What's happened to Dortmund?

[Monkey boy]

As the title suggest, what the hell has happened to Dortmund? How can a team who got to the champions league final just 2 years ago and have one of the most sought after coaches in world football be bottom of the league in February?

Currently losing again tonight.

 

[Sandros Shiny Head]

Lewandowski init

 

[Mr Pink]

Watched them tonight. My God they were atrocious, and no its not just Lewandoski!

They were God awful tonight and their confidence collectively, and individually, is shot. Lost all fluidity to their play and give the ball away for fun.

The goal they conceded tonight was also hilarious. You couldn't make it up, was like a pissed kid trying to play on to high a level on Fifa.

Their demise is pretty incredible to be honest.

 

[yankspurs]

Their demise is insane. They now need to fight for survival. Unbelievable. I have no clue what the issue there is. It just looks like a complete shitshow.

 

[DaSpurs]

This clusterfuck is a prime example of how important mentality is at these levels. These Dortmund players have no idea whatsoever how to handle this situation, and they have no player to pick them up out of it and the club itself has delivered the message of a defeatist mindset by selling off so many of their key players. It's terrifying in truth, as it shows just how easy it is for even a very talented team to slip into a mire from which they cannot climb back out from due to the psychological weight.

 

[Lufti]

Klopp over achieved with a lot of the players previously, and now, having been unable to replace the ones who were truly talented, they're left with a mismatched squad who having had their confidence knocked have become easy prey.

Ok, maybe that's a little bit tainted by Schalke-tinted-glasses, but there's also some truths in it - their all round squad is weak.

Had they not lost Reus and Gündogan to injuries they probably wouldn't be in this situation at all, but they are and they really don't have a clue how to get out of it. Bit like United really, under Moyes the same squad who were champions the year before were just completely unfamiliar with their standing in the league after a poor poor start and, with everyone else not showing them the same respect they had previously, they've lost their edge (for lack of a better word).

Of course Dortmund's situation is a lot worse, and is made more baffling by the fact there was no manager change, but the symptoms seem similar. Let's face it anyway, there's only so many times a team can endure losing its best player, and having seemingly failed to do so this time round with Immobile and Ramos not even remotely covering Lewandowski's absense between them, it'll take them time to recover. Their golden generation team has been stripped of its parts (due to little fault of their own) and now it looks like they're going to have to rebuild afresh. It's always difficult to take back players who've had their confidence shattered by other clubs (Kagawa, Sahin) and get them back to their former selves, so that was a risky move on their part anyway.

 

[yankspurs]

Klopp over achieved with a lot of the players previously, and now, having been unable to replace the ones who were truly talented, they're left with a mismatched squad who having had their confidence knocked have become easy prey.

Ok, maybe that's a little bit tainted by Schalke-tinted-glasses, but there's also some truths in it - their all round squad is weak.

Had they not lost Reus and Gündogan to injuries they probably wouldn't be in this situation at all, but they are and they really don't have a clue how to get out of it. Bit like United really, under Moyes the same squad who were champions the year before were just completely unfamiliar with their standing in the league after a poor poor start and, with everyone else not showing them the same respect they had previously, they've lost their edge (for lack of a better word).

Of course Dortmund's situation is a lot worse, and is made more baffling by the fact there was no manager change, but the symptoms seem similar. Let's face it anyway, there's only so many times a team can endure losing its best player, and having seemingly failed to do so this time round with Immobile and Ramos not even remotely covering Lewandowski's absense between them, it'll take them time to recover. Their golden generation team has been stripped of its parts (due to little fault of their own) and now it looks like they're going to have to rebuild afresh. It's always difficult to take back players who've had their confidence shattered by other clubs (Kagawa, Sahin) and get them back to their former selves, so that was a risky move on their part anyway.

I dont really follow the bundesliga outside of the odd stream and looking up the box scores, because i cant(seriously Germany, nobody fucking has GolTV. If you wanna market yourself to the US, you have to be on BeIN or something). So I am kinda lost, but do you think Gyau would have gotten into the team at some point, had he not gotten hurt on international duty? I know that they've had alot of injuries in the midfield positions and he looked pretty good for the US so that's why I ask.

 

[spurs-r-us]

I dont really follow the bundesliga outside of the odd stream and looking up the box scores, because i cant(seriously Germany, nobody fucking has GolTV. If you wanna market yourself to the US, you have to be on BeIN or something). So I am kinda lost, but do you think Gyau would have gotten into the team at some point, had he not gotten hurt on international duty? I know that they've had alot of injuries in the midfield positions and he looked pretty good for the US so that's why I ask.

It's not really a case of the players being good enough or not. This squad isn't as good as the one that had Lewandowski and Reus in it, but it's still huge. Aubemayang and Mkhitaryan are/were great players who were brought in to replace Gotze but haven't fired a shot. Immobile is playing like rubbish, but is very highly rated etc etc et al

 

[Davo99]

There's some real good players there, it just seems weird it's gone on for this long.

Weidenfeller, Hummels, Gundogan, Reus, Mkhitaryan and to a lesser extent your Aubameyang's, Kagawa's and new players like Immobile and the previously impressive Kampl.

I'm sure they'll survive and will could potentially finish safe mid-table with a decent run, but they've got it all to do.

 

[Gbspurs]

The vultures will rip apart anything that's left in the summer anyway.

 

[beats1]

Klopp over achieved with a lot of the players previously, and now, having been unable to replace the ones who were truly talented, they're left with a mismatched squad who having had their confidence knocked have become easy prey.

Ok, maybe that's a little bit tainted by Schalke-tinted-glasses, but there's also some truths in it - their all round squad is weak.

Had they not lost Reus and Gündogan to injuries they probably wouldn't be in this situation at all, but they are and they really don't have a clue how to get out of it. Bit like United really, under Moyes the same squad who were champions the year before were just completely unfamiliar with their standing in the league after a poor poor start and, with everyone else not showing them the same respect they had previously, they've lost their edge (for lack of a better word).

Of course Dortmund's situation is a lot worse, and is made more baffling by the fact there was no manager change, but the symptoms seem similar. Let's face it anyway, there's only so many times a team can endure losing its best player, and having seemingly failed to do so this time round with Immobile and Ramos not even remotely covering Lewandowski's absense between them, it'll take them time to recover. Their golden generation team has been stripped of its parts (due to little fault of their own) and now it looks like they're going to have to rebuild afresh. It's always difficult to take back players who've had their confidence shattered by other clubs (Kagawa, Sahin) and get them back to their former selves, so that was a risky move on their part anyway.

Just to add, the team is totally different from what it was a couple of years ago. The gotze and Lewandoski transfers hurt them because they didn't have time to plan the replacements or the money.

Also the squad mentality is different with the big players out and new ones have been thrown in the deep end

I also think one or two players heads have turned and don't want to be there *cough* Hummels *cough*

I don't think he is as good as people make out, he's better than Mertesacker but he isn't world class imo

Sadly at the end of the season we could see these people leave:
Klopp, Reus and Hummels. They wont recover from losing the first 2, that said if they stay up Klopp will stay depending how badly they get stripped as he wouldn't want to leave them in a mess imo

 

[talkshowhost86]

Just to add, the team is totally different from what it was a couple of years ago. The gotze and Lewandoski transfers hurt them because they didn't have time to plan the replacements or the money.

Also the squad mentality is different with the big players out and new ones have been thrown in the deep end

I also think one or two players heads have turned and don't want to be there *cough* Hummels *cough*

I don't think he is as good as people make out, he's better than Mertesacker but he isn't world class imo

Sadly at the end of the season we could see these people leave:
Klopp, Reus and Hummels. They wont recover from losing the first 2, that said if they stay up Klopp will stay depending how badly they get stripped as he wouldn't want to leave them in a mess imo

Surely they had loads of time to plan for both Lewandowski and Gotze leaving?

 

[BaFa94]

Once they get relegated might be some good signings there to be made for us.

 

[TaoistMonkey]

 

[Lufti]

All those hipster band-wagon-jumpers must be feeling pretty stupid

 

[Lufti]

Just to add, the team is totally different from what it was a couple of years ago. The gotze and Lewandoski transfers hurt them because they didn't have time to plan the replacements or the money.

Also the squad mentality is different with the big players out and new ones have been thrown in the deep end

I also think one or two players heads have turned and don't want to be there *cough* Hummels *cough*

I don't think he is as good as people make out, he's better than Mertesacker but he isn't world class imo

Sadly at the end of the season we could see these people leave:
Klopp, Reus and Hummels. They wont recover from losing the first 2, that said if they stay up Klopp will stay depending how badly they get stripped as he wouldn't want to leave them in a mess imo

I disagree to be honest, I think he's very good, but he's one of those players who has to have a good defensive partner to flourish, a bit like Vertonghen

 

[bceej]

All those hipster band-wagon-jumpers must be feeling pretty stupid

I thought St. Pauli was the hipster team of choice for Germany?

 

[Lufti]

I dont really follow the bundesliga outside of the odd stream and looking up the box scores, because i cant(seriously Germany, nobody fucking has GolTV. If you wanna market yourself to the US, you have to be on BeIN or something). So I am kinda lost, but do you think Gyau would have gotten into the team at some point, had he not gotten hurt on international duty? I know that they've had alot of injuries in the midfield positions and he looked pretty good for the US so that's why I ask.

In the nicest way possible.... who?

Just looked him up, he's only ever had 1 bundesliga game and is currently plying his trade in the 3. Bundesliga. Doesn't look a goer haha

 

[Lufti]

I thought St. Pauli was the hipster team of choice for Germany?

For Germans yeah, I mean for the international fans ie the English people who flocked to Dortmund after their second Bundesliga title

 

[Xeeleeyid]

I also think that Klopp is part of the problem. Any other manager of a team like Dortmund would have been sacked by the winter break. Both he and Dortmund are hanging onto each other, possibly because neither can comprehend what is happening. That's part of the problem. Klopp looks absolutely clueless as to how to arrest the slide. He's never been in this position before (managing or turning around a struggling team) and it shows, he now looks out of his depth as a manager.

They probably need to bullet him and get someone experienced at steadying a sinking ship. They'd probably stay up with a few 'new manager bounce' wins.
As it is they're more than half-way through the season and bottom of the table. They are in a scrap for survival with the wrong manager and players for that scrap.