortmunderwonder]

KAGAWATCH

There has been increased speculation in the last couple of hours that misused Manchester United attacking midfielder Shinji Kagawa is on his way back to Borussia Dortmund. Adding squad depth is always wise, but where would Shinji play? More to follow...

[thedortmunderwonder]

Time to Wake Up: Improvement Needed as Bayer Punish Early Errors

It is always difficult to make any predictions and properly analyze a team’s play after the first game of the season. Too many factors are still in flux. More players may come in. Some will return from injury. Others are just coming into match fitness.

That being said, it is never a good sign when your team gets scored on in a record 8 seconds. Never.

Let’s be frank: Dortmund were not mentally on-point for much of the first half against an energized Leverkusen side. Newcomer Matthias Ginter is new to the Dortmund set-up. He should be given time and certainly has the potential to become a goliath in defense for BVB. The rest of the defense has little to no excuse.

In some ways, the players may still be coming to grips with the different formation and a tweak in tactics manager Jürgen Klopp imparted this summer. Rather than the strict 4-2-3-1 system that has been used for several seasons, Klopp is toying with a 4-4-2 diamond (or 4-1-2-1-2) to better fit in his attacking players and compensate for injuries in defensive midfield.  This system can work, and in many games it will probably be highly effective. However, against a well-drilled Leverkusen, Dortmund were often on the back foot. BVB were sluggish on the counter, passing was imprecise, and the link-up play between forwards was often non-existent.

One of the most glaring problems against Leverkusen was the inability to play the ball out from the back line. Rather than maintaining calm in possession, Dortmund frenetically cleared the ball from their defensive zone, often simply giving possession back to Leverkusen in midfield.

It did not help that Dortmund’s midfield struggled to keep shape, either. Miloš Jojić, often a very effective player for Dortmund last season, was all over the pitch—and not in a good way. Too often he found himself in wide areas, providing little to no support to the defense, and struggling to string together forward passes. Former captain Kehl struggled for pace as the lone defensive midfielder, and also had issues with distribution. There was also a rather embarrassing moment for Erik Durm, who was unceremoniously brushed off the ball with ease late in the second half. A defender should never be pushed off the ball so simply by an attacker. Durm is a good player and is part of the future of Dortmund’s defense, but he will need to do much better.

On the bright side? Well, at least Reus is back from injury. It will take time for him to regain his electric form from last season. Hummels will be returning to the side from a long World Cup break, and Roman Weidenfeller, also returning from Germany’s World Cup squad, should be far more effective at organizing the defense than Mitchell Langerak.

Bayer Leverkusen is a strong side—they should make top 3 in the Bundesliga again. While it is always painful to lose the opening game of the season, Dortmund will be able to improve from here and establish themselves at the top of the table. Klopp, however, will have to be more aware of the systems he uses against strong opposition and be willing to change his approach during games that fall out of reach. For now, Dortmund will turn their eyes toward Augsburg and hope for a better start.

It would help if they kept the ball out for longer than 8 seconds.  

[thedortmunderwonder]

Dortmund: The Next Powerhouse?

With the World Cup coming to an end and the Bundesliga season rapidly approaching, BVB fans have received some interesting news: Dortmund are looking to secure new investors to aid them in increasing player salaries and expand the club’s transfer budget in an effort to better compete with powerhouse Bayern Munich. An increase in financial clout would also solidify BVB’s continued progress in Europe.

Dortmund’s CEO, Aki Watzke, confirmed that the publicly-listed club intended to sell a stake in the range of 5% to two strategic partners by the end of September.

This is good news for the Dortmund brand both in Germany and abroad.

BVB have often been a fringe club. At the moment, its success stems from manager Jurgen Klopp. It stems from the extremely talented core of players the club has nurtured in its academies. It stems from shrewd transfer dealings and Dortmund finding unearthed treasure while digging in the international bargain bin. It has reinvested funds wisely when, all too often, the club has been forced to offload its best players to “bigger” clubs.

However, if one of the above factors is taken out of the equation, Dortmund could find itself struggling to maintain its status in Germany. And that is where the new investors come in.

According to an article published by Bloomberg, establishing new sponsorship deals similar to the agreement with Evonik, which runs through 2025, would help Borussia Dortmund increase its wage pool to as much as 120 million euros ($161 million) from about 80 million euros now, making players’ salaries more competitive with Bayern Munich and other European clubs.

Being able to pay its best players better salaries is key. Dortmund have already established themselves as a presence in the Champions League. The best players in the world are more than aware of this, and the recent signings of Ciro Immobile (this summer) and Henrikh Mkhitaryan (last summer) suggest that Dortmund can easily attract top talent from other leagues. The problem is keeping these players on the books. With additional funds, BVB could feasibly provide its star men—like Reus, Hummels, Gündoğan, Sven Bender—the kind of money that could keep Bayern and other elite European clubs at bay.

More than anything, however, acquiring investors establishes a foundation for continued development and success. BVB will be able to attract top scouts, managers, and further solidify their youth set-up. The infrastructure of the club as a whole will become more robust. Moreover, BVB could expand their fan base by establishing a more significant presence in Asia and the Americas. Doing so could help attract further investors, too. This would propel the brand into similar markets as Bayern.

Ultimately, more investment equals more power internationally. If finances increase in the way that Watzke projects, then Dortmund will not have to fear a mass exodus of talent year after year. Acquiring top talent will become less problematic. And, perhaps most important of all, the Bundesliga will benefit from an increased level of competition. This should serve to enhance the appeal of German football worldwide.

Now, maybe someone should give FC Schalke 04 a loan…

  Nah.

[thedortmunderwonder]

Matthias Ginter, as expected, has signed for Borussia Dortmund. Welcome to the club. 

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The day after. Wow. What an unbelievable feeling. 

[thedortmunderwonder]

Löw, do you see this man? He is your best defender. Play him at right-back. The experiment has failed. 

[thedortmunderwonder]

Rethinking Germany's Tactics

The group stages are over. Germany, as many expected, came out on top of the Group of Death. And yet many of the performances in those group matches were, at times, lacking. Despite being one of the deepest teams in all of the tournament, Joachim Löw has struggled to pick a fluid starting XI. Some of this stems from Löw employing a 4-3-3 formation with rotating forwards—in some games, this tactic has thrilled. The movement of Thomas Müller, Mesut Özil, and Mario Götze has been exhilarating. However, Löw’s hesitance to make use of natural full-backs has cost Germany some speed in the counter attack.

After three games, one is beginning to suspect that, despite the intrinsic advantages of doing so, Löw will not be calling upon the young full-backs in the squad and will instead  persists with a four center-half defense.  If this is indeed the case, the 4-3-3 system should be discarded in favor of a more balanced 4-2-3-1.

Here is why: not having proper full-backs will require greater defensive cover in the midfield. If Löw insists on playing Lahm in midfield, and there is every indication that this is the case, then Schweinsteiger must be his partner. This will help Germany cycle the ball more effectively and push it forward from the defense.

It will also allow Germany to add more width to their game. With a forward three and few natural wingers on the pitch, Germany has often struggled to create legitimate opportunities from wider positions. Schürrle has not received much playing time, and this should change in the coming matches. Pushing Müller into the striking role or substituting him later in matches for Klose will allow Germany to play any three of Schürrle, Götze, Özil, Kroos, or even Draxler (unlikely, seeing as he has yet to play a minute) and expand the width of their attack. The more width and the more pace Germany have at their disposal, the more chances they can create without having to force the sluggish Höwedes further forward than needed.

A switch to a five-man midfield has the added bonus of facilitating ball retention. Against the United States, Germany was able to hold the ball well. They attacked in numbers, pressed, and moved forward often at will. Against more technically gifted opposition, this level of possession will be difficult to replicate. Throwing another body into midfield would help to maintain dominance in this area and allow Boateng and Höwedes to stay closer to home, thus limiting the risk of being caught out by a quick counter-attack. The games against Portugal and Ghana clearly highlighted this risk; at times, Germany’s defense struggled to hold shape and keep pace with a quick counter.

If Germany plan on mixing it up with the big boys (the faster ones, at least), Löw will need to be astute in the way he sets up the team. If he opts to continue playing four central defenders, reinforcing the midfield must be considered. If not, a few quick breaks from a team like France could see Germany’s hopes of World Cup glory ended far too prematurely.

[thedortmunderwonder]

Germany Needs Width

It is time to employ the fullbacks. If Germany’s flirtation with disaster against Ghana taught us anything, it should be this: no more center-halves in wide positions.

Germany looked ponderous at the back and the build-up play coming from the back line was at times abysmal. In the sweltering Brazil heat, Joachim Löw should not be pushing Jerome Boateng and Benedikt Höwedes further upfield.

Germany look set to advance to the last sixteen of the World Cup, sure. But another uncertain performance and they risk getting dumped out of a tournament which initially billed them as a favorite. The German attack is praised, and rightfully so, for being quick and inventive. However, should Germany wish to progress to the latter stages of the Cup, they will need to play with genuine width both in attack and in defense. Erik Durm should be given a starting role. His agility could easily be an asset as Germany look to break down stubborn defenses. Lahm should be moved to his natural right back position (this, of course, will not happen. Germany’s coaches have suggested as much).

Ghana made Germany sweat—at times, Germany simply could not cope with the tempo of Ghana’s attack. This was partly down to the shape of the side and partly to the lack of proper fullbacks. With a center back like Mats Hummels, Germany will often look to build up play from the back and catapult forward. This tactic has often been a strength of the German side. However, as the first two group games can attest, there have been marked struggles in getting the ball out from the defense and effectively into attacking midfield areas. At times, it is as if there are two German teams playing: the defense and attack are not quite in sync. While Kroos, Müller, Götze, and Özil have thrilled in their ability to exchange passes and fluidly attack in the final third, the defense has lagged. Hummels will play the ball out from the center, push it wide to Boateng, who then will attempt a pass into midfield, and moments later the attack dissipates.

To be fair, the defense is not the sole problem. Against Ghana, playing Philip Lahm at the base of a 4-3-3 formation was also a miscalculation. Make no mistake: Lahm is an exceptionally talented played—perhaps one of the most intelligent players in the game—but he certainly has not spent a lot of time operating in a three-man midfield. Bayern typically play 4-2-3-1. Germany has also traditionally played in that formation. With a second anchor like Schweinsteiger, passing is more precise, movement is better, and the defensive shape of the team holds up.

Despite the issues Germany have faced, they still sit on top of Group G. Barring a brutal smashing, they should comfortably progress to the next phase of the World Cup. And if they play to their strengths, the Germans should be in a very good position. At this point, Schweinsteiger should be returning to match fitness. He needs to be starting in the coming games: as soon as he hit the field against Ghana, the team perked up, the movement improved, and more chances were created. Sami Khedira is a good midfielder, but it is obvious Germany were hurting as he has clearly has not recovered the sharpness he had in the autumn of 2013. Room should also be made for Schürrle. Germany’s attack has been crying out for width and they have the perfect weapon at their disposal; Schürrle can rip up and down the flank and cut in to create chances for the other attacking midfielders (or Klose—one more goal sees him overtake Ronaldo!).

Hopefully Löw has taken heed of Germany’s struggles and will adjust the team accordingly. Adding width (full backs, full backs) and upping the tempo of play will only benefit Germany. Their next opponents, the United States, play with graft and muscle. Speed will be necessary. A positive result is not guaranteed. If Löw can integrate positive changes in the squad before and during Germany’s final group game, the outlook for the knockout rounds should be good. Maintaining the tactics that were used against Ghana, however, will ultimately result in Germany getting burned sooner rather than later.