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It was an engaging speech and it provided a deep insight into the inner workings of Borussia Dortmund.
Mats Hummels seized the opportunity that presented itself to him after the disappointing 2: 2 (1: 1) against TSG Hoffenheim in the form of a television interview - and brought a clear message to the audience.
The defense chief found words that seemed to contradict the hectic, hyper-nervous and faulty performance of the team.
"I still think we are on the mend," Hummels told Sky.
So he caused astonishment.
But he justified his thesis.
“We want to play a more active and aggressive style against the ball.
But things like that don't happen overnight, they happen in training, ”he said.
Mats Hummels (left) compared the situation at BVB with the Klopp era
Source: Pool via REUTERS
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That is exactly what the team is currently doing.
Hummels is "100 percent convinced that you will see this this season".
If this is not the case, he will admit his error.
"If that happens, the people who talked me to rubble can speak up again."
Hummels defends Terzic
It was an unusually offensive defense speech for Edin Terzic - the coach under whose direction BVB could only win one of the last six Bundesliga games.
Terzic has, measured against the Dortmund claims, a catastrophic record after ten games: four wins, two draws and four defeats - it hardly gets any worse for someone who is head coach on the grounds that he should restore the team's lost stability has been made.
But this point of view is too simple, said Hummels - at least when the change of coach is associated with a radical change in style of play.
As a coach, Edin Terzic only got four wins from ten Bundesliga games
Source: Getty Images / Lars Baron
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“After two weeks, everything is not as the trainer imagines it to be under any coach.
That was not the case with Jürgen Klopp, and it is also the case with Edin, ”explained Hummels.
There he is undoubtedly right: With Klopp, the most successful Dortmund coach of the past decade, it even took two years for the team to completely internalize the style that is similar to the one that Terzic has in mind.
Lots of ball losses
The question, however, is whether BVB can afford to wait until the team can implement the coach's specifications - without losing touch with the Champions League ranks.
In any case, on Saturday there was not much to suggest that the development process was making any significant progress.
Despite a structured start to the game against the extremely weakened Hoffenheim team, even the opening goal by Jadon Sancho (24th minute) could not give BVB any security.
The ball loss rate remained high, the concentration level fluctuated.
There was no question of defensive stability.
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After 31 minutes, Hoffenheim's playmaker Sebastian Rudy was completely free and was able to pass through to Munas Dabbur, who scored to equalize - because Emre Can misjudged himself and canceled the offside.
After the change it was once again not possible to defend a set piece properly, then goalkeeper Marwin Hitz failed - again once again - and the Hoffenheim team even took the lead through Ilhas Bebou (51st).
Then it got wild: Dortmund increased the risk again, tried to build up pressure - but the game became even messier.
More than the equalization by Erling Haaland (81st) was not possible.
In the end, BVB even had to tremble about one point.
BVB lacks unity
The core problem, from which Dortmund had already suffered in the last few months of Favre's time, seems to have tended to have become bigger rather than smaller since the coaching change: lack of compactness.
However, this is not only due to the more aggressive style.
“It's a little more complex.
The number of individual errors is simply very high, ”explained Terzic.
At the beginning of the season, when the team still looked very compact and only conceded two goals in the first six games, the duel behavior was simply better.
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However, that's only half the story.
Because at that time the team was tactically much more cautious.
Favre often played with three central defenders and kept the team on to avoid risks.
There were significantly fewer ball losses.
However, the football that the team played was often criticized: too cautious, too unspectacular.
BVB will not be able to use its full offensive potential.
It was this debate that was initially controversial in fan circles, then in club management and finally also in the team.
Even today there is no unanimous opinion as to which path is the right one.
There are spokesmen in the team who, like Hummels, vehemently defend the new style under Terzic.
However, there are also voices who warn that the frictional losses caused by the paradigm shift pose a greater risk than the option of ending the season with Favre would have.
Only nobody expresses these concerns publicly.
In fact, BVB is currently working towards what should begin in the summer: a new era with the likely new head coach Marco Rose.
His style, which is based on pressing and counter-pressing, is currently being pre-implemented - but it is extremely risky to do this during a season without preparation and many training opportunities.
It's a bit like open-heart surgery: Sometimes you might want to wait until an experienced surgeon is available for a complicated procedure.
Hoeneß - "With all humility - deserved victory"
Hoffenheim showed a strong game against Borussia Dortmund for long stretches.
Sebastian Hoeneß talks about his own stupidity and an emotional game.
Source: Stats Perform News