Mid-season update

(Updated) After the much-discussed mid-season interval, Borussia Dortmund (and German football) will be back in action tomorrow night for the German Cup 3rd round clash against Werder Bremen, currently 2nd in the league, on equal points with leaders Bayern Munich. So it’s about time for an update on how the „Schwarzgelben“ have been doing during the last three months. Our position in the Bundesliga hasn’t changed a lot since the early days of this blog. Currently, Dortmund are lying in 10th place, a bit closer to the relegation zone than to qualification for Europe, but all in all still deep in mid-table obscurity.

I guess no one at the club can give the perfect reason why the team has had such a mediocre run until now. The one word creeping in every conversation has been CON-SIS-TEN-CY. In early November, at Hanover, the team played 20 minutes of great football only to break down thereafter and lose 2-1. This was followed by an unlucky draw at home to Frankfurt. The away game at Nuremberg marked a new low, an awkward performance against a team threatened by relegation meant the hosts walked out as 2-0 winners.

Manager Thomas Doll must have found the right words in the following week, because the team came back on Saturday to beat last season’s champions, Stuttgart, 2-1 at their place. And six days later, we thrashed Bielefeld 6-1 at home, showing some great football in the process (though, to be fair, Bielefeld were distinctly weak in that match, they fired the gaffer subsequently). So, one week before Christmas, the team had the chance to set the record straight with an away win at Wolfsburg, statistically one of our favourite opponents. But, as you might imagine, it went the other way: Due to some individual mistakes, BVB lost 4-0 and thus sealed a disappointing first half of the season.

Since then, the contract of the manager has been extended until 2010. The club executives have unsuccessfully tried to lure Germany No.1 Jens Lehmann away from the Arsenal bench in order to replace the injured Roman Weidenfeller, a doubtful move imho, as our substitute keeper, Marc Ziegler, has played fair enough when he had to fill in for Weidenfeller a couple of times. Well, now he IS number one…

In the January transfer window, Mats Hummels, a young defender, has been brought in on loan from Bayern Munich, and right full-back Antonio Rukavina was bought from Partizan Belgrade. The 24-year-old Serbian international has been promising in the friendlies so far. And finally, as the new number two in goal, Alexander Bade (37) from Paderborn has signed a contract until the end of the season. Most promising news though: Striker Alexander Frei is set to return to action very soon after some persistent injury problems, and defensive midfielder Sebastian Kehl, who already had three appearances in December, will hopefully be back to his full level of fitness.

So there are some promising signs for Dortmund, but from my experience of the last few years, I would definitely advise some caution. Expect nothing and you won’t be disappointed… but then again… cumon lads, let’s beat Bremen!!!

UPDATE: They’ve done it! Marc Ziegler saves a late penalty to keep it 2-1 for Dortmund!