Stuck in groundhog day

There it was again, after the referee blew the whistle that marked the end oft he game against Eintracht Frankfurt, the feeling of numbness and of repetition. Stuck in a loop, just like in groundhog day. But there was a slight difference, because in the movie you experience every day over and over again and it seems you can’t break the circle, but you change everyday just a bit to make it better. But yesterday that part for us has vanished. While nearly every one of us supporters used to say that we saw progress game after game we have to say this time we didn’t. We didn’t see it in the Arsenal game, where I stated that hopefully the bad performance was mostly because of the focused minds of our boys on the Bundesliga, nor did we see it yesterday against Frankfurt. Seems like the players proved me wrong.

I believe everyone whos reading this saw the game or already read a matchreport. However I want to give a quick heads up on what happened, after all this "is" supposed to be a match-report.

The game

Jürgen Klopp changed our starting eleven in comparison to the Arsenal match on 3 positions. Kehl was starting for Gündogan, Schmelzer was replaced by Durm and Kagawa took the spot of Immobile (common cold).

But every hope that was build up by the fans, the players and the coach was crushed already at the 5th minute mark. A miss played pass by Dortmund in a zero danger zone to the Eintracht midfielder Russ started it all. The just named player passed the ball, more or less by chance, to Meier who was being left alone both by Subotic and Ginter and therefore had an easy time scoring for 0:1 (5.).

After that Dormund played the worst 20 minutes of football I have yet seen this season. One bad pass followed the other, everytime an offensive midfielder of us had the ball you could count on them losing it. The few chances we managed to create where left unused patheticly, or where brilliantly saved by Eintrachts keeper Wiedwald.

At least in the second half the boys tried to do everything that they lacked in the first half. Speed, commitment, aggressivity and courage was finally seen. But everything we tried was for naught and it wasn’t like those last games where we were the dominating team just missing some luck and/or the last pass. No this time it was an even game and so something happened that always seems to happen in situations like ours. A harmless wide ball by Meier for the running Seferovic, which could have easily been defended, was the groundwork for the end result of 0:2. Weidenfeller suddenly stormed out of his penalty area towards the ball even though Ginter was already there and far ahead of Seferovic. However Ginter then could have easily let the ball pass for Weidenfeller but decided to make an header directly into the feet of the Frankfurt player who then had an easy time scoring into the empty goal (77.). Moments like these just leave you stunned, because no one can explain these individual mistakes that seem to happen every single game. After that Dortmund wasn’t able to put up a real fight and so the game ended again with a result no one could really fathom.

This game also marked the first time since what feels like an eternity that our supporters in the stadium booed to our players after the 90 minute mark. I don’t have to mention that they of course cheered the team forward till the 77th minute mark, which was remarkable by itself. It is also completly understandable that the men and women in the stadium had to release all of their disappointment somehow. That understanding was also voiced by several players after the game. It is one more piece of the fragile bridge that we try to pass to get out of the bottom of the table that is now hanging on by a thread. However it is a piece that is still hanging on and it is one that can be easily mended by the players themself.

What is left?

What is left to say after this game that wasn’t already said after all those defeats in the past. Is there anything new today? Maybe that finally every person that feels for Dortmund has to accept and approach the situation that we are in; We are in the relegation battle!

I also for the first time could feel and see the uncertainty that has befallen our boys. Mkhitaryan, Kagawa, Piszczek, Weidenfeller and Subotic all make mistakes that are really unusual for them not only in this game, but in all of them. And the new players are not able to step up and take the lead. That is propably one of the biggest problem this year. We don’t have the time that nearly every new player seems to need to fit into our style of play. The new players might make us better in the future but right now in our situation they are not able to be the truly needed boost. We can only hope that the leaders of the team, for example Kehl and Hummels, together with the coaches can make our boys shake off their uncertainty,

The media here in Germany is strangely quiet, or in better words, not as negative. They often try to make a situation look worse than it is. The position of our coach still stand to no question since everyone knows that Jürgen Klopp already showed what he is capable of and no one can point out someone who would do the job better. Individual player are also not picked out to be bashed by the media and still everyone is baffled about our situation.

So after all we can only hope that this nightmare of a groundhog day will soon be over and that we manage to get out of it in one piece.

Voices

Jürgen Klopp: "We had enough opportunities, but didn't use them. Eventually the 0:2 is scored, that fits into our cabinet of curiosities. The opponent didn't have to do much to score a goal in the second half and we didn't do much of our efforts. We always get into the game quickly, then we don't use our chances. You can see that it is nagging at the boys. And that how this thing takes off. To break through that is a big challenge for us. The booing of our fans is comprehensible, we are not making it easy for them, I have to say that."

Sven Bender (Dortmund): "The atmosphere is at an all time low. We know at what place of the table we stand. It was really quiet in the dressing room. It is a brutally hard situation. This is a bitter day for us. A difficult situation. We really wanted to do something today and again have been disappointed. But self-doubt is wrong now. We have to bring our self-confidence back on the field again and show everyone what we can do. Even if this sounds stupid. If we withdraw now then it will be tough. Everyone has to do everything for each other. Everyone as a solo player, that won't work."

Stats

Borussia Dortmund: Weidenfeller – Piszczek (Ramos 38.), Subotic, Ginter, Durm – Bender, Kehl (Gündogan 74.) – Mkhitaryan, Kagawa (Jojic 74.), Großkreutz – Aubameyang

Eintracht Frankfurt: Wiedwald - Chandler, Russ, Anderson, Oczipka - Inui, Stendera, Hasebe, Aigner - Seferovic, Meier

Goal: Meier (5.), Seferovic (77.)

Referee: Peter Gagelmann

Yellow Cards: Aigner, Lanig - Ginter, Großkreutz

Viewers: 48.500 (sold out)

Chris 01.12.2014

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