Category Archives: Borussia Dortmund

News and views pertaining to Borussia Dortmund.

Marco Reus: What does his new contract with Dortmund suggest?

  By O-Posts Team | February 17, 2022 - 16:19 | , ,
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The biggest news in Germany during the course of last week was the renewal of Marco Reus’ contract until 2019. The attacking midfielder has been sought out by almost every big team in Europe in the last couple of months and given the current position of Dortmund in the league and recent history of the club’s transfer deals, many thought that it was a matter of time before he bids farewell to ‘Die Schwarzgelben’. But no, he surprised everyone by extending his contract.

There are a lot of indications to the new deal though and among them here are a few:

  • Loyalty

What makes Marco Reus different from former team mates Robert Lewandowski and Mario Götze (who has Bavarian roots) is his high level of emotional attachment with the city and the club. Reus was a Dortmund born player who grew up playing for the club until being sold when he was 17 because of his ‘physical weakness’. But after impressing in lower division club Rot Weiss Ahlen and helping Borussia Mönchengladbach finish 4th in the 2011-12 season after helping them avoid relegation a year before, Reus returned to Dortmund choosing them over Bayern. And the fact that he has remained true to his team under difficult circumstances goes to show his love for BVB.

Borussia Dortmund’s Sporting Director Michael Zorc even compared him to Steven Gerard. And Reus himself said, ‘I am very happy with my decision. Dortmund is my home city and Borussia is simply my club.’ This has sparked a light at the Signal Iduna Park. Marco Reus has become the symbol of loyalty and was even applauded in the dressing room by the players.

Besides putting hope in the hearts of the fans, Reus’s decision will also set an example for other team mates, which was seen in the recent news that Ilkay Gundogan will also hold talks with the club for furthering his contract.

 

  • Season rescued?

The news couldn’t have come at a better time than after a thumping 3-0 victory over fellow strugglers SC Freiburg, first win of the year and the biggest margin of victory of their league campaign so far. These two factors seemed to have a great effect in the whole morale of the team.

And on Friday BVB showed real character and determination to come back from behind, for the first time this season, to beat Mainz on Friday. Reus got a goal in the match and set up Aubameyang beautifully for the third goal.

He was the best player on the pitch and he helped his team move clear off of the bottom three and level on points with their opponents. It looks as if the Borussia Dortmund we all know is back.

 

  • Higher release clause

If Dortmund get relegated no one would be surprised to see Reus leave after all, as did players like Gareth Bale and Luis Suarez after renewing their contract. But the club will be relieved to know that the highly rated and probably the most wanted player in Europe will be sold for a deserving price.

If there’s anything Dortmund have learned from the recent departure of Striker Robert Lewandowski is that if you can’t keep your top players you should at least benefit from the transfer money and the club seem to have not repeated that mistake.

And considering how Reus has developed in the last couple of years, a large sum of money is expected from anyone interested in signing the 25 year old and this will enable the club to reinforce and acquire world class players.

 

Written by Brook Genene

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Borussia Dortmund: The 3 main reasons behind their struggles this season

  By O-Posts Team | January 29, 2022 - 16:13 | , ,
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At the beginning of the season, it was no secret that it would be difficult for Dortmund to fill the Lewandowski shaped hole left by the Polish striker’s departure to the mighty Bavarians. However, predicting that the Black and Yellows would be second from bottom in the table languishing in the relegation zone was beyond comprehension.

No one would’ve thought that the 2012 German champions and 2013 Champions league finalists would be joint bottom at the end of matchday 17 having lost 10 league matches already; 5 of them in succession.

But how did that come to be? What are the main reasons behind the poor form of Jurgen Klopp’s side?

1) Injuries to key players                                

This has been a problem since December of last season and hasn’t gotten any better this time around. The injuries last season were so awful that Klopp was forced to convince Manuel Friedrich out of retirement. This season Klopp had better squad depth than last year’s and wasn’t obliged to make desperate decisions. That being said he didn’t have the opportunity to use his best 11 at a time either. And this is without mentioning the series set of injuries the key player Marco Reus had to endure, who at one time recovers sooner than expected and sustains an injury almost as instantly as has happened in the match against Paderborn.

In spite of having other creative players among the mix, the side never looked the same without the 25 year old German superstar. Also, the recurrent injury to captain Matts Hummels also left the side without a leader in defense and this was clearly seen in the majority of the side’s defeats.

 

2) Poor Finishing    

Lewandowski was the story behind most of the trophies Dortmund won in the last couple of years. Extremely reliable in front of goal and never hesitating to shine in the big matches, he scored over 100 goals for his side in his short tenure of four years at the Signal Iduna forever remaining in the hearts of the Dortmund faithful.

The arrivals of last year’s Serie A top scorer Ciro Immobile and Hertha Berlin’s Adrian Ramos were thought to have enough ability to ease the burden of matching the Polish star’s amazing record. But that hasn’t really been the case so far. The new strikers only managed to find the net a couple of times and weren’t there to deliver when the side really needed them.

 

3) Predictability

The last problem, among a few others, that might be raised from this woeful season is predictability. The so called ‘full-throttle’ football has been around for a couple of years now and despite enabling Dortmund to dominate matches and shock some of the big names in Europe it has become  well known by most of the sides in the Bundesliga.

The game plan requires a lot of energy and pace and the longer the game goes on the less intense the pressing and the more the weariness, especially if the side who is pressing hasn’t scored within those dominant stages of the game the opposition can salvage something at some point and this happened more than once this season to BVB.

Also, the high line defending has been exposing the team to quick counters making them suffer from goals scored against the run of play.

 

Conclusion

So can Dortmund save their season?  It’s a possibility. If they can get their key players fit for a good part of the season, if they can find the net more often than not and if they can come up with a plan B for their tactical problems, then the whole poor half of the season will all be forgotten in May.

 

Written by Brook Genene

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Champions League: An Infographic on the 2014/15 Round of 16 contenders

  By O-Posts Team | January 26, 2022 - 15:57 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Below is an infographic highlighting and detailing the round of 16 contenders in this season’s Champions League. It was created and designed by the folks at Guarantee Tickets.

Champions League Round of 16 Infographic

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Football/Sports Tips: How to Effectively Communicate With Your Players

  By O-Posts Team | October 19, 2021 - 22:56 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Communication is key in any sport, especially team ones such as rugby and football, where the success of the club depends on effective management of large pools of talent. Keeping track of the well-being, health and fitness of each individual player is essential to manage your resources and ensure that the group on the pitch is able to get the best results. It can also help you to avoid injury, overrunning certain players in the build up to important events, and overseeing opportunities as they arise.

 

Face-to-Face Communication

Whether you are training or giving the team a talk during half time, it can be difficult to get your message across clearly both to the team as a whole, and individuals who need specific advice or criticism. Especially during intense situations such as games, mistakes made by players can be frustrating for the coach and manager, but a negative approach to communication can only have adverse effects. In any situation, try to build a criticism into a compliment. Tell them what they were doing well, then how they can improve their game, and you are much more likely to get a positive response.

Listening is as important for coaches and managers as it is for the players. Instead of giving them a 5-minute talk on where they have gone wrong and how they could improve, get them more actively involved in the conversation. Ask them where they think things went wrong, and talk through their situation to come to a solution. By being approachable and willing to hear what the athletes themselves have to say, you might also be surprised at how many of them are perfectly capable of self-diagnosis, and ask for advice of their own accord.

 

Interacting off the Pitch

However much you might try to cover every base in the time spent with your players, you inevitably can’t keep track of each player at all times. Yet understanding their feelings and physical situation is crucial to effective team management, and a passing comment during training from a player might easily get lost in the pipeline. Equipping your players and your organisation with sports performance management software allows you to interact off the pitch.

Your players can fill in surveys on their performance and fitness, whilst you can co-ordinate their training and development remotely, accessible on mobile devices to fit around the busy lives of every member of the organisation. By doing so, you can secure on-going communication with your team, and make sure that everything is professionally tracked and recorded.

In a modern world where mobile technology offers the opportunity to interact any time, anywhere, as a sporting organisation or individual, communication on the pitch is only one half of the picture today. Investment in sports performance management software and makes interaction with your players easier and more effective. Combined with an approachable and positive style of coaching and management, you can get the best out of your team to watch the success speak for itself.

 

Article by Kelly Gilmour-Grassam, freelance copywriter from Yorkshire. Kelly loves the great outdoors, interesting places and fine foods. You can follow her on Twitter at @KellyGGrassam. This article is written with support from The Sports Office.

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Bundesliga: Entertainment, Drama and Upsets all around

  By O-Posts Team | October 6, 2021 - 23:20 | , , , ,
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The start of a season see’s fans, managers and players conjoined by the same idea of a fresh start and newly held ambitions – usually influenced after what is seen as a fruitful recruitment drive and with the likes of Ciro Immobile, Xabi Alonso and Mehdi Benatia all joining the ranks of the Bundesliga, It is understandable why the attraction of the league is at a record high right now.

But with vast change comes instability, unorthodox results and performances to match. Case in point SC Paderborn – the newly promoted side were welcomed to life in the Bundesliga by being tipped to be relegated, but after a strong performance and an attacking display in their opener against Mainz which ended 2-2; it was anyone’s guess to see how far this team could go, until the week after they stomped over HSV to win 3-0 proving that they meant business and they were here to stay. Games against Bayern Munich and Borussia Monchengladbach have brought them back to reality somewhat, but it doesn’t get away from the fact that this team can compete in this league, especially after buying smartly, for example the signing of Elias Kachunga from Borussia Monchengladbach who has scored 3 goals in his 6 appearances for the club so far, after making his move permanent.

Bundesliga powerhouses Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke have had an indifferent start to their season, both teams showing inconsistencies within their performances and a lack of positive results which would please the fans early on. Both teams at Gameweek 6 took part in the derby of all German derbies to the avail of FC Schalke who came out on top with a 2-1 win that saw creativity from both sides, but the quality of finishing from Schalke ultimately put the game to bed. FC Schalke started slowly losing heavily to Borussia Monchengladbach, but after an inquest and a much needed confidence boost with a 3-0 win over Werder Bremen, it seems that they can jump start their season again and get into the kind of position that their quality merits.

Borussia Dortmund are struggling to get the balance right. After conceding Bundesliga’s fastest goal after 9 seconds on Gameweek 1 it was a massive test of character for the squad, especially with the amount of new additions that Jurgen Klopp has brought to the club after somewhat of an exodus over the past few transfer windows. One revitalizing moment for Dortmund was the transfer of Kagawa back to Dortmund from Manchester United, which in turn saw him contribute to the score line before half time in Gameweek 3. Although, with big losses against Mainz and Schalke, Jurgen Klopp’s new team needs to gel together and gel fast if they are to meet the expectations of the fans. It’s more of a case of patience for Dortmund fans, with the likes of Ciro Immobile getting to grips with German football and Kagawa having to regain his fitness and form that he lost when he moved to the Premier League.

Werder Bremen as of Gameweek 6 have found themselves in a tricky situation. After starting to season in no real disastrous fashion, it seemed as weeks went by Robin Dutt’s team weren’t able to find a win, drawing their first 3 games of the season. Two heavy losses on the trot against FC Augsburg and FC Schalke didn’t merit fans appreciation, but thanks to Ivica Olic goal, Bremen managed to scrape a win to nail their first win of the campaign. With this victory in sight, Bremen can surely hope to spearhead a burst of positive form that will help bring them out of the relegation zone.

Inevitably with all this disparity to usual procedures of Germany domestic league football, the Bayern Munich machine is roaring as ever and are top of the table on 14 points. The addition of Xabi Alonso by Pep Guardiola seems to be a master stroke with the absence of Javi Martinez with an ACL tear during the SuperCup game against Dortmund. The former Madridista has broken the record for the amount of touches in 1 game against Cologne and seems to fit seamlessly into the Guardiola system of play, ironically enough. He looks set to be a big part of the spine of Bayern’s team this season.

The strange nature of the Bundesliga where anyone can beat anyone is something that for the neutral is something to savour and dedicate time too, the competitive nature between 2nd and below now too with such well organised teams and brilliant tacticians coming through is something the Premier League is now lacking. With the 50+1 rule now in operation throughout the Bundesliga also, it forces teams to be more adventurous with their scouting networks, a direct result of this has seen the likes of Shinji Kagawa, Shinji Okazaki and Atsuto Uchida come to into first team action, along with many more Japanese nationals.

Whatever criticism Bundesliga has had in the past, it is growing in influence and stature and can’t be looked down upon anymore.

Written by James Clark

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Football Entertainment: Soccer Saturday Bingo

  By O-Posts Team | April 3, 2022 - 02:29 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Soccer Saturday is a football institution in the UK and Ireland and has been ever since its inception in 1992. Broadcast on Sky Sports, the premise of the program is simple in that there is a host and four studio guests that review the Saturday afternoon football matches that play as they happen. There are also roving reporters at many of the other matches around the country and these are visited throughout the afternoon.

While the premise would make the program sound boring, the fact that it has been on air for 22 years is down to the on screen chemistry of the host, Jeff Stelling, and the studio guests makes the program watchable each and every week. The studio guests are currently former Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier, former Arsenal defender Paul Merson, ex Liverpool assistant manager Phil Thompson and Celtic and Arsenal striker Charlie Nicholas.

As a result of the on screen chemistry between the five in the Soccer Saturday studio as well as their familiarity with each other as well as the passion of these football men appearing while watching the matches we are often treated to a display of football analysis that is usually reserved for time spent in the pub with your mates, except on prime time TV!

The nature of the program, as well as the occasion faux pas from the studio guests, has led to many spin offs for people to join in at home. The most famous of this is the Soccer Saturday drinking game where shots of beer or Jagermeister are to be drunk at times of different things happening during the program.

However, for those of us that do not want to spend our Saturday afternoon’s getting heavily drunk we have come up with a bingo version of the game that allows you to play the same game without being unable to function for Saturday evening!

To play, just print off this bingo card from Butlers Bingo or write down the below situations and hand them out to all of the people playing the game. The winner is the first person to get all of their situations to appear on screen.

  • A goal is scored
  • A sending off
  •  Half time
  • Chris Kamara is talking
  • Paul Merson uses stupid rhyming slang (i.e.”he’s hit the beans on toast”!)
  • Swindon Town appear on the vidiprinter
  • Dundee appear on the vidiprinter
  • Phil Thompson says ‘Stevie Gerrard’
  • Jeff makes an ‘A Trialist’ joke
  • Your team scores two goals
  • Jeff calls Kenny Deucher ‘The Good Doctor’
  • Hartlepool score a goal
  • A pundit shouts off camera
  • LeTiss is mentioned in connection with a takeaway
  • Chris Kamara says “it’s unbelievable Jeff”
  • Jeff mentions “dancing in the streets of TNS
  • Jeff says “its Doom and Gloom at…”
  • The team ‘Keith’ is referred to as just being one guy
  • Brighton & Hove, or Daggers & Redbridge are jokingly referred to as two different teams playing the same oppo
  • When Arbroath striker Kevin Webster scores and Stelling says “ohh, Sally will be pleased”
  • Something bad happens to Craig Bellamy (injury, og, booked, arrested for assault etc.)
  • Northampton Town appear on the vidiprinter.
  • Jeff sings “I feel good” when James Brown scores for Hartlepool

These are just a taste of the situations that occur during Soccer Saturday, and feel free to add more of your own making to spice up for your Soccer Saturday bingo session! Once you’ve played this, jump online to play free games at any bingo site. You can win big and use it to spice up your Soccer Saturday fun!

Would you prefer to just play football instead of sitting at home? So basically you want to be a professional footballer? Click here!

 

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Feature: Much awaited football tournaments in the world

  By O-Posts Team | March 29, 2022 - 01:52 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Soccer as it is called in the United States and Canada and football to the rest of the world, is one of the most popular sporting extravaganza played by millions worldwide.

The game is played with different formats with different pitch and team sizes but the most prevalent one feature two teams with eleven players each, playing on a grass pitch measuring approximately 105m x 68m with the main aim of kicking or heading a ball into their opponent goal. Men’s football was introduced into Olympics Games in 1908 while the women’s competition was added in 1996.

There is various international football tournaments played all around the world which are eagerly awaited by soccer fans.

Visit Carlton Leisure to book flights to various destinations around the world to enjoy these precious moments of various tournaments.

 

FIFA World Cup

Ask a football fan what delights him the most and undoubtedly you get the answer as FIFA World cup. There is no greater sports competition than this ultimate sports extravaganza. The next FIFA World Cup is held in Brazil from 12th June 2014 to 13th July 2014.

Come and enjoy the game of stamina and passion and see your favorite football giants competing against each other.

 

The UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Championship League is the most glamorous club competition in the football tournaments. The competition is organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).

Since 1992 it has become one of the most prestigious club competitions in European football which has helped to turn Europe into football’s most financially powerful continent.

The finals of 2012-13 UEFA championship is the most watched sporting events in 2013 worldwide drawing over 360 million television viewers. There is no club competition to match the champion league.

 

The Copa America

It is one of the oldest existing continental football competitions. It is a South American international Association Football Competition contested between CONMEBOL as well as two other nations, frequently Mexico, Costa Rica or the United States.

Brazil and Argentina are referred as South American football’s “Big Two” current holders but it is the Uruguay which is the most successful team of the tournament with 15 wins till date.

 

The FA Cup

The Football Association Challenge Cup which is commonly known as the FA Cup is an annual knockout cup competition in English football. It is the most famous domestic competition in the world.

A women tournament is also held known as FA Women’s cup. Established in July 1871, it is arguably the oldest association football competition in the world.

 

Africa Cup of Nations

It is a main international association football competition in Africa that pits the continents greatest international sides against each other in a fascinating battle of supremacy. It was first held in 1957 and since 1968, it has been held every two years.

The tournament is held in the month of January and the continent’s most successful side is Egypt which has won this tournament a record seven times.

 

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Safe standing: Back to the future for football stadia?

  By O-Posts Team | March 10, 2022 - 00:48 | , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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In the past few days, League One side Bristol City have announced that they want to install ‘safe standing’, seats which can be folded back to create terracing. Already in use in grounds all over Germany such as the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, it could be in use for rugby games at Ashton Gate in the next few months.

However, safe standing is still outlawed in football games in England, but could it become a fixture in grounds up and down the country in the future?

Fans groups worried about sterile atmospheres in stadia throughout the leagues have called for its introduction, citing how Bundesliga clubs have benefited from using it in place or ordinary seating.

 

Safety first?

The implementation of safe standing might be popular with fans, but what about the clubs? With anxiety about the perceived lack of safety involved with ordinary terracing, it seems that the all-seater stadia that we see in grounds all over the country today are here to stay for a long time to come, although modern venues owe a lot to the terraces of old.

Many older fans will fondly remember packed uncovered terraces during the 1970’s, 60’s and even further back, while as recently as the early 1990’s, some grounds such as Anfield had at least some terracing.

While some all-seater grounds such as, say, the Britannia Stadium, still produce plenty of noise, others seem almost like libraries, Old Trafford being a prime example.

 

Looking back

A new quiz asked fans of all Premier League clubs how well do you know your team. Asking about just about every aspect of the club’s history, it may make fans wonder how their ground used to look before being covered in identikit plastic seats.

The quiz from Ladbrokes asks 10 questions, all of which are pretty difficult for the casual fan to answer correctly. Part of the clamour for safe standing could be attributed to a sense of nostalgia for the old days when standing during games was the norm.

Given how it could increase attendances and help fans enjoy the games more, it could give the game a new lease of life, attracting older fans who gave up on going to games due to the lack of standing room.

 

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Football: What does it mean and how us fans shape our lives around it

  By O-Posts Team | February 12, 2022 - 21:53 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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There comes a time where we must all grow up. Young boys stop playing with little action figures and move on to games consoles, young girls stop wearing their mothers make-up and start wearing their own. We all go to secondary school, reach an age where an interest in the opposite sex grows and we watch more shows created for an older fanbase, as opposed to the kid’s TV we used to enjoy.

We can change our minds so easily when we grow up. We outgrow almost everything from our childhood, be it a show, a board game or an obsession with our favourite teddy or toy that never left our side. Even hobbies find their way of slowly drifting from our routines and finding their place in our memories, never to be forgotten.

One thing that seldom changes, however, is relationships. Some even grow stronger. Childhood friends become school friends, school friends become work friends, maybe even partners. Having an affinity with something rarely changes, and it’s the same with football.

Football can shape the childhood of children so easily. We watch and become transfixed by one player, one team or just the sport in general. For children in football mad families, it is inevitable that they will watch football from early. As a young boy in an Arsenal mad family there was no other team I was ever going to watch, and when I did watch I was hooked by Thierry Henry.

He was my first idol, the first player I fell in love with. And even today, the sight of Thierry Henry or the mere mention of his name buckles me up and takes me down the greatest evocative road I’ve ever journeyed on. Reliving the moments that lit up my childhood, experiencing those moments again. Just fantastic.

To this day, as an 18-year old, I will admit that if it come down to going on a date with a beautiful female or going to watch the Arsenal, I’d pick Arsenal. She may be upset by that so I’d invite her along. If she says no then that’s her problem, not mine. However strong that may sound, football has played a part in my life so huge that living without it would be fairly difficult. It’s an escape, and the same for many other people.

People shape their lives around football. Socially and professionally, everything is built around football. Unfortunately though, not for me, professionally speaking. I work when most Arsenal games are on, and as an 18-year old I’m sadly unable to dictate when I work.

Money comes first when you’re building for a future. Needs must. But it’s not the same for others. People book days off from work to go to games. Even if they’re just going to watch it down the pub with some friends, football comes first.

It’s a strange connection, as people who don’t love football are unable to comprehend the feeling felt by fans when a goal is scored, a pass is misplaced or the ball is controlled. All these footballers are really are just normal people who can kick a ball better than the rest of us, but it’s not as simple as that.

As kids we idolise these men and treat them as superheroes and when we grow up we just sit back and watch in awe. They become parts of our lives and on the back of interviews and performances we end up feeling like we know them.

It even influences the way we use social media, particularly on Twitter. Many people you’ll find on there use it solely to air views and discuss football. There’s something about mixing social media and watching football that results in a narcissistic belief that our views are superior to others. Opinions in the world vary, but on social media the passion we hold for our clubs exudes into 140 characters and any objection comes across as disparagement. So, naturally, we bite back.

Peronally speaking as a reserved individual, football provides a platform for conversation. With not many interests other than the beautiful game finding a middle ground is difficult, and relating to people is rare. With all this in mind, football is the most important thing in my life and it’s played a huge part in the development of me as a person. It’s taught me many different emotions and even a few swear words along the way. Like millions of my fellow humans, I don’t know where I’d be without football.

Football elicits emotion that is not comparable to anything in life. Loyalty to your club is not a choice, it is an obligation; something that is very much permanent; like a birthmark, or a mole - something we cannot remove from ourselves. No matter how frustrating we may consider our connection with a football club to be, there is no doubt that however illogical perserverance through frustration sounds, it would sound even more illogical to contemplate removing your loyalty.

So loving football isn’t necessarily a choice, it’s a requirement. And it’s fun to be part of a community that’s so widespread yet united as one. It’s a wonderful feeling. And that’s why football will always come first.

 

Written by Ryan Goodenough

Follow Ryan on Twitter @SidelineArsenal

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Arsenal: The Gunners need Marco more than they need Julian

  By O-Posts Team | January 26, 2022 - 22:35 | , , , , , , ,
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Julian Draxler - the German Wünderkind who has been heavily speculated to swap shirt from FC Schalke 04’s blue to Arsenal’s red and white - looks likely to prolong his stay at the Gelsenkirchen as Arsène Wenger brought all speculations to a close, as reported by the Metro.

“It looks unlikely that we will sign anyone. We are not close to anything”.

It looks clear that Arsenal won’t be doing business this January. Yet with several days remaining before the transfer window is officially closed, anything can still realistically happen. And as we all know with the Frenchman, anything can happen and has a tendency of (intentionally) misleading the fans when it comes to transfer links.

Often enough Wenger has successfully surprised us by completing the transfers of some virtually unknown young players and making some big name signings on the deadline day. As we start to lose hope, then boom! Wenger makes a miracle happen, and it happened when we least expected it.

When I heard the rumor for the first time, I couldn’t hide my excitement. Draxler is good and he’s still very young. There’s so much room from improvement. No doubt about it. I would love to see him in Arsenal shirt. I really do. But Arsenal doesn’t have the unlimited amount of transfer funds. They can’t just splash big amount of money to get whoever they want.

Let’s say that Arsenal can only do one big-money signing. Rather than Draxler, I prefer to see Marco Reus completing a switch to the Emirates. Yes, Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund.

As last year’s Premier League campaign closed to its end I wrote an article for an Indonesian website, titled “Mengapa Marco Reus adalah Sosok yang Tepat untuk Akhiri Puasa Gelar Arsenal” or, in English, “Why Marco Reus is the Key to End Arsenal’s Premier League Trophy Drought”.

Marco Reus. Of all the best performers from last season, I picked Reus to be Arsenal’s messiah. The missing piece of Arsenal puzzle. Not Cristiano Ronaldo, not Franck Ribéry, not even the messiah himself; Lionel Messi. I picked Reus because I thought that he fits so well in the way Arsenal play their football. He’s also a humble player who puts the team’s goal over personal achievement. But above all, it’s Arsenal’s and Reus’ tendencies that make him the messiah for Arsenal.

Last season, Arsenal had the tendency to finish the game as a victor if they scored the first goal of the game. Interestingly, in the same time span, more often than not we saw Reus’ name as the game deadlock-breaker.

As I wrote the piece on the 24th of April last year, Arsenal had recorded twenty-six wins and twenty of which was claimed with the Gunners being the first team to score. Wenger’s men suffered eleven losses and in ten of them, their opponents were always the quickest to find the back of the net. It is fair to say that Arsenal didn’t too well on the back foot.

For Reus himself, last season, he scored twenty-one goals in sixteen different games for Dortmund and the Die Mannschaft. In those matches, he broke the deadlock in all but two matches, which could prove to be handy for the Gunners.

Everything’s different now. It really is. Arsenal is no longer that team that plays nervously if they concede first. Reus isn’t enjoying the same season as he did last term. However, if Wenger decided to add Reus to the team he’s currently having, I would still see it as a good move.

Reus is the type of player that can fit well at any big club. His versatility, gifted ability, constant movement, technique, array of finishing options, burgeoning pedigree, Arteta-like perfect hair and great mental strength make him a lovely fit for the North London side.

He, in some ways, can prove to be Arsenal’s messiah.

 

Written by Taufiq Nur Shiddiq

Follow Taufiq on Twitter @nurshiddiq

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