“We gave the game away,” said BVB keeper Marwin Hitz after the 2:3 in Berlin. Coach Marco Rose, meanwhile, denied his team the necessary attitude needed for maximum success in his view.
With a win in Berlin, Marco Rose wanted to crown a good first half of the season – or in his own words: “We’ve played a decent first half so far and can now make it a very decent one.” But nothing came of it, although BVB still led 1-0 at Hertha BSC after 45 minutes. But a severe collapse at the start of the second half ultimately led to a 2:3 defeat.
And so it was that Rose stood in front of the Sky microphone after the end of the game, visibly dismayed, and criticised his team’s performance in no uncertain terms. “The three points aren’t there, so it’s a bit difficult at the moment with a decent first half. We lead 1-0 here in difficult conditions.” But then it goes there, “because we give away goals. We also play too little unconditionally for too long – and only when the child has already fallen into the well do we do what we imagine over 80 or 90 minutes. Namely, we play unconditional football with everything that goes with it – defending, attacking, pressing the opponent.” As a result, Steffen Tigges’ late 2:3 was all that was possible on this Saturday evening at the end of the first half of the season.
Rose and “unconditionality “
Even substitute goalkeeper Marwin Hitz, who had played for Gregor Kobel, who had a cold, could not explain the collapse that brought the Old Lady back into the game with clear mistakes like those made by Julian Brandt before the 1:2 and 1:3: “We gave the game away. There was nothing in the first 20 minutes of the second half, only after that were we back in it. We got the goals too easily. But then to concede three goals away from home is very, very difficult. “
To be maximally successful, you need a bit more.
But why did the Black and Yellows slump so badly? Coach Rose investigated the causes and said unequivocally: “I say that we lack unconditionality. We are Borussia Dortmund, we want to win here in Berlin. And everyone here must be able to recognise that – in every minute of the game.”
And he continues: “We’re not talking about attitude here. Because it’s clear that the boys want it. But we are talking about attitude. And at the end of the day, Berlin beat us with passion and fight, as other opponents have done, and earned the victory. We’re going home empty-handed now because of that. “
Reappraisal still begins Saturday night
What now needs to be worked on during the short Christmas break? Rose has a plan: “We have to change our attitude to unconditional, we definitely have to work on that. I don’t want to change the guys’ characters here because they are good guys. But to be maximally successful, it takes a little bit more. “
Rose doesn’t want to write off Christmas as such, especially since the team is still in second place and shouldn’t forget that despite all the justified criticism: “Now, that’s a fact, we’re dragging a defeat with us through the holidays. But I won’t let them take Christmas away from me now, my family is looking forward to me and I’m looking forward to my family. But of course today is very, very disappointing. We’ll have to work through that, of course.” And that immediately in a night shift, which the BVB professionals around Erling Haaland still have to do after the flight home, as Rose announced.
