After a disappointing season, the mood at Borussia Mönchengladbach has improved significantly under Daniel Farke. But it was similar a year ago.
Daniel Farke has already achieved his first goal at Borussia Mönchengladbach. Under the new coach, there is a clear upswing in the mood in the team, the training camp at Tegernsee is characterized by good spirits, but also by hard work.
Things are going so well for Gladbach that Christoph Kramer is already full of praise for his new coach. “He creates the atmosphere and the atmosphere is a factor that should not be underestimated. Mr. Farke convinces both personally and with his speech and with his level of training,” said Kramer about the 45-year-old, who is at Norwich City (2017 to 2021). made a name. “After almost two weeks I can say that something new and sensible is emerging here. I have the feeling that this will be a good season.”
Hütter also knew how to please at first
So the first impression is correct. The problem: Gladbach found out almost exactly a year ago that it can also be deceptive. Because Kramer also got into raptures about Adi Hütter, who had just started at the time and with whom the collaboration ended immediately after the last match day.
Gladbach’s coach Adi Hütter is on the sidelines
“I’m almost positively surprised. I find him very nice, very euphoric and I think it will be very good,” said Kramer in the summer before the disappointing season, in which Gladbach was in a relegation battle. Now the 2014 world champion had to admit: “The whole atmosphere in the club was bad. It was a really bad mood. It was therefore very important for the mind to put everything on a complete restart.”
This restart also happened in 2021 after Marco Rose decided to move to Borussia Dortmund. Sporting setbacks followed, the resignation of sports director Max Eberl for health reasons and finally Hütter’s dismissal. Farke is now spreading new optimism, but for it to really be “a good season”, as Kramer predicted, it takes more than a good start in cooperation.
Still too many open personnel questions
Another basis is a functioning squad. Eberl’s successor, Roland Virkus, had announced a change early on, but so far this has not happened. Ko Itakura, who was promoted to the Bundesliga with Schalke 04 last season, is the only significant new signing. Further reinforcements are sought, but something still needs to be done on the outgoing side.
With Marcus Thuram, the club seemed anxious to give him away. But Farke has taken a liking to the Frenchman. “We have no intention of letting him go because he is an exceptional player,” said the Gladbach coach. But there is a problem there too: Thuram’s contract runs until 2023. If he stays and does not extend his contract, he will probably be free in a year. This happened recently with Matthias Ginter (SC Freiburg) – and Virkus wanted to prevent players from leaving the club for free in the future.
That’s why there is a need for clarification not only with regard to Thuram’s personnel, but also with Yann Sommer, Jonas Hofmann, Breel Embolo, Alassane Plea and Ramy Bensebaini. There was bad news about the latter, like Luca Netz, he tested positive for the corona virus and cannot participate for the time being. Naben Plea counts Bensebaini among the players most likely to generate transfer revenue. It could be the same for Breel Embolo, who AS Monaco are said to be very interested in.
Sommer and Hofmann are the core players
It is different with Hofmann and Sommer. The goalkeeper should be ensnared by Gladbach’s ex-coach Lucien Favre, who absolutely wants to bring him to OGC Nice. “Let’s wait and see,” said Virkus only to this personnel, in which he could, however, make an exception to his zero tariff wish. Sommer is so important to Gladbach as a goalkeeper that the club may opt for a transfer and risk losing him on a free transfer in 2023.
That shouldn’t happen with Hofmann. The club are keen to renew with him but the 29-year-old is hesitant. National coach Hansi Flick has now issued the national player a certificate that could bring him further interested parties. “If you see the last games, you have to say that he’s already seeded,” said Flick during his visit to the Gladbach training camp on Thursday with a view to a World Cup nomination.
These important personnel issues need to be clarified before Gladbach tackles the “good season” project. Otherwise there could be little left of the positive first impression at Farke.
