Borussia Mönchengladbach have found a new head coach. The club is reacting to a catastrophic start to the season with four consecutive defeats and zero points in the Bundesliga.
Sporting director Rouven Schröder summed up the situation. “The only positive thing is that the season is not over yet,” he said. The decision to appoint Alexander Blessin came after the 3-4 home defeat to Mainz 05 last weekend. Gladbach sit bottom of the table after four matchdays and have already conceded 16 goals.
Blessin joins from FC St. Pauli, where he only replaced Fabian Hürzeler this summer. The 51-year-old is a graduate of the Red Bull coaching school and previously worked at RB Leipzig. He enjoyed his greatest success in Belgium with Union St. Gilloise, achieving an average of over 2.0 points per game. He also implemented his favoured 3-4-3 system at Oostende and Italian top-flight side Genoa.
The most urgent task
His first and most urgent task in Mönchengladbach will be to stabilise the defence. The team conceded an average of four goals per game across the first four league matches. Three of Mainz's four goals on Saturday came from set-pieces. Interim coach Jan-Moritz Lichte struggled for words after the final whistle. “When you sit here and have conceded four goals again in the end, it's hard to put a positive spin on anything, and nobody wants to do that,” said Lichte.
The problems are obvious. Striker Tim Kleindienst had publicly criticised his teammates after the 3-4 loss to newly-promoted Elversberg. Against Mainz, a disagreement between Kevin Diks and Shuto Machino over who should take a penalty caused unrest. Machino eventually converted the spot-kick in the 95th minute for the 3-4 final score. The full overview of the current injuries shows that another defensive player, Enzo Leopold, is also sidelined.
The first test in the derby
Blessin's baptism of fire awaits immediately after the international break. On 11 October, it's the Rhine derby away to 1. FC Köln, who currently sit in 13th place. A win at the Müngersdorfer Stadion would be a long-overdue signal. The team has only managed one victory in its last five competitive matches, a friendly against Aston Villa, alongside four defeats. The standings show the full extent of the crisis: with a goal difference of 6:16, they are twelve points off the top.
The new coach must quickly get the team on the same page. Blessin is known as a detail-obsessed tactician who creates clear structures. Whether his three-at-the-back system fits the current Gladbach players is not yet clear. Preparation for the derby starts now. All other fixtures for the autumn are listed in our fixtures schedule. The Borussia Mönchengladbach squad, including top scorer H. Bolin with two season goals, can be viewed under squad.
First reported at Die Welt Sport
