Thomas Meunier is one of the long-running favorites in Borussia Dortmund’s squad again this season. The Belgian rarely plays well, is highly controversial among fans – and yet indispensable for BVB.
It is not known whether those responsible at Borussia Dortmund also found out about the new signing on YouTube before Thomas Meunier was signed in summer 2020.
If the BVB bosses have researched the video portal, they may have noticed a clip showing Meunier’s unflattering game scenes from his time at Paris Saint-Germain.
The “phenomenal cross technique” of the 31-year-old right-back is portrayed with biting irony. “Unbeatable in the air” is the name of a section with failed headers. Meunier is also credited with “remarkable passing technique” and an “incredible football IQ”.
As a BVB fan, the sight of these actions hurts him, a user comments on the video. “How the man became a professional is still a mystery to me,” writes another.
BVB: A lot of criticism of Thomas Meunier
Meunier is regularly one of the most heavily criticized players in black and yellow after BVB games on social networks and fan forums. The supporters in the stadium (and probably one or the other decision-maker of BVB) have cost Meunier a lot of nerves in the last two years.
In particular, his offensive game can be improved, to put it mildly. Dangerous cross runs, actually a core competence of modern full-backs, he almost never succeeds – a particularly bitter realization in view of the fact that Anthony Modeste, who has been so disappointing in the BVB jersey so far, is a striker in the center of attack who acts in good shape on such high passes quality would be dependent.
BVB’s opponents have long known Meunier’s weaknesses. Manchester City gave the veteran a lot of space on his right side in the Champions League duel. He couldn’t capitalize on it.
BVB “too vulnerable” because of Thomas Meunier?
Defensively, Meunier is rock solid on good days. Against the ball, however, the quality of his performances varies greatly.
In the difficult away game against SC Freiburg, coach Edin Terzic substituted the yellow carded Meunier after a poor performance at half-time. BVB turned a 0-1 deficit into a 3-1 victory without the 2018 World Cup bronze medalist.
Meunier was also one of the weakest Borussia players in the 3-0 defeat at RB Leipzig. A total of 52 percent of duels won in the league are not exactly evidence of a bulwark on the right Dortmund side.
BVB was also “too vulnerable” because of Meunier, criticized record international Lothar Matthäus to “Bild” before the start of the season.
It is therefore quite surprising that Meunier is still fifth in all competitions among the BVB professionals with the most minutes played in 2022/2023 – but only at first glance.
That’s why Thomas Meunier is indispensable for BVB
Because despite his mixed performances, Meunier is actually indispensable for Terzic.
Mateu Morey, who was actually intended as the main competitor, was just fighting his way back to the team after tearing his cruciate ligament in spring 2021, but then suffered a meniscus injury and had to undergo another operation.
Niklas Süle or Emre Can are at best stopgap solutions on the right-back position.
All-purpose weapon Marius Wolf is sometimes also needed on the right offensive wing or the left defense due to the thin staff cover. And homegrown Felix Passlack does not have the status to have a chance of a regular place even under Edin Terzic.
In other words: there is no real competition for Meunier at BVB.
So it’s no wonder that despite many rumors in the past transfer period, a departure from Dortmund failed. Famous names like Manchester United and FC Barcelona have been associated with him.
The rumors were not specific. Maybe because Manchester and Barcelona also consulted YouTube.
Tobias Knoop