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If his remarks were actually about research into the causes and not just about appeasing, then Mats Hummels proceeded according to the process of elimination.
“At the moment,” said Borussia Dortmund's head of defense after the 2-1 defeat at SC Freiburg, “felt every shot on goal was possible” - in other words, in his own goal.
On the other hand, however, BVB had to "put in a lot of effort to want to score themselves." Therefore, despite the eighth defeat of the season, he did not want his team to perform well in general.
He would do it if it had been, Hummels declared.
Sure, what the runners-up team delivered on Saturday was “of course not perfect, but when you see which games we lose, it sometimes hurts,” explained the veteran: “Of course we can and must play better, but you shouldn't pretend our opponents were constantly better. "
Mats Hummels (l) and Thomas Delaney after the Dortmund defeat in Freiburg
Source: dpa / Tom Weller
So is it just bad luck?
Of course, Hummels didn't want to put it that clumsily.
That would also be below his level.
But basically that was exactly what he was expressing.
Freiburg had only a few options, but hit with two long shots.
"Is that skill or luck?" Asked the ex-international.
"My sentence already contains my answer."
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Emre Can felt the same way.
"We didn't play badly," said the second leading player and pointed out, as if he had agreed with Hummels, that the balls "go in" when the opponent shots and not when his own.
BVB seems at a loss
The Dortmunders are either making it too easy for themselves at the moment or they are finding it too difficult to explain what is actually going on with them.
While there was clearly audible self-criticism at the turn of the year and Hummels had called for "adult football" in the media, the Borussia now seem rather perplexed.
They seem to be fighting internally against naming the crisis they have been in for months.
Things are not going well for Edin Terzic and his BVB - Dortmund even has to worry about qualifying for the Champions League
Source: dpa / Tom Weller
This is probably due to the fact that they were actually convinced that they had already identified and eliminated the cause of their problems: Ex-coach Lucien Favre (63), who on December 13th after a disastrous 5-1 home defeat against VfB Stuttgart had to go.
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Edin Terzic (38) has been in charge since then.
Since then, the team has played differently, more aggressively and aggressively.
But that doesn't make it more successful.
On the contrary: In the brisk, riskier orientation, the predetermined breaking points were sometimes even more evident than was the case in many games under Favre.
Unpredictability as a constant
The basic pattern of the errors, however, are identical.
It is a lack of concentration in defensive behavior and a negligent handling of scoring chances that cost Dortmund points again and again.
Certain weaknesses run through completely: vulnerabilities in opposing standard situations - like in the 1: 2 against Cologne (Favre) or in the 1: 2 at Union Berlin and the 2: 4 in Mönchengladbach (Terzic).
The only constant is unpredictability.
After two good games at the beginning of the year, when strong opponents like Wolfsburg (2: 0) and Leipzig (3: 1) were convincingly beaten and the crisis was prematurely seen as over, severe setbacks followed: a poor 1: 1 against Mainz, then two Defeats against the direct rivals Leverkusen (1: 2) and in Mönchengladbach (2: 4), whereupon a goalkeeping problem emerged because regular goalkeeper Roman Bürki failed.
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This problem has also worsened: Because even Marwin Hitz, who was recently speculated that he could replace the currently injured Bürki as number one, did not look good on both goals in Freiburg.
The problems are complex.
"It is not that there is one button that you have to press to solve the problem," said Terzic, who again attacked in Freiburg - which was countered by an indisposed midfield: Thomas Delaney was the only six to hit many wrong decisions, Marco Reus and Julian Brandt played extremely unclean.
The large number of different players who have repeatedly remained below their possibilities in the past few weeks does not give hope for a quick recovery.
Marco Rose should come in the summer
"The turnaround has to come very quickly, the Champions League qualification is an absolute must," said Can.
He could not imagine "not playing internationally next season as Borussia Dortmund," he said.
Club boss Hans-Joachim Watzke and sports director Michael Zorc do not want to imagine that either - it would have consequences for BVB's business model in addition to the economic effects.
After all, top international talents can only be attracted with a prospect of match practice in the premier class - or, with regard to Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho, they can be retained.
Streich admits: "... that was unusual"
Christian Streich and the SC Freiburg coaching team came up with a very special tactic for BVB, which ultimately led to victory.
Source: Stats Perform News
There are hardly any opportunities left to exert influence from above.
The coach change card has already been drawn.
The plan is unchanged to get a new head coach in the summer.
The favorite is still Marco Rose.
Another interim solution would create even more unrest.
This should be avoided at all costs.
But it could also get restless in the coming weeks.
"It will be, but it's not bad.
It's just about us doing our job, ”said Hummels.
He couldn't understand another coaching discussion.
"Since Edin Terzic has been here, we've been doing a lot better," he explained.
Here too, however, it remained vague.