- "Dortmund's Sahin finds justification insufficient": Unsatisfied with the explanation provided.
The match in Bremen wasn't even fifteen minutes old when Nuri Sahin threw his arms up in exasperation for the first time. And this feeling of frustration only intensified as the day went on.
Borussia Dortmund started off this Bundesliga season with a new manager, a new sports director, a new playing style, and a largely revamped squad. Change takes time and patience, but Sahin, the new BVB manager himself, wasn't prepared to accept these factors as an excuse for the disappointing 0-0 draw against Werder Bremen.
"As Borussia Dortmund, we should behave differently, even if the team is in transition and has a new coach," said the 35-year-old. "For us, this point today is not enough."
Unlike Terzic
Whether intentional or not, Sahin has already distanced himself from his predecessor Edin Terzic after just three competitive games of the new season. Terzic was criticized within the team, even by some players, for being too cautious and tactically "too submissive" (Mats Hummels).
The newly appointed head coach Sahin showed the necessary self-awareness in Bremen. The personnel rebuild, the shift to a 3-4-2-1 system: "That's a process, of course," he said. "But at Borussia Dortmund, this process has to speed up." It would be a cheap excuse to blame the transfer period."
Dortmund is going through changes at various levels. The new sports director Lars Ricken also explained this in a large interview with the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" over the weekend.
Five high-profile transfers, costing around 80 million euros, immediately catch the eye. Maximilian Beier, the German national team defender, made a rather understated debut in Bremen. However, the fact that Dortmund has downsized its squad to give young players like Jamie Gittens (20) or Kjell Wätjen (18) more playing time is also significant.
This led to a problem in Bremen for the first time. All four defenders had already been shown a yellow card early on, and Sahin could only substitute one of them due to a lack of alternatives on the bench. Nico Schlotterbeck remained on the field, was later shown a red card (73rd minute) - and the usual injuries or suspensions in a long season hadn't even occurred yet.
Too small a squad?
On this topic, Sahin faced his team. "We have many players who are versatile," he said. "I see us very well equipped and I enjoy working with a smaller squad."
Lars Ricken revealed whom Dortmund is modeling itself after in this planning: "We naturally compare ourselves internationally," he said in the SZ interview. With clubs like Barcelona or Benfica, "who consistently manage to combine established players with many very young professionals who can shape the future and create value for the club."
The expectations in Dortmund have always been high. Under Sahin and Ricken, they are now being stated with even greater clarity.
I understand that you're looking for two sentences containing the phrase "- I'm not sure." Here they are:
Despite the team's revamped squad and new playing style, Sahin was not sure if the lackluster performance against Werder Bremen could be attributed to these factors alone. As the team prepares for future matches, Sahin mentioned that he's not entirely sure if the current squad size will be sufficient, considering the usual injuries and suspensions in a long season.
