Sunday, November 2, 2014

More Problems for Dortmund

                With Borussia Dortmund having as poor of a start as they come and I having already discussed this slump, another game has been played, and another loss recorded, and I want to expand on the numerous causes to their troubles. After being up 1-0 against top Bundesliga Bayern Munich, they succumbed to a 2-1 loss that pushes them deeper into trouble. The first, and possibly most important, problem begins with how Dortmund spent their transfer time and money, and what they did to replace lost players. Giving up players like Gotze and Lewandowski, Dortmund had a challenge on their hands, but they also had plenty of time to figure out how to replace them and fill the gap they left. To replace Lewandowski, for example, Dortmund decided that instead of replacing him with one player, they would use two, and they spent plenty of money in the process for players that will take time to adapt. Also, rather than looking on home soil for growing Bundesliga players, they looked abroad to places like France and Ukraine for selecting new players. Again, these players require time to fit in to the system already present at Dortmund, causing a slow start to the season.
                At the beginning of the season, coach Jurgen Klopp knew the journey would be tough, and with plenty of injuries and not enough replacements, he was right. Due to injuries, Klopp has had to do his best to create a working lineup, and this starting squad has changed almost every game. This continuous shuffle of players doesn’t allow for a team to settle in and grow in a successful direction. The team may be better off if a lineup was chosen and stuck with, giving the players a chance to figure out the system and connect with each other in the long run. Another thing Dortmund players are missing along with a solid position is a real self-confidence. Looking to the very beginning of this win drought, Dortmund has been losing confidence after every game, each time hoping to come back in the next for a win but being repeatedly shut down. Match after match, Dortmund have lost with a glimpse of hope, with most losses being by just one goal, but they have failed to come back to get at least one league point from the game, taking away from their confidence piece by piece. 

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