Borussia Monchengladbach have had a year full of up’s and downs. Lucien Favre was sacked at the beginning of last season’s campaign to be replaced by Andre Schubert. Schubert had a good campaign at the helm, leading Gladbach to a Champions League place. However, the departure of captain Granit Xhaka in the summer and a poor start to the campaign meant that Die Fohlen were hovering close to the relegation zone in December. Schubert was sacked and replaced by Dieter Hecking, the former Wolfsburg coach.

Hecking’s faith in youth

Dieter Hecking has always placed an emphasis on youth development. The same can be said of his tenure at Gladbach thus far. Hecking has given primary roles to young players like Andreas Christensen and Jannik Vestergaard in defense. Right in front of these two center halves is the impressive duo of Mahmoud Dahoud and Christoph Kramer. The new coach clearly believes that a fresh approach is needed to lift the club and an influx of youth has provided just that. Thorgan Hazard is another young player who has been a main man for Gladbach. In fact, apart from Raffael, the entire starting 11 against Freiburg was aged under 30 which is impressive.

Mahmoud Dahoud justifying outside interest

Mahmoud Dahoud, the talented 21 year old midfielder, was linked with scores of clubs in the summer. A move seemed inevitable but the Syrian-born German stayed in Germany. Dahoud has justified all the interest by being irreplaceable in midfield for Gladbach. His style of play complements the system introduced by Hecking and his presence as a Number 8 alongside the more defensive Kramer offers a balance between attack and defense. Dahoud is good in reading the game and is also active defensively but his contribution to attack is pivotal. His ability to spread the ball wide and switch the direction of play is important in a fast paced league like the Bundesliga.

Borussia Monchengladbach senior players lead from front

When in difficulty, the senior most players must take it upon themselves to put in an extra shift. They are also vital in guiding the youngsters and encouraging them to play to their best. Lars Stindl and Raffael have been important both on and off the pitch in helping Gladbach rediscover their form. Stindl, who is also club captain, leads the line for Borussia and has been in fine form scoring regularly. Raffael, the Brazillian, is another attacking player who makes a difference every-time he plays. The duo of Stindl and Raffael also chip in with important equalizing and match winning goals, illustrating their importance to the team.

Strong mentality and resilience

Late goals conceded and a weak mentality characterized the first half of Borussia’s season. This seems to have changed following the winter break. Most evidently in the amazing away win at Leverkusen was the way Gladbach didn’t roll over when two goals down. They instead rallied to equalize in quick succession and snatch a winner. Call it the ‘new manager effect’ but this was no doubt a huge result for the team. Hecking was known to be a vociferous and motivational manager at Wolfsburg and he seems to have brought this spirit to Monchengladbach. Very often,this resilience could be the difference between a loss and 3 points.

All in all, the appointment of Dieter Hecking seems to be a good move by Borussia Monchengladbach. While it is too early to tell if this will be a great long term decision, it certainly seems to have made an immediate impact. Gladbach fans will hope that this will restore the club to it’s regular performance levels and maybe even further.

Share with your friends: Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

WhatsApp

Reddit

Telegram

