Match review
Zorc: “Our most difficult time in years”
It was meant to be a re-birth, a new beginning but instead BVB could only continue their miserable run of form as they went down 2-1 to newly promoted Cologne.
A month that had started so brightly with the 3-0 win over RSC Anderlecht in the Champions League is proving a long way from a ‘golden’ October, rather an uncomfortable autumn. Any optimism is certainly, for now, a little tarnished.
A paltry seven points from their opening eight league games means that BVB have made their worst start since “three points for a win” was introduced in 95-96. Never before have so few points been won in the month of October itself.
Jürgen Klopp’s team were able to give the impression of a slight optical and statistical advantage on Saturday (115 kilometres covered, 65% possession) so the effort ought not to be questioned, but at least in the final third of the field where they managed 16 efforts on goal to Cologne’s five it all went a bit awry.
Not even the introduction of creative players like Kagawa, Mkhitaryan and Reus –albeit none at full match fitness- could sort the current problems. The final ball, the courage, the composure in front of goal were missing as was the will to try shots from distance. Marco Reus commented that “we lacked a bit of conviction, pace, drive to get the ball to the final third having taken part in his first game since the end of August.
Ilkay Gündogan, himself returning from a 434-day lay off, seemed to agree, “We are determined to create as many chances as possible, but today we just couldn’t find a way through.” The only time BVB really applied proper pressure on the Cologne defence was in the first fifteen minutes after the break and that pressure duly brought the equalising goal from Ciro Immobile. Reus regretted that “with the ability we have, we ought to have taken hold of the game once we had equalised.”
Since they failed to do this, Borussia were duly punished. Having already taken advantage of weaknesses in the BVB defence in the first half when Kevin Vogt scored, the battling but technically limited home side duly repeated the trick on 74 minutes when Simon Zoller gave them the lead again capitalising on a Roman Weidenfeller error as he erred in judgement as he came off his line.
The 34-year-old ‘keeper took full responsibility for the goal commenting on his Facebook page, “The second goal was down to me. I was obstructed but I should have cleared the ball and as a result we lost the point.”
Ilkay Gündogan was disappointed at the nature of the goals conceded, “They were so unnecessary. We pretty much scored them ourselves. There are concentration issues, and we seem to lack that real maturity.” BVB coach Jürgen Klopp, commenting on the current defensive frailties, said, “We need to cut out the mistakes. Not soon, not tomorrow, But now!”
Sporting director Michael Zorc didn’t even try to mask his disappointment at the fifth defeat of the season, “Basically we saw no difference to what has gone before. I get the impression that we are a bit short all over the place. We lack composure up front and at the back we keep making presents of goals. So called leaders are making huge mistakes. Up front we lack penetration.” Zorc thought it to be “our most difficult time in years.”
Kevin Großkreutz, meanwhile, was clearly in a bit of a daze shortly after the game mumbling that “words fail me, and sad.” He wrote, “The team have impressed everyone for the past six years, and this is a whole new ball game for all of us but we will get through this crisis as a unit! We will get over it! AS A TEAM!”
Mats Hummels, the club captain himself not blameless for the first goal in Cologne said on his Facebook page, “We are all, including me, experiencing a tough time. We need to do all we can and fight our way out of this situation, to return to being the team we want to be.”
Zorc: “Only the players on the pitch can make things right”
Marco Reus, too, called for unity. “We need to fight our way from the bottom as a team. I have been through it before enough times, and it will not be easy. We need to keep working hard, and with that work I am sure that we shall soon be on the road to success again.”
Michael Zorc: “Only the players on the pitch can make things right. The coach prepares the team thoroughly and carefully. But that prep’ work must be applied. It isn’t just now, that’s the problem.”
Roman Weidenfeller was at least able to find something positive in the 2-1 defeat in Cologne, “It’s good that we play again on Wednesday so that we can put things right.”